Understanding Discernment 101 - By Rev. Anthony Wade

Found here. Our comments in bold.
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Rev. Wade continues to be a rich treasure-trove of breathless outrage, machine gun rhetoric, and hyperbolic claims.

In today's "devotional" he provides us with 1704 words (not including the two Scripture quotes), in which he manages only an attempt to justify his bombastic methods and mocking tactics. He tells us nothing about "Discernment 101," which of course would be an introductory explanation about what the Bible teaches about discernment. 

Rev. Wade should not be regarded as a teacher of the Bible.

We thoroughly discuss discernment here.
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But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. -- 2Peter 2:1-3 (ESV)

Discernment is not easy business. It is critical by nature because it exposes what is false within the church. (We are one sentence in, and have already found a problem. As is typical for Rev. Wade, no documentation for this claim is provided. Probably because there is nothing in the NT that says this. Rather than the Bible telling us that discernment is being critical, it says:

2Ti. 2:24 And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth...

Discernment is not "critical by nature." There is nothing in the Bible about having license to blast people about their beliefs. Nor does discernment speak to what duties one might have as far as other churches. That is, though it may at times be necessary to mark false teachers, discernment in the biblical sense does not convey the idea of an on going critique of distant teachers.

In fact, the NT tells us to that we are to have nothing to do with false teachers (Ep. 5:11, 1Ti. 4:72Ti. 2:23, 2Ti. 3:5, Tit. 3:10.) "Nothing" means "nothing." There is no Scripture that points to a continuing barrage of criticism of false teachers.

The predominate aspect of true discernment is self-focused, for the purpose of increasing maturity and righteousness: 

Ph. 1:9-11 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.

Ep. 5:7-10 Therefore do not be partners with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord.

Ph. 1:9-11 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ — to the glory and praise of God.

1Th. 5:19-21 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20 do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21 Test everything. Hold on to the good.

In each of these verses, discern, find out, and test is the Greek word δοκιμάζω (dokimazo)

which means, I put to the test, prove, examine; I distinguish by testing, approve after testing; I am fit. We are to discern what is in us and examine it, separating out the good from the bad. This is a spiritual gift, so it is the Holy Spirit who leads us to righteousness.

By extension, those with the gift of discernment may be called upon to test and examine matters in their church. The content of teaching, the prophetic, and for church leadership, discipline, are all duties for those with the gift of discernment.

Tit. 3:10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.

In the local church the destructive person is avoided. There is simply nothing in the NT regarding the correction of those who are in other churches.)

For every single person who is freed from the darkness of false teaching there are 100 who like the teacher in question or even follow them. It does not matter how absurd the teacher is. Think about how many followers Benny Hinn has. Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, TD Jakes? Hillsong, Bethel, and IHOP are international ministries making millions upon millions of dollars while leading millions upon millions of people to hell. We must understand that the rapid expansion of the NAR, through the purpose driven models of seeker friendly church growth have resulted in the great apostasy warned about in the bible. (Undocumented assertion.)

People are simply not tolerating sound doctrine anymore and gathering for themselves teachers that would scratch their itching ears and tell them what they want to hear. They want to hear that God wants them rich. They want to hear that they have the same power of God.

(Ep. 1:18-19 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe.

Ep. 3:16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being... 

Ep. 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Col. 1:10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might...

 2Ti. 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.)

They want to hear they are heaven bound without changing anything about their sinful life. So they are still bound by Satan and serve him, while believing they are saved and going to heaven.

This is why we are at a red alert in the church. This is why discernment ministries sound the alarm as loudly as possible and stand in the gap. I understand that not everyone shares this burden. I understand that not everyone is going to receive the message. That is irrelevant to the truth. Those who refuse to listen cannot say they were not warned when they stand before Christ, saying "Lord, Lord."

Let's start with the foundational truth that is rejected by those who reject discernment. (Actually, this would be those who criticize "discernment ministers"...)

That is the simple fact that false teachers are wolves and are not our brethren. (This is an important statement. Or rather, a horrifying excuse. It is here that every criticism the excesses of "discernment ministries" is justified. This repulsive statement is anti-love, anti-Christian, and anti-Christ. Because Rev. Wade thinks anyone he brands as a "false teacher" is not a brother, He is exempted from all the admonishments about gentleness, mercy, and kindness. 

It's a catch-all. So if you don't march lock-step with "discernment ministers, you are not a brother. And, you deserve every harsh word, every belittling comment, and every insult heaped upon you.)

They are not saved. Not only that, but they will not be saved. (An astonishing and hateful condemnation, made without biblical reference.)

The bible instructs us to mark them, avoid them, expose them and rebuke them. Nowhere does it say we are to play with them, pray for them,

(Mt. 5:44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...

2Th. 3:15 Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.)

coddle them, or ask them to stop being wolves.

(1Co. 15:34 Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning...

2Ti. 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness... 

2Ti. 4:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage...)

It is so sad to see Christians constantly defend voracious wolves and not seem to care one bit for the sheep they are devouring. So let us dissect one of the plethora of scripture segments in the key verses for today regarding false teaching and see what we can learn to better understand the crisis and discernment in general. (This may be the first time we have observed Rev. Wade actually take a Scripture phrase-by-phrase and examine it. He does not do it well, but at least he tries.)

Peter starts with the difference between falseness under the old and new covenants. Because the word of God came only through the prophets in the Old Testament, those who spoke falsely were considered false prophets. Since the new covenant has the benefit of the final revealed word of God in the bible, those who would speak falsely about it would be considered false teachers. Both terms are essentially interchangeable for our purposes. (Apparently Rev. Wade would expect false prophets to be treated in the same manner, that is, to be put to death?)

Peter's words here are an assurance about the existence of false teachers. So despite the resistance from many, their reality cannot be denied. Secondly, the false teachers will be among us. They are not some existential threat beloved. They are directly among us, in our churches and in our pulpits. (We do not think Rev. Wade understands the phrase "existential threat." An existential threat is a threat to something's very existence...)

Thirdly, we cannot ever forget that they bring heresies into the church. Heresies are teachings that are opposed to Jesus Christ and His Gospel. In case we try to minimize this, God reminds us they are destructive heresies. They destroy people. In this world, those who are unsaved are lost and when they come to a church they are supposed to hear the Gospel. Why? Because only the Gospel has the power of God unto the salvation of man. That means only the Gospel can save someone. If someone instead hears heresies they cannot be saved! (Again Rev. Wade pronounces things not found in the Bible.)

The heresy also assures them they are saved when they are not. Read Matthew 7 and see the people who stand before Christ on the last day saying "Lord, Lord." These are churched people who never heard the Gospel but were told they were saved. (Not found in the Bible.)

Fourthly, they will deny the true Master. They will not preach the real Gospel. They will not speak of sin and the need for repentance. They will pay lip service to Jesus of course but denying the power of the Gospel to save. It is interesting that Peter refers to the Master as the one who "bought them." That is a reference to the cross and His blood. This is what is denied by heretics. This is the heart of the Gospel but it is not seeker friendly. It is not purpose driven. The true Gospel divides father against son and mother against daughter. Do not be deceived with Kumbaya Christianity -- Jesus did not come to bring peace but a sword. (This is typical of Rev. Wade. He makes blanket statements without nuance or context. The world gets the sword, and the people of God get peace:

Jn. 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.

Lk. 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

Lk. 24:36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Jn. 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Ac. 10:36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

Look at what they are promised! Swift destruction! This is what I say to those who think we ought to be praying for those who prey upon our true brethren. Their condemnation is from long ago and it is not idle! Their destruction is not asleep! Wake up oh slumbering church! False teachers do not repent! (Undocumented, and a false claim. Every single Christian who has ever walked the face of the earth was previously false, and every single one of them repented. 

Again, there is no verse in the Bible that says that false teachers do not or cannot repent. Again we cite 2Ti. 2:24:

And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth...

"Grant them repentance" is the hope we ought to have for those who oppose us.)

That notion is folly designed to stop people from exposing them! This is also why we need to be vigilant in correctly naming names. Someone who has a hole in their theology or someone who espouses something false should be given chances to renounce what they have said. (Rev.Wade just wrote that do not repent.)

People can get things wrong. When we talk about false teachers we are talking egregious error that has been reaffirmed by the wolf instead of repented of. Joel Osteen, Joseph Prince, Creflo Dollar and the rest have defended their heresies. They will perish with them.

Next, our Lord describes the false teachers as being driven by sensuality. The definition of sensuality is pleasure through the five senses. God is saying here that they are carnal beings who are led by their own carnality, selling carnal wares. Carnality, or sensuality, is the opposite of the spiritual. The Christian is called to deny self. To deny humanity and pick up their cross daily. Now think about what the false teacher plays to. That you can be rich from the prosperity gospel. That is of course rich on this earth. It is carnal by definition. The false signs and lying wonders are entirely fleshly. Word faith usurps the power of God! I can't think of anything more humanistic and carnal. Places like Bethel teach people to falsely prophesy by emptying their mind and speak whatever evil pops into their heart. Carnal, carnal, carnal. Modern "worship" music is purely carnal. Songs that declare that we are all friends of God. Songs that declare how much the Lord loves us. Songs that demand our inheritance from God. Songs that turn Jesus into our boyfriend, or worse. Songs that transfer the worst of humanity onto God, such as calling Him reckless. There is no question that false teaching is bathed in the carnal sensuality of man, and in turn, denying God.

Next, before you get upset at your local discernment minister, take into consideration that the end result of these teachings is that the way of the truth will be blasphemed! (No one is upset with you, sir. Your methods, your arrogant faith in your "perfect" doctrine, your pompous presumption about people... that's what offends us. And, you too are subject to legitimate examination and correction, also the result of discernment, just like any of the false teachers you criticize.

Get over your smug self-congratulation and act like a Christian, sir.)

These teachings not only consign people to hell but they prevent the unsaved from even wanting to come to Christ. Do you honestly think that people who see the TBN huckster parade scheming for your money are not affected? I always am saddened by reading comments on an article about Paula White for example, the current presidential advisor. Inevitably, those claiming to be Christians defend her while people in the world see right through her, as well as her third husband, and her infatuation with stealing millions of dollars from her congregants. Do you think people cannot see through the greed of Creflo Dollar and Mike Murdock? Do you think they cannot see through the mysticism of Bill Johnson and IHOP? Do you think they cannot see through the absolute insanity of Heidi Baker and Jennifer LeClaire? Discernment exists to expose the nonsense. (Undocumented claim.)

Not only to save those under their teaching but to restore the credibility to the Gospel and reverse the damage wrought by false teaching.

In their greed they will exploit you with false words. Paula White has exploited the church for five million dollars. Joel Osteen for about 50 million. Kenneth Copeland openly boasts as being worth over a billion dollars. I could go on and on but behind even the sources that may not openly preach prosperity, is a huge industrial complex that internationally generates billions of dollars. While the seed sowing garbage may be obvious, even the places that are not that obvious are making money hand over fist. Bethel rakes in 60 million per year for example and their false school teaching the gifts of the spirit makes up 13 million of that. Hillsong resources combine for 180 million per year. Are we getting the picture yet? Their words are false, they exploit you with them, because they are greedy beloved.

As we begin to wrap up, a quick word about love. It is not loving to spare the false teacher at the expense of the sheep. It is not love to see a brother or sister driving off a cliff and not try to stop them. Discernment ministries are often rough around the edges because we are dealing with deep-seeded (sic. "Seated.") heresies. A velvet touch will not do anyone any good.

Let me conclude with this:

And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, "Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened." -- 1Kings 18:27 (ESV)

In my experience, those who complain about style, do so to avoid discussing substance.

(Now comes the self-justification for the author's distinctly unchristian mocking, unkindness, and ridicule. Rev. Wade will equate his "ministry" with Elijah, John the Baptist, and Jesus. That is, anything the author does in his "discernment ministry" is justified by the behavior of certain biblical characters...) 

While there should be no reason for vile attacks upon people, ( Whoa. The author is as vile as any "discernment minister" we have ever seen. Feel free to review our label: Rev. Wade.)

I take no issue with snarkiness or disdain. Above we see Elijah mocking the false prophets of Baal, suggesting their god was not answering them because he was on the toilet. John the Baptist called the Pharisees a brood of vipers. Jesus Himself called them whitewashed tombs! Once again this comes down to protecting the sheep and holding the wolves in utter contempt. Look, I get it. I understand it is hard to hear the truth about someone you believe in. The reality however is that they deserve nothing but our revulsion and the working end of the shepherd's rod.