Fellowship Over Formula

In Proverbs 3:1-8 and Proverbs 4:20-23 where it talks about healing and health, it doesn’t say anything specifically about SPEAKING the Word of God bringing life or health to our bodies. Of course, speaking His Word is a good thing, if it comes from your heart.

Speaking something that is not in your heart is false fruit. It is hypocrisy and even lying (See Matthew 12:33-37).

Of course, we are to speak the Word of God, but even in Joshua 1:8 where the Lord told him not to let the book of the law depart out of his mouth, (in other words, to keep His Word in his mouth—to keep speaking it), He said to meditate on it day and night so he would be careful to do according to all that is written in it, for then he would make his way prosperous and have success.

Proverbs 3 talks about not forgetting His teaching, keeping His commandments, not letting kindness and truth leave you, bind them around your neck, write them on your heart, trust in the Lord, do not lean on your own understanding, acknowledge Him, do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord, turn away from evil…

THAT is what will bring healing to your body and refreshment to your bones. It doesn’t even mention speaking. Though speaking, of course, would be a part of this.

Proverbs 4 talks about giving attention to His words, inclining your ear to His sayings, not letting them depart from your sight, keeping them in your heart…

For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body.

When we emphasize all of these things we are to do with the Word of God, rather than just speaking it like a formula to get a result, it will bring the life to us we are looking for. Remember what Jesus said,

“And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words." (Matthew 6:7). Speaking the Word of God is absolutely important to do, and effective, when it's from a right heart.

Moses

Look what happened when God told Moses to strike the rock to get water for the people (Exodus 17:1-6). It worked. But then when they needed water again, God told him to speak to the rock, yet Moses didn’t, he did what he did before when he struck the rock. God provided the water, but was angry at Moses for doing what he did before, instead of what He told him to do this time. As a result, Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land. (Numbers 20:1-12). It’s not about a formula.

David

When the Philistines came against David after he was made king of Israel, He inquired of the Lord whether he should go after them. The Lord said yes, and they defeated the Philistines. But then, when the Philistines came after him again—same place, same people—David didn’t assume he should go after them, he inquired of the Lord again. The Lord told him to go, but gave him instructions for a different method of attack. Because David didn’t assume, but went to the Lord again, He got victory. (2 Samuel 5:17-25).

Remember what Jesus said after He cast a demon out of a boy which the disciples couldn’t. They asked Him why they couldn’t, (because they had done it before), and He said, “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:21).

Prayer and fasting take time. Spending time with Him, seeking Him, meditating on His Word, treasuring them and doing what they say, will bring us the results we need.

David wrote:
Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him. (Psalm 32:6).

Spending time with the Lord before the great flood of waters come, will be of great benefit to us. Yet it’s not just about results.

It’s not simply about getting through our troubling situations or overcoming our enemies, which of course is important, and which God loves to do for us. But beyond that, the Lord wants FELLOWSHIP with us. He doesn’t just want us to go to Him in crisis to get through our tough times. He wants us to enjoy His company as He does ours (Revelation. 3:20).

After David's victory over the Philistines, David began to move the ark of God back to Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 6). He wanted the presence of God near all the time. He enjoyed the presence of the Lord, not just in times of crisis.  

There is much to be gained by fellowshipping with the Lord, yet the oneness in love and unity with Him is the greatest gain of all.

The Parrésia Anointing

On July 4, 2015 I posted a blog called God's Freedom of Speech Definition. (Read it here). It is about Peter and John being arrested for preaching in the Name of Jesus. It's taken from Acts 4 & 5. I discuss the word parrésia which is used to describe the confidence of Peter and John that the authorities saw, as well as the confidence they prayed for so they could continue to speak the word. Parrésia is also used to describe the boldness they continued to preach with after this happened. As I explain in the blog, parrésia means freedom of speech and confidence. When reading these Scriptures, you can replace the words confidence and boldness with "freedom of speech" to get a better understanding.

I bring this up again because there is more we need to see about this type of freedom of speech that God gave them, and will give to us if we ask for it as they did. There are three different levels to this kind of free speech.

1. The freedom to speak freely without harassment or persecution. 
This type of freedom of speech is what we have enjoyed in America for so long, up until recently. We've had the freedom to say what we want and others have the freedom to disagree with us. We have not had to fear being persecuted or arrested for speaking of Jesus or preaching in His Name.

2. The courage to speak freely even if there is persecution or consequence.
This is the kind of boldness I typically thought of when reading about Peter and John's arrest in Acts 4. This is the kind of courage that some American Christians are starting to have to display because of persecution and laws that are attacking our freedom of speech. This is the kind of courage a true believer must have in order to stay loyal to the Lord during times of opposition. The early church displayed this type of courage, many of them to the point of death.

3. The power-filled, anointed speech that brings light and freedom to blinded minds.
This is the kind of speech that not only reaches the ears of the deceived because the speaker had the boldness to speak, but these are words that carry the power to penetrate into the brain of the person bringing light, understanding, freedom and faith to the hearer! This is where we see God backing the words we speak with power. We see this displayed throughout the book of Acts and described here:

...After it (the Word) was spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. Hebrews 2:3-4

So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed. Mark 16:19-20 

Words are more than sound waves that hit an eardrum. Sound waves continue through the ear and into the brain where they are decoded so the hearer understands what the speaker meant. God-anointed words have the power to eradicate the darkness of deception that blinds the minds of unbelievers so they can see the truth and believe!

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."  2 Corinthians 4:3-4

The minds of the unbelieving are blinded by darkness. They don't see the light of the gospel. They don't see the glory of the Lord. They don't see that He is the image of God Himself. We need to have the courage of level two described above, but also the power of level three. We need to speak the Word of God with the anointing of His Spirit so His Light can penetrate the darkened minds.

The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130 NKJV

So how do we get this level three kind of God-anointed words? We first display level two courage, but look at what Peter and John also did. After they were threatened by the authorities they went to their own people and they all prayed.

"And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence (parrésia), while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness. (parrésia). (Acts 4:29-31).

They gathered with their people and prayed for parrésia. When they did the whole place shook and they were filled with the Spirit. We know that they were already filled with the Spirit, but they received a fresh, or greater anointing of the Spirit. Rather than backing down and giving in to the dark threats of the authorities, they responded by asking the Lord for more parrésia so they could speak His word while the Lord healed and displayed signs and wonders. This kind of parrésia anointing on our words brings the light and power of God into the earth in such a way that the works of God are demonstrated and God is glorified!

If you grieve over a loss of the level one kind of freedom of speech, make a decision to speak the Word courageously. Pray for this parrésia anointing and for the Lord to display signs and wonders through His Name. Remember, the light shines brighter in the darkness. There may be a stronger conflict, but light overcomes the darkness!