Discernment has always been the key

The days events don't read much different from yesteryear, depending on which yesteryear you prefer to use as your basis for "discernment."
Most dictionaries would list the definition of discernment as; the ability to judge well.
It seems discernment has always been the key...
to many outcomes. Outcomes which are "nouns" which describe the status and circumstance of the "subject" such as the lady (subject) being happy (noun) or sad or successful or a failure and on and on we could go.

With the advent of technology, information arrives at our laptop in a moment, so we receive information as no humans ever have before. Freaky fast.
With the rising and embracing of anti-intelligence on one side (the smart one is the geek and the jock is the admired) and the pressure overall to be an intelligent (colleges have all-time enrollment) there couldn't hardly be more confusion on how to judge well, who to judge well, where to judge well, and when.
So most people, caught in the grinder of politics polluting everything in sight, pick a side.
And then the new converts are conditioned and "told" by the group think of that particular side, that the other side is to be dismissed, despised and hated.
There is little to no individual discernment required in a group think. There is go along to get along.

No individual discernment. Has a nice ring to it for a tyrant bent on leading a people.
It is an age old tactic and it is alive and very very well in 2022.
Around the world and here in North America.

Discernment. The ability to judge well as an individual.
Realize, there are powerful people and forces who seek to dampen or eliminate our discerning ability.
It's a concept at a deep core level in every person.
And everyone can draw upon it or not.

Some of us pray for guidance because we realize the majority think in 2022 is group think, not individual discernment.
Discernment helps us to identify false teaching and false teachers in our government, in our schools, in our sciences, and especially in our churches.

And today, just as it was in the 1st century where the Apostle Paul is writing to the faithful in the region of Galatia, there are many wolves among the sheep.

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;
which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!
Galatians 1:6-9

We pray all are able to discern.
For themselves, their loved ones, and those around them.

Blessings,
Mark

Great post.

Love that post Mark!

Awesome Mark

Great post. Thanks Mark

With the sheer volume of information out there and, as you said, the speed at which it can be found or delivered, it is ultra important for us to be able to discern.

Right from wrong.
Righteous from evil.
Truth from deception.

We cannot disconnect ourselves from the world and think our own unfounded opinions are correct. We must find information on both sides, watch or listen to them, and then discern what is righteous.

Good post.

Today's infinite amount of information is daunting so discernment needs a big sifter to sift through all the false teachers and all false teachings looking for truth, capital T.

Great post. Thanks for sharing

]We cannot disconnect ourselves from the world and think our own unfounded opinions are correct. We must find information on both sides, watch or listen to them, and then discern what is righteous.

I think you are absolutely 100 percent spot on with this!!!!! Unfortunately, I dont think most realize this is what we do some of the time, myself included.... We put "labels" on people, then make our decisions based off of that label.... I hear it all the time in my workplace, which is 90% farmers...

Thanks for sharing.

Sure Bruce T.
Humans have been given conscious and so much more to help us with judging well in life.

It's incredible to witness how easily people let others discern for them.
Or don't trust themselves enough to discern their own truth seeking ability, so they rest upon other people's truth.
Or build their own truth upon sand which is not only shifting, but is quick. sand.
And they will sink pridefully into it.

I have learned much from end-of-life bedsides.
1st, I witness how many tell me they are judging better (clarity) during this time (they say), even amidst health issues.
And how some folks will never let go of their identity of toxic junk even as they shut their eyes for a final time.

It's why I posted here about discernment. Maybe we all could seek it now, rather than later.
Most will say, nah, I don't need it, or I already have it, or this is useless, or that's cool for other people.

But, to that is the Answer: Humans were always meant to use what is crafted within them.

I see people in hospice and palliative care struggling to answer questions rationally as all is ending. Literally.
Who is left behind. Who gets the assets. Who gets along with who. Who loves who. Who forgives. Who never will.
I didn't put a question mark after these because at end of life, for the person leaving us, these are no longer in question.
There is a simplicity, often a beautifulness, at the end of most people's lives where they tell me they are discerning better.

Blessings,
Mark

He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand

All this world is fading away along with all that people crave

Very true Larry

It is typical for people, while turmoil rages, to try and avoid it.
We pray for discernment during these hard times in life.

Blessings,
Mark

Thanks Mark for the reminder,

“the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few”

I need to say it’s easy to get discouraged reading everything that’s going on, but I am thoroughly encouraged by number of trappers here that will engage these topics biblically, thanks to you guys that have encouraged me whether you know it or not.

,Blessed be the tie the binds, our hearts in Christian love, the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above,

Most everything in a humans life is based on this concept of learning, your words are a prefect example of your statement.

Any religion is another, war is another on and on it goes. Judgment comes from this terribly unreliable word, from those you trust who you don't know to those you do, who have a bias your not aware of.

One who seeks to learn and does so incorporating it, is by most standards a trusted individual, "if" others feel that trust to them selves, not everyone is going to do that as well as learn that fancy word or what it stands for, it is one of many learned standards not provided by birth to live from.

Some don't have that drive to learn but are just feeders to live on what's around them the best way they can, for an example the constant referral to the Bible for guidance, while many things in the bible are great for guidance, none can be proven with any kind of reference or actual fact to assure one it is in fact the written word of a worshiped Deity.

I tried to folla ya GritGuy, but ya stumped me as to the point you're pointing us to.

Blessings,
Mark

Typically as we we journey through life, mature and age we become in many ways more willing and able to listen and absorb. For me as I age and work on deepening my faith and that journey I find myself being more accepting and tolerant. Many feel acceptance to be a sign of lack of passion, commitment or a sign of weakness. To me it is just the opposite. Life well lived and thought out in many ways allows for one to live better as we age inspite of the physical demise our body goes through.
As Paul was citing all the false prophets and those who left quickly because the next sparkling moment did not come reminds me that we have had 2000 years or men tweaking the gospels and epistles. Now as I journey in life and faith I don't worry much about how divergent some become as long as the base is still intact. When the limbs become bigger then the base they will in time tear off. In many ways it is easier to find the one lost sheep then to try and bring back a group that has splintered off. They will create their own rationale for why they want to wander as they are. What are the main or real reasons for not being willing or able to live with or respect those that believe differently? Is it because we want to associate with those of similar principles or is it to be able to further diss or demean those with different principles. Faith is a journey and never complete for me and as I grow in faith I am better able to not only discern and accept others, I am able to take a much more rigorous judgement of my self and my beliefs and acceptance. Almost all behavioral traits of humans are on a continuous, connecting circle, which means if we choose to we can use the negative areas of those behaviors to use others as an excuse for our own actions. Fear is in my opinion the main driver of most if not all of our real behavioral actions. Fear takes on a whole host of expressions. Faith in a power greater than oneself is a good start in changing behavior. Repentance is a Greek word for "to turn around" I am human so making a 180 is not easy for me but turning in the other direction is a good place to start.

Bryce

Mark just stating that everyone is not capable of learning what you think is necessary to
Live a good or bad life, or when they might do so choose not to use it

Vey well said Bryce.

Blessings,
Mark

Shouldn't discernment help to keep the wolf out of the sheep barn? Careful with that word acceptance, it can allow the wolves to live amongst the flock.

Thanks Mark, good post.

I agree, discernment is a rare quality today.

There's a lot of folks out there that either don't realize it or don't want to think for themselves.

The really scary part is this group seems to be growing larger and larger.

Well, when it comes to believer's discernment, we are called as a body to discern not only individually but also together as brothers and sisters in the faith.

Like all spiritual gifts some have It some are given other gifts , if a Christian brother or sister is not given the gift of discernment then they may trust another who have it. For example my wife has the gift of administration and I trust her fully in that as she trusts my discernment on most thinks I believe.

I couldn't agree more, but IMHO wouldn't this require that the individual use critical thinking/discernment to determine if the group they're with is discerning the Word or something else correctly or contrarily.




Another opinion (of mine) and therefore subject to change; I wouldn't think discernment would be given as a gift to some and not others. I do think that perspectives may be a gift. My wife and I agree on most things but the factors that caused us both to arrive at that same opinion may be vastly different. I would also think that the Holy Spirit within would aid us in our decisions, opinions and ability to discern.

A large movement in the 60's was all about expressing individuality and going against the "establishment" "I'm ok, you're ok", It seems now that whether it's according to some foundational tenet or not it doesn't matter anymore as long as "the group" accepts you. Whichever way the wind blows I guess...

Discernment in what regard?

Matthew 24:24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Note the word "if".

The Spirit aids us as it has believers since Pentecost.
There is also a historical, theological orthodoxy (right thinking) and orthopraxy (right doing) of 2000 years since Christ that many believe (I do) has been divinely preserved and passed down to us. Much of which the plethora of false prophets of the 1800's chose on purpose to alter. There are reasons that era spawned so many false teachers. Heresy isn't just wrong teaching. It's the willful acton of going against those who confront, reproof, or try to correct you as you change core teachings that have been held everywhere, always, and by all since the Ascension.

We should never stop learning.
Eternity will be ripe with it.
Blessings,
Mark

Note: this is in the future as in the 2nd Coming and Great Tribulation.
Unless you're a preterist, this hasn't happened yet.

I'm of the Pre-Trib, Pre-Millennium camp.

Blessings,
Mark

Pre-Trib rapture? I'm not so sure about that anymore.

It's not a hill to die on Posco, and we'll wonder how it all plays out until it does.
I read Scripture as believers escaping the Wrath poured out. 1 Thess 4:17 is the place to start most would say.
What do you think?

I'm PREMIL for 6 reasons;

Promises of God all throughout Scripture to Abraham as well as the New Covenant
Resurrection (Rev 20:4-6)
Easiest view of the early Church
Most natural literal reading for all passages loaded with symbolism and imagery
Incarceration of Satan
Literal 1000 years recorded 6x

AMIL camp here. But as you say Mark not a hill to die on

I agree it, it's not a hill to die on but there are plenty of people around the world going through great tribulation right now. They're dying for their faith. I think American Christians shrink back from the idea of suffering for their faith, almost as though afraid to. I

Some of my best buds in the faith are of the Jonathan Edwards, Augustine of Hippo camp >>> AMIL.
There are good arguments for it no doubt. I guess the reason I can't move in that direction is that AMIL's teach Satan is said to be bound at the 1st Coming and I just can't see that he's bound much at all. AMIL is the view of the RC Church, the Greek Church and a good many Protestants too. The view began with Tyconius, who had a major influence on Augustine in the 4th century. Augustine considered the Church age between the Advents as the 1000 years of Revelation. Calvin and Luther were also AMIL'ers.

It's the Satan being bound I can't hurdle over into the AMIL camp.

Blessings,
Mark

I can’t argue a fraction as well as any of those great theologians you mentioned (they’re the reason I’m in the Amillenial camp), and you raise a good point, i will admit that I honestly am out of my league lol

Posco I agree about suffering! Regardless of our view of end times Jesus suffered and we will suffer for our faith, the Bible says so, I wrestle with this often. And we are to count it Joy! That’s what’s radical, rejoicing in suffering, what a witness

We call it healthy debate among the faithful KsTrapper88 and if we were sipping a coffee, it'd be all good.
We call it apologetics when we dig in deeper against false teachers and false teachings.

Eschatology - theology of the End Times - is fascinating and there remains much mystery.
Thank God.

More important than the chronology of prophecy in Daniel, Ezekiel, Revelation and more is an orthodox - no can alter - Christ Returns theology.

I’ll buy the coffee,

I'll be around you somewhere in a couple weeks. We run our predator Academy north of Cunningham a few miles. I hear the coyotes are thick again this year.

As is often the case, discussions like these usually always end up in theological thoughts!

I believe discernment and understanding learning are complete different entities,
One can be born with discernment, common sense as well, learning is a time
Progress of many things most of our lives, it certainly and usually does improve
Both of the mentioned, still some never do or grasp the ability to use either !

Leaving a theological answer out of the equation, why does anyone think why
This is so ?

One is born with discernment and common sense GritGuy?
You mean like René Descartes's philosophy of "I think therefore I am."
The big theme of the 1600's Renaissance thinking from France?
Is that what you mean?

Cunningham is my neck of the woods, little over an hour drive. Coyotes are thick here, hope the academy goes well, and the weather cooperates too.

Reminds of the movie with Al Pacino. "I always knew the right path, without exception --- I knew!"

Mark, I said what I mean, not what you want to be said, you seem to like to place
Your thoughts as others should see written instead of reading and understanding
What they wrote.

I never said all, one or many, I said some, read again to make sure lol

I didn't inject my philosophy upon yours on an online forum GritGuy.
I was trying to figure out what in the Little Jimmy-Dickens you were posting.

I don't see the word "some" anywhere in your post but are you trying to say "some" are born with the ability to discern? Or "some" are born with common sense? The use of the term "common sense" is only a few 100 years old and comes from the fiesta Scots. Oh how those Scots would ramble around with others who didn't think as they thought (that's called philosophy). They said even the "common" person at least had "some sense," = common sense.

The minute we step from reading a Scripture to the next step >>>> interpretation, we step into philosophy.

Blessings,
Mark

Mark it's there you missed it, and you never have left Philosophy in any of your statements.

You shouldn't try so hard to read simple statements about other's conjectures and beliefs, looking for some
sort of tie in to yours.

Not all life is predicated on religion and a book of tales wrote decades and centuries after what was supposed
to have happened by one individual.

You have your believe in things, seems to suit your narrative just fine, I believe in mine, seems to suit me fine !

I guess I missed the point of this thread.

The ability to judge well. Where does it come from?
All the back and forth on these threads.
Some call it opinion.
It's not. It's called "philosophy."
As in your ability to judge, and your experiences, (and a bit more) all add up to give someone a "philosophy."

Example;
You read a thread. That's referred to as observation.
As it rolls round and round the noggin and someone's noggin figures out the how/what/when/why of what has been observed.

From the noggin comes ..... interpretation.
Interpretation >>>> is built on the house of "philosophy."

And philosophy (worldview in large measure) is built on experience, (experiential knowledge) and to a large measure discernment.

Where people mine for discernment (the ability to judge well) varies WIDELY but it is part, a large part of philosophy and the interpretive brain.

For example, I'm a 16 year kiddo and I am out on the town Friday night with the posse, and someone says, "Hey, let's get some drugs."
My noggin makes a play to shift into gear and experiential knowledge comes to mind, along with of course, discernment.... the ability to judge well.
I might even place my ability to judge well at someone else's feet and say, "What do you think?" and draw upon their discernment capacity.

I think the discernment of many people is lacking and they are wounded in their ability to judge well for their safety, their health, be in relationships, and many other things.
Mostly discernment helps us find what everyone seeks at some point.
Rest.

Americans are the most medicated anxious people there's ever been.
ADHD is now the rule rather than an exception.
Depression (the body cannot cope) is the real pandemic.

I think our ability to discern is busted as a nation.. Which has dire effects on people and those who they love or who love them.

I will see more of it today in ministry.
You'll see it as you look around also.

What's that old definition of insanity again?

Blessings,
Mark

GritGuy,
IC. You're rowing your boat too hard sir. I didn't tell you what to type as much as you have been telling me you don't like what I type.
I was asking, humbly, what you were trying to tell us? It wasn't that clear, so I was asking for clarity. That's all.

I can help you with some things here perhaps;
You wrote, "Mark it's there you missed it, (<<<<< discerning statement) and you never have left Philosophy in any of your statements.(<<<<<<< philosophical statement)"
In the 1st portion, you judged that I missed it and in the 2nd portion your interpretive skills suggest to you that... well, I don't really know what this means to be honest (my discerning).

Actually your posts are judgmental through and though so you're using your discernment in almost each sentence you type.

I realize the worldview I and others hold, which is Christianity, is irritable and we wonder, "Why is that?"
That'd be deeply entrenched in our ability to discern such things.

Blessings!
Enjoy that beautiful Utah!
Mark