Spiritual Discernment [Part 1]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan Wright you have a good and gracious father. He sees what you're going through and I was a journey on he knows the problems interfaces. He knows the fights that are broken out around he knows where you're confused he knows things are nervous about. And he's with you that's pastor excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series higher power is presented with old church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout our entire program today to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries so as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer.

Contact us@pastor.org that's pastor at an.large E or call 877-544-4860 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program but right now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright are you ready for some good days in a life brings with it so many choices and sometimes it's not readily apparent. What's good and what's bad drawing was wrong and that in order to know requires discernment in God. He is utterly and completely for you being on the right path. You and cries Bible says or given the mind of Christ.

Your given leadership from the Holy Spirit, and so you're not alone and discerning your way in life. We met in whole series this fall on the power of the Holy Spirit and how we can walk in the power of the spirit and I want talk to about this part of life in the spirit of spiritual discernment you have in the Holy Spirit and ever-increasing ability to hear from him about the right direction and about right and wrong, and we take it today. From the picture of Joseph and the familiar Christmas story that I simply want to draw your attention to how easily Joseph could've completely missed it.

But for the leadings and promptings of the Lord in Matthew chapter 1 verse 18 the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way when his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame resolved to divorce her quietly but as he consider these things will hold an angel the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David did not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit shall bear a son shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sentence. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuelle, which means God with us.

When Joseph awoke from his sleep, as did he did as Angel Lord commanded him. He took his wife, but no, not until she given birth to a son, and he called his name Jesus. And we don't attempt to after some time has passed and the Magi visited verse 13 Matthew two when they departed the Magi boarded about an angel the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, arise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt and remained there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy any Rosen took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of this was to fulfill what the Lord is spoken by the prophet out of Egypt I called my son some years ago we were riding on a rural road and I think it was on that back way to the beach. Kids were younger and buying the car and went on a rural road and there's a little bit slower moving vehicle may just be still going 50 miles an hour but I'm think I'm a passing pickup truck and he had his back of it was loaded up with some big furniture pieces make out big chair in the area, Internet like I am a pretty defensive driver so I stayed behind people but if you go past somebody you get near him an angle sans angina, mere as were getting kind near my wife, who has a tremendous amount of discernment about things she said nothing that calculated pictures of flowers that trot like will you and I can imagine and then some. And Sammy said sometimes she gets little thing for the Lord like this and I backed up which is a hard thing for a man to do when he's about to pass a vehicle to give up on an soundest draft slowly behind the man, so I backed far behind him and within about two minutes of that a huge piece of furniture came flying off the back of his pickup truck. It would have been a terrible rack right into instead I easily dodged the furniture. Nobody was there. Even things like that happen. Holy Spirit knows these things are going to happen and not only that, but Holy Spirit knows the reality of a situation I think so much of discernment is about seeing accurately. It is to see as Jesus sees this as a C reality because we are so limited our perspectives. We need God.

So another essence riding my stories are about running down the road, but this am writing down the row about three years ago and I am in the left-hand lane number 74 and this is to examine the landfilling traffic and the right is moving slower and proceed on down and a tractor-trailer truck 18 wheeler puts his blinker on and start to act like he's move right in front of me and Molly and I as far as I knew he didn't have anybody in front of him. Unlike, why would he pull over in front of me, slow me down. It's amazing when you're driving a car how you feel like you could just judge everybody out there know everything going on and so I'm frustrated. I throw my hand up like this, not a gesture and I don't John gesture and frustrated.

He comes on intimately slowing me down. No.

And then I felt bad because I realize that there was a slow moving vehicle in front of him and he had a big reason why was trying to get over because he was really being slow down truckers on schedule while got embarrassed about it then.

I knew you'd see my hand go up and he dutifully after he passed the vehicle on the right went back and right hand lane and I'm like okay I got a go by now you know and I just didn't want outlook from him. I didn't know was a arthritis I just installed by it all just looking straight ahead. And as I got in front of him just this is when I wish that my license plate did not read Grace to you and what it and so I get back from women about 3 miles down the road about 3 miles down the road and now I'm in the right hand lane and got into slow traffic and want to get over to the left is F and I'm thinking about dinner at 11 blinker on a look at my room and guess who is over in the left-hand lane. That truck and all of a sudden I hear them just land on that horn to hear the rest of the story you stay awake for the rest discernment but that is. He's on the horn. What is he saying to me in that horn you don't really know when talking about the importance of spiritual discernment and I don't have so much for you line by line exposition of this Matthew story is much as to give you this picture of God being totally for his people going the right way. All of the Christmas narrative angel showing up in God appearing in dreams and prophecies that are spoken and revelations that come about and shepherds that are sent in Magi the company all validating. This is the path walking. It is Alan Wright will have more teaching moment from today's important series better marriage. You don't need marketing you need more good news. Marriages like people change pricing and affect, or even applying principles change by the gospel of grace sessions and lead you and your spouse into a fresh encounter with God's grace. Sinful grayscale process that makes great communication.

The freedom of forgiveness celebration also learn how to pray for your last one another with ground when you're in the video series losses and copies of the company is going through some special challenges and powerful transformational three year marriage. Marriage the grace of God. The gospel is shared when you get right ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support.

When you get today we look for special offer that we are in our final days of offering the special product. We are happy for Steve as I thanked him Alan Wright Ministries, 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website. Pastor Alan.like today's teaching you once again is so start by saying God I live for you is completely for you by giving you his word and by speaking to you through the revelation of all, he's already said you know most of let's start with this. Most of the discernment that you and I need in life has been given to us in the word of God and your brother in the church is the word he got from the Lord was if God came blessed on made up will counter that document don't ask most of most of what you need to know about the right way and are always already been shown you will have to pray about. Should you cheat on your wife Junior taxes cheated your business achieve anything about that you are no anomalies about that. Most of the satellite-based stories word so we start with the goodness of God and giving us a revelation of his own heart about the way of life is word is is a beautiful light the lamp torches up the way for us is completely for you in every way by giving you his revelation of himself in Jesus Christ who said in John 812. I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. And Jesus also said in John 10 that he's a good Shepherd and he said the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. We've brought out all his own, he goes before them. The sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Romans eight Paul said all there led by the Spirit of God are sons of God for your inheritance to be led by the spirit of God for who you are or what it means to be a follower of Christ as you get you get to hear from God every day about direction in life and remember the words of James 15 if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach will be given to him. He didn't want leave Joseph alone making the wrong decisions. Someone start with this. When you think about discernment in the Holy Spirit. Remember every day your life.

God is more for you being on the right path and you can never be for yourself because your father.

My baby girl had her first real big girl business trip this week. She's working less than a year for big international PR firm. She stationed in Washington DC and sees the you know low on the totem pole first hadn't finished the year yeah but her boss called her and said she invited her to go and represent the firm on the big thing because her boss couldn't go and so big celebrity from a TV show they were doing all this social media, video shooting in Los Angeles would have a go and represent the firm for the big shoot is writing scripts for all this stuff and going out there. She called me up.

She said that I'm going Los Angeles acid is excited. She was so giddy she was excited about it. To be asked to big big thing. Then the next day she called me up.

She said I'm only 24 cannot rent a car. I said well is check it out in California.

Can she never ran a one season.

How do you rent a car is there willing to talk to about it.

I think they got a shuttle there is outward she's like I got drive around Los Angeles and entertain our clients and staff as they will your big girl is was all about Jesus. You have your phone only days I can't figure out a rental car or divorce laws, and as I said baby girl my phone will be on here.

I was texting her calling her in interacting with her because I'm her father and I'm not will say to her will listen. We've all had to get lost in big city just go and do it on your own. Of course not if you love your child you want to help your child onto the right path.

She texted me in the middle of the long flight from Ross Washington to LA and she said a fight broke out on the plane and it's chaos they're going to ground us in Oklahoma City. You might've seen it in the nose. Her first major flight on a business trip and they grounded in Oklahoma City goes a fight and a belligerent man that had to get arrested and was all four rows in front of her texting back and forth because I'm her father I'm like are you okay what is happening. Tell me you're all right, here's what we have a father you have a good and gracious. He sees what you're going through and knows a journey on he knows the problems facing. He knows the fights that are broken out around he knows where you're confused he knows things are nervous about. And he's with you. He's for you. You can have spiritual discernment because your father has promised. The second thing onto the notice is that the vulnerability of Joseph. He really couldn't have known any more than he did know and the more that we recognize the weaknesses of our own natural discernment.

The more you crave the spiritual discernment you got your own stores or be in a situation is regionally not to make of it. Joseph was like that interpreter sort of disagree with the dominant video Joseph is called the suspicion theory and Joseph was suspicious that Mary had been unfaithful betrothed but not yet.

Mary Petrova was much more than engagement.

You had to get a divorce to break up a tremble is less about a year Petrova. That's the phase they were in and Mary. It has conceived a child in this whole story. The suspicion theory says that Joseph says that there is no such thing as adding you know this is going to be respectful but is gonna divorce her because Mary is done wrong.

But there is another theory drawn to that Joseph knew that there was no way in the world that Mary would've been ungodly or unfaithful. The she was a holy woman. She was righteous before God and that he believed this was from God and was too holy to have anything to do with that might be a case but either way it was our divorce. He was going to make the absolute wrong decision were vulnerable in our own sensitivities and I think that part of spiritual discernment, what it begins with knowing of a father is for you. So you're not meant to be stumbling in the darkness. Jesus is the light of the world is a God of revelation losses expected. But secondly I think it's important to admit we like Joseph we like me on the road to wonder what are truckers doing or any moment of the day in our own natural minds where were limited, and I think to the extent that you admit that you will begin to your more for God's direction in your life I think is sort of important to know which personality you are because we can tend to be like discernment because were to positive or negative it going the direction that's coming out one of those super optimistic people think his death is a problem you know you are. I was going to all right and this will be a problem and and my wife more realistic is especially around the house like if there is some noise in the house. She's very keenly aware of and I my going here and it just seems like a lot of times these noises happen right when I'm ready go to bed and once I'm ready go to bed and so this was sometime over some month or two ago and I'm going to go down and she said I hear water running as I don't hear anything said no, listen, listen honey. Listen, I don't hear just to come in this room room in the bathroom. Listen to new hear from one of the pipes. Finally I just said okay and sees that we have fear with that is a set I'll go check is probably just a flapper in a toilet that no water rental but I'll check all I went to check every faucet was one of there was water coming to the pipe. You could hear. I looked all over. I came after acid.

I said I'm tired as I don't see nothing slick anywhere and I said I don't I don't see anything I said and I just you know is nothing we do about acid as is look like she said there is water running in this house with this look like we are not going to bed until we figure out where this is coming and I really were not going to. And so I've been had to go outside in the cold and I found there was a hose that was connected to a sprinkler not been totally shut off it withdrawn. Water is running out his pipe.

I came back and problem solve, but I will gladly going to bed with water running in the house somewhere close I could just see no meows all right good news message spiritual discernment from the series higher power. We stay with us. Pastor Alan is back, you're in the studio shearing is porting good news thought for the day in just a moment better marriage.

You don't need marketing you need more good news. Marriages like people change pricing and effort or even applying principles change by the gospel and race sessions can lead you and your spouse into a fresh encounter with God's grace. Sinful grayscale process and makes great communication, freedom of forgiveness celebration to learn how to pray for your last one another with ground when you're in the video series losses send you copies of the company is going through some special challenges find powerful transformational tree is for your marriage. Marriage the grace of God. The gospel is shared when you get right ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support.

When you get to go.

We look for special offer that we are in our final days of offering the special product.

We are happy for Misty as I thanked him. Allen right ministries, 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website Pastor out and got a work blessing your life.

Grace for grace and encouragement. Allen writes a daily blessing is free.

Pastor got away with Pastor Alan sporting good news thought for the days you place a bookmark your spiritual discernment. Pastor Ellen with our party will Lewis begin with this in a matter of discerning and understanding truth and understanding God's direction for your life. Beloved, he is more for you than you are for yourself. He is more interested in keeping you on the right path and setting you in the right direction than you even could be yourself. So we're not having to try to twist the arm of a reluctant God, who is leaving us in the dark. Instead, the light is come. So the process of becoming more spiritually discerning is something that we can all cultivate and were learning from these Christmas stories because this is one of the places where we see discernment and God being committed to bringing revelation to his people. Today's good news message is a listener supported production Allen right ministries