Discerning Deception: How to Sharpen Your Spiritual Senses for End Times
Excerpted from End Times in Real Time.
How do you grow in discerning the treacherous, to protect yourselves and those you care about?
That’s a good question. Gaining solid training and good solid practice. “But solid food is for the mature,” writes the apostle Paul, “who because of practice have their senses trained to distinguish between good and evil” (Hebrews 5:14 NASB).
Note that the apostle John warned the Ephesian church of losing their lampstand of first-love devotion. Why were they in this precarious position? Among other reasons, they likely became hardened by the necessary efforts to test the authenticity of fellow church leaders.
I know your deeds and your labor and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people, and you have put those who call themselves apostles to the test, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured on account of My name, and have not become weary (Revelation 2:2-3 NASB).
Note Jesus referred to their intolerance of evil people and continuing efforts to persevere in discerning as “deeds.” He further commended them for developing standards and investigating to discern true apostles from the false.
That’s pretty heavy, right?
But it’s needed. Church abuse is skyrocketing. Often the guilty are re-released into their positions without genuinely being restored. And the cycle unfortunately only perpetuates itself.
John the Baptist demanded that those who seek forgiveness must bear the fruit of repentance (Matthew 3:8). Love. Forgive. But do not shy away from testing the long-term fruit of a person’s life.
How can you pray? Three Scriptures come to mind. The first, of course, is Psalm 91. Lord, deliver us from the snares of the trapper!
The second Scripture comes from the apostle Paul who was facing down extreme treachery by forces opposed to the gospel. They actually wanted to take his life. Paul wrote a powerful prayer seeking deliverance from unreasonable and wicked or treacherous men. God will answer it on your behalf!
Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one (2 Thessalonians 3:1-3 NKJV).
The third Scripture is a secret passage that I’ve prayed almost every day since discovering it. You must learn to invoke God’s covenantal protection over your lives, and this is an incredible promise.
The covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods. But the Lord your God you shall fear; and He will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies (2 Kings 17:38-39 NKJV).
Pray these prayers! You will find God engaging with you not only to discern trickery and treachery but to overcome them.
The Voice of the Victims—Vatican Encounter
End Times in Real Time
Jon & Jolene Hamill
Jon here. I want to close with a final story, originally published in our book White House Watchmen. It is an astonishing example of how the Lord moves through intercession to expose and overcome treachery. And most of all, how He hears the cries of those who have been victimized.
I was walking a few steps ahead of Jolene as we toured the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel, and Saint Peter’s Basilica. She lagged farther and farther behind. When I looked back, she was hardly moving. A fountain of tears was gushing from her eyes. She could barely even talk.
“As we’ve been walking, Holy Spirit opened my ears,” she stammered. “And I heard the screams of the children who were abused by priests. They are echoing through these halls. I cannot get away from them!”
For more than an hour, walking through the halls of the Vatican, Jolene had entered into full-blown travailing prayer for these children. She heard their cries. She could feel their fear and pain, even children through previous ages who had suffered abuse.
The rest of the group had to stop and wait. For good reason. Really, Holy Spirit had taken the lead.
Again and again, I sent friends to walk alongside Jolene to speed her progress. And again and again, Holy Spirit came upon each one with a solemn, overwhelming travail so heavy that they themselves would nearly collapse. None of them were seeking it. Obviously, it was not protocol. And yet it was happening.
In the Sistine Chapel, the intensity of their intercession had dissipated, and my eyes were free to take in the priceless paintings adorning the ceilings and walls.
But when we entered Saint Peter’s Basilica, the travail began again with great intensity. A few nuns gathered at a distance, watching. The Vatican police were not far behind. I decided a conversation was in order.
“This woman, she is your wife?” asked a cloistered nun in broken English.
I nodded.
“What then is wrong with your wife. Is she okay?”
“She is having an experience with God,” I replied, my mind racing to find common ground. “Kind of like the mystics, the contemplatives who had visitations of Him.”
A visitation at Saint Peter’s Basilica, that they could understand— and even appreciate. Their countenances brightened.
“Ah, this is like Saint Catherine of Sienna, yes? Or Saint Theresa of Avila?”
“Perhaps, Sister. Jolene is often prone to visionary experiences like them. But probably not like this. While we were walking, the Lord Jesus opened her ears, and she began to hear the cries of children who have been abused by priests. She heard their pleas for help. Nothing like this has ever happened to her.”
The two nuns stared back at me, wide-eyed. “I don’t know if this makes any sense.”
The Sisters generously suggested we let Jolene and the other women alone until the experience with God subsided. Then it would be time to leave.
About five months later, Pope Francis made a very courageous statement during a Vatican summit to counter child abuse: “Ourwork has made us realize once again that the gravity of the scourge of the sexual abuse of minors is, and historically has been, a widespread phenomenon in all cultures and societies,” he said. “I am reminded of the cruel religious practice, once widespread in certain cultures, of sacrificing human beings—frequently children—in pagan rites.”
What he shared next brought tears.
“The echo of the silent cry of the little ones who, instead of finding in them fathers and spiritual guides encountered tormentors, will shake hearts dulled by hypocrisy and by power,” Pope Francis exclaimed. “It is our duty to pay close heed to this silent, choked cry.”
Intercession permeated the atmosphere and declarations from Heaven paved the way for much-needed repentance. Pope Francis displayed the impact in his own profound, humble words—and even more, his very courageous stand he took. Isn’t that what prayer is all about? We don’t wrestle against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities. One declaration from Heaven perhaps changed hearts and even the public stand of the pope.
We all must be humbled by the fact that the cries of the victims are still resounding before Heaven’s Court. Whether the courts of earth ever hold the perpetrators accountable or not, there is one Judge they will stand before, whose verdict they will by no means be able to evade. Not after death, and not even in this life.
In fact, Exodus 3:7 conveys how God convened a special hearing to hear the cries of His afflicted. He rendered judgment against both the demonic principalities and the governmental authorities who abused His covenant people.
The Ancient of Days “heard their cry” and remembered His covenant. The word heard is actually shema, a word conveying a courtroom hearing. He held Court and brought the cries and groanings of His people into the hearing. He reviewed each case with great focus and great intentionality. Then He rendered a verdict. The dramatic exodus of His covenant people was initiated.
What should terrify us the most is that the Lord hears the cries of all victims of abuse, even those in the womb. He responds. And in the rendering of God’s verdict, their voice prevails.
Who Will Rise Up for Me Against Evildoers?
Jolene here. My deepest desire is that we all grow in discernment in this hour. With the increase in discernment, our prayers can affect great change. From our home, our neighborhood, the nation and sometimes even the Vatican and whole religious structures. After all, Psalm 94:16 (NKJV) asks this question: “Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?”
If I could point out my one mandate in ministry, it would be this: raising up an army of people who will stand. My dream I shared in the beginning and my experiences throughout my walk solidify my calling, but the Lord wants to add many more warriors to this end-time army. He is training us each right now. Join us in the fight. Also find other ministries that provide training and join a group that will allow you to come along in their training exercises.
After all, the end times has definitely intersected with REAL TIME. We must be prepared!
Seize Your End-Time Assignment and Shape the Future
Do the words “end times” grip you with fear, anxiety, or a sense of helplessness? Perhaps you've resigned, thinking the world's descending into chaos and there’s nothing you can do about it. This isn't the time to hunker down and wait for divine rescue.
Seasoned ministers and intercessory watchmen Jon and Jolene Hamill invite you to break free from defeatism and step into your God-ordained assignment. Now is the time to rise up, pray, and partner with Heaven to shift the atmosphere and bring divine intervention.
Within this powerful guide, you will be equipped to:
Decode current events through a prophetic lens.
Redirect news cycles into focused prayers, unleashing the King’s power.
Thwart satan’s apocalyptic scheme to steal, kill, and destroy your generation.
Expose and neutralize the antichrist deceptions creeping into today’s society.
You are key in the counteroffensive against the kingdom of darkness. It’s a time to stand up, pray fiercely, and collaborate with God’s unfolding plans. Equip yourself with this timely revelation and find your frontline assignment in these perilous yet promising times.
