Is Prophecy for Everyone?

John Mark Pool:

Prophecy—It's for Everyone!

God created us in His image and breathed into humanity in the first prophetic breath in order for us to have eternal communion with Himself. He has never stopped speaking to His creation. God made us to have fellowship with Him, to multiply and fill the earth and take dominion of His Kingdom in the earth as it is in Heaven.

In furthering the Kingdom of God, God gave gifts to mankind and speaks to His creation. In speaking to us, God chose the channel known as prophecy for that communication of His secrets unto all His creation, which begins with mankind, into all the elements of the earth. Keep in mind, people were created to have communion with God. Communication, at its basic format, is speaking in any form of a language exchanged with one another. In that process, God begins with His highest order of communion—mankind—because we are the ones charged with "taking dominion and multiplying" God's Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. Prophecy is a major channel of God's messages to His creation.

Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets.—Amos 3:7 NASB

We do not have to be a "prophet" to hear God or to prophesy His words. Yes, there is an "office" of the prophet, which is a function of a leadership position in the administrative five-fold office gifts for the benefit of the whole Church. But, not everyone should want to be in that office or in any other leadership office. Keep in mind the more responsibility in your calling, the more a leader is held to higher standards. Bearing a "title" does not equip a person for the accompanying liability that God assures we will be held to. Consider that when you desire the leadership titles! Hopefully however, if we train the younger ones truthfully, helping all to prophesy, and not to acquire a title or position, then they will fit where God places them. We must seek the Lord in every part of our calling, but especially when we begin to understand the meaning "that all should prophesy" (see 1 Corinthians 14).

Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues.—1 Corinthians 14:39 NASB, emphasis added

There is indeed an office of the prophet, but attaining to that "office" or "title" is not our goal in this adventure of our Kingdom assignments. We cannot make anyone a prophet; that is God's choice. But we can train as many as "desire to prophesy." Think of a sports team, like football. They have a few coaches, but games have more players on the fields than coaches on the sidelines. When a game is played, it is with both coaches and players. Prophesying is always a "team" event that should be furthering the Kingdom of God—not one individual, nor a "few select superstars."

The goal is that all may hear and discern God's voice, and be equipped to do the work of the ministry in order to fulfill their individual calling. As this is accomplished, we must focus on the "big picture" of everyone in the Lord's family coming into the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may build upon His Church and not our gifts. Truly, we must desire, get trained, and prophesy Jesus to a desperate world. We must each truly become God's word to the hurting world!

In this "adventure in the prophetic" journey, it is important to understand some prophetic terminology and how each should be applied according to each individual (don't forget how unique God made everyone), small group, fellowship of Believers and the entire Kingdom of God. As each of us matures in the prophetic, each person should become familiar with the prophetic vocabulary and how it will apply in everyday functions of life—not just in a church service.

Clarity on Basic Prophetic Terms

Prophecy

Prophecy is God-directed communication to His people. Also, prophecy is one of God's supernatural communication channels. Prophecy, as the Lord's language from Heaven to earth, becomes foretelling to mankind when God speaks through His prophets before the earthly events of interest occur. That is why it is called prophecy—it is decreeing facts before the events occur. Interestingly as it seems, however, prophecy is not simply predicting the future of earthly events; it is God's answer to events He already intended for good.

We may contend with the prophetic word, once released, to bring about God's plan that otherwise could occur differently if left alone. That is why faith in God is essential in the prophetic, as well as a clear understanding of our vital role as God's children.

A Prophetic Myth Busted

A "myth" that needs to be exposed in prophecy is the saying, "I will put the prophetic word on the 'shelf,' and if it is from God it will come to pass, but if not, it was not from God." That has not one ounce of truth to it concerning the meaning of prophecy from God, nor does it have any Biblical foundation.

We are to know the giver of the prophecy, understand the "spirit of truth" surrounding the person's word as an accountably delivered word, and then, if it is from the right spirit—the Spirit of God—and not carnally nor demonically influenced, we begin to intercede and pray to bring this word into existence as God intended. That means that all prophetic words are in effect "conditional" to the level of our participation in God's level of expectancy. Prophecy is very inclusive of God's Word, His heart, and His messengers and family members. Always compare the message with the one found in the book of Jonah for the heart of God with prophecy. Rescuing the lost creation is God's desire!

Psychics are FALSE Prophets

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.—1 John 4:1 NLT, emphasis added

The world system, apart from the family of God, views psychics as "prophets," but psychics are not prophets of God; they are psychic—whose words are no more than demonic, spiritually-induced fortunes. Psychics enjoy being labeled prophets, yet truthfully, they must be correctly termed—false prophets.

How Psychics are Different from Prophets

Psychics "rob God's truth" as if it were from psychic powers, and then distort and reveal these words as if they were psychics' prophecies. God for sure knows the intentions of their hearts, as psychics ultimately hope to deceive many away from the Kingdom of God! This is why prophecy must be tried for the "spirit" that is propagating the Word. God judges motives and intentions of the heart. We cannot be ignorant concerning spiritual gifts!

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because [of] many false prophets are gone out into the world.—1 John 4:1 KJV, emphases added

Prophet

A true prophet is one of the five-fold office gifts from Christ. When Jesus ascended to His throne, He released these headship, administrative spokespeople for God upon earth (see Ephesians 4:7-12). The "office" of prophet is not a Holy Spirit gift, but a gift through Christ's ascension. The Hebrew word is Nabi, derived from Naba (pronounced naw-baw). A nabi is to tell God's messages to mankind as a prophet or prophetess. Also, Hebrew uses Chozeh/Hozeh, but those terms are particularly for the Seer Prophet.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I (God) have appointed you a prophet to the nations...Do not say, "I am a youth," because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak.—Jeremiah 1:5, 7 NASB, emphasis added

In the New Testament, the original Greek word is prophayteuw—to foretell, tell forth, to prophesy; one who speaks for God, a prophetes (pronounced pro-fay'-tace).

Seer

A seer is one who sees into the spirit realm and prophesies what is seen into God's Kingdom upon earth. Prophet Samuel, our first major prophet, was also termed "seer" early in his ministry.

Later, the standard term for a prophet, nabi, was used to separate it from its official functions in respect to those of the classic seer prophet's (hozeh/chozeh) characteristics. (In the Old Testament, Gad, Iddo and Asaph were all seers).

All real seers are prophets of God, but not all prophets are seers. Also, because a person may see in the spirit realm as an intercessor or psalmist does not establish them as a seer or prophet. People who passionately reside in the spirit realm of God often become inappropriately termed as seers and prophets, even though they do hear, see, and declare what God has shown.

Gift of Prophecy

There is also a gift of prophecy from the Holy Spirit, as compared above to the office of prophet given as "Christ's ascension gifts" (see Ephesians 4:7-12). One of the gifts from Holy Spirit is the gift of prophecy. This Holy Spirit gift is a "body-wide" functioning endowment. "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's (or woman's) gift is prophesying, let them use it in proportion to his (or her) faith" (Romans 12:6 NIV). Interestingly enough, of all the Holy Spirit's gifts (such as healing, tongues, miracles, etc.), this is the only gift God specifically says to "covet" or desire earnestly. That means it is very important, and God sincerely wants all His family to prophesy.

Since God is always speaking, then it would be beneficial to acquire and learn properly the usage of the gifts of God for communicating His will and way to others in our sphere of influence. Because God is love, how much better could it get than to prophesy God's Kingdom purposes into the people the Lord places in our paths! Our goal is always to extract out of a person's heart—God's greatness to be fulfilled for Father God's plan in their life. When God uses a messenger—anointed by the Holy Spirit—to reveal His heart into another's life, that is indeed "proclaiming" a person to become free of the enemy's grip into God's eternal "life-changing plan!"

Keep Obeying and Saying!

By obeying the "still, small voice of the Lord" we can allow the Holy Spirit's gift to effectively add to God's Kingdom a life for eternity—anytime, anywhere, for anybody! It can happen on an airplane, in a shopping mall, coffee shop or just about anywhere! This is the "fun stuff" to me, and I know it will be to you, too. You are always allowed to speak prophetic fulfillment of edification, exhortation, and comfort (see 1 Corinthians 14:3) to those whom the Lord places you around! Don't sweat the mistakes, and just continue to get some good, accountable training in this exciting prophetic adventure—and by all means know that God wants us to desire earnestly the prophetic gift so we can increase His Kingdom—one person at a time—so that "all may prophesy!"

Prophesy-Prophesy-Prophesy! Just Do it, OK?

Like foreign language studies on the mission field, if we've heard this once, we've heard it a hundred times, "Use it or lose it!"

That is so true in the prophetic gifts of God. So, grow in your pursuit, get all the accountable training you can, but by all means, do not wait on perfection to prophesy eternal life into a hurting person! We may be the last person to speak that word into their soul!

People always ask for an example, and this is what we mean by obeying the "stirring of our heart" by the Holy Spirit. Here is a true story, a kind that happens more than you probably hear:

A Voice told me one day to "not go home right now to watch the Super Bowl game," but go to the hospital and "prophesy a man's life into God's eternal family." I reluctantly obeyed (because I did not know the man in the hospital). The nurses helped me to find the room of the elderly man, near the point of death, weak from surgery, and as he looked into my eyes, I asked if I could "speak eternal life" into him in the form of prayer. He said in a hoarse whisper, "Yes." I held his weak hand and we prayed a very brief prayer that included salvation. Tears ran down his face as it changed with that eternal glow only God can express from a transformed heart. I went home joyful, caught the end of the game, and received a call a few hours later that the gentleman I had seen just passed into eternity!

Does hearing from God and obeying His commands to prophesy matter? Yes! I received a call from the son of the deceased elder saint, who was so very grateful that the Lord directed someone by his father's room, to know he is now living in Heaven forever!

We have so much to gain from being better equipped with God's awesome, prophetic "tool kit"! The idea is to never be concerned about making a mistake in view of lives desperately needing hope for eternity! Just do it!

Yes, prophesy Jesus into darkness and watch the illumination of the Lord's love light up their lives! Be warned—it is very contagious, and others will be changed for God's best, and as they do, you will be energized to prophesy regularly! Indeed, our goal is to prophesy God's plan into as many "whosoevers" as we can, so that all may prophesy!

Always a voice for God,

John Mark Pool

Word to the World Ministries

Email: MarkandSandyPool@aol.com

Website: www.w2wmin.org

It is time to gird up your loins and run supernaturally!

Ryan Wyatt:

It's Time to Birth Your Future

In my last writing, I talked about the necessity in this time to Turn Aside Into the Flame of God. If you missed reading that article click here to read it on the ElijahList. It is a key word for the Body of Christ right now. I want to follow up today with a continuation of that timely word.

God has been speaking to me about this being a season of germination or birthing of the things we have been contending for in the last season. As Believers, we are the birthing agents of the promises of God. Most everything God does in the earthly sphere, He will do through His people. There is a process that He takes us through in order to birth things from the Heavenly realm into the natural, earthly realm. It all starts with "a seed." God comes to us at different times in our lives and He "overshadows" us in some way. Sometimes it comes as a prophetic word. Sometimes it comes in a moment of intimate worship. However it comes, God's glory comes upon you and implants a seed of destiny and promise within you.

Within that seed is the full potential of your entire future! Within the seed of an oak tree is the entire potential of that tree. You could say that the full oak tree already exists within that seed. All that seed needs is to go through a process of time and be nurtured properly and then the time will come for that seed to break forth, or germinate, and begin to show signs of its future coming into visible reality.

The Process of Incubation

We could also use the analogy of a baby being conceived. A seed is planted and then there is a season where the seed is incubated and nurtured. Then the day comes for that baby to be born! The process many in the Body of Christ has been going through in the last season is the process of incubation or pregnancy. This is a season of great stretching and testing. You know you have a dream, a purpose, a destiny from God, but you see no visible fruit of it in your life. Instead, you find yourself being tested in every way and going through all sorts of tribulation.

Here is a key of the Kingdom for you today: God always plants seeds of incredible destiny into people who are nowhere near the person they need to be in order to actually fulfill that destiny at that moment when the seed is planted. God plants something in you that is so much bigger than who you currently are.

Joseph was given a true dream from God and suddenly he was cast into a pit by his brothers, sold into slavery, bound as a servant, accused of something he did not do, and went through years of testing before one day his day of destiny was upon him and God "revealed" him as a leader throughout the entire nation of Egypt! God gave Joseph a dream and in that moment something was conceived within him. A seed of divine destiny was planted. However, immediately God thrust Joseph into a turbulent season where he would be tested and transformed into the person he needed to be in order to fulfill this great destiny.

Many of you reading this can relate to this because this is exactly where you have been for years! I'm here today to tell you that the last season of your life was not in vain. You may have looked around and felt like there were no signs of destiny forming anywhere around you, but massive Kingdom growth has been happening in your life. It's been taking place within you! As you've gone through the fire, God has been shaping and forming you like a master potter. When you've been going through such a season of refinement, it can be very easy to lose hope and expectancy for your future to be born.

Destiny is At Hand

I want to tell you today that your destiny and your future are closer at hand today than ever before! It is time to put all lack of hope and expectation aside and make a decision today that you are going to believe in God and believe in your glorious future more than you ever have in your life. It is closer than ever before!

God has really been speaking to me recently about some things that we can do right now in this season to posture ourselves for this fresh release and birthing of those seeds that have been incubating within us for so long. God spoke to me from the story of Elijah on the mount of Carmel in 1 Kings 18:41-46:

And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not. And it came to pass in the mean while, that the Heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

Now read carefully because I want to give you some keys to birthing your future destiny right now in this season. It is so important that you understand here that there had been a severe drought in that land for three years! God remedied the situation by finding a man that believed in him. The Bible says that Elijah heard the sound of the abundance of rain. Some Bible versions say that Elijah heard the sound of a roar of a heavy shower! There was not one drop of rain in the natural. Elijah didn't see or hear anything in the natural that would cause him to believe for rain in the midst of a severe drought. Elijah heard the sound of abundance of rain in the spirit. He picked up on the heart of God—that it was time for the rain to be released.

What did Elijah do? Elijah realized that if God revealed a sound to him from the spirit, then God was wanting him to partner with Heaven to see it released. Elijah immediately went into a "birthing position" and began to call on Heaven and decree rain in the land. He did not give up when he didn't see any sign after a little bit of contending. Elijah sent his servant six times to look for a cloud and there was none. Even after all that contending, Elijah did not waver about what he heard in the spirit. He sent his servant a seventh time and he saw a cloud the size of a man's hand in the sky.

Don't Lose Your Expectancy

There are some valuable lessons we can learn here. When you get a promise from God, don't give up! Don't lose your expectancy for its birth and release! God spoke so clearly to me recently and said that it is time to assume a fresh birthing position and to begin to believe again that what He has prophesied will indeed come to pass. We are to co-labor with God to see His promises birthed from the spirit realm into the natural realm. Elijah saw a tiny little cloud that looked no bigger than the size of a man's hand and he believed that was the beginning of the promised release from Heaven.

What happened next is one of the biggest keys of this article and one of the biggest secrets to advancing into your next season with God. The Bible says that Elijah told his servant to go tell Ahab to get on his chariots and get his horses running full steam down the mountain so that the abundance of rain did not stop him from getting down. Elijah had only seen a little token of God's promise but he believed with incredible faith that the heavens were about to bust open and release the fullness and Elijah decreed and acted accordingly. Just as the prophesied release was coming upon him. Just as the heavens were opening and forming the clouds of outpouring, Elijah did something so important. Supernatural power and acceleration were about to come on Elijah like never before. So much supernatural power was going to come upon Elijah that he was going to outrun Ahab and his chariot of horses, on foot!

Here is the key! Just as this power and acceleration and the prophesied release was coming upon Elijah, it says that he girded up his loins. Now at first reading, this doesn't seem to be significant, but it really is huge. The Lord spoke to me not too long ago and gave me a word for the Church. He said, "I love you, but it's time to gird up your loins. In the past season of your life I allowed you to live a certain way and act a certain way, however, if you continue living in this new season like you have in the last season, you will not make it or advance. It's time to gird up your loins!"

When Elijah girded up his loins, it means that he reached down and pulled up his robe so that nothing would hinder him in this new season of running with supernatural power and acceleration. Elijah heard a sound that conceived and planted a seed within him. He began to co-labor with God and birth the seed. As the birth of the seed was taking place, Elijah had to change some things in order to advance into the next season.

Hear the Fresh Sound

This is a word for the Body of Christ today. It's time to hear the fresh sound from Heaven and begin to birth it in prayer with a fresh sense of hope and expectancy. It's time to decree the fullness of what God has prophesied. It is also time for us to gird up our loins. We can't live in the season of the birth of the seed like we did when we were incubating the seed. God is calling us higher! It's time to remove all those things from our lives that would hinder us from advancement.

I hear the Lord saying that He is simplifying the lives of His people. He is releasing fresh assignments in this time that are different from your last assignment. Tune in to the voice of God because so many people are continuing on with an old assignment because they didn't sense the shifting in the wind. This doesn't mean that we are to abandon the work that the Lord has had us doing. This simply means that for each season of your life, there are priorities that the Lord gives you for that season. It's time to tune in and receive the priority assignment from Heaven for this very season of your life and then begin to gird up your loins and make the adjustments necessary in order to run with efficiency and focus into your next level in God!

My last article was about turning aside into the flame of God and allowing Him to cause your heart to burn again! Once you turn aside and begin to burn again, God is going to speak fresh things to you for this time. Gird up your loins. Receive fresh focus from Heaven for this season. Reprioritize your life. Simplify your focus and receive fresh wind to advance into the divine purposes of God!

Kingdom Blessings!

Ryan Wyatt

Abiding Glory Ministries

Email: info@abidingglory.com

Website: www.abidingglory.com

Developing Our Spiritual Senses!

James W. Goll:

Discerning the Angelic Presence

I am bringing you some prophetic teachings on discerning the angelic presence which is an excerpt from my book Angelic Encounters. I have always loved making the supernatural understandable and obtainable to everyone, and I trust this will do just that for you!

With expectancy!

James W. Goll

Discerning the Angelic Presence

Have you ever seen or felt an angelic presence—or a demonic one? When we "see" or "sense" or "feel" a spiritual entity nearby, we have discerned its presence. This chapter is devoted to the topic of discerning the angelic presence, because it's vital to be able to distinguish spiritual origins and outcomes when you're dealing with supernatural realities. Both good and bad (fallen) angels are spiritual beings, and we need the gift of discerning of spirits when we encounter them.

In general, discernment always involves the evaluation of some kind of evidence. We can only accomplish this by using our five bodily senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. We notice something; then we start sifting quickly through the incoming data. We discriminate between the pieces of evidence and we detect patterns. Then we decide what to do, based in large part on what our discernment tells us.

Discerning (or distinguishing) of spirits is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:10). This gift is a little different from the gift of the word of knowledge, in which facts are simply dropped into our minds or hearts. With discernment, you have to consider what is happening around you. Did what just happened make your skin prickle? Did the room just get brighter or darker? Did you hear a noise? Did you perhaps smell or taste something? Is what happened from a good source—or a bad one?

To discern spiritual realities, we need spiritual perception. We need to know what we're dealing with. Is this thing just my imagination, or is it coming from someone else's human spirit? Is it demonic? Is it in fact an angel? Is it the Holy Spirit?

God doesn't just take the gift of discerning of spirits and plug it into you, fully developed. Normally, it takes a lot of practice to get good at it, and some of your "discernment lessons" will involve making mistakes. That's also true of the learning process for your general discernment, which is part of your maturation as a disciple and which stems from Bible study, experience, and discipline. You will need both kinds of discernment when you find yourself involved with supernatural happenings. It's important for each of us to want to be one of "the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil" (Hebrews 5:14, NASB). Don't forget—you can always ask God to give you more ability to discern spirits and more mature discernment in general.

Discerning Spirits With Your Five Senses

In cooperation with the Word of God, the name and Blood of Jesus, etc., the other primary "discerning equipment" we possess is our Holy-Spirit-anointed human spirits (which can sometimes be called our "sixth sense"), consisting of our five bodily senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. None of us ends up using all of our senses to the same degree. We tend to "specialize" because of our God-given personalities and types of experiences. At the same time, we need to remember that if we find ourselves in the midst of an unusual spiritual experience, it might be one of our less-used senses that can best contribute to our discernment.

For example, for many people, sight is the biggie. What if, one day, one of these vision-oriented people begins to smell something. That's it, just a smell. Nothing else is happening. It's not a good smell; it's the acrid smell of ammonia. "Ah, a bad smell!" he thinks. "So therefore a bad spirit must be in the room." He scrutinizes the place, but his eyes tell him nothing. He does notice that he doesn't feel bad. On the contrary, he feels fine, merely curious, somewhat "prophetic."

Basically, discernment is perception. Sometimes it is as simple as an inner knowledge, a "gut feeling" that we cannot explain. That kind of spiritual perception is often so subtle that we can easily miss it or dismiss it as a mere hunch. But the more we yield our natural senses to the Lord, the more God can anoint them and make them more sensitive to discern. It's a progressive unfolding.

I Saw...

You see things with your two eyes wide open. You also can see things with your eyes closed, you know—visions are often seen this way. You also see things when you're sleeping—unless you are physically blind, almost 100% of your dreams will be memorable because of their visual content.

It's no wonder that, with so many ways of seeing, we so often rely on our sense of sight when we're discerning supernatural events. Our sight—both external and internal—is one of our most valuable senses. Sometimes it may be no more than a flash of light that brings a strong sense of a spiritual presence into the room. Other times, we may see an outline form or even a kind of fog of God's glory filling a room. We may observe a kind of shimmering presence or, of course, a fully defined vision, perceived in our mind's eye or with our wide-open physical eyes.

The prophet Ezekiel was overwhelmed with visual input. "In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the Heavens were opened and I saw visions of God" (Ezekiel 1:1, NIV). He goes on to describe in detail what he saw in Heaven: a fiery windstorm, four living creatures with four faces each and four wings and four hands, four wheels full of eyes, and much, much more (see Ezekiel 1-3).

Apparently, John the beloved disciple saw with his physical eyes what he received from the angel in his book of Revelation, although, interestingly, he first heard a voice like a trumpet, and...

...then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.—Revelation 1:12-14, NASB

In other words, John quite naturally looked with his eyes to see what had made the loud sound. And there was plenty to see, including a number of angels:

I saw another strong angel coming down out of Heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land.—Revelation 10:1-2, NASB

Seeing and hearing are often intertwined, aren't they? Let's look at some Scriptural examples of how people discern spirits through hearing.

I Heard...

Later in the New Testament, we read about how Cornelius, who "clearly saw in a vision an angel of God." Cornelius hadn't expected that. He was jolted even more when the angel spoke his name in a commanding voice, "Cornelius!"

And he said to him, "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea."—Acts 10:3-6, NASB

Those were pretty specific directions. Cornelius didn't waste any time. He gathered his men and went to Joppa. No one had to teach him about discerning what he had heard. He knew he had received a message from God.

Even though hearing is one of the most common ways of receiving a heavenly message, it's not limited to hearing spoken words or sentences. People can hear the sound of wind, such as occurred on the day of Pentecost. That happened to Michal Ann and me that time when a supernatural wind came blowing through our closed bedroom window and woke us up to receive angelic visitors.

People hear bells, thunder, a telephone ringing, heavenly music. The variety of options is endless. I know a woman who was awakened from sleep by a small noise, only to overhear a short conversation between two angels, whose illuminated faces she could just make out as they stood next to her bed. "Is she really going to do it?" said one, referring to a very difficult undertaking that the woman was feeling led to initiate the next day. "Yes," said the other. That's all she saw or heard, but that snatch of conversation assured her that she could expect angelic help in the morning.

Keep looking, keep listening, and keep tuning in with all of your other senses to distinguish God's envoys from counterfeit messengers.

I Smelled...

As noted in an earlier example, spiritual discernment can sometimes come through our sense of smell. Many people have testified to sensing the presence of the Lord accompanied by the smell of roses.

At times, it is possible to identify the enemy's presence in the same way. A particular place just may not "smell right," even if we don't quite know why. Sometimes we can identify a rotten-egg odor or other noxious smell. If there is no logical, natural explanation for the unpleasant odor, it may be an indicator that an unclean spirit is present.

I have found that I am able to discern a certain form of addiction in a person's life by using my sense of smell. I can smell a type of smoke that I associate with the addiction, and then I know how to proceed in ministering to the person involved.

The sense of smell is not prominently portrayed in the Bible accounts of discernment, in spite of the fact that we ourselves, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, are described as carrying His "sweet savour" to the world around us:

But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph (as trophies of Christ's victory) and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere, for we are the sweet fragrance of Christ unto God, among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.—2 Corinthians 2:14-15, AMP

I Tasted...

What about discerning a spiritual presence through the sense of taste? Have you ever heard someone say, "That just leaves a bad taste in my mouth?"

The prophet Ezekiel (whose extensive experiences could be used to illustrate all five senses in overdrive) was treated to a spiritual tasting incident. Remember the scroll he was told to eat?

"But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you." Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which He unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe. And He said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel." So I opened my mouth, and He gave me the scroll to eat. Then He said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.—Ezekiel 2:8–3:3

Another supernatural scroll was consumed by John, who recorded what it tasted like:

So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, "Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour , but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey." I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.—Revelation 10:9-10, NIV

I Felt...

It's certainly true that we can feel or "sense" spirits, but here I want to refer strictly to physical touch, the kind of feeling that happens through the nerves in your skin. This is the area of sensitivity that is the strongest in my own life. And, yes, angels do touch people to get their attention, to communicate with them, and sometimes to hurt them, if they're bringing God's judgment. Here are a few Scriptural examples, with the "touch words" in italics:

Then the angel who was speaking with me returned and roused me, as a man who is awakened from his sleep.—Zechariah 4:1, NASB

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.—Acts 12:7, NIV

Your sense of touch comes into play when your skin or scalp tingles, and also when you feel pain that is meant to communicate a message to you. At times I receive physical pains in my heart that indicate to me that some kind of heart-wound has occurred in another person's life. These pains alert me to be ready to minister freedom and healing to the other person.

So we see that we can discern spirits (angelic, human, and demonic) by various means, if we are anointed with the Spirit of God. At different times, people see, hear, smell, taste, or feel the touch of another spirit. Our Holy-Spirit-filled spirits are our ultimate sensors, and we can continue to grow and mature in this realm for as long as we live here on earth.

Closing Prayer of Consecration

Holy Spirit, we present to You our eyes (our natural eyes and the eyes of our hearts) and we ask You to anoint them to perceive, to distinguish, to differentiate. We present all of our senses to You and we ask You to keep us on track. Anoint our senses to perceive heavenly realities. Help us to steer clear of counterfeit spiritual experiences. May complete access be given to the Word of the Lord in our lives. We are covered with Jesus' Blood, Amen.

Blessings to Each of You!

James W. Goll

Encounters Network • PrayerStorm • Compassion Acts

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