Walking in Discernment in 2025

WALKING IN DISCERNMENT IN 2025

How do you know the difference between a word of knowledge from God and a word from a psychic or medium - which is spiritualism?

From God, it brings life and hope for the future. Here are some points to note:

• From God, it is grounded in truth, aligns with his divine purpose, and reveals his will.
• Key test - it glorifies God and acknowledges his sovereignty. (1 John 4:1-3).
• It brings edification, encouragement, and correction.
• It is loving, redemptive, and often reveals divine truths to guide people towards God's purpose. It gives divine direction.
• It aligns with Biblical principles and never contradicts scripture.
• Key test - ️Does it encourage alignment with God's word and righteousness and lead to spiritual growth? Yes.
• It is always intended to glorify God, bring repentance, and offer guidance.
• It serves a greater purpose beyond the individual, often benefitting a community or aligning with God's plan.
• Key test - Does it point back to God's will? Yes.
• Fruit - produces peace, clarity, and alignment with God's character. (Galatians 5:22-23).
• Outcome- leads to spiritual growth, humility, and a closer relationship to God.
• Key test - What is the long-term impact of the message? Does it bear good fruit? Yes.

From Spiritualism, it leads to death and a dead end. Some points to note:

• ️From a psychic or medium it is coming from sources or entities from a demonic realm that are not submitted to God. It is the occult. These sources mix truth with deception and lack divine authority.
• Focuses on personal details, and future predictions and is emotional manipulation without any higher purpose. Deception and delusion.
• It caters to curiosity or self-interest and lacks moral accountability or alignment with divine truth.
• Key test - does it align with God's word and righteousness and lead to spiritual growth? No.
• Is often self-serving, appealing to personal desires, curiosity or fear.
• It often prioritises entertainment, profit or sensationalism over spiritual transformation.
• Key test - Does it point back to God's will? No. It centres on human desires.
• Fruit - Can lead to confusion, fear, dependency on the medium, and spiritual unrest.
• The fruit is often anxiety and a focus on self and material gain.
• Key test - What is the long-term impact of receiving the message? Does it bear good fruit? No, it produces toxic fruit.

Biblical warnings:

The bible explicitly warns against engaging with mediums, psychics and divination:

Deuteronomy 18: 10-12

There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.

True words of knowledge from God are discerned through the Holy Spirit and are confirmed by scripture. It is a supernatural revelation from the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:10-12 (NIV)

these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.

Steps to take:

1.Grow in discernment by growing closer to God. Pray for discernment. Ask God to reveal the source and intention of the word (James 1:5).

2. Test the spirit. Use the scripture to compare the message against God's revealed truth. (2 John 4:1).

3. Seek wise counsel. Share the experience with trusted spiritual leaders for guidance. (Proverbs 11:14).

4. Examine the fruit. Consider the emotional, spiritual and relational impact of the word of knowledge. (Matthew 7:16-20).

5. One of the nine  gifts of the Holy Spirit is the gift of the word of knowledge. (1 Corinthians 12: 8).

God's spirit is the spirit of truth and it will resonate with your spirit.

Blessings to you

Love

Sharon