Articles

Mike Miller, Father's House Ministries - a Northern Colorado grace Church in Fort Collins, CO. 

Album: Grace Tones

Titled:  “The Answer of the Spirit” –  Lesson 6

Sun., Sep. 19, 2010

 

These notes were used for personal study purposes; they are not verbatim.  Transcription errors may have occurred.  For best results listen to Mike Miller’s CD and consult your Bible.

 

We are learning how to speak efficiently and effectively to the earthen sphere of authority that belongs to each and every one of us and includes our physical body, our economy, our jobs, our relationships—the entire aspect of that which belongs to you and me.  We are learning how to speak effectively into that.

 

Many people think it just sounds silly to go around speaking to inanimate objects and to circumstances that seem to have no ability to hear and respond.  But, throughout the scripture we see the men of God, and particular Jesus, speaking to inanimate objects, understanding that those objects heard Him, knew that He had an authority and a dominion over them, and they were willing and eager to respond to the things He said to them.  

 

Dead fish multiplied.  Bread multiplied.  Water became wine.  Jesus spoke to things knowing that that the things He spoke to were going to respond to Him because that’s the way creation was made to be—responsive to the voice of man.  We’ve been talking about that.

 

Of course, the most important element with all of this natural, visible, creation is that physical body that you live in.  That was what this was all about.  God wanted to create a man and He wanted to form a body for him and put him in that body and fellowship with him and enjoy his presence and have an interactive relationship with him.  So, when we talk about creation, we talk about formation, the first thing you need to think about is not the beautiful trees or the reservoirs, you need to think about that awesome body that God prepared for you, that awesome family that God has given you, whether mothers and dads and brothers and sisters or children.  So, when we talk about your earth, grasp that first.  And, then if you want to get hold of this and begin to make some changes in your gardening habits . . . .  I’ve been speaking to my garden for years.  I speak to the bushes.  I speak to the plants in the house.

 

Romans 8:18-22 (NKJV) 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him [s/b him, Adam] who subjected it, in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 

The words “to be compared” were not in the original transcripts.  This word “worthy” here actually means “comparable to.”  He is saying, I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not comparable with the glory which shall be revealed in us . . . .  

 

Verse 19 -- Remember, when we talk about creation, think first of your body.  This word “creation” literally means “formation.”

 

Verse 20 – The translators have made an error here.  “Him” should not be capitalized because he is talking about “him, Adam,” the one who had been given authority over all the earth.  He is the one who subjected it to futility and corruption.

 

Verses 21-22 . . . .  We have established this well in a previous lesson that Adam subjected the creation that he had been given dominion over to futility and ultimately corruption.  Adam did that.

 

Verse 20 – I have pointed this out on a couple of occasions that it says here these words, “not willingly.”  It says here that your formation is not a willing participant of the corruption of your life.  Your formation is not a willing participant.  So, when you look around you and see things even in nature . . . .  As I have told you before, the winds are not willing to be used destructively against mankind.  That’s why they responded so quickly and so wonderfully to Jesus when He spoke to them.  The waters are not willing to be used to be destructive toward mankind.  That’s why they responded so quickly (as we will see later today) when Jesus spoke to them, because they were looking for, listening for, someone who would speak to them with that authoritative voice of compassion, giving them the peace that Adam had robbed them of in a previous time.  

So, always remember that your formation is not willing to participate in the destruction of man.

 

You are going to have to use this, folks, when the doctor says you’ve got this or the economy says you’ve got that.  You are going to have to remember that these things are not willing participants in this, that there is something you can do about this, that they have been thrust into this situation from centuries and generations past, and now they require a retraining, and it has to come from you and me.  We have to retrain our creation to respond differently now, to respond to something other than what we have allowed it to respond to.  We have allowed the decisions that have been made by others before us to be what our body has received, what our economy has received.  So, now it all requires a retraining.  Of course, the retraining begins with letting you know that you have the capacity to retrain your body, to get your body to respond differently, to get your economy to respond differently than it has traditionally responded, because you have lived under the traditions of men.

 

We know that Jesus restored the full privilege and capacity of sonship to us with all the authority that goes with it.  Adam had handed over all that privilege and capacity of sonship to Satan.  But, Jesus has come and has retrieved that, and He has given it all back to us.  He has restored all that capacity, all that privilege of sonship once again.  And, now we find out that the formation, as it says here in the 19th verse, is eagerly waiting, expecting us to do something to reverse, if you will, the destructive events in our sphere.

 

You’ve got to get this in your heart and in your head.  You’ve got to begin to visualize creation waiting for you to do something.  It’s waiting for you.  It’s says it is eagerly waiting for you.

 

Romans 8:19 (NKJV) 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 

It has an earnest expectation that you are going to finally begin to act like the son of God that you already are.  And, when you do that, it is going to benefit.  And, when I talk about it, I’m talking about that body you live in.  Paul calls it a tent, a house, clothing.  So, let’s not attach too much personality to that body; let’s give personality to the spirit man inside.  And when I say “it,” remember that “it” refers to your body as well.  So, “it” is waiting for you to begin to speak to it authoritatively in that voice of compassion in the tone of grace that we’ve talked about.  So, it is waiting for us to do something.

 

The creation knows who has control of the environment.  We’ve already testified to the fact that the creation heard Jesus talk.  The creation has ears.  So, because the creation has ears—the tree responded, the fish responded, all these things responded to Jesus—and because the creation has ears (the creation was there in the beginning; it was all there before man) and it heard God say, “Let man have dominion.”  So, all of creation understands who is in charge of the environment—you!  Man!  Creation knows that.  That’s why it says in the 19th verse that it has an earnest expectation, and it eagerly waits.  It is saying, “What in the ____ are you waiting on?”!  

 

We need to be strong with this.  That’s why I’m being strong with it.  You need to get this.  Don’t sit there in your sickness and disease and don’t take any action.  What are you waiting on?  Do something.  Your body is saying, “Please come to my rescue.  Speak.  You hold the authority.  You hold the dominion.  Would you say something?  Do something about this, and quit allowing this thing to destroy me?  But, we just sit around and say, “I just don’t feel so good, and this, that or the other thing is going wrong.”

 

When I say that your creation knows who has authority, who is responsible for the condition of the environment, this is what I know.  I know this means that the cells and the organs of your body are awaiting instruction.  They are waiting for you to give them the kind of instruction that will allow them to continue to operate or to begin to operate normally, to function properly.  

 

You’ve got to believe this.  Those of you who have heart murmurs and heart palpitations and growths and tumors, etc., in your physical body, you’ve got to decide this stuff is waiting for me to talk, and when I begin to talk, it will begin to respond.  Now, I’m going to have to retrain it, because it’s kind of set in its ways.  We’ll talk about that next week; that’s a major thing.  So, remember some of these things I’ve told you.  Toss them around in your head and think about them when you have these circumstances come up.  

 

Disease is what?  Disease is simply health in confusion desiring clarity.  The clarity is going to come from you.  

 

Lack is prosperity in upheaval, and it is seeking settlement.  It wants you to bring your economy into a settled state.  And, you are not going to do that by looking to the world.  You are not going to do that by trying to find the answers in how to resolve things in the world.

 

We talked about this last week.  These are the voice of the word deep within the fabric of your being.

 

Psalms 42:7 (NKJV) 7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. 

And, we said that the pains of our body, that the difficulties, the problems of our circumstances really are not to be scorned or to be overlooked or rejected or to be rebuked or cursed or bound or loosed.  They are to be listened to and understood to be the voice of the word deep within the fabric of your being, deep within the fabric of your earthen experience, crying out and asking to be joined together with the answer of the spirit, so the two in agreement . . . it will be done.

 

That voice of the word that is within the fabric of your being requires an agreeing voice, and that is the voice of the spirit.  So, today I’m going to be talking about the answer of the spirit.  Last week we talked about the voice of the flesh.  And, I want you to take that in a positive way, understanding that the pain, the heart palpitations, etc., are the voice of your body crying out; they are the voice of the word that says this is not normal, and what I want is normalcy.  And what that takes is confession—a speaking the same thing. 

 

I’m speaking out that I’m dissatisfied with the condition that I’m in right now, and I’m asking for the spirit to agree with that and bring the word so the two can come together and accomplish . . . . 

 

Romans 8:18 (NKJV) 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

These sufferings are not comparable, not to be compared, with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

 

Revealed when?  This is talking about verse 19, when we start acting like the sons of God that we are; that’s when the glory that’s in us will begin to be revealed.

 

If we sit back and do nothing . . . .   If we had never laid hands on Michelle in February 1975, if we had just sat there and given in to doubt, fear, and unbelief, or checked her into a hospital, etc., the glory would never have been revealed in us.  Years ago when Dawn broke her arm running to school one morning, if we hadn’t taken her home and laid hands on her and instead had taken her to the doctor, the glory would never have been revealed.

 

So, the present sufferings, the things that were going on at the moment [are not to be compared, with the glory which shall be revealed in us].

 

 

Romans 8:18 (NKJV) 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

[The glory shall be revealed in us] when we start acting like the sons of God that we really are.   That is when it is going to be.

 

How is [the glory] going to be revealed?  

 

Romans 8:21 (NKJV) 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 

Paul is saying that glory is going to be revealed: 

·When we act like sons of God, and,

·In the delivery of the formation from the bondage of corruption.  

 

You can’t separate verse 18 from verse 21 and get the point.

 

Paul is saying these present sufferings, the things that we are going through, are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us if we will just rise up, start acting like the son of God that you are and begin to deliver this creation from the corruption that it was subjected to.

 

If we never stand up and do, we will never see the glory.  But, the glory is in us.  The glory is in us by virtue of the resurrected life of Jesus Christ.

 

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NKJV) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 

This passage of scripture has been used by religion to tell us about the hierarchy that exists in the church and who we are supposed to be submitted to in church, etc.  But, to me this little passage of scripture is a revelation of, rather than the elitist ministry of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher in the church, where the so-called five-fold ministry had fallen short.  To me it’s a rebuke to them, not a place of lifting them up.

 

What do you suppose the work of the ministry is?  Is the work of the ministry to conduct church services?  In the work of the church to raise money and build buildings?  I’m not saying these things don’t have value.  But, if the work of the ministry is taking place, these things will be necessary.

 

Is the work of the ministry to picket abortion clinics?  Or to picket gay and lesbian gatherings?  No.

 

The work of the ministry has already been defined for us in Romans chapter 8.  What is it?  To deliver this creation from the futility of misuse, from the corruption that Adam subjected it to.  That’s the work of the ministry.

Romans 8:21 (NKJV) 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 

Isn’t that what Jesus was about?  Think about what Jesus said:

 

Mark 16:15 (NKJV) 15 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature [or formation]. 

What is the gospel.  The gospel message is:

 

Hey!  We are the sons of God, and we are here to redeem you.  We are here to save you from that circumstance, that situation.

 

That is what the creation needs to hear.  That’s what you body needs to hear, that’s what the economy needs to hear, that’s what everything pertaining to you needs to hear.  So, the gospel is that you are the sons of God, and creation awaits you.  So, let’s not be waiting for the rapture.

 

Let’s be looking for an active faith right now.  Jesus told me not to look forward to the rapture.  He told me to “occupy till He comes.”

 

Luke 19:13 (NKJV) 13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' 

I’ve never studied this, but Kenneth Hagin said, “Till I come,” means, “Do business as usual.”  And, I think Jesus displayed business as usual as He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil.

 

Acts 10:38 (NKJV) 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 

I said the work of the ministry is to deliver the creation or the formation from the corruption, the futility, the misuse, that Adam subjected it to.  This has not been done effectively largely because this apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher grouping here has not understood their calling, and they have not been faithful that God gave them in this passage of scripture.

 

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NKJV) 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 

Now, I don’t believe there are only five ministries in the church; I believe that everybody has a ministry.  (Get the “Life in the Body” series for further explanation.)

 

Here is the point.  The only ministry that the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are appointed to teach is . . . .

 

12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,

 

What does “till we all come to the unity of the faith” mean?  It means, “till we all understand that each and every one of us has been gifted with the faith of Jesus Christ, that there is only one faith that is of significance, and it’s the faith of Jesus Christ.”

 

But, the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are teaching you how to develop YOUR faith.  That’s wrong.  They are supposed to be teaching you that you have been supernaturally gifted and endowed with THE FAITH OF CHRIST, that there is no other faith that matters.

 

That’s the first thing—till we all come to understand that each and every one of us has the same measure of faith, that measure of faith that was evidenced for us and exemplified for us through the Lord Jesus.  It’s HIS faith.

 

He said that’s the first thing they are supposed to be teaching.  Then, he says, “till we all come to . . . the knowledge of the Son of God.”

 

This is misleading  This is not capital “S” Son of God; this word is supposed to indicate “sons” plural.  And, the word “knowledge” here is a word that means “the full discernment and recognition that we are the sons of God.

 

You may have to make some notations in the margin of your Bible.  This is not just about Jesus alone; this is about Jesus as you; you in Him as Him.  That is what is being said.  He is saying that the message that they are to be teaching you is that you have one faith, it’s the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Each and every one of you has that same measure of faith.  And, that each and every one of you is a full-grown son of God.

 

This isn’t to be teaching just about Jesus as separated from you, as elevated above you, but associated with you.

 

He continues:  

Ephesians 4:13 (NKJV) 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 

Till we all come to the unity of the faith and till we all come to the knowledge of the son of God and till we all come into the understanding that we are perfect men, made perfect by the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Well, we can’t preach that, because if we preach that, people will think it’s okay to live like the devil.  

 

Well, the Bible says that if I continue to preach the message to you that you have been made perfect in Christ, that that message alone will turn you into somebody who bears the fruits of righteousness.  And, if I keep telling you that you are the righteousness of God in Christ and that He has made you perfect, and if I refuse to allow you to make that assessment based on the way you performed this week, then soon, as Philippians 1:11 says, you will begin to bear the fruits of righteousness.

 

Philippians 1:11 (NKJV) 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 

And, James tells us:

 

James 3:18 (NKJV) 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. 

So, till we all come to the understanding that we all have the same faith as Jesus, till we all come to the understanding that we are all full-grown sons of God, till we all come into the revelation and the understanding that we are perfect, and, look here, it says that we are perfect and of the stature of the fullness of Christ.  That is what I have been preaching here for 11 years now.  

 

Incidentally, it was 11 years ago today that we started Father’s House Ministries.

 

This is what is supposed to be preached in every church all the time.  It doesn’t make any difference whether it is an apostolic message, an evangelistic message, a prophetic message, a pastoral message, or a teaching, it all should be the same thing.  Everything is to be founded on these basic truths, on this basic revelation of who you are in Christ.

 

So, what Paul is talking about to this point is that all of this is already fact because of the finished work of Christ, and now we have been appointed to preach this message.  The message is already a fact.  The things we just talked about are already fact, because of the finished work of Jesus.

 

You may be thinking, “I just don’t have as much faith as Mike or Andrew or somebody.”

 

Yes, you do; you have as much faith as Jesus.

 

Here are the facts.  

 

·You are the sons of God.

 

Galatians 4:7 (NKJV) 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 

·You are made perfect in Christ.

 

Hebrews 10:14 (NKJV) 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. 

·So, you are the perfect sons of God.

·You have the stature of the fullness of Christ.

 

John 1:16 (NKJV) 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 

·You live your life in this flesh with the faith of the Lord Jesus.

 

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV) 20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 

This is the message that is to be preached:

 

Ephesians 4:14 (NKJV) 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 

The word “doctrine” means “teaching” or [instruction].  He is telling us that this revelation of the 13th verse is the only revelation that will enable us to get beyond the childish acceptance of the world’s conditions as our conditions, the things that we have been taught to believe.  He calls it, “the trickery of men.”

 

When I was about 28 years old I discovered I had been tricked into believing that we all have to be sick sometimes.  I discovered I had been tricked into believing certain things.  That’s the trickery of men.

 

And, “every wind of doctrine” is talking about things that come across the television that teach you that 1 in every 3, 1 in every 5, 1 in every 4, etc., is going to have this, that, or the other thing.  That is a teaching doctrine of the world, teaching you to be susceptible to cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, etc. 

 

And, Paul is saying the only thing that is going to give us the necessary revelation to quit being so childish in considering these things is the understanding that we have the faith of Jesus Christ, that we are already the sons of God, that we are perfect, in the full stature of Jesus Christ, that we can operate just like He operated:

 

“When the ruler of this world cometh, he has nothing in Me.”

 

John 14:30 (NKJV) 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. 

We need to do that.

 

So, now we know we are the perfect sons of God, operating in the faith of the fullness of Christ, and now we have been appointed to deliver the creation from the bondage of corruption.  That’s our appointment.  That is the work of the ministry.

 

Yes, when you teach that, sometimes you need a bigger building; sometimes you conduct services to tell people that.  I just wanted to make a distinction that the church service is not the work of the ministry; the church service is a place where we communicate the work of the ministry, and then we go out and do it.

 

So, how are we going to do it?

 

Ephesians 4:15 (NKJV) 15 . . .  speaking the truth in love, [we] may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- 

Do you see the progression here?  Teach them this these facts, because once the facts are the revelation in each man’s heart, this is what the facts will do for them, and this is how they are actually going to administrate . . . .  In other words, this is taking us from the understanding of facts through this transitional period into the experience.

 

How are we going to experience it?  By speaking the truth in love.

 

Ephesians 4:15 (NKJV) 15 . . .  speaking the truth in love, [we] may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- 

This word “grow up” means “to be enlarged and to increase in.”  So, as I speak the truth to myself in love, I am going to increase my experience of all the things of His finished work.

 

You ought to be shouting for joy!

 

He says I may grow up in all things into Him.  In all of the things of His finished work I may grow up, experience these things, as I speak the truth in love to my creation.

 

Ephesians 5:29 (NKJV) 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 

This say a man ought to nourish and cherish his flesh.  It says no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it.  So, the implication is that everyone ought to nourish and cherish their own flesh.  The word “cherish” there means “to diligently care for,” which is what love does.   So, he says every man ought to nourish and cherish his flesh.

 

And, hopefully, we’ve learned over the last several weeks that the substance of your physical being can only be truly nourished and cared for by the language of its origin, by the language of its substance.  The language of its origin is the language of love.  It was love that created mankind.  It was love that said, “Let there be . . . .”  “And, there was.”  So, every word was a word of love.  So, the complete process is right her in verse 15:

 

Ephesians 4:15 (NKJV) 15 . . .  speaking the truth in love, [we] may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--

 

What is truth?  

 

Ephesians 4:21 (NKJV) 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 

This is the first thing we need to make sure we understand when it comes to speaking the truth.  Many times we speak natural facts, but he is telling you to specifically speak the truth.  Truth trumps fact.

 

I’m not telling you that you can’t communicate facts, that you can’t talk about how you feel.  But, understand when you feel or have a diagnosis of such and such, that you need to learn to speak the truth to it.

 

He says the truth is in Jesus.  What does that mean?  

 

It means that whatever is true in Jesus is true of you.

 

This is really an all-inclusive statement:

 

Romans 6:9-11 (NKJV) 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

From this we want to understand sin and death are irrelevant, obsolete issues for Jesus.  If sin and death are irrelevant, obsolete issues for Jesus, then they are for you.

 

As I have said time and again, you cannot sin against God.  You can trespass against another person’s rights and privileges, and you need to learn how to deal with that effectively to restore that relationship that it may be healed.  The Bible says confess your sins one to another that you may be healed.  But, you can’t sin against God, because sin (Get the CD from Wednesday night.) was only by virtue of relationship to Adam.  And, no one is related to Adam any more.  Adam died at the cross, and every one is in Christ (Christ is not necessarily in them.).  No man is in Adam any more.  Adam is dead.  Gone.  And, sin was only by virtue of relationship.  It was relational sin.  It wasn’t trespass in the sense of what we do.  It was by relationship.  So, that’s dead; that is gone.

 

Here is what it says, it says that sin and death are irrelevant, obsolete issues for Jesus, and therefore, for you.

 

What is death?  Death is all those things that have been manifest in our lives because of sin that destroy the experience of our lives.

 

The church in its ignorant state has been duped into carrying on traditions of sickness and disease and depravity for 2,000 years when they were actually freed from sin back then.  That’s the truth.  You’ve got to learn to speak the truth to yourself.

 

Here is the point.  Speaking relevant, necessary information in Spanish to an English-speaking child nullifies the effects of the relevant, necessary truth.

 

As I said, we have all three things here that we need.

 

·Love defines the language of communication.  Love is the designated language of the spirit man.  It’s the answer of the spirit to the voice of your earth.

 

·Speaking the truth in the revelation of the love of God for me.  For the duration of this teaching we are going to be teaching on speaking the revelation of God’s love to your creation.  You can’t speak anything else.  The earth is going to cry out regardless.  And, in order to see any benefit, we need to learn to answer it from the spirit correctly.  “Deep calleth unto deep.”

 

Paul told the Colossians, “your speech always with grace seasoned.”  He said, “that you may know how you ought to answer.”  He didn’t say that you answer in grace.  He just said, Your speech with grace seasoned.  We are talking about the tone of voice in a sense, using the natural analogy.  He said your speech with grace seasoned that you may know how to answer each outside thing—everything that comes against us that is not of the inner spirit world.

 

He said the first thing you need to know is that the tone of voice needs to be the tone of grace.  So, when we have resolved that tone of voice issue and understand that it is grace, then grace is always going to remind us that love is the answer even when we are dealing with cancer, lack, or addiction.

 

Remember what each one of these things is.  Cancer is nothing more than cells gone rogue for lack of correct administration of your authority.  But, they are your cells; they belong to your body; they are you.  And, lack is nothing more than your economy in upheaval for the lack of proper administration.  It’s your economy.  You ought to love your own body.  You ought to nourish and cherish your own earth.  That’s what he said, Nourish and cherish it.  It needs that.  So, the language has to be this language of love.

 

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV) 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 

He is speaking about fruit (singular).  The fruit of the Spirit is love.  So, we could say love is the language of the spirit man to his outer circumstances.  The language of the spirit is love.  Wasn’t that the language of God?  The language of God is love.

 

We need to understand that the language that God speaks has certain characteristics to it.  So, he is telling us that the language of the spirit man to his earthen circumstances is love, and the ministry characteristics of that language are joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control.

 

Notice he says, “Against such there is no law. ” What does that mean?  That means that laws that are relating to the corruption of creation; i.e., the law of sin and death. . . .  

Romans 8:2 (NKJV) 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 

These laws that are related to the corruption of creation, i.e., laws of disease, laws of poverty, laws of destructive weather issues.  

Here are some examples of laws of disease:  normal, usual.  Those are laws that apply to everybody.  They say, “everybody needs colds.”  “It’s normal for children to get chickenpox, measles, or mumps.”  “There are certain things that are normal or usual.”  This is a broad spectrum law, this is a law of disease.

Here are some others:  

Chronic.  Did you know that “chronic” is a law of disease.  

Permanent is another words that is used to describe a law of disease.

Terminal.

These are laws of disease.  These are things that have become laws in this natural world in the futility of misuse, because of sin and death, originally.

But, in the New Covenant he is telling us that against the language of love, these laws have no effect; they cannot stand in the face of the language of love.  We need to learn to speak the truth in love, because love with its various ministry characteristics will bring the manifestation to your creation that it needs.  Guaranteed!  Yes, it works!

You say, “It can’t possibly work.”

So, they can’t prevail against the language of love.  Paul said the sufferings of this world are not comparable with the glory that is revealed in us—by the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:18 (NKJV) 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

I believe we’ve experienced enough frustration in the languages that we’ve learned of binding the devil, commanding the demons, rebuking the circumstances, cursing the disease.  Those are languages we’ve been taught that have only produced frustration in the church, because he did not say, “speaking the truth in cursing tone;” he didn’t say, “speaking the truth in binding and loosing.”  He didn’t say that.  He said, “speaking the truth in love.”

All of those languages that we’ve learned to speak are languages that actually emphasize our unbelief in the finished work in the finished work of Jesus and do emphasize the fact that my activity is necessary to complete what He didn’t complete; I must bind the devil, I must rebuke the disease, I must rebuke the devourer.  Jesus rebuked the devourer a long time ago.  It’s just our stupidity that is keeping us from walking in the abundance of financial and material blessing.  There is no need to even think or talk about the devourer, unless you want to remind him how totally defeated he is.

Remember, he told us that grace will tell us how we are to answer.

Colossians 4:5-6 (NKJV) 5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. 

Out of the characteristics of the language of love, we are going to see that when we have that tone of grace, when that is our seasoning of what we are about to speak, it will teach us how.  We will let grace teach us; grace is our teacher all the time.  Mike is not your teacher.

We will look at two of them today.  The first one is joy.

Nehemiah 8:10-12 (NKJV) 10 Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." 11 So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, "Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved." 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them. 

We know that the joy of the Lord is strength.  Weakness is simply strength in remission.  We are being told here that joy is the remedy.  This isn’t about some spiritual thing you do in church.  Some of you have some weakness in your physical body.  He says joy is the remedy.

So, understanding God’s grace (His desire to render favorable regard. in your life teaches you how you ought to respond.  God wants me strong.  He said, 

Joel 3:10 (NKJV) 10 Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, 'I am strong.' " 

So, He must want me strong.  God wants me strong.  This is God’s friendly disposition toward me resulting in pleasure, delight, and favorable regard—strength!

Grace teaches me how I am to speak.  Grace says, Here’s what you need, joy.  So, grace is teaching me what I need in my weakness.

Where does this joy come from?  Does it come as an answer to my prayer, “Oh, God please give me joy.”?

(missed some)

Nehemiah 8:12:  12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them. 

They understood what Nehemiah meant.

Let’s put this into words we can all grasp.  When you are out of fuel, what do you do?  You refuel.  So, when you are out of joy, what do you do?  You rejoice.  It’s a function of something you do, not a function of something God gives.  The joy of the Lord is already in you, but it is to be revealed.

Nehemiah 8:10:  10 Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

The weaknesses of this present time are comparable to the joy to be revealed in me when I understand I am the son of God.

What did Nehemiah tell them to do?  He did not tell them to rejoice greatly.  He said, “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”  He did not tell them to rejoice greatly.  

He told them to go your way, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared;”

Romans 15:4 (NKJV) 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 

So, he told them to partake of the body and the blood, the finished work of Jesus (eat the fat, drink the sweet), and begin to give out that which you freely received.

 

Matthew 10:8 (NKJV) 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 

Here is a heavenly combination.  Nehemiah knew what to do; he said when you eat the fat, when you consider the value of the finished work of Jesus Christ and you extend it to others, then you will rejoice greatly.

 

This  happened to me this week.  I really hurt my back last week; everything hurt.  I was really in agony, and started feeling sorry for myself.  Because I was called to minister to Nick, when I started talking to him about the blood and about the fat and the sweet and begin to give him what I had so freely been given, I began to rejoice greatly.  And, you can see me now, nothing is hurting any more!  I began to rejoice greatly.  

 

So, I just about reverted  back to who I was used to doing, in my old days of whining and bawling and squalling about things, thirty-some years later!  How stupid is that?  But, I had the opportunity.  We have the opportunity.

 

What Nehemiah said was, I know how to produce joy in these people.  You go eat the fat and drink the sweet and give some to somebody else too.  And, that produces joy in you.  So, the people rejoiced greatly.  Isn’t that awesome?

 

1 Peter 1:8-9 (NKJV) 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls. 

He is talking about believing in His finished work.  He says, believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith--salvation. 

This is the first thing.  The fruit of the spirit is love, joy.  It is a ministry characteristic.  It ministers to your creation, not to mention all the other things it would take care of in terms of depression, discouragement, etc.  

 

But, listen.  It ain’t God that needs to hear your rejoicing, it’s your creation that needs to hear rejoicing.

Just understand today that the fruit of the spirit is love.  And joy is a ministry characteristic, a characteristic of speaking the truth to yourself.

 

Last week when I began to speak the truth to myself, reminding myself of the blood and of the body, of the fat and of the sweet, and began to give it out to someone else, it changed my inner countenance and, therefore, changed my outer countenance.  And I have taught the church until I’m blue in the fact about rejoicing, and it took me a while to remember it myself.  This is why you will never find me condemning you for your immediate response, because I understand.  Sometimes I momentarily give in to the same things.  But, it’s exciting how the word always brings me back.

 

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