How Do You Know if it’s a Genuine Move of God? Part 3

David W Palmer

At the onset of revivals, many good people have seriously questioned if it really was a move of God. Today, especially seeing we are on the brink of the greatest ingathering, the most glorious outpouring, and the grandest awakening that has ever happened, we need to be ready to scripturally identify a genuine move of God’s Spirit. Because, without doubt, the enemy will try to muddy the waters and discredit the genuine by bringing lying signs and wonders:

(2 Thessalonians 2:9 AMP) … the activity of Satan, [attended] with great power [all kinds of counterfeit miracles] and [deceptive] signs and false wonders [all of them lies].

Even John the Baptist—who operated in the spirit and power of Elijah—doubted that Jesus was the move of God that he had been looking for (See: Mat. 11:2–6). Today, we look at the next three biblical ways of unmistakably identifying Jesus at work in new and unfamiliar ways:

3. Look for the element of resurrection in suffering

(Matthew 16:21–22 NKJV) From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord; this shall not happen to you!”

In this passage, we see another case of mistaking as not right something that was genuinely from Jesus. Jesus tried to introduce his disciples to the next phase of his ministry: his death at the hands of the elders and chief priests and his victorious resurrection. But, as it was unfamiliar, and because Peter had no previous experience of this aspect of Jesus at work, he fought against it—even though it proved to be a necessary and genuine move of God in Jesus. Let’s ensure we do not make the same mistake in what he is about to do next—even if it’s something with which we are not familiar.

Peter rebuked Jesus, because he failed to recognize that dying on the cross is part of the Jesus call. However, Jesus’s death and subsequent resurrection were from God. Perhaps Peter only heard him say “killed,” and failed to hear the remainder of Jesus’s declaration: “and be raised the third day.” Naturally, we all have an aversion to death. Yet you can always tell if the death of something is in line with God’s purpose, because it will have an element of resurrection with it.

For example, if a leader, a pastor, or circumstances close a program that has been fruitful and is perhaps dear to you; before you dispute or criticize, you need to watch for evidence of resurrection. Rather than stumbling in offence or taking umbrage, ask, “Is there another method or program being birthed that can replace this one or even multiply its effectiveness?” In truth, if it is a Jesus style death and resurrection, another ministry that will produce increased fruit should replace the one that is dying. This will be the evidence that it is of Jesus to close the original one; it has to die for the new growth to take place.

Death and resurrection is a fundamental part of Jesus and his ministry. This is for a very good reason, as he says in the following verse:

(John 12:24 NLT) “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.”

4. Watch for zeal for God’s house

(John 2:13–17 NKJV) Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house has eaten Me up.”

When Jesus entered God’s house with a whip, those present struggled to accept that this was God’s messiah in manifestation. How could they have known that this was a genuine move of God? After all, he was violently removing their normal way of operating in God’s house, and he was purposefully challenging—even seemingly opposing—their profitability.

Thankfully, Jesus’s disciples finally understood how to discern if this was genuinely from God; scripture showed them what to watch for—“zeal for God’s house.” If something new produces zeal for the church, this is a good sign that God is in it even if it upsets the money trail and/or the normal way of operating.

5. Watch for heart-burning revelation from scripture

Next is one of the big issues in a revival or awakening; we need to recognize if a supernatural manifestation of a spirit being—or of someone who shouldn’t be there at that time—really is Jesus or a counterfeit:

(Luke 24:13–32 NKJV) Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. {14} And they talked together of all these things which had happened. {15} So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. {16} But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. {17} And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” … {25} Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! {26} Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” {27} And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself … {32} 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?”

These followers of Jesus experienced a very close encounter with him—but thought they were talking to a stranger. That is like saying that they believed he was someone they didn’t know. I guess that shows us that we can encounter him in new and unfamiliar ways. How did they [eventually] recognize that he was the resurrected Lord? They realized that he had imparted heart-burning revelation of the word to them.

They also recognized him in the breaking of bread:

(Luke 24:30–31 NKJV) Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. {31} Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.

What can we look for in this area when faced with new things—especially when we are responsible to decide if it is genuinely from God? Always look for heart-burning revelation from God’s word. Is the speaker:

Expounding God’s word passionately under God’s anointing,

Filled with “life” that comes with revelation from God,

Imparting life? …

And, if [after much study] you can see that it lines up consistently with other scriptures, then these are a good indication that it is from God.

Remember that God has put his Holy Spirit in you to help decide (1 John 2:27). So listen to his inner witness.

Of course, when you first hear a new message, it may seem like a “strange” and unfamiliar way to look at that passage, but that in itself does not mean it is not from God. After all, anything new seems a bit “weird” at first—like new fashion or styles. Our only way to test it—and I stress “only”—is to compare it with the rest of the Bible to see if it is consistent. Do the homework. Look up the original languages. Use the best commentaries. Compare parallel passages. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. After all, God loves it when we study his word to dig out the truth:

(Proverbs 25:2 NKJV) It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.

Today, in wondering if what is presented to you is a genuine move of God, we have seen some additional indicators:

When something is dying, ask: is there an element of resurrection in this—even amid suffering?

Even if this upsets the normal way of operating, and even if it affects the money trail, does it have or produce zeal for God’s house?

Even if what is being taught or expounded from Scripture is new or unfamiliar, ask: does it produce heart burning revelation?

Does it bring a revelation of Jesus—especially around the breaking of bread … or the breaking open of Scripture in the context of our covenant and forgiveness via Jesus’s shed blood?