Dondi said:
Since I was a child, I could read people. Simple enough. That could be considered empathy. However, when my parents started searching for more of God (and of course brought the family along), they experienced all kinds of people who supposedly had our best interests at heart in bringing us closer to God.
Sometimes I would be so entheusiastic about the simplest of people and their message, while the rest of the family was dis-appointed that there was not more vibrance and charisma. Other times the family was taken with a charismatic personality, while I hung back and simply observed. I would often vex my parents by announcing that "I would not give in to that man, or I wouldn't participate in that church, or group", and in the beginning, I took my punishments for disobeying my parents' will, for refusing to participate. But I did it enough that they began to realize I wasn't being rebellious, I simply saw something that I was very uncomfortable with (we aren't supposed to be uncomfortable with anything from God).
Time tells all, and patterns reveal truth. After awhile my parents would ask me what I thought of a particular situation or "parson", or group of people professing to be seeking God. Sometimes they took my thoughts to heart, and other times did not.
One day, my mother came home and was so excited about something she had learned. The Holy Spirit gives gifts to those open to God. She did some thinking and came to me, and said "You are a human lie detector". I was 14 at the time. I didn't know what to make of that, nor did I realize where she was going. She then asked, "How do you know when someone is not for God?" That I understood. When they say one thing but their heart is saying something else, was my response. (when they do not believe what they are telling others, God wise). "How do you know?" she pushed. I can see it, hear it, smell it, feel it, and sense it, was my reply.
So, life went on, and I grew up and started dealing with all kinds of people. But then, people started reacting to me as well...
I remember reporting aboard my first ship. I met the Master at Arms, who showed me my rack, and gave me my bedding. He simply said "it is going to be interesting having you aboard." I turned to him (several ranks higher than me), and replied "I know you, and you will reveal yourself to the rest of the crew." He spat "f*#K you", then hurried away. He was gone in less than a month. He did it to himself. Witnesses at the time wondered what I was talking about. I simply said I thought he had problems that would be made public shortly (they were). Then I got the nick name "strange agent".
It has been like that ever since.
Once (in 1987), I was walking down the half street up from Alaskan Way South in Seattle, from the parking garage, toward the Federal Building and happened to pass a pleasant looking elderly woman. In passing she turned to me and her face became as ugly as sin (in her rage and anger). She spat "You don't belong here you "f'ng" bastard. Now I was in civilian clothes (with rather longer hair than is standard for military members due to my duties at the time, so that wasn't it), and I looked her in the eyes and stated, that I did belong here, but others do not. She spit on me yet I continued to walk away. Not five steps past her, and the lady called me. I turned, and the look of confusion on her face was priceless (and shocking). She asked me if I'd just said something to her. I said I had just wished her a good day. Clearly the personality I was now witnessing, was not the same personality I'd witnessed seconds before. She was confused, embarrassed and grateful all at the same time. She was the pleasant looking elderly woman she was supposed to be.
So I asked her, where she was coming from. She said "The Russian Tea Room". I asked if she had been read...in fact she had just been read. I said nothing, but noted that she had been opened up to gateways, we don't quite understand, and I think something hitched a ride with her.
This is not the first time, I've confronted "issues" with people who later don't understand what happened, but are very appolagetic about it. They remember something, but not all, and not clearly. But in every case they are uncomfortable with their own behavior.
Now, definition of discernment:
Discerning of spirits is the supernatural ability given by the Holy Spirit to perceive the source of a spiritual manifestation and determine whether it is of God (Acts 10:30-35), of the devil (Acts 16:16-18), of man (Acts 8:18-23), or of the world. It is not mind reading, psychic phenomena, or the ability to criticize and find fault.
Discerning of spirits must be done by the power of the Holy Spirit; He bears witness with our spirit when something is or is not of God. The gift of discerning of spirits is the supernatural power to detect the realm of the spirits and their activities. It implies the power of spiritual insight - the supernatural revelation of plans and purposes of the enemy and his forces. It is a gift which protects and guards your Christian life.
So, I am apparently an human lie detector, and apparently a spiritual discerner.
I have lots more stories, but they are for another day.
v/r
Q
