God s Word in Your Mouth

Transcription

1 Changing Your World Through Faith by Jeff Doles Walking Barefoot Ministries ISBN (152 pages, paperback) $12.99 USD + s&h God s Word in your mouth is just as powerful as it is in His when you speak it in faith! Bold, expectant faith changes the world. It is how Joshua and Caleb succeeded where so many others failed, and ended up in the Promised Land. It is how Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego quenched the violence of fire and caused the king of Babylon to honor God. It is how Paul learned to overcome the challenges set before him and finish his race with joy. In this book, you will learn about the dynamics of faith that accomplished all these things, and more How the Word of God created and changes the world The nature and order of reality The divine mandate of dominion and how to exercise it Things working together for the redemption of all creation The all-sufficiency of God s grace to deal with difficulties. The shadow of glory and how to walk in it The abundance and prosperity of God that changes the world The treasure of the heart that changes the world Fathers and the inheritance of world-changing destiny God s Word in Your Mouth is, in my opinion, the best book yet dealing with the creative power of our words. Jeff Doles has clearly received revelation from God to share one mind-renewing insight after another. Jeff gives us clear understanding of the purpose of God in creating us and the power that He transferred to us to continue His mandate through us. This book is both highly revelatory and extremely practical. Every Christian needs the insights that are being released to the church of Jesus Christ through God s Word in Your Mouth. Ben R. Peters, President of Open Heart Ministries Buy now at Also available at Amazon.com in paperback (FREE shipping with $25 order) and at Lulu.com in ebook (PDF) 1

2 God s Word in Your Mouth: Changing Your World Through Faith 2006 by Jeff Doles All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means for example, electronic, photocopy, recording without the prior written permission of the author. Published by Walking Barefoot Ministries P.O. Box 1062, Seffner, FL ISBN: (Print Edition) All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the New International Version. 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, is used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations taken from The Amplified New Testament are 1954, 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 2

3 Contents W hen It s All About God 5 God Will Deliver Us, Without a Doubt! 11 Seven Things Working Together for Your Good 17 Pulling Paul s Thorn 25 Framed by the Word 31 T he Order of Reality 37 Having Dominion 43 God s Word in Your Mouth 49 T he Shadow of Glory 55 Heaven on Earth 67 Living in the Blessing 73 God Wants You Healthy, Wealthy and Wise 79 Debt-Free Blessing 87 T he Treasure of Your Heart 97 W here Your Treasure Is 103 How to be a Hilarious Giver 109 How to Encourage Yourself in the Lord 117 Praying With Expectation 123 God Works Through Fathers 129 Inheriting Destiny 135 W hy Jesus Came 143 3

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5 When It s All About God M oses sent twelve men to spy out the land that was promised by God to the children of Israel. Ten came back and gave their report, which started out well but then suddenly turned dark: We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours it inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight (Numbers 13:27-28, 31-33). The children of Israel not a few, but the whole congregation were exceedingly fearful when they heard this. They cried out against Moses and Aaron, and wished that they had never been brought out of Egypt in the first place, or else that they had perished along the way in the wilderness. Only two spies came back with any good news, and they were bristling with confidence. One was Caleb, of the tribe of Judah. His name means forcible. He tried to rally the people, firmly declaring, 5

6 Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it (Numbers 13:30). The other one was Hoshea, son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim. Moses called him Joshua, The LORD is Salvation. When Joshua observed the great trepidation of the people and heard their venomous complaints, he and Caleb tore their garments and again tried to calm the fear, and awaken faith and courage in the people: The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into the land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them (Numbers 14:7-9). The congregation, however, would have none of it. Stone them with stones, they cried. Why was there such a huge difference between the report of Joshua and Caleb and that of the other ten spies? They all saw the same things. They were all working with the same set of facts. Yet, the ten looked at the situation and called it completely impossible, while Joshua and Caleb, seeing the exact same things, declared that victory was imminently doable. The difference was in the orientation of their hearts. You see, there is no such thing as an uninterpreted fact. Though they all saw the same things, they looked at them in very different ways. They all had the same facts, but they perceived them from radically different perspectives, and it was the orientation of their hearts that determined their perceptions. The difference in their orientations was in the difference of priority, of focus, and how they answered the question, Who is this all about? The ten spies looked at the situation as if it was all about them, their resources, their abilities, their strength. They looked in the natural and saw the people of Canaan as giants and themselves 6

7 When It s All About God as grasshoppers. They saw the natural world through natural eyes because that was the orientation of their hearts. They were leaning on their own understanding instead of trusting in the Lord with all their hearts (Proverbs 3:5). The ten spies looked only with their natural eyes and then proceeded to say what they saw with those eyes, so they spoke out of a heart that thought this was all about them. We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we. They saw the problem (giants in the land) and they saw themselves as grasshoppers, totally unequal to the challenge. Contrast that with Joshua and Caleb, who looked in the spirit and viewed the natural through spiritual eyes. What did they see? They saw God, and the people of Canaan looked like grasshoppers before Him. They saw the same facts that the other ten saw, only they understood the truth about what they were seeing that this was about God. Then they spoke according to what they saw: We are well able to overcome The LORD is with us. Now, understand that Joshua and Caleb didn t deny that there was a problem. In fact, they freely acknowledged it. But they were unmoved by it: Do not fear these people they are our bread, and they have no protection. The orientation of their hearts was toward God. They saw that they were well able to overcome the problem because God was with them. When its all about God, there is nothing to fear. Moses understood this long before he sent out the spies. He learned it when God first called him to deliver the children of Israel from cruel oppression. Moses hesitated. Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?, as if any of this was about him and his abilities. But God corrected his defective understanding. I will certainly be with you (Exodus 3:11-12). This was not about Moses, but about God, and would, therefore, certainly come to pass. That is why Moses was in no way 7

8 dissuaded by the negative report of the ten spies. He agreed with the report of Joshua and Caleb because he knew as well as they that God would be with them. But God now pressed Moses understanding even further. When the congregation called for Joshua and Caleb to be stoned, the Bible says, the Glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel (Numbers 14:10). Of course, this was not a good thing for the ten spies and the congregation, for whom God was not the priority. But set that aside for a moment and listen to what the Lord had to say to Moses: How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they. (Numbers 14:11-12) This was a test: How much did Moses really understand concerning who this was all about. Shall I destroy these people and make of you a greater nation, Moses? But Moses was far past thinking it was about him, or even wanting it to be about Him. He quickly answered the LORD: Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, LORD, are among these people; that You, LORD, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, Because the LORD was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness. (Numbers 14:13-16, emphasis added). Moses passed the test. His spiritual vision was 20/20. He knew exactly who this was all about the Lord God of Israel. God s name, 8

9 When It s All About God God s power, God s glory, God s people. Then Moses appealed to God s mercy and asked Him to pardon the iniquity of the people for thinking it was about them. The Lord answered, I have pardoned, according to your word; but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. (Numbers 14:20-23) Then of Caleb, whose heart was toward the Lord, He said, But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it (v. 24). Then the Lord had Moses deliver this message to the congregation: Just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you; The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. Except for Caleb the son of Jephunnah and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. (vv ) Notice that everyone received exactly what they had spoken: The congregation said, Better we should die in the wilderness. And so they did. The ten spies said, We are not able to go up against the people of Canaan. And so they never did go up against them, but died of a plague in the wilderness. Joshua and Caleb said, We are well able to overcome The LORD is with us. And in time they entered and took possession of the Promised Land (read about it in the book of Joshua). They each got what they expected. They each experienced what 9

10 they focused on. They each received according to how they saw, whether in the natural or in the Spirit. And they each obtained whatever they spoke, whether it was a good report or an evil report. Who is this life all about? Those who think it is all about themselves walk in fear of every problem and situation that is bigger than them, and they will perish in the wilderness. Those who know it is all about God walk in faith, knowing that God is much bigger than any and every problem. They go on to enjoy victory in the Promised Land. When you encounter giants in your life, problems that seem like they are much bigger than you, remember that it is no longer about you but about God. Take these steps: Stop focusing your attention on the problems and your ability to solve them. Start focusing your attention on the Lord. Get to know Him more and more, giving yourself completely to Him in prayer, praise and worship. Study the Word of God, searching out all His blessings, benefits and promises that pertain to your problem or need. As you discover these blessings and promises, start speaking what you see in the Word of God. His Word is true and cannot fail. Go forth and dwell in the Promised Land, because it s all about God. 10

11 God Will Deliver Us, Without a Doubt! M ost Christians have heard about Shadrach, Meshach and Abed- Nego the three young Hebrew men who were delivered out of the fiery furnace. Those were the Babylonian names given to Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, when they were carried off into exile and trained for service in the courts of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1:7). Now, Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold to honor himself, and he decreed that, at a certain time, when all the instruments sounded, everyone should fall down and worship before it. Whoever failed to do so would be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. The day came, the instruments sounded, and everyone fell down and worshiped the golden image everyone except Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. When it came to the king s attention that there were three young Hebrews who would not bow, he became enraged and had them brought before him. He gave them one last chance and said, If you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands? (Daniel 3:15). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego did not even try to defend themselves. They simply said, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have 11

12 no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up (Daniel 3:16-18 NKJV). Getting the Story Right Most Christians have heard this story, but many have misread it. They think it goes something like this: The three Hebrews answer Nebuchadnezzar and say, O king, our God is able to deliver us, and He will deliver us. But if he doesn t, we still will not worship your image. According to this version, they were not sure that God would deliver them, and so they had a back-up answer in case God didn t come through on their behalf. Some translations of the Bible even seem to support this reading. The NASB says, He will deliver us out of your hand, O King. But even if He does not... we are not going to serve your gods. Notice the italicized words they do not translate anything in the original Hebrew text, but were added by the translators in an attempt to bring clarity. But they actually do just the opposite. They distort the faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. The NIV gives the same reading without even alerting the reader to the additional words by italicizing them. Many other versions leave the original reading intact. For example, the King James Version, New King James Version, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, and the Amplified Bible all follow the Hebrew text without any additions. They simply say, But if not End of sample, but this chapter continues in the book. 12

13 Preaching, teaching, worship, healing and revival ministry to help you take the next step of faith in your walk with the Lord, and experience the presence and power of God in your life. Walking Barefoot Ministries was founded in 1999 by Jeff and Suzanne Doles to minister to churches, conferences, retreats, revivals and other Christian events. With a fresh and gentle breeze of the Holy Spirit, they come to: Minister the Word of God through preaching and teaching on prayer, faith and the healing power of God. Establish an atmosphere of praise and worship that leads to greater intimacy with God and deeper expressions of love, faith and joy in His presence. Bring encouraging words from the Lord to inspire, build up, and bring comfort and healing to God s people. Share the joy and enthusiasm of their faith journey with the Lord Jesus Christ. Stir up the embers of revival fire and renewal in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jeff is a seasoned Bible teacher with great enthusiasm for bringing out the life-changing, world-changing truths of God s Word. His desire is to see people activated in faith and joy as he preaches on the awesome presence and power of God. As a worshipper, he delights to lead in extended times of worship to press into the inner courts. Suzanne received a powerful work of the Lord in the Summer of 2000, a deliverance which released her from deep-seated fear. With strong faith and insight, she now gives testimony to the healing power of God, on the theme of moving from fear to faith. We are pressing in for more of the Lord,to know Him more intimately, love Him more lavishly, praise Him more extravagantly. To grow more in prayer and faith, to experience more of His presence, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. To do the works of Jesus. 13 Visit us online at