Monday, April 12, 2021

Activate The Word of God

 

Text:  Isaiah 55:10-11: For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returns not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:  so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth:  it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

It is the 23rd book of the Bible, with 66 chapters, 1,292 verses, and 37,044 words.  The purpose of the book was to make God’s message clear to Israel to warn them of judgment for persisting in sin and to reveal the final dealings of God with them in complete restoration under their Messiah.

Isaiah, the son of Amoz, was prophet during the reign of Hezekiah, king of Judah.  His name means “Jehovah is Salvation”, assistance and support of hardship and distress.

God said, “So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth:  it shall not return unto me void (empty), but it shall “accomplish” (achieve, complete, successfully manage, fulfill, realize, attain, execute, perform, consummate, conclude) that which I please, and it shall “prosper” (flourish physically; grow strong and healthy; thrive; bloom; blossom; progress) in the thing (a word; a matter [as spoken of]) whereto I sent it”.

The power and effect of God’s Word are never cancelled or rendered void to those who receive it nor is it rendered void to those who reject it.  (Mark 16:16) He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned.

Activate means to make (something) active or operative.  Synonyms for activate are: operate; switch on or turn on; start up; trigger off; set in motion.

Everything was set in motion when God said “Let there be”.  When God speaks there is not a single word of God that is without power.  And guess what!  As we speak God’s WORD, things will happen.  That’s why it’s time to activate the Word of God”!

When Isaiah spoke it was God’s Word.  As the apostles and prophets of God spoke it was the Word of God!  When they spoke things happened.  When and as we speak, it is the Word of God.  Everything Jesus spoke was the Word of God.

·         John 12:49: For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

Luke explicitly said in Luke 5:1: And it came to pass that as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret.  Jesus introduced His sayings “I say unto you”. 

Jesus had divine authority within Himself to speak the Word of God.  We have divine authority within ourselves to speak the Word of God.  Are we not Him in the earth?  Did He not say that “As he is, so are we, in this world”?  (1John 4:17)

·         Deuteronomy 30:10: If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.  Vs 11: For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.  Vs 12: It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, “Who shall go up for us to heaven and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it”?  Vs 13: Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, “Who shall go over the sea for us and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it”?  Vs 14: But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

Now is the time for us to “activate the Word of God”!  He commanded that we go!   (Mark 15:16):  And he said unto themGo ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”!

 SAME WORD THEN, SAME WORD NOW!!!

God’s Word is a proceeding Word – it still stands, it still performs, it’s still manifesting His power!  The same Word is still warning, and it’s still saving!  God’s Word is still convicting, and it’s still changing the stony hearts of men into flesh!  God’s Word is still healing, and it’s still alive and well!

·         Hebrews 4:12: The word of God is quick and powerful (in the sense of being alive), and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing (to reach through; penetrate) even to the dividing asunder of soul (nephesh) and spirit (ruwach), and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Soul in Hebrew is ne’phesh, meaning a breathing creature, ie animal of vitality; or (fig) sense (bodily or mentally); life, self, mind, heart, person, will, desire, man, any appetite, lust, pleasure.  In the Greek it is psuche’, meaning breath, ie spirit – it’s irrational and mortal. 

That’s all Adam was doing in Genesis 2:7, breathing oxygen until the LORD God breathed into his nostrils (aph’) [face, countenance, forehead] the breath of life, and made him a living soul.

Keep in mind when CPR is being administered, you do not breathe into the nostrils of an adult, you close the nostrils and breathe into the mouth.  In the definition of nostrilsis the word forehead”.  There are four lobes in the cerebrum of the brain:  frontal; parietal; temporal; occipital.  I just want to touch on the “frontal lobe”.  The “frontal lobe” controls personality; higher intellectual processes (concentration; planning; decision making); verbal communication.  Genesis 2:7The LORD God breathed [(naphach’) puffed; inflated; scattered; kindled (set on fire)], into man the breath [(neshamah’) wind; breath; divine inspiration (any stimulus to creative thought or action)] of life.  

Adam was set on fire by the very wind of God and was impelled through divine influence with the intellect to not just understand knowledge, but to also accept the knowledge of who he (male & female) was in God as God’s representatives or ambassadors in the earth!  It was this breath of life that made man a living (alive) soul (ne’phesh).

·         Job 32:8: But there is a spirit (ru’wach) in man:  and the inspiration (breath) of the Almighty gives them understanding.  This word "understanding" is the Hebrew root word "biyn" (bene), meaning to separate mentally (or distinguish); consider; perceive; discern; instruct: not on the level of being judgmental, but righteously. 

This “ru’wach” is God’s breath or wind that causes man to smell (discern), perceive, or be made of quick understanding of who God is in them and who they are in God and all they have access to in relation to dominion, authority and power!  Ru’wach is the breathing in of God’s Spirit, wind, His mind which is rational and immortal.  This is what Adam was breathing that made him a living soul.  This is what we’re breathing that has made us living souls!  SAME BREATH THEN, SAME BREATH NOW!!!  This is all because of the Word of God and we must “ACTIVATE THE WORD OF GOD”!!!

It’s time to “activate the Word of God”!  Didn’t He say “I am the LORD thy God who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt; open thy mouth wide and I will fill it”? (Psalm 81:10).  God means what He says!

God describes very well what His Word will do when it comes out of the mouth of the Body of Christ:

·     [Revelation 19:8] And to her (the Lamb’s wife /we the church) was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 

    Revelation 19:14: And the armies which were in heaven [not out beyond the blue – but in the higher realms of spiritual elevation] followed him upon white (light) horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean [the righteousness of saints]. 

·         Vs 15: And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations:  and he shall rule them with a rod of iron:  and he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

[The “nations” that are smitten are the abominations”, “condemnations”, “imaginations”, and the “damnationsthat people are bound with]!  God wants His people free from all the bondages of the enemy!

The “sword” which is the “Word” of God will smite them to pieces and it’s coming out of the mouths of the Body of Christ (the Church)!  Are we not the “Body of Christ”?

·         1 Corinthians 12:12: For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many are one body:  so also is CHRIST!

·         Ephesians 5:30: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

IT’S TIME TO ACTIVATE THE WORD OF GOD!!!

WHY MUST WE ACTIVATE THE WORD OF GOD?

This is how we access God’s creative power.

·         John 7:38: He that believes on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

·         John 14:12: Verily, verily, I say unto you, “He that believes on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father”.

The Bible contains His Word.  (Though that is the written Word, but we are the “living Word”)!

·         2 Corinthians 3:2-3: You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:  forasmuch as you are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

·         1 Peter 2:5: You also, as “lively stones”, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

The Word contains His promises.

·         2 Peter 2:4: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises:  that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world (systems of men) through lust.

God’s Word contains His guarantees for provisions.

·         Ephesians 1:3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

·         Philippians 4:19: But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

The Word contains God creative ability.  There’s nothing “magical” about it (well, unless you want to look at from the stand point of it drawing you into situations, and then you wonder how you got there) and it’s not mystical.  It is His revealed plans and purposes as He has revealed them to humanity.

God’s miracle working ability is contained within our thoughts and words just waiting to be released into the earth.  The creation is waiting on us, the sons of God, not Jesus. 

·         Romans 8:19: For the earnest expectation (intense anticipation) of the creature (creation) waiteth for the manifestation (uncovering; appearing; revealing) of the sons of God.  

[Not for Jesus to come back because He is already here in us by the Spirit.  He finished the work His Father sent Him here to do (John 17:4).  But the creation is waiting for us the sons of God  (male and female) to stand up and do that which we’ve been assigned to do in the earth as kings and priests]:

 Revelation 5:10: And hast made us unto our God kings and priests:  and we shall reign on (over) the earth.

Jesus said in John 5:25: Verily, verily I say unto you, the hour is coming and now is, when the dead (spiritually dead) shall hear the voice (phone’)[disclosure; articulation of the revelation truths of the Kingdom] of the Son of God and they that hear shall live.


HOW DO WE ACTIVATE THE WORD OF GOD?

STUDYING THE WORD OF GOD: 

·         2 Timothy 2:15: Study (spouda’zo)[to use speed ie to make effort, be prompt or earnest; endeavour; do diligence; labor; be forward; eagerness] to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly (orthos’)[in a straight manner, (fig) correctly; plainly] dividing (orthotome’o)[to make a straight cut, to dissect (expound) correctly (the divine message)] the word of truth.

Mediate IN THE WORD OF GOD:

·         Joshua 1:8: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate (hagah’) [to murmur [in pleasure]; to ponder; mutter; speak; study; talk] therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:  for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

CONFESS THE WORD OF GOD:  [Confess is from the Greek word homeloge’o, meaning “to say the same thing as”].   

·         Psalm 81:10: “Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it”!  As we speak by the "Spirit of Truth", we will be saying the same thing God’s Word is saying or the same thing "God is saying"!

·         Luke 12:11-12: And when they bring you unto the synagogues and unto magistrates, and powers, take you no thought how or what thing you shall answer, or what you shall say:  for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say.

·         Luke 21:14-15: Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what you shall answer:  for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay (antep’o) [to refute or deny; say against; oppose] nor resist (anthis’temi) [stand against; oppose; withstand].

BELIEVING IT:  In order to get results we must “believe the Word”: 

·         Mark 16:17: These signs shall follow them that believe (pisteu’o)[have faith in; entrust one’s well-being in; commit unto/(pis’tis) [be persuaded; convicted of this truth; rely upon; be constant; be assured]:   in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; vs 18: They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

BY DOING THE WORK:

·         James 1:22-25: But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:  for he beholdeth himself and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

·         James 2:26: For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ACTIVATE THE WORD OF GOD?

We open the door of knowledge for others so that they are able to know the truth:

·         John 8:32: You shall know (ginos’ko) [understand; be aware of; can speak; be sure of] the truth and the truth shall make you free.

What truth is it that will make you free? 

·         The “truth” that:  As he is, so are we, in this world (1 John 4:17).  [Not beyond the blue].

·         The “truth” that:  we are “CHRIST” in the earth: (Romans 12:5): So we, being many, are one body IN CHRIST, and every one members one of another.  (1 Corinthians 12:12): For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body:  so also is CHRIST!  (Ephesians 5:30): We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones!  

·         The “truth” that:  in reality the creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God, and not Jesus:  (Romans 8:19): For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 

·         The “truth” that:  Jesus isn’t coming back in that flesh body as many supposes because God is through with that body:  (2 Corinthians 5:16): Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh:  yea, though we have known (past tense) Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth (from here on) know we him no more!  [We must know Him by the Spirit].

·         The “truth” that:  when I see you I see Him:  (1 Corinthians 13:9-11): For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child:  but when I became a man (matured and was separated from the religious system), I put away childish things.

 Vs 12: For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face:  now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.  [We know now as we are known by God through His Spirit]. (As he is, so are we, in this world) [1 John 4:17]!  [When we see one another, we are seeing Him]!

·         The “truth” that:  “For as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body being many are one body:  SO ALSO IS CHRIST(1 Corinthians 12:12).

 Jesus was one “Man” in the body He had, but the body He has now is a many membered body which we the true church are, and are called CHRIST’S BODY”!

·         The “truth” that:  He was bornJesus” but He was called and madeCHRIST”:   Matthew 1:16: And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called CHRIST!        (Acts 2:36): Therefore let all the house of Israel, know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and CHRIST! 

Jesus was the individual man (or body) that God chose to suffer and die in, but CHRIST is the many membered body that God is glorified in:  (1 Corinthians 12:12): For as the body is one, and hath many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body:  so also is CHRIST.

That word “made” in Acts 2:36, is from the Greek root word poie’o, meaning to bring forth.  He was “Jesus” before the resurrection, but after the resurrection, He was made, became, or brought forth as CHRIST and that is because He was “brought forth” in the many-membered body of people that we the sons of God, the true church are become (present tense).

When we “activate the Word of God”, it will tear down fixed traditional religious thoughts that follow the letter of the law rather than the “truth of God – the Living Word”:

·         Mark 7:7-8: Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups:  and many other such like things you do.

God’s people will come to know that we must know Christ by the Spirit.  God can only be known by means of a supernatural revelation of Himself.  Jesus made it clear in:

·         Matthew 16 (Peter’s confession of faith):  Vs 16: And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God”.  Vs 17: And Jesus answered and said unto him, “Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona:  for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (higher realms of spiritual elevation) (not “up yonder”) !

 

·         St. John 3:3: Except a man be born again, he cannot see (know; understand; be aware of) the kingdom of God.

·         Luke 17:21: Behold, the kingdom of God is within you!

·         1 Corinthians 4:20: For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. 

This word “power” is (exousi’a) [the sense of ability: privilege, force, capacity, freedom, jurisdiction, authority, superhuman] [this is also miraculous power – a miracle itself]. 

Supernatural knowledge of God produces a supernatural experience and this is something that we already very well know.  We know that this is something to which multitudes of church members are total strangers to.  Most of religion today is but a touching up of the “old Adam”.  It’s merely a garnishing of sepulchers full of corruption. 

·         Matthew 23:27: Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 

It’s an outward form.  Religion knows Him by the flesh but the Sons (male and female) know Him by the Spirit.

IT’S TIME TO ACTIVATE (set in motion) THE WORD OF GOD!!!

When we “activate the Word of God”, it will impart new life!  It will release grace, power and revelation by which believers can grow in their faith and commitment to Jesus the Christ!

When we “activate the Word of God”, Luke 4:18-19 comes into fruition:

·         The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

The time is NOW!  Let us go and “activate the Word of God”!

·         Romans 10:14: How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in him in whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher?  Vs 15: And how shall they preach, except they be sent?  As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things”!

ACTIVATE THE WORD OF THE LIVING GOD!

Evangelist Mary Perry