¶ Discerning Spirits in the World
Hello , hello , and welcome back to Learning to Live in Truth . Amen , I hope all is well . Hope that today has been a good day for you . Amen , it's a brand new week y'all . Yeah , I hope you had a good weekend . Amen , I hope that you was able to go to a Sunday service somewhere out there . Amen , today we are ready to get into the Word .
If you don't know who I am , my name is Catherine Amen , I am a pastor , I am a wife . I am , at the end of the day , a child of God Just seeking to do the will of the Lord For my life . I might be used as his vessel , and I hope that you feel the same way About whatever you've been called to do .
Amen , all right , y'all , without further ado , let's go ahead and get it in . Let's pray , father , we thank you so much for your grace and your mercy . Thank you , god , for allowing us this day and allowing us another opportunity to get into your word , your word .
I pray here now that you would grant me revelation , god , that you allow me to be able to see what I wouldn't see without asking you , god , open up my eyes , open up our eyes , open up our ears , open up our hearts more than anything that we might receive what it is that you have for us on today .
We pray the blessings of the Lord Will be among and be upon your children . We pray this prayer and we ask it all In the precious and the mighty and matchless name Of Jesus Christ . We do pray , amen , amen , hallelujah . So it is definitely early here where I am . I don't know what time of day you are listening to this , but again , I pray .
The blessings of the Lord be upon you , hallelujah . So we've been in 1 John . We are now at chapter 4 . Yes , we are chapter 4 . Picking up at the first verse , he says Beloved , believe not every spirit , spirit , but try the spirit whether they be , whether they are of God . He says , because many false prophets are gone out into the world .
Hereby know ye the spirit of God . Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God , and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God . And this is that spirit of Antichrist Whereof ye have heard that it should come , and even now , already it is it in the world , amen .
So , um , we are talking about whether or not these spirits that we encounter are of god , amen . And the first verse teaches us and lets us know . He says just because they say the name of Jesus , or just because they say the name of God , or they say that they believe or whatever , have you it necessarily that they are of God ?
Yeah , so it's like well , how do you know ? Well , at the end of the day , jesus taught us in the gospel , according to John , that you'll know them by their fruit . Amen , we will know folks by their fruit , amen .
He says to us in this first verse and I'm going to take it one verse at a time , as I've read three , and y'all , I'm drinking my coffee and that music you hear in the background , that's the relax movement . Amen , y'all know , I love it on youtube . Um , he says to believe , not every spirit , he said , but try the spirits . So what does that mean ?
Try the spirits . That means , simply , people , things might happen in your life . Amen , try that spirit , make sure that it is of God . Amen . He says whether they are of god . If you know who jesus is yourself , then you're going to be able to recognize him in other people , in other situations and other things . Amen , jesus knows how to confirm himself .
And because , at the end of the day , that's really what we're doing . We're trying the spirit by the spirit , amen . Whatever god tells you , whatever , uh , he enlightens you about , whatever he opens his eyes , opens your eyes to , um , he always has a way of letting us know that it is him .
Amen , especially , look , especially when we're looking , uh , for we're looking for something that would give us , I guess you would say , a little bit more clarity . He knows how to do that . Amen . And this is how we'll know whether it's from God or whether they are from God , will know whether it's from God or whether they are from God . I mean man .
He said because every , he said because many false prophets are gone out into the world . So a whole lot of folks that are out there doing this and doing that , saying they're doing it because God told them to . But it's really not them . Yeah , I mean , it's really not God .
Y'all , excuse me , it is them in their self , in their own strength , doing what they're doing . Amen . He says Hereby know ye , the Spirit of God , get to know who God is , amen . How do we get to know who God is Reading his word ? Come on somebody . Hallelujah , this is how we get to know him . Amen , because he Come on somebody . Hallelujah .
This is how we get to know him . Amen , because he reveals himself through the word of God . Amen . And what we understand out of the word of God he allows us to understand In everything around us , in the people that we deal with On a daily basis Hallelujah , come on somebody .
He says every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh out , wait , wait , I'm sorry , y'all , I'm getting confused . Look , every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God , okay . Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God , okay .
So it says every spirit that believes and says you know , jesus Christ is the son of God , he says they are of God , okay . He says every spirit and every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God , okay . So they have to believe that Jesus , the word , was made flesh . Yes , john teaches us that as well .
Yeah , they got to believe that Jesus walked this earth , amen . That Jesus died on the cross for every last one of us . They got to believe that Jesus died for them . They got to put their faith , put their salvation in Jesus .
This is really what 1 John is teaching us here in this moment Is that they have to believe that Jesus died for them , that Jesus lived and died for them and resurrected himself . Hallelujah , amen , he says . And this is that spirit . I'm sorry . He says every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God .
That Jesus Christ has come in the flesh Is not of God . They are not of God . I'm saying it again they are not of God . If they don't confess that Jesus came and died and lived or resurrected Amen . If they don't confess that and they don't believe that , then they are the Antichrist , the spirit of Antichrist , the spirit of Antichrist .
Amen , he says , whereof ye have heard that it should come and even now already is in the world . So he says to us this ain't nothing new , this ain't the first time you're hearing this . To us , this ain't nothing new . This ain't the first time you're hearing this . It's already been said that the antichrist , the spirit of antichrist , would come , amen .
People professing god but not acknowledging jesus as being the son of god . He says they're already in the world . Hallelujah , amen . This is how we can know that that is the spirit of antichrist . The reality is is they might be good people , but if they don't believe that jesus christ died for them , then who are they representing ?
They're representing themselves , amen . And you look , either you don't serve God or you're not . And part of serving God is believing that his son Came into this world and died so that we might be able to live . Amen . He says ye are of God , little children , and have overcome them .
He says because greater is he that is in you Than he that is in you , than he that is in the world . This is verse 4 . I just read Amen . He says this is who you are . You are of God . He says because you are of God , you've overcome them .
Anything and anybody who will come to you that don't believe that Jesus died for them on the cross , you've already won . Amen . Excuse me , the fight has already been won . Amen , you don't got . He's just greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world . Amen , you have greatness inside of you . Amen that is in you than he that is in the world .
Amen , you have greatness inside of you . Amen . You don't have to stoop to the levels of other people . Amen . He says look , they are of the world . He's talking about the Antichrist , the ones that don't believe that Jesus died , died on the cross , the ones that don't believe that jesus came in the flesh . Okay , he says they are of the world .
Therefore , speak they of the world and the world heareth them . He says when they're of the world , the world listens to them , the world follows them . The world , you know , the world acknowledges them , the world mimics them . The world , you know , the world . Okay , they're of the world and the world is going to hear what they're saying Hallelujah .
Look , he says we are of God . He that knoweth God heareth us . He that is not of God heareth not us . Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error . So verse 6 says to us if they hear you , if they listen to you , if they can acknowledge you , amen . This is , they are of God .
You're teaching and you're preaching and you're doing the deeds of God , doing the things of God . You know , he says and you have people that are listening , people that are responding , people that , um , hear you . He says we're all of the same family , hallelujah . And it's the same with the world . The world don't want to hear you .
The world want to call you this , call you that and make fun of you and , you know , challenge you in a way that says that , tries to make you seem like you aren't who you are and do this , that and the other . He said the world is going to hear them . That's the way it works . Hallelujah , amen .
But here we have a blueprint of what it looks like to be of God and not to be of God . Amen , look when a duck quacks . Believe the quack that it's a duck ? Amen , call it what it is . At the end of the day , people have the right to choose who they will serve . Hallelujah , you cannot force them to serve God just because you are , amen , hallelujah .
You let your light speak for itself . Hallelujah , amen , because at the end of the day , that's what's going to happen . You have your light speak for itself , hallelujah , amen , because at the end of the day , that's what's going to happen . You have a light . Either people are going to see it or they're not . Amen .
And you know as much as we hate to see people lost in this world , reality is that you ain't assigned to save everybody , hallelujah , but you are assigned to somebody . Come on somebody . Amen . We're are assigned to somebody . Come on somebody . Amen , we're all assigned to people .
Amen , hallelujah , we're all assigned to be a part of , I guess you could say them coming into Christ . Amen , we're all ushers into Christ . Amen . And the greatest way that we usher people in is by the light that we shine . Hallelujah , how we talk to them , how we treat them , how we love on them , hallelujah , hallelujah .
Jesus , that's what we're coming into on tomorrow , talking about loving one another , amen . And so you know , at the end of the day , take this with a grain of salt . Amen , because this is a powerful short , but it's powerful . Hallelujah , because so many times people are being fooled and manipulated to believe something that is really not true .
Amen , look at it when it barks , when it quacks , call it what it is . Amen
¶ Prayer for Strength and Love
, amen . At the end of the day , you can't judge nobody . At the end of the day , all we're called to do is love people , amen , love people , amen . And it doesn't mean look , you love them , irregardless of whether they're saved or not . Amen , this is a big one . Hallelujah , you got to love them , irregardless of whether they're saved or not .
You know what I mean . Look , he said don't take them out of the world , but make them strong enough to be in the world , amen , hallelujah . Jesus asked the Father to give us all that we need to be able to be a light in the world .
Don't just take them out of the world , amen , but give them everything they need to be able to be in the world and stand for him at the end of the day . Stand for Jesus , hallelujah . It ain't easy , it ain't always comfortable , hallelujah , but he's already said the greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world , amen .
The enemy might look like he winning , but he not . He already lost when Jesus went on the cross . Amen . Jesus fulfilled his purpose . Amen , when he came into this world , hallelujah . So be there as it may . As much as the enemy looks like he's winning , he's already lost . Amen , hallelujah , he's already lost . Let's pray , pray .
Father , we thank you so much for this day , thank you so much for all that it's been . Thank you , god for this . Uh , it's a lesson on tonight , on today . Whomever where , whenever they're listening to this , we pray that these diamonds , every diamond here , would just know that they are blessed in you .
I pray , god , that you will continue to do a work in their lives that only you can do .
We thank you so much for your love that keeps on keeping us , and we pray for anyone that says pray for me , whatever the issue or concern , whatever's going on in their physical health , in their money , whatever's going on in their lives , god , that they will know that you are the great I am , that you are there , amen , and they can lean and depend on you .
I pray , god , that today will be just another day that we will trust you with all and with everything , most of all our soul , father . We love you so much , so very grateful , so thankful .
In Jesus Christ's name , we do pray Amen , amen and amen , hallelujah , y'all , make sure y'all come on back with me on tomorrow as we continue the journey through this fourth chapter of 1 John . So many blessings and so much love from me to you . Y'all have a great and blessed day , amen , amen .