DISCERNING TRUE FROM FALSE GUIDANCE

DISCERNING BETWEEN
TRUE AND FALSE GUIDANCE
A presentation by:
Dr. Peter Hammond

1: I asked the
Lord that I might
grow,
in faith and love,
and every grace;
might more of His
salvation know,
and seek, more
earnestly, His face.

2: ‘Twas He that led me thus to pray,
and He, I know, has answered prayer;
but it has been in such a way,
as almost drove me to despair.

3: I hoped that in
some favoured hour,
My Lord would
answer my request;
and would by His
constraining power,
subdue my sins and
give me rest.

4: Instead of
this, He made me
feel,
the hidden evils of
my heart;
And let the angry
powers of hell,
assault my soul in
every part.

5: Then, with His
own strong hand,
He seemed
intent to aggravate
my woe;
‘thwarted the fair
designs I schemed,
withered my
pleasures, laid me
low.

6: “Lord, why is
this?” I trembling
cried,
“wilt Thou pursue
my soul to death?”
“This is the way”
the Lord replied,
“I answer prayer for
grace and faith …

7: “These inward
trials I employ,
from self and pride
to set you free;
And break your
schemes of earthly
joy,
that you may find
your all in Me.”

“The humble He guides in
justice, and the humble He
teaches His way. All the
paths of the Lord are mercy
and truth, to such as keep
His Covenant and His
testimonies.” Psalm 25:9-10

Anyone who has
been involved in
ministry for any
length of time
would have come
across some
bizarre examples
of how some
Christians seek
“guidance.”
(Lucky Dip
method)

As I have been involved in Missions for over 35 years,
I regularly have been confronted with some
very strange concepts of guidance.

One mission worker boldly told me that his fiancée had “laid
a fleece” before the Lord as to whether he should continue in
missions. The “fleece” was that if she won a competition( the
prize was a new car) then
they would know
that God wanted
him to continue in
missionary work!
Such self serving
“fleeces” are not
that uncommon.
(7 mice)
9

One man approached a good missionary friend of ours and
declared to him: “God has revealed to me that He
wants to give you a better car. You need to give
me your car and then the Lord will provide you
with a better car.”
(Fleece Laying recorded 1x
Not recommended)

This Missionary immediately responded:
“I am very happy with the old car that I have.
May the Lord give you the better car!”

Numerous
people that
I know
have been
approached
by someone
telling them:
“God told me
to marry you!”

The best answer that I have heard to that is:
“Well, He didn’t tell me!”

On several occasions
individuals have
approached me declaring
that God told them that I
would provide them with
a certain sum of money.

To this I could respond:
“How strange,
when I was talking to
the Lord earlier today,
He never
mentioned that!”

We have frequently had individuals arrive on our
doorstep announcing:
“God told me to join your Mission!”
Amazingly, the same people don’t seem to last very
long, deserting at the first sign of stress
and difficulty.

Clearly all too
many of those
who brazenly
assert that God
led them and
“God told me…”
are taking the
Lord’s Name
in vain.

There is a high profile
tele-evangelist and self styled
“revivalist”
who claimed that an angel
told him to tattoo his body!
Well, there is no need to
debate the subject of whether
it was one of God’s angels or a
fallen angel that guided him.
The Scriptures are crystal
clear on the issue: “Do not cut
your bodies… or put tattoo
marks on yourselves. I am the
Lord.” Leviticus 19:28

There is no way that God would guide anyone to violate His Law and go
against the clear teaching of Scripture. Our Lord Jesus Christ said that
we are to be careful that no one deceives us.

He warned of false prophets, false teachers and false shepherds.
Religious deception is a very real, clear and present danger.

So, some of the false guidance
include:
following our
Feelings/emotions;
Following the
crowd/trends/fashions;
laying self serving
Fleeces;
following unscriptural
Formulas;
and Fancy claims that
God, or an angel, told me…

Another false
method of guidance
involves Fixing the
counselor.
This includes trying
out different
counsellors and
feeding them with
incomplete,
selective and
misleading
information so as to
elicit the desired
response.

On one occasion when I was
ministering at a mission
station in Africa a young
man came to me afterwards
and requested my counsel.
He had not gone very far
when I had to interrupt and
ask: “Have you
spoken to one
of the mission
leaders here?”

Yes, in fact he had. Well,
what had they counselled
him? He was very evasive
and tried to avoid
answering the question.
It transpired that he had
sought the counsel of a
wide variety of excellent
missionaries, both at this
mission station and at a
nearby one. And all of them
had clearly told him, on the
authority of Scripture, that
he must reconcile with his
wife.

However, he wanted to divorce his wife and marry the person
with whom he was involved in an adulterous relationship.
What this man was doing was seeking as many counsellors as
possible and providing incomplete and selective information
in order to elicit the desired response: which was that he
could ditch his wife and marry the new attraction in his life!

It is incredible
how many people
try to
manipulate
ministers to
rubber stamp
their rebellion
and approve of
their
abomination.
(Abortion WWJD)

“Since they hated
knowledge and did
not choose to fear the
Lord, since they
would not accept My
advice and spurned
My rebuke, they will
eat the fruit of their
ways . . .”
Proverbs 1:29-31

One pastor described the situation to me in this way:
What many people seeking counsel want could be
summarised in these words:
“Pastor, I have a problem, how can you help me to
be blessed and in the centre of God’s Will, without
having to repent of my sin or obey the Bible!”

They may
not put it
that way,
but that is
really what
many
people are
seeking
when they
ask for
your
counsel.

Otherwise, if what the
person really wanted
was to know what the
Bible says on this
matter, counselling
would not take very
long.
You would point out
the relevant Scriptures,
the counselee would
say Thank You and
head out to put into
practice what the Bible
commands.

RECOGNISING GOD’S VOICE
“Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And
the Word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no
widespread Revelation… Now Samuel did not yet know the
Lord, nor was the Word of the Lord yet revealed to him.

And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose
and went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you did call me.’
Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy.

Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down and it shall be,
if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant
hears.’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times,
‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel answered,
‘Speak, for Your servant hears.’

Then the Lord
said to Samuel:
‘Behold, I will do
something in
Israel at which
both ears of
everyone who
hears it will
tingle.’”
1 Samuel 3:1-11

Discerning the Voice of God
In order to understand the Will of God, it is
essential that we recognise the Voice of God.

We cannot do His Will if we cannot discern
His Voice from the clamour of peer pressure,
the noise of the world and
the cacophony of our emotions.

Our Duty to Hear
One of the persistent commands in Scripture is for us to
listen to God and to hear His Word:
“Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it
may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as
the Lord, the God of your fathers has promised you…”
Deuteronomy 6:3

“Blessed is the man
who listens to Me,
watching daily at My
gates, waiting at the
posts of My doors.”
Proverbs 8:34
“The ear that hears the
rebukes of life will
abide among the
wise.” Proverbs 15:31

“Walk prudently when you go to the House of God and draw
near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools, for
they do not know that they do evil.” Ecclesiastes

“Words of
the wise,
spoken
quietly,
should be
heard …”
Ecclesiastes 9:17

“O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was
afraid. O Lord, revive Your work in the midst
of the years!” Habakkuk 3:2

“But the ones
that fell on the
good ground are
those who having
heard the Word
with a noble and
good heart, keep
it and bear fruit
with patience.”
Luke 8:15

“So then, my beloved brethren let every man be
swift to hear …” James 1:19
“He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says
to the churches …” Revelation 2:11
Spiritual deafness is condemned throughout the
Scriptures:

“Behold the Word of the Lord is a reproach to them; they
have no delight in it.” Jeremiah 6:10
“Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious
house, which has eyes to see but does not see, and ears
to hear, but does not hear; for they are a rebellious
house.” Ezekiel 12:2

“But they
refused to heed,
shrugged their
shoulders and
stopped their
ears so that
they could not
hear.”
Zechariah 7:11

“And they will turn their ears
away from the truth, and be
turned aside to fables.” 2 Timothy 4:4

When Last Did God
Speak to You?
What did He
say?
Did you obey?
Do not expect God to
speak to you again
until you have
obeyed what He has
told you before.

The Purpose of Hearing God
To deepen and
develop our
relationship
with God.
“God is faithful,
by whom you
were called into
the fellowship of
His Son, Jesus
Christ, our Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:9

To learn principles in
the ways of God.
“And they said to one
another, ‘Did not our
heart burn within
us while He
talked with us on
the road and
while He opened
the Scriptures to
us?’”
Luke 24:32

To learn to know
the Will of God.
“And do not be
conformed to this
world, but be
transformed by the
renewing of your
mind, that you may
prove what is that
good and acceptable
and perfect will of
God.” Romans 12:2

To experience and understand more of the character of God.
“That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you,
being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to
comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length
and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which
passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness
of God.” Ephesians 3:17-19

Conditions for Hearing God
Sin is a barrier to hearing from God. “Behold the Lord’s hand
is not shortened that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it
cannot hear, but your iniquities have separated you from your
God; and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He
will not hear.” Isaiah 59:1-2

“God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we
say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness,
we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light
as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and
the Blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.
A Clean Heart

But if we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our
sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:5-9

“Now Faith is the
substance of things
hoped for, the
evidence of things
not seen … by Faith
we understand … but
without Faith it is
impossible to please
God, for He who comes
to God must believe …
He is a rewarder of
those who diligently
seek Him.”
Hebrews 11:1-6
Faith

The more we hear
God speak the
better we will be
able to recognise
His voice. “… The
sheep hear His
voice; and He calls
His own sheep by
name and leads
them out … the
sheep follow Him,
for they know His
voice.”John 10:3-4;
Relationship

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know
them and they follow Me.” John 10:27

When God has your attention in worship you can discern
His voice.
“While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud
overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the
cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son in
whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”
Matthew 17:5
Worship & Reverence

Jesus is Lord. He has all authority in Heaven and on earth.
We are commanded to make disciples and teach obedience
to all things that He has commanded. Our attitude needs to
be: ‘I will go wherever You send me. I will do whatever You
tell me.’ When we are receptive and responsive to the Word
of God we can expect to hear from God.
Applying the Lordship of
Christ
to all areas of life

Ways In Which God Speaks
“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you
great and mighty things, that you do not know.”
Jeremiah 33:3

There have been occasions when God has spoken audibly,
such as to Moses through the Burning Bush (Exodus 3:4); to
Samuel (1 Samuel 3:1-14); and to Paul (Acts 9:4-6).
Audibly

Visions
There have been occasions when God has communicated
through visions, such as to Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1:1-28); to
Daniel (Daniel 7;8;10); and to John (Revelation).

Dreams
There have been occasions when God has communicated to
His people through dreams, such as to Jacob (Genesis
28:12-15); to Joseph (Genesis 37:5-9); to Joseph, the
husband of Mary (Matthew 1:20-24; 2:13); and to Paul
(Acts 23:11).

Angels
There have been occasions when God has
communicated His will through angels,
such as to Gideon (Judges 6:13-23); to
Abraham (Genesis 18); to Lot (Genesis 19);
to Daniel (Daniel 10); to Mary (Luke 1:26-
38); and to Peter (Acts 12:7-11).

Circumstances of God’s Design
“Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts
will be established.” Proverbs 16:3; “A man’s heart plans
his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Proverbs 16:9;
“And we know that all things work together for good to those
who love God, to those who are the called according to His
purpose.” Romans 8:28

The Conviction of Our Conscience
“My conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 9:1; “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to
which you were also called in one body; and be thankful.”
Colossians 3:15; “Having faith and a good conscience,
which some having rejected, concerning the Faith have
suffered shipwreck.” 1Timothy 1:19

The Advice and Counsel of
Dedicated and Mature Christians
“A wise man will hear and
increase learning, and a
man of understanding will
attain wise counsel … the
fear of the Lord is the
beginning of knowledge, but
fools despise wisdom and
instruction. My son, hear the
instruction of your father and
do not forsake the law of your
mother.” Proverbs 1: 5-9

Psalms, Hymns and
Spiritual Songs
“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but
as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the Will of
the Lord is and do not be drunk with wine, in which is
dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one
another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks
always for all things to God the Father in the Name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of
God.” Ephesians 5:15-21

“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the
Lord.” Colossians 3:16

The Gifts of the Spirit
The voice of the Lord can also be discerned through the gifts
that He has given: through those with a “word of Wisdom”, a
“word of Knowledge”, “Prophecy”, Discernment, Languages
and Interpretation (1 Corinthians 12:8-10).

“So we, being many, are one body in Christ and individually
members of one another. Having then gifts differing
according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if
prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or
ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches in
teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with
liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy,
with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:5-8

“And He Himself gave some to be
apostles, some prophets, some
evangelists, and some pastors and
teachers, for the equipping of the
saints for the work of ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ till we all
come to the unity of the Faith and of
the knowledge of the Son of God, to a
perfect man, to the measure to the
stature of the fullness of Christ; that
we should no longer be children,
tossed to and fro and carried about
with every wind of doctrine, of the
trickery of men, in the cunning
craftiness of deceitful plotting, but,
speaking the truth in love, may grow
up in all things into Him who is the
head – Christ.” Ephesians 4:11-15

God Speaks through His Word,
The Bible
In our daily quiet time as we study and meditate on His Word.
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in seat of the scornful;
but his delight is in the Law of the Lord, and in His Law he
meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the
rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose
leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall
prosper.” Psalm 1:1-3

Through
memorised
Scripture
“Let the Word of
Christ dwell in
you richly in all
wisdom,
teaching and
admonishing
one another …”
Colossians 3:16

Through the reading of Scripture. “All Scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped
for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. “So then
faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”
Romans 10:17

“For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than
any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul
and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Let the Earth Hear His Voice
So God has spoken audibly, and through visions and dreams
and through angels and these are recorded for us to study in
the Bible. Generally we are guided by our daily study of the
Scriptures, through memorised Scripture, through careful
attention to the reading of God’s Word, and listening
attentively to the preaching and teaching of God’s Word.

We can further see
God’s hand in the
circumstances wherein
God works all things
together for good for
those who love Him
and are called
according to His
purpose.
The conviction of our
conscience and the
advice and counsel of
dedicated and mature
Christians can be used
of the Lord to guide us
in His will.

God has given prophets,
teachers, apostles,
evangelists and pastors
to the church and
through their collective
wisdom and knowledge
we can learn much of
the Word of God, the
ways of God and the
Will of God. Through
Psalms, hymns and in
spiritual songs, and
when we are attentive in
worship, we can discern
the voice of God.

Beware of Being Deceived
There are many warnings in Scripture against deception.
“The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately
wicked; who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9

We cannot trust our emotions.
We must never confuse voices in our head with the voice of
God. God guides us primarily through the principles and
commands of Scripture.

Our duties and
responsibilities in
the light of His
Great Commission
determine His will
for us
on a daily basis.
It is easy to become
disorientated and
confused. Therefore we
should seek the advice
and counsel of
dedicated Christians
and learn not to trust
our own inclinations.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your
own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and
He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and depart from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7

Distinguishing Between
Subjective and Objective Guidance
We need to discern between subjective and objective
guidance. To use a mountaineering analogy:
Your compass readings are subjective. It is relative
to where you understand your position to be.

A map can be objective, as long as you have
a correct perspective of where you are on
the map. A boundary marker is objective.

It is easy to be lost while climbing on the mountains,
particularly in bad weather and with limited visibility in cloud
cover. Following your compass reading is similar to
following your conscience.

This is subjective and cannot be taken as confirmation of
anything. Compass readings can be misleading if interfered
with, for example by a magnet.

The map is like the Word of
God, objective reality.

However, we can sometimes be completely lost even while
having the perspective that we are making good progress
according to our understanding of where we are on the map.
You can even be on the right path, but going in the wrong
direction.

It helps to have a guide who has travelled this way before.
Godly counsel from mature and experienced Christians can
be a tremendous help.

So too are finding boundary markers. When we come
across a cairn, a pile of rocks, perhaps cemented in with
the name of the location, ravine, beacon, etc. it enables us
to orientate ourselves and recognise where exactly on the
map we are.

If the boundary marker does
not accord with where we
perceived ourselves to be, we
need to recognise that our
perception is what has been
in error.

Seeking Confirmation
In the same way, if we are confronted by a boundary marker
of an authority in our life, such as our parents, pastor,
mission leader or an employer, who informs us that we are off
the path and out of bounds, we need to be humble, teachable
and re-evaluate our position in the light of God’s Word.

The Scripture encourages us to test all things.
We should ask for confirmation, and in major matters we
should expect major confirmations.

Questions to Ask
Is it Scriptural? It is always right to do what the
Scriptures command: To repent of our sins, to do thorough
restitution, to be thankful, to be wholehearted in our duties,
to seek sanctification and holiness.

Does it
glorify God?
“Therefore,
whether you eat or
drink, or whatever
you do, do all to
the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians
10:31; “For you
were bought at a
price; therefore
glorify God in your
body and in your
spirit which are
God’s.”
1 Corinthians 6:20

Is it in accordance with the Laws of God? “The
Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony
of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” Psalm 19:7

What do the authorities in my life say?
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right …
Bondservants be obedient to those who are your masters
according to the flesh with fear and trembling, in sincerity of
heart, as to Christ; not with eye service, as men pleasers,

but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the
heart with goodwill doing service as unto the Lord, and not to
men.” Ephesians 6:1-7

Does your spirit within you bear witness by
giving you inner peace about the decision?
“I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also
bearing witness in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 9:1;

“And let the
peace of Christ
rule in your
heart to which
also you were
called in one
body; and be
thankful.”
Colossians 3:15

How do you know that
this is God’s will?

Whose counsel have you sought?

God never guides His people
to disobey His Word.

“Jesus said ‘If anyone loves Me, he will
obey My teaching.’” John 14: 23

When man listens – God speaks!

THE NEED:
“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the
labourers are few.” Matt 9:37
THE LOVE OF CHRIST:
“The love of Christ constrains us, because .
. . . One died for all . . .” 2 Cor 5:14
THE COMMAND:
“Go into all the world and preach the Gospel
to every creature.” Mark 16:15

THE WILL OF GOD:
“The Lord . . . is not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to
repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9
THE GREAT COMMISSION:
“All authority has been given to Me in Heaven
and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples
of all the nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father and the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that
I have commanded . . .” Matt 28:18-20

All Christians must pray, most can give, some
can go. We must all serve God somewhere.
Whether we are called to go across the street or
across the world – our mission is the same – to
make disciples . . . teaching obedience.

One who answered the
call was David Brainerd
whose journal included
this prayer: “Here I am,
send me; send me to the
rough, the savage
pagans of the wilderness,
send me from all that is
called comfort on earth;
send me even to death
itself, if it be but in Thy
service and to promote
Thy Kingdom.”

As C.T. Studd declared:
“Only one life,
it will soon be past.
Only what’s done for Christ
will last.”

“Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of
wickedness; and receive with meekness the implanted Word,
which is able to save your souls, but be doers of the Word,
and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like
a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes
himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of
man he was,

but he who looks into the perfect Law of liberty and
continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of
the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
James 1:21-25

Frontline Fellowship
PO Box 74
Newlands
7725
Cape Town
South Africa
E-mail: admin@frontline.org.za
Web: www.FrontlineMissionSA.org

DISCERNING TRUE FROM FALSE GUIDANCE

DISCERNING TRUE FROM FALSE GUIDANCE

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