YOU ARE THE PROPHET OF YOUR LIFE
PART 5
BY KENNETH COPELAND
JUDGEMENT DAY
Those words can stir up a lot of wild ideas in people’s minds, about what they think might happen on that day, especially, when they consider all they could possibly be judged for.
But in Matthew 12:36-37, Jesus made it quite clear. What happens on Judgment Day all comes down to the words we speak now.
“But I say to you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.”
On the day of judgment, God will not judge us by some far out revelation or standard. He will simply hit the replay button and we will hear the words we have been speaking for the past 30, 40 or 50 years. And we will be judged by those words. That’s because we were created to speak words that are backed with the authority to change the sickness, the lack and the darkness of this world. We were created to speak with the voice of faith.
Understanding the power and responsibility of the voice of faith begins with seeing that it is rooted in the principle of sowing and reaping, or seedtime and harvest, which Genesis 6:22 tells us is a spiritual law that applies to everything in life.
Based on this principle, Galatians 6:7 warns us, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap.”
The Judgment Day warning we read from Matthew 12:36-37 is based on the fact that our words are seeds. Because they function under the principle of seedtime and harvest, our words, as seeds, contain spiritual force and power. Once we speak them, they take root in our lives, grow up and come to pass, whether we realize it or not. What they produce is up to us.
Matthew 12:34-35 says, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of the heart brings for evil things.”
We are the prophets of our own lives. It is our words, not someone else’s that determine our future. The words we speak affect our health, our wealth, and our place in eternity. What we say today determines where we will end up tomorrow.
WORDS PRODUCE
Throughout this series, we have used Matthew 12:34-37 as our foundational Scripture. But now, as we conclude our study, I want us to read Luke’s account of the same teaching. It’s found in Luke 6:43-45:
“A good tree brings not forth corrupt fruit; neither does a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is know by its own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings for fruit that which is evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
What’s common here about the fruit of a tree and grapes from a vine is they are all the product of seed. But, notice that Jesus also included within the same flow of teaching the treasure, or fruit, that is produced from a man’s heart. How is that fruit produced? Through the seeds of his mouth, words. Good words. Evil words. Each fruit produces after its own kind.
This is why after Jesus taught His disciples these principles, He went on to ask them, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46)
In other words, He was saying, “I have been telling you all along that you have what you say, still, you continue to go off and say whatever you want to say, talking out of your flesh, and it is producing evil fruit!”
In Mark 4:24, Jesus told those who were following Him to “take heed to what you hear.” He was teaching them the concept of hearing every word they heard, and considering every word they allowed to get into their ears.
Why was that so important? Because words head straight for the spirit, or innermost being, of a man. And once they reach the heart, the eventually come out of the mouth as seed.
You see, words are carriers. On one hand, they have the power and ability to carry faith. God’s Word’s, for instance is fill with His faith.
The Bible also tells us that God’s Word is full of healing: “The Lord sent His word and it healed them, the Word is life to those who find it and health to all their flesh.”
(Psalm 107:20; Proverbs 4:22)
But there is another side to this issue of words being carriers. Words can also carry fear, hatred, anger and so on. Once such words get into the heart, they can cause great pain in the soul, sickness in the body, even death.
If you spend a lot of time around people who constantly speak words of fear, worry, sickness, poverty, profanity and obscenity, or they have a negative attitude, all that mess will eventually get into your spirit. It will fill your spirit with doubt and unbelief.
Of course, it’s fine to love those people who talk that way. But pray for them and then get away from them, even if they’re believers. Go find people who talk faith. Spend time with Christians who have an “I can because God can!” mind set.
The Apostle Paul told Timothy that words of faith nourish (1 Timothy 4:6). So go where your ears and your heart will be filled with faith words, words that will nourish your spirit and produce good fruit!
Remember, out of the abundance of your heart, your mouth speaks. What’s in your heart, good or evil, will come out of your mouth. And it’s what comes out of your mouth that determines your future.
CHANGE FROM THE GROUND UP
How do we used words to go from living a life full of sickness and disease to living a life of divine health, or from living paycheck to paycheck to have more than enough?
This answer is in understanding the voice of faith.
As we have already seen, the words we speak in our lifetime are powerful and have eternal results. That’s because all physical matter has spiritual roots. Everything that happens in this earth can be traced back to the spiritual realm. Therefore, if we want to change something in the natural realm, really change it, we must begin in the spiritual realm, and that’s where our words come into play.
The words we speak are spiritual first, then physical. That is, they affect the spiritual realm before they affect the physical. We saw the cycle earlier. Words go into our hearts, through our ears, and come out of our mouths as seeds. Once we speak them, they take root, grow, and produce fruit.
Now, with that in mind, we also need to understand that there are two fundamental spiritual laws that govern everything in this material environment. We find these laws listed in Romans 8:1-2.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”
Everything in the physical realm, including man, has a spiritual overlord, or spiritual head. That spiritual head is either God or Satan. While Jesus is Head over the law of the Spirit of life, Satan is head over the law of sin and death.
In fact, the Bible call Satan the “god of this world’ (2 Corinthians 4:4). He became god of this world the moment Adam committed high treason against God in the Garden of Eden. By rebelling against God, Adam handed over his God-given authority in this earth to the devil.
But, thank God, Jesus came along and defeated Satan and restored that authority.
What you and I need to know, then, is how to access your rightful authority.
Ephesians 1:18-23 says:
“That you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and very name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
The moment we received Jesus as our Lord, we were “born again.” We were born of the Spirit of spiritual overlord and became children of the kingdom of light, having been translated from the kingdom of darkness. At that moment, the devil was no longer our god.
What’s more, in that same instance, we were given the very same authority in heaven and earth that Jesus has. He is the Head, and we are His Body. We don’t have one kind of authority and He another. No. It’s the same.
So, as we read in Ephesians, all principalities, all powers, all might, all names, all things, are under our feet.
There is a catch, though. We must exercise that authority.
Certainly, as believers, we have been made free from the law of sin and death. But that law is still in full operation in this earth. Its effects are all around us, and they are constantly trying to overtake us.
Therefore, we must constantly exercise our authority. We must constantly speak with the voice of faith.
If we are going to change anything in this world that is influenced and driven by the law of sin and death, sickness, disease, lack, debt, poverty, jealousy, strife, then we must go to it spiritual root and cut off its source of life. Once we do, the physical aspects of it will change.
EXERCISE FAITH – WORK YOUR MOUTH
The voice of faith, that is, faith filled words spoken out of our mouths, dominate the law of sin and death, as well as all the forces ruled by Satan.
In Daniel 10:11-12, we see, in part, the impact of our words in the spiritual realm:
“O Daniel, for to you I am now sent, for from the first day that you set your mind and heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come as a consequence of (and in response to) your words.” (The Amplified Bible)
Here was an angel sent by God to Daniel, and he was basically saying, “I’ve come because of your words. If you hadn’t been talking, I would not be here.” Clearly, Daniel’s words made a difference.
But notice what else the angel said: “The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me for twenty-one days.” (Verse 13)
Evil, demonic spirits have assignments given them by Satan to attempt to rule over nations, regions, cities, families, businesses and so on. In fact, at this very moment, there are wicked spirits on assignment to rule over everything you do. In verse 13, the angel talking to Daniel was actually referring to an evil spirit that reigned over all Persia.
Now, taking this point a step further, in Matthew 18:18, Jesus said, “Whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
There is nothing in heaven, where God resides, that we could bind if we wanted to. There’s nothing there that needs binding. So which heaven was Jesus talking about?
The Bible talks about the atmospheric heaven that is just above the earth. That’s the “heaven” where the binding and loosing occurs. That’s the heaven where principalities and powers, spiritual beings, were ruling and warring in Daniel’s day.
Today, however, in that same atmosphere the devil no longer has any authority. He has fallen to the earth and is bound here until God gets ready to redo his earth. Nonetheless, demonic forces still get away with a certain amount of activity, particularly when Christians do not pray or exercise their authority.
FAITH WORD RULE!
Jesus, plus His Body, that’s us, plus His angels and all the heavenly host, dominate the law of sin and death, Satan, and all his principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness of this world. But we can only dominate those forces of darkness by releasing power through our faith filled words.
Hebrews 1:4 (The Amplified Bible) asks the question: “Are not the angels all ministering spirits (servants) sent out in the service (of God for the assistance) of those who are to inherit salvation?” Yes, we have all the resources of heaven ready to move on our behalf.
Yes, we have all authority in both heaven and earth. That includes authority over Satan and every devil, buy the Name of Jesus. But no angel in heaven will move, or can move, and no devil will bow its knee until we open our mouths.
Psalm 103:20 says, “Bless the lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.”
When the angels of heaven hear the Word of God, they do it!
How do they hear that Word?
From out mouths!
Angels hearken to the voice of the Word, and we are that voice. We are the voice of God’s Word. We are the voice of Jesus in the earth, just as He is our voice in heaven. (Hebrews 3:1)
We are in a position to activate all of heaven and earth.
That’s why we must refuse to bow the knee of our confession to sin, sickness, demons or fear.
That’s why we must refuse to bow by putting the law of sin and death in our mouths.
We must fed on the Word of God by putting it in our ears, in our eyes and in our hearts.
Romans 10:17 tell us that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” It is the Word of God; the voice of faith, coming out of our mouths that dominates the law of sin and death.
We are like kings holding court. On one side is Jesus, His angels and all the powers of heaven. On the other side is Satan and his devils, and everything else associated with the law of sin and death.
We stand in the middle.
The devil says, You’re sick, You’re broke, You’re hopeless!
Jesus says, “By My stripes you were healed (1 Peter 2:24), My God shall supply all your need (Philippians 4:19)”
The question is, what will you say?
My friend, no matter what you are facing in this natural realm, you are the deciding factor.
What you say will determine the outcome, because you are the prophet of your own life.
So fill your heart with the Word of God, then speak boldly with the voice of faith.
Determine that your voice will make the difference today!
