Seeing the Supernatural Read online

  © 2017 by Jennifer Eivaz

  Published by Chosen Books

  11400 Hampshire Avenue South

  Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

  www.chosenbooks.com

  Chosen Books is a division of

  Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan

  www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

  Ebook edition created 2017

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2017941812

  ISBN 978-1-4934-1164-1

  Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

  Scripture quotations identified AMP are from the Amplified® Bible, copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

  Scripture quotations identified ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2011

  Scripture quotations identified MOUNCE are from THE MOUNCE REVERSE-INTERLINEAR NEW TESTAMENT Copyright © 2011 by Robert H Mounce and William D Mounce. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

  Scripture quotations identified NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

  Scripture quotations identified NIRV are from the Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®. NIrV®. Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

  Scripture quotations identified NKJV are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  Scripture quotations identified NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

  Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

  Cover design by Dan Pitts

  “Jennifer Eivaz is known for passion, strong prophetic insights, and an absolute devotion to Jesus. She is one of the more trusted servants of the Lord to all who know her, myself included. I’m certain that her latest book, Seeing the Supernatural, will bring you great strength, insight and much encouragement.”

  Bill Johnson, Bethel Church, Redding, California; author, God Is Good

  “It’s finally here! In Seeing the Supernatural, Jennifer Eivaz has written the most easy-to-understand-and-apply book available in the gift of discernment! Jennifer has filled her book with true, real-life stories of both successes and failures when using the gift of discernment. It is God’s rule into and through His Church. Get a copy for yourself and one for a friend!”

  Steve Shultz, founder, The Elijah List

  “This is a now-time book for the Body of Christ. Jennifer Eivaz is one of the voices in this generation equipping the Body of Christ and moving them into action. It will confirm things you have been experiencing and take you to a whole new level of insight, growth and wisdom. Great job, Jennifer Eivaz.”

  Pasqual Urrabazo, executive pastor, International Church of Las Vegas

  “Discerning of Spirits is one of the most misunderstood gifts of the Holy Spirit. Most believers have no idea what to do with what they see, so many either do the wrong thing or do nothing at all, resulting in shutting down and rejecting this gift from God, which is so vitally needed today. Jennifer Eivaz dispels the mystery surrounding this gift and releases powerful and practical wisdom.”

  Jane Hamon, apostle, Vision Church @ Christian International

  “Seeing the Supernatural is a wealth of insight and a timely resource. Through her practical stories, wisdom and keys of application, Jennifer Eivaz teaches how to steward and understand this powerful gifting. This book provides a safe place for the reader to process and reflect upon the depth of truth and revelation through the questions at the end of each chapter. A wonderful resource!”

  Lana Vawser, international speaker, prophetic voice and author; Lana Vawser Ministries

  “In a world of increasing spiritual confusion, the Church must awaken from a complacent mindset. Jennifer’s book Seeing the Supernatural pulls the curtain back on subjects that have been stigmatized or too uncomfortable to address. There is no more relevant time to be discerning of spirits than now and in the coming days!”

  Brenda Crouch, speaker, author and singer; Brenda Crouch Ministries

  “I believe it is critical for the Body of Christ to embrace the prophetic gifting, especially the gift of discerning spirits. One of the teachings in Seeing the Supernatural that blessed me is the guidance on how to discern a Jezebel spirit operating through a person. Jennifer explains how to dismantle the spirit’s powers, enabling the person to go forward in fulfilling their destiny. Jennifer gives powerful nuggets of truth with practical explanatory teaching. This book has been written for a time such as this to enrich the Church for today.”

  Adam F. Thompson, author, The Supernatural Man; Voice of Fire, www.voiceoffireministries.org

  “It is with great joy that I am able to endorse Prophetess Jennifer Eviaz’s new book on a much-needed gift of the Spirit. Discerning of spirits is key because all interactions and activities pertaining to our human experience emanate from the spirit realm. God is a Spirit, man is a spirit and demons are spirits, hence the need for each believer to covet this gift. Prophetess Jennifer once again, with real-life experience, has given us a practical tool of empowerment that I highly recommend to all.”

  Sarah Morgan, vice president and cofounder, Vision International Ministries, Los Angeles

  “Fighting blind has nearly cost us a nation. Without eyes to see, we have been forced on the defensive. That is why we are constantly retaking the same ground instead of advancing. Here is a training manual to help end all of that and regain our rightful advantage as the people of God.”

  Mario Murillo, Mario Murillo Ministry

  “Jennifer Eivaz has written a brilliant book. Seeing the Supernatural is an insightful and timely resource that should be in the hands of every passionate believer. This book will sharpen your gift of discernment in your journey of the supernatural. Thank you, Jennifer!”

  Denise Goulet, pastor, International Church of Las Vegas

  I dedicate this book to Jesus Christ,

  who is forever faithful

  to complete His work in me.

  Contents

  Cover 1

  Title Page 3

  Copyright Page 4

  Endorsements 5

  Dedication 7

  Foreword by Apostle John Eckhardt 11

  Acknowledgments 13

  Introduction: A Gift with a Purpose 15

  1. Seeing Both Sides of the Supernatural 19

  2. The Gift of Discerning of Spirits 27

  3. The Fundamentals of Distinguishing between Spirits 43

  4. Discerning Spiritual Atmospheres 63

  5. Discerning Who Is for You and Who Is against You 79

  6. Discerning the Angels 95

  7. Discerning the Powers and Principalities 115

  8. What to Do with the Things You Discern 133


  Appendix: Can a Christian Be Demon Possessed? 151

  Notes 155

  About the Author 159

  Back Ad 160

  Back Cover 161

  Foreword

  Many books have been written on the gifts of the Holy Spirit that have helped the Church understand the functions and importance of these spiritual manifestations. Certain gifts have been emphasized more than others, and our understanding of certain gifts is greater than others. This is especially true of discerning spirits.

  I have heard teaching on the discerning of spirits that has simplified it to the realm of discerning angels, demons or human spirits. Many people teaching on this subject have not gone beyond this level of understanding. The teaching in this book will expand your understanding of this subject as the author takes you deeper into the spiritual realm.

  Jennifer Eivaz teaches from personal experience on the importance of the discerning of spirits, and her firsthand experience is invaluable. She has a unique approach to this subject that I have never read or heard before.

  She emphasizes the importance of training your senses to discern between good and evil. This training is a process and requires spiritual maturity and growth.

  Whether you are beginning the process, in the intermediate stages or have come to a level of maturity, this book will benefit you greatly.

  John Eckhardt, overseer, Crusaders Church Chicago; founder and presiding apostle, IMPACT Network

  Acknowledgments

  I first want to thank my wonderful husband, Ron, for his endless support after my many hours away writing this book. Thank you for believing in me and encouraging me to keep going and not quit.

  I also want to thank my church family, again for their perfect support, prayers and encouragement while I wrote not only my story, but also many of theirs in this book.

  Thank you, Steve Shultz from the Elijah List, for being a divine appointment and catalyst for God’s plan in my life as a writer.

  Thank you, Virginia and Justin Meyer, for allowing me to use your spare home to write when I just needed to get away so I could think clearly and write without distractions.

  Thank you, Tom Hammond, for giving me a word of encouragement at just the right time, when I was fighting the hardest to accomplish this book.

  Thank you to the many people who prayed and fasted for me, especially Andrea, Catherine, Charlene, Elaina, Emmanuel, Mary, Michelle, Nathan and Joe.

  Introduction

  A Gift with a Purpose

  It was my first attempt ever to teach on the gift of discerning of spirits. I remember it being a Sunday night service at my home church, Harvest Christian Center, in Turlock, California. My husband and I had been ministering there for approximately five years, and we were teaching our church about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which included the gift of discerning of spirits (see 1 Corinthians 12:7–11).

  My teaching about this gift was quite simplistic. I gave a standard definition of the gift—that it is a supernatural ability from the Holy Spirit to see and distinguish between spirits: the Spirit of God, the spirit of man and the spirit of devils. I then gave several biblical examples of the discerning of spirits, as well as some testimonies. I felt deep down that my teaching was somewhat lopsided and shallow. I just could not yet explain in plain language how I discerned what I discerned. There were so many variables and so many strange feelings and physical sensations involved. Trying to package that in an understandable way seemed almost impossible. At the same time, I felt I could only effectively present how to discern the demonic realm because I had only enough clear language to explain that side of this gift. Since then, I have gained the experience and found the language to explain both sides of the gift, the discerning of both the positive and the negative, as you will see when you read on. But even back then, my teaching was still well-received, and it opened the eyes of our congregants more than they had been before.

  The night after I spoke, I had a disturbing dream. In the dream, a strong angel named Jeff was escorting me. Jeff means “the peace of God.” This angel was muscular, but the size and appearance of a man. He wore regular clothing, but his clothes were white, and so was everything else about him. He escorted me through the air to a large city. I did not know the name of the city or have any idea where I was. He then escorted me into a high-rise building located in the center of the city. We went up the elevator to the very top floor and then stepped out of the elevator, right into a penthouse office suite. There we met a physically short man wearing business attire. When he saw us, he stood up firmly from behind his desk and walked briskly around it, coming right in front of me to look me square in the eyes. He had the meanest countenance I have ever seen. The fierce hostility radiated off him.

  “Why are you teaching this?” the man demanded nastily and with force. “Don’t you ever teach this again!”

  Here the dream ended, and I woke up realizing that I just may have encountered Satan himself in a dream. Why was the gift of discerning of spirits such a threat to him?

  As time progressed, I began to realize the price tag for those who operate in this gift. Most everyone loves you when you spiritually discern their more positive attributes, or the presence of the Lord or the angels. When you have the ability to discern the hidden things, however, it can bring a very real level of persecution by those who do not want you to see the things that you see. In addition, that vile deceiver, Satan, will do anything he can to stop you from blowing his cover. Still, it is immensely worth it to be in the know spiritually.

  The dream also showed me that Satan still occupies very high places in the earth. He was in the tallest building, at the very top floor! Whoever occupies the high places overshadows the people with his presence—in this case, Satan’s wickedly deceptive presence. For this reason, the gift of discerning of spirits will be challenged from the high places—that is, until we, Christ’s Church, rise up and occupy them. This is what this gift is all about. You see and discern so you can respond. You see and discern so you can battle. It is a gift with a purpose: to advance Christ’s Kingdom in the earth.

  1

  Seeing Both Sides of the Supernatural

  My daughter and I were having a serious discussion about Santa Claus. We were approaching Christmas Eve, and she had asked to leave Santa a glass of milk and some baked cookies. Like many young kids, she expected Santa to visit our home in the middle of the night to leave her a surprise gift. Now, my husband and I do not have a problem with those who bring Santa into their Christmas family fun. It just was not something that we made a big fuss about in our home. Still, my daughter had become a wholehearted believer in Santa Claus, having been educated by her preschool teacher and classmates. They told her about the large white-haired man from the North Pole who flew around the world on a magic sleigh with reindeer. They let her know that Santa would leave every child a gift, including her, as long as she was not on the naughty list. She was sure that she was not on the naughty list.

  And so I explained about Santa more accurately, which led to further discussion not only about Jesus, but also about the tooth fairy, the Easter bunny, angels, witches and ghosts. It turned out that my daughter was a true believer in all things mystical and supernatural in an age-appropriate way. I had already begun restricting her cartoon watching, having firmly said, “No witches, wizards or ghosts!” The children’s shows seemed to carry an abundance of such themes. I clarified that although some of these things (not all) can be real, they are evil. I then pointed out how Santa and the Easter Bunny are fun, but not factual, and then I joked, “I’m the tooth fairy and will gladly hide money under your pillow for each tooth!” Finally, I reemphasized the reality of Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the angels. I was grateful to be experiencing a genuine miracle with angels in that season. We had seen bursts of small white feathers appearing several times in midair during our worship services, prayer services and even at home. We understood this phenomenon to be a visible manifestation of angels in our midst. Th
is was positive reinforcement with our daughter, who enjoyed collecting these feathers to show her friends at school. It also kept alive our firm belief in the supernatural.

  Keep in mind that I have experienced the supernatural my entire life. My experiences clearly changed in scope after I became a Christian during my freshman year of college, but nevertheless, I have always had them. And perhaps you have, too. The Bible, which is our guide, shows us how normal it is to have supernatural encounters of a wide variety. It even helps us know what experiences to accept and what to reject, and why. The Bible shows us that it is normal to see and experience both angels and demons, it is normal to have visions and dreams from God, and it is normal to encounter a wide variety of miracles. Understand that the supernatural is not a limited, one-time experience for us as Christians, because our God is supernatural and He has no limits. At the same time, many unbelievers also experience the supernatural, but in a much different context.

  When non-Christians experience the supernatural, it creates a hunger in them to know more. Only they do not know how to discern or sort through it. If their home becomes haunted, for example, they do not know how to cast the spirit out. They often do not know they need to cast the spirit out! Or if they start exhibiting psychic or telepathic abilities, they do not know how to classify what is happening, and they often reach out to occult and New Age sources for answers. People desperately needing physical healing or personal deliverance from spirits might go to brujas, shamans, exorcists and the like to try to get relief, instead of going to Jesus and His Church. Countless television shows, books, radio programs, blogs and more attempt to provide spiritual counsel for such issues. Only they do not lead you to Jesus, so they ultimately harm you much more than they help you. And many people, including me, have found themselves wandering down wrong paths, looking for answers and still not finding any.

  My first spiritual experience took place when I was only three years old. I lived with just my mother, as my biological father had gone absent. I do remember being a happy and energetic toddler during the day, but I was troubled at night. The reason is, I could always see her, and I am not referring to my mother. There was another woman in my bedroom who appeared to be sleeping on the floor of my closet. And then sometimes she would float off the floor. I could not see her until it was dark and the lights were off, but she was always there. She never made a sound or moved around. I remember that she had pale skin and long dark hair, and she appeared to be nude.