Praise the Lord, let's just take this one day at a time!
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Discernment: The number two most important spiritual gift?
I Corinthians 12:7 reveals why God distributes these gifts; they are given for the profit of all: "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good"
I Kings 3:9-10 records the wisest mortal man who ever lived making a request to God for discernment: 'Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?' The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing."
"Your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5)
what kind of spirit visited Job's friend, Eliphaz. This episode appears in Job 4:12-21:
Charles Spurgeon once said, "Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right."
Discernment leading to church leadership? Maybe. A critic either can do or cannot do, for the critic who can do, yes, give him the eldership, for the critic who can't do, he can be judge, but not church leadership.
1 Kings 13 = prophecy vs discernment
How to "discern" those with discernment: bashful and reticent.(~)!
Charles Spurgeon once said, "Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right."
1 Kings 13 lays the problem out plainly: And I summarize, a man of God prophesizes, and while returning, he meets this liar that contradicts God's words. the man of God listens, and since he disobeyed God's words, he was killed by a lion.
2 Chronicles 18 again shows the power of discernment: And I summarize, Jehoshaphat king of Judah and Ahab king of Israel contemplates on going to war against Ramoth Gilead (king of Syria), Ahab summons 400 prophets, who, later they shall find out, prophesized with a lying spirit that they should go to war. Micaiah the son of Imla who was a true prophet, spoke that they'll lose the war, and that there was a lying spirit about. Later during the battle, Ahab dies.
Discernment can be summed up in this verse:
"Your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5)
In a hypothetical sense, a true discernment guy also has prophetic power. You could throw him endless possibilities, and he'll be able to discern whether that's correct. So in essense, discernment in the infinity sense, is prophetic power.
I once considered prophecy (then I believed it still existed today in man) the number one desire, yet I believe that I possess discernment, (God or you can believe otherwise) and I find that God has given me something better than I asked for. God is good! Always!
(~)!