Sheep Don’t But(t)

Show and tell is always a favorite of school children.  We get satisfaction sharing our treasures and the things that give us pleasure with others.  However, God’s kingdom is set up exactly opposite: Tell and show. We speak faith prayers and then the answer is shown.

Jesus taught this amazing principle in Mark 11:23-25:  “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.”  Notice the order.  First you believe you receive them before you get them.  Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen.  By faith we are sure it has been granted before the answer appears.  This confidence is strongly reiterated in 1 John 5:14-15, “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

Let’s see how this principle applies to making prayers of faith.  Someone may pray for healing according to the Word “by His stripes I am healed,” but then say the pain is still there.  Our words have the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21).  The “but” statement comes from the physical and overrides the spiritual truth of the prayer for healing.  Things of God are spirit and truth, they come to our spirit, and then the spiritual truth in the heart and declared by the lips impacts the physical.  It is the same foundation upon which we were saved.  We receive the truth that Jesus’ death and resurrection justifies us (it is finished meaning every sin is paid for in full), and establish this reality of salvation by declaring with our lips, “Jesus is Lord.”  We willingly acknowledge He owns us and we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17), even if we don’t “feel” any change.  However, this spiritual truth produces new life in us as we receive it and begin to walk it out in faith.  Life flows from the spiritual to the physical.

Consider the application of this principle in the sheep and goats in the Matthew 25 explanation of judgment. Jesus separated the sheep from the goats.  Clearly the main difference was what each one did and did not do to others.  The goats saw the need but had an excuse. Their “but” was more persuasive than the Word that ordered them to love others as themselves. On His right hand, the sheep didn’t “but,” and responded with love and compassion to those in need.

Imitate the sheep attitude by refusing to let the physical excuses and reasonings stop us from holding fast our confession of faith or obedience to God.   I am still saved and born again even if I fail to do everything right.  I am healed and my needs are met because of God’s faithful promise not because my physical sensations.  They will follow.  Don’t let physical input nullify your faith confession.  James points out that a double minded man should not think that he will receive.  Faith and patience inherit the promises.  

God’s Word is yes and amen.  We receive it by giving thanks (Philippians 4:6 make supplication with thanksgiving) and establish this truth by our speaking His words rather than saying the thoughts and feelings of our fallen nature.  Sheep don’t but.

Why Your Words Talk

 God’s Word is alive! His words are active and do things according to Hebrews 4:12,  The words from His mouth accomplish His purpose (Isaiah 55:11).  Since we are created in the image and likeness of God, it follows that  this same principle operates in your words and my words.  Our words are never void of power.

There are, however, two sides to this coin.  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, (Proverbs 18:21) and we will eat the fruit of what we. speak.  We can make positive things happen with our words, but speaking negatively will open the door for the enemy to perform the evil spoken. Job explained that the evil he feared (and spoke) came upon him.

  Jesus revealed that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. So when we say “I think I am getting a cold” that is what we believe in our heart and we have just allowed that to happen. However, on the other hand, declaring that God “renews my strength like the eagles” (Psalm 103:5} or that the Holy Sprit gives life to my body just like He raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11)  that confession releases His power and produces physical health.

Words are containers that are able to hold the spiritual power and authority that the speaker puts in them. That is why God gave us the Word of God and sent Jesus to demonstrate what the Word does.  God spoke, “let there be light” and creative power went forth.  In Psalm 107:20 it declares He sent forth His Word and healed them.  Jesus spoke that the demon “be gone “ and he fled.  healed.  Obviously, these actions were in the heart of God who expressed them by speaking His words.  

Jesus is the exact image of God the Father“according to Colossians 1:15 and Hebrews 1:3.  This Jesus and the name of Jesus contains” the heart of the loving Father and all His attributes. It follows that the spoken name of “Jesus,” which is the name above all names, releases the authority and attributes of God over every other force or circumstance.

Someone once asked God why He wanted us to praise Him so much because it sounds almost egotistical.  The Lord answered, “When you praise, whatever you praise Me for, that you allow Me to do for you.” When two agree it will come to pass.  Amos says, “How can two walk together unless they agree.”

The great confession or declaration is that Jesus has redeemed us from all the consequences of sin.  We are saved according to Romans 10:8-10 by the confession of our mouth, being justified by believing in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead (meaning every sin which deserves death has been completely paid for).  We declare Jesus over our problems and then our real job is to hold fast to that confession that He is Lord by speaking words that declare He rules over every enemy.

Jesus” message in the Gospels was (and therefore IS absolutely true)  that the kingdom of God has come.”  Therefore, it makes sense since we know that awesome truth, that He reigns over my needs ( met by His riches in glory Philippians 4:19), heals my sickness and pains (by His stripes I am healed Isaiah 53:4 and Psalm 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul, forget not His benefits, who heals all your diseases) that we should agree with His Word by speaking this truth also.

Your words talk.  They carry life or death. They release God’s power when they are consistent to the Word, and reject His power when they disagree.  

Holy Spirit, teaches us to agree with Your Word in our hearts and boldly speak them into existence over all our situations.  Stop us when we say wrong words which are contrary to God’s promises.  You make my words talk!