Topic: Just Sayin’

Part 4

James 3:2-5 NIV We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. (3) When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. (4) Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. (5) Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

What Is Praise?

 Commend – means that we entrust ourselves to His care and recommend that others do the same.

Psalms 9:10 NIV Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalms 16:1 NIV Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.

Express approval or favor on someone. 

Psalms 23:1-6 NIV A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. (2) He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, (3) he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. (4) Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (5) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (6) Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Glorify – To identify the good points of someone.

Psalms 103:1-5 NKJV A Psalm Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! (2) Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: (3) Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, (4) Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, (5) Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

When Do We Praise?

Psalms 34:1 NLT I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak His praises.

1. In the good times. 

1 Chronicles 17:20 NKJV (20) O LORD, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

2. In the bad times. 

Acts 16:25-26 NKJV But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (26) Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.

3. In the routine, in-between times.

Psalms 118:24 NKJV This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

4. In public and in private.

Psalms 122:1 NKJV I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the LORD.”

5. Directly to God and indirectly to others. 

Psalms 9:1 NLT I will praise You, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things You have done.

Psalms 34:1-6 NKJV I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. (2) My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. (3) Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. (4) I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. (5) They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. (6) This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.

Some of us need a new praise!

Your most effective testimony is about the things that God has done for you this week, yesterday or this morning.

Part 3

James 3:2-5 NIV We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. (3) When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. (4) Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. (5) Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

• If you want to change the direction of your life, start changing your words. 

• Anytime God wants to change something, He speaks to it. 

• It is not enough to just believe what the Word says, you must speak it if you want the results of it.

• We need to understand that there is speaking God’s Word unto faith and then there is speaking God’s Word by faith.

When you are speaking God’s Word, you are building your capacity to believe God’s Word.

• We are not called to be reporters, we are called to be forecasters.

Romans 4:17 AMP As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed. [Gen. 17:5.] 

• Don’t just pray about those dead situations and circumstances, speak to them and prophesy what God says about them. 

Pick Up Your Sword

Ephesians 6:10-17 NKJV Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. (11) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (13) Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (14) Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, (15) and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16) above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

In Paul’s day there were a few different swords that a soldier might carry.

• Double-handed sword: heavy, required two hands, mostly used in training because it was so heavy and could build muscle for battle.

• Long sword – soldier would be able to swing this sword and seriously wound his opponent, gashing a limb or their side so they would bleed out.

• Smaller, dagger type sword called a “machaira”. This weapon would strike fear in all those that heard it mentioned. It was meant for close combat and caused great pain and damage to its victim. It was long and narrow and often had a twisted end like a corkscrew or the blade would be bent up on the tip. When thrust in the abdomen, it would cause great damage and severe pain. It was always used in close-in combat. 

In Ephesians 6:17, Paul used the word “machaira” when referring to the sword of the Spirit. The reason is that this weapon causes great fear in the heart of our adversary and his kingdom because it has the ability to slash our demonic foes to shreds!

In Ephesians 6:17, the Greek word for “word” is the word “rhema” and it means an inspired word that is spoken clearly and distinctly.

Here is how this works: You are praying about a situation when the Holy Spirit brings a verse of scripture that pertains to that situation up from your spirit that you can stand on and claim for your situation. When this happens, the Holy Spirit has placed in your hands a “machaira” that you can insert into the enemy and bring his defeat.

Greatest example of this can be found in the life of Jesus Himself:

Luke 2:52 NKJV And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Luke 4:1-13 NKJV Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, (2) being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. (3) And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” (4) But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD OF GOD.’ ” (5) Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. (6) And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. (7) Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” (8) And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND HIM ONLY YOU SHALL SERVE.’ ” (9) Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. (10) For it is written: ‘HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS CHARGE OVER YOU, TO KEEP YOU,’ (11) and, ‘IN THEIR HANDS THEY SHALL BEAR YOU UP, LEST YOU DASH YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.’ ” (12) And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT TEMPT THE LORD YOUR GOD.’ ” (13) Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

The Holy Spirit quickened the Word to Jesus in that moment and placed that dagger in His hand to defeat the enemy. Jesus spoke the Word and won that battle causing the enemy to flee from Him.

The next time you are in close combat with the devil, take the time to get quiet and allow the Holy Spirit to reach within your spirit to bring up that inspired Word and quicken it to you so you will have that rhema to put in your mouth.

• Understand that the enemy is smart and will attack in areas that you are weak or vulnerable. 

• Be honest with yourself and God and recognize the area(s) of your life you might not be quite as strong yet as you should be. 

• Be proactive and not always reactive. 

• Begin to build in your heart the arsenal of God’s Word that the Holy Spirit can draw upon in those times of battle. 

John 14:26 NLT But when the Father sends the Advocate as My representative–that is, the Holy Spirit–He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. 

John Osteen: “Put the Word in your heart when you don’t need it and it will be there when you do need it.”

• Put that Word in your mouth and use that sword to cause the enemy to flee.

James 4:7 NKJV Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (like a criminal that has been caught)

Part 2

James 3:2-5 NIV We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. (3) When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. (4) Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. (5) Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.

• If you want to change the direction of your life, start changing your words. 

• Anytime God wants to change something, He speaks to it. 

Genesis 1:1-3 NKJV In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (2) The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. (3) Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 

Hebrews 11:3 AMP  By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible. 

Hebrews 4:12a AMP For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]… 

• It is not enough to just believe what the Word says, you must speak it if you want the results of it.

Romans 10:9-10 NLT If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

• We need to understand that there is speaking God’s Word unto faith and then there is speaking God’s Word by faith.

1. Speaking God’s Word unto Faith: 

Hebrews 10:23 NKJV Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 4:14 NKJV Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Confession – (Greek: homologia) – to say the same thing

We are called to speak the same thing that our High Priest is saying over us.

What is your High Priest saying? You are strong, you are healed, you are well able, you are anointed, you are favored, you are free, you are redeemed, you are forgiven…

Mark 9:23 NKJV Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

God created us to be able to hear our own words and build a capacity to believe them in our hearts.

When you are speaking God’s Word, you are building your capacity to believe God’s Word.

2. Speaking God’s Word By Faith: 

Mark 11:12-14 NKJV Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. (13) And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. (14) In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.

Mark 11:20-23 NKJV Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. (21) And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” (22) So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. (23) For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

When you are speaking the Word by faith, change will not be readily visible, because it is happening at the root and not at the fruit.

• We are not called to be reporters, we are called to be forecasters.

Romans 4:17 AMP As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed. [Gen. 17:5.] 

• Don’t just pray about those dead situations and circumstances, speak to them and prophesy what God says about them.

Ezekiel 37:1-10 NIV The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. (2) He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. (3) He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” (4) Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! (5) This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. (6) I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” (7) So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. (8) I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. (9) Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” (10) So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet–a vast army.

Part 1

James 3:1-12 NIV Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. (2) We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. (3) When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. (4) Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. (5) Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. (6) The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. (7) All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, (8) but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. (9) With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. (10) Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. (11) Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? (12) My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

• Your tongue affects your entire life.

James 3:2 NIV We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

• Your tongue determines the direction of your life. 

James 3:3-4 NIV When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. (4) Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 

• Your tongue can inject poison into the lives of other people.

James 3:7-8 NIV All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, (8) but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

• You have a choice in what your tongue says. 

James 3:10 MSG Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can’t go on.

• You can change the direction of your life by changing your words.

• Your words are shaped by what you deposit in your heart.

Matthew 12:34-37 AMP You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the superabundance) of the heart the mouth speaks. (35) The good man from his inner good treasure flings forth good things, and the evil man out of his inner evil storehouse flings forth evil things. (36) But I tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak. (37) For by your words you will be justified and acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned and sentenced.

Start Your Engine! 

Philemon 1:6 KJV That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

“…every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”

Think of it — He saved you, healed you, redeemed you, and protected you. He has given you a sound mind; He has given you the mind of Christ; He has imparted gifts and talents to you; and He has planned a future for your life that is simply glorious. You are loaded with phenomenal potential that is just waiting to be activated!

“…may become effectual…” 

(Greek: energeo – energized or activated)

Paul’s words could actually be rendered, “That … your faith may become energized and activated.” 

“…acknowledging…”

(Greek: epignosis – a well-instructed, intensive, deep knowledge of the facts)

Because the word epignosis depicts a well-instructed, intensive, deep knowledge of the facts, Paul is letting you know that it is essential for you to possess:

• A knowledge of exactly who you are in Jesus Christ.
• A knowledge of what Jesus has purchased in your redemption.
• A knowledge of every good thing that God has placed in you by Jesus Christ.

To make these truths real in your life, you have to put the key in the ignition switch.

1. The key is the Word of God.
2. The ignition is your mouth.
3. The key is turned in the ignition when you open your mouth and start to speak God’s Word.
4. The good things in you are activated the moment you start speaking the Word.

That is how you turn the key in your ignition and energize these truths until they begin to manifest in you!

You turn the key in the ignition by getting your mouth in agreement with God’s Word. And as you start speaking what God says about you, all your potential will start becoming a manifested reality!