WEBVTT 00:00:01.159 --> 00:00:06.639 Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:09.660 designed to uplift and strengthen you in your 00:00:09.660 --> 00:00:13.939 walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until 00:00:13.939 --> 00:00:17.879 the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive 00:00:17.879 --> 00:00:24.500 right in. Amen. Let's have a seat. Let's have 00:00:24.500 --> 00:00:29.719 a seat. Welcome once more to this moment in the 00:00:29.719 --> 00:00:32.500 house of God. So on Sunday, we lay the foundation 00:00:32.500 --> 00:00:37.899 by identifying how faith operates in the life 00:00:37.899 --> 00:00:42.359 of the believer. We say that the believer has 00:00:42.359 --> 00:00:47.039 the faith that is necessary to accomplish greater 00:00:47.039 --> 00:00:51.340 works that God has called us to do. And we also 00:00:51.340 --> 00:00:55.560 show that the operation of faith is expressed 00:00:55.560 --> 00:01:00.439 in three key areas, all right? We say the heart, 00:01:00.579 --> 00:01:04.659 the conduct of the believer, and also in the 00:01:04.659 --> 00:01:07.760 speech of the believer and the words that the 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:10.180 believer speaks. And I believe that we've been 00:01:10.180 --> 00:01:12.299 speaking words of faith right from Sunday. Amen. 00:01:12.760 --> 00:01:16.540 That forever our lifestyle has been altered. 00:01:16.659 --> 00:01:19.079 The essence of Bible teaching is that there will 00:01:19.079 --> 00:01:22.439 be alteration to our way of life. That there 00:01:22.439 --> 00:01:27.060 will be alignment to our way of life. Amen. We 00:01:27.060 --> 00:01:29.159 are a family. We are a kingdom. We are a nation. 00:01:29.420 --> 00:01:31.980 And we are a nation and a people of God. And 00:01:31.980 --> 00:01:34.239 in this nation, in this family, we have a language. 00:01:34.599 --> 00:01:37.659 And our language is what? It's faith. Hallelujah. 00:01:38.379 --> 00:01:41.560 Our language is faith. The words we speak is 00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:45.340 faith. Our tribe is faith. So when I hear you 00:01:45.340 --> 00:01:48.760 speak, I want to hear you speak faith. When you 00:01:48.760 --> 00:01:51.120 speak faith, that's our common language. That 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:56.219 is our common language. So our hearts. Our conduct 00:01:56.219 --> 00:02:00.640 and the words that are in our mouths must express 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:04.540 faith. So today we will build on that foundation 00:02:04.540 --> 00:02:08.259 by looking more deeply at the power of words. 00:02:08.520 --> 00:02:13.319 The power of words. How faith finds expression 00:02:13.319 --> 00:02:17.599 through our speech. And how our words can become 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:20.520 instruments through which God's purposes are 00:02:20.520 --> 00:02:24.020 expressed. I repeat, I say it. We'll be looking 00:02:24.020 --> 00:02:28.560 at... The power of words, how faith finds expression 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:31.439 through our speech, through our speech, the things 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:34.780 we speak, the words we speak, and how words can 00:02:34.780 --> 00:02:39.039 become instrumental. Words can become instrumental 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:43.240 or instruments through which God's purpose, God's 00:02:43.240 --> 00:02:46.080 purpose are expressed. Hallelujah. Words are 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:51.419 very instrumental to what? To expressing or to 00:02:51.419 --> 00:02:53.500 bringing to fulfillment the purpose of God on 00:02:53.500 --> 00:02:57.139 earth. The purposes of God in your life are established 00:02:57.139 --> 00:03:01.680 via words. Amen. They are established via words. 00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:04.780 Without words, the purposes of God in your life 00:03:04.780 --> 00:03:09.699 will not come to pass. We'll see these facts. 00:03:10.439 --> 00:03:13.639 The words are instruments by which God's purposes 00:03:13.639 --> 00:03:16.599 are established. Now, I want us to begin by looking 00:03:16.599 --> 00:03:21.479 at, you know, a fact in scriptures in Genesis 00:03:21.479 --> 00:03:25.840 chapter 1. God designed that the activities on 00:03:25.840 --> 00:03:31.379 the earth be run by words. Okay? In God's design, 00:03:31.580 --> 00:03:35.099 the activities on the earth in our realm, in 00:03:35.099 --> 00:03:38.300 our physical realm, the activities in our physical 00:03:38.300 --> 00:03:42.939 realm, the earth, are designed to run by words. 00:03:43.259 --> 00:03:47.099 Now let's go to Genesis 1, verse 1 to 3. In the 00:03:47.099 --> 00:03:49.719 beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 00:03:50.430 --> 00:03:52.990 The earth was without form, and void and darkness 00:03:52.990 --> 00:03:56.229 was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of 00:03:56.229 --> 00:03:58.930 God was hovering over the face of the waters. 00:03:59.349 --> 00:04:02.710 All right? So, and then in verse 3, very important. 00:04:03.270 --> 00:04:08.550 Then God, what? God said, let there be light, 00:04:08.650 --> 00:04:12.530 and there was light. So, in this verse, we see 00:04:12.530 --> 00:04:16.050 that the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God 00:04:16.050 --> 00:04:20.569 works in collaboration with what? With his word, 00:04:20.629 --> 00:04:25.350 right? God's plan and purpose on the earth, we'll 00:04:25.350 --> 00:04:28.589 see right from the beginning here, as Moses will 00:04:28.589 --> 00:04:31.449 write to the children of Israel, God's plan and 00:04:31.449 --> 00:04:35.129 purpose on the earth are established by his word. 00:04:35.970 --> 00:04:39.870 God said, and what happened? God said, let there 00:04:39.870 --> 00:04:43.529 be light, and what? And there was light. Okay? 00:04:43.970 --> 00:04:47.410 There was an outrance. An outrance was made by 00:04:47.410 --> 00:04:51.139 God. And then what do we see? We see the result 00:04:51.139 --> 00:04:55.180 of what God said. Hallelujah. Now this operation 00:04:55.180 --> 00:04:58.600 or what God is communicating here happened in 00:04:58.600 --> 00:05:02.540 the earth realm. Okay? It's something that happened 00:05:02.540 --> 00:05:06.379 where? On the earth. Hallelujah. So right from 00:05:06.379 --> 00:05:08.540 the beginning of Moses' communications of God's 00:05:08.540 --> 00:05:12.920 plan and purpose, we see that God established 00:05:12.920 --> 00:05:16.579 that via the instrument of words. Are we together? 00:05:17.120 --> 00:05:20.009 Good. And then we will go to other verses, verse 00:05:20.009 --> 00:05:25.029 6, for an instance. Verse 6, we see the continuation 00:05:25.029 --> 00:05:27.189 of Moses' communication to the children of Israel. 00:05:27.310 --> 00:05:30.069 It says, Then God said, Let there be a firmament 00:05:30.069 --> 00:05:33.129 in the midst of the waters, and let it divide 00:05:33.129 --> 00:05:37.069 the waters from the waters. All right? God said, 00:05:37.269 --> 00:05:40.389 Thus God made a firmament and divided the waters 00:05:40.389 --> 00:05:42.629 which were under the firmament from the waters 00:05:42.629 --> 00:05:44.889 which were above the firmament. And it was what? 00:05:45.029 --> 00:05:49.240 It was so. So how did God come about the establishment 00:05:49.240 --> 00:05:51.839 of this council in these verses? He said it, 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:54.839 all right? And then it came to pass. Hallelujah. 00:05:55.079 --> 00:05:58.699 Now look at verse 8. And God called you what? 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:01.639 The firmament in heaven. So the evening and the 00:06:01.639 --> 00:06:04.879 morning were the second day. So God called out 00:06:04.879 --> 00:06:08.699 something and it was as God calls it. And where 00:06:08.699 --> 00:06:11.199 do we see this operation at? Where? On the earth. 00:06:12.040 --> 00:06:17.060 Hallelujah. Verse 9. God said again, let the 00:06:17.060 --> 00:06:20.459 waters under the heavens be gathered together 00:06:20.459 --> 00:06:25.079 into one place and let the dry land appear. And 00:06:25.079 --> 00:06:29.139 it was what? And it was so. Hallelujah. You see 00:06:29.139 --> 00:06:31.199 the consistency of God's plans and God's purpose? 00:06:31.720 --> 00:06:34.339 By the instruments of words and those things 00:06:34.339 --> 00:06:37.019 which God said, the Bible clarified and made 00:06:37.019 --> 00:06:40.560 it fundamentally clear that it was so. It came 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:45.279 to pass. Verse 10. And God called the dry land 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:48.920 earth. God spoke. He identified. He gave meaning. 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:52.579 He gave identity to what was manifested by words. 00:06:52.980 --> 00:06:57.000 And God called the dry land earth and the garden 00:06:57.000 --> 00:06:59.360 together of the waters he called what? Seas. 00:06:59.860 --> 00:07:02.560 And God saw that it was good. Look at verse 11. 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:07.360 Then God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, 00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:12.040 the herb that yields seeds, and the fruit tree. 00:07:12.459 --> 00:07:15.759 yield fruit according to his kind, whose seed 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:18.019 is in itself on the earth. And what happened? 00:07:18.620 --> 00:07:23.439 And it was what? It was so. So consistently we 00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:25.000 keep seeing and God said, and you also look at 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:28.040 verse 14 as well. Verse 14, then God said, let 00:07:28.040 --> 00:07:30.939 there be light in the firmament of the heavens 00:07:30.939 --> 00:07:34.060 to divide the day from the night and let them 00:07:34.060 --> 00:07:37.420 be for signs and for seasons and for days and 00:07:37.420 --> 00:07:38.600 for years. Now we're not trying to interpret 00:07:38.600 --> 00:07:41.629 Genesis 1. We're trying to just see a pattern 00:07:41.629 --> 00:07:44.009 in God's activity on the earth. Are we together? 00:07:44.250 --> 00:07:47.350 We just try to highlight a pattern in the activity 00:07:47.350 --> 00:07:50.410 that God is doing on the earth. And God will 00:07:50.410 --> 00:07:53.009 speak. And what will we see? We'll see the manifestation 00:07:53.009 --> 00:07:57.949 of the things God has spoken. Verse 20. Comment 00:07:57.949 --> 00:08:01.709 to verse 20. Then God said, Let the waters abound 00:08:01.709 --> 00:08:05.490 with an abundance of living creatures. And let 00:08:05.490 --> 00:08:08.009 the birds fly above the earth, across the face 00:08:08.009 --> 00:08:12.540 of the firmament. of the heavens, verse 24. Then 00:08:12.540 --> 00:08:14.860 God said, let the earth bring forth the living 00:08:14.860 --> 00:08:18.139 creature according to his kind, cattle and creeping 00:08:18.139 --> 00:08:21.379 things and beasts of the earth, rather, each 00:08:21.379 --> 00:08:25.060 according to his kind. And it was so. And when 00:08:25.060 --> 00:08:29.220 we move to chapter, verse 26, we'll see that 00:08:29.220 --> 00:08:34.440 mankind and what he will be was spoken of before 00:08:34.440 --> 00:08:39.029 he was created. All right? Man, humanity, The 00:08:39.029 --> 00:08:41.570 identity of humanity, the kind of man that God 00:08:41.570 --> 00:08:44.990 will create. All right? His identity and what 00:08:44.990 --> 00:08:49.129 he will do was what? Was spoken of even before 00:08:49.129 --> 00:08:53.450 we see God would create him. So virtually everything 00:08:53.450 --> 00:08:56.070 that God will do, God will say before he does 00:08:56.070 --> 00:08:59.870 it. Hallelujah. God will speak it into existence. 00:09:00.370 --> 00:09:03.429 God will speak that concept. God will speak that 00:09:03.429 --> 00:09:06.730 idea. God will speak it forth. Then we'll see 00:09:06.730 --> 00:09:10.700 the manifestation. in either him doing it. Amen. 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:13.299 Even when the Messiah will come, there was a 00:09:13.299 --> 00:09:15.620 word that went forth concerning the Messiah. 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:20.000 Before we see Jesus coming into flesh, into humanity. 00:09:20.899 --> 00:09:23.000 So there's nothing we see. We take a pattern 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:26.299 from God. We see that God operates on the earth 00:09:26.299 --> 00:09:30.799 via the instruments of words. Hallelujah. This 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:34.240 is very important. Now the activities of mankind 00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:38.590 on earth. are wrong and dictated by words also. 00:09:39.029 --> 00:09:42.190 In Genesis 2, verse 15, we'll see where God gave 00:09:42.190 --> 00:09:46.490 a word for man. Genesis 2, verse 15. In verse 00:09:46.490 --> 00:09:49.250 15, it says, Then the Lord God took the man and 00:09:49.250 --> 00:09:51.990 put him in the garden of Eden to do what? To 00:09:51.990 --> 00:09:56.649 tend and keep it. And the Lord God, what? Commanded 00:09:56.649 --> 00:10:00.169 the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden 00:10:00.169 --> 00:10:03.549 you may freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge 00:10:03.549 --> 00:10:06.700 of good and evil, You shall not eat, for in the 00:10:06.700 --> 00:10:09.340 day that you eat of it, you shall surely die. 00:10:09.980 --> 00:10:12.379 You shall surely die. But of the three, okay, 00:10:12.460 --> 00:10:15.620 verse 18. And the Lord God did what? And the 00:10:15.620 --> 00:10:19.919 Lord God said, right? It is not good that a man 00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:23.840 should be alone. I will make him a helper comparable 00:10:23.840 --> 00:10:27.519 to him. Now out of the ground, the Lord God formed 00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:30.279 every beast of the earth, of the field, and every 00:10:30.279 --> 00:10:33.860 beast of the air, and brought them to Adam. to 00:10:33.860 --> 00:10:36.740 see what he will call them. Who will call them? 00:10:37.240 --> 00:10:40.500 Adam, all right? Who has been created in the 00:10:40.500 --> 00:10:43.639 image of God to function like God on the earth, 00:10:43.799 --> 00:10:46.559 to be a representation of God. So if God have 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:49.019 been speaking things into existence, how will 00:10:49.019 --> 00:10:52.679 Adam act on behalf of God on the earth? By words. 00:10:53.340 --> 00:10:56.740 Hallelujah. So what do we see? We see Adam beginning 00:10:56.740 --> 00:11:00.539 to speak, giving identity to things on the earth. 00:11:00.970 --> 00:11:03.610 their functions and their identity by the instruments 00:11:03.610 --> 00:11:08.149 of words. Are we clear? So we see in verse 19, 00:11:08.549 --> 00:11:12.750 out of the ground, the Lord God found every beast 00:11:12.750 --> 00:11:15.190 of the field and every bird of the air and brought 00:11:15.190 --> 00:11:18.629 them to the Adam to see what he will call them. 00:11:18.750 --> 00:11:22.309 And whatever Adam called them, called each living 00:11:22.309 --> 00:11:27.230 creature, that was his name. So Adam gave names 00:11:27.230 --> 00:11:31.429 to all cattle. to the birds of the air, and to 00:11:31.429 --> 00:11:34.509 every beast of the field. But for Adam there 00:11:34.509 --> 00:11:38.470 was not found a helper comparable to him. So 00:11:38.470 --> 00:11:41.769 in this verse, we see God giving man his word 00:11:41.769 --> 00:11:45.070 to live by. First of all, we see God giving his 00:11:45.070 --> 00:11:47.710 word to man. Of the tree of the knowledge of 00:11:47.710 --> 00:11:50.490 good and evil, you shall not eat of it. This 00:11:50.490 --> 00:11:55.769 is a word that God has given to govern the activities 00:11:55.769 --> 00:12:00.059 of man on the earth. His word, his law. All right? 00:12:00.200 --> 00:12:04.139 His word. Also, we see from these verses that 00:12:04.139 --> 00:12:07.240 Adam exerted also a level of dominion over the 00:12:07.240 --> 00:12:11.639 creatures by his what? By his words. By his words. 00:12:12.080 --> 00:12:14.980 Now, let me bring to your notice that exercising 00:12:14.980 --> 00:12:17.220 authority by words is not only for believers. 00:12:18.179 --> 00:12:20.779 Hallelujah. It doesn't matter whether you're 00:12:20.779 --> 00:12:23.159 born again or you're not born again. All right? 00:12:23.480 --> 00:12:27.980 On the earth, the earth, is created in a way 00:12:27.980 --> 00:12:29.799 that it functions by the instrument of words. 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:32.740 So even unbelievers, to function on earth, they 00:12:32.740 --> 00:12:36.179 use words. How do you think they make terrorists? 00:12:37.019 --> 00:12:39.179 How do you think they groom and they train people? 00:12:39.399 --> 00:12:42.500 You wonder how they will go and do some very 00:12:42.500 --> 00:12:44.340 devilish activities. How do you think they groom 00:12:44.340 --> 00:12:49.039 them? They use words, right? They indoctrinate 00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:51.840 them with words. They change their mind with 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:55.019 words. They formulate ideologies with words. 00:12:56.039 --> 00:12:58.759 So, this is not only limited to believers alone. 00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:03.080 Hallelujah. Even the devil himself uses words. 00:13:03.299 --> 00:13:06.580 We see in chapter 3, verse 1 to 6, Satan and 00:13:06.580 --> 00:13:09.259 the activities of darkness on the earth are also 00:13:09.259 --> 00:13:13.159 seen manifested through words. Chapter 3, verse 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:17.480 1 to 6, Now the serpent was more cunning than 00:13:17.480 --> 00:13:20.460 any beast of the field which the Lord God had 00:13:20.460 --> 00:13:23.340 made. And he said to the woman, Has God worked? 00:13:23.480 --> 00:13:26.539 He said to the woman, By the use of words, he 00:13:26.539 --> 00:13:30.679 said to the woman, has God indeed said you shall 00:13:30.679 --> 00:13:34.679 not eat of every tree of the garden? The devil 00:13:34.679 --> 00:13:36.899 knows that the activities on the earth are by 00:13:36.899 --> 00:13:41.100 words. Amen? He knows. So he's looking for that 00:13:41.100 --> 00:13:44.419 word that God has said to counter it. He's looking 00:13:44.419 --> 00:13:46.139 for that thing that God has said to counter it. 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:49.720 And oftentimes the devil will come to us trying 00:13:49.720 --> 00:13:51.899 to know whether we know what God has said concerning 00:13:51.899 --> 00:13:54.100 that situation. concerning the circumstances, 00:13:54.360 --> 00:13:56.299 concerning our lives, concerning our identity, 00:13:56.539 --> 00:13:59.659 concerning our purpose, concerning our functionality 00:13:59.659 --> 00:14:02.980 in the earth. If you don't know what God has 00:14:02.980 --> 00:14:05.659 said concerning you, concerning what you ought 00:14:05.659 --> 00:14:08.019 to be doing, the devil will give you words to 00:14:08.019 --> 00:14:10.980 walk with. The devil will give you his words 00:14:10.980 --> 00:14:13.460 to walk with. Because whether you like it or 00:14:13.460 --> 00:14:17.139 not, you are performing a work. Hallelujah. Whether 00:14:17.139 --> 00:14:20.539 you like it or not, consciously or unconsciously, 00:14:20.840 --> 00:14:24.320 You are what? You are performing a word. The 00:14:24.320 --> 00:14:26.299 problem now is whose word are you performing? 00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:30.399 Whose word is your life expressing? Whose word 00:14:30.399 --> 00:14:33.539 is your life expressing? Verse 2, And the woman 00:14:33.539 --> 00:14:36.220 said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of 00:14:36.220 --> 00:14:39.340 the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of 00:14:39.340 --> 00:14:41.500 the trees which is in the midst of the garden, 00:14:41.620 --> 00:14:45.639 God has what? God has said, You shall not eat 00:14:45.639 --> 00:14:50.289 it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. Then 00:14:50.289 --> 00:14:52.549 the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely 00:14:52.549 --> 00:14:55.649 die, for God knows that in the day that you eat 00:14:55.649 --> 00:14:58.549 of it, your eyes will be opened and you will 00:14:58.549 --> 00:15:01.509 be like Elohim, like God, knowing good and evil. 00:15:02.009 --> 00:15:05.309 So when the woman saw that a tree was good for 00:15:05.309 --> 00:15:08.110 food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a 00:15:08.110 --> 00:15:11.490 tree desirable to make one wise, she took of 00:15:11.490 --> 00:15:14.629 his fruit and ate, and she also gave to her husband 00:15:14.629 --> 00:15:18.789 with her, and he ate. So the serpent, he came 00:15:18.789 --> 00:15:22.610 subtly. And what was his mission? To contradict 00:15:22.610 --> 00:15:27.590 what God has said. His aim is at what God has 00:15:27.590 --> 00:15:30.889 said. If he can alter the understanding of man, 00:15:31.029 --> 00:15:35.230 if he can alter the comprehension of man concerning 00:15:35.230 --> 00:15:38.269 what God has said, then what God has said will 00:15:38.269 --> 00:15:41.970 not come to pass. Hallelujah. Then what God has 00:15:41.970 --> 00:15:44.090 said concerning humanity, concerning your life, 00:15:44.129 --> 00:15:47.419 concerning my life, will not come to pass. We've 00:15:47.419 --> 00:15:50.240 received prophetic words. We've confirmed it 00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:53.620 with scripture. We've confirmed it with every, 00:15:54.019 --> 00:15:56.679 we've demanded for signs upon signs upon signs 00:15:56.679 --> 00:15:59.480 of confirmations. And we know the plan and the 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:02.419 purpose of God. We know specifically what God 00:16:02.419 --> 00:16:05.299 wants us to do. But there's something, there's 00:16:05.299 --> 00:16:06.940 a voice we're hearing that is not the voice of 00:16:06.940 --> 00:16:09.799 God. Hallelujah. There's a voice that you're 00:16:09.799 --> 00:16:11.620 hearing regularly that is not the voice of God. 00:16:12.419 --> 00:16:14.639 And the aim is that you don't do what God has 00:16:14.639 --> 00:16:17.370 said. concerning his ministers, concerning your 00:16:17.370 --> 00:16:19.509 pastors, rather what God has said, through your 00:16:19.509 --> 00:16:22.110 pastors, through your brothers and your sisters, 00:16:22.389 --> 00:16:24.149 through what you've seen in the word of God. 00:16:24.250 --> 00:16:28.149 But you must choose on which word you're going 00:16:28.149 --> 00:16:30.409 to allow to be the influence over your life. 00:16:30.889 --> 00:16:35.169 So Satan's works and his antics, we see from 00:16:35.169 --> 00:16:37.029 the scriptures that are expressed through words. 00:16:37.129 --> 00:16:40.009 So words are powerful. God's word will not handle 00:16:40.009 --> 00:16:43.289 Satan until we put God's word into action. All 00:16:43.289 --> 00:16:47.330 right? What God said will not deal with Satan 00:16:47.330 --> 00:16:52.529 until you, the man, put it into action by saying 00:16:52.529 --> 00:16:56.490 it and doing it. We don't just know the Word 00:16:56.490 --> 00:16:59.190 of God. We don't just believe the Word of God. 00:16:59.549 --> 00:17:01.409 I'm not saying believing the Word of God is wrong. 00:17:01.509 --> 00:17:03.649 You must believe so that you will say. If you 00:17:03.649 --> 00:17:05.369 say what you don't believe, we'll see it later. 00:17:05.970 --> 00:17:08.849 Maybe, if not today, next week probably. Some 00:17:08.849 --> 00:17:11.529 people came and they said in the name of Jesus 00:17:11.529 --> 00:17:14.470 that Paul spoke. He wanted to do some things, 00:17:14.609 --> 00:17:17.630 right? Did they have encounter with that word, 00:17:17.670 --> 00:17:20.470 with that Jesus that Paul was preaching? No. 00:17:21.150 --> 00:17:24.349 Faith is not in their heart. It's only them trying 00:17:24.349 --> 00:17:26.289 to mimic and express something that is not in 00:17:26.289 --> 00:17:29.549 their heart. So fundamentally, faith is important. 00:17:29.630 --> 00:17:32.990 The word, you know, is important to believe the 00:17:32.990 --> 00:17:35.750 word. And then we, we don't only believe, but 00:17:35.750 --> 00:17:39.410 we speak it. We speak it. We speak it. We see 00:17:39.410 --> 00:17:41.809 the expression of the power of God's word as 00:17:41.809 --> 00:17:45.220 we utter it. As we speak the word of God. Hallelujah. 00:17:46.079 --> 00:17:50.500 So, as we speak it, we see God's word at work. 00:17:51.099 --> 00:17:54.720 Unlike Adam, Jesus overcame the temptation from 00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:57.579 the devil by speaking words. Matthew chapter 00:17:57.579 --> 00:18:00.140 4 verse 1 to 10. Give me Matthew chapter 4 verse 00:18:00.140 --> 00:18:03.819 1 to 10. And Jesus was led up by the spirit into 00:18:03.819 --> 00:18:06.500 the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And 00:18:06.500 --> 00:18:09.160 when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights, afterward 00:18:09.160 --> 00:18:12.700 he was hungry. Now, when the tempter came to 00:18:12.700 --> 00:18:15.640 him, which is Satan, he said, if you are the 00:18:15.640 --> 00:18:18.400 son of God, how did he come to him? He came to 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:21.579 him with the idea, right? The idea. Listen, this 00:18:21.579 --> 00:18:25.519 is a spiritual experience here. Okay? This is 00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:28.079 a spiritual experience. But in the spiritual 00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:31.900 experience, we'll see an utterance. And the utterance 00:18:31.900 --> 00:18:36.599 is aimed at questioning the identity of the Messiah. 00:18:37.299 --> 00:18:40.869 If you are the son of God. command that these 00:18:40.869 --> 00:18:44.109 stones become bread. But he answered and said, 00:18:44.289 --> 00:18:46.809 it is what? It is written. Where is it written? 00:18:46.890 --> 00:18:49.150 It is written in the scriptures. Jesus didn't 00:18:49.150 --> 00:18:52.430 just assimilate and know the word. He said it 00:18:52.430 --> 00:18:55.230 is written. He spoke it. Man shall not live by 00:18:55.230 --> 00:18:58.710 bread alone, but by every word that proceeds 00:18:58.710 --> 00:19:02.049 from the mouth of God. Verse 5. Then the devil 00:19:02.049 --> 00:19:04.450 took him up into a holy city, set him on the 00:19:04.450 --> 00:19:07.490 pinnacle of the temple. Remember, this is a spiritual 00:19:07.490 --> 00:19:10.309 encounter. I will say this is a spiritual experience, 00:19:10.509 --> 00:19:13.450 all right? And he said to him, if you are the 00:19:13.450 --> 00:19:17.029 son of God, throw yourself down for it is written 00:19:17.029 --> 00:19:19.950 in, he shall give his angels charge over you 00:19:19.950 --> 00:19:24.490 and in their hands, they shall bear you up lest 00:19:24.490 --> 00:19:26.710 you dash your foot against a stone. Now I want 00:19:26.710 --> 00:19:29.730 you to know that the devil also is speaking from 00:19:29.730 --> 00:19:33.849 what? From the word of God. Hallelujah. But what 00:19:33.849 --> 00:19:39.140 is he doing? He's doing what he did to Eve. He 00:19:39.140 --> 00:19:42.119 is twisting the word of God. Which means that 00:19:42.119 --> 00:19:45.299 you have a responsibility. Not just to say, oh, 00:19:45.359 --> 00:19:47.339 I can do all things through Christ who sent me. 00:19:47.559 --> 00:19:48.579 You should know what you are saying that you 00:19:48.579 --> 00:19:50.660 can do. Because actually it's not everything 00:19:50.660 --> 00:19:53.720 that you can do. We're together. Like you can't 00:19:53.720 --> 00:19:55.299 take my wife through Christ who strengthens you. 00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:59.319 Amen? You can't do that. So, there's therefore 00:19:59.319 --> 00:20:01.720 a need for you to do what? To know the word of 00:20:01.720 --> 00:20:05.420 God. Actually, you must understand the context 00:20:05.420 --> 00:20:07.519 of God's word. You must understand the purpose 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:10.259 of God's word so that you can apply it properly. 00:20:10.759 --> 00:20:13.440 The devil has no problem with you memorizing 00:20:13.440 --> 00:20:16.460 the words. So long as you don't know, you don't 00:20:16.460 --> 00:20:18.440 understand, you don't even understand the application, 00:20:18.759 --> 00:20:23.019 you will be defeated. Defeat is inevitable if 00:20:23.019 --> 00:20:25.859 you don't know the word of God. Defeat is inevitable 00:20:25.859 --> 00:20:29.059 in your conduct, in the things you're struggling 00:20:29.059 --> 00:20:32.779 with, whatever kind of struggle it is. Defeat 00:20:32.779 --> 00:20:35.279 is inevitable if you don't know the word of God. 00:20:35.880 --> 00:20:38.299 So the knowledge of God's word is instrumental 00:20:38.299 --> 00:20:41.759 to speak in the word of God. We don't just speak 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:44.720 because we just saw it. We must understand it. 00:20:45.400 --> 00:20:47.819 We must understand. And understanding comes by 00:20:47.819 --> 00:20:51.099 teaching. It comes by asking questions. It comes 00:20:51.099 --> 00:20:53.759 by probing and investigating. That is why God 00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:55.519 has given us a church and pastors and leaders 00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:58.839 to bring us to the place of comprehension, to 00:20:58.839 --> 00:21:00.779 bring us to the place of understanding God's 00:21:00.779 --> 00:21:04.940 word that we will speak. The word of God. That 00:21:04.940 --> 00:21:07.779 we will believe the word of God. That we will 00:21:07.779 --> 00:21:11.220 practice the word of God. Hallelujah. So Jesus 00:21:11.220 --> 00:21:15.299 said to him, it is written again, you shall not 00:21:15.299 --> 00:21:18.200 tempt the Lord your God. So Jesus presented to 00:21:18.200 --> 00:21:20.880 the devil the word of God. Again, the devil took 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:24.339 him up on an exceedingly high mountain and showed 00:21:24.339 --> 00:21:26.839 him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:29.640 And he said to him, all these things I will give 00:21:29.640 --> 00:21:33.150 you if you will fall down and worship me. Verse 00:21:33.150 --> 00:21:37.710 10, then Jesus said to him, away with you, Satan, 00:21:37.869 --> 00:21:41.690 for it is written, you shall worship the Lord 00:21:41.690 --> 00:21:45.470 your God and him only you shall serve. Look at 00:21:45.470 --> 00:21:48.630 the next verse. Then the devil left him and behold, 00:21:48.690 --> 00:21:50.710 angels came and ministered to him. Hallelujah. 00:21:50.990 --> 00:21:53.430 So consistently we see that the confrontation 00:21:53.430 --> 00:21:58.210 that Jesus had with the devil was overcame by 00:21:58.210 --> 00:22:01.289 what? He used words, right? He didn't just say 00:22:01.289 --> 00:22:03.599 it. He didn't just, I believe the word, but he 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:06.799 spoke the word. Hallelujah. So it's necessary 00:22:06.799 --> 00:22:08.920 that we learn and we practice. This is a habit 00:22:08.920 --> 00:22:12.740 we must inculcate. To speak the word of God into 00:22:12.740 --> 00:22:16.500 circumstances, into situations, into the temptations 00:22:16.500 --> 00:22:18.920 and the trials we are facing in our lives because 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:21.119 our victory lies not only in understanding and 00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:23.779 believing God's word, but also in what? In speaking 00:22:23.779 --> 00:22:28.279 God's word daily. Daily. The meditation of our 00:22:28.279 --> 00:22:31.380 hearts and the words of our lips. Be pleasing 00:22:31.380 --> 00:22:34.200 to the Lord at all times. Hallelujah. Now let 00:22:34.200 --> 00:22:37.400 me establish something again. That doubt and 00:22:37.400 --> 00:22:43.299 fear, rebellion and sin always begin with words. 00:22:43.960 --> 00:22:52.500 Okay? Doubt, fear, rebellion and sin always begin 00:22:52.500 --> 00:22:56.519 with words. Words we hear and give attention 00:22:56.519 --> 00:23:01.380 to will shape our realities. The words we hear 00:23:01.380 --> 00:23:04.359 and the words we give attention to, the words 00:23:04.359 --> 00:23:08.440 we meditate upon, will shape our realities. And 00:23:08.440 --> 00:23:10.700 sometimes these words come subtly in the form 00:23:10.700 --> 00:23:14.900 of entertainment. Harmless entertainments establish 00:23:14.900 --> 00:23:19.039 some ideas that inform our realities in practice. 00:23:20.119 --> 00:23:23.859 Sometimes they come as counsel. Sometimes they 00:23:23.859 --> 00:23:27.160 come as good words or wisdom. They formulate 00:23:27.160 --> 00:23:30.319 our realities. Now, let's look at an example 00:23:30.319 --> 00:23:34.740 in Numbers. Numbers 13, verse 25. We know the 00:23:34.740 --> 00:23:38.900 story. We know the story of the children of Israel, 00:23:39.000 --> 00:23:43.559 right? Okay, 25. And they returned from spying 00:23:43.559 --> 00:23:47.079 out the land after 40 days. Now, they departed 00:23:47.079 --> 00:23:49.859 and came to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation 00:23:49.859 --> 00:23:52.440 of the children of Israel in the wilderness of 00:23:52.440 --> 00:23:55.480 Paran. Now, the context is that Moses, right, 00:23:55.579 --> 00:23:59.650 have sent out spies. To go and spy the promised 00:23:59.650 --> 00:24:03.150 land. Remember, the promised land is a promised 00:24:03.150 --> 00:24:06.589 land because it has been promised. By who? By 00:24:06.589 --> 00:24:09.150 God. What is a promise? Promise is a word that 00:24:09.150 --> 00:24:10.789 has been given that you're going to inherit the 00:24:10.789 --> 00:24:13.970 land. So God has said it. I believe it and it 00:24:13.970 --> 00:24:16.730 will come to pass. Now Moses, I don't know whether 00:24:16.730 --> 00:24:20.150 it's divine inspiration or it's him and the people 00:24:20.150 --> 00:24:24.990 sitting down to... They sent out spies. Now they 00:24:24.990 --> 00:24:27.470 departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and 00:24:27.470 --> 00:24:29.910 all the congregation of Israel in the wilderness 00:24:29.910 --> 00:24:32.910 of Paran at Kadesh. They brought back what? What 00:24:32.910 --> 00:24:37.210 did they bring back? They bring back words. Words 00:24:37.210 --> 00:24:39.750 to them and to all the congregation and showed 00:24:39.750 --> 00:24:41.809 them what? They show evidence of their words. 00:24:41.930 --> 00:24:44.150 So there was evidence to back up their words 00:24:44.150 --> 00:24:48.650 and show them fruit of the land. Yes? Verse... 00:24:48.650 --> 00:24:53.200 You see this verse? Verse 26, yeah? 27. Then 00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:56.180 they told him and said, we went to the land where 00:24:56.180 --> 00:24:59.099 you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey. 00:24:59.339 --> 00:25:02.500 And this is his fruit. Milk and honey is not 00:25:02.500 --> 00:25:04.940 literal. Okay? There's no land flowing with milk 00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:07.079 and honey. If you know any of that land, let 00:25:07.079 --> 00:25:10.579 me come. But these are figurative expression 00:25:10.579 --> 00:25:14.000 of how prosperous that land is. All right? So, 00:25:14.039 --> 00:25:17.859 28. Nevertheless, the people who dwell in the 00:25:17.859 --> 00:25:21.079 land are what? Are strong. Truly, are these people 00:25:21.079 --> 00:25:24.089 strong? They are strong. They are not lying. 00:25:24.609 --> 00:25:26.750 All right? But what makes what you are saying 00:25:26.750 --> 00:25:30.390 a lie is comparing it or bringing it against 00:25:30.390 --> 00:25:33.150 what God has said. All right? The cities are 00:25:33.150 --> 00:25:35.509 fortified. The cities are really fortified. These 00:25:35.509 --> 00:25:38.930 are facts. And very large. Moreover, we saw the 00:25:38.930 --> 00:25:42.990 descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell 00:25:42.990 --> 00:25:45.269 in the land. These are facts of the south. The 00:25:45.269 --> 00:25:48.369 Hittites, the Jebusites. Okay, sorry. The Hittites. 00:25:48.990 --> 00:25:50.750 My wife has taught me how to pronounce this. 00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:54.640 The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites 00:25:54.640 --> 00:25:59.660 dwell in the mountains, and the Canaanites dwell 00:25:59.660 --> 00:26:02.160 by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan. 00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:06.240 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:10.019 said, Let us go up at once and take possession, 00:26:10.200 --> 00:26:12.839 for we are well able to overcome it. These are 00:26:12.839 --> 00:26:16.500 two different words. The same experience, the 00:26:16.500 --> 00:26:20.609 same exposure, the same economy. The same Cyprus, 00:26:20.890 --> 00:26:25.190 the same lack of jobs in Cyprus, the same university. 00:26:25.549 --> 00:26:28.049 In fact, you enter the same bus that is hot with 00:26:28.049 --> 00:26:30.849 just anybody, the same angry drivers, the same 00:26:30.849 --> 00:26:32.569 whatever exposure and experience you are having. 00:26:32.990 --> 00:26:35.069 See, don't be frowning in your face. You're not 00:26:35.069 --> 00:26:36.950 the only one experiencing hard times in Cyprus. 00:26:37.809 --> 00:26:41.390 These experiences are common to all. Hallelujah. 00:26:41.869 --> 00:26:44.869 But see, our result in this land will not be 00:26:44.869 --> 00:26:48.670 common. Do you know that? Our experiences will 00:26:48.670 --> 00:26:51.390 not... Factually, we see what happened. But the 00:26:51.390 --> 00:26:54.450 result, what we will see, the manifestation of 00:26:54.450 --> 00:26:56.670 God's word in your life in this land will not 00:26:56.670 --> 00:26:59.450 be the same. And it's not because God has favorited. 00:26:59.529 --> 00:27:02.130 There are principles by which, you know, things 00:27:02.130 --> 00:27:05.329 operate on the earth. So, then Caleb quieted 00:27:05.329 --> 00:27:07.250 the people before Moses and said, let us go up 00:27:07.250 --> 00:27:09.210 at once and take possession of the world. We 00:27:09.210 --> 00:27:12.329 are able to overcome it. Is that the end of that 00:27:12.329 --> 00:27:16.809 verse? Verse 31. Yes. But the men who had gone 00:27:16.809 --> 00:27:19.490 up with him said, we are not what? Is it a contradictory 00:27:19.490 --> 00:27:22.069 word, right? We are not able to go up against 00:27:22.069 --> 00:27:25.569 the people. For they are what? They are stronger 00:27:25.569 --> 00:27:31.509 than we. They are stronger than we. Facts and 00:27:31.509 --> 00:27:35.730 figures, the statistics are saying that see, 00:27:35.809 --> 00:27:40.369 in your family, nobody passes this age. Your 00:27:40.369 --> 00:27:44.880 family, in your culture, in your tribe. Anybody 00:27:44.880 --> 00:27:46.799 that reaches this age experiences this kind of 00:27:46.799 --> 00:27:49.740 sickness. These are facts. And they will present 00:27:49.740 --> 00:27:52.400 data, and the data are factual. Are we together? 00:27:52.660 --> 00:27:56.480 This data is factual. Oh, people from your country, 00:27:56.539 --> 00:27:58.240 this is a disease that is common in your area. 00:27:59.160 --> 00:28:02.240 Factual, you know, realities that happens with 00:28:02.240 --> 00:28:05.599 people. All right? In our own family, this is 00:28:05.599 --> 00:28:07.940 the kind of things that are wrong in our family. 00:28:08.769 --> 00:28:10.890 But the man who had gone up with him said, We 00:28:10.890 --> 00:28:13.329 are not able to go up against the people, for 00:28:13.329 --> 00:28:15.170 they are stronger than we. Look at verse 32. 00:28:15.829 --> 00:28:19.109 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report 00:28:19.109 --> 00:28:22.430 of the land, which they had spied out, saying, 00:28:22.609 --> 00:28:25.309 The land to which we have gone as spies is a 00:28:25.309 --> 00:28:30.549 land that devours its inhabitants. And all the 00:28:30.549 --> 00:28:33.670 people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 00:28:33.750 --> 00:28:37.819 They are giants. There we saw the dying descendants 00:28:37.819 --> 00:28:41.900 of Anak. If you read Genesis 6, right? The descendants 00:28:41.900 --> 00:28:46.980 of Anak. And we are like what? Look at their 00:28:46.980 --> 00:28:50.180 perception of themselves. We are like grasshoppers 00:28:50.180 --> 00:28:54.240 in our own sight. And so we were in their sight. 00:28:55.160 --> 00:28:59.099 Is God saying that your life has finished? Is 00:28:59.099 --> 00:29:02.500 that what God says? That nothing can come out 00:29:02.500 --> 00:29:04.910 of your own life? Looking at your background, 00:29:05.009 --> 00:29:06.410 where you're coming from, there's nothing God 00:29:06.410 --> 00:29:09.130 can do with your life. There's nothing that can, 00:29:09.170 --> 00:29:11.930 can anything come out of what? Pastor was teaching 00:29:11.930 --> 00:29:15.490 us, can anything good come out of Nazareth? Some 00:29:15.490 --> 00:29:18.130 of us, factually, that is what is said about 00:29:18.130 --> 00:29:20.769 us, can be said about us. Some of us, if you 00:29:20.769 --> 00:29:22.410 look at our background and where we are today, 00:29:22.589 --> 00:29:28.049 it's a testimony. So much impossibilities, and 00:29:28.049 --> 00:29:30.250 there are, these things are factual. But then, 00:29:30.289 --> 00:29:33.279 what is God saying? What is God saying concerning 00:29:33.279 --> 00:29:36.119 your life? What is God saying concerning our 00:29:36.119 --> 00:29:38.660 lives, concerning our identity, concerning what 00:29:38.660 --> 00:29:40.900 he wants our lives to achieve and accomplish 00:29:40.900 --> 00:29:43.539 on the earth? What is God saying concerning our 00:29:43.539 --> 00:29:46.339 lives? Let's move to the next chapter and see. 00:29:47.039 --> 00:29:50.220 And see how unbelief is expressed in chapter 00:29:50.220 --> 00:29:53.900 14, verse 1. So all the congregation lifted up 00:29:53.900 --> 00:29:57.119 their voices and they cried. Why did they cry? 00:29:57.160 --> 00:30:01.400 Because they have believed the majority. They 00:30:01.400 --> 00:30:05.559 have believed what the statistics don't lie. 00:30:06.160 --> 00:30:08.539 I mean, some of us are scientific. We do research, 00:30:08.660 --> 00:30:13.400 right? When you have two over 10, how will your 00:30:13.400 --> 00:30:17.079 report be? What will be your conclusion? There's 00:30:17.079 --> 00:30:20.559 sufficient evidence to prove, right, that this 00:30:20.559 --> 00:30:23.579 thing is this. Because 12, I mean, out of 12, 00:30:23.640 --> 00:30:25.759 10 are saying this, and you two, only two are 00:30:25.759 --> 00:30:28.559 saying this, right? So all the congregation listened 00:30:28.559 --> 00:30:31.539 to their voices, and they cried. And the people 00:30:31.539 --> 00:30:35.519 wept that night. I can imagine elders crying 00:30:35.519 --> 00:30:38.920 and all the children of Israel complained against 00:30:38.920 --> 00:30:42.039 Moses and Aaron. And the whole congregation said 00:30:42.039 --> 00:30:44.519 to them, if only we had died in the land of Egypt, 00:30:44.839 --> 00:30:50.400 or if only we had died in the wilderness, why 00:30:50.400 --> 00:30:52.960 has the Lord brought us to this land to fall 00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:56.779 by the sword? That our wives and our children 00:30:56.779 --> 00:31:00.240 should become victims. It's a victimhood. Victim 00:31:00.240 --> 00:31:03.220 started even before you were created. See, you 00:31:03.220 --> 00:31:06.319 are not a victim. Hallelujah. You are not created 00:31:06.319 --> 00:31:10.000 and then you are a victim. By your words, we'll 00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:11.880 know whether it's victim, victim, what do they 00:31:11.880 --> 00:31:15.019 call it? The victimhood. We'll know whether you 00:31:15.019 --> 00:31:17.160 are expressing words that make you look at yourself 00:31:17.160 --> 00:31:20.920 as a victim or you are seeing yourself from the 00:31:20.920 --> 00:31:23.619 angle of what God is saying concerning you and 00:31:23.619 --> 00:31:25.039 you're speaking what God is saying concerning 00:31:25.039 --> 00:31:28.400 you. Will it not be better for us to return to 00:31:28.400 --> 00:31:33.160 Egypt? to slavery, to serving Pharaoh. You know, 00:31:33.200 --> 00:31:37.339 Pharaoh is a God in Egypt. All right? And for 00:31:37.339 --> 00:31:39.400 you to be in Egypt, you serve Pharaoh as a God. 00:31:39.880 --> 00:31:42.640 So you rather serve God, you rather serve Pharaoh 00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:44.339 than to serve the living God. Because God brought 00:31:44.339 --> 00:31:46.980 them out of Egypt to serve him. So they said 00:31:46.980 --> 00:31:49.819 to one another, let us select a leader and return 00:31:49.819 --> 00:31:52.380 to Egypt. It's not rebellion. It's not rebellion. 00:31:53.059 --> 00:31:55.119 It's not doubt concerning what God has said. 00:31:55.700 --> 00:31:58.940 And what is the genesis of this? They had a word. 00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:02.180 They had a report. A report and a report that 00:32:02.180 --> 00:32:05.279 is factual. See, some of you that are going back 00:32:05.279 --> 00:32:08.319 to Africa, it's true that Africa is difficult 00:32:08.319 --> 00:32:11.599 too. You understand? The economy in Africa is 00:32:11.599 --> 00:32:14.140 not like Cyprus. It's true that when you go there, 00:32:14.279 --> 00:32:15.839 when you call us online, we will not be hearing 00:32:15.839 --> 00:32:17.240 you very well because the internet in Africa 00:32:17.240 --> 00:32:21.579 is not. Hallelujah. But let me tell you, you 00:32:21.579 --> 00:32:23.319 must believe what God is saying concerning your 00:32:23.319 --> 00:32:26.180 life. Wherever you find yourself, you will thrive. 00:32:26.299 --> 00:32:28.880 Hallelujah. You will fulfill the will and the 00:32:28.880 --> 00:32:32.299 purpose of God for your life. Amen? Because you 00:32:32.299 --> 00:32:35.839 are a child of God and God has a plan and a purpose 00:32:35.839 --> 00:32:37.700 for you and the plan and purpose of God for you 00:32:37.700 --> 00:32:40.660 will manifest in all seasons, in all places. 00:32:41.240 --> 00:32:43.559 The Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before 00:32:43.559 --> 00:32:45.359 all the assembly of the congregation of the children 00:32:45.359 --> 00:32:48.319 of Israel. But Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, 00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:51.180 the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who 00:32:51.180 --> 00:32:55.599 had spied out the land, tore their clothes. And 00:32:55.599 --> 00:32:58.700 they spoke to all the congregation of the children 00:32:58.700 --> 00:33:00.859 of Israel, saying, the land we passed through 00:33:00.859 --> 00:33:05.240 to spy out is what? Is an exceedingly good land. 00:33:05.420 --> 00:33:09.339 This is contrary to what the ten are saying. 00:33:09.619 --> 00:33:13.759 The land devours its inhabitants. This land devours 00:33:13.759 --> 00:33:16.259 its inhabitants. And the people there were like 00:33:16.259 --> 00:33:20.140 grasshoppers. If the Lord delights in us, this 00:33:20.140 --> 00:33:23.220 is faith speaking, right? If the Lord delights 00:33:23.220 --> 00:33:26.819 in us, Then he will bring us into this land and 00:33:26.819 --> 00:33:30.519 give it to us. Because God has promised. And 00:33:30.519 --> 00:33:32.440 so God is able to bring us into the fulfillment 00:33:32.440 --> 00:33:35.160 of his promise. So whatever God has said concerning 00:33:35.160 --> 00:33:37.940 your life, whatever God has said by virtue of 00:33:37.940 --> 00:33:40.059 the word of God that has been spoken to you, 00:33:40.099 --> 00:33:43.380 by virtue of the revealed will of God in his 00:33:43.380 --> 00:33:45.920 word concerning your life, it will come to pass. 00:33:46.220 --> 00:33:50.160 Though it tarries, it will come to pass. It will 00:33:50.160 --> 00:33:53.450 come to pass. God has never said something and 00:33:53.450 --> 00:33:56.829 then it does not come to pass. God says things 00:33:56.829 --> 00:33:59.410 and then he takes responsibility for their fulfillment. 00:34:00.049 --> 00:34:03.450 Hallelujah. But it needs our cooperation, right? 00:34:03.650 --> 00:34:06.109 It needs our cooperation because these are concerning 00:34:06.109 --> 00:34:10.130 our lives. If the Lord delights in us, indeed 00:34:10.130 --> 00:34:14.690 the Lord delights in us, then he is able to bring 00:34:14.690 --> 00:34:19.519 us into this land and give it to us. which flows 00:34:19.519 --> 00:34:23.840 with milk and honey. Only do not what? Do not 00:34:23.840 --> 00:34:28.019 rebel against the Lord. No fear. You see rebellion? 00:34:28.300 --> 00:34:31.320 You see fear? Fear the people of the land for 00:34:31.320 --> 00:34:35.139 they are our bread. Their protection has departed 00:34:35.139 --> 00:34:39.559 from them and the Lord is with us. Do not fear 00:34:39.559 --> 00:34:41.940 them. Why would you not fear the circumstances 00:34:41.940 --> 00:34:45.360 of life? Because the Lord is with you. The Lord 00:34:45.360 --> 00:34:48.340 lives in you. The Lord abides in you. And is 00:34:48.340 --> 00:34:50.880 able to move through with you. Is able to navigate 00:34:50.880 --> 00:34:53.199 through with you all through life. All through 00:34:53.199 --> 00:34:57.019 the impossibilities. And your frailty as man. 00:34:57.940 --> 00:35:00.079 In the work of ministry that he has called you 00:35:00.079 --> 00:35:03.219 to do. The Lord is with you. Therefore you will 00:35:03.219 --> 00:35:06.519 excel in that ministry. Hallelujah. You will 00:35:06.519 --> 00:35:10.119 excel in that ministry. Only do not rebel. Do 00:35:10.119 --> 00:35:13.440 not fear them. Verse 10. And all the congregation 00:35:13.440 --> 00:35:19.130 said to stone them with stones. You see how they've 00:35:19.130 --> 00:35:23.809 subscribed to the popular opinion that is contrary 00:35:23.809 --> 00:35:28.929 to the word and opinion of God. Hallelujah. Now 00:35:28.929 --> 00:35:30.929 the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle 00:35:30.929 --> 00:35:32.710 of the meeting before all the children of Israel. 00:35:33.150 --> 00:35:36.250 Then the Lord said to Moses, how long will these 00:35:36.250 --> 00:35:40.650 people reject me? So, look at it. They disbelieve 00:35:40.650 --> 00:35:43.489 God's word. And disbelieving God's word is actually 00:35:43.489 --> 00:35:48.130 rejecting God. They rejected God by their actions, 00:35:48.449 --> 00:35:52.429 by how they conduct themselves as a result of 00:35:52.429 --> 00:35:55.230 the report they received that is contrary to 00:35:55.230 --> 00:35:57.829 what God has said from the beginning. How long 00:35:57.829 --> 00:36:00.250 will these people reject me? How long will they 00:36:00.250 --> 00:36:04.869 not believe me with all the signs which I have 00:36:04.869 --> 00:36:08.309 performed among them? Verse 12. I will strike 00:36:08.309 --> 00:36:12.780 them with pestilence and disinherit them. and 00:36:12.780 --> 00:36:14.940 I will make of you a nation greater and mightier 00:36:14.940 --> 00:36:18.420 than they. Of course, we know Moses' argument 00:36:18.420 --> 00:36:21.719 concerning this idea. We'll see it in subsequent 00:36:21.719 --> 00:36:24.420 scriptures. Hallelujah. So it is important for 00:36:24.420 --> 00:36:29.000 us to know that words spoken can create fear. 00:36:29.559 --> 00:36:33.460 Words spoken has the power to bring about rebellion, 00:36:33.800 --> 00:36:37.619 to bring about sin, to bring about an opposition, 00:36:37.800 --> 00:36:43.380 and even the rejection of God. Hallelujah. So 00:36:43.380 --> 00:36:46.679 we must be careful. We must be careful concerning 00:36:46.679 --> 00:36:49.480 the things we hear. Because the things we hear 00:36:49.480 --> 00:36:52.480 can shape our realities and our perception of 00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:56.880 life. Will shape our conviction in life and therefore 00:36:56.880 --> 00:37:00.360 our realities. Now let's see some scriptures. 00:37:01.119 --> 00:37:03.440 What some scriptures say is about the power of 00:37:03.440 --> 00:37:06.719 words. Proverbs 18 verse 21. Give me this text 00:37:06.719 --> 00:37:12.610 in the Amplified. Proverbs 18. verse 21, it says, 00:37:12.710 --> 00:37:19.889 death and life are, what? In the power of the 00:37:19.889 --> 00:37:24.869 tongue. Death and life are in the power of the 00:37:24.869 --> 00:37:29.010 tongue. And those who love it, now loving it 00:37:29.010 --> 00:37:34.349 here means those who use it and indulge it will 00:37:34.349 --> 00:37:38.210 do what? Will eat its fruit and bear what? The 00:37:38.210 --> 00:37:43.239 consequences of their words. So words have consequences. 00:37:44.119 --> 00:37:50.380 Words has fruits. So if you speak death, if you 00:37:50.380 --> 00:37:53.860 indulge words that brings death, you will reap 00:37:53.860 --> 00:37:57.420 the consequence of death. Tongue here refers 00:37:57.420 --> 00:38:00.280 to words. Not talking about literal tongue. All 00:38:00.280 --> 00:38:03.320 right? It represents words. Tongues here refers 00:38:03.320 --> 00:38:06.320 to words. The power of the tongue does not mean 00:38:06.320 --> 00:38:09.090 the tongue literally. The power of the tongue 00:38:09.090 --> 00:38:13.469 is expressed in words spoken. Words were spoken. 00:38:13.909 --> 00:38:17.429 This means that our words carry life or death. 00:38:18.070 --> 00:38:23.369 Our words can express faith or death. It means 00:38:23.369 --> 00:38:26.829 we can dictate what we see by the words we say. 00:38:26.989 --> 00:38:32.150 On Sunday, I'm going to teach us on a reality 00:38:32.150 --> 00:38:35.650 that we can have what we say. Amen? We can have 00:38:35.650 --> 00:38:38.139 what we say. Whatever you say, you can have what 00:38:38.139 --> 00:38:43.440 we say. Proverbs 21, verse 23. Proverbs 21, verse 00:38:43.440 --> 00:38:48.320 23. Proverbs 21, verse 23. He who guards his 00:38:48.320 --> 00:38:52.460 mouth and his tongues guards himself from what? 00:38:52.900 --> 00:38:56.840 From troubles. Anything you just open your mouth, 00:38:56.960 --> 00:39:00.420 wah. And then, you know, in this social media, 00:39:00.500 --> 00:39:02.320 people think that what you just say allegedly, 00:39:02.659 --> 00:39:07.369 it shields you from defamatory lawsuits. It's 00:39:07.369 --> 00:39:09.510 a common word in Nigeria. The common word used 00:39:09.510 --> 00:39:12.090 in Nigerian social media is allegedly. You can 00:39:12.090 --> 00:39:13.889 say allegedly 10 times, they will sue you, you 00:39:13.889 --> 00:39:19.409 go to jail. So your words, he who got his mouth 00:39:19.409 --> 00:39:23.909 and his tongue, this is the same thing of course, 00:39:24.050 --> 00:39:28.090 protects himself from troubles, which means that 00:39:28.090 --> 00:39:30.969 you can channel your words equally for your own 00:39:30.969 --> 00:39:33.670 benefit as well. Hallelujah. Look at Proverbs 00:39:33.670 --> 00:39:36.679 12 verse 18. These are some wisdom from Proverbs. 00:39:37.599 --> 00:39:41.460 Proverbs 12, verse 18. There's one who speaks 00:39:41.460 --> 00:39:45.639 rationally like the trust of a sword, but the 00:39:45.639 --> 00:39:49.519 tongue of the wise brings what? Brings what? 00:39:49.780 --> 00:39:53.440 It brings healing. All right? It brings healing. 00:39:53.820 --> 00:39:56.539 The tongue of the wise brings healing, brings 00:39:56.539 --> 00:40:00.300 restoration. Next week Wednesday, I'm going to 00:40:00.300 --> 00:40:03.880 teach us on the things we should not say. There 00:40:03.880 --> 00:40:05.599 are some things that a believer should not say. 00:40:06.139 --> 00:40:08.079 Do you know that? There are some things that 00:40:08.079 --> 00:40:10.900 believers should not say. Because that will not 00:40:10.900 --> 00:40:12.519 be for the edification of another believer and 00:40:12.519 --> 00:40:17.159 others. Alright? So, the words of the wise brings 00:40:17.159 --> 00:40:20.639 healing. Even when it comes to physical healing. 00:40:20.760 --> 00:40:25.500 Physical healing. Alright? By words. We'll see 00:40:25.500 --> 00:40:28.900 later on that healing is administered by speaking 00:40:28.900 --> 00:40:32.860 healing. Hallelujah. So this means that we must 00:40:32.860 --> 00:40:36.940 take responsibility and control over what comes 00:40:36.940 --> 00:40:41.079 out of our mouth. Isn't it? We must take responsibility. 00:40:41.079 --> 00:40:44.780 We must be conscious. We must always be conscious 00:40:44.780 --> 00:40:47.539 of what comes out of our mouth. Not only to children. 00:40:47.940 --> 00:40:49.420 You see, children don't forget because their 00:40:49.420 --> 00:40:52.619 mind is empty. Whatever you say will stay. Right? 00:40:52.679 --> 00:40:55.300 They learn from what we say and we do. But not 00:40:55.300 --> 00:40:59.900 only that. We must take responsibility and control 00:40:59.900 --> 00:41:02.460 over what comes out of our mouth. Our words are 00:41:02.460 --> 00:41:05.639 very powerful. Hallelujah. Our words are very 00:41:05.639 --> 00:41:10.440 powerful. Let's look at an example again. Let's 00:41:10.440 --> 00:41:16.880 look at an example. Matthew chapter 8 verse 5. 00:41:19.619 --> 00:41:23.920 Matthew chapter 8 verse 5. Now when Jesus had 00:41:23.920 --> 00:41:27.519 entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him pleading 00:41:27.519 --> 00:41:32.590 with him, saying, Lord, My servant is at home, 00:41:32.690 --> 00:41:36.949 paralyzed, dreadfully tormented. And Jesus said 00:41:36.949 --> 00:41:39.949 to him, I will come and heal him. The centurion 00:41:39.949 --> 00:41:43.030 answered and said, Lord, I am not worried that 00:41:43.030 --> 00:41:46.489 you should come under my roof. But only, only 00:41:46.489 --> 00:41:51.670 what? Only speak a word and my servant will be 00:41:51.670 --> 00:41:56.269 healed. Only speak a word and my servant will 00:41:56.269 --> 00:42:00.280 be healed. For I also, a man under authority, 00:42:00.679 --> 00:42:05.360 have soldiers under me, and I say to one, go. 00:42:05.460 --> 00:42:08.079 Which means that authority is expressed through 00:42:08.079 --> 00:42:13.039 words. All right? Authority is expressed through 00:42:13.039 --> 00:42:16.719 words. Do you have authority as a believer? Your 00:42:16.719 --> 00:42:18.820 authority as a believer is expressed through 00:42:18.820 --> 00:42:21.519 words. Do you know that if a man is possessed 00:42:21.519 --> 00:42:23.260 with demons, he can sit here quietly and nothing 00:42:23.260 --> 00:42:26.059 will happen? Even when you see him trying to 00:42:26.059 --> 00:42:27.880 manifest because of the presence, it's unconjusive. 00:42:28.500 --> 00:42:30.380 But when you speak to that demon, the demon will 00:42:30.380 --> 00:42:35.519 move. Authority is expressed through words. I 00:42:35.519 --> 00:42:39.480 say to this one, go, and he goes. And to another, 00:42:39.619 --> 00:42:43.320 come, and he comes. And to my servant, do this, 00:42:43.480 --> 00:42:47.239 and he does it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled 00:42:47.239 --> 00:42:50.800 and said, uh -uh, uh -uh, uh -uh. I surely I 00:42:50.800 --> 00:42:53.880 say to you, that's very, very seriously. I say 00:42:53.880 --> 00:42:57.960 to you, I have not found such great faith, not 00:42:57.960 --> 00:43:02.599 even in Israel. How is this faith? The faith 00:43:02.599 --> 00:43:05.880 here is to receive from God, right? Now, the 00:43:05.880 --> 00:43:07.940 saving faith is different from faith to receive. 00:43:08.320 --> 00:43:13.440 But see, this man says what? He expresses his 00:43:13.440 --> 00:43:17.699 faith by his words. Are we together? He expresses 00:43:17.699 --> 00:43:20.559 his faith to receive from Jesus by his words. 00:43:21.260 --> 00:43:24.119 And I say to you that many will come from the 00:43:24.119 --> 00:43:27.199 east and west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, 00:43:27.260 --> 00:43:29.920 and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, where those 00:43:29.920 --> 00:43:32.500 of the kingdom will be cast out in utter darkness. 00:43:32.940 --> 00:43:35.340 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 00:43:35.420 --> 00:43:37.599 Verse 13. Then Jesus said to the centurion, Go 00:43:37.599 --> 00:43:41.440 your way, and as you have believed, so let it 00:43:41.440 --> 00:43:44.619 be done for you. And his servant was healed that 00:43:44.619 --> 00:43:48.920 same hour. Say immediately, at that hour, at 00:43:48.920 --> 00:43:52.739 that moment. He received what he believed Jesus 00:43:52.739 --> 00:43:56.800 for and he expressed it by his words. Hallelujah. 00:43:56.960 --> 00:44:01.380 He knows that Jesus can speak a word and what 00:44:01.380 --> 00:44:04.179 Jesus said will happen because he understands 00:44:04.179 --> 00:44:08.960 authority. That authority can be expressed through 00:44:08.960 --> 00:44:13.739 words. So the centurion, he's a Roman, he's a 00:44:13.739 --> 00:44:17.340 Gentile. Who is not a Jew but a Roman, right? 00:44:17.949 --> 00:44:21.369 And we know that they are regarded as unbelievers. 00:44:22.449 --> 00:44:26.989 But we see his understanding of authority. Understand 00:44:26.989 --> 00:44:30.889 authority. Verse 8 and verse 9, in his words, 00:44:30.909 --> 00:44:35.329 he understands that words are not ordinary. Indeed, 00:44:35.449 --> 00:44:38.250 words are not ordinary. Words are not ordinary. 00:44:39.050 --> 00:44:40.789 There are some things you can say to somebody, 00:44:40.909 --> 00:44:43.989 the person will be broken for life. There are 00:44:43.989 --> 00:44:45.610 some things you say to somebody, the person can 00:44:45.610 --> 00:44:48.300 go and commit suicide. Words are not ordinary. 00:44:50.019 --> 00:44:52.880 If you follow American news, a woman said that 00:44:52.880 --> 00:44:55.519 she had some words. That she was hearing some 00:44:55.519 --> 00:44:57.079 words, and those words are the ones that told 00:44:57.079 --> 00:44:59.380 her to go and kill her three children. She had 00:44:59.380 --> 00:45:02.219 the words. We don't know the source of the words, 00:45:02.360 --> 00:45:06.800 but she had something. So, words are not ordinary, 00:45:07.039 --> 00:45:10.539 but are pregnant with unlimited possibilities. 00:45:11.760 --> 00:45:14.380 They are pregnant with what? With unlimited possibilities. 00:45:15.369 --> 00:45:18.750 So when you release your words, your words can 00:45:18.750 --> 00:45:23.010 give birth to possibilities. All right? His faith 00:45:23.010 --> 00:45:27.230 was seen expressed in his words and he received 00:45:27.230 --> 00:45:30.750 what he asked for. I think it's an example for 00:45:30.750 --> 00:45:34.670 us. All right? When you believe, you shall say 00:45:34.670 --> 00:45:38.190 to this mountain, be thou removed from here and 00:45:38.190 --> 00:45:40.809 be cast into the sea. And that which you say, 00:45:40.829 --> 00:45:46.260 you shall receive. Hallelujah. The secret is 00:45:46.260 --> 00:45:48.880 not only in believing God's word, but in speaking 00:45:48.880 --> 00:45:52.780 what God has said consistently until we see the 00:45:52.780 --> 00:45:55.400 manifestation of what God has said. And the word 00:45:55.400 --> 00:45:59.300 of God is true. God cannot deny himself. He honors 00:45:59.300 --> 00:46:00.920 his word, the Bible says, even more than his 00:46:00.920 --> 00:46:04.039 name. And there's nothing that God has said that 00:46:04.039 --> 00:46:06.980 will return to him void except that it has fulfilled 00:46:06.980 --> 00:46:09.820 that which it has been sent forth for. And everything 00:46:09.820 --> 00:46:11.920 that God has said concerning your life will be 00:46:11.920 --> 00:46:15.030 manifested in Jesus' name. So that should be 00:46:15.030 --> 00:46:18.369 our perception daily, regularly, and always. 00:46:19.010 --> 00:46:21.869 That we believe the Word of God. That we speak 00:46:21.869 --> 00:46:24.030 the Word of God. I want to bring the Word of 00:46:24.030 --> 00:46:27.590 God to existence by the things we say. We must 00:46:27.590 --> 00:46:30.690 believe what God will do. We must believe that 00:46:30.690 --> 00:46:33.949 God will do what He says. We must express faith 00:46:33.949 --> 00:46:38.110 in the power of God's Word. Your faith will never 00:46:38.110 --> 00:46:41.610 rise above the words in your mouth. Hear what 00:46:41.610 --> 00:46:45.900 I just said? Your faith will never rise above 00:46:45.900 --> 00:46:50.179 the words in your mouth. Your faith will not 00:46:50.179 --> 00:46:54.739 rise above the words in your mouth. Your faith 00:46:54.739 --> 00:46:58.900 will never rise above the words in your mouth. 00:46:59.440 --> 00:47:03.719 Therefore, you must learn to always speak faith 00:47:03.719 --> 00:47:08.380 and not fear or any form of negativity or evil. 00:47:09.119 --> 00:47:12.679 Because... The way by which we express the power 00:47:12.679 --> 00:47:15.300 of God, the way by which we express the authority 00:47:15.300 --> 00:47:18.300 we have in Christ, the way by which we express, 00:47:18.300 --> 00:47:23.420 you know, our faith is seen explicitly in our 00:47:23.420 --> 00:47:27.039 words. Hallelujah. Just want us to close our 00:47:27.039 --> 00:47:30.019 eyes and speak to God. Let's speak that Psalms 00:47:30.019 --> 00:47:34.340 we read earlier on, Psalms 19 verse 14. A scripture 00:47:34.340 --> 00:47:38.639 that is a meditation for us. Let the words of 00:47:38.639 --> 00:47:42.099 my mouth. and the meditation of my heart be acceptable. 00:47:42.639 --> 00:47:45.579 That is, it is pleasing. That is, it's pleasing 00:47:45.579 --> 00:47:49.559 to God. For the words you've received, do you 00:47:49.559 --> 00:47:52.840 see how powerful words are? Do you see how powerful 00:47:52.840 --> 00:47:55.860 and significant words are? Will you decide that 00:47:55.860 --> 00:47:58.159 going forward, you will change your diction, 00:47:58.440 --> 00:48:01.840 you will change your language, you will change 00:48:01.840 --> 00:48:06.059 your communication? We appreciate you being here 00:48:06.059 --> 00:48:09.119 today. We hope you carry this word with you throughout 00:48:09.119 --> 00:48:12.019 your week. Don't forget to check the show notes 00:48:12.019 --> 00:48:14.760 for additional insights. Stay connected with 00:48:14.760 --> 00:48:17.460 us through our website or follow us on social 00:48:17.460 --> 00:48:21.119 media. If you are encouraged, share this message 00:48:21.119 --> 00:48:24.119 with someone you care about. Until next time, 00:48:24.179 --> 00:48:25.119 stay blessed.