Salted Speech

"They Shall Prophesy"

Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth

Act 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

Act 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, He imbues us with power to preach the Truth residing within the Word of God. Like Peter on the day of Pentecost, God’s power fuels our tongue to proclaim the oracles of heaven -- to the Church and to a lost and dying world. The manifold wisdom of God is released and He uses our tongue for His glory! The Holy Spirit brings the Word to our MEMORY with a directive to SPEAK so that the Word may go into the EARS (faith cometh by hearing) of the hearer, and so, the seed (WORD) is planted.

It is written, that life and death are in the tongue:

Pro 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

Therefore, the words we speak can either heal a person or destroy them. When the Word of God is implanted within us, the Spirit will cause us to speak the words of eternal life to those who will hear us. If we are not, if we are speaking death and destruction (condemnation, envy, bitterness, hatred) we are not in the Spirit of God, and we are working for the accuser.

In prior writings, we spoke about the new name we receive when we are born again. We also receive a new language, one that is pure, and holy, the language of the City on a Hill. That language can only be understood in the Spirit, because the word IS Spirit.

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Zep 3:9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.

We become new creations in Christ, living and moving and having our being in Him. Some will accept our testimonies and God will add to His Church. Sadly, many will not. Therefore, it should come as no surprise to us that many will not understand our speech. Jesus told the scribes and Pharisees:

Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

These scribes and Pharisees were unbelievers and didn’t recognize that the Son of God had come to them. We further read why they did not understand:

Joh 8:42 Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

Jesus Christ reveals through this scripture that these men who thought they were the chosen children of God, were NOT of God. So, too, if an individual has not repented and opened His heart to the Lord, they will not be able to discern the truth contained in the Word of God. We therefore can expect unbelievers to reject us also.

We certainly see divisions within our faith, because not all are receiving their teaching from the true teacher, the Holy Spirit, but rather, from men. However, when we are yielded and fully submitted to the Master, learning is imparted and power proceeds out of our mouths. We become witnesses, lights in the world, calling fire down out of heaven, speaking life and judgment for a purpose -- SALVATION! We become the anointed of God, the two olive trees and candle sticks that stand in the earth proclaiming the testimony of Jesus Christ:

Rev 11:3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
Rev 11:4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
Rev 11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
Rev 11:6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
Rev 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
Rev 11:8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

In Revelation Chapter 11, we read about the two witnesses who are filled with God’s power in the earth. Their mission is to testify the truth (thy Word is truth) and proclaim the judgments that will fall upon mankind for rejection of the Son of God. We read further that the beast overcomes them and kills them. Truth lies in the street, as spoken by the prophet Isaiah:

Isa 59:14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

Marvel not the world will hate you, the Lord tells us because:

Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Joh 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Joh 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Jeremiah was sent to a rebellious house and his words of judgment were rejected by the majority.

Jer 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword, it is, as we also read in Jeremiah:

Jer 23:29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

God’s Word is designed to transform us. It is quickened by the Spirit and becomes a part of us. As we grow in the knowledge of the Lord, we learn to be:

2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; This is how we put on the mind of Christ, by taking every thought captive and --

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

Accordingly, when we come out from among then, we can be used by the Spirit, to feed the flock of God, in Christ, by HIS WORD. If we have not separated ourselves (ecclesia) from the world, we should not believe that we are truly serving God. We cannot serve God and mammon. It is impossible. How can a prophet speak effectively if he is not abiding in the vine?

Elijah did not compromise in the command he was given, He went forth in the Spirit and demonstrated the power of God and he performed the judgment that fell upon the prophets of Baal. Does God change? Will He judge those who are preaching another gospel with no less a judgment? The Word WILL judge us in the last day, and we do well to heed the warnings not to add to or take away from it.

We should pray that God will use our tongues, but we cannot think that He will, unless we submit to His Will/His Word. We are to preach the gospel to every living creature, without compromise and without leaven, in love. It will root out, pull down, destroy, throw down, build, plant, and heal ourselves and others.

Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Morning Manna
8/30/07