CAC LIVING WATER - DISCERN WHO IS TALKING

LIVING WATER DAILY DEVOTIONAL
DISCERN WHO IS TALKING

1ST , JULY 2022 

- International Joke Day

 

EXTRA READING FOR TODAY:  Psalms 103-105

READ:  Matthew 16:16-23

 

 

16 Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17 Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood [men] have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven.

18 And I tell you, you are Peter [Greek, Petros—a large piece of rock], and on this rock [Greek, petra—a huge rock like Gibraltar] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades (the powers of the infernal region) shall not overpower it [or be strong to its detriment or hold out against it].

19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind (declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what is already loosed in heaven.

20 Then He sternly and strictly charged and warned the disciples to tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

21 From that time forth Jesus began [clearly] to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders and the high priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised from death.

22 Then Peter took Him aside to speak to Him privately and began to reprove and charge Him sharply, saying, God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to You!

23 But Jesus turned away from Peter and said to him, Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me]; for you are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men.

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MEMORISE: “Beloved, do not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world.”   - 1 John 4:1

 

 

EXPOSITION

Thank God, today is _International Joke Day._  Let us discuss something related to talking. God specifically admonishes and commands us through Apostle John to test EVERY spirits, if they are of God (1 Jn.4v1). John contended seriously with heretics like Gnostics rearing their ugly heads in the early Church. Falsehood is everywhere. Why? Satan, the father of lies, counterfeits everything that is God's, even in the Church (Jn.8v44). This is a major reason why one of the gifts of the Spirit is DISCERNMENT OF SPIRIT (1 Cor. 12v10).

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        A very strong example, in fact, difficult to discern, humanly speaking, is Jesus experience, in our Scripture reading today. Just imagine Peter expressing a poweful revelation/insight that others didn't have (v16), only to become Satan's mouthpiece a few verses later (vv.22,23). The same person but different charaters in different situations. Get it clear, here: the one you give yourself to in a given situation determines the character you assume there. No wonder we must load our minds with God's Word, and allow it to be controlled by the Word at all times, so that we don't become inconsistent in our ways of life.

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          The same Jesus who commended Peter for speaking God's mind in vv.17-19 neither vacillated, nor mince words in rebuking the devil that was subtly talking in him just moments later (v.23). We need God's Spirit and grace to identify the spirit behind what anyone says, no matter the person, so that we don't fall into Satan's trap, like some who have been lured into such traps because they blindly trusted some people, men of God, inclusive, because of their perceived personalities. Do neither be sheepish nor deceived. Discern all spirits, all the time!

 

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PRAYER POINT:

1. Lord, give me the discernment I need to always know when You are speaking apart from Satan's subtle messages.

2. I silence every ministration of Satan, even before they come, in Jesus name.

3. Lord, help our church leaders at all levels to be discerning enough of Your Voice, and courageous enough to decisively deal with Satan's treachery.

 

 

DO HAVE A BLESSED DAY

 

©2022  LIVING WATERS IS a daily devotional by THE CHRIST APOSTOLIC CHURCH