I was praying for insight into what was really happening on the earth at this time of unprecedented global economic challenge, as stated by the world media. It was the day of the US President’s inauguration and the TV and radio were full of the euphoria of the day. Many people were seen hailing a new season of change with strong expectations of positive impact and restored hope that the world was entering a new era.
Age of Delusion
So I prayed for some revelation into what the ‘new era’ was really all about and the word came that the world was entering a whole, new, unprecedented era of Delusion. A spirit of delusion, specific for this time and season, was subtly and insidiously penetrating society through the media and it was seducing people into believing that hope is possible through the wisdom and intervention of a man. I knew this was not just focussed on impossible expectations put on a new president, but that, in the face of contradictory evidence, mankind was being prepared for a great delusion in preparation for a whole new world order which ‘mankind’ would be seen to bring about through ‘wisdom’ in the face of global economic, followed by political, collapse.
People will be deluded and delighted in the ‘hope’ that will seem to suddenly be presented. This will come at a time when everything seems hopeless and all national governmental attempts to resolve the crisis have failed. There will be ‘mass’ media presentations of this sudden solution and there will seem to be irrefutable evidence of the solution, which will seem to have world peace at the heart. A ‘bright’ new world will be propounded and it will be called the ‘new reality’. Language will change to include international phrases which will release new words to prepare hearts and minds to receive new understanding of how the world will need to be in order for order to come. Any argument against the new plan will be seen as futile and foolish.
I looked up the word ‘delusion’ and a definition was ‘an unshakeable belief in something untrue, not subject to reason or contradictory evidence’. So this new age of delusion will be a challenge to the people of God one earth at this time.
The Spirit of Discernment
The next day I waited on the Lord about what the church’s response should be and received the word that just as this spirit of delusion was being released on the earth, at exactly the right time in the eternal plan, so a powerful release of the Spirit of Discernment would come upon the people of God. This discernment was not just the spiritual gift available to all who desire it, but was part of a mighty release of wisdom and revelation that would be available for all those who are determined to hold fast to their faith in Christ during this time of turmoil.
The Spirit of Discernment will have a powerful impact on the church. Many will receive it but many will not be able to pay the price of receiving it. A verse came to mind which I felt was a challenge to the church as the Spirit was being released: Psalm 115:16 – the highest heavens belong to the Lord but the earth he has given into the hands of men.
This seemed to me to apply to both what was happening in the world but also in the church. Mankind has a choice of how to live on earth. The world will mainly look for an answer in the hands of men, as they did from the beginning. But what will the church choose in this unprecedented time on earth? The decision made by the people of God at this time will determine their destiny as the manifest body and, ultimately, bride of Christ.
The Spirit of God is releasing a corporate and individual anointing of discernment which is specific for this time. Individuals will have a direct choice of whether to have ears to hear and eyes to see what the Spirit is doing in the midst of the chaos on earth – but also to choose whether to co-operate with what the Spirit is directing and correcting in individual lives and gathered congregations. Many will follow the ancient path of mankind’s good ideas dressed up in ‘Christianity’. They will become even more deluded than those in the world, through a subtle ‘mixture’ of beliefs leading to deception about how the church should respond in this time. 1 John 4:1 will be the verse which will be most needed as this new era unfolds. However, once it is established and practiced people will find that discernment comes very quickly and easily in every situation and a peace will be released even in cases of discernment of evil, with a confidence and faith in God’s power to overcome any evil.
Mixture in the Church
This Spirit of Discernment will be needed at this time as there will be a need to discern what is true in this time of great ‘mixture’ in what is being presented through the church. In the past most discernment has related to discernment of spirits or discernment of right or wrong. Now it will be necessary to know what is right and true in the midst of deception. The economic climate will lead many of those who teach and preach to be seduced into giving the word for economic gain – like never before. But it will be presented more subtly than ever before and the diminishing worldly wealth of God’s people will be diverted into pockets of preachers unless there is discernment. Wealth will be the issue – worldly wealth or God’s wealth?
Worldly wealth or God’s wealth?
That is the choice. God’s plan for wealth is always to establish his covenant – that we would be his people and he would be our God (Deut 8:18). There will be a greater ability to discern how to receive and release wealth for his purpose. The heavenly economic policy will be established in the people of God across the earth. The people of God will discern where to release wealth in order for the strengthening, equipping and releasing of the people of God. ‘Tribal’ communities will develop locally and connecting regionally, resourcing and releasing people. This will be part of the change as travel becomes more restricted and the ‘global’ plan to contain people will subtly be evidenced. Local gatherings will see strong relational connections across previous divides and denominations. The people of God will begin to discern the true Body of Christ without the deception of things that previously divided one from another. New connections and relationships will form and become strong, almost like local and regional ‘tribes’ and godly forms of ‘church’ government will emerge – like never before.
The Cost of Discernment
While the release of the Spirit of Discernment seems like a ‘rescue package’ for the church, it will have a great cost to those who choose to allow the Spirit to be released upon their lives. Old ways of doing things, style, habit, culture, preferences, will come under the light of the scrutiny which discernment will release. It will be an uncomfortable time and it will take personal sacrifice and courage to embrace and allow the Spirit to search our individual hearts and minds and our corporate thinking, which many churches and organisations embrace in the name of Christianity, but much of which is rooted in worldly ways and self interest.
This Spirit of Discernment will be like a consuming fire and will not be compromised in a context of mixture. It will shake many and will change the ‘face’ of the church.
It will challenge ‘control’ – not just the spirit of control but human desire to control destiny. It will offer the opportunity for all to be truly ‘led by the Spirit’. But this will not be something that the church can sing nice songs about – it will be uncompromising and powerful.
Peace will also be powerfully released. A different kind of peace than the world – or even the church – is seeking. This peace will be like an implosion into hearts, bringing courage and conviction and will be essential to enable individuals to move in discernment and obey the leading of the Spirit.
Control is going to be the main target of the Holy Spirit in the church at this time. The Spirit will break bondages, lifestyles and agreements with the world about what is ‘true’ and the deception that mankind can come up with an answer.
This will be a new age of faith – a new kind of faith for this time and season. Revelation will come about God’s true kingdom government which will directly clash with the new world governments – and also many ‘church’ governments. There will be faith for supernatural provision, divine interventions, alliances and connections for kingdom government on earth. The body of Christ will have the mind of Christ and call forth and establish a new kind of leadership, locally, regionally, and nationally. There will be new global connections and communication links to ensure a global unity and global responsibility in the church body.
But this all will have a cost – it will be a time of not agreeing with the majority; the risk and reality of rejection, abandonment and loneliness. It will be a time of separation and realignment. It will be a time of witnesses. It will be a time of testimony. Each will have a testimony of what the truth is. The Spirit of Discernment will reveal the truth to those who really want to know the truth. Those who do not want this will rise up with loud testimonies of their ‘truth’ and this will be accompanied by plans for change – but it will be the world’s model dressed up in Christianity.
The Testimony of Jesus
Revelation 19:10 – the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of all prophecy.
The word testimony is the Greek word marturia, from which we get our word martyr. The testimonies given in this time of delusion will have a cost. The cost of a martyr is death. Something will have to die for discernment to be released and God’s purposes to be established in the midst of delusion, chaos and the times on the earth.
It’s Cross time – life rising from death. It’s choice time.
But there is grace, peace and joy in the choosing. Once a choice is made strength, conviction and confidence will be rooted in hearts and minds as a substance and reality of Truth. People will then be unmoveable in their faith.
This word is not a ‘future’ word. It is a now word. We are already in this time and season. Delusion is all around us.
But the Spirit of Jesus – the Name, the Word, the Truth, the Way, the Life – our Life – abounds and he is above all, in all and through all that is happening on the earth and in our lives.
We do not have a spirit of fear, but power, love and a sound mind – in Christ Jesus.
This will be the church’s most challenging – and final hour.
~ Christine Larkin
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