Articles
Mike Miller, Father's House Ministries - a Northern Colorado grace Church in Fort Collins, CO.
Album: Grace Tones
Titled: “Ministering To Your Earth” – Lesson 7
Sun., Sep. 26, 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’ve been talking about the effect of your voice, the words that you speak upon your environment, upon your physical body, upon your economy, upon your family, etc. Hopefully you have developed enough of an understanding to communicate effectively with your environment.
Perhaps we have spoken languages to our environment that haven’t been effective. But, over the years I have realized that there is an effective way, a prescribed way, a biblical prescription for effectively maintaining our environment, for effectively ruling over our environment , with the words of our mouth. This is truly the administrative function of those of us who understand that we have authority on the earth, and that we are going to administrate that authority with the words of our mouth, based on the belief, the persuasion of our heart.
Proverbs 12:18 (NKJV) 18 There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, But the tongue of the wise promotes health.
Proverbs 12:18 (KJV) 18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.
It’s wisdom to understand that we can administer health to our natural being, to our physical environment, with our tongue
Proverbs 13:3 (NKJV) 3 He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.
I used to say whatever I felt in my mind, my will, and my emotions; but, really all I was doing was confirming the validity of the circumstance to reign over me, to dominate me, in my life.
He who guards his mouth preserves his life.
Did it every occur to you that even the length of your life could very well be a function of your tongue?
So, many people is Christendom have adjusted their speaking, in a good way most of the time, focused on the words of Moses from Psalm 90:10:
Psalms 90:10 (NKJV) 10 The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
We have been taught that we were going to live 70 or 80 years. But, those words were actually a lament from Moses; they were not a promise of God. Still we hear people say, God has ordained that I should live 70 or 80 years. That is wrong. God didn’t ordain that anyone should live 70 or 80 years; God has said, “With long life I will satisfy you and let you see my salvation.”
Psalms 91:16 (NKJV) 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation."
I just want you to be focusing on some alternative ways of thinking than what we’ve become accustomed to. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the length of your life can be a function of your tongue?
Ephesians 4:15 (NKJV) 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--
Speaking . . . truth . . . love. Speaking the truth in love, we may grow up . . . . This word means “increase or expand” . . . into all things into Him. What is he talking about? He is talking about all of the things of His finished work. He is saying that all the things of His finished work become our experience when we speak the truth in love to our environment, to our body, to our economy, etc.
When I say economy, I’m not just talking about money. But, the Bible says,
2 Corinthians 8:9 (NKJV) 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.
We don’t want to discount our economy. We want to remember that God’s plan for us is prosperity; He wants us to live a prosperous life. He doesn’t want us to be in lack and in need all the time. Obviously your economy would involve your business, if you are a business owner, it would involve your job if you are an employee, etc. Your economy involves more than just your checkbook. So, keep these things in mind.
So, He wants us to be able to speak the truth in love into all of these things. Understand that speaking the truth in love is the biblical prescription for maintaining prosperity and health in your environment.
This might be hard for some of your who are addicted to pharmaceuticals, who are addicted to bank loans, who are addicted to . . . . Speaking the truth in love is the biblical prescription for the care and maintenance of your physical world.
You can have vision now to forsake your pharmaceutical dependence. You can have vision to forsake your dependence on the natural economy and upon the natural things guide and control our economy. You can have a vision. . . . I’m not saying you should go right out and do. I’m just saying begin to understand that God has a prescription for the care and maintenance of your physical environment in every respect, and it is speaking the truth in love.
What does speaking do? Speaking in this sense once again confirms that your voice is the single greatest influence on your environment. I’ve been telling you that from the beginning. Your voice can have effect on my environment, but your voice is the single greatest single effect upon your environment, upon your physical body, upon your economy, all the things that we commonly refer to around here as your earth. Your voice is the number one greatest influence.
He says, “Speaking the truth . . . .” For most Christians the truth has to do with the moment, it has to do with the circumstance, the experience, they are having right now; i.e., the truth is pain, the truth is lack, the truth is, “I can’t pay my rent.” But, that is not truth. It may be natural fact, but that is not truth.
So, when Jesus says, “Speaking the truth . . . .” We need this when we talk about righteousness and holiness, because, again, most Christians will tell you, “You don’t know how I’ve lived and how I’ve acted, and you are trying to tell my I’m the righteousness of God.” But, Jesus said to speak the truth. So, this is another area where you need to be able to speak the truth into your emotional stability. If you think you are an unrighteous, unworthy, unusable, unlovable, unacceptable worm, you need to begin to speak the truth into that area of your emotions, etc., and embrace the truth.
What is the truth? The truth refers to everything that was accomplished by the finished work of Jesus. Jesus said,
John 14:6 (NKJV) 6 . . . "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
In speaking to us, the body of Christ, Paul said,
Ephesians 4:21 (NKJV) 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
In that long passage there he was saying the truth is who you are in Jesus. That’s the truth.
When we are talking about speaking the truth, we are talking about speaking those things that are true of the risen Christ and therefore are true of you as well. That’s the truth you are supposed to speak.
Finally, Paul says we are supposed to speak it in love:
Ephesians 4:15 (NKJV) 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--
So, as we have been communicating here over the last several weeks, love is the language, if you will, that releases the truth to become the tangible expression in our lives.
We have tried some things; we understand this principle of speaking, and we’ve even spoken the truth: “‘By His stripes I was healed,’ . . . therefore I rebuke this situation.” But, we have just departed from love and gotten over into a situation that is not part of this language that the Bible has given us to speak for our own good and well being.
We’ve come in an area where we are rebuking things in our own physical body, for example, when this body is like your child. You wouldn’t rebuke your child by saying, “I rebuke you.” You correct a child in a different way, and it may amount to a rebuke.
We have become harsh with our circumstances, when the Bible says even when we are dealing with things like cancer and heart disease and lack and addiction, we are to speak the truth in love. We have thought we needed to see these things as demonic instrusions in our lives and therefore we need to become actively, aggressively, harsh toward these things to get them out of our life. And, yet, all of those harsh tones that we’ve taken do what? They express our unbelief in the finished work of Jesus; they show us not to have a confidence that He finished it and instead we feel like we must get involved in order to finish the work, “I’ve got to do this . . . .”
So, love is the language that releases the truth to become the tangible expression in our life. Love, is the language of our Creator. So, consequently, it is the language of our very origin and our substance. And, now, it is the language of the new creation spirit man.
What are we told?
2 Corinthians 5:17-18 (NKJV) 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God . . . .
So, the language our spirit man speaks (even though we may not be aware of it) is the language of love. That’s the language that your spirit man knows to be the language within you of effective restoration, repair, adjustment, etc., in our lives. It’s the language that God speaks. It’s the language of our origin. It’s the language of our substance. It’s the language that our being needs in order to be made whole. That makes Proverbs 18:14 an even more power statement,
Proverbs 18:14 (NKJV) 14 The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?
We now know that our recreated spirit man speaks the language of his Creator, the language of his own origin, and, we should understand it is even more true now than when Solomon wrote those words. But, Solomon knew back then that the spirit of a man could sustain him in sickness. We need to understand this as well and realize that this is the voice of our spirit.
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.
“Fruit” there is singular. Singular fruit is love. In other words, the fruit-bearing language of the spirit is this language of love. That is the language that will produce results, bear fruit, bring forth a harvest in your life. Love is the fruit of your human spirit. The fruit bearing language of your human spirit is love.
So, now we understand that the ministry characteristics of this spirit language reveal EVERYTHING NECESSARY for the repair and adjustment, the maintenance, the provision, of your natural being.
This may be hard for you if you are pharmaceutically dependent. Many of us are dependent upon many things. I know a lot of people who believe that supplements are their life, that health food is their life, that exercise is their life.
I’m not telling you one way or the other, but I want you to know that my life does not depend upon the supplements I take or the food I eat or the exercise I get.
Paul tells us:
1 Timothy 4:8 (NKJV) 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
In the 1970s Kenneth Hagin used to say, “But you ought to have the little it profiteth.” He said, “But, don’t get your confidence and your faith in your exercise.” Don’t make this your life support system.
Understand that the real life support system is revealed in these characteristics of the language of love. Everything that your physical environment needs in order to prosper and be in health is revealed in these characteristics—joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Everything you life needs is revealed here, and all those things are based on what? They are based on the revelation of the love of God for you. The fruit of the spirit is love. We have a revelation of God’s love.
John said, “We have come to know and believe in the love that God has for us.”
1 John 4:16 (NKJV) 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
We want to get beyond the concept of knowing God loves us because scripture says so and truly begin as individuals to believe in that love. And, when we believe in the love God has for us at all times, under all circumstances, then we will begin to employ these characteristics of the language to bring stability and health and restoration to our physical environment.
So, all of these characteristics reveal everything we really need. We don’t need anything more. In other words, if these things are being ministered to your earth by your mouth, Paul says in Gal. 5:23, “against such there is no law.”
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.
What does he mean Paul that? He is saying that none of these laws that became corrupted because of Adam’s actions . . . .
He is talking about the laws of health that now have become laws of disease in the natural world. We know they are laws defined for us by man, that are known as “normal,” “usual,” “chronic,” “permanent.” For example, normal childhood diseased. Chronic condition. Those are laws of disease that are assigned to different people. Some of these laws are defined by words such as, “terminal.”
He is telling us that—against these characteristics of ministry that come in the language of love—none of these laws will prevail against you.
There are perverted laws that were created to be a blessing to us; i.e., the law of health.
We talk about controlling things like tornadoes. The laws of nature were not intended for cold air and hot air to come together and create a destructive force. Cool air was to come and be a blessing to people at certain times. But, now these laws have been perverted. And, understanding this I speak to tornadoes when I see them and watch them go away. So, all I am saying is we need to understand these things.
The truth I am going to speak to this tornado when I see it coming is that, You have not been ordained of God to destroy my property or my family or my belongings. Now I can’t necessarily control what is going to happen to my neighbor or someone else, but I do have control where my own environment, where my earth is at stake. So, I can look at a tornado and I can say, You can’t come here. Be gone. And, most of the time they just go right back up in the sky. That’s what I’m talking about.
There are laws of nature that have become corrupt, subjected to futility as Romans 8 tells us because of the actions of Adam in the beginning.
So, Paul says, “against such (against these characteristics of the ministry of the language of love) no law can prevail.” That’s good news. Again, what are we talking about? We are talking about a revelation of God’s love for us.
We are going to see joy in the scriptures is revealed as a remedy for weakness. But, we are also going to see it’s a remedy for heart disease and for mental depression. There are many other things that are revealed in the scripture with regard to these.
Nehemiah 8:10 (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."
There he tells you that the remedy for weakness is joy.
Nehemiah 8:11-12 (NKJV) 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.
Nehemiah did not tell them to go rejoice. He told them to go eat the fat, drink the sweet, and to freely give that which had been freely given to them. In other words, he told them, You go and partake of the sacrifice. You go and participate in the sacrifice, the fat of the lamb, the sweetness and the power of the blood in our lives. He said the sacrifice was prepared for your consumption, and there’s enough that you can freely give what you have freely received. He said give some to the unprepared. He said, Go and give. He said, You participate, you partake, you eat the fat, drink the sweet, and give . . . . and, you see, when we get focused on the sacrifice, when we get focused on the finished work of Jesus and the power of the body and the blood and what it has done to our lives that always brings rejoicing.
. . . moping around feeling the pain, moping around feeling the lack, etc., moping, moping, moping . . . . But, my wife says to me, “Focus on what the Lord has done.” And, soon I find myself rejoicing. “Thank you, Father, that no matter how I feel at this moment, this moment is not my destiny. This moment is just that, a moment, something that is subject to change.”
So, Nehemiah specifically told them what they were to do. Notice it says,
Nehemiah 8:12 (NKJV) 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.
When he said the joy of the Lord is your strength, what did they understand? They understood that this joy was only going to come to them because they rejoiced.
Rejoicing is like refueling with the very substance of strength, which is joy. When you are out of fuel, you refuel, and when you are out of joy, you rejoice.
Here, we find specifically that joy is the substance of strength.
Joel 3:10 (NKJV) 10 Beat your plowshares into swords And your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, 'I am strong.' "
We are not destined for weakness. We are not destined for infirmity—the inability to produce results.
Proverbs 18:14 (NKJV) 14 The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, But who can bear a broken spirit?
The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness or infirmity (that’s what that word is there). The spirit of a man will minister to the outer man with regard to these characteristics of the ministry of love that will restore those missing ingredients—strength.
I encourage you to try some of these things. Try them. When you are having a day of weakness or tiredness, start rejoicing.
I realize now when I have a down day that I can begin to rejoice in the finished work of Jesus, but it’s also okay to sit and relax that day. But, I can begin to rejoice in the value of the Lord’s strength in my life, and it empowers me, it strengthens me. So, try some of these things, folks.
So, as I said, rejoicing is refueling with the substance of strength which is joy.
Proverbs 17:22 (NKJV) 22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.
That word is joyful. A joyful heart does good, like medicine. The Literal Hebrew implies that joy is medicine for the heart. It’s not just medicine for the rest of your body, because your heart is joyful, it implies that this is speaking to cardio-vascular health. “A merry heart does good, like medicine.” A joyful heart does good, like medicine.
Proverbs 15:13 (NKJV) 13 A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
Again, it’s the word joyful. A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance. The word “countenance” refers not only to the surface of your face but also the way things look in your circumstances. In other words, it is telling us here that a joyful heart actually has an effect on the circumstances, the way things look, in your life.
Don’t things look differently when you begin to rejoice? Now, they may not instantly change; the threat may still be there with regard to the offer being made by the world to penetrate your bubble of joy, but it begins to change the way things look. You begin to see things in a different light than you saw them before. He is saying a joyful heart actually has the effect of changing the way you see things. A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance.
Today, I want to touch on a couple more ministry characteristics relating to Galatians 5:22-23, to give you enough so you can develop a working relationship with the dialog of your physical and spiritual voices. We talked about the voices of your earth that cry out, “the deep calling unto deep,” from Psalm 42:7:
Psalms 42:7 (NKJV) 7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
I want you to be able to develop a working relationship with the dialog; there is a dialog that takes place between your physical and your spiritual voices. We’ve been trying to emphasize that your earth is crying out from within the very substance of its being, recognizing that the word in it is not being joined together in agreement with the word of the spirit, and, consequently, there has been a corruption or a violation of some element of your physical being—because we are all made out of the word.
If we are all made out of the word, then everybody should live in perfect health—because the word is health. But, no. He said, if two of you agree.
Matthew 18:19 (NKJV) 19 Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
So, there needs to be agreement between your physical and your spiritual. When these two agree, there is a dialog that takes place. (One week we talked about “The Voice of the Flesh,” (the voice of your natural man), and last week we talked about “The Answer of the Spirit.” There is an answer that comes from the spirit that will meet the need of the voice of the flesh. That’s why Paul said when our speech is with grace, seasoned . . . .
In other words, when we are coming from a revelation of grace, we will know how to answer each thing that comes against us. We will know how we need to answer. We will know if we need to answer with joy, if we need to answer with peace or patience or kindness or faithfulness or gentleness or self control. That’s what he is saying.
But, you have to be standing in a revelation of grace, which means what? That God desires to show in every instance in your life His favorable regard. He desires to bestow upon you pleasure, delight, and favorable regard at all time. There is never a time when God does not to display His favorable regard. So, that needs to be the tone of my voice, so to speak. And, of course, we are referring to something that is going to be a heart perception right now. I’m going to perceive in my heart that God wants to bless me.
God doesn’t care what I did to get into this thing, this financial difficulty, what error I made, how poorly I invested, how foolishly I spent. It doesn’t make any difference what I did to get into this situation, God still wants to bestow upon me favorable regard, because that’s His friendly disposition toward me.
When I have that grace tone, now I have been instructed by grace how I ought to answer each one (according to Colossians 4:5-6) of the outside things that come against me.
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.
Today I want to leave you with enough so you can begin to be effective in this.
We talked about love and joy; the next one is peace.
Mark 4:38-39 (NKJV) 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
Verse 38 -- 38 But He [Jesus] was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"
I want you to realize how many times you have come to Jesus and said these very words, even since you’ve been born again, even since you have been a recipient of the finished work of Jesus. You have come to Him and said, Teacher, do you not care that I’m perishing? My finances are going down the tube. My physical body is a mess; don’t You care?
A man called me the other day and said, “I wish God would just show me that He cared.” That’s the way most believers are; most believers aren’t sure God cares, because they are not speaking the truth, they are speaking the circumstances of the day. They are giving value to the circumstances.
Verse 39 -- 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
In Matthew 8:26 it just says Jesus rebuked the winds and the waves. So, we’ve decided to rebuke things that come against us in life. But, what it says in Mark is, He rebuked the wind, and SAID to the sea. . . .
Circle that word “said” there. This is Jesus actually speaking to it. Jesus said to the wind. . . .
When Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus, He said you feel the wind, but you don’t know where it’s going or where it came from. You know it’s there because you see things moving.
John 3:8 (NKJV) 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
And, Jesus spoke to that thing [the wind] that you don’t know where it’s coming from or where it’s going. Jesus spoke to the wind like the wind has ears.
Verse 39 -- 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
It says the wind ceased and there was a great calm. What did Jesus do? He said. . . .
How did Jesus bring calm and induce self-control?
I want you to get this, because disease is nothing more than health out of control—health in confusion—because God created you in health. This is also true of your economy. It was designed to be self-correcting.
The word of God is the substance of all things, and all things were completed thoroughly including the capacity of repair and adjustment by the word (Heb. 11:3) (Mike’s amplified version). Everything was created with the capacity for repair and adjustment. So, the word in you is the self-correcting ______ of creation. Medical science tells us that our body is designed to be self-healing.
This is what Jesus did. Even though we are talking about a breeze and a fishing lake here, you need to understand this is what Jesus did in order to bring great calm and to produce self-control, which is self-repair and adjustment. He said . . . . He said . . . . He said . . . . He said, “Peace.” He was saying, Be what you were made to be.
He looks at the sea and says, “Peace. Be still.” In other words, be what you were made to be.
What were they made to be?
Well, first, don’t be a source of fear for My disciples who thought they were perishing; don’t be a source of torment and destruction, but be what you were made to be. You were made to be a place of recreation, a place of livelihood for these fishermen. You were made to be a place of irrigation water for the crops. That, sea, is what you were made to be. He is saying to the sea, Be what you were made to be.
What was the response from the sea? Self-control. The sea settled into what it had been made to be.
Be what you were made to be.
John 14:27 (NKJV) 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
We just saw how He used His peace: “Peace. Be still.” He said I’m going to leave this with you.
John 20:19 (NKJV) 19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you."
John 20:21 (NKJV) 21 So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."
John 20:26 (NKJV) 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!"
There is no doubt Jesus was telling them that because of His death and resurrection we now have peace with God. But, in John 14:27 Jesus is not only confirming that, but He is also saying I’m giving you this administrative ability of peace. We saw how He used His peace. He said I’m not giving as the world gives; the world sees it as the absence of problems, etc. So, He is leaving each one of us with peace as an administrative characteristic.
“Peace. Be still” has the same effect on the cells of your body that it had on the sea of Galilee. If any of you in here have heart rhythm issues, “Peace. Be still,” has the same effect on heart rhythm issues that it had on the sea of Galilee. If there any of you in here who have brain wave malfunctions or issues, “Peace. Be still,” has the same effect on the brain waves that it had on the sea of Galilee. It has the same effect on upheaval in your economy. Listen, it has the same effect on the raging demands of addiction.
Years ago when I was addicted to cigarettes, I made a determination that because of the power of God in my life because the Holy Spirit had enough power to actually save me from hell and take me to heaven that he also had enough power to overcome the raging demands of addiction.
People are addicted to pharmaceuticals, pain medications. Many have gotten involved with illegal drugs and alcohol. There is a demand that addictions makes on you that, “Peace. Be still,” will calm. I just want you to know that—if you want to be free of something.
I want you to understand that what Jesus left with you to administrate your freedom is, “Peace. Be still.” That is awesome.
I don’t need to take some other drug to get off some drug, etc. I’m just telling you I don’t have to do those things. You might as well use something that God has given us, and you can begin to speak to these raging situations in your life. If you are having severe issues with things like menopause, raging hormones, etc., “Peace. Be still,” works.
I’m trying to talk to you so you will say, This is an area of my life where I can use this language of love, and I can begin to see change in my life.
My wife gave a testimony a few weeks ago about how she dealt with the constant allergies that she had, and how she spoke this language that God had given her to speak to those things, and hers was a language of rejoicing; it was a taking joy in the creation of God, etc.
Here is the reason I say it works on all these things. We saw this in Romans 8:20 that none of the systems of your earth are willing to destroy you.
Romans 8:20 (NKJV) 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope;
Adam subjected the creation to futility, not willingly. And, we learned that none of the systems of your life are willing to be used incorrectly to destroy you or to bring harm or danger to you. They are not willing to do that, but they require the administrative word of their master—that’s you. They are going to be what they were made to be by men before us until we begin to take action to turn them in our favor once again, because originally the forces were exhibited favorably. So, they are not willing. We have to give them Godly direction.
Patience is the next one. Jesus told us in Luke 21:19 that through your patience you will possess your souls.
Luke 21:19 (NKJV) 19 By your patience possess your souls.
What do we know about our souls?
You will prosper and be in health as your soul prospers:
3 John 1:2 (NKJV) 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
So, it’s through your patience (not joy or peace) you would possess your souls.
There is a lot of cross-training value to all of this; you know how you cross-train when you want to improve on everything.
(missed some)
In other words, through your patience you take control over the way you think, the way you react, and even your will.
When we did the “Promise of God” series, I spent a lot of time teaching on patience, so you can go to that.
Prosperity and health have their roots in your soul, so patience is another valuable language. Patience is the voice that redeems time. Patience is the voice the declares the true value of time.
The false declaration of time is, “You only have three months to live.” Therefore, time is your enemy. But, patience is the voice that declares the true value of time—that time is your ally based on, “as long as the earth remains, seed, time, and harvest shall not cease.”
Genesis 8:22 (NKJV) 22 "While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease."
So, patience is that voice.
James 5:7 (NKJV) 7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
What does “waiting patiently for it” mean? It is actually telling you to get your voice involved.
James 1:4 (NKJV) 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
Patience is a voice just like all the rest of these [characteristics in Gal. 5:22]. Patience is a voice that needs to be spoken to our circumstances. Here is what our circumstances need to hear. Here is patience. I speak to my body, and I say, “Listen, this is growth time, this is recovery time, this is increase time, seen or unseen.”
This is growth time, this is time when my body or my economy is recovering. Repair and adjustment is occurring whether or not I can see it.
Patience speaks to these things and ensures that your recovery is imminent. That’s what patience does. It doesn’t make any difference how I feel at the moment.
Keep in mind that all these characteristics are rooted in our acceptance of God’s love for us. So, the defining expression is always going to be an expression of the provisional certainties of that love. In other words, because I know God loves me, I know that He has made provision for me, and it is absolutely certain, it’s imminent. It can’t be any other way.
I tell people this all the time. Jesus said when I lay hands on the sick they will recover, so you are going to recover. They need to tell themselves they are going to recover. Their voice is the voice with the grace influence, not mine.
If the Bible tells you you are going to recover, as far as I’m concerned, recovery is imminent. It can’t be any other way.
So, we want to be giving assurances to our earth that because of the great love with which He loved us, all is well in spite of the moment. We need to be confident to do that. So, I’ve got to begin to tell my body how much God loves me, tell my economy how much God loves me.
“Economy, you are my economy, and God loves you with a great love.”
Here is the point. You’ve got to learn to talk to your earth about the qualities of God’s great love that ensure your provision, your protection, your recovery. Begin to talk to your earth. Talk to your earth about the qualities of God’s love. Tell your earth about them, about His faithfulness, His goodness, His gentleness, His kindness, His patience with you. Talk to your earth about these things.
You shouldn’t need any help becoming fluent in this language, especially those of you who come here to church, because that’s all I talk about. You shouldn’t have any trouble becoming fluent in this language.
I want to give you a few things to give you an idea of the cross-training value, so to speak.
Proverbs 12:25 (NKJV) 25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it [the heart] glad [joyful].
Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes the heart joyful.
Proverbs 17:22 (NKJV) 22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.
This tells us that joy is heart medicine.
In both these instances we are talking about cardiovascular health.
But, Prov. 17:22 also says, “a broken spirit dries the bones.”
Proverbs 15:30 (NKJV) 30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, And a good report makes the bones healthy.
A good report makes the bones healthy.
So, apparently, skeletal health and cardiovascular health have a lot in common. Where are your blood platelets manufactured? Where are the blood corpuscles manufactured? In the marrow of your bone. There is probably a lot more connections between the bone and the heart than I know.
Here is the point. We see these two things both in the same place here. So, I want to encourage you to take a literal perspective on these things, to actually see them literally.
He says an anxious heart causes depression and it also dries the bones. Well, it could be arthritis, osteoporosis, and lots of things fall under “dries the bones.”
But, we learned that joy is heart medicine.
Proverbs 15:23 (NKJV) 23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!
Proverbs 12:25 (NKJV) 25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, But a good word makes it [the heart] glad [joyful].
Or, we could say a word of God’s goodness makes the heart joyful. And, isn’t that the primary thing we want to think about? It’s telling Mark it’s the goodness of God, and that’s how it’s going to change the situation in his heart (when he had that situation).
We could read it, “a word of God’s goodness makes the heart glad,” but at the same time, “a report of God’s goodness makes the bones healthy.” Do you see how it affects both the heart and the bones?
In Prov. 12:25 the word “word” there implies “the speaking of.” In Prov. 15:30 “report” means “to hear.”
So, we have a good word or a spoken word of God’s goodness makes the heart joyful. And, a report of God’s goodness makes the bones healthy.
We are being told our heart and our bones hear and respond favorably to the spoken word of God’s goodness. That’s why David was always saying, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”
Psalms 34:8 (NKJV) 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
The word “goodness” appears many, many times in the Old Testament.” [Ed.” 78 times] God is good, and He does good.
Here is a final instruction. This may be the most important thing I’ve said today, so listen carefully.
Because your earth is and always has been programmed to your voice, your sphere of authority has settled into patterns of behavior that YOU personally spent years developing and teaching it to expect.
Your sphere of authority (economic, physical, emotional, etc.) has now settled into patterns of behavior, consequently, when you begin to issue new directives and new expectations (which I hope you will do), your earth will undoubtedly hesitate and even seem to reject your directions. And the reason for this is your body or your economy will initially be confused by the apparent miscommunication of its master.
Jesus said,
Matthew 6:24 (NKJV) 24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Neither can your body nor your economy serve two masters. When your body and your economy become accustomed to being mastered by particular situations and circumstances with your agreement, all of a sudden you are confusing your body. This is where so many Christians drop off the chart and miss out.
Your body, your economy, is confused; it thinks you are miscommunicating. But, going back to the statement that your earth is programmed to your voice, your earth will identify your voice (probably not mine) and it will gradually adjust to your words when there is consistency in your directives.
This is why we can’t give up and say, “I’ve tried that.”
While you were trying it your body, your economy, was still trying to adjust to the new way of doing things, because you had confused it with so many years of bad information. And, now, you are trying to tell it to do something that it’s not accustomed to at all and has become so accustomed to the old way of doing things.
We went through two or three years of making some adjustments until we finally realized we could say, “Our children won’t be sick any more.” When we first started, we were basically saying the same things, but our children were being healed as we prayed for them, taking less and less time, because our bodies were getting used to a new way of living, a new way of life.
So, the point is there is a due season, if you don’t lose heart. But, you are undoubtedly going to have moments of wondering, and when you do, I want you to come back to CD#7 on the series “Grace Tones,” and fast-forward to the end where Pastor Mike said, “These may be the most important words of this series” because you’ve got to not abandon the process. The process is productive. This is where patience and faithfulness become viable language skills.
Consider for a moment a child that has been adopted into your home that came out of an abuse and neglect situation. That child will be suspicious of just about everything you do, and yet that child desperately needs love. And, you’ve adopted this child because your really love this child; you really want to bless this child. You want to be a blessing to this child. But, they are suspicious. This is the way your body, your economy, etc., is going to be—suspicious of you, because you have been subjecting your body, your economy, etc., to abuse and neglect without realizing it. But, the truth is your sphere of authority years for strength and stability, just like this adopted child deeply yearns to be loved.
Psalms 8:2 (NKJV) 2 Out of the mouth of babes . . . .
So, you are going to keep telling this child how much you love him. You are not going to rebuke this child. You are not going to call him Satan. You are not going to bind him and loose him. You are not going to curse him.
Your body is just like that. Your body is a child of God, and all of the things in your body, in your economy, etc., that Jesus died for are part of God’s plan for your life.
So, all of these are to be constantly, faithfully, reminded about God’s love and God’s goodness, and that because of Jesus all is well.
(We’ve been doing this for 35 years, making adjustment along the way, not being perfect at any one time, always needing to make necessary adjustments, and I’m seeing more and more positive effect because of the adjustments we’ve made. And, I’m just hoping you will start at that place that I finally got to after 35 years. And, there will still be adjustments you will need to make. No message I preach is a perfect message or the final word on any given subject. But, get busy with this. Use this and watch things change. I do promise you this: They will change.)
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