[1Corinthians 12:10]

“... to another discerning of spirits; to another....”

64-0802-The Future Home Of The Heavenly Bridegroom And The Earthly Bride
113. “Notice close now as we take the places we are to dwell in. Now, the antediluvian repentance, then, brought water baptism. Then Christ came and shed His Blood upon it, to cleanse and to claim it. And then comes, the next, the destruction of the world as it is now.

114. All the sin that's in the heavens above, "he is the prince of the power of the air," he keeps off (wards off) the blessings from God. In there, comes thunderbolts of lightning and strikes the earth, and everything, from the heavens, sheets of slicing rain, and typhoons, storms and everything, "comes from above," which is Satan, "the prince of the power of the air."

115. Notice; see how Satan tried to take it, as I said a few minutes ago, by giving it to Jesus without buying it. Then, Satan still has a claim, because it's earmarked, see. But Jesus buys it by His shed Blood and brings it back to the rightful owner. See? That's how He bought us, by His Blood, how He bought the Church.”
Rev. William Marrion Branham.

 

The ordinary mind of the carnal man is always quick to say, it is “MOTHER NATURE” when the atmosphere around him is violently disturbed. The truth has now been unveiled. God’s Holy Spirit has always preserved this understanding in his Holy Word, since the fall of the human race in Eden.

Wherever Satan operates, he will never hide anymore.

The “GIFT OF DISCRNING OF SPIRIT”  has always been there to expose him. It is still here today to do the same.

• Now we know it was him who entered The SERPENT, in EDEN then caused the fall.
• It was him who entered the demoniac of Gadara.
• It was him who was cast out the demoniac of Gadara and entered into the two thousand swines which he drowned in the sea.
• He is known as the agent of destruction when he gets into the wind and the sea and brings bout
• The stormy sea; the destructive snow storms; the devastating winds; the roaring thunderstorms with its frightening lighting;
• And the devastating forest fires.
• That is not “mother nature”, that is Satan in disguise in the realm of what man calls nature. Oh praise God.
  
  

EXAMPLE # 4: [2Chron. 18:19-21]: A LYING SIPRIT ANOINTING 400 PROPHETS OF AHAB.

• The issue was Ramath Gilead.
• An enticing spirit had fallen upon and anointed the 400 prophets of Ahab.
• They became bold and frenzy but not knowing what the source of the anointing was.
• They had turned down a correction and a warning that had been given to them by Micaiah.

“I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd...”

• They began to intimidate Micaiah by violent means; slapping him upon the cheek demanding: “Which way went the Spirit of the Lord from me to speak unto thee? “
• Scripture tells us that we war not against flesh and blood, but against powers, principalities, and rulers of darkness in high places.
• We need a greater power than our human spirit in this battle.
• “Not by might, nor by power but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.”  [Zach. 4:6]
• Micaiah did not respond in the same way. He remained with word of the Lord.
• Ahab enlisted an alliance with Jehoshaphat to get Ramath Gilead.
• In battle Ahab disguised himself to avoid being identified.
• Because he rejected the truth and believed the anointed lie, he died in battle in spite of all the disguise he place on himself.

• Failure to discern the spirit behind the anointing upon his 400 prophets, led to Ahab’s blindness, deception, wrong decision and his calamitous death in battle.

• This incidence demonstrates the need; the necessity; and the importance the operation of the gift of discerning spirits, especially in Laodicea where all the unclean spirits of all other ages are here.
  
  

NEW TESTAMENT: EXAMPLES; INSTANCES OF MANIFESTATION OF DISCERNING OF SPIRITS:

EXAMPLE #1. JESUS; JAMES AND JOHN IN A VILLAGE IN SAMARIA.

Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem. [Lk. 9:51-56].

51. And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,

52. And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him.

53. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem.

James and John felt they were not welcomed in Samaria, therefore, requested if they be allowed, like Elijah did in his day, to call for fire from heaven to consume them for their inhospitality.

55. But he turned, and rebuked them and said, ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

56. For the Son of Man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.

• Jesus pointed to them, it was n’t the spirit of God manifesting himself in that way
• He did not rebuke Satan, either in this case, like he always did.
• It was just their human spirit which was not under subjection, but now getting overzealous.
• They had not yet received the Holy Ghost. Jesus was not crucified yet.
• Power outside the control of the Holy Spirit would often be destructively used by man.
• In their training, he was giving them to understand what God’s power was to be used for, when it is given to them.

The prophet in our day taught us that power without character is satanic. The disciples were still being schooled, trained as they grew in grace, knowledge of his word, to handle the use of God’s power. James and his brother John were at this stage of their maturity. They had read and known what Elijah did to those captains of fifties who were sent to him on the mountain by their commanders, in his day. Certainly their motive was not right, and God wouldn’t give or allow his power for such use.

 

EXAMPLE. #2. THE SPIRIT OF REVELATION ON THE GODHEAD VISA VIS FLESH AND BLOOD;

In [Mat.16:16-17], Jesus threw a test question to his disciples to find out how much they had learned about who he really was.

13. Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?”

14. And they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist: Some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?”

16. And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God.”

Now, Jesus the Master discerner of spirits said:

17. Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven”

Jesus was giving them, and us, to understand that the revelation of who he was could:

• Not be given by the human spirit, through human learning or study.
• Be given only by The Holy Spirit.
• Not come by Satan in any way.

Paul in his day affirmed it, the same way: [Gal.1:11-12]

11. But I certify to you brethren that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

12. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

 

EXAMPLE #3. THE SPIRIT BEHIND ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA’S LIE:

[Acts. 5:1-3]

1. But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.

2. And kept back part of the price, his wife being also party to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

3. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

52-0715 - Faith In The Son Of God
Right after the death of Ananias and Sapphira, when Peter pointed them out and told them what they had done… The very condemnation of the thing, to know that they were wrong, shocked them till they died right there. Just think of that. The Holy Spirit speaking, said, "You've lied, and you've done a certain thing." And down they dropped. You believe it's the same Holy Spirit? Been challenged so many times.
[Rev. William Marrion Branham]

 

EXAMPLE #4; THE GIFT IN PAUL IDENTIFIES THE SPIRIT OF DIVINATION IN A DAMSEL.

[Acts 16:16-20]

16. And it came to pass as we went to prayer; a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her master much gain by soothsaying:

17. The same followed and us, and cried, saying, These are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

18. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

• The spirit for 3 days told the truth that Paul and Silas were the servants of the most high God.
• And that they were showing them the way of salvation.
• It took Paul 3 good days waiting on God for a clear cut decision on what to do with the damsel.
• By the authority of the power in the name of Jesus Christ, Paul cast out the spirit.
• Of course the damsel was delivered, but her master and others beat up Paul and delivered them to the rulers who sent them to jail.
• While in jail and by a mighty miracle, God delivered Paul and Silas, and saved the Jailor and his entire household.

By yielding himself, God through Paul used his gift, identified the spirit on the damsel, cast it away, and set her free. The sending of Paul and Silas to jail turned out to benefit the prison jailor who was saved as well as his entire family. The jailing of Paul and Silas worked out for good for the salvation of an entire family.

 

EXAMPLE #5; THE GIFT IN PAUL IDENTIFIES THE SPIRIT OF SATAN ON ELYMAS THE SORCERER.

[Acts 13:6-11]

6. And when they had gone through the Isle unto Paphos, they found a certain Sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus.

7. Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God.

8. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

9. Then Saul, who also is called Paul filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him.

10. And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

11. And now, behold the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fall on him mist and a darkness; he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.

12. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

• In this encounter, the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulusdesired to hear the word of the Lord.
• Elymas the sorcerer wanted to turn him away from the faith.
• Pauldiscerned the spirit and identified it as mischievous, full of subtilty, enemy of righteousness, perverter of the right ways of the Lord, and Elymas by his characteristics as the child of the devil.
• And Paul pronounced blindness on him and he went blind, not seeing the sun for a season.
• He was blinded till he had to be led about by the hand.

Paul was given the how-to-deal with it. That God-provided way caused the one seeking to know the truth to actually believe God when God’s power was manifested before his eyes.

 

EXAMPLE #6; THE MANIFESTATION OF THE GIFT OF DISCERNING SPIRITS IN THIS AGE:

64-0823M - Questions And Answers #1.

DISCERNING AND IDENTIFYING CORRECTLY, SATAN’S MOVE THROUGH AN INNOCENT BABY.

N.B. With my due respect to the Branham’s family, I am using this example not to project any negativity, but herein lies a great lesson for all of us to learn something that is of a special spiritual significance. It happens to be from the prophet’s experience in his own family. At the end of his testimony he made this very important statement: “YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT IN YOU... ”

122.... I said, "Well look, honey, now, you've got to listen to me. It's hard for you to do this; I'm your husband. But people drive across the nations and around for just a few words of advice. Now, I talked to her the other day, and she just walked away from me."

123.  Now, Becky never did do that to me. See?

And when her mother said something about it, she slammed the door and say, "You expect me to set here and be a wallflower all my life?" And blammy, she slammed the door and went out. That was the devil.

I remember, the first two years of her life she cried. We'd go into a restaurant and eat; I'd walk her on the street while Meda eat, and then she'd walk her while I eat. Just cried and cried.

And one day up here in Canada, cried all night, and I couldn't rest and everything, me standing there…And Something said to me, "It's the devil getting at your ministry."

I said, "Hand me that baby." I said, "Satan, in the Name of Jesus Christ, you take your hands off of her." She stopped right then and never cried no more.

She's the quietest kid I got. From that very hour it was gone.

You have to get that… You have to have that in you though, before you can do it. 
Rev. William Marrion Branham.

 

• The prophet identified that the devil was in the behaviour that led to the slamming of the door.
• When she was a baby, and somewhere in Canada, she had cried all night, giving him no rest.
• He said something said to him, "It's the devil getting at your ministry."
• He picked up the baby from the mother’s hand in his hand, and prayed:
• "Satan, in the Name of Jesus Christ, you take your hands off of her."
  
  

EXAMPLE #7; THE MANIFESTATION OF THE GIFT OF DISCERNING SPIRITS IN THIS AGE:

53-1100-PRAYER LINE
DISCERNING AND IDENTIFYING CORRECTLY, CANCER OF THE THROAT AS A CHOKING SPIRIT.
3. Now, if Jesus was standing here, wearing this suit that He gave me; like the woman at the well, and talking like we are; He'd know your trouble, wouldn't He? Just like He knowed her trouble. Now, as soon as she found… He told what her trouble was, she recognized Him as a prophet, and saying that she knowed that Messiah was coming. And He said He was Messiah.

Yours is a tumor, you have a tumor. And it's seriously, a choking sort of spirit. And that tumor is in your throat, the doctors looked, said it's in the gland, in the throat, on the throat gland. Is that the truth? Now, what was it? What is it? [The sister says, "It's on my gland."—Ed.] It's a gland, oh gland, well whatever it was, see… Now, what you heard me say, you heard my voice, but that wasn't me. The best I remember, a second or two ago, I was in either a doctor's office or a hospital, and you were being examined. And didn't the doctor have his hands up in this way, or something or other, on the throat, is that right? Is that the truth? Well the… You believe that Christ is here, the Son of God, Who I'm trying to represent to you? Do you believe He will help you be well? Come near.   

... You're exposed here tonight, at the platform. You think you can hide, but you can't. God knows you, and I'm acting with all these others as His servant. And we're claiming tonight, that Jesus Christ; the One that conquered you and all your powers, and stripped you of everything you had, all fear, all your powers; is our Lord. Who's commissioned us to go into all the world and to lay hands on the sick and they would recover, and to cast out devils; and thou art a devil,a choking spirit. Now I command you in the Name of Jesus the Son of God; with the authority of God's Word, by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, a gift ministered by an Angel; come out of the woman. Let her go, in the Name of Jesus, the Son of God, may you leave her.                                                 Rev. William Marrion Branham.

• The spirit associated with the tumor on the throat gland was identified as a choking spirit.
• Clearly, God used “discerning of spirits” to tell what spirit, it was behind that kind of cancer.
• That exposed it thoroughly.
• In casting it out, the prophet addressed it by what exactly it was, and had nowhere to hide.
  
  

EXAMPLE #8; THE MANIFESTATION OF THE GIFT OF DISCERNING SPIRITS IN THIS AGE:

56-0101 - WHY ARE PEOPLE SO TOSSED ABOUT?
WHAT HAPPENS IN “THE ABSENCE” OF: “THE GIFT OF DISCERNING AND IDENTIFYING SPIRITS?”

202. A young fellow come to me not long ago. He was a Pentecostal. He'd seen too many of these meetings. And he goes in, and his wife is a staunch Lutheran. She said,

"Well, I guess you all went down and shouted last night. I guess you was all speaking in tongues and doing all this last night."

He got out on the floor and said, "God, I cast the devil out of her. I cast the devil out of her."

Almost a divorce case, man, a fine man. He came to me, and he said,

"Brother Branham, we're going to have a divorce, I guess. I just can't get that devil to move out of her."

 I said, "Brother, you're going at it the wrong way. When she starts like that, say, 'All right dear, bless your heart, honey.' And be real kind to her. Just see how much you can do for her."

He said, "Brother Branham, well, how will I ever get the devil out of her."

I said, "You do as I say, and just keep praying in your heart." See, I said, "God will take care of the rest of it."

He called me up about two or three weeks later and said, "My home's revolutionized." He said, "My wife is a different person."

I said, "Which is the most powerful? Screaming, and kicking, and stomping; or putting your arms around in 

love?" God is love. God so loved the world. … Ever since by faith I saw the stream. Thy flowing

 wound supply, Redeeming love has been my theme, And shall be till I die." That's right.
Rev. William Marrion Branham.

 

• The Lutheran lady, wife to her Pentecostal husband provoked him by making a mockery bout him speaking in tongues, shouting the night before, in their meeting.
• This young man, the Pentecostal husband to his Lutheran wife, presumed his wife had a devil for saying that.
• He began casting out his imaginary devil upon his wife, with much yelling, screaming stomping, kicking and shoutings.
• No devil left his wife, if there was any.
• When he approached Brother Branham about it, he used his wisdom and gave him “The Word of Wisdom” which he applied and resolved their spiritual crisis.

Ignorance, on this spiritual issue, and presumptuous solution was going to wreck this family.

 

EXAMPLE #9; THE MANIFESTATION OF THE GIFT OF DISCERNING SPIRITS IN THIS AGE:

65-0725M - THE ANOINTED ONES AT THE END TIME
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE “ABSENCE OF THE GIFT”? APPLY THE WORD TEST

[THE ONLY PEBBLE ON THE BEACH]

206.  One day, again, in the monastery, they had an old saint down there, bunch of young monks. There was one of them kind of irritable. Watch this; here is: a good parable today.

-           He wanted to be something above the rest of them.

-           He wanted to show hisself, authority, bigger something, something better, all class, you know, and great big  something.

-          He had to be classical. Always wanted the other brethren not…

-          You know, he had to be different. See? He, no matter what it was, he was very arrogant.

-          He was the only pebble on the beach. There was nobody could touch him. Now watch what happened. He had to have something big.

-          He had to compare with the big societies. You follow me? See?

-          So, he said, he prophesied. He said, "The Lord has made me a prophet, also. I'm a prophet."

Now, there was one identified prophetin the land, and that was Saint Martin; he was born a prophet.

207. But this kid said, young fellow said, young monk about twenty-five years old.

-      He said, “The Lord has made me a prophet and I'm going to prove it to you."

-      Said, "Tonight the Lord is going to give me a big, fine robe, put it upon me, a white robe, and set among you. Then all of you shall come up to me, see, and you'll take orders from me."

208. Now compare that today, see,

-           "I'll be the head of the organization. I'll take care of you, rest of you monks." And sure enough,

-           "That night, a light come on in the building," so the writing of Saint Martin says. Read it. And it's authentic. It's  history.

-           And the lights come on, and all the rest watched, and here come…

-           He had on a white robe, standing among them. He said, "See what I told you?"

-           But that's contrary to the Word.

209. And when he went and got the old dean of the college, he walked up-and-down a little bit, said, "Son, that don't sound right." He said, "There's only one way." Here it is! "There's only one way for us to know. It looked supernatural."

-          Boy, Pentecost would have grabbed that, root, sinker, line, hook, and everything else!

-           He said, "The miracle may seem all right, but it don't seem right to the Word.

-           Now, we have such a person, an anointed prophet, by the name of Martin. Come, go up before him."

-           The guy said, "No, no! Martin ain't got nothing to do with this."

210. And said, "You're going, anyhow."

And they grabbed him by the arm, to take him before Martin, and the robe left him.

211. See, "Deceive the Elected if it were possible." See, they know them. Jesus said, "My sheep know My Word." "Oh," you say, "'hear My "Voice."'

-           “That’s His Word.”Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word." See? The predestinated knows this.

-           "A strange word, or a strange voice, they won't follow." That's the way with those fellows back there; they wouldn't follow.

-           They knowed that Martin was there, a prophet of that age, identified by God through the Word, knowed the  Word. And that man wouldn't stand before It.  

• A Supernatural event had indeed, occurred.
• Believers with the ability to discern whether it is of God or not stepped up to challenge it.
• The claimant didn’t want to face the test.
• The challengers insisted, and the folly of the monk was exposed.
• GOD’S WORD WILL NOT FAIL. IT WILL ALWAYS PROVE ITSELF RIGHT.
• Every supernatural manifestation is subject to God’s prescribed Word Test.
• This is how impersonation is kept at bay; and the truth allowed to march on. There’s no fear in truth.

There are many more examples in the message, but these selections are to give you an idea, how that these gifts have been in operation throughout The Old and The New Testament; all the Seven Church Ages and should still be in operation today. As we have seen in our last example, with this young monk in Martin’s days they are easily impersonated. We have to be sure; we have the Giver of the Gift in us first. We do not go craving for gifts.

Remember, a gift is your ability to yield yourself to God and let God take control and use you to manifest himself through you. It is God who operates the gift as he willeth. We just live a normal yielded Christian life.

I trust, this article has shed a little more light to this Topic, than perhaps you knew. The purpose is to let you know that THE 9 GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT still operate today in the Body of The Lord Jesus Christ.

One of the reasons is to keep the church clean. God bless you is my prayer. If there is any error I made, contact me and let me know what it is.

PASTOR MARTIN TOMBE.

RESTORED BIBLE TRUTH ASSEMBLY.