Speak To It!

 Psalm 115:16 

16 The heavens belong to the Lord. But He has given the earth to the children of men.

I don't normally start a blog out with a scripture, but I think it's important for those reading it to have their first thought be 'Hey, the earth belongs to me.' Also, in Genesis 1:28 we see that God created Adam & Eve and gave them complete dominion. Why do we speak to things out loud? Because Jesus did and He told us to. Jesus is our teacher and example and as Believers in Christ, we are, in this world, as He was.

Deception and False Doctrines...

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. 

Hosea 4:6 makes it clear that one of the biggest problems for a Believer is that they simply don't have the knowledge they need. The scripture actually says that God's people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. He's not speaking here about unbelievers. He is speaking to you and me. One issue with the church today is that they have relied too heavily on man to teach them the word of God. Similarly, to our school systems today. We just took our kids to school and trusted that they were being taught what was necessary and what would help them to succeed in their future, but wow were we wrong. Our school system gave the appearance of being all about education but behind the scenes for years and years, we now realize that they had an agenda to indoctrinate our children to their way of thinking. Today's school system is a disastrous mess teaching woke doctrines, transgenderism, racism, and downright hate for Christians. 

Sadly, the reality is the very same thing has happened in the church. We couldn't comprehend that they (meaning those that we today see have always been against us) would infiltrate our churches and that Pastors who didn't even know the Lord could possibly be leading flocks of God's people in the wrong direction and definitely away from Him. We divided and divided and divided over doctrinal differences helping them keep us from the unity that God wanted us to have. God's heart has always been that His children would go from glory to glory and learn to walk in obedience. I recently did a blog on how united the Israelites were to partner with God to bring the walls of Jericho down. Can you even imagine that with the church that we see today? 

Pull up those tent pegs and move with the Lord...

I wholeheartedly believe that the Lord through the years has given a man or woman a revelation, sharing with them that He was doing a new thing and they would build the work as He wanted, but the problem is that the people who followed took that revelation and turned it into a Denomination believing only what they'd just learned and been unwilling to grow beyond. They camped on a revelation and refused to accept it when God went to another man or woman and gave them a little more or a new revelation. This is how we divided and in many cases are still in this division today. God's people camped and refused to move to the next revelation that God gave. They feared man more than God and so they stuck with their friends or family so as not to be rejected or shunned in any way, but God had new things, new revelations, and new ways He wanted to teach us, and His heart was always for us to pull up our tent pegs and move with Him.

Americans have been so spoiled...

God wants each of us individually to get into the word. Do we even understand that the people in China literally have to hide Bibles and are forced to go to church underground because they aren't allowed to be a Christian in China or that in countless other countries, some have only 1 page that they've hidden out of the bible to read and stand on while we here in America have been blessed to the point where we have access to all 66 books of the Bible and can purchase them quite easily in stores or online yet so many don't even bother to buy one at all or if they have one they simply don't take the time to open it up to learn about God and hear from Him in the pages that He made sure were recorded for us so that we could live the life He truly wanted for us. The truth is the entire word of God is revelation. Throughout the word He is revealing Himself, His plan, His goodness, His mercy and grace and most importantly for us, He is revealing who we really are in Christ and the authority He has given us. 

You won't hear from God if you don't open His mouth...

To me opening the Bible is like opening God's mouth. I love to delve in and learn new things, find a new story or see an old story and notice something new. I love learning who He really is. Not from someone else's perspective but from the perspective of those closest to Him like Abraham, Moses, Joseph, Mary, the disciples, and the Prophets. I've never been one to read things at face value. I am forever reading the Word and wondering why things were said a certain way or what does He really mean by that? Why was this story added to the word for us to read and I am forever looking into whether what I just read points to something else. I've ALWAYS taken what man has taught and researched it for myself. Very early in my Christian walk I could discern the fake right away and wouldn't let people put me under that bondage and you'll be quite shocked to find that I've actually been thrown out of a church once too... lol I am also not one to just sit back and allow the spirit of religion or false doctrines to control me in any way. Obviously, there is a place for respect and honor with Leaders in the body of Christ, but it is also true that without knowledge, wisdom, and discernment good people can find themselves falling for anything and that is not what God wants for His children at all. Jesus stood up to the Religious Leaders of His day. He NEVER let them use their laws and made-up rules against His disciples and even did things purposely to poke and prod so to speak.

Examples: He healed on the Sabbath. He touched lepers to heal them. He bent down and acknowledged the woman with the issue of blood and instead of rebuking her, he told her that her faith made her whole etc... All of this was completely against anything the Pharisees taught in those days. It wasn't the world who killed Jesus. It was actually the religious Leaders who took Him to the world Leaders at the time and asked that they kill him.

Leaving the Ninety & Nine to go after the one...

The truth is the church that threw me out did me a HUGE FAVOR. I was completely devastated at the time that it happened of course. I was very young in the Lord and pregnant with my first child so an emotional mess and the reason why I got thrown out was completely ridiculous but that isn't what this blog is about so I'm not even gonna go there. However, through what at the time was completely devastating and made me feel like my life was over, I remember distinctly driving home from work one day and I was in tears. I was talking to God the entire 30-minute drive home in my car. Crocodile tears coming down to the point I could barely see driving and asking why He bothered to save me if He was just going to throw me away? This is sadly what happens to many people. They have difficult things happen to them through people and they blame God. That day in my car with tears rolling down my face I was almost home, and I heard the voice of the Lord for the first time. It wasn't audible. It wasn't in a song. It wasn't on a billboard or something I saw. It was that still small voice from within and it was scripture that came up out of my spirit saying, 'Did I not tell you that I would leave the ninety and nine to go after the one? I did not throw you away, My daughter. I love you and I will never leave you or forsake you.' The scripture references can be found in Matthew 18:12-13 and Hebrews 13:5b.

The words must be planted in order for them to come up in your spirit...

Does everyone hear the audible voice of God? The answer is no. In fact, very few can really say they have heard God speak audibly but as I have shared in previous blogs God speaks to His children in many different ways. Do not limit God on how He speaks to you but test the spirits to make sure you truly are hearing from God. If it is God it will line up with the word, so it is a good practice to get into it to read the stories and see how God handled certain situations, how He provided for His people or even how He often delivered His people from wicked rulers and tyranny. In a very short time, I had read the entire bible and picked some things up that apparently went deep in my spirit. When I needed those words, they came up out of my spirit and probably saved me because I was pretty depressed to say the least.

The Fig Tree...

The very first thing that came to mind when I felt to write this particular blog was the story of the fig tree. You can read the account by going to both Matthew and Mark but for this blog, I am going to share from Matthew in the New King James Version.

Matthew 21:18-22

18 In the early dawn the next morning, as He was coming back to the city, He was hungry.

19 And as He saw one single leafy fig tree above the roadside, He went to it, but He found nothing but leaves on it [seeing that in the fig tree the fruit appears at the same time as the leaves]. And He said to it, never again shall fruit grow on you! And the fig tree withered up at once.

20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled greatly and asked, How is it that the fig tree has withered away all at once?

21 And Jesus answered them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done.

22 And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive.

Jesus actually spoke to the fig tree. The tree obeyed what He said, and the disciples marveled that it happened. So, Jesus tells them in verse 21 that if they SAY to this mountain. He didn't say pray about the mountain. He didn't say stare at the mountain. He didn't say if you think in your mind about the mountain. No, He specifically said, if you say to this mountain, be taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done. In another translation, it actually says that Jesus answered the fig tree as if by not having fruit on it the tree spoke to him first. I always encourage you to go to Biblegateway.com and look things up in several different versions that you trust. Some literally open things up more for you so that you don't have to go to the concordance.

Watch what you are saying...

Even Job got the revelation with what he went through and in Job 6:25 we find him saying, 25 How forcible are words of straight forward speech! Our words have a force behind them. Our words are extremely important and yet most have no clue the importance of the things they say. Are you sick? Are you broke, busted, and disgusted? If so, you have to look back at the years prior and see what you were saying. The hardest thing for us as children of God is to realize that we are not just a soul and a body. We are also spirit and that spirit is who we really are. This body is just an earth suit. Our spirit (if we are born again) will live in eternity. Jesus actually resides in you if you are a born-again, spirit-filled Believer. You have the Dunamis (Dynamite) resurrection power of Jesus Christ living inside you. 

1 John 4:17 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

The revelation that has been hidden from us through false doctrines, men or women who teach religion, rather than relationship, and the world who slowly but surely has attempted to destroy the image of God, denied Jesus existed, and won't even talk about the Holy Spirit has been a plot and a plan all along to keep God's children from becoming not only who God wanted us to be but who Satan knew we were supposed to be. You are not your own. You are not Leisa or Michell or Denise or Perry or John. Just to name a few of you on My list. As He (Jesus) is, so are you in this world. You have that same authority. Think for a minute of how you handle a bad situation compared to how Jesus handled it. 

In Matthew 4 Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Spirit and was tempted of the devil. He didn't just happen upon the wilderness and wasn't dragged there by Satan. No, the Spirit led Him there to do warfare with the devil. When I say warfare, I am not talking about guns and cannons. I am talking about using the word of God to overthrow the plans of Satan. One thing people miss however is that Satan knows the word. He took the opportunity to use the word to try to get Jesus to come under him rather than stay in a place of exaltation with His Father. Jesus answered Satan with scripture. That is where God wants us as well. If we have the word of God hidden deep in our hearts when we run into trials the word of God will come out. God is teaching us even now to be more careful with our words. Satan (AKA the father of lies) will twist things, but God expects us to know the truth of who we are in Christ and to stand up and speak His word with authority. If speaking to Satan then of course it is to tell him where he belongs which is under our feet, but we must watch our words so that we are not keeping sickness, disease, financial woes, family divisions etc... in our own lives out of ignorance to the word of God.

Proverbs 6:2 You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth.

Jesus rebukes the wind and the sea...

Proverbs 6:2 is yet another proof of how powerful words are, and that God has given us authority. In Matthew 8 the disciples are terrified that they are going to drown because of a storm while they are in a boat and Jesus rebukes the wind and the waves and everything calms down. 

Matthew 8:23-27 23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

Again, it doesn't say he thought it and it happened or he whispered, and it came to pass. It doesn't even say He prayed, and it came to pass. No, the scripture says He rebuked the winds and the sea, and they obeyed Him. In Mark 1 the disciples are amazed at how Jesus preaches with authority that they don't recognize coming from the scribes of their day and then literally while there, a demon-possessed man cries out saying 'Let us alone. Why would the demon say this? Jesus hadn't addressed him personally, but the demon recognized the authority and knew exactly who Jesus was and even where He was from. The demon in this man started talking to Him. Jesus then has to cast the demon out using words.

Mark 1:21-27 21 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. 22 And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27 Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority, He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 

Lazarus come forth...

One final story that I will share in this blog is in John 11 about the death of Lazarus. The entire story is quite interesting as Mary and Martha send for Jesus before he is even dead, and Jesus purposely decides not to go right away and to stay where he is ministering. It sounds horrible, doesn't it? It sounds so uncaring. Why would Jesus do something like this when Lazarus was supposedly a friend? Why would he just let his friend die? We could actually say the same thing about the times we are living in. Why is God allowing this? Why hasn't He taken all these evil, wicked people out by now? We are actually given the answer in verse 4 as we read...

John 11:-4 4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

We must remember that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. Lazarus does actually die but Jesus said 'This sickness is not unto death. Why did He say that? How could He say that? Because He knew something they didn't know. He knew that He was going to call Lazarus forth. He knew that although buried behind a stone He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. He allowed himself to look bad, appear uncaring and He even allowed His friends Mary and Martha to go through this difficult trial. He fully knowing Lazarus was sick unto death allowed his friend to die but even death has to obey the authority of Jesus. Death could not hold Lazarus even though he'd been dead for 4 days. Why let him die though? Verses 14 & 15 give us a better explanation. I will highlight it for you.

John 11:14-15 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go to him.”

Everything the Lord does is to teach those around Him to believe. Not only on His authority but also on what He died to give to us. Ask yourselves how they could have ever believed that Jesus could raise others from the dead unless they saw it for themselves? How could they hope that Jesus would be raised from the dead Himself if they hadn't seen the power and authority that Jesus showed when He called for Lazarus to come forth?

John 11:43-44 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

But I don't have that authority, do I?

Yes, you do which is why I keep saying we have the same authority and must learn to speak to situations and circumstances? I've shared a lot on the authority Jesus walked in but when did He give it to us? The answer is in Luke 10:19 Jesus says...

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Using our words is how we wield our authority. In fact, using His words is even more important because He says that His words do not come back void in Isaiah 55:11. 

Isaiah 55:11 11 So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

We have what we say...

Now I have shared with you several stories that prove that not only did God Himself create our world by speaking words (Genesis 1) but Jesus when He was on earth also cursed and blessed with words. He cursed the fig tree, cast out demons, calmed wind and waves, and raised the dead using his voice (words). You and I are made in the image of God. We must learn to do the same. We must fill ourselves with God's word so that in good and bad times it becomes our spiritual nature to bring forth words that are forceable and powerful and will produce what we are saying. We want to be mature enough not to get in an argument with someone and curse them with our mouths. We must train ourselves to speak life in all situations and circumstances. We have what we say so let's learn to say the right things.

Mark 11:23 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

God is not a man that he should lie (Numbers 23:19)

Either we believe God, or we don't. Either His word is true, or God is a liar. Either we are sons and daughters of God using our words as faith agents to bring forth God's will or we allow our mouths to be used by Satan to kill, steal and destroy. What are you bringing forth in your life? In Matthew 12 God explains this to us as well.

Matthew 12:33-37 

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 

35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. 36 But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

I looked up countless scripture references on Biblegateway.com to share with you below but they are pretty easy to find for yourself, so I stopped at a few. Highlight them in your own Bible and ask God to help you fill your spirit with His word and learn to use His words to prophecy, decree, declare and pray. Learn to do what Jesus did in the wilderness and answer Satan with the word. Make no mistake Satan knows the word of God. He uses it against God's people. He condemns them with religion, and He attacks at times using scripture, but even though he often uses the word always remember that he twists it. How will you know he twisted it unless you know the true word of God for yourself? Satan tried to use scripture against Jesus in the wilderness and Jesus used the word of God right back at him. 

Replacing words...

• I'm sick, I'm tired, I'm in pain. / Replace with 'I'm healed in Jesus' name. By the stripes that Jesus took over 2000 years ago the Bible says that I was already healed.' You are not the sick that is trying to be healed. You are the healed that the devil is trying to make sick. 
• I can't do it. / Replace with 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'
• I don't have the money to do thus and so. / Replace with 'My God shall supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory.' or 'I've never seen the righteous forsaken or their seed begging bread.'

This is just a few examples of how our family is transforming our speaking. You can know the Lord for literally years and not take this seriously enough, but the truth is now God is requiring us to walk in this. It's not just a suggestion. He is telling us over and over through the Prophets that He needs us to speak to our situations and circumstances and especially to the things happening in our nation and the world today. I admit it's easier said than done. I catch myself saying the wrong things often, but I catch myself and quickly replace those words. 

These are some of the references I found in Proverbs and Psalms below for you to see how the use of our mouth, words, voice etc... is throughout the bible, and yet many are ignorant to this truth. When Julie Green or anyone prophesies shout it, speak it, say it over and over etc... This is what they mean. This is what God is trying to get us to do as His children. Partner with Him and bring things forth out of the heavenly realm by using our mouths and the authority He gave to us. 

I will close by sharing Deuteronomy 30:19 and Proverbs 18:21 which say...

Deuteronomy 30:19 

19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore, choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

But Deuteronomy 30:19 doesn't look like it has anything to do with speaking? Ahhh but Proverbs 18:21 tells us how we choose life and death. It is with our tongue.

Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

I encourage you to take the time to read through Proverbs and Psalms. You will find countless scriptures about speaking, saying etc... Here are just a few. I will leave you to take the time to look up others for yourself.

Proverbs 12:14 A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth,
And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.

Proverbs 12:18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword,
But the tongue of the wise promotes health.

Proverbs 13:2 A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth,
But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.

Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his mouth preserves his life,
But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

Proverbs 17:27 He who has knowledge spares his words,
And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.

Proverbs 18:7 A fool’s mouth is his destruction,
And his lips are the snare of his soul.

Proverbs 18:20 A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth;
From the produce of his lips, he shall be filled.

Proverbs 21:23 Whoever guards his mouth and tongue
Keeps his soul from troubles.

Psalm 45:1b My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Chosen by the King,

Sheryl L. York