Maturing in Spiritual Discernment (Part 2)

In today's message Prophetess Debbie Townsend, taught on the remaining 4/7 types of hinderances to mature spiritual discernments. 

4. The Drainer (Dehydrated)

5. The Worshiper (Self-Seeker)

6. The Willfully Rebellious

7. The Distractor to your Mission

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Greetings and welcome to the continuation of the message titled Maturing in Spiritual Discernment brought to you by Prophetess Debbie E. Townsend. As a reminder, the thought was standards define who you are, expectations reveal what you assume, and boundaries determined what you enforce. And her question was: what is discernment? The quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure. And remember, everybody does not attain this. Happy listening.

SPEAKER_03 0:39

Good morning, everybody. How are you doing? How you doing? Beautiful song, beautiful song. Hallelujah. I'm still excited about this discerning and maturing in the spiritual side of discernment. Um, when I first received the assignment, it told me up in the spirit. I was like, come on, come on, God, come on. However, there are levels to this discernment. And we're going to mature this time. We're no, we're not going to waste time in this level right here. So we're going to mature in our spiritual discernment this time. We will not waste time because we are not um gonna stay on the limb longer than we're supposed to. We're gonna yield our fruit in our season. We're going to yield our fruit in our season. My thought for today is standards define who you are. If you are an orange, then you ought to bear oranges. You ought to smell like oranges. Okay? All right. Expectations reveal what you assume, and boundaries determine what you enforce. Okay, that's my thought for today. Please keep in mind that define, reveal, and determine are things that is futuristic, moving, going, and doing. My question for you today: what is discernment? Disernment is the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure. Everybody does not obtain it. They can mimic it, they can study you and try to act like they have it, but everybody doesn't obtain it. Okay? Everybody does not have discernment. When I read that, I was like, really? I thought everybody has that. They do not. My opening scripture is coming from First Corinthians 2 and 10. And I'm going to read this one because I do have a reader today, but I'm going to read this one into your hearing. 1 Corinthians 2 and 10 reads, For God has unveiled them and revealed them to us, the ones who has discernment through his spirit. For the spirit reaches all things. Yes, the deeper things of God. Okay. And how the Lord builds his unshakable kingdom by introducing these seven hindrances to mature spiritual discernment. Nevertheless, without step one, two through four are impossible. And the two through four that I'm talking about is preparation for revelation. That's I need to prepare my spirit and mine for what God has prepared for me. Apostle Townsend and Elder Rory has talked to us about this. Separation for registration. God makes me a part of a part at the same time. Collaboration for administration is Jesus, the Marismost man, took his ministry apart that we would have to come together to manifest all or a hundred percent of his ministry. Then amalgamation and assimilation for the congregation. That's the General Assembly is matured and blessed as they enjoy the benefit of the fivefold unity. Father God, in the name of Jesus, Lord, I want to say thank you. Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to speak to your people on today. Lord, we thank you for what you have given me in this ability to teach about the maturing in your spiritual discernment and what will hinder the growth. I thank you right now for the words of my mouth that is speaking to your people, God. I don't want to confuse. In Jesus' name I pray, amen and amen. And so, with that being said, we cannot have the steps of preparation for revelation, separation for registration, collaboration for administration, and amalgamation and assimilation for the congregation if we don't deal with number one. Okay? If we don't deal with number one, and so with that being said, we have seven hindrances. I've already talked about three. And that was the unrepentive, the manipulator, and the sword, the division sword. We already talked about them with the understitching. Baby, we got some professionals. The understitchers, they have perfected their gift. We need to be professional in what God got us doing, and about his work, and about doing the work of our Father. And so, with that being said, as they prepare and do what God has for them to do, we need to prepare and do what God has us doing. And working in the fields and in the vineyards of the Lord. So we're gonna go on and jump to number four. The dehydrated, yes, the dehydrated drainer. Okay, some people don't want to change, and I'm gonna tell you why. They want, they just want to vent, complaint, and take. We've learned this in sonship. They want to wine, bellache, and complaint. Y'all heard that before, right? That's all they want to do. They have professionalized their gifting. You've walked beside them, okay? You've listened to them, you pray for them, you share God with them, and nothing changed. They still doing the same old, same, old thing. Nothing has changed. This is why I call them dehydrated saints. This is why I call them drainers. They plug into you, not the source, which is Jesus. They plug into you and drain all of your energy. Why they attach themselves to you. You talk to them about what the preacher taught to you about and what you've learned. Let me pray for you because you're taught that in the ministry, and let me tell you how good God is, and then you're talking to them about how good God is in your life. All right, let me give you a scripture for that. A chapter. Let me just go ahead and give you a chapter because they they're gonna need a whole chapter, Matthew's 14. Matthew's the 14th chapter, the whole thing. Okay, and I'm gonna summarize it for you. Apostle, do you mind if I summarize? Okay, Matthew's 14th chapter says, Jesus fed the 5,000. You know, everybody likes to go get that one. Jesus fed the 5,000. He knew they only wanted to eat the free meal, okay, and see miracles. We dealt with the people in Columbus, we dealt with the people in Kaleen with the food bank. We love doing the food bank, outreach ministry, absolutely love it. Okay, he Jesus didn't waste no time preaching deeper things uh and the truth or trying to convince the unwilling to grow, he didn't waste his time doing all that.

SPEAKER_02 13:14

So, what's wrong with us?

SPEAKER_03 13:18

So he left them alone and moved on. So, why don't we? So, when we started the food bank in Columbus, 2.0, not on 2nd Avenue, we had moved over there on 13th Street. We at 2nd Avenue, we used to preach them a word first and then give them the food. The people was only there for the food, they would sit through the little 30-minute message. Them people and study that okay. I could sit through 30 minutes of a message as long as you're gonna give me the bags. Apostle said, you know what, we ain't even finna be doing all that. These people is here for the food and the drinks. Give them to them and let's go. Anyway, a sidebar for a moment, let me give you an example of dehydration. I went over there to make sure to pick me, the administrative person that makes sure the people get the right amount of food um from the food bank. What was the name of the food bank that we picked up the food from? Where we go buy the food? Feed the valley. Feed the valley, make sure the paperwork was right. We're getting the right amount of food for the people. So I was filling out the paperwork, checking it off, making sure everybody was getting what they needed and had the amount of units that they need. I just stopped over there on my way home. I was had all my stuff in my hand, my paperwork, and I needed the elders that was there to sign off on it. So I just stopped in because I that's what we do. And um, I was getting ready to um get them to sign off so I could leave. Well, I stopped by to get uh the elders to sign off on the paperwork so I can um fax it into uh feeding the valley. Well, one of the recipients from the food bank went to cussing me out. Yes, because she thought her man was looking at me, and I said, Who's she talking to? And she baby, she put it on me. I said, Oh, I said, Who she talking? Is she talking to me? They hurry up and dealt with that situation because honey, she had them mixed up names like I've never heard before, and I was a person from the um, we didn't grow up like everybody else. We came from Florida, and like I told my husband, I said, we was together, we made, we made up together, but God had changed me, so I had to come. I was like, really? Is she talking to me? I said, Can y'all sign this so I can get out of here? So they dealt with that situation, but I was so taken back by that type of attitude. Anyway, we're gonna go on on to number five: the worshiper. The worshiper is a self-seeker, this is where the person wanna act as if they're seeking God, but they are seeking themselves. Okay. This one is if a if someone is lifting up you more than Jesus, you see that, that's a problem. Cut it out immediately. That's called false flattery or me ism. And I wrote it in my notes. I said, Well, Whitney Houston already sang that song. And she said, How would I know? Okay, I'm glad you asked. If they come to you for every little thing, i.e., prayer, piece of advice, or a simple thing like parting their hair on the side. Well, which way I look good with my hair on the side or in the middle? Simple example, just simple, and you don't send them to Jesus Christ, and they don't talk about Jesus or anything else, it's a red flag. That's a red flag. That's a red flag. Being in the pastorate, being in a congregation, being among the saints, ain't apostle, let's say brother Townsend, Sister Townsend have seen a whole lot of stuff. And it grieves my spirit. Because if you say that you are a worshiper and you are looking to be worshiped, lifted up, and set apart, that is a terrible thing. And God hates a prideful look. We have to understand that God is not pleased with a person like that. We should only be worshiping Jesus Christ and His righteousness. Pick up the word and read it for yourself and apply it to your walk. It's all about him, not all about them. So I gotta read it, I got a scripture for that. Jeremiah 17 and 5. Can you read that for me, sir?

SPEAKER_01 20:13

Thus says the Lord, cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. Their heart is far from the Lord.

SPEAKER_03 20:26

You cannot serve two masters. You're gonna love one and hate the other. If somebody is trying to be you, dressing like you, if you're on the praise team and y'all supposed to wear the same clothes, I understand. But if somebody is trying to mimic you, it's all right to have some type of I adore you. Okay, but when it goes past that, there's no honor in trying to be like somebody. Your heart is far from it. That ain't cute. God don't play about a pride look, a prideful look. You better get that straight. That's too much flesh, and flesh is a mess. Okay. Okay, apostle. Can you read one more? We're gonna give you Jesus' example.

SPEAKER_01 21:36

John chapter 2, verses 23 through 25. Now, when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover during the feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself to them because he knew all men and had no need that. Anyone should testify of man, but he that is Jesus knew what was in man.

SPEAKER_03 22:08

That's exactly self-explanatory. We better get like Jesus. There is nothing good in a M-A-N, and that's gender-free. If a man gender-free don't lead you to Christ, something is wrong with him. Get up and get out of there. Get up and get out of there. Because something is wrong with that place, that person, or that thing. Our responsibility as leaders, as parents, as spiritual um leadership, elders, all the way down to the greeters on the door. Our responsibility is to lead people to God and simply get out of the way. If I'm causing you or anyone to follow me, you them are they instead of Christ, then I am a stumbling block to their faith journey. And you know, I grew up in Baptist, and the deacons used to uh pray, Lord, remove the stumbling block. You go back to church next week, and ain't there. And the Lord done removed that stumbling block. Well, you know, Deacon Blue done died. Well, he was the stumbling block. Okay. How about the rebellious willfully? The willfully rebellious. You know what they call. I'm the black sheep of the church. I like to get the pastor straight. You know, I you know, I like to I like to go over his um words, and I like to see where he makes mistakes. First of all, you need to go over your own words and see where you make a mistake at. Okay, let's try that for a size. Okay, you know what God requires, but consistently you keep on choosing to rebel or resist. Those are the ones that they say, I'm the, you know, I'm a little rebellious in this department. I don't like to be a cookie cutter. I don't like to, everybody wants to wear beige today. I'm gonna wear off white. Okay. Egg shell. You know, they say eggshell. Okay, they always say to me, Pastor David, who is they? I say again, they always say, they always say, Pastor David, who is they? Before I can get the sin at top my mouth, they ask me a question. Who is they? I'm glad you asked. It's you, me, we, them, and they, etc. That's all of them. All of them. Always say, like I said, I know what the Bible says. They follow their own ways and desires. I don't follow everybody. I'm a little different, you know. Well, be that way, be that as it may. I know what the Bible says, and when they come and ask questions like that, most of the time, and this is a sidebar, most of the time they ain't doing what the Bible says, then they're gonna ask you a question, knowing they ain't doing what the Bible says, what they recruiting. Well, who else doing wrong with me? Okay, they ignore counsel, and then they show up, they show contempt for the truth and leadership. There's no honor among thieves, baby. Ain't no honor among thieves. You know, they're gonna throw you under the bus and drive the bus. One thing apostle taught me. One thing, uh, first of all, he was brother Townsend. Second of all, he was Deacon Townsend, third of all, he was uh minister Townsend, fourth of all, he was uh elder, pastor. He done went through all the stages. So uh Apostle Townsend, he before he became Apostle Townsend, he done went through all the stages. Okay, so I've been in the church with everybody, in every uh title, and I done sat in with every wife there is to be. Okay, and everyone I'm gonna tell you, such a child's been a trip from day one and half, but in all of those classes, he always had a group that would always bring me up, and I say, Well, what's what's what's up with you bringing me up? Ain't no honor among thieves, Apostle. Can you read uh Second Corinthians 13 and 8?

SPEAKER_01 28:19

2 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 8 basically says, For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth.

SPEAKER_03 28:28

That's what I used to say. I'm the truth, baby. On all levels, I don't change, I don't rearrange this me. God made me this way, but you can't do nothing with the truth against the truth, but for the truth. When you read that Bible and apply it to yourself, I don't had to tell people about the Bible. I say, I don't have an art with nobody. If they got one with me, they need to come to me and me alone. Hebrews 10, 26.

SPEAKER_01 29:16

Please, sir. But if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin.

SPEAKER_03 29:27

You heard that? You heard that they always want to ask a question. Who is they, Pastor David? They want to ask you a question that they already know the answer to. The reason why they're asking the question, let me go ahead and repeat that, because they already doing it, so they're recruiting for somebody who's doing it with them. I'm talking about the willfully rebellious. If you help, now get this right here. I'm gonna read it clear. If you help or are helping someone like this, you are encouraging them to continue to do wrong, and you're making it hard for them to repent and receive help. Now remember, I said earlier, in one of these earlier ones, the unrepentant. I said earlier last week, I said, stop helping those who refuse to change. They heard the truth, experienced grace, and had the opportunity to grow, yet they still choose to live in sin, fornicate, and lie. You know, I said that last week. At this point, it's enabling. We've become we, we the ones that know right from wrong, become a dealer, a pusher, or a pimp. You know, I said that last week. Ain't nobody got no excuses this week. So to add to that, if you help are helping someone like this, you are encouraging, enabling, okay, them to continue to do wrong, or you're making it hard for them to repent or receive help. I heard apostle say something to somebody. His daddy used to put his brother out the front door, and his mama let him in the bank. That's what we're doing. Unbeknownst. To everybody know that you are a dealer, pusher, or a pimp. Okay. Now that you know what you are, go ahead and do the 12-step process. Hello, my name is so-and-so. The last but not least. Yep. Man, I tell you, these right here, God don't give you no break. Because you're over the age of four. Now four years of trouble, four years of Christianity. Okay, we got a mission here, and you are the distractor. You are a distractor to the mission. Okay, not everyone in your circle. Now, this one here, I was like, Do I have to talk about this? God said yes. You let me start over. Not everyone in your circle is connected to your calling. Now this one right here, it says, People, kinfolk, father them, cousins, family, and friends can slow you down and distract you. They'll interrupt you when you're trying to spend time with Jesus in prayer. Tempt you when you want to worship and discourage you, when you want to love on and please Jesus.

SPEAKER_01 34:55

Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

SPEAKER_03 35:08

Some people are a part of everything that hinders. Do you know that's a ministry? Do you know that's a ministry? The devil got ministries, y'all. Another ministry is a distractor. I'm telling y'all, the distractor to your mission to keep you.

SPEAKER_02 35:42

Do you know the devil assigned demons to you? Every level is a dim is a demon on that level.

SPEAKER_03 35:50

He sees you growing. Soon as your mama push you out, a demon is assigned to you. Y'all better get it. They are not partners. They, but they are parasites and parish. Y'all done heard this message before, but apostle done preached it. Please do not mistake your sympathy for God's calling. This stuff right here is real. If y'all have not ripped ripped it out your brain, you know how we just say, Oh, I'll say that for later.

SPEAKER_02 36:35

No, the devil got ministry, and he sends his nymphs to church to destroy you.

SPEAKER_03 36:44

I believe I heard he be on the praise team, drunk, singing to the saints, luring them to sleep. And we'd be up there, see. Yes, yes, the devil will have you to say little stuff like don't we gotta endure the race. That's what Jesus said, but the devil would say, Stay woke. Why is he playing? He would tell you stuff to your face. The devil don't hide nothing, the devil talks straight to you, he has his stuff in open. The devil has pride. He'll take this.

SPEAKER_02 37:49

Uh-huh. That green apple, crown royal, he gets stuff to you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:00

God put in a plan so he'll tell you quickens you. God quickens you, the devil lures you. Hey, and the moment you get back in fellowship with Lordship, the moment you raise your standard in your gift that God gave you to function in, you feel the Holy Spirit. Because the devil makes you feel like you're unworthy to crack that Bible open.

SPEAKER_02 38:31

I've sinned too much. God, I'm so ashamed I can't open that Bible. I'm so ashamed I can't play that music. I'm so ashamed I can't raise my hand.

SPEAKER_03 38:40

But the moment you ignore it and you do it anyway, the Spirit of the Lord comes in and He fills you. Oh, I feel a Holy Ghost, y'all. He fills you willingly, and He says, Welcome back. I love you more. You can't outsend my love for you. When you step across it and you say, Here I am, Lord, arms wide open, Jesus said, run to me. It feels better than the last time you got there with the Lord and and you told him how much you sorry for what you did. And he said, Shh, I just want to be here with you. It's like that prodigal son, gender-free. Oh, hallelujah. And so, with that being said, all of all seven of these hindrances happen like this over the time in phase one of preparation for revelation. Revelation is the gift that keeps on giving. That's when your mind wakes up, that's when you get the understanding of where God is taking you. When you set your mind to change to be where God wants you to be, where your gift grows. And Satan wants to take those seven hindrances right there with you. You say, Not today, Satan, because I'm gonna grow on every level I can, and that's why God says, You have to get this on this level. Then the wind of the Holy Ghost blows into you, and you become new on that level, and then you be skipping around and you're telling God, oh God, I can do this. Yes, I can. And he said, You know what, daughter, you were created to do this. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. And when he says, Yeah, fruit on this level, you ready? Here you go, God.

SPEAKER_02 41:33

It was it was hard. I don't even know how that tree did that. I didn't even know I had fruit like that.

SPEAKER_03 41:40

I got pruned in my season. Everybody don't like to be pruned, and I'm one to tell you I don't either. But when it's time to yield my fruit, I'm gonna be ready. Ooh, hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Father God, in the name of Jesus, I want to say thank you, Lord. Thank you for this time, this opportunity, Lord. Most of all, Lord, I want to thank you for these people, God, that is ready to hear your word. Lord, we thank you for each and every household that's represented here, God. I just want to say thank you, Jesus, for yet another time, Lord, to break bread with your folks. And God, thank you, Lord. I hope and pray that I was able to do some justice to your word, God. I don't want to ever bring any um embarrassment to you, God, any shame to my husband, Lord, or any animosity to the congregation. And Lord, I ask that you give them understanding, God, that they can just teach and preach to reach each God. And Lord, thank you, Jesus. Now, Lord, let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Oh Lord, you're my strength and you're my redeemer. In Jesus' name I pray, amen and amen.