Testing the Spirits

Readings for today: 1 John 3-5, Psalms 37

Discernment is a lost art. The ability to determine right from wrong. Truth from falsehood. Good from evil. In fact, recent studies have shown how challenging it is for people to identify fake news, debunk conspiracy theories, and identify propaganda. The crisis is compounded by the rise in online warfare as nefarious organizations weaponize social media to sow seeds of dissent and confusion in societies that value free speech. All this is made possible, of course, by post-modern philosophies that started taking hold in the 20th century where truth was intentionally relativized, individualized, and marginalized. The results are not good. We are more depressed than ever. More anxious than ever. More dis-integrated than ever. The social fabric of our culture tearing apart at the seams.

Over and against the prevailing winds come these words from the Apostle John, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world. You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world. Therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.” (1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The Graeco-Roman world was a lot like our own. People did what was right in their own eyes. It was a culture that showed little to no restraint. People were encouraged to engage in whatever behaviors felt good and right at the time. John is writing to Christian believers who are trying to remain faithful to Jesus in the midst of all the mess. He wants them to be able to know right from wrong. Good from evil. Truth from error. So he offers them a roadmap, a decision-making matrix that will allow them to find the godly path.

Test #1: Does the thought, attitude, or action align with Jesus? Does it reflect the ethics of the Kingdom of God? Does it bring honor and glory to His name? Will following the “spirit of the age” lead one to confess or deny Jesus?

Test #2: Resist temptation. Once one determines what is good and true and noble and right and godly, one must resist the very real temptation to go the other way. To listen to the false prophets. To follow the ways of the world. It’s tempting to think we are at the mercy of our feelings. Trapped by our biology. Helpless in the face of our circumstances. But these are lies from the spirit of the anti-Christ. John promises that in Christ we have the power to overcome temptation because greater is He that is in us than is in the world.

Test #3: Hold fast to your identity in Christ. No matter what challenges may come. No matter what difficulties you may face. No matter how much stress and anxiety and fear you may endure. You are from God. You are in Christ. Your heart has been transformed and renewed by the Holy Spirit. Listen to God’s Word. Obey God’s commands. Trust in His will and His way for your life.

I know I’ve found these three tests to be true in my own life. They’ve kept me from running my life into the ditch time and time again. By employing them regularly, I have also learned to listen to the Holy Spirit. I’ve learned how to discern His voice among the cacophony of others that demand my attention. And as I listen to the Spirit and learn from the Spirit and live by the Spirit, God has made my life a living demonstration of the gospel in action. I could ask for nothing more.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 John 1, 3 John 1, Psalms 38

God’s Wisdom

Readings for today: James 1-3, Psalms 31

I have met many people over the years who claim to speak for the Lord. They claim they hear from the Lord. They claim they have words from the Lord. They claim they’ve received some form of special revelation from the Lord. Now do I believe God still speaks to His people? Of course. Do I believe God visits His people in dreams and visions? Absolutely. Do I believe God sometimes gives His people a prophetic word of encouragement or conviction? Without a doubt. But how does a person know when a message is actually from the Lord?

Years ago, I was a Manage of Patient Access Services at Boulder Community Hospital. I had about four departments and around fifty employees working for me. One of them was a believer who often would claim to hear special messages from the Lord. She would wander around the office delivering these “messages” to her fellow employees. It made people uncomfortable. Her words often didn’t make sense. She asked people to share inappropriately with her. It was disruptive. It was manipulative. And it created a lot of resentment and frustration in our office. When I confronted her and asked her to stop, she grew angry and resentful. She began spreading all sorts of rumors and lies about my leadership. Eventually, she had to be terminated. It was a sad episode that taught me a lot about the importance of discernment.

So how do we discern if a message is from God? James 3:17-18 is clear. “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.” Looking back, it was clear the wisdom my employee was offering wasn’t pure or peace-loving or without pretense. It was more designed to promote her own sense of self-worth. Her intent wasn’t to sow peace but to sow pride. And I know I’ve made similar mistakes myself. Especially as a preacher. Every week, I am responsible to get up and share a message from the Lord with God’s people. I always have to check my heart to make sure I am not sharing from a place of pride or selfishness or anger or frustration or a need for affirmation. Every preacher I know wrestles with their motivations every time they get into the pulpit. We have to crucify our ego and desires and fears. We have to empty ourselves of all pride and pretense so God can fill us with His wisdom through His Spirit. And, at the end of the day, we need to be judged on our fruits. What do we produce? Not numbers. Not butts in the seats. Not influence. Not the number of followers we have on social media. But the fruit of purity and peace. The fruit of gentleness and mercy. The fruit of righteousness. This is the ultimate determination of whether we are sharing God’s Word or our own words. And the same holds true for every believer in the world.

Readings for tomorrow: James 4-5, Psalms 32

Discerning the Will of the Holy Spirit

Readings for today: Acts 21-22, Psalms 129

Discernment isn’t always easy. Sure, there are some things the Bible makes clear. Moral issues like murder, theft, deceit, and sexual immorality are consistently addressed throughout the Scriptures as are deeper issues like anger, lust, and greed. These things have no place in a Christian’s life. As we are sanctified in the Spirit, we should expect these things to diminish and the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control to flourish. But what about discerning the will of the Spirit? Where He may be calling us to go? Who He may be calling us to meet? What He may be calling us to do? That is more difficult.

Today’s reading puts this issue front and center. Paul is heading back to Jerusalem. Presumably, he believes this is the will of the Holy Spirit for his life. It’s an unshakable conviction for him and one that drives him to leave those he loves dearly with no guarantee he will be safe. As he travels, he stops along the way to spend time with other Christians. Men and women who are the literal fruit in some cases of his ministry. They implore him - by the Spirit - to not go to Jerusalem. But Paul will not be dissuaded. Finally, he lands at Caesarea and stays with Philip the evangelist. A prophet named Agabus comes to meet him and declares to him - by the Spirit - that he will be bound and handed over to the Gentiles for judgment. Once again, the local people plead with Paul not to go. Once again, Paul is resolute. “I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 21:13 CSB) So what’s going on here? Is Paul being stubborn? Is Paul being foolish? Is Paul being proud? Is Paul resisting the will of the Holy Spirit?

It’s honestly tough to know. What we do know is the prophecy of Agabus comes true. Paul is arrested, imprisoned, and handed over to Caesar who eventually executes him. And this raises some interesting questions for us as believers. How do we discern the will of the Holy Spirit for our lives? Surely, it starts with God’s Word. We listen for the voice of the Spirit as we read through the Scriptures. God’s Word is confirmed to us in prayer. We intentionally seek the will of the Spirit as we pray over our lives. We also need to listen to the voices of other believers who have our best in mind. They may receive a Word from the Lord for us. At the same time, the Word they share with us must be confirmed by the Word of God and the Spirit as He speaks to our hearts. We shouldn’t just accept it at face value. As one can see, discernment is a complex process involving a lot of different voices. Perhaps the most important thing we can do is walk with open hands, a humble heart, and a listening ear that is attuned to God’s voice.

Readings for tomorrow: Acts 23-24, Psalms 130

The Will of God

Readings for today: Isaiah 1-4, Psalms 109

What is the will of God for my life? It’s a question I field all the time. I hear it from young and old alike. New believers and mature believers have it in common. We all want to know what God wants from us. Typically, when we ask the question, we want to know something specific. What is God’s will for my family? What is God’s will for my future vocation? What is God’s will as I hit my golden years? What is God’s will with the years I have left? Who should I marry? How many kids should I have? These are the kinds of questions we often associate with “God’s will.” But what if God’s will were bigger and grander than we have ever imagined? What if God’s will had less to do with the actual events of our lives and more to do with the kind of people we become? (Let me hasten to add, I believe His will involves both.) That’s what Isaiah the prophet was wrestling with in the first chapter of his book.

“Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from my sight. Stop doing evil. Learn to do what is good. Pursue justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause…Zion will be redeemed by justice, those who repent, by righteousness.” (Isaiah 1:16-17, 27 CSB)

The people of God were engaged in all the “right” activities. They were bringing all the “right” sacrifices and worshipping at all the “right” seasons. But they were just going through the motions. Their hearts were not in it. They were too busy chasing their own desires and following their own dreams. The reign of King Uzziah was one of great wealth and power and prestige. It was a golden age of sorts. And yet the seeds of Judah’s destruction were already being sown. The people had abandoned their God. They tolerated injustice. Their leaders were corrupt. As a result, God brought judgment upon them. Warfare. Violence. Suffering. Pain. God exposed them to the consequences of their sin with the hope they would return to Him. “Why do you want more beatings? Why do you keep on rebelling? The whole head is hurt, and the whole heart is sick. From the sole of the foot even to the head, no spot is uninjured  — wounds, welts, and festering sores not cleansed, bandaged, or soothed with oil.” (Isaiah 1:5-6 CSB)

And what would a return to God look like? It would look like repentance. Confession of sin. Turning from wickedness. Learning to do what was good. Pursuing justice and righteousness. Defending the defenseless. Rising up against the oppressor. In short, it was about seeking God first in their lives and aligning their hearts with His will. Nothing has changed over the centuries. God’s will remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. He has clearly revealed in His Word what He wants for our lives. He wants us to live justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him. He wants us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. He wants us to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbors as ourselves. As we do these things, He promises to bring blessing to us and through us to the world.

Readings for tomorrow: Isaiah 5-8, Psalms 110

Wisdom

Readings for today: 1 Kings 1-3, Psalms 94

“So give your servant a receptive heart to judge your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” ‭‭(1 Kings‬ ‭3:9 CSB‬)

We suffer today from a lack of discernment. We live in a post-truth world. Right and wrong are personally defined. There is no such thing as objectivity anymore. People do what is right in their own eyes. We call good “evil” and evil “good.” We have lost our way as a culture, as a society, and as a nation. And it isn’t just Christians who have come to this conclusion. In one of the strangest videos I’ve ever seen, noted atheist Richard Dawkins actually calls himself a “cultural Christian” and argues for a return to Christian values in the UK! Craziness! Sadly, events of recent years like the COVID pandemic have only accelerated our downward spiral. Political and cultural leaders from all sides of the aisle seem far more interested in leveraging the multiple crises we face to further their own ends. We no longer seem to have many adults in the room. People who will honestly and transparently and humbly lead us through what is an extremely challenging time. The results are deadly. Would that God would raise up a leader for us like Solomon!

Sadly, in a democratic system, you often get the leadership you deserve. If we are honest, our leaders are an extension of us. They are the embodiment of our basest desires and primal instincts. They are ruthless, calculating, greedy, corrupt…just like us but on a larger scale. You say, but I’m not that way! Are you so sure? Perhaps it’s a matter of scale. It was Lord Acton who once wrote, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I imagine many of us - given the right circumstances and opportunities and resources and influence - might find ourselves justifying all kinds of choices we might not otherwise make. This is the impact of sin in our lives and it is hard to resist. This is why the character of a leader matters. It’s why the heart of a leader is so important. Leaders who are humble and seek God, who are willing to acknowledge their mistakes and ask for forgiveness, will seek to serve rather than be served. They will seek to unite rather than divide. They will lead with honesty and integrity and the nation will be blessed. Leaders who are proud and arrogant, selfish and greedy, prone to violence and rage, will seek to serve themselves rather than others. They will use division to accumulate more and more power for themselves. They will lie and deceive routinely if it serves their ends and the nation will be cursed.

One of the things we will see as we read through the Kings is how the character of a leader shapes the nation. The fortunes of Israel rise or fall largely on the godliness of the kings who serve her. When godly kings are in power. Kings who are wise. Discerning. Those who know right from wrong and good from evil. Israel flourishes. When ungodly kings are in power. Kings who are corrupt. Foolish. Narcissistic. Those who could care less about right or wrong as long as they acquire more power. Israel falls. America is no different. Now, more than ever, we need godly leadership at the helm of our nation. Now, more than ever, the character of our leaders matters. May God raise up for us leaders like Solomon who know good from evil and can lead us with wisdom.

Readings for tomorrow: 1 Kings 4-7, Psalms 95

False Prophets

Readings for today: Jeremiah 21-24

One of the things that makes my job more difficult is the popularity of so many false prophets in our world today. The internet is replete with them. Social media amplifies their voices to unprecedented heights. Their platforms are enormous and cut across all kinds of different demographics. I spend a lot of time sitting down with people I know and love and serve helping them discern whether or not the message they’ve heard from this prophet or that preacher or that person claiming to hear from God is actually true or not. Tragically, most of it is nonsense. I think of all the predictions from so-called “prophets” post-election promising God would overturn the results. I think of all the language of “winds shifting”, “earth shaking”, “movements rising”, etc. and yet none of it ever seems to come to pass. Of course, a lot of it is just general enough to keep the person from ever being held accountable. Too many Christians have ignored the clear teaching of Scripture (Deuteronomy 18:21-22) that if a prophet claims to speak for God and what they say doesn’t come to pass, they are to be rejected and never given any kind of influence ever again.

False prophets are nothing new, of course. Jeremiah had to deal with them in his own day. In fact, most of chapter 23 is a fiery sermon against such people. Jeremiah doesn’t hold back in his harsh critique as he delivers God’s judgment upon them. It’s worth reading again. “You prophets who do nothing but dream— go ahead and tell your silly dreams. But you prophets who have a message from me— tell it truly and faithfully. What does straw have in common with wheat? Nothing else is like God’s Decree. Isn’t my Message like fire?” God’s Decree. “Isn’t it like a sledgehammer busting a rock? I’ve had it with the ‘prophets’ who get all their sermons secondhand from each other. Yes, I’ve had it with them. They make up stuff and then pretend it’s a real sermon. Oh yes, I’ve had it with the prophets who preach the lies they dream up, spreading them all over the country, ruining the lives of my people with their cheap and reckless lies. I never sent these prophets, never authorized a single one of them. They do nothing for this people—nothing!” God’s Decree. “And anyone, including prophets and priests, who asks, ‘What’s God got to say about all this, what’s troubling him?’ tell him, ‘You, you’re the trouble, and I’m getting rid of you.’” God’s Decree. “And if anyone, including prophets and priests, goes around saying glibly ‘God’s Message! God’s Message!’ I’ll punish him and his family. Instead of claiming to know what God says, ask questions of one another, such as ‘How do we understand God in this?’ But don’t go around pretending to know it all, saying ‘God told me this. . . God told me that.. . . ’ I don’t want to hear it anymore. Only the person I authorize speaks for me. Otherwise, my Message gets twisted, the Message of the living God-of-the-Angel-Armies. You can ask the prophets, ‘How did God answer you? What did he tell you?’ But don’t pretend that you know all the answers yourselves and talk like you know it all. I’m telling you: Quit the ‘God told me this. . . God told me that. . . ’ kind of talk.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭23‬:‭28‬-‭38‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Perhaps you’ve found yourself under the influence of a potential false prophet. Perhaps a friend or family member has sent you a link of someone they listen to regularly. Pay close attention. Too many pastors and preachers have merged the gospel with partisan politics. Too many pastors and preachers claim divine authority despite the number of ways they divide and damage the Body of Christ. Too many pastors and preachers refuse to humbly admit where they have made mistakes or gotten off track. Too many pastors and preachers practice revisionist history in an attempt to make themselves look good. Too many pastors and preachers glibly string together all sorts of “prophetic sounding” language from the Bible in order to make themselves seem more credible. It takes a lot of prayer and wisdom and a relentless commitment to testing everything according to the truth of Scripture to discern in our day and age.

Readings for tomorrow: Jeremiah 25-28