Last Sunday we looked at the redemptive fulfillment that is in Christ.
As a result of the Christ’s redemptive work, the power of decree was made available to believers and was a mandate from the Lord to us.
Look with me at Job 22:28 “You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto you and the light shall shine upon your ways. v29 When men are cast down, then you shall say, There is lifting up; and He shall save the humble person. v30 He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the Godly work of your hands”.
The word “decree” in the original language is “gaw-zar”, which means to determine the outcome of something.
Webster’s Dictionary says that a decree, is to call something forth, to command, to direct, to mandate, to order…
So often we’re not sure what we want and where we want to end up….
A new business was opening and one of the owner's friends wanted to send him flowers for the occasion. The flowers were beautiful and they arrived at the new business site and the owner read the card,.... "Rest in Peace." The owner was upset and called the florist to complain.
After he had told the florist of the obvious inference to the message and how upset he was, the florist said, "Sir, I'm really sorry for the mistake, but I’m right now imagining thatsomewhere, there is a funeral taking place, and they have flowers with a note saying,... 'Congratulations on your new location!'"
The Bible says “Death and Life are in the power of the tongue…” in another scripture it says “Let every man be a liar but let the Word of God be true”.
This tells me that as I bring my words more and more in line with God’s word, I will begin to decree life into all that is around and within me and overcome the downward spiral.
Parents are constantly decreeing over their families….
If a child is raised being told constantly that they are good, that they can do anything, and be anything they want to be, and that child hears nothing but positive things, then they will grow up believing that. If another child hears only negative….constantly being told they are stupid, ignorant, bad, useless, unwanted and they will never amount to anything, they are just a bad seed….That child will grow up believing it and becoming that very thing.
Because words have the power to call forth, to command, to direct or to order life or death, according to Webster.
They have the power to determine the outcome…
Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue and they that love ('âhab.. to be passionately intimate with) it shall eat the fruit thereof”.
“A’hab… is about your desires, ambitions, will, intellect and emotions, or all that flows out of your heart…your center, the core of your being! That place in you where your true beliefs and values flow out of.
Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it flow all the issues of your life”.
And then there is….
Matthew 12:34… “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. v35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. v37 For by your words you shall be justified, and by thy words you shall be condemned”.
Two elderly people ended up at the same table, beside one another. As the meal went on they found they had much in common. That night, he called her and said, “You know, we don’t have a lot of time ahead of us, so I’ll just cut to the chase… Will you marry me”!
She thought about six seconds and said "Oh,Yes, Yes, I will!"
The next morning, he couldn’t remember.. "Did she say 'yes' or did she say 'no'?" So, he called her and explained that he didn't remember if she said “Yes, or No”?" "Oh, she said, 'Yes, yes I will' and I meant it with all my heart." Then she paused and said, "But, I am so glad that you called, because I couldn't remember who it was that had asked me."
My point here is, that as we decree a thing, we need to do it with understanding. We need to know what God’s word has said about it. So that we are speaking in alignment with God’s desires and plans….
There are many things which happen that are not God’s will, and they happen because we have overruled God’s plan with our words and actions, and desires, that are contrary to His will… When is the last time you prayed or planned something and said “If it be Your will”? Jesus taught us to pray “Thy will be done”…..
The power of words was set in motion all the way back at the time of creation, and we can see God bringing man in on it at the garden of Eden when God told Adam, that whatever he said, that’s what it would be….look at it with me….
Genesis 2:19 “And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. v20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. v21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof v22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, he made a help meet, and brought her unto the man. v23 And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman..”
God honored Adam’s words and a horse is still called a horse, a dog is still a dog, a snake is still called a snake…a woman is still called a woman, etc.
And Adam named the help meet he was given….”Woman”… which means brought forth from man…. Hmmmmm (brought forth from man)
Your spouse will be what you keep calling them.. What have you been decreeing over your spouse… what have you been callingforth, what outcome have you been determining with your words…..
Spiritual Principles Shape Physical Things….The greatest effect upon the physical realm comes from the spiritual realm. The word of God is spirit and it is truth. When a believer aligns themselves with the word of God, they begin to operate out of a spiritual dimension which has supernatural influence over the physical dimension.
Hebrews 11:3 says it like this “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were made of (the word of God) which is not seen”.
When we align ourselves with the word of God and begin to speak forth that word, we release creative power which comes to bear upon the physical realm.
When Satan came into the garden, the first thing he did was challenge God’s word. He understood the power of decree, because it was by the decree of the word of God, that he was cast out of heaven.
Now, Satan is trying to undermine the word and take away it’spower… He begins by quoting the word of God, but then he makes an exception… (Satan knows the word, and he knows how to misquote it) Satan loves to get us to misunderstand what God is saying…. "I am more deadly than the screaming shell of the cannon. I win without killing. I tear down homes, break hearts, wreck lives. I travel on the wings of the wind. No innocence is strong enough to intimidate me, no purity pure enough to daunt me. I have no regard for truth, no respect for justice, no mercy for the defenseless. My victims are as numerous as the sands of the sea and often as innocent. I never forget and seldom forgive. My name is "Misunderstanding"
We can hear what we want to hear, and not hear what we need to hear.
A man was telling his neighbor that he had just bought a new
hearing aid. He said that it cost him four thousand dollars, but itwas the latest state of the art in technology. He was really excited to be able to hear all the things he had been missing….
His neighbor said, “That’s great, what kind is it?"
The man answered "It’s about twelve thirty."
(More money misspent) People just aren’t listening…..
Genesis 3:4 “And the serpent said unto the woman, You shall not actually die. v5 For God knows that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil”.
Satan not only neutralized God’s word but he neutralized their words by the art of compromise… and death entered where only life was before….
Satan is good at making exceptions and compromise.. so that he can put the spirit of death, where God wants to bring life, success, health and wholeness….
God sent Moses up to the mountain to bring down the commandments. Satan called Eve to the forbidden tree, to bring back the exceptions.
Someone said that If Moses had gone to Harvard Law School and spent three years working on Capital Hill, he would have written the Commandments with three exceptions, and 7 amendments. Watch out for the swirling vortex called the “Exception Zone” that wants to suck you in!
Joe Klock…. “Success, happiness, peace of mind and fulfillment - the most priceless of human treasures - are available to all among us who make "good" things happen - in the world around us, with the exclusion of those who are always making exceptions”.
As Joshua is about to enter the Promised Land, God says this to him… Joshua 1:3 “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, have I given unto you”…
Listen, sometimes you have to declare things until it just wears the devil out, and he can’t stand it anymore.
In the original language, God is saying that you keep on walking on it until you wear a path… You walk on it until nothing contrary can even grow there, and nothing that opposes it, can get a foothold!
When Jesus cursed the fig tree with His decree, He told the watching disciples, who were amazed at such a thing, that they could do the same thing….look at it with me….
Matthew 21:20 And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How quickly is the fig tree withered away! V21 Jesus answered and said unto them, “Verily I say unto you, (you is me) If you have faith, and doubt not, you shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if you shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be cast into the sea, it shall be done”.
God said in Job 22:28 “You shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established…” We need to understand that it is already established in heaven, but we need to establish it in the earth where we have been given authority…
Then again, we see in Ephesians 1:22 “And He has put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, v23 Which is His body, the fulness of Him that fills all in all”.
This is what Jesus was saying when He told us to pray “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven”… It is established in heaven that it might be performed in earth, through the church….
An important issue, is to know where your authority comes from. On Palm Sunday, even the Donkey was smart enough to know that it was Jesus they were applauding for, and not him….
Jesus told the disciples to go and tarry until they were endued with power. He said “You shall receive POWER”… On the day of Pentecost, Jesus was saying that they would be clothed with Power.
We have looked at this several times…. That power has 4 words in it, Dunamis, is the power to overwhelm what is overwhelming you…. Ischus, is the power of bringing forth much from a little… Kratos, is the ability to be invincible against the power of the Devil… Exeusia, is delegated authority, to act in behalf of another. Such as a policeman who has the power of the entire police force behind him.
All of these come into play as we operate in the authority to decree a thing and expect it to come to pass.
Mark 11:22 “Jesus answering said unto them, Have faith in God.v23 For verily (truly) I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass he shall have whatsoever he says. v24 Therefore I say unto you; whatsoever things you desire, when ye pray, believe that you receive, them and you shall have them”.
I understand that we won’t all be just perfect in this all the time, but we can work at it and grow more proficient as we keep at it.
How many have sat through your child’s sessions as they are learning an instrument. I mean, you want to put them in a sound proof room, because before they learn the right notes to use, it can sound pretty awful. But we applaud them and we praise them, for their effort…We encourage them to keep trying even though they’re on our last nerve! We don’t let them give up!
It’s the same way with training your speech and becoming proficient in a vocabulary that is so powerful that you can begin to decree a thing.
I wrote this on Face Book as I was preparing this message…
“Don’t expect things to change because you did the right thing… You have to consistently do the right thing… What would music sound like if you only hit the right note only some of the time…
If what you were speaking consistently came to pass, what would you now see happening and would you even want the results of what you have been saying the most consistently?
“I can’t stand my job, I can’t stand those people, No matter how I try I just can’t get ahead, My life is terrible, How could this be happening to me, The more I try the further I get behind…. Etc.
Usually complaining gets nothing accomplished anyway… A customer stormed up to the front desk of the library and said, "I have a complaint!"
"Yes, ma'am, what is it I can do for you?" "I borrowed a book last week and it was horrible!" " Could you tell me what was wrong with it?" "It had way too many characters and there was no plot whatsoever, and the story just went in every direction!"The librarian nodded and said, "Ahh. So you must be the person who took our phone book….." What are you reading, and watching? Are you complaining or training for reigning?
Romans 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more then, they which receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) You are chosen, anointed, authorized and equipped by God to reign in life, not just be run over by life.
Decrees are the keys for opening and shutting. Scripture says, He will open and no man shall shut, He will shut and no man shall open. That is what is established in heaven, and we need to decree it in the earth.
2 Corinthians 1:20 “For all the promises of God are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. v21 Now He which establishes us (makes firm and unmovable) with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God. v22 Who has also sealed us, andgiven us the earnest spiritual down payment in our hearts”.
Again, God is saying that it is already ours (the spiritual down payment) has been made, if we will release it by giving voice and faith to His word of power.
Our decrees set up the boundaries, borders and channels whichthe answers and solutions from God’s storehouse can manifest within. Our decree protects what is inside and keeps out all that is on the outside. It is the mandate of the Spirit operating through us. Angels are sent forth to battle demons that want to keep us from what God has for us, when we make decrees!!
Romans 8:31 “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us”?
So we walk in forgiveness, we are quick to repent, we examine our hearts and we open ourselves to a fresh infilling of the Spirit.
Listen, we need to get busy decreeing some stuff and releasing things that are under the power of death, and we release life…
I decree deliverance is going to happen here….I decree habits will be broken here…..I decree souls will be saved here…..I decree healings will be done here…..I decree broken hearts mended here…..I decree families will be put back together here…..I decree financial breakthrough will be done here…..I decree jobs will come here…..I decree you will never be the same again…..I decree the devil is defeated…..I decree that spiritual famine is over…..I decree lifestyles are going to changed…..I decree increase…..I decree prosperity…..I decree wealth…..I decree that we shall live and not die…..I decree that souls will be added to the church…..I decree there is going to be a new thing here in this place…..I decree joy unspeakable and full of glory…..I decree that in 2018 we will not be afraid to step out on faith…..I decree that in 2018 dreams and visions will be accomplished…..I decree walls are coming down…I decree new facilities.
I decree overflow…..I decree and it shall be established…..I decree spontaneous worship will break out here….I decree new levels of spiritual excellence here…..I decree a new level of intimacy with God…..I decree that the Church is going to make a difference in the community….I decree that Godly love will abound.
Let’s make our confession together today…
Lord, Your word says that death and life are in the power of the tongue and I declare in Jesus' name that my life is changing. I declare that no weapon formed or fashioned against me shall prosper. I declare that God will perform that which concerns me. I speak to my physical body and I declare in the Name of Jesus that my body functions to the perfection that God created it to function. Every sickness, every disease and every germ that touches my body dies instantly, for I live the divine life and walk in divine health.
I declare and decree that I am debt free. All of my needs are met, and I have plenty more to put in store. I have preferential treatment and I walk in the favor of God and in the comfort of You, Holy Spirit. I am blessed to be a blessing. In the Name of Jesus, I am no longer the tail. I am no longer beneath. I declare that I am above only! I declare promotion in my life. Promotion on my job. Promotion in my spirit. Promotion in my soul. Promotion in my finances and it shall surely come to pass.
I declare and decree that I have the wisdom of God exploding within me. I have revelation knowledge flowing through me for God will not withhold any good thing from me. People show me great favor through the grace of God which I have received. For my tongue is my pen and I am writing on the tablets of my heart, the words of the Living God.
I am anointed. Burdens are removed. Yokes are destroyed. I walk in the glorious light of the Gospel and I walk by faith and not by sight. I have no fear because I have been given a spirit of love, power and a sound mind. I am the redeemed of the Lord, and all that I have said and all that I have declared shall be establishedin the earth, as my heart is steadfastly fixed on You Lord, in Jesus' Name.
