Spiritual Discernment in the Midst of Perilous Times*

 

     

     The Pharisees and Sadducees, who represented the religious leadership, came to Jesus and demanded that He show them a sign from heaven. He had even recently fed thousands from a small amount of food, but still they demanded a sign. Jesus acknowledged that they were able to discern the day's weather from the meaning of a red sky at morning or night, but added: "...O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall be no sign given unto it, but the sign of Jonah." He later said to His disciples: "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." His disciples thought He was speaking of bread that they had not brought with them, but after His correction ("O ye of little faith..."), the disciples then "understood ...how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine (didache - teaching, instruction, to speak in a way of teaching in Christian assemblies) of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (see Mt. 16:1-12, excerpt). The religious leaders' leaven had to do with the false doctrines that they were teaching. Are we teaching the doctrines of men in the Church or the Word of God?

     It is important to receive the true doctrine from the Word of God, because the end times, which I believe firmly are the times in which we are now living, are perilous times. Paul described those times to Timothy, saying that men shall be "lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having the form (morphosis - form, appearance) of godliness (eusebeia - reverence, respect, piety towards God), but denying (ameomai - deny, reject, refuse, disavow) the power (dynamis - strength, power, ability, power for performing miracles, moral power and excellence of the soul) thereof (see also 1 Cor. 2:4-5): from such turn away...Yea, and all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." (2 Tim. 3:1-13).

 

     There are many churches that look like they know God, but deny the power of God, especially in creating miracles today, as Paul warned above. However, this ministry has always believed for and seen miracles and continues to see miracles in the midst. Today, we are also seeing the wickedness of man that Paul listed above, including the work of deception. Jesus warned that, if possible, the elect will be deceived in these last days.

     Paul also instructed Timothy to continue in the things that he has learned including the scriptures "which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly (sic) furnished unto all good works." (v. 14-17).

     It is scripture that works with faith in Jesus Christ unto salvation. It is scripture from which true doctrine that not only instructs but reproves and corrects is taught. It is scripture that furnishes the man of God with perfection and all good works, including miracles. In these days, however, churches have become reluctant to reprove and correct, especially regarding sin.

     The discernment, demonstration power and the knowledge of the things that God has prepared for those who love Him needed for these perilous times don't come from man, but by the Spirit of God: "But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Cor. 2:1-16, excerpt, also Rom. 12:1-2, also Eph. 5:26-27).

 

     God has given us these wonderful gifts by His Spirit. Do we put them on the shelf unused and fruitless? Jesus told the parable of the talents, which included a man who took the talent given to him and just buried it in the ground instead of bringing an increase from it to present to his Master/Lord. We cannot understand or receive the deep things of God waiting to be revealed to us without His Holy Spirit.

     John the apostle was in the Spirit (Rev. 1:9-10) when he was shown an opened door in heaven. He heard a voice tell him: "Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be here-after." (Rev. 4:1). What he would be shown of things to come in the future could not be known by man's knowledge but only by the Spirit of God. In chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation, John saw the throne in heaven and One who sat upon the throne. Worship and declarations of holiness and worthiness to the Lord proceeded from those in heaven. The worship spread until ten thousand times ten thousand  and additional thousands of angels praised the Lamb of God, saying, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing." Then the words of worship spread and multiplied even further: "And every creature which is in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." (Rev. Ch. 4 and 5). Those in heaven fell down before the Lamb with harps and golden vials containing the odors of the prayers of the saints. They sang a new song about the Lamb of God (Jesus), saying: "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred (tribe, nation, people, race, clan), and tongue (language or dialect), and people (people, group, nation), and nation (race, tribe, Gentiles);  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." (Rev. 5:1-10, except). No one in heaven or on earth had been found who was worthy enough to be able to open the seals of the book except for "the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the root of David...the Lamb as it had been slain." (v. 4-6).

     As the Lamb opened the seals of the book, John saw the things that were to come forth on the earth, sometimes referred to as The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. They brought to the earth: conquering, killing by the sword, famine in which basic food becomes rare and expensive, and Death and Hell - to kill a fourth part of the earth with the sword, with hunger, with death, and with beasts. (Rev. 6:1-8). Then John saw those who had been slain for the word of God, and for their testimony: martyrs who died for their faith. As they cried from under the altar of heaven for the Lord to avenge their deaths, John heard it said to them that they must wait until their brethren and fellow servants of God were killed as they had been. (v. 9-11).

     As another seal, the sixth, was opened, great catastrophes came upon the earth until all men, from the greatest to the lowest: "...hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from  the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (Rev. 6:12-17).

     Although we have not yet seen the fulness of these events, we have seen the precursors that warn us of what is to come. We have seen natural disasters on a huge scale, and the martyrdom of Christians in other nations. People are entering churches and synagogues to kill. 

     Is the Church able to discern the things that are going on in these perilous times?

*Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 11/2/25 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on the Facebook page of Kenneth E. Stevenson Jr. Dr. Stevenson's video messages are also found on You Tube at the Kenneth Stevenson channel. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook. Also the book NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling, written by Dr. Stevenson, is available on Amazon.