How to Deepen Your Discernment

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So, how can we grow in our spiritual discernment? It's time for The Line of Fire with your host, activist, author, international speaker, and theologian, Dr. Michael Brown, your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Michael Brown is the Director of the Coalition of Conscience and President of Fire School of Ministry. Get into The Line of Fire now by calling 866-34-TRUTH. That's 866-34-TRUTH.

Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Thanks, friends, for joining us today on The Line of Fire as we serve as your voice of moral sanity and spiritual clarity, here to build you up, strengthen you so you can stand strong for the Lord. I'm going to talk to you today about keys to strengthening, growing, deepening your spiritual discernment. First, though, let me give you the phone number, and I'm going to open the phones for any question of any kind.

So, just like we do on Friday, you've got questions, we've got answers. I'm going to take questions on any subject that you want to call in on as we have time to address things. 866-34-TRUTH. So, if you have a hard time getting through on Friday, if the phone lines are too busy, this is a great day to call in.

866-34-87884. All right, I was looking at our schedule, seeing do we have any interviews coming up today, no interviews scheduled. Looking at what's happening in the world around us. Do I want to focus on that? What's on God's heart? What does he want to lay on my heart to share with you? He's got a massive body out there, so many different things that God is doing all the time.

What's our role on the air today? And as I thought, as I reflected, as I prayed, I thought it would just be really helpful to spend some time on the subject of spiritual discernment. Now, what's interesting is that there will be critics, those who believe that I'm off because I'm charismatic or because of certain people I work with in the charismatic movement, and that they'd say, Brown, you have no discernment whatsoever.

How can you talk to us about discernment? Now, what I find fascinating with that is the Bible is so overwhelmingly clear about the power of the Spirit and the necessity of the power of the Spirit and the place of the gifts of the Spirit. And since there is not a single verse in the entire New Testament telling us not to seek these things, whereas their verse is saying to earnestly seek the gifts, and that all should be able to prophesy, or all should pursue prophecy, and that we shouldn't forbid tongues, and that it should be a regular thing in our assemblies to pray for the sick and to see them healed, for the elders to pray for the sick and see them healed. And as God is moving mightily around the world, and literally hundreds and hundreds of millions of people around the world have been touched in the life and power of the Spirit today and believe in the gifts and power of the Spirit for today, I find it interesting that the critics who accuse me of lack of discernment, in my view, are missing a massive work of the Spirit around the world and are misinterpreting a large portion of very significant Scripture through the New Testament.

So, you could argue both ways, well, who's lacking in discernment? But my goal is not to defend myself and not to throw stones, rather to say, here's what I have seen is scripturally practical. This is what has worked in my own life over the decades to keep me out of falling into deception, or getting involved in some kind of cult, or following some false and dangerous leader. And why this has been on my mind lately as well, is I picked up a biography about Jim Jones, People's Temple, mass suicide slash murder of 900 adherents in Guyana, and I just started reading about his life and wanted to see how far off he got, how quickly, how did he stray, how is it that so many followed him, and in the midst of the massive deception that he lived in, in the midst of his delusions of him being some God incarnate type individual, in the midst of his own sins, his sexual sins, and his abuse of power, and his manipulative false miracles, and all of that, as dangerous and hellish and ugly as that was, there were other things that drove him, socialism being at the heart of it, but really trying to work for racial equality, really trying to work for the rights of the poor, as a white man standing in impoverished black communities that had been subject to racism for so many years, and it seemed that he really believed in that. In other words, that that was really important to him, and as much as there was his own pride and ego built into it, there was a lot of good that he was doing, and people were drawn, not just because of the alleged miracles and all of that, but because this was a community really trying to live this out in significant ways, in ways that got the attention of local governments, and in ways that really was true, really were true and real.

Even his own family of adopted children, when he adopted an African American boy who was the first African American child to be adopted by a white family in their state, it was a historic moment, and he really did seek to live a lot of things out, so the lesson is there are always going to be some kinds of mixtures. As it's been said, deception is very deceiving, and throughout Scripture there are warnings about don't be deceived, don't be deceived, don't be deceived, don't be deceived. Back in 2008, when what was known as the Lakeland Revival began, I was excited to hear reports from people that I knew about the presence of God coming in extraordinary ways in worship. I was excited to hear about people being touched. I was very concerned when I heard the main vessel, the main man preaching was Todd Bentley, because years earlier I had been involved with his board with some issues of sin in his life because of which he had stepped down for a season, and I had concerns in terms of his scriptural foundations and his moral foundations, but I also felt from the Lord, just don't touch this, don't get involved, but I did journal this is an accident waiting to happen. I knew as one of the leaders in the Brownsboro Revival called into service in the Revival 11 months in, and serving together with three other main leaders and then a whole team, I knew the attack we were under. I knew the intensity of battle that comes when you're in certain spiritual positions, and I looked at this and said this is an accident waiting to happen. I was concerned about it, and then when I saw friends of mine, major charismatic leaders, and I looked at this and said this is an accident, this is the next thing, and God's hand is on him, and he's laying hands on him, and then when I saw friends of mine, major charismatic leaders, and I looked at this and said this is an accident, and she insisted, she said no, you have to watch this, you can't just, this is happening, as difficult as it is to watch, terribly grievous, and then right after that the whole thing collapsed, and then he was found to be in sin, and so on and so forth, and I've written about that in my book Authentic Fire, I talked about that my feeling then, my feeling as this happened, and knowing some of the leaders involved, and knowing them to be people of integrity, and God-fearing, and bearing good fruit in ministry in so many ways, then I looked at this and said this is like a public judgment on the charismatic church, and our lack of discernment. I wrote the book Playing with Holy Fire as a charismatic, talking about abuses within our movement. At the same time, I see all the good that God is doing, and just as I will work with someone who is a non-charismatic, and work with someone who is a Calvinist, and on moral and cultural issues say work with a conservative Catholic, and so people who have very different views, some closely within the body, some more extreme cases, I can work together wherever I can, I'll do that, and then where I have differences, I have differences, and then where it would cause me to cross a line to work with someone, I won't do it, and I will always try to correct behind the scenes, but I want to draw your attentions to Hebrews chapter 5, Hebrews chapter 5, and I want to give you practical thoughts on how we can all grow in discernment.

We don't have to be deceived. So Hebrews chapter 5, we have much to say about this, about earthly priesthoods and things like this, and the superior priesthood of the Messiah, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's Word all over again.

You need milk, not solid food. Anyone who lives on milk being still an infant is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness, but solid food is for the mature who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. So this is Hebrews saying that we should be growing in knowledge and understanding and in discernment and able to recognize the good and reject the evil. Before Jesus rebuked the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2 for leaving their first love, he said to the believers there, you have tested those who claim to be apostles and are not. So they test it. First Thessalonians 5, speaking of prophetic words, says don't despise prophecy.

Test everything. Hold to the good. Don't quench the Spirit's fire. Don't despise prophecy.

Don't put out the fire of the Spirit inspiring these prophecies, but test everything and hold fast to that which is good. So the very first fundamental is to be soundly saved. In other words, to not just be a churchgoer, to not just be someone who had a religious background or who once prayed a prayer of profession of faith, but to truly and genuinely know the Lord. In other words, there are people that we're trying to disciple and help grow who've never truly been born again, who do not actually have an ongoing relationship with God. So this may be self-evident, but I want to start there. There needs to be the foundation of a real genuine relationship with the Lord.

Everything starts there, but you say, okay, I have that relationship. I know I'm born again. I know I'm a child of God. Well, the next fundamental thing is to be people of the Word. People of the Word. Hebrews 4-12 tells us that the Word of God is living and active. It's sharper than any double-edged sword. It pierces to the very division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It's a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Well, we'll look at Psalm 119 in a moment, and I'm going to take calls through the show.

866-348-7884. Any question of any kind and any subject that relates in any way to the line of fire, including if you differ with me on something, the phone lines are open. But being people of the Word, I always recommend worm's eye and bird's eye. Bird's eye is keep reading through the Bible. If you do it once a year, if you read several chapters a day, but keep reading through the Bible as a life pattern.

So you always have the bird's eye. You never lose track of the larger narrative and the stories and truths. And then worm's eye, the things that really interest you, do extra study, dig in deeper, a doctrine, a book, a theme, a truth, a word.

And if that's an ongoing habit, and you seek to be a doer and not only a hearer, and you're grounded in the Word, that will weed out a whole lot of dangerous deception right out of the gate. We'll be right back. I know it's a Wednesday, but we're opening the phones for your questions on all manner of subjects, 866-348-7884. And we'll intersperse your calls with teaching I'm doing about growing in discernment, ways to grow in discernment.

I'm going to give you about seven different things over the course of this broadcast. And friends, I do this because I want to see you healthy. I want to see you healthy and thriving in the same way that I want to see you healthy and thriving physically.

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Although I eat super healthfully, I supplement that with immune wellness every day, and just to further fortify things. So, go to the website, take advantage of the special discount that you get through Dr. Stangler's partnership with our ministry. And by the way, if you're a pastor, share this with your church. The more the merrier.

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You supplement with these things and you'll see the difference even more profoundly. All right. Before I go through my list of seven items to strengthen you in your discernment, let's go to the phones. We'll start in Sandpoint, Idaho. Jim, welcome to The Line of Fire.

Hi, Dr. Brown. Thanks for having me on. You bet. So, my question is that at the top of the program, you made mention of a critique that people outside of the charismatic movement would make concerning you teaching on the subject of discernment, but you really didn't answer that objection so much as you kind of presumed the legitimacy of the charismatic gifts before kind of dismissing it by simply saying that they would be making the same mistake that they would claim that you're making, correct?

Well, I was saying that they actually are the last ones that can raise that charge because of what they are rejecting. And then basically, rather than trying to defend myself, simply saying, hey, these are the principles on which I live and let's talk about discernment, but I'm happy to answer any specific question you might have or anything you feel is legitimate and what the critics have said. Please, go ahead. Well, as a critic of that position, I would say that you have given a lot of shade, in fact, shade to some of the worst and most egregious charismatics, charlatans, false prophets, and hucksters that the charismatic movement has churned up in recent years, including Sid Roth and Benny Hinn and others just like it. And while citing Jim Jones... Go ahead, sorry. Yeah, so just a question for you.

I was on Benny Hinn's show one time to get material out to the body, afterwards said it's probably not the best choice because there's too much negative fact that came with it. I've written to him privately, urging him to change aspects of his ministry, and I've never defended any of his errors. So what's my great sin and crime there? What have I done that going on the show in order to get a message out to his viewing audience that I felt was important that they hear with an open door to do it, and never defending his doctrine, critiquing it, writing to him privately, taking issue with things, especially with raising the finances, et cetera. So how have I done what you said I did?

That's a very serious charge, but how have I done that, sir? Do you regard Benny Hinn as a brother? Do you regard him as a brother? As far as I know, he's a brother, yes. From the time I spent with him, from his profession of faith, as far as I know, he's a brother. And you know he's not.

Are you not concerned that Benny Hinn is a false teacher and a false prophet? So you know if he was to die right now... Hang on. Hang on. You know for a fact that if he was to die right now, he's going to hell, correct?

I can only judge by his fruits. I asked you a question. I asked you a question. You are saying dogmatically... Yes.

Okay. So that's where you're in very serious error, Jim. I have no problem saying that. Yeah, well, that's where you really need to grow in discernment, because you have no right whatsoever to make that statement. And there are believers who have made profit off the gospel and repented of it and said that was error, as Benny Hinn has done in recent years, and spoken very plainly about serious errors that were in his ministry. But to say that he's not saved... You are making the question. In order to say that I am wrong in that, you're making the question which is at hand, and that is that he's a believer. As far as I know, Jim, as far as I know, as far as I know, from the time I spent with him one-on-one, from hearing his profession of faith, from people that I know that have worked with him in his own family for many, many years, that know him far better than Costi Hinn know him, as far as I know, he's a believer who's been in serious error, who has taught some serious error, and has repented of teaching that serious error, as far as I know he's a brother. But see, here's the big error.

This is the massive blind spot, and may God help you with this, Jim. The extreme judgmentalism that would damn someone to hell based on no personal knowledge of that person's... Or, for example, Sid Roth. Do you believe if Sid Roth was to die right now, he'd go to hell?

Oh, I do. I have no reason to believe that he is in any way a genuine believer. He is the looniest of the looniest of charismatic charlatans and hucksters. Right, so when you slander a brother, calling him a charlatan and a huckster... No, no, you're presuming... No, Jim, Jim, hang on, Jim, don't interrupt me. Jim, Jim, don't interrupt me, okay? Thank you.

Okay. When you slander a brother... I've known Sid since the 1980s. I've had family members that have worked side by side with him. He's neither a charlatan nor a huckster. He has not accumulated personal wealth through the gospel. He does not use the gospel for personal gain. I don't agree with certain guests that he has on. I would differ with him on different points, but I have walked with him and seen his heart for the Lord for decades. He lives a godly life. I have never met a person in America who is more zealous to win people to Jesus, who will call me with biblical questions to make sure that fundamentals are right on. So when you make a judgment, not based on scripture, but based on your perception, and you think that you have the right to damn someone to hell, that's very serious. And that is such an extraordinary blind spot to me that you and other hyper critics don't see.

That grieves me terribly. Here's someone I've known firsthand, shared office space with in the 80s, and known for decades, and in terms of his personal life, has never moved a single inch from wanting to glorify God, demonstrate his power, and win people to the Lord, especially Jewish people. Yeah, there are guests he has on I'd never have on my show and differences I have over that, but that doesn't make me question whether he's saved or not. But when you call him a charlatan and a huckster, right, he's not. He's neither. I know him. I know his staff.

I know his team. He's neither this. Now, you may say he has crazy guests on. I think he believes crazy things, but to call him a charlatan and a huckster, you have no knowledge or evidence of that. Doesn't it concern you to speak such words like that and to judge others in such a severe way? Does that trouble you at all? Does that give you pause for thought? Well, you made the claim that I'm presuming to have the right to damn other people to hell.

I don't have that right. I'm only exercising discernment and saying that based upon the teachings and the practices of Benny Hinn and Sid Roth and other charismatic lunatics that teach and practice the same things, that they have... Well, you said charlatan. You said Sid Roth is a charlatan. I'm sorry to interrupt, but you said he's a charlatan and a huckster. He's neither of those. I know it for a fact.

I know it for a fact. He's neither of those....by selling a program and promoting some of the stupidest and most inane things to ever disgrace the name of Christ on his program. In your opinion... You know, Jim, you are very eloquent with name calling, with descriptions, charismatic lunatics, and if I needed to start a work and reach out to lost people and see them touched and work with someone that I knew would be sacrificial, that lives a holy life, that's prayerful, that cares about souls, I'd work with Sid a million times faster than I'd work with someone like you that I don't know at all, but that you could so freely damn people.

Sid genuinely believes in the things that he promotes, otherwise he won't promote them. He's called me and said, you know, what do you think about this? I have a concern doctrinally. I said, yeah, that's not good. He goes, okay, fine. This person wants to come on.

They're really popular, but I can't have them on because of X, Y, Z. My son-in-law, whom I know intimately, it's our younger daughter's husband, one of my closest friends, a wonderful man of God, was his producer for years and walked side by side. So you may think he has loony guests on, you may think he believes loony things, but I can tell you for a fact, he's not a charlatan, and he's not a huckster. You have falsely accused someone. Now, let's say he's not even saved.

Let's say you're right, he's not even saved. You still falsely accused him of being a charlatan and a huckster. That doesn't trouble you, which means there's something fundamentally missing in your own relationship with God.

Otherwise, you'd walk more carefully. You wouldn't just be throwing these names around. Or the fact that you're going to question my discernment, because as far as I know, Benny Hinn is a brother. And again, I've differed with him on various points. I've played his teaching on the air and differed with it. I wrote to him privately after being on a show where I had strong differences.

But the fact that you'll, quote, question my discernment based on saying someone's another brother, that's what grieves me. And I'm glad you called. I am glad you called, but I urge you to go back to God in this Word. And forget Sid Roth, forget Benny Hinn, but there is so much about the presence and power of the Holy Spirit for today in the Word, and so much that God is doing around the world, that there's a great deception to go with every current and trend. And that's why I've been bringing critique and concern to the charismatic movement for decades. Read my book, Whatever Happened to the Power of God as the Charismatic Church Slaying the Spirit Down for the Count, which came out in 91. I've got those grave concerns, but boy, do I have grave concerns for folks who reject the gifts and power of the Spirit for today, and who can so quickly condemn others to hell.

That grieves me, sir. It's The Line of Fire with your host, Dr. Michael Brown. Your voice of moral, cultural, and spiritual revolution. Here again is Dr. Michael Brown. Thanks, friends, for joining us on The Line of Fire. This is Michael Brown here to help you thrive in the Lord.

Number to call, we're opening the phones for questions like we do on a Friday, 866-348-7884, 866-342. So any question of any kind, we'll get to questions over the course of the broadcast, but talking about growing in our spiritual discernment. It is a serious error to believe in false prophecies. It is a serious error to reject true prophecies. It is a serious error to believe every wind of doctrine that comes down the pike, you know, whatever the latest teaching in doctrine is, just run with this and run with that. It's a serious error to reject major themes that are taught in Scripture.

We've got to be careful. I've said for many years that the Charismatics have a tremendous strength of faith in stepping out and believing God. At the same time, that strength can be a weakness of gullibility and believing anything. Non-Charismatics often are really strong in being more circumspect and acting in more wisdom. At the same time, the weakness of that can be cynicism and skepticism. So it's a terrible error to mistake the flesh or demonic spirits for the Holy Spirit.

It's a terrible error to mistake the Holy Spirit for the flesh or demonic spirits. So how do we discern? How do we judge one from another? As we just finished our 22nd annual missions conference this past weekend, it's amazing to see the fruit of lives, people who were dramatically touched in revival 20 plus years ago, and to see them burning bright, preaching Jesus, planting churches and unreached areas, caring for the poor, taking in kids that were sexually trafficked, doing amazing work, serving in extraordinary ways. They'd be heroes.

If you got to know them, you'd be blown away by who they are and what they're doing. Well, they burned bright and been steady because they were grounded, because they were really touched by the Holy Spirit. And others, during those days of revival and outpouring, said, that's not God. I remember the critics would say, this is emotionalism.

It's not going to last. And now you've got these folks been out on the missions field over 20 years bearing incredible fruit, some of the most sound, solid believers you'll meet. You going to say it was emotionalism now?

Are you going to say it was the devil now? So how do we grow in discernment? So first and foremost, obviously, we have to be soundly saved. We have to genuinely be born again. And then, secondly, we've got to be solid in the Word.

The Word's our grid. Jonathan Edwards said that we ought not judge, where God is not calling us to judge, that there are things that are not written in the Bible for a purpose. In other words, they're not good or they're bad or bad. They're just things that happen. But the Bible's not saying to judge by those things. We're not emphasizing those points.

We're majoring on the major. So I use the Word as a grid. I hear a teaching, be it hyper-grace, be it some denial of the deity of Jesus, be it some other viewpoint. And immediately there's the grid of scripture that things have to go through. Now, you may not have it in your mind as much as you want. I want to have the Word in my heart and mind even more as the years go on.

But that's our grid. That's what we judge everything based on. And then a third thing, not just being people of the Word, but godly character. If you are playing with sin, if you're flirting with some affair, you're a married person, if you're regularly taking in porn, if you are angry and out of control, if you're unteachable, you're going to have problems. It is going to be much easier for you to be picked off, for you to be led astray. So developing godly character and with that, a subpoint to that, walking in humility and being teachable. Doesn't mean you believe anybody, this is right, this is right, believe. No, no, but it means your posture. It's not you're the only white person on the planet. Nobody can teach you.

Nobody can talk to you. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. So being soundly born again, starting there. Secondly, being people of the Word.

This will help us grow in discernment. Thirdly, cultivating godly character with humility and purity of heart right in the center of that. Fourth is to be part of a healthy spiritual body that you're not isolated, you're not on your own. Being part of a healthy spiritual body, not to be part of a body, but a healthy body. One that is involved in doing and not just talking.

One where there are accountable relationships. See, to the extent we're isolated, to the extent we can just be picked off, to the extent that we are playing with sin and our judgment is already being impaired, you think of that. If our judgment is impaired enough that we can't recognize our own unteachability or our anger issues or our sexual sins, you think we're gonna have proper discernment in other areas? That's why if you watch like a Jim Jones in People's Temple and watch this thing develop, you see it's not that long in that Jim Jones is now in sexual sin.

It's just there's going to be an inevitable mix. I've said being humble and teachable. Another thing is to major on the majors. To major on the majors.

As I've been in the Lord now, right at 50 years, another month or two is 50 years, my course is all the more set on majoring on the majors. That I just don't get caught up on the tangents and the rabbit trails. That they are a secondary and they're not going to get my major focus. You know, it's just like healthy eating, right?

If you eat the basics on a daily basis in a healthy way and then you get rid of the unhealthy stuff, then all the second, this and that, it becomes very secondary because you're majoring on the majors. And then, a sixth is to learn to test everything. Someone gives you a prophetic word, wow, they said this, okay, great.

Wow, they said things about me that nobody knows. Okay, great. But still has to be tested. Is it scriptural?

Is it factual in other ways? And as you're walking with the Lord, just bear witness with your spirit? Test things. Listen, when I hear a claim of a miracle, let God be glorified and let that claim be true.

Beautiful, wonderful. But now, before I'm going to report it, like one major charismatic magazine, before they will report something, if you're writing a book and you talk about a miracle account, they will want documentation. They will not want to report on a miracle unless there's documentation. So, learn to test things. And then, lastly, be active in doing. This is one way to grow in discernment, that you get involved actively doing.

And then, as you're doing, you're going to run into more situations that require discernment and that require wisdom. I'm going to go to the phones momentarily, but let's just read some of the opening verses of Psalm 119. Psalm 119, which is written in an acrostic, there are eight verses for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. So, it begins with ashrei, which is truly happy, blessed, right? Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the teaching of the Lord.

So, notice the emphasis on the word, the word. Truly happy, blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.

They do no wrong but follow his ways. You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed. So, a doer, a doer of the word, a doer of the word.

You can sit back and just be theoretical. I want to know what you're doing. Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees, then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands. All right, skip down to verse nine. How can a young man stay on the path of purity by living according to your word? Verse 11, I've hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. And then, scroll down to verse 18. The psalmist's praise opened my eyes that I might see wonderful things in your Torah. So, the centrality of the word, living in the word, doing the word, storing the word in our heart and in our mind. And then, when we do that, you know, it's just like driving down the road and on the side of the highway, the side of the road, there's often those gravelly areas to warn you, hey, you're getting off track. You'll be driving, oh, okay, getting off track. The word of God will constantly get us in the right way, especially as we are doers of the word. These are some of the things that these are part of our lives.

They'll help us grow in discernment. 866-34-TRUTH. Let's go to John in Everett, Washington. Thanks for holding. Welcome to the line of fire. Yeah, thanks for taking my call, Dr. Brown.

Sure thing. So, my question is regarding Hebrews 2, quoting Psalm chapter 8, and applying it to Jesus and to his incarnation, his work here on earth. And I was just curious what your thoughts were on that, because Hebrews 2 seems to kind of change the meaning of the text, because in the Old Testament it says, you made him a little lower than the angels, and it seems like it's talking about all of mankind. But then in Hebrews 2, it says you made him for a little while lower than the angels, seeming to talk about Christ's ministry on earth. What are your thoughts on that? What is the true meaning of Psalm chapter 8?

Yes, so, it's both and. In other words, Psalm 8 is talking about human beings, and the question is, is it a little lower than the angels or a little lower than God? Because it's Elohim in Hebrew, so Septuagint reads angels, and that's what's quoted there in Hebrews. And you have different traditions of understanding within Judaism as well on the text. So certainly, on the one hand, yes, human beings made lower than God, but to say a little lower, then you think, okay, we're not a little lower than God, so is that angels?

Even if that's the case, it's only temporary, because we will be more highly exalted. But Psalm 2 is talking about the human race and. Psalm 2?

Excuse me. Psalm 8, excuse me. Psalm 8.

Oh, okay. Yeah, and Hebrews 2 is a homily on that. In other words, Hebrews 2 is not looking at this like a direct prophecy, like Psalm 110, sit at my right hand till I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Or Psalm 2 of the king, which is ultimately about the Messiah, you are my son today, I've given you birth. Or Psalm 45, which finds ultimate fulfillment in him, that he's called God. God is anointed you, but he's called God there.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. This is more of a homiletical statement, but based on the fact that Jesus is the last Adam, that Yeshua fulfills God's purposes for the human race, just as he fulfills God's purposes for Israel. So it's more of a homiletical interpretation than a direct interpretation, but you have that a lot in Hebrews.

And not just in Hebrews, but in the New Testament in general, in keeping with Jewish style of interpretation. I'll come to this on the other side of the break. All right, so stay right there.

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So again, vitaminmission.com with our partner, Dr. Mark Stengler. So John, just to hone in on one more thing regarding Psalm 8 being quoted in Hebrews 2. So he quotes the text, what is man that you're mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him, you made him a little while lower than the angels who crown him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet. Now it could be son of man being used there, which just means another word for mortal, but that draws attention to it in this regard. But he notes that not everything is currently under man's feet, right?

So in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside of his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection, so the promise of Psalm 8 has not been realized. So it's a homily on the Psalm, but there is an application to say ultimately this finds fulfillment through Jesus.

We see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels. So it doesn't say that Psalm 8 is about human beings for a little while made lower than the angels. It says we see the one who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, the son of God coming down in human form. And then everything ultimately is subjected, including death, subjected to him as well, which brings the promise to humankind to fulfillment. So in that sense, it's a very legitimate reading of it to say, hey, it applies to the human race. What was promised to the human race hasn't fully come to pass yet, but it does come to pass through this one who took on human flesh for a period of time to bring to reality in fullness the promises given to the human race. So just as he brings the promises to fulfillment for Israel, he brings them to fulfill for the human race. So he is the last Adam, the first as life breathed into him. The latter is a life giving spirit who brings transformation. So thanks for the question.

I hope that does help. Before we go back to the phones, let's go to 2 Peter. 2 Peter chapter 1. And here are our practical guidelines for growing in God. So Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus the Messiah, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Messiah have received a faith as precious as ours. Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. So it's not just grace and peace be yours in abundance through exciting news, exciting meetings and services, but through the knowledge of God the Jesus our Lord. Then he says his divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. So everything we need to live a godly life has been given us in the Messiah. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises that through them you may participate in the divine nature having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. So to the extent we take hold of these promises in this life in this world and live them out to that extent we partake in the divine nature even in this world and then ultimately out of this fleshly body we partake in a different level. This is the verse from which some people have said that that we somehow become God which is obviously a complete overstatement of what is there. But Christ in you the hope of glory there is a partaking in the divine nature and it is that divine nature in us that enables us to live godly lives. Okay so back to the text back to second Peter one he then says for this very reason make every effort to add to your faith goodness so you have your faith you know the Lord you've been soundly born again now add goodness there is this is a moral quality that is developed in our lives and to goodness knowledge so you're born again you are different you are changed there is a moral goodness now at work in you to combat the fleshly nature and now add to that knowledge deepen your knowledge of God deepen your understanding of God deepen your understanding of his word knowledge and to knowledge self-control so we have the word in our heart and mind we're disciplined in our thoughts we're disciplined in our bodily appetites disciplined in our words in our speech to self-control perseverance so we're not just in this for the moment we continue on the path by God's grace we don't quit we don't give up we don't throw in the towel we know long haul that this is a battle for life it's not a playground it's a battleground and to perseverance godliness so this is just growing in the nature of God within us and the character of God beyond that fundamental moral goodness it's growing in godliness and then to godliness mutual affection the care that we have one for another this is essential it it is a major reason that people lack discernment because they lack mutual affection just like there there is the lack of discernment that comes from lack of knowledge there's the lack of discernment that comes from lack of mutual affection and then to mutual affection love this is somehow something even deeper this is something even deeper this quality of divine love that works in our hearts and this is this is how we grow and are strong if you if you possess these qualities in increasing measure they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our lord Jesus Christ and may I add they will help you be more discerning but whoever does not have them is near-sighted and blind forgetting that they've been cleansed from their past sins therefore my brothers and sisters make every effort to confirm your calling and election if you do these things you'll never stumble and you'll receive a rich reward into the eternal kingdom of our lord and savior Jesus the messiah all right we go back to the phones with samantha in toronto thanks for calling the line of fire yeah thank you so much dr brown um i have been living here for about two years and i've had the hardest time finding a healthy church i mean it's a huge city you know over five million people um and i've had to leave at least two churches and now i've left uh you know a small group um and hey hey samantha just in short that i hate to hear you're going through this but just because time is short what what fundamentally why did you have to leave these groups um these were issues of biblical authority so they were abusive like calling for over submission or that kind of thing no i'd say they're not taking the scriptures with authority one issue was okay um allowing homosexuality within the church got it you know that denomination sinod said no got it uh there was also believing in transubstantiation and that the communion was the actual body and blood of jesus and it would heal you and keep you safe from covid 19 and this last one with the group is most of the members saying that sex before marriage was okay whoa i didn't i did not want to leave okay i did not want to leave but i thought i had to no of course yeah of course you have to in a setting like that uh i mean if it was an aberrant if it was a large church with small groups and you ended up in an an aberrant a small group then then um you know that would be one thing but if that's that's the fellowship that group yeah well let me just say this though obviously the transubstantiation doctrine roman catholics would hold to and of course i i would not but the idea that's going to protect you from covid come on so let me just say this this is i don't know there's no church i work with anywhere in america that holds to any of those three things or even remotely close to any of those three things with all respect to my catholic friends i'm not i'm preaching catholic churches i'm not invited there but all the churches i work with and the churches i know in in canada different parts of canada not a one of them would hold to those things so there are plenty of independent churches that are not parts of denominations but i would i would look first and foremost for church that preaches scripture and makes clear on right up front that they hold to these fundamentals the transubstantiation thing unless it's a catholic church is going to come up much less all right so i wouldn't even be thinking about that because that's i don't expect that to come up much but absolute authority of scripture and then on these key moral issues that they have these stands at least you know you're safe there and there's got to be many churches in the city and we don't recommend individual churches over the air for many reasons but there have to be many many many uh somehow that you haven't encountered which which uh which i'm sad for but yeah start there just find out okay do you believe in the authority of scripture and do you believe in in biblical morality and that should just be of course of course it should start there without any problem uh and then from there find out more who they are what are the values important to them are they active in the community do they do outreach how do they feel about nurturing believers so i just want to pray with you lord bring samantha to the right people make sure you just meet someone in work or in a social setting and they go to fellowship and invite her and just get her planted in a place where she can really grow and bear much fruit and everyone else that's listening right now that's struggling that is not planted that that has been burned that's been hurt lord bring them into a healthy body where they can grow and where they can be a blessing to others may we thrive together in jesus name hey friends let's major on the majors let's glorify the lord and let's unite as one if you're my brother or sister in jesus let's unite as one to touch this nation to touch this world and to make jesus known and glorified together friends we make the difference change the world another program powered by the truth network