Hello again and welcome to the program. We're here with The Little Strength for today. In our previous message we looked at the source of deception, the world, the flesh, and the devil. Today we're going to look at the source of discernment. The Word of God refers to how we can have discernment in two particular ways. One is learning, and another one is simply the gift of the Holy Spirit. Concerning learning, Ezekiel 44, 23 says, and they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. In Malachi 3.18 we read, Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. And in Hebrews 5.14 it says, But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Notice the analogy here has to do with eating. Strong meat belongeth unto them that are of full age. If you eat, you grow up. In Ephesians 4, 15, it says that we may grow up into Him in all things. Growing up is simply a byproduct of eating. In 1 Peter 2, verse 2, we read, As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. In 2 Peter 3, 18, it says, But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In Psalm 92, 12, it says, the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Spiritual growth is a byproduct of eating, and discernment is also a byproduct of eating the word of God. Jeremiah 15, 16 says, thy words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart. In 2 Peter 1 and verse 5 we are told that we are to be giving all diligence to add to your faith virtue and to your virtue knowledge and to your knowledge temperance, and to your temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity. Verse 8 continues, for if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. And verse 9 continues, But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. And so how do we learn to discern? Well, the study to show yourself approved, workmen that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth. It's work, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed. How do I learn the piano? Well, you don't learn the piano by going to a meeting three times a week and listening for 45 minutes to somebody talking about the piano. And you also don't learn how to play the piano by just praying. It's work. How do I learn to run a computer program? How do I learn to drive a car? The same thing. You just don't go. We get the idea we go to church three times a week. We must be really spiritual. It's very important to go to church three times a week. But it takes more than that if we're going to learn to discern. It takes time in the Word of God. It takes praying. It takes thinking. And it takes doing. In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, there's a section there that talks about the Holy Spirit giving gifts unto men. Verse 11, but the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with all. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, to another it says faith. And then in verse 10, it refers to the gift of discerning that is given to another. Verse 11 says, But all these worketh at one and the selfsame spirit, dividing or distributing to every man severally as he will. Some have the gift of discernment, and to most of us, if we're going to have discernment, we're going to have to study to show ourselves approved unto God. rightly dividing the Word of Truth. In this age of apostasy, without discernment, we will be deceived.