The power of life and death are in the tongue. Bill Johnson encourages us to partner with God to build up those around us. When we discover the heart of God for people, nothing will keep us from encouraging them.
all right thank you
thank you hey go ahead and sit down
today we are all guests we are all
guests finally we get to have some
people in the room so good to see you
and
those of you that are are joining us
online we’re glad that you’re with us as
well
you know it’s been an unusual season as
uh the greatest understatement of
of our lifetime perhaps but um
it’s been pretty it’s been pretty
amazing too
and what we’ve there’s several things
that i feel like the lord has been
wanting to teach us
um i certainly don’t have a handle on it
all but there’s a couple things that
stand out to me strong number one the
government of god rests on the two or
three gathered in his name
and we’ve been forced to learn that at a
level that
that we’ve not seen before and
i pray that that truth expands
explodes in every person’s heart the
second thing
is out of the passage in psalms 107
verse 20 says and he sent his word and
healed him
and what we have been seeing uh so
incredibly
so is the power of a declared word over
zoom over youtube
over bethel tv over facetime phone calls
etc i actually know of two resurrections
from the dead
that have taken place one
one took place i’m not going to give the
details
just because i need to protect that but
one actually was after a death
certificate was signed by a doctor in a
hospital
of a woman of an of another faith and
the nurse was so grieved
she just said god this one didn’t have a
chance to know you
and uh and prayed i think it was three
hours two to three hours
after uh pray for she raised from the
dead shared the gospel
of course she received christ so that’s
good but uh
my dear friends jean-luc in switzerland
has had that that one in fact two of
them another one was a suicide and the
lord
in his mercy raised that one from the
dead so
uh we’ve also had our healing rooms have
been functioning uh online
but they’ve been functioning and have
been great numbers of people i mean some
out of comas
we’ve had of course the covid stuff
people
healed all the symptoms stuff just gone
so
jesus is still at work even though it’s
not been
uh here in person as much as
as any of us would like um i did feel uh
this morning especially
uh during the worship time and then kind
of the sealing touch was
uh about the the house of healing and i
i did want to make a a decree
i i sense that the lord is as healing
somebody who’s got
a muscle damage down the right leg
there’s some sort of an affliction or
something there on the right leg and
muscle damage that the lord
is healing and restoring there’s also
it’s probably more than one that’s why i
don’t have exact year but it’s between
10
and 15 years there was trauma an
accident of some sort
and migraines from the back of the head
that go forward debilitating
uh migraines that jesus is healing right
now
and the second thing of the third thing
is uh there’s a
a some sort of a deterioration or
something of the bones of the inner
ear and the lord is uh breaking that
cycle and restoring it’s a creative
miracle
and so if you’re online or in the room
uh and that belongs to you grab hold of
it
and uh because it’s a it’s a wonderful
wonderful work of grace
here’s the amazing thing he said he sent
his word and healed him he he
he told the centurion he said
your servant as well he just made the
announcement to him and when
he got home he was able to see exactly
what jesus said and it happened the hour
he spoke it
and i believe that this season as much
as i
don’t like it as much as uh i would so
much rather
all of us be together and get this place
packed out again with our family
many times a day
it’s a privilege to see how effective
and how powerful
a declared word is it’s not make-believe
it’s not a truth that belongs to one
stream in the body of christ
it is something that has been assigned
to each of us and the very fact that god
spoke the worlds into being
should bring conviction to our hearts
about our responsibility over our
speech and that we have
the opportunity to speak life and we
have the opportunity to speak death it
all comes from
our mouth and
i i know that people use the use the
tool for person to gain i get that but
it doesn’t negate the power of the tool
the tool is effective life and death is
in the power of time i’m actually going
to talk to you about it today so open
your bibles to isaiah 56
of isaiah 56
and what a joy to have charlotte in the
room today charlotte is
charlotte is the happy worshiper in the
back and uh we are so thrilled that she
finally gets to come back into the house
all right isaiah 56
it’s going to take me a little while to
kind of
build a case i guess but let’s let’s go
ahead and just start with the
verse 3 isaiah 56
3 do not let the son of the foreigner
who has joined himself to the lord speak
saying
the lord has utterly separated me from
his people
nor let the eunuch say here i
am a dry tree for thus says the lord
to the eunuch who keeps my sabbaths
chooses what pleases me holds fast
my covenant even to them i will give
in my house and within my walls a place
and a name better than that of
sons and daughters and i will give them
an everlasting name that shall not be
cut off
also the sons of the foreigner who join
themselves to the lord to serve him
and who love the name of the lord to be
his servants
to everyone who keeps from defiling the
sabbath who holds fast my covenant
even them i will bring to my holy
mountain
and make them joyful in my house of
prayer
their burnt offering sacrifices will be
acceptable on my altar
for my house shall be called a house of
prayer
for all nations
verse 8 the lord god who gathers the
outcasts of israel
says yet i will gather to him others
besides who are not
gathered to him very fasting portion of
scripture to me
probably a month or two months some some
time recently
as i was going through isaiah in my in
my
daily reading these verses just really
leapt out
at me for several reasons one i want you
just to take note
then in verse 3 it says twice
don’t let somebody say this and then it
says and don’t let
don’t let the foreigner say i’m outside
of god’s plan
and don’t let the eunuch who cannot
reproduce don’t let him say
of himself i am fruitless i cannot bear
fruit
this is interesting that we actually
have been given a responsibility to
protect the speech of another person
it’s fascinating it all leads up to one
profound conclusion and that is
that the house of god is a house of
prayer
it’s a house on a mountain so we have
the picture in the old testament of
mount zion and david’s tabernacle it’s a
place of continuous worship
ihop mike bickel and his amazing
ministry has captured this theme
probably better than anyone the harp and
bowl the harp of ministry to god the
bull
the overflow of intercession prayer for
the nations of the world
and that profound picture is the nature
of the house of god
but this passage here which says my
house
will be called a house of prayer for all
nations
i think the only thing i ever heard this
described as
was it was a pray a place where we pray
for the nations and that’s not what’s
being said
that’s that’s not the decree at all i
mean we do that but that’s not the
decree
the amazing revelation of this verse is
every nation has reserved seating in the
house of god
every nation has reserved seating every
nation has a place of priority seating
to be in this place
to make a difference and this word
prayer is fascinating because it’s not
just uh
what we normally think of as a
petitioning it’s a word that actually
means to intervene
to intervene you hear of an intervention
somebody’s doing an intervention
perhaps there’s somebody that you know
that uh is horribly addicted to drugs
and they just cannot break that cycle
maybe they’re in a marriage where
there’s horrible abuse whatever it might
be there’s an intervention
groups of people will get together and
they’ll stand right in the middle of the
problem
and they will say we’re not going to let
you destroy your life with this drug any
longer
we’re not going to let you abuse your
wife any longer we’re not going to let
and we step
in and actually intervene and this house
of prayer
that’s being described here that’s
actually known
in the previous statement as a house of
joy
in prayer so benny you got it right
the joyful intercessor yes yes indeed
you got you nailed it you did good
this whole house of prayer is
people who care enough to intervene
to step right in the middle of where the
conflict is going
and in prayer take that posture that
says
not on my watch not on my watch there’s
an intervention going on
we’ll bring two or three in agreement
together once again the government of
god
rests and is displayed upon two or three
that are in agreement
the presence of god the government of
god is released with unity with the
heart of god
so we have this very fascinating portion
of scripture so i want to back up
to verse 3 and let’s just read through
it again do not let the son of the
foreigner
who has joined himself to the lord
speaks saying
the lord has utterly separated me from
his people
stop right there under old testament law
the jews had access to god the gentiles
didn’t i mean there was a way they could
come in but the point was
is the the people of god was the
nation of israel and yet
the lord through the prophet isaiah is
interjecting
there’s a season change coming
and with this season change don’t
speak the language of the old season
and i’ll tell you what probably most
every one of us in this room need to
change our language
about 2020.
don’t let the foreigner
who uses logic and reason
and even biblical principle
that was right for that season but not
right for this one
don’t let them say it
the foreigner is the one who just wasn’t
born in the right
family line some of you have no
christian history in at all in your
family line you’re the first fact how
many of you you’re first generation
believer
no
the first generation believer does not
have the right anymore not in grace
to say i just don’t have the momentum
of believers in my history it’s illegal
it’s illegal why because you’re in a
season of inheritance
and in inheritance you actually obtain
by grace the momentum of prior
generations
verse 3 nor let the eunuch say here i am
a dry tree for thus says the lord
to the eunuch who keeps my sabbaths etc
i will give them
a name a name in my house better than
the names of sons and daughters
what’s the point the eunuch
was either born that way
there was a physical problem in birth
or generally they were made that way by
the ruling king that wanted perhaps
eunuchs to guard their queen’s household
or something i mean
it was done that way so most of the time
almost always
it was either an unfortunate thing that
happened at birth
or something was done to them
and the one who feels disqualified
because of something done
to them don’t let them
say it don’t let them sit because
god is able to do something in this
moment
that makes them more fruitful
than the sons and daughters who have
logical
and correct inheritance of having
children
who have children who have children
it reminds me a lot of a passage just a
couple chapters earlier
where the prophet exhorts a woman really
israel but a woman shout for joy
barren one you who have borne no
child because the sons of the desolate
woman
will become more numerous than the sons
of the married woman
shout for joy here’s a woman she cannot
have children
shout for joy why because you’re going
to you’re going to move from
a natural ability to reproduce into a
supernatural ability and in the
supernatural capacity
you will surpass those who had a head
start
you will surpass those who had
everything going for them
that you weren’t born with
don’t let them talk themselves
to where they’re locked into an old
season
verse 6 says the sons of the foreigner
who join themselves to the lord
to serve him to love his name to be his
servants
everyone who keeps from defiling the
sabbath holds fast my covenant
even them i will bring to my holy
mountain
and make them joyful in my house of
prayer
make them joyful in my house of prayer
how about
we make it an ambition
to be known for joy
now it’s available so it’s not like we
have to fake it
it’s it’s a stream that’s flowing all
the time you just gotta have to step
into what’s already there
make them joyful in my house of
intervention
their burnt offerings their sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar from my
house shall be called
a house of prayer for all nations every
nation has reserved seating in this
house
now look at verse eight the lord god who
gathers the outcasts of israel says
yes i will gather to him others
besides those who are gathered to him
this word outcast means banished
a citizen of israel was banished
rejected from society because of sin
so we have the eunuch something was done
to him
but the banished ones they were punished
for what they did
it reminds me a lot of what the lord
said the spirit of the lord got us upon
me
when he talked about releasing prisoners
and releasing captives
prisoners are in prison because of what
they did captives are in prison because
of what others done
had done to them we have the same
concept here
in prayer so now the lord is announcing
i’m not only going to gather the
foreigner i’m not only going to gather
the uh the eunuchs i’m also going to
gather
the banished ones the ones who have been
rejected have put outside the camp
because of their own
sins i’m going to restore them too
because everyone has reserved seating
in this house of prayer everybody has a
place
of favor to intervene
and to affect the course of world
history
now that’s a lofty statement that i say
a lot we say a lot
but it couldn’t be more true than it is
in this moment
where the people of god actually take a
stand
in christ and pray and if you’re not
getting answers to prayer change your
prayers
find out what he’s find out what he’s
doing honestly
every believer deserves the momentum
created by answers to prayer and if
you’re not getting them
find out how to pray and pray
accordingly because there is such a
sense of identity
purpose and faith that grows in the
momentum of answers to prayer coming in
with no agenda coming in
you know we all have our lists and those
lists aren’t wrong at all
it’s just you’re supposed to seek first
the kingdom and these other things will
be added
sometimes i want what’s added first and
then i’ll seek the kingdom
and he’s saying seek first the kingdom
and then let’s talk about these things
there’s one more passage i want you to
look at and it’s out of isaiah 35.
isaiah 56 talks about what you don’t
want to let others say
but isaiah 35 has a very interesting
twist
on this i love prophetic language i
don’t know
you know when it talks anytime it talks
about water
in the bible like springs rain rivers
you know pools all that language almost
always i
i did a study once i looked up every
single reference in the old testament to
water
and just about every time i could find
was a reference to the holy spirit in
some way
so whether it’s rain or it’s a river
it’s a spring you know something’s going
on
god is at work and i love that little
book
uh the cure of all ills basically says
listen the outpouring of the holy spirit
is really the answer for everything
and i’m kind of in that school right now
just more of him
is really all we need i don’t understand
what’s going on but i know i need more
of him and i know we need more of him
and so that’s been the cry
so here we have this kind of a prophetic
language in verse one it says in the
wilderness and a wasteland shall be glad
for them the desert shall rejoice and
blossom as the rose
it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice
even with joy and singing
the glory of lebanon shall be given to
her the excellence of carmel and sharon
they shall see the glory of the lord the
excellency of our god my goodness what
an incredible phrase
they shall see the glory of god mark my
words
this next season is about the glory
it is about the glory it is about the
manifested presence of
jesus being discovered and realized
we will behold and experience things we
have no language for and it’s about time
we become speechless
it’s about time the all we lose our
sense of
knowing what’s going on and i i really
have that sense that
that um that that is is brewing right
now as i speak
they shall see the glory of the lord the
excellency of our god i don’t know what
your translation says but my favorite is
this one right now
the glory the excellency of our god but
here’s the verse i wanted
strengthen the weak hands make firm the
feeble knees
say to those who are fearful hearted
be strong do not fear behold your god
will come with vengeance
with the recompense of god he will come
and save you verse 4
say to those isaiah 56
is about what you don’t want to let
others say around you
but isaiah 35 is about what we’re
supposed to speak
to those who are in crisis or need
notice it’s not rebuke it’s not
scolding it’s not shame
it is these are words
that mark an individual for an
invitation
excuse me for an invasion of god you’re
marking you say to a person
what god is saying and you’ve marked
them with a bull’s-eye that attracts the
hand of god into that situation
yes amen bill that was very powerful
from verse three strengthen the weak
hands make firm the feeble knees
say to those who are fearful hearted be
strong
do not fear behold your god will come
with vengeance
with the recompense of god he will come
and save you verse 5.
then the eyes of the blind shall be
opened
the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped
the lame shall leap like a deer the tom
the tongue of the dumb will sing for
waters
will burst forth in the wilderness
streams in the desert
this the last 11 months have probably
been
the greatest longest season
of speech with very little
boundaries
that i have ever heard in my life and
i’m not talking about
cbs and nbc i’m talking about
usings
uncontrolled decrees it’s
wrong to say uncontrolled
we’re at the end of a very interesting
season
and the lord is giving us an invitation
and opportunity
grab hold of your speech
and whatever has happened get over it
and look for those who are discounting
and discrediting
who they are in god don’t let the eunuch
say i can’t be fruitful don’t let the
person
who has had everything work against them
throughout their life don’t allow them
to say that
it’s not a rebuke it’s not a correction
you’re pulling them up to let them
see their life the way you see their
life nothing is impossible with god
don’t allow them to speak that way
in fact go beyond that and say to those
who are fearful hearted
say to those who are weak in the knees
say to those god is about to
take vengeance for you he’s about to do
something on your behalf
that is absolutely extraordinary why say
that if god’s just going to do it anyway
because i’m not sure he’s just going to
do it anyway
some things have to be spoken for them
to take place
if if our obedience isn’t involved in
the unfolding of god’s plan and equation
then what’s the purpose of obedience
people say well he’s just going to do
what he’s going to do
i’m not sure if that’s true the will of
god in the new testament is represented
by two different greek words one is it’s
absolute god’s going to do it you can
vote yes or no it doesn’t matter
your opinion is not taken into
consideration in the outcome of this
situation but there’s another word that
talks about the desire the dream of god
god is not willing that any should
perish
there’s that concept involved in that
word that’s not the word there but
there’s that concept involved in that
word that god has certain desires that
actually require participation
from his people sometimes it’s radical
obedience sometimes it’s
giving sometimes it’s preaching you know
sometimes it’s praying for the sick
in this case it’s declaring a right word
say to the fearful hearted
be strong be strong why should i say be
strong because
in your words is strength if your words
originate in the heart of god the same
creative force that created the world
is now imparting something through your
words to any person
who is halfway open to receiving
something from god
it must be spoken for it to happen
i don’t want to put us in charge i’m not
saying we’re in charge of stuff i’m just
saying
when you discover the heart of god you
cannot keep quiet
when you discover the heart of god for
another person you’re not going to allow
their self-image
to control how you see them
faith sees it’s the nature of faith
faith sees
and they need somebody to believe in
them at their worst hour at their worst
moment they need someone
that will just stand up and say you know
what god’s about to vindicate you
yeah well it doesn’t look that way to me
you need to stand where i’m standing
because if you can see what i see you
would be the most encouraged person on
the planet because god is about to
vindicate you and the scripture says
then the eyes of the blind will be open
you say what you’re supposed to say and
then god says and i’ll do what i’m
supposed to do
amen i’m pretty much done
that’s all i wanted to say
let me talk into the tv for a moment i
know there are people watching
we’ve had so many people come to christ
on youtube and on bethel tv it’s is to
me it’s just one of the most
extraordinary things that
we’ve had people just literally stumble
into
a youtube video not looking for
a bethel service not knowing anything
about
bethel just stumble into
and they hear the gospel and they
surrender their lives to jesus
what we’re noticing is the same presence
the power of the spirit of god that
falls on people in this kind of an
environment
we have time and time and time again
where the power of god falls on an
individual comes
rests if you will upon an individual as
they sit in their home
or their office watching on their phone
the same heavenly atmosphere that brings
healing and deliverance
in this room is not confined
to this room it actually touches people
right
where they are there are some of you
that are watching online
and you just don’t know what it is to be
born again you don’t know what it is
to be adopted into the family of god to
turn literally from
a life of pleasing yourself all of our
heartaches happen because we tried to
fulfill our lives without god at the
center and turning from that
to becoming a true disciple of jesus
christ that is the invitation for
anybody watching and i would just i
would encourage you just
the bible says whoever calls upon the
name of the lord
his name is not any number of a
thousand false gods his name is jesus
his name is jesus i heard this week some
famous person saying there are many ways
to god
if there are many ways to god then the
crucifixion of jesus was a worthless
foolish act
worthless and foolish but it wasn’t he
died
for you and he died for me now i want to
encourage you turn your heart towards
him even right now and just pray
and ask him to forgive you of saying get
in the chat room there because we’ve got
a lot of people that serve in that
capacity to pray with you and to talk
with you and i want to encourage you
in your coming to faith today this
changes the rest of your life
and you can say over your own over your
own life
i am no longer the foreigner outside of
god’s plan i’m at the center of what god
is saying what god is doing i’m no
longer the one who has
had things happened to i am now the
person that god has
poured out his grace and his favor upon
i encourage you to do that right now the
rest of why don’t you stand in this
room here let me pray over you and then
uh chris you’re you’re coming up
okay come on come on up and i’ll uh
we’ll just make a very smooth seamless
transition here it’s going to be a
miracle
man it’s good to see you guys and all of
you that uh are are watching online i
uh your your turn is soon we are we are
at work we can’t get more details right
now but look on your uh
your your emails and all that all right
father
i’m asking that this season
it would just be hard to miss we’d be it
would be hard for us to miss what you’re
saying in a given moment
that it would be like remedial reading
you just make it easy for us to hear
what you’re saying
in a moment so that we can speak with
courage that which changes
the direction the way people do life i
pray that for our own city that we’d
speak
life into this city into this nation
for the nations represented we pray for
that let the grace
for prophetic decrees be upon us now in
jesus name
amen amen