We receive the gift of discernment to resist the unclean by testing the spirits. Be careful who you listen to. Be careful who you let speak into your life. Curate your inner circle according to His righteousness.

1 John 4:1 NKJV
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Psalm 119:105 NIV
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Spirit of Unclean

The truth is not the lies. The lies that foul spirits whisper. The lies that are meant to distract you from the power that you carry, the power of God and be a stumbling block in our spiritual walk. Resist the devil and he will flee. Listen to him and he separates you from God. That’s his purpose and objective. Separation, to destroy our unity with Christ and stirs up the unclean.

There are two kingdoms that fight for you. When the unclean is shook, the clean shakes greater. Satan has no glory. All the glory is God’s. Don’t give any glory to Satan, and know that the darkness shall not prevail. We are not to put a stumbling block in our brother’s way.

Romans 14:14 NKJV
I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Song of Solomon 4:16 NKJV
Let my beloved come to his garden
And eat its pleasant fruits.

Romans 14:14 says unclean is a lie. Do not believe in unclean. This opens a door you do not want to be opened. Believing in clean or unclean each requires faith. Have faith in God. Captivate and cast down the Spirit of Unclean. Blessed are the ones that seek refuge in Him.

Romans 14 is a call to all Christians, but especially the “strong,” to love each other. When judgment is needed, do it the way Paul said to do it in Galatians 6:1-2. And do it the way Jesus said to do it in Matthew 7:5. To the pure, all things are pure (Titus 1:15). Not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way (Romans 14:13).

Proverbs 18:19 NKJV
A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city,
And contentions are like the bars of a castle.
Proverbs 19:11 NKJV
The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger,
And his glory is to overlook a transgression.
Galatians 6:1-2 NIV
¹ Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. ² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Matthew 7:5 NIV
You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

We are called to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) so that we think like Christ (Philippians 2:5). If we see ourselves as God sees us, and if we see others as God sees them, then God’s desires will also be our own, and the things that bring us joy will also be the things that glorify God.

I am God’s beloved. God is my beloved. This relationship becomes truth when we see ourselves as God sees us, and so you must love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34).

Blessed Are the Unoffendable

Excerpt from Article by Abigail Dodds:

What do we do when we’re offended by one another? What do we do if the offense given or taken is a result of carelessness, or thin skin, or personality differences, or unintentionally missing the mark, or sinfulness in ourselves or others?

When we turn hurt feelings into offendedness, we go from vulnerable to impenetrable. When we’re hurt by someone else’s words or actions, it’s tempting to try to protect ourselves with anger or self-righteousness that masquerades as having been offended. It’s easier to imagine the ones who have hurt us as villains rather than own that our hurt often has to do with our insecurities and fragility more than with the objective sinfulness of others.

Everything another person says that we disagree with is a devilish opportunity for taking up an offense. Anything another person does that is different than how we would do it strengthens the resolve of the unyielding, hardened heart. Too often, we can’t merely disagree with people; we are personally offended by the words, opinions, and actions of others, even when they have no bearing on our personal lives.

Today is the day to crucify the counterfeit power of offendedness and take hold of the gospel — which is the power of God for salvation to all who believe (Romans 1:16).