Scripture reference: Mark 11:22-23 NKJV; Mark 11:24 KJV; Mark 4:24-25 NKJV; Proverbs 18:21 NKJV; Isaiah 55:8-11 NKJV; Isaiah 55:11 CJB, ERV, MSG; 1 Corinthians 13:11 AMPC; Ephesians 4:29 NLT; Psalm 8:1-6 KJV; Genesis 1:2-3 NKJV; Matthew 12:36 NKJV; Luke 12:48 NKJV; Proverbs 13:3 NKJV; Psalm 39:1 NIV; Job 1:11 NKJV; Job 2:9 NKJV; Psalm 106:32-33 CJB; 1 Thessalonians 5:15 NKJV; 1 Peter 3:9 NKJV; Matthew 4:2-3 NKJV; 1 Peter 5:8 NKJV
Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for Your amazing grace, Your saving grace and then Your grace attached to our very purpose. Thank you, Lord Jesus. We love You, our resurrected King, our Saviour and our Master. To You our praise, we bring. hallelujah, hallelujah.
Oh, Lord Jesus, Your resurrection life is working its full power in us this morning. So, Father, we come by faith and we say thank you that You are taking us to the highest levels attainable; that Jesus paid for on the cross. We say thank you, Lord. We ask for the anointing of Your Spirit this morning. Jesus, that we may see with Your eyes, Jesus, that we may hear with Your ears, and it will enter into our hearts. We declare what You have prepared for us, Lord. This morning, Lord, reveal it to us, not with words of human wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and His power, Lord. Hallelujah.
Lord, that it can be by faith in my heart, and all of our hearts this morning, that it can be by faith, and not in the wisdom of man, but Holy Spirit, in Your power, You with us this morning. We all say, amen. You may be seated. Hallelujah. Pastor John and Sharon will be back soon. Nog net ‘n paar slapies dan is hulle terug. But, we bless them. We bless them for everything that God has for them in the realm of His maximum. Hallelujah. We bless Pastor John and Sharon and they will be back soon. They send all their love to us, every time. We just love them dearly.
Please go to Mark chapter 11 verse 22 this morning. Pastor John has received from the Lord and therefore he’s sharing with us about faith and cooperating with God. In Pastor John’s last message, he said; I’m reaching for the maximum, and therefore he’s telling us to reach for the maximum and he said this; We have to press in by faith for those things. We have to press in by faith for those things. We love the message that Pastor Garth so powerfully brought; Have Faith in God. So let’s read it this morning. Mark 11, verse 22 to 24. I’m reading in the New King James. ²² So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God.” (Mark 11:22 NKJV)
Please look at the 23rd verse. And I’ve asked the wonderful team to do something with me and look how beautiful they’ve circled what I’ve asked them to circle. They did a great job. Look at that. I just want to say to you, as we read the 23rd verse this morning, hear Jesus. The Master is speaking to you and me. ²³ For assuredly, I say to you, Can you see Jesus is doing His own saying? He says, 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. (Mark 11:23 NKJV) God is definitely emphasising ‘saying’. I really want you to see it in that verse this morning. Hallelujah.
God wants us to speak to the mountain. This is what He’s been sharing with me the last few weeks. God wants us to speak to the mountain, not climb the mountain. We will be able to reach the maximum if we actually believe what God says we can do; speak to the mountain. We must not twist what He is saying. Let’s read verse 24. ²⁴ Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe,” (Mark 11:24 KJV) When you pray, believe. God says, “When you pray, believe.” God does not say, “When you pray, pay.” He says, “When you pray, believe.” The spirit man must first take it before the soul will know how to obtain it.
Many people have twisted what God said. They immediately think when I pray, I must pay. No, when you pray, the first step is to believe. The first step is always faith, then God will show you how it will come to you. Because, and this, to see Pastor John in action is powerful, God never checks your bank account when He tells you to do something. He never checks your bank account. God will prompt Pastor John and you will remember when the Lord said, “Pastor John, build this stage.” Whether there’s money in the bank or not, God is telling Pastor John to believe for it, the first step, and we always see Pastor John doing that.
Remember Pastor John said a very, very powerful thing; It’s not just about getting the car, or the house, or the business or the things, it’s how you get the car. You see, faith is the substance of things, but in the past, I was part of that, for most people, it’s their scheming and plotting and chasing to get the car, the house or the things. No, God says, “When you pray, believe. Faith is the substance of things.”
It’s in your saying and believing. It’s just what came up in my spirit, you know, when God’s talking to me; it’s in your saying and your believing, it’s not in your praying and paying. It’s saying and your praying and believing. Faith is the thing that will get the things that we are believing for. Just look at the 23rd verse again. We’re going to take a look at it quite a lot today. Very important part and here I go into my message the way God wants me to minister this morning, 23 For assuredly, says Jesus, I say to you, whatever you are saying to this mountain,” (Mark 11:23 NKJV). Jesus is not going to do the saying, the Holy Spirit is not going to do the saying. Me and you must do the saying. We have to speak to the mountain. But it’s in this saying where most Christians are messing it up, right here when they have to say.
So, go to Mark 4:24, what Pastor John shared with us in his last messages. Many people think they pay attention to what they say but they really don’t, they’re also just saying it without believing it. And Brother Jerry said many times, Brother Copeland had to say to him, “Brother Jerry, your big mouth is your problem.” Your big mouth is your problem.
So, let’s read Mark 4 verse 24 New King James. 24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. Verse 25. 25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (Mark 4:24-25 NKJV). Now, look at verse 24. When God says take heed, this is really very important today. Again, this message is not for the one next to you. This one is for you and for me. If God says, “take heed,” if someone is telling you to take heed, it means, be careful. Be careful. Because God says when you’re going to hear something, you’re going to say something. You’re going to speak.
Most people when they hear something they want to give their opinion, they want to make a remark. For example, I always used the petrol price in the Bible School. When the interest rate is going up, we know this when you are with people, most of them immediately will say, “Now, all things will become more expensive. Now, it’s expensive, I will not be able to do this or that.” And right there God says, “I must use your measure.” Take heed. Be very careful. You heard something and then you want to say something. And this is the big thing that God wants us to see today; take, take heed, be careful. You’re going to hear, you want to say, and then words are coming.
Please go to Proverbs 18:21 New King James. We have many new people in the church today, but let me tell you, for some of us who are here for a long time, we must still get this. We must still get this. Proverbs 18:21 says, 21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue. (Proverbs 18:21 NKJV) Now that’s not God’s tongue. There is no death in His tongue. Life or death is in the power of my or your tongue. Whatever you’re going to say, you will have it. You say it, you own it.
Now, I talk a lot with the Bible School students about this. You cannot say when Pastor John or Pastor Sharon is ministering, you cannot walk out this church and say, “This message was unbelievable. Dit was ongelooflik mooi.” Oh, so you can’t believe it. You just cut it off right there. Oh, so you can’t believe it, you just cut it off right there. Especially in the Afrikaans language, dis ongelooglik mooi. We cannot do it. You cannot walk out here and say the message was fantastic. Fantastic means fiction, only an illusion. We cannot speak this way. You cannot say the message was incredible. It means there is no credit to it. We cannot speak like that. You cannot say in Afrikaans, “Sit doodstil. Bly doodstil.” We cannot use words like that, hallelujah.
Look at Mark 11:24 to 25 again. Life or death is in the power of the tongue. Jesus said to them, take heed, be careful what you hear, be very careful. Why? God says the measure you use, I have to use your measure. So please, just for yourself today, God is not determining your measure. Somebody else is not determining your measure. When you speak at any time, you are determining what you get. That’s it. It’s you. It’s me. It’s not someone else.
Pastor Garth, so powerfully shared with us about Have Faith in God and it stirred our hearts mightily, big impact and I want to say to you, it’s a wonderful thing for me to hear, it’s coming out of your mouth. Have faith in God. How will we know you have faith in God? We’re going to hear you say, we’re going to hear you speak and in Pastor John’s last message he said, let’s go to the maximum but it will be a deciding point now in your life because of what you hear now and because therefore what you will say now. We have to watch every word. We have to watch every word if we want to go to the maximum. Please go to Isaiah 55 verses 8 to 11, New King James. In The Abortion message, Pastor John said on page five, I actually made a note here, on page five Pastor John says, before we read Isaiah 55, everything starts with a word. Everything good starts with a word and everything bad starts with a word.
Scaling up the mountain and scaling up, going up with God, getting the maximum starts with words. Scaling down and losing things starts with words. I’m just going to ask you there at the back to put Mark 4 up again, I actually gave it to you that way. Mark 4, verse 25. It is very important what I’m saying now; if you’re going to have more, it will be because of your saying. If you are going to have less, it’s going to be because of your saying. Look at verse 25, 25 For whoever has, to him more will be given. Why? They are already speaking life. That’s why things will be added, they will get what they say. …but whoever does not have (Mark 4:25 NKJV). You can be assured they’re complaining, they’re murmuring, and they’re speaking the reality of the bad situations. Even what they have, will now be taken away from them. They will go down, all because of words.
So let’s look at Isaiah 55 verse 8 to 11, New King James. Look in verse 8. God says, 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. So He’s talking about His ways. Look at verse 9, God says, 9 …For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways. I really want you to see, we all love this passage of Scripture. God is talking about His way. This is His way, verse nine, …So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. God’s way is going into verse 10, 10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater. And then we read verse 11 because God’s ways are going into verse 11 as well. This is God’s way. 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth. God says, “I speak and so will it be when I speak.” Verse 11, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth, It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:8-11 NKJV). So all of this that we just read, is God’s way.
So, what is God’s way? How does it work? Why is it so important? God believes, and when God believes something on the inside of Himself, He speaks it then every word, every word that God speaks, will not come back to Him empty. It will accomplish, it does accomplish what He sent it to do. That’s His way. What is your way? He speaks to send words to accomplish things on purpose. God makes it very clear; this is My way. And we have to check and see today how we are going about this. Many people, the way we grew up, think that speaking is just for communicating. I can say anything, I can share anything, I want to share all my feelings, I just want to talk, I want to share all the jokes, I just want to talk and I just want to vent, I just want to let it out. Even believers, they want to share and share their feelings and share and share what they are experiencing. Is this God’s way? No. When God speaks a word, He sends it out to accomplish something. When God speaks a word to you and me, He sent it on purpose to do a specific job.
So let’s look at Isaiah 55 verse 11 at the Complete Jewish Bible. This is for all of us today. If we want to go to the highest levels of what God has for us. I just want to show you a few translations here on Isaiah 55. This is the Complete Jewish Bible. 11 So is my word says, God that goes out from my mouth – it will not return to me unfulfilled; but it will accomplish what I intend, there is intent when He speaks and cause to succeed what I sent it to do.” (Isaiah 55:11 CJB) Please look at the Easy-to-Read version. I want to add that, too, today. 11 In the same way, my words leave my mouth, and they don’t come back without results. My words make the things happen that I want to happen. They succeed in doing what I send them to do. (Isaiah 55:11 ERV) Praise the Lord. Look at The Message Bible. 11 So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them (Isaiah 55:11 MSG). Words must be… it must come from the intent of our hearts to speak words that they will accomplish the assignment, the way we use them.
Look at 1 Corinthians 13 verse 11 in the Amplified this morning. Thank you, Holy Spirit. I’ve already prayed. I’ve already prayed that you will not hear me – I’m just God’s vessel – that you will hear the Holy Spirit, not me. 1 Corinthians 13 verse 11. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways and have put them aside (1 Corinthians 13:11 AMPC). When I was a child, all of us, we spoke like a child. How do children speak? They just say and say and say and they babble all the way. Now, that we learned to become spiritual, we learn that our words are not just to communicate, our words are to accomplish. Yes, Lord. We want to have Your maximum, Lord. We want to have Your maximum.
Look at Ephesians 4:29, this morning, New Living Translation. 19 Don’t use foul or abusive language. The Lord says don’t. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them (Ephesians 4:29 NLT). I want to share something with you today and here is a big thing that we need to understand today and actually appreciate. In the whole of God’s creation, as sons of God, we are the only ones that have the freedom to say whatever we want. I don’t know if you ever thought about this; we’re the only ones in God’s creation that has the freedom to say any word at any time. This is very important. We are in a class apart from all of God’s creation.
Think about it and of course, we know it; animals can’t talk. Angels can just say what God is giving them to say. Angels speak, but they only say what God is telling them to. Like Gabriel, when he came to bring messages, he only said what God was saying to him. He did not say to Daniel or Mary, “Well, Mary, this is what God is saying. But let me give you what I’m thinking.” It never happens in the Word of God. There is a record of an angel who chose his own words. It did not go well for him – Lucifer. I will exalt my throne like Pastor John so powerfully shared. Lucifer was trying to act like God by saying what he wanted to say himself. It did not go well for him.
Look at Psalm 8 where the angels are marvelling at the sons of God. Psalm 8 verse 1 to 6, the old King James, 1 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. Look at verse two, he is talking about you and me, the sons of God. 2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. Now talking to us, not about the angels. How is God going to shut up the enemy and bring his works down? Out of the mouth of the sons of God. The angels are marvelling here in Psalm 8.
Look at verse four. Listen what the angels are saying. The angels are saying, 4 Lord, what is man that Thou art mindful of him, and the sons of man that Thou dost visit him? Look at verse six, 6 Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of Thou hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet. (Psalm 8:1-6 KJV) Angels are still marvelling at us today because of our sonship. That sonship included the right to choose our own words. What a privilege. If you never thought about it, may your life change today.
The angels know, they already saw what happened to Lucifer, using their own words, the angels understand this; do not add to God’s Word and do not take from it. They have understanding. It’s such a privilege to choose our own words, such a privilege. Now for us, as sons of God, this is very important. Choosing our own words and living like this is not going to end with this life. We’re going to live like this into eternity with God. We will continue to live like this, choosing our own words.
But God actually wants us to learn right now. He’s grooming and training us to rule and reign with Him as kings and priests. So, very important, you have to get this for yourself. How does a king reign? He’s using his words. Using his words. Now I know this is a silly example, but I want you to get this; when the king wants, say for instance, a beautiful painting, do you see the king grabbing paint and a canvas.? No. He says, “Painting, be”, and someone else will make the painting. He just says, he’s using his words to rule and to reign, and he says, “Garden, be. Painting, be. Road, be.” We are kings and priests, but it’s in the saying that it is so important.
Please go to Genesis chapter 1 verse 2 to 3. God says, “Light, be.” The King of all kings, the Creator says, “Light be.” Now, this is very important and on my heart today. ² The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over this not-so-good situation. The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And in verse 3, ³ Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. (Genesis 1:2-3 NKJV)
God did not talk, He did not say, “Look how bad and how dark the situation is.” For our church members, I’m hearing this too much. Brother Copeland said, “You cannot say what you have, because then you’re going to have what you say.” This is for all of us. You cannot say what you have, how bad and how sad and how frustrated you are because then you’re going to have more of the bad, more of the sad, and more of the frustration.
Look at Genesis 2, ² The earth was without form, we just read it, but I want you to see it, and darkness was all over it, but the Holy Spirit was hovering. (Genesis 1:2 NKJV) Something happened, and I’m not going to go into that today, something did happen to bring chaos to God’s perfect creation. Now, may your ears hear this; just like all of us, all of us are living in a fallen world. You are not the only one experiencing pressure. You are not the only one seeing what’s going on in the economy. You’re not the only one. We all see it, but we’ve got a choice in what words we’re going to speak. You cannot, I remember these words of Pastor Sharron, you cannot talk about what you see, you cannot rehearse it.
Look what God did. We did not see Him moan and groan. He said, “Let there be light.” Because He knew the Holy Spirit was hovering over this situation, bad or sad, waiting to hear His words. The moment the Holy Spirit heard God speak, listen to this, the Holy Spirit took that chaos and brought forth the new glorious things of God.
This is the truth for you and me today. He is hovering over all the chaos in South Africa, in the economy, in your family, in your finances. If your family is all over the place and things are not in order, keep on speaking the Word of God, the Holy Spirit hovers over your family and He will turn the chaos and bring forth His glorious new things. He’s waiting for you to speak. If you experience financial darkness, speak the Word of God. The Holy Spirit hovers over your life. What did Pastor John do? “I am free of all debt by the miracle-working power of God.” Did Pastor John talk how bad and sad it was? No. He spoke the Word of God.
Most believers are very careless with their words. Most believers, this is not good, God’s got the maximum for us. They grow up. They just talk, talk, share, share. And do you know why this is so dangerous? Because when they talk and do not believe what they say, the less you expect anything you say will come to pass. It’s dangerous when you just chat, chat, say, say, talk, talk. It’s affecting your faith. Look at Matthew 12:36. God is just bringing us much more light this morning because He says, “Have faith. Go to the highest level. Speak to the mountain. Don’t climb the mountain. I said speak to the mountain. I said when you pray, believe. I did not say when you pray, try to figure out in your mind how you’re going to do this.”
God is very, very… He’s talking straight to us this morning. Matthew 12:36, 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. (Matthew 12:36 NKJV). Every idle word. “Christi, you want to tell me that I must watch every word of mine?” Yes. That’s exactly what the Lord is saying. Idle means, listen to this… So, you must understand what’s happening in my heart when God is showing me all of these things. I repent. I’ve got to see this thing as much as you’ve got to see this thing.
Idle words mean non-working, empty, inactive, unemployed. It’s the same word that God is using and Matthew 20 where He’s telling the people to go and work in the vineyard. The people standing idle in the marketplace, go into my vineyard – same word. Idle means unemployed. How many unemployed words are in circulation? That you must give account of. Words that were not loaded for anything. No intent, no intent.
I want to remind you what I’ve shared with you in the Complete Jewish Bible, God says, 11 So is my word that goes out from my mouth — it will not return to me unfulfilled; but it will accomplish what I intend (Isaiah 55:11 CJB). It was not unemployed. Look at Luke chapter 12 verse 48. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Please go to Luke 12, but I just want to say this where God says, for every idle word that you may speak, you will give an account of. Why will we give an account for those moments that we just said something? Because the Lord showed me it was a missed opportunity. It’s a missed opportunity. We are sons of God. He wants us to rule and reign with Him. We’re supposed to affect our families. Like Pastor Sharon said, not complain about the economy or the electricity. With your words, you can affect your community, get things right. So all those idle words is a missed opportunity, as a son of God, to rule and reign like a king that could turn things around. Yoh, this is big.
Luke 12:48, 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, Jesus talking about, shall be beaten with few. I want to get to this, For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required. (Luke 12:48 NKJV) God is shining much more light here for us. We really have to make a choice here today. You, yourself as a son of God, in your marriages, in your family, where you work, and our community, here in church – we have to decide where we stand on this.
Look at Proverbs 13, the third verse, 3 He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. (Proverbs 13:3 NKJV) Again, I’m saying to you, “You mean, you’ve got to watch every word and everything you say?” Yes. If you want to be protected. What you are going to say, I’m going to show it to you now, what you’re going to say will either give access to the Holy Spirit or access to the enemy.
Psalm 39 verse 1, NIV, New International Version, 1 I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.” (Psalm 39:1 NIV) Daily we all face temptations to speak words we should not speak. Satan actually counts on this. Through the devil’s attack on your life and my life, temptations, pressures, you must understand this, and I’m going to show it now to you in the book of Job, Satan comes to you and to me, to pressure you and to push you. So, please just understand, that pressure that you are experiencing every day, it’s coming from the enemy. He’s working at it to put pressure on you and to push you. Why? So that you will say. He counts on you opening your mouth to speak death – it gives him access.
And I want to remind you, the Holy Spirit showed it to me, He said to me, “Ask them; how many times in the past did you say things that you knew the Holy Spirit is saying to you, “Don’t say it, don’t say it, don’t say it.” But the temptation is there, the pressure is there, the frustration is there, the anger is there and you think so what? And you just said it. How many times? Hurting your own family members, hurting the ones that you love so much, but all the time the Holy Spirit said, “You knew it. Don’t say it. Don’t say it.” And you chose to say it.
So, the Holy Spirit is always helping us and we must understand every single day, it’s always a matter in our spiritual walk with God, it’s always a matter of yielding to the Holy Spirit or yielding to the enemy. It’s not nice to say, but most of the time people are resisting the Holy Spirit and yielding to the enemy, just because they want to do what they want to do. So we have to take a stand on this the Lord said.
So number one, number one, come out of Babylon and come out of babbling. That’s what He said. Now, your words must have purpose and intent. Stop that babbling. Number two, Pastor Sharon shared this with us during prayer connect that was so powerful, quit complaining and murmuring. Who’s the one that will inspire you to murmur and complain? Is it God? No, it is Satan. Why is he pressurising you, pushing you to complain and just vent and just speak your emotions? Because he wants access into your life.
Let me show you this. Please go to Job chapter 1 verse 11. While you’re going to Job chapter 1 verse 11. In the wilderness, the people murmured and they complained and then snakes came out, and you can go and read it in the Bible. It’s a powerful subject that we do in the Bible school. Snakes came out and bit them. But back in Egypt, they were protected against all the plagues, all the plagues, all the plagues, but when they started to complain and murmur, snakes came out into the camp and bit the people. Why? Complaining and murmuring are dangerous, it lifts the protection and the enemy finds access.
It’s exactly what Pastor Sharon shared with us. So you want to vent, you want to say again how tired and you cannot make it when there is load shedding and this and that. God says, “I’ve got to use your measure. I’ve got to use your measure.” This is a massive thing. Let me show you in the Scripture how Satan comes to put pressure on you and push you.
He even did it with God regarding Job. Job 1 verse 11, this is Satan here. Satan says, “God, 11 But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that Job has… Look, look what he knows – I’m going to bring pressure and then you’re going to speak, take heed what you hear because you want to speak. He says “Lord, stretch out Your hand and touch him, why? 11…He will surely speak and curse You to Your face!” (Job 1:11 NKJV). And then I have access. If you have wondered why he is coming for you this way, then you know today why he is coming this way. Satan was absolutely telling God, “Put the pressure on Job.” Why? So that Job could speak, speak and curse God. What was Satan after? For Job to speak and give him access. And then I want to show you because this thing is in our families. It’s in marriages. It’s in our communities. It’s where you work. The one is saying this, then the other one is hearing that, not taking heed, and then they want to say.
What happened after that? Then Job’s wife wanted to speak. Look at Job 2 verse 9. Job’s wife used Job to vent. Yes, she was hurting. Yes, we are experiencing things, but God says, “Have faith and overcome.” She was hurting, but she came at Job with words. Job 2:9. 9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” she said (Job 2:9 NKJV). These words came straight from the devil through her mouth, trying to get Job to repeat them.
How many times do you talk to someone about faith, and oh yes, in the moment they are so in agreement with you? A few days later, they’re avoiding you. They don’t want to talk faith anymore. They only want to tell you, “But you must understand, I know you experience bad things, but you have no idea how bad things are for me…” Then they don’t want to talk faith anymore. “It’s not nice to experience this.” Now, they don’t want to talk faith anymore because, “You must understand my circumstance is just so bad, so sad…” as if you are not living in a fallen world as well. Like I said, people want to share and share, and how hard it is and their feelings and their frustrations. God gave me this – God did not give you your wife to vent. God did not give you your husband to vent.
And this morning, when I went through my notes, the Lord said to me, “Oh, and by the way, let’s put this phrase away – I just want to say.” I just want to say. I just want to unload this nonsense on you. I just wanted to say, “How bad it is at work.” Is that the way of God? He says, “My words go out with intent to accomplish.” So we must get this thing out of the way that we speak, “And just by the way, I just wanted to say.” You cannot say, “Sit doodstil.” You cannot say, “The message was unbelievable,” because then you can’t believe it. And just get that ‘just saying,’ out of your system.
Look at Psalm 106, verse 32, to 33. This is the Complete Jewish Bible. I chose it on purpose that you can see what happened to Moses. People still say, maybe the greatest leader ever since Jesus, Moses. Yeah, they moaned and they complained and they murmured. This meek man, not weak, man, meek man. Meek means when you fall on your face before God because you are not doing it in your own strength. Look at the Complete Jewish Bible. 32 They angered him at this Spring, and Moses suffered on their account; look at the next verse 33 for when they embittered his spirit, [Moshe] Moses spoke up without thinking. (Psalm 106:32-33 CJB)
Moses experienced the pressure from people not believing around him, you’re not the only one where you work. You’re not the only one in our community. Did this cost Moses? It kept him from going into the Promised Land and the highest levels attainable. They did provoke him, pressure came, but then he did a thing that we must understand today, he came down on their level. Out of anger to answer them, he was now using their tone. How many times do people turn around at work and just say something just like that to someone because they are now so tired of hearing this again and again? You cannot do it. When you talk their talk, you get what they get.
They did not go into the Promised Land neither did Moses. And I wrote it here; what’s coming out of our mouths, we cannot let unbelief go on around us. You cannot go down to that level. That’s why I said God is speaking to me and He’s speaking to you this morning. It’s a personal choice that we have to make before God.
1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 15. You’re going to see it now, don’t come down on their level. Oh, boy and the pressure is there. 15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone. I always said to Grobbies, I said, “Grobbies, if someone is saying something bad to you, someone’s saying something bad to me, it’s not a reflection on me, it is a reflection on them.” So why do you want to make a wrong thing? Why do you want to make a mistake because they made a mistake? Don’t come down on their level. All of us, you in the business world, they’re going to come at you. They’ve got things to say to you. That is just an indication of who they are and what they are doing. It’s not you. Don’t go down on that level. Do not return 15 …evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourself and for all (1 Thessalonians 5:15 NKJV).
1 Peter 3 verse 9, New King James, 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this (1 Peter 3:9 NKJV). This is how we overcome even our faith. But this is a stand that you have to take before you go to work.
Brother Creflo Dollar always said, “I choose to forgive everyone today.” Because tomorrow when someone is offending me, if my feelings are stirred up, I don’t know if I’m going to make this choice. I take that stand today that whenever and whatever someone can do to me, I forgive today. I choose today when words are coming my way, I’m going to stand, on the contrary, speak blessings, knowing that I’m called to this. I’m a son of God and I’ve got this privilege to choose my words.
I’ve said it over and over, it’s now a long time, I said, “Holy Spirit, I so want to hear You,” we’re going to see it today, “I so want to stay with You. I know I can speak my words, but I want to speak like Jesus,” and I’m going to show it to you today. If people curse you, do not curse them back. Never just say what you feel. Talk, speak for effect, with intent. Only God’s Word.
I’m going to close with this today to show you our Lord Jesus. Mark (Matthew) chapter 4 verse 2 to 3. This is the first time and it’s the first one of the three temptations. I just want to show you how the enemy came at Jesus. It’s the same way he’s coming at you and me. Verse two. 2 And when Jesus had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command, that means speak, say, that these stones must become bread.” (Matthew 4:2-3 NKJV) Matthew is very specific here in using these words. Satan says, “Come on Jesus, command, speak. Come on, Jesus, You are Jesus, anything You are going to command and speak will be.” Jesus could not. And we also know He would not, but Jesus could not. He will only command what He hears His Father is telling Him to command.
This first temptation was to use unauthorised words. Unauthorised words are rebellious words. And then the Lord said it because He dealt with me many times on this. How many times do you just want to make things happen because you want them? I just want what I want when I want them. I’m going to say and I’m going to say again, but I’ve not inquired from the Lord if it’s His will for me to come this way.
You know, the story of the prodigal’s son. It’s very sad when you read that story of the great dishonour of that son. How dare you come to your father and ask for your inheritance while he’s still alive? But he just wanted what he wanted. Jesus was not planning to use unauthorised words. There are things that God has for us, so great, the maximum, the highest level attainable, but we will speak those commands and we will take those things as He is leading us. It’s how you get the car. It’s how you get the house. It’s how you get the business. Many people are taking for themselves. Oh, yeah, we understand that. But Jesus chose not to do that. The devil did that. He said, “I will exalt myself. I want this. I will be like the Most High God.” And God said, “No, you will not.”
Jesus was hungry. He knew He could command. But it was not coming from His Father. Jesus refused to speak because of pressure. What are we going to choose? People when we go home today, the pressure is not going to stop. We live in a fallen world where there is a devil, but we can, we are sons of God.
God says, “Let there be light.” Whatever situation, any situation, I’ve already said it, Tuesdays when we pray for our nation, that’s why I’ve known this for 22 years, the Holy Spirit is hovering. We speak and from the chaos out of this nation, the Holy Spirit brings forth the new. Your family, your business, your children, the things that God says He’s got for you in the new era – the Holy Spirit is hovering. He’s just waiting for us to say what God is giving us in the messages. Put your foot in the message and go to the Promised Land.
Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. That’s the blessing of being planted. That’s the blessing. When God says, Psalm 23 says, He leads us beside the green pastures, the Hebrew says, actually, lush meadows. Oh, God’s got the best for us. He wants His kids to have the best, but when He says when and how.
1 Peter 5:8, in almost closing. This is, and I know your ear is going to hear because, guys, like we talked about on Friday, death was on the table. So, that’s why the perfect Lamb of God came because there’s life in the Blood. It’s always a matter of life and death. Jesus made sure it’s only life in abundance. But, if we’re going to give the enemy an opening, let me show you, 1 Peter 5:8, 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8 NKJV)
Now, point number one, the devil is seeking. That means he cannot just devour anyone. This is why this is so important. Now, the word adversary here is the same word adversary in Luke 18 where the widow woman comes to the judge and says, “Oh, judge, protect, defend, and avenge me against my adversary.” Same thing here – it’s a legal term. It’s not someone that’s just gossiping, come to slander your name or attack you that way. It’s a legal term. Let me show you.
Before I show you the Greek word, this thing for us to bring the cases of our nation and the cases of our lives before God… This widow woman said, “Protect, defend and avenge me against my adversary.” And the Lord had to show this to me in this light; well, her adversary had a legal claim against her. Otherwise, the judge would have said, “No, no, no, no, this is not a real case, we are going to throw it out.” She did something for the adversary to have something against her. Now, God will always avenge you. But what happened that the adversary, in the first place, could open a case against her? Now here it is.
The Greek word adversary means antidikos. Anti means against or instead. Dikos means rights. That is why it is a legal term. So, the purpose behind Satan’s legal attempts against you, listen to this; is to deny you what rightfully belongs to you. Everything that Jesus paid on the cross for is given to you and me. You speak words of death, you go that way, you give the enemy a legal case against you. Satan uses legal issues to deny us what Jesus paid for us. Watch your mouth and give Satan no access.
Let’s go to Habakkuk 2:1. He says it so beautifully. 1 I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what You will say, Lord, to me. (Habakkuk 2:1 NKJV). Jesus was operating like this. They pressured Jesus… do you remember the story where they brought the woman caught in adultery? They brought her to Jesus. “Come on, Jesus.” What did they do? “Come on, Jesus. What do You say?” They did not ask Him, “What did You think?” Again, it was the enemy through those people, through the people that you work with, the people around you, “Come on, Jesus. What do You say?” Because that is why they wanted to get Him. He waited. He did not answer them immediately. He knelt down. He wrote on the ground, we know the beautiful story. He was not going to respond to them on their level.
We have to be trained in this. Remember what I have said, if you respond like-minded, you are going to get like-minded. We saw that in the life of Moses. But when He stood up, He had the words of the Father. He had the words of the Father. When we just be still, in the morning and at work. When people are asking you things, don’t just say what’s coming up, the first things. Just say, “Holy Spirit, what are You saying about this situation?” We are called to live like this, just like our Lord Jesus. But we’ve got to make a choice today.
Pastor John said God has a whole new everything to us. Pastor John says I’m exercising my faith. If you do not reach for it with your faith, you will not get there. But what – and I remind you here at the last – what is the primary action of faith? Saying. Speaking. Pastor John says There are many, many things that I’m reaching for; MiXchange Business, MiXchange Education, MiXchange Professional services, not just in one area, Pastor John says, in all of them, God is going to make it all happen. God is not a sequential God, He is a parallel God. God is capable of addressing all of this, all these areas in Pastor John’s life and in our lives.
Now, what is the God-thing to say? Yes, Pastor John, because that comes from God. I don’t want to be involved in my own things. I’m called to Jesus and to Pastor John, to a specific local church, where my gift and your gift must slot in. We say, “Yes, Lord,” we say, “Yes, Lord.” You have to come with the supply of your spirit. That’s how the local church works. So, if we want to go to the highest levels and to receive the maximum that God has for us, it’s going to depend on what, of course, and listen, when we talk about faith, there are many aspects of faith. Yes, of course, it’s about the believing part in the heart, but because people are just using words, that believing part got damaged because they don’t even believe the jokes and the other words that they are saying.
So God says, “Come on, guys. I had to show you Mark 11 today. Three times I said to you; it’s about your saying. It’s about what you will say.” And we say, “Yes, Lord.” We say, “Yes, Lord, we have faith in God.”
Lord, this is what we say today. We choose that the words that will now come out of our mouths and thank you, Holy Spirit, for Your grace, thank you for Your grace. We choose that our words will now be intentional. It will be to accomplish things in cooperation with our Lord. May our words have the intent to live in the promises of God, not just because Christi can have intent, but in cooperation with our Heavenly Father, our Lord Jesus, and our Holy Spirit. Hallelujah.
Let’s pray. I just want to bless you this morning. Father, we want to thank you today where we have started for Your saving grace. 2 Timothy 1:9 says, Lord, You have saved us on the cross. You called us with a holy calling, not according to our own works, but according to our purpose, Your purpose for us and Your grace attached to our purpose, given in Christ Jesus before time began.
Father, as we see Your light on this word today, thank you for the grace to choose to speak words of life, to do it in cooperation with You, Lord, and to send our words with great intent. We thank you today that we can be sons of God. Lord, what a privilege. And on this Sunday, Lord, we just say thank you for Your resurrection life that is working so powerfully in us, because we can, we can do all things through Christ Jesus, that is strengthening us every single day. And we all say, Amen.
I declare the blessing of God upon you. Be blessed. Be blessed. Be blessed. I declare that we will cooperate with God according to the power that is at work within us, in all that we choose to say and in all that we choose to do. We are protected by the Word and the Blood and His powerful angels that protect us, they accompany us every day, everywhere we go. And we all say, Amen. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
Thank you, Empie. Well, before you go and enjoy die skaapboud, en maybe tjoppies that’s left over from yesterday, I hope. Guys, there is no message moments this afternoon and the ushers will stand ready to receive your offerings at the door. At any time you are so welcome to make use of the EFT for your offerings as well. Be so blessed. Have a wonderful Sunday and a blessed week ahead of you. See you soon. Bye-bye, everyone.
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