Richard Allen Farmer. Crossroads Presbyterian Church Redan Rd. Stone Mountain, GA office

Transcription

1 1 of 13 Richard Allen Farmer Crossroads Presbyterian Church 5587 Redan Rd. Stone Mountain, GA office A Response to the Prosperity Gospel, Part 4 I Decree and Declare Text: Prov.18:21; Job 22:25-28 From the web site, spiritualdecrees.com: Remember, God s Word does not return void and He watches over His Word to perform it (Isaiah 55:11 Jeremiah 1:12). In other words, it is His job to bring it to pass and your job to release the Word into your life by declaring, decreeing and proclaiming. The Word s power is not based on how we feel, think, or anything else, because it is living and is endued with inherent power by 1 of 13

2 2 of 13 God. What a freeing principle this is, knowing we could never, ever do it right enough. All we have to do is speak in agreement and He performs it. On identitynetwork.net, I read a prophetic word from a Mario Maxwell. Maxwell said that we are in a season of harvest and that God is about to bless His people abundantly. Then Mario Maxwell writes, The Power of a Decree When you decree something, according to Job 22:21-30, God will establish it for you and light will shine upon your ways. Making decrees is a very effective way to release tremendous amounts of God's power here in the earth! When you make a decree, you are issuing out legislation that the earth and heaven must come into alignment with. When you speak out and say "I decree and I declare x, y, 2 of 13

3 3 of 13 and z", then you authorize and release God to enforce and establish what you have said! This is the principle behind binding and loosing (Matt. 16:19). Whatever you bind here in the earth realm will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose here in the earth will be loosed in heaven. As you enter into this harvest season, decree a thing and watch God establish it before your eyes! Below is a list of declarations that you, your family, ministry, or church can make in accordance with this time of harvest: I decree and I declare that the floodgates of heaven are opened over my life and that God is flooding every area of my life with His Spirit 3 of 13

4 4 of 13 I decree and I declare financial breakthrough and financial harvest in my life in the name of Jesus! I decree and I declare that unexpected sums of money will find me that will launch me to a new place of harvest! I decree and I declare spiritually, as well as naturally, that my eyes are opened and I am able to see! I bind every form of blindness, dullness, and ignorance operating in my life and I loose the anointing to see! I decree and I declare that no form of drought or lack will overtake my harvest, this season, or any other season, in the name of Jesus! I decree and I declare that it is Harvest Time in my life! I decree and I declare that I am positioned in the field of my harvest! 4 of 13

5 5 of 13 I decree and I declare that my storehouses and my barns are ready to receive and they will overflow in this season! I decree and I declare 30-fold, 60-fold, and 100-fold harvest will overtake my life in this season! I decree and I declare a harvest of souls is coming into the Kingdom of God this season! I decree and I declare that the mistakes, failures, and shortcomings of the past have fallen off and that I am dressed (Is. 61:3) for a new season of harvest! I decree and I declare that anything that has attached to me, my family, ministry, etc., that will be a hindrance to walking in the harvest will be cut off in the name of Jesus! 5 of 13

6 6 of 13 I decree and I declare that the Lord of the Harvest rules and reigns over all that I have and that none of it can be plundered, stolen, or corrupted! I decree and I declare that God's anointing is being released over my life in a new way so that I will know the seasons and the times and I will have wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. I decree and I declare that I will live in continual harvest from this day forward in the name of Jesus! Listen and watch as a five-yea old decrees and declares GO To YouTube CLIP Comment [1]: From There I found a list of decrees, apparently from a Messianic Believer's pen. 6 of 13

7 7 of 13 I declare and decree that THERE IS NO LACK in my life and household because Almighty God, the Great El- Shaddai, the God of Abundance is THE SOURCE OF OUR TOTAL SUPPLY, in Yeshua s name! I declare and decree that THERE IS NO FEEBLE OR SICK PERSON IN MY HOUSEHOLD because THE LORD IS OUR HEALER, in Yeshua s name! declare and decree that PROMOTION and PROGRESS and PROSPERITY shall locate me over and over again for the remainder of this year, in Yeshua s name! I declare and decree that all my expectations will be fulfilled, in Yeshua s name! Guidelines for those who want to decree and declare 7 of 13

8 8 of We must only decree and declare that which is permissible in context. Comment [2]: An oft-quoted verse in the decree and declare movement is Romans 4:17, which says. 17 (as it is written, I have made you a father of many nations ) in the presence of Him whom he believed God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; When quoted, the verse is usually out of context. The verse states that God calls those things which do not exist as though they did(exist). This verse doesn't give you or me the authority to call things into existence. It suits the purposes of a decree and declare teacher to lift a few words out of that verse. The verse, while saying something about "calling those things which do not exist 8 of 13

9 9 of 13 as though they did", Romans 4:17 does not give me or you that power, even if we speak with faith and authority. Look at our text in Proverbs 18:21. It states that death and life are in the power of the tongue. Connect it with James 3: And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 9 of 13

10 10 of 13 The tongue is not causative. That is, the tongue doesn't create houses and larger bank accounts and cars. These texts refer to our speech, our attitudes, our using our tongues to bless, to curse, to encourage, to discourage. Again, we must only decree and declare that which is permissible in context. Comment [3]: Secondly, 2. We must only decree and declare that which is permissible by content. Comment [4]: When decreeing that a certain truth is so, be sure that the passage to which you're appealing, contains that truth. We must not only be diligent to determine the context, but we must also examine the content. Let's turn to Matthew 28: of 13

11 11 of 13 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Many of our brothers and sisters in the decree and declare movement read that verse and insert, "and that authority has been given to you, also". If we read the verse carefully, we will note that the concept of authority is present, but the believers' authority is not addressed at all. Many in this movement presume an authority they simply do not have! Be reminded that no human can give directives to the Eternal God. This practice of decreeing and declaring can be a form of affirming our theology. If declarations and Comment [5]: decrees are proclaimed in a theologically responsible way, it is fine. For instance, Psalm 96:3 says, Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. If I go to unreached people groups and proclaim and declare that 11 of 13

12 12 of 13 Jesus is God's Son who has come for us and for our sin, that is a proper declaration. If I decree that my family and I shall serve the Lord, I am simply articulating a decision (decree) I made. I began writing this sermon with the intent to discourage us from ever using the phrase, I decree and declare. I changed my mind as I wrote. Now, I am convinced that the phrase is not the problem. The problem is with the assumptions made by some who decree and declare. Any person speaking of God's blessings must submit herself or himself to the sovereignty of God. I cannot cause God to act, but I can appeal to Him to act. I cannot command Him but I can petition Him. The theology of so many prosperity preachers is weak. What is said of God is simply not true. Let's look at our text in Job and at a text later in that same book. Let's look at Job 22:25-28, then 42: of 13

13 13 of 13 I decree and declare that God, acts in history and accomplishes His sovereign, mysterious will. He does so with asking humanity's permission. He saves, delivers, sets free and opens the heavens, according to His plan not ours. Rather than "taking authority", I urge all believers to take a look at how we address God. Let's take our requests to Him. Let's take our burdens to Him. Let's take our celebrations and praises to Him/ Let us take our demands to Him. Amen 13 of 13