When we truly surrender ourselves to God, He reveals His glory, His power, and Himself through us.
Now, lift your voice and bless the name of The Lord.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17 (KJV)
I decree and declare: Tonight, may every good and perfect gift be released into your life! Direction is yours tonight! Impartation is yours tonight! Testimonies are yours tonight! Revelation is yours tonight, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ!
Whenever you come to church, make sure you’re truly connected.
The time you invest in God’s house is never wasted, it always yields and brings profit to your life.
God’s method will never change – it will always be by His Word and by His Spirit.
Whenever you’re in God’s presence, expect the supernatural, but not magic. It is always an interplay of the Word of God and The Spirit of God.
Time invested in God’s presence will always yield.
We need Him every day, every time.
God’s method will never change. It will always be by His Word and through His spirit.
No matter how hopeless or negative a situation seems, the moment the Holy Spirit enters, it is bound to change.
Do you need a change in that negative circumstance? Invite the Holy Spirit into the scene.
Just as the Spirit hovered in the beginning before creation, He will hover over your situation, tonight.
The supernatural is an interplay between the ministry of The Holy Spirit and The Word (Genesis 1:1-3, Ezekiel 37: 3-11).
Three Dimensions of God’s Presence:
1. His Omnipresence
2. His Emmanuel – Dimension
3. His Shekinah
The primary basis for knowing the presence of The Holy Spirit is faith, not the physical evidence.
The primary basis for your knowledge of the presence of The Holy Spirit is faith; the faith that stands firm even when there is no visible evidence of what you expect.
The primary basis for knowing that The Holy Spirit is present, is simply by being present yourself and trusting He is present, not by waiting for signs, movements, or physical evidence.
Just trust that The Holy Spirit is here (faith), and trust the ministry of The Word (Matthew 4:4).
God’s method remains the same and never changes: it is always by His Word and by His Spirit. No matter how hopeless a situation may seem, our commitment is to engage with The Word of the Lord and yield to His Spirit. (Genesis 1:1–2, Ezekiel 37:3–4)
Pray: Father, by Your Spirit, speak a word to me, tonight. Move me from where I am to where I ought to be, in the name of Jesus Christ!
Transformation is based on two laws:
a. Looking unto Jesus Christ through His Word and by His Spirit.
b. Being followers of them who, through faith and patience, have obtained promises.
It is impossible to be transformed without a reference.
It’s difficult to be transformed without a reference. Transformation is based on a reference.
Transformation is vision-dependent; we ought to always cast a clear vision of what we’re becoming before us.
The value of progress is that it leads to purpose. Otherwise, you’re just shadowboxing.
Every time direction is missing, you are forced to reduce your speed.
Speed is useless until direction is confirmed.
The metamorphosis happening at Koinonia includes:
1. A refueled passion and hunger for Jesus Christ.
2. A deep work on your spirit and mind, quickening your understanding and granting mastery.
3. Empowerment for greater works.
4. Raising people of vision and purpose, because the true value of progress is that it leads to purpose.
5. Building us to become a people whose relevance transcends the four walls of the pulpit, impacting our world and society.
6. Guiding us to live victorious lives.
7. Helping us become fulfilled Believers, serving the purposes of God and bringing glory to Him through our lives.
God is transforming you, making you, and helping you become a victorious Believer.
A defeated Believer cannot represent the Kingdom.
A defeated Believer cannot birth the program of God effectively.
Transformation without empowerment leaves the Believer frustrated.
Empowerment is the ability to physically produce results of the enlightenment received.
Additionally, God is building us to become agents of societal and territorial transformation. He is equipping people whose relevance transcends the pulpit, people who can apply the wisdom gained in the secret place to practical, life-applicable solutions. (Ephesians 2:10)
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Ephesians 2:10 (KJV)
Life is meaningless if all you have is success, you must also be fulfilled.
The rich fool in the Bible was successful but not fulfilled. He neither advanced others nor lived for a purpose greater than himself.
Discernment is essential for a Believer’s survival in today’s world.
We live in a time where truth is increasingly relative, intelligence is celebrated above wisdom, and everyone claims divergent opinions of their own version of reality as “truth.”
“Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:” 1 Corinthians 12:4-10 (KJV)
“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
Hebrews 5:14 (KJV)
The subject of discernment is critical to the Believers daily walk. This is primarily because:
• We live in a world where truth is relative.
• We live in a world with an array of diverse opinion, on a subject matter.
In today’s world, discernment is no longer a luxury but a necessity, to survive. We live in a world where evil can be made to appear good and good, appear as evil.
Truth and righteousness can easily be stifled in the age of advancing technology, while lies are repackaged, rebranded, and sold as truth.
For this reason, discernment must be held in the highest regard.
Technology makes any opinion loud and dominant. With the rise of AI, opinions and ideologies are being amplified at turbo speed. This has pushed people to ask deeper questions and sparked widespread debate on the relativity of what is considered “truth.”
Discernment is not a luxury but a vital key in our world today. Thus, we must place premium on discernment.
The Bible uses many indices to measure the spiritual growth and maturity; discernment stand prominent in determining your depth of spiritual growth and maturity.
(1 Corinthians 2:14)
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
“But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
Hebrews 5:14 NIV
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
1 John 4:1 (KJV)
“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”
2 Corinthians 11:14 (KJV)
The Bible further mandates that all Believers learn to test spirits. This means we must not accept every influence or motivation at face value (1 John 4:1, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Hebrews 5:14, 1 Timothy 4:1).
It is no news that Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). He often masquerades as an angel of light, selling false narratives and blending lies with partial truths (Luke 10:18).
The natural man (Romans 12:2) from the Bible means:
1. One who is not in Christ.
2. An unsaved person.
3. One who is sensual and governed by fleshly desires.
What is Discernment?
1. Discernment is the supernatural ability given by The Holy Spirit, to distinguish between good and evil, to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and to distinguish between activities initiated by The Holy Spirit and other spirits.
2. Discernment is also a supernatural ability that allows Believers to evaluate teachings, examine motives, and access situations using superior wisdom, helping them to avoid deception so as to walk accurately in the will of God and live consistent with the Word of God.
Discernment empowers you to ascertain motives. Many present themselves as good, yet their intentions can lead you into trouble. With discernment, you gain the ability to see deeper beyond the surface.
There is a difference between discernment and instinct. They can work together to birth the will of God, but they differ.
Instincts are powerful, but they’re not discernment.
Discernment is engineered by The Holy Spirit with precision and accuracy.
Factors like age and experience, by reason of consistent use, help build your instincts, forming neural-like pathways that can eventually develop into God-like discernment.
Discernment involves three (3) things:
1. The capacity to know the source and the influence behind physical activities.
2. The capacity to know the motive and the motivation behind actions.
3. An empowerment to make decisions and judgments that lead to the will of God.
Instinct is not the same as discernment, this is because it’s not powered by The Holy Spirit. Although, this doesn’t downplay the effect of the innate instinct present in an individual, but discernment introduces accuracy in its approach at determining the outcome of events.
With respect to the Believer’s walk and in the economy of the Kingdom, The Holy Spirit is the primary Source of discernment. (1 Corinthians 12:10)
Four (4) Levels of Discernment:
1. Discerning of times and seasons. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 1 Chronicles 12:32, Luke 19:41-44, Psalm 102:13)
Seasons are known for their advantage. When the Bible says there is a time and season for everything, a lack of discernment means many opportunities and blessings can pass by unnoticed.
God is a God of times and seasons, and each season carries its own advantages.
For example, in Nigeria, we have dry and rainy seasons. During the rainy season, farmers don’t need to water their crops as they would in the dry season.
Similarly, in a kairos season, people experience unusual ease, favor, and access.
Not knowing the timing of your visitation can make you a prey and leave you vulnerable to your enemies.
Many fail to realize that the principles that operate in the physical also apply in the spiritual realm.
For example, a new Believer, like a baby, receives almost everything they ask from The Lord with little effort. But as you grow in your faith, greater responsibility is required, and with it comes greater stewardship.
There are prophecies often tied and connected to specific seasons.
Understanding seasons helps you discern what to embrace and what to reject.
Seasons bring diverse advantages, and a modus operandi on how to maximize them. This principle is also mirrored or reflected in our faith walk with God.
Our inability to compartmentalize our life, and maximize seasons can lead to: an inability to determine whether we are stagnant, or moving forward in life, resulting in a state of no advancement.
In Scripture, Daniel discerned that the captivity of God’s people was coming to an end (Daniel 9:1–23), even though everything around him suggested otherwise. He took responsibility and began to pray. In response, God sent the angel Gabriel to reveal understanding of the season that was about to shift.
Knowing seasons can help you know what to receive and what to reject, whether or not they are good.
If you do not sustain the intelligence to discern seasons, the following will happen:
1. You will not have a system to measure whether you’re suffering from delay or making progress.
2. You will not engage spiritually until the birthing of the new.
3. You will be unable to discern what to receive and what to reject.
Seasons can inform us on what to accept or reject. This does not necessarily mean that everything is negative, it just emphasizes on delayed gratification, because seasons bring their advantages. It is wisdom to close some doors, and wait till it is the right season.
One of the ways Satan destroys an individual is to push them forward before their due season, despite incomplete preparedness.
Prophecies are connected to seasons.
When you learn to discern seasons, you avoid missteps. Even when doors open, you wait to proceed until the power that should back you is present.
Discernment helps you know the right time to engage in spiritual warfare. It shows you when to pray and when the door of a new season has already been opened.
You need to recognize when your season of manifestation is approaching. You must know when to begin praying in preparation, and also how and when to receive the answers God has prepared for you.
Four Things Happen When a Season is About to Change:
1. An unusual desire and grace to pray, especially in private.
At this stage, Satan often introduces distractions to try to derail you.
2. An unusual grace to give generously.
3. An unusual and heightened spiritual activity, both angelic and demonic.
4. God will send a word, because a word is the key that opens seasons. This may come through dreams, prophecies, or sermons.
Four Things Happen When a Season is About to Change:
1. An unusual desire and grace to pray, especially to pray alone.
At this stage, Satan often introduces distractions to try to derail you.
2. An unusual grace to give sacrificially.
3. An unusual and heightened spiritual activity, both angelic and demonic.
Angels signify revelation, other spirits monitor these angelic activities and fashion negativity to annul this season.
4. God will send a preceding word, because a word is the key that opens seasons. This may come through dreams, prophecies, or words of revelation.
Pray: Father, I will not abort any season You have placed before me. Grant me the grace to discern and walk in them, in the name of Jesus Christ!
Let what has been written in prophecy manifest in this season!
Graces and manifestations are connected to seasons.
God can reveal something to you, but discernment is required to recognize the season in which it is appointed to manifest in your life.
There’s a measure of ease that accompanies prophetic seasons.
If you find yourself struggling to make things happen by your own flesh or effort, pause and ask:
1. Is God in this?
2. Is this the right season?
It is important to ask these questions because when the season aligns with God’s timing, things flow with ease.
Pray: Father, I receive the grace to step into every prophecy appointed for this season. I will not miss it through carelessness or lack of discernment, in the name of Jesus Christ!
There are times when God seems silent, even as the enemy fights against you. If He appears weak, know that He has already found a way around the situation to bring forth glory.
Believers must be trained to be spiritual and must learn never to compare their lives, situations, or journeys with others.
Each person has a unique path. When sincerity and righteousness bring you into trials, find rest, God is working something out behind the scenes. Your season of reward is coming!
Comparison can abort many seasons in your life.
When sincerity and righteousness bring you into trials, rest and be patient, your season of reward is coming.
Compassion can sometimes make us fight God. That’s why we must maintain a spiritual outlook on life and refrain from competitive jealousy.
During challenging seasons, don’t expect God to always provide explanations. Learn to walk by faith, trusting His Word and His will.
Believers must be taught to live by faith, trusting that the thoughts of God for us are ALWAYS to bring us good and never evil.
When you are going through seasons, you may not know the reason, and you may not always understand God’s purpose or hear His explanations. Don’t expect them.
Sometimes the mission is simply: Follow Me. The lessons you learn along the way are what prepare and empower you for when you arrive at your destination.
This explains why our walk with God involves faith, where we trust God enough to follow Him, even in the midst of the challenges we see on the way. The process fuses the pattern Believer of what God is moulding.
In the name of Jesus Christ, I decree: every pain, shame, and disappointment in your life, by the power that raised Christ from the dead, shall accelerate your path and bring you faster to prophecy!
Most people fear seasons because they push us out of our comfort zones.
Seasons often bring discomfort, but it is this very discomfort that propels us to move forward and grow.
I declare: Every fear that is holding you back from taking advantage of seasons, moving to the next level, and stopping you from moving forward and making progress, by the name of Jesus Christ, I command that spirit to be broken now!
Four (4) Levels of Discernment:
2. Discerning what the Holy Spirit is doing (activities that are engineered and brought forth by The Holy Spirit). John 3:8, John 16:12-13
Firstly, the Holy Spirit is on earth, and He began His dispensation on the day of Pentecost. This knowledge, creates a confidence in us that the Church cannot fail.
The Holy Spirit officially began His work on earth and His dispensation in Believers on the day of Pentecost.
When you recognize that the Holy Spirit is present with us, you understand that the Church cannot fail. People may fail, plans may fail, but God’s agenda, backed up by His Spirit, cannot fail..
The Holy Spirit is not a weak spirit. He’s a Master Architect. He knows how to make anything work.
He’s called “Alos Parakletos”, a mighty Helper, He Who was there in the beginning when God spoke in creation.
The Holy Spirit has a threefold ministry:
1. He has a ministry to creation. He is the life-giving force behind creation.
2. He has a ministry to Unbelievers – the Ministry of conviction.
3. He has a ministry to Believers – the Ministry of empowerment, direction, alignment, and guidance.
Everything that is truly alive finds its form because The Holy Spirit is upon it.
Three (3) Tests to Know That The Holy Spirit is Behind Any Move or Activity:
1. The Holy Spirit always confirms The Word and reveals Jesus Christ.
2. The fruit of the Spirit must always follow. It is the fragrance that follows the move of The Holy Spirit.
3. It eventually reveals and births the glory of God. His processes might be controversial but it will always birth the purposes of God and passes the aforementioned litmus tests.
If you only focus on power without seeing the evidence of the fruits of the Spirit in a move, you are setting yourself up for deception.
The Holy Spirit is the upholder of dignity. His methods can sometimes seem unconventional, like telling Naaman to wash in the Jordan seven times, or when Jesus mixed spit and clay to heal the blind man.
But anything that diminishes human dignity in the church, whether subtle or overtly dehumanizing, is not from the Holy Spirit.
Anything that diminishes human dignity is not a blessing.
The move of The Holy Spirit never coerces people against their will. God may call a person, but if they choose to reject Him, He respects that choice.
The Holy Spirit is the enhancer of life.
A sincere and well-meaning person can still unknowingly communicate the doctrines of demons. The human spirit can accommodate multiple influences at once.
Sometimes, our sentiments and emotions tamper with the integrity of Scripture. Other times, we misjudge God’s actions or His inactions, simply because they don’t fit our expectations.
The message of Christ corrects and rebukes, yet always leaves you filled with hope.
The Spirit of God is called the Spirit of Life.
The Holy Spirit does not condone sin, but His correction is always rooted in love, not hate.
We must humble ourselves and be sincere enough to discern what revelation truly comes by the Spirit and through the Spirit, versus what arises merely from human sentiment.
Reasons we help people understand God’s ways and realign with Him:
1. Some have compromised their salvation.
2. Some are genuinely saved but have allowed anti-Christ practices to cloud their understanding and knowledge of God.
When you understand the system of the Kingdom, discernment comes naturally.
Whenever the gifts of God are used to manipulate others, know that a demonic influence is at work.
Anything that manipulates your will or forces you against it is of the devil.
Anything that promotes fear, fleshly desires, hopelessness, or disbelief is from the enemy. If it gratifies the flesh, it is not from God. The Spirit of God never glorifies the flesh, the flesh is rendered dead at the instance of His presence.
Although, itt is possible for the Holy Spirit to initiate a process that the flesh then attempts to continue.
Pray: Lord, help me to discern the associations I should engage in and understand how The Holy Spirit truly operates and functions, in Jesus Christ’s name.
Four (4) Levels of Discernment:
3. Discerning of evil spirits, so you do not fall into deception (Acts 16:16-23).
• Anytime the gifts of God are used for self-gratification, their purity is corrupted.
• Sometimes, popular opinion can be wrong. Crowds or public opinion should not be validators of the purity of an event, or the measures of the authenticity of a move of God.
An understanding of the Spirit of Christ reminds us that love seeks the good of all. This disputes any environment that criticizes and belittles the efforts of others.
Declare: I love Jesus Christ!
I love my neighbor!
I love the Body of Christ!
I love my nation!
I love myself!
The world is in desperate need of good people:
– Good spouses
– Good friends
– Good leaders
Prophecy: May God bring such people into your life, in the name of Jesus Christ!
When you understand the world of men, it will reduce your propensity for disappointment.
When you find good people, cherish and keep them.
Above all, we must look like Jesus Christ, and become the closest expression of His invincible character.
We should be the closest expression of what Jesus looks like, to our world.
Four (4) Levels of Discernment:
4. Discernment of the human spirit. (Jeremiah 17:9, John 12:1-8, Luke 22:39-49)
– In the world of men, even a kiss, a symbol of love and acceptance can become a signal to the enemy. Always allow time to test the sincerity of the heart of men.
• Any man who has not submitted to the regenerating work of God in his mind is a risk, because of the instability of human nature. Self easily becomes a god in the world of men. Always allow time to test the sincerity of hearts.
• Understanding the world of men helps reduce our disappointment, because we recognize the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of unregenerated men.
• We must continually yield ourselves to transformation, becoming the closest expression of Jesus on earth.
• Discernment empowers us to rightly separate people, events, and outcomes.
Prayer: May you not mortgage or trade your tomorrow because of insensitivity in discerning the nature of men, in Jesus name!
The real proof that you’re a Christian is not just power, the proof is that you possess the character of The Christ.
The real proof that you’re a Christian is not just the anointing, but the manifestation of the character of The Christ.
The real proof that you’re a Christian is not just power, the proof is that you possess the character of The Christ.
The real proof that you’re a Christian is not just the anointing, but the manifestation of the character of The Christ.
Treat everyone who lives in your house with love and care.
When looking for the character of Christ in a person, you are not seeking flawless perfection, but the presence of a repentant and teachable heart.
Identifying brokenness and sincerity in a person is key and important.
No human being, unassisted by the help of God, has the capacity or power to remain an asset indefinitely.
Pray: Lord, I acknowledge the frailty of my human tendencies. Work upon my heart and make me a noble vessel, a true expression of the character of Christ, in the name of Jesus.
I receive grace to discern men, to discern motives beyond mere actions, to discern the operations of Satan in my life and family, and to discern the move of the Holy Spirit so I can align and receive.
You are a true Christian not only when you live for Jesus but also when you are willing to die for Him. A rich display of the fruit of the Spirit in a person is proof that they have encountered God. Christlike character is the evidence of truly encountering Him. Character is not about perfection, it is the posture of godly repentance.
Keys to Build Your Discernment:
1. Submitting yourself to Prayer.
• Praying in the Spirit
2. Thorough Study of The Word of God (Psalm 103:1-5).
• Understanding of the nature, character, and attributes of God.
3. Submission to Wise Counsel.
• Leaning on the discernment of others in navigating muddy waters.
4. The Law of Patience
• Patience forces situations to reveal itself.
I decree and declare: Let this week be the week where you will see all the practical value of all you have learned. Your understanding will be excellent, you will discern seasons, you will discern men, and you will discern spirits, in the name of Jesus Christ.
As you walk in this grace, may you enjoy favor, lifting, testimonies, open doors, breakthroughs, and the gift of men, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
This week, sin is far from you, shame is far from you, and you are moving from glory to glory. Divine ideas and strategies will come to you with clarity, beginning from this very day, in the name of Jesus Christ!
This week, may The Lord give you a gift as a token of His mercy and another as a token of His help, in the name of Jesus Christ.
And everyone who has eagerly awaited your downfall, may God answer them this week. I decree and declare: you are marked for greatness, marked for safety, marked for lifting, and marked for honor, in the mighty name of Jesus!
True peace and fulfilment flow from an encounter with Jesus Christ. Tonight, Jesus is reaching out to you with love, offering you a new beginning regardless of your past or present.
Take this step of faith and say yes to Jesus Christ!
Pray the prayer of salvation with faith in your heart, and receive Him as your Lord and Saviour.
“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
Luke 15:7 (KJV)
If you just received Jesus Christ tonight, we celebrate you. Heaven rejoices over your decision as well! Please use the link https://bit.ly/JESUSINMYHEART or email koinoniaabuja@gmail.com.
We would love to hear from you and support your walk with Christ.
The post The Discerning of Spirits (Building Accuracy In Perception) by Apostle Selman appeared first on NgGospel.com (Formerly Ngmp3.com).