فصل 2

CHAPTER TWO

Be Positive or Be Quiet

You are where you are today in part because of what you’ve been saying about yourself. Words are like seeds. When you speak something out, you give life to what you’re saying. If you continue to say it, eventually that can become a reality. Whether you realize it or not, you are prophesying your future. This is great when we’re saying things such as, “I am blessed. I am strong. I will accomplish my dreams. I’m coming out of debt.” That’s not just being positive; you are actually prophesying victory, prophesying success, prophesying new levels. Your life will move in the direction of your words.

But too many people go around prophesying just the opposite. “I never get any good breaks.” “I’ll never get back in shape.” “Business is slow. I’ll probably get laid off.” “Flu season is here. I always get it.” They don’t realize they are prophesying defeat. It’s just like they’re calling in bad breaks, mediocrity, and lack.

The Scripture says, “We will eat the fruit of our words.” When you talk, you are planting seeds. At some point, you’re going to eat that fruit. My challenge is: Make sure you’re planting the right kind of seeds. If you want apples, you have to sow apple seeds. If you want oranges, you can’t plant cactus seeds, poison ivy seeds, or mushroom seeds. You’re going to reap fruit from the exact seeds that you’ve been sowing. In other words, you can’t talk negative and expect to live a positive life. You can’t talk defeat and expect to have victory. You can’t talk lack, not enough, can’t afford it, never get ahead and expect to have abundance. If you have a poor mouth, you’re going to have a poor life.

If you don’t like what you’re seeing, start sowing some different seeds. Instead of saying, “I’ll never get well, Joel. This sickness has been in my family for three generations,” plant the right seeds by stating, “God is restoring health back unto me. This sickness didn’t come to stay; it came to pass. I’m getting better and better every day.” You keep sowing those positive seeds and eventually you’ll eat that abundant fruit—health, wholeness, victory.

Instead of saying, “I’ll never get out of debt. I’ll never rise any higher,” you start speaking the promises of God: “I will lend and not borrow. Whatever I touch prospers and succeeds. I’m coming into overflow, into more than enough.” Start sowing seeds of increase, seeds of abundance. No more “I’ll never accomplish my dreams.” Instead, “I have the favor of God. Blessings are chasing me down. The right people are searching me out. New opportunities, new levels are in my future.” If you’ll keep talking like that, you’ll reap a harvest of good things.

Start Blessing Your Life

The Scripture talks about how with our tongue we can bless our life or we can curse our life. Many people don’t realize they’re cursing their future with their words. Every time you say, “I never get any good breaks,” you just cursed your life. “I’ll never be able to afford that nice house.” “I’ll never be able to break this addiction.” “I’ll never meet the right person.” No; stop cursing your future. Sometimes the enemy doesn’t have to defeat us; we defeat ourselves. Pay attention to what you’re saying. Are you blessing your life? Or are you cursing it?

I had a classmate in high school who was always very negative even though he was one of the stars on our football team, was always in great shape, and had thick, curly hair. Every time I asked him what was going on, he gave this standard reply: “Not much. I’m just getting old, fat, and bald.” I must have heard him say that five hundred times. I know he was just kind of kidding, but I wouldn’t kid about that. About fifteen years later, when I ran into him at the mall, I nearly passed out. He had prophesied his future. He looked old, fat, and bald. Don’t speak that defeat over your life. Our attitude should be, I’m getting younger. God is renewing my youth like the eagles. I’m getting stronger, healthier, better looking. I’m going to keep my hair. I’m going to stay in my right mind. I’m going to live a long, productive, faith-filled life. Don’t go around cursing your future. Start blessing your life. Prophesy good things.

I know this man who was concerned that he was going to get Alzheimer’s disease because several people in his family had it—a grandfather, a great-uncle. This man was only in his early fifties, but he constantly kept bringing up what might happen. He told me that he was actually making plans for someone to take care of him, getting everything lined up. Of course, it’s good to use common sense, to be wise, and to plan ahead in your life where you can. But if you go around talking about when you’re going to get a disease and making plans for it, you probably won’t be disappointed. You’re calling it in. Just like you’re sending it an invitation.

I told this man what I’m telling you: “Don’t say another time that you’re going to have Alzheimer’s or any other disease. Start declaring, ‘No weapon formed against me will ever prosper. I will live out my days in good health, with a clear mind, with good memory, with clarity of thought. My mind is alert. My senses are sharp. My youth is being renewed.’” You must prophesy health. Prophesy a long, productive life. Your words will become your reality.

Don’t Get Trapped by Your Own Words

Proverbs 6:2 states, “We are snared by the words of our mouth.” Snared means “to be trapped.” Your words can trap you. What you say can cause you to stumble and keep you from your potential. You’re not snared by what you think. Negative thoughts come to us all. But when you speak them out loud, you give them life. That’s when they become a reality. If you say, “I’ll never get back in shape,” it becomes more difficult to get back in shape. You just made it harder. When you say, “I never get any good breaks,” you stop the favor that was ordained to you. If you say, “I’m not that talented. I don’t have a good personality,” you’re calling in mediocrity. It’s setting the limits for your life. When negative thoughts come, the key is to never verbalize them. That thought will die stillborn if you don’t speak it.

When we acquired the former Compaq Center, it was a dream come true. We were so excited. Our architects drew up plans to change it from a basketball arena to a church. They called us together and said it was going to cost a hundred million dollars to renovate! After they picked me up off the floor, my first thoughts were, That’s impossible! There’s no way! I’ve only been the pastor four years. They cannot expect me to raise those kinds of funds. Even though those thoughts were racing through my mind again and again, I knew enough to keep my mouth closed. I kept a big smile on my face and acted as though it was no big deal. I knew if I didn’t verbalize those negative thoughts, eventually they would die stillborn. It’s one thing to think that something’s impossible, but when you start telling people something’s impossible, it takes on a whole new meaning.

You may think, I’ll never get that job. I’ll never get well. I’ll never meet the right person. Those thoughts come to all of us. You can’t stop that. My challenge is: Don’t give them life by speaking them out loud. Don’t go call your friends and tell them how it’s not going to happen. I told our team, “I don’t see a way, but I know God has a way. He didn’t bring us this far to leave us.” My report was: “God is supplying all of our needs. The funds are coming in. It may look impossible on paper, but with God all things are possible.” I knew better than to curse my future. I didn’t want to get trapped by my words. I knew if I kept prophesying the right things—increase, favor, more than enough—we would start moving toward it, and we did!

In the tough times, you have to especially be on guard. It’s very tempting to vent your frustration and tell people how the loan didn’t go through, how bad the medical report was, or how certain people just didn’t treat you right. When you continually talk about the problem, that’s going to only make you more discouraged, and it gives that problem more life. You’re making it bigger. Turn it around. Don’t talk about the problem; talk about the promise.

Instead of complaining, “Oh, man, I’ve got this big challenge,” state, “I serve a big God. He spoke worlds into existence. Nothing’s too difficult for Him.”

Instead of surmising, “I didn’t get the promotion they promised. They passed over me again. Another disappointment,” declare, “I know when one door closes that means God has something better. He’s directing my steps. I’m excited about my future.” Instead of concluding, “I’ll never meet the right person. I’m too old. It’s been too long,” state, “Something good is going to happen to me. Divine connections are coming my way.”

When someone says, “I’m sorry to hear that you got a bad medical report. Is it true?” you should respond, “Yes, that’s true. But I have another report that tells me God is restoring health back unto me.”

If your friend remarks, “Well, I heard those people did you wrong,” feel free to smile, nod your head, and explain, “Yes, but I’m not worried. God is my vindicator. He’s fighting my battles. He’s promised to give me beauty for ashes.” Two Voices—Which One Are You Choosing?

In life, there are always two voices competing for your attention—the voice of faith and the voice of defeat. Just as I did, you’ll hear a voice piping in, “You can’t possibly raise that amount of money. It’s insurmountable. It’s not going to work out. Just accept it.” You’ll be tempted to worry, to be negative, to complain. But if you listen carefully, you’ll hear another voice. The voice of faith is saying, “God has a way. Favor is coming. Healing is coming. Breakthroughs are coming.” One voice will point out that you’ve reached your limits. You’ve gone as far as you can. You don’t have what it takes. The other voice is clear and matter-of-fact: “You are well able. You can do all things through Christ. Your best days are still out in front of you.” Now, here’s the beauty. You get to choose which voice comes to life. The way you do it is by what you speak. When you verbalize that thought, you’re giving it the right to come to pass. If you mope around saying, “The problem’s too big. I’ll never get well,” you are choosing the wrong voice. You have to get in agreement with God. The other voice may seem louder, but you can override it. You can take away all of its power by choosing the voice of faith.

Maybe you’re going to a job interview. One voice will warn you, “You’re not going to get it. You’re wasting your time. These people are not going to like you.” Another voice will counter, “You have the favor of God. You’re blessed. You’re confident. You have what it takes.” If you get up that morning and tell your spouse, “I don’t think I’m going to get this job. They’re not going to like me. I’m not qualified,” there’s no use in your going. You’re being trapped by your words. You have to dig your heels in and say, “I am not giving life to any more defeat. I am not speaking lack. I’m not speaking sickness. I’m not speaking mediocrity, fear, doubt. I can’t do it. I’m choosing the voice of faith. It says I am strong, I am healthy, I am blessed. I am favored. I am a victor and not a victim.” God gave Jeremiah a promise that he would become a great prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1). But when he heard God’s voice, he was very young and unsure of himself. He instead listened to the other voice and said, “God, I can’t do that. I can’t speak to the nations. I’m too young. I wouldn’t know what to say.” God said, “Jeremiah, say not that you are too young.”

The first thing God did was to stop his negative words. Why did God do that? Because He knew that if Jeremiah went around saying, “I’m not qualified. I can’t do this. I don’t have what it takes,” he would become exactly what he was saying. So God said in effect, “Jeremiah, zip it up. You may think it, but don’t speak it out loud.” It goes on to tell how Jeremiah changed what he was saying, and he became a prophet to the nations. The promise came to pass.

In the same way, God has called every one of us to do something great. He’s put dreams and desires inside, but it’s easy to acquiesce as Jeremiah did and say, “I can’t do that. I’m too young. I’m too old. I’ve made too many mistakes. I don’t have the education. I don’t have the experience.” We can all make excuses, but God is saying to us what He said to Jeremiah: “Stop saying that.” Don’t curse your future. Those negative words can keep you from God’s best.

Negative Words Stop God’s Promises

Sometimes the reason a promise is being delayed is because of what we’re saying. Imagine that your answer is on the way. God has already dispatched the angel with your healing, your promotion, your vindication. But right before it arrives, God says to the angel, “Hold on. Don’t go any further. Stay right where you are.” The angel replies, “Why, God? This is what You promised. It’s in Your Word.”

God answers, “No, listen to what he’s saying. He’s talking about how it’s not going to happen, how the problem is too big, how it’s been too long, how he’ll never meet the right person.”

Negative words stop God’s promises. I wonder how many times we’re just a couple of months away from seeing the answer, a couple of months from meeting the right person. You’ve been praying for years that God would bring somebody great into your life. But right before that somebody shows up, you let your guard down and start saying, “Oh, it’s not going to happen. I’m too old. Nobody’s interested in me.” God has to say to the angel, “Don’t go any further.” The good news is that promise is still in your future. God didn’t cancel it because you got negative. He still has the right person for you, and if you’ll zip up the doubt and switch over into faith, at the right time, that person will show up. God will release what negative words have delayed. God still has your healing, your promotion, your restoration. Now do your part. Quit talking about how it’s not going to happen. You may not see a way, but God still has a way. It may look impossible, but God can do the impossible. Just because you don’t see anything happening doesn’t mean God is not working. Right now, behind the scenes, God is arranging things in your favor. He is lining up the right people. He is moving the wrong people out of the way. He is positioning you exactly where He wants you to be. Now don’t delay the promise by speaking negative words.

When our son, Jonathan, was seventeen years old, we were in the process of applying to different colleges. Some schools accept only 5 percent of the students who apply. That means, of course, that 95 percent of the applicants get turned down. It’s easy to think, Why do we even want to apply to those schools? It’s practically impossible to get in. More than nine out of ten students get denied. Jonathan, don’t get your hopes up. I don’t see how you could get in there.

If we’re not careful, we’ll talk ourselves out of it. You may think those thoughts, but don’t make the mistake of verbalizing them. Learn to turn it around. “God, I know You have my son in the palm of Your hand. You’ve already picked out the right college for him to attend. There may be only a 5 percent chance for some schools, but God, I know that with You there’s a 100 percent chance he will get in exactly where You want him to go. God, You control the whole universe.” That’s much better than going around saying, “All the odds are against me. It doesn’t look good. I don’t see how it’s going to happen.” No, zip that up. If you can’t be positive, at least be quiet. Your words prophesy your future. If you say, “I’ll never get in,” you’re right; you’ll never get in. If you say, “This problem is going to sink me,” it will take you under. If you say, “I’ll never be able to afford a nice house,” you’ll never be able to afford a nice house. You’re being snared by the words of your mouth.

Put a Watch over Your Mouth

In the first chapter of Luke, an angel appeared to a priest named Zachariah while he was serving in the temple. The angel told him that his wife, Elizabeth, was going to have a baby and they were to name him John. Zachariah was very surprised, because he and his wife were way up there in years. He said to the angel, “Are you sure this is going to happen? It sounds great, but do you see how old we are? To me, it just doesn’t seem possible.” The angel said, “Zachariah, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of Almighty God, and what God says will come to pass.”

God knows the power of our words. He knew that if Zachariah went around speaking defeat, it would stop His plan. So God did something unusual. The angel said, “Zachariah, because you doubted, you will remain silent and not be able to speak until the baby is born.” Zachariah left the temple unable to talk; he couldn’t speak one word for nine months, until that baby was born.

Why did God take away Zachariah’s speech? God knew he would go out and start telling his friends how it wasn’t going to happen. “Hey, man. This angel appeared and said we’re going to have a baby. He must have the wrong person. We’re too old.” Those negative words would have stopped his destiny. That’s why the Scripture says, “Put a watch over your mouth.” In other words, “Be careful what you allow to come out of your mouth.” “I don’t think I’m ever going to get well. I’ve had this sickness for three years.” No; put a watch over your mouth. Don’t prophesy defeat. If you’re going to say anything, declare what God says: “I will live and not die. God is restoring health back unto me. The number of my days He will fulfill.” All through the day you need to ask yourself, “Is what I’m about to say what I want to come into my life?” Because what you’re saying, you’re inviting in.

When you say, “I’ll never pay off my house and get out of debt. The economy is too slow,” you’re inviting struggle and lack. When you say, “My career has dead-ended. This is as good as it gets,” you’re inviting defeat and mediocrity. You need to send out some new invitations. When you say, “I will lend and not borrow. God’s favor surrounds me like a shield. Whatever I touch prospers and succeeds,” you are inviting increase, good breaks, and success. When you say, “I will overcome this problem. I am more than a conqueror. If God be for me, who dare be against me?” you’re inviting strength, healing, restoration, vindication, and breakthroughs.

Pay attention to what you’re inviting. “I’ll never pass this algebra course. I’ve never been good in math. I just don’t understand it.” Change the invitation. “I can do all things through Christ. I have good understanding. I am full of wisdom. I am an A student.” When you do that, you’re inviting wisdom and an acceleration of knowledge. You’re inviting God’s blessings. Make sure you’re sending out the right invitations.

When I first started ministering back in 1999, I had never done this before, and I was very nervous and unsure of myself. Negative thoughts bombarded my mind: Joel, you’re going to get up there and make a fool of yourself. You’re not going to know what to say. Nobody is going to listen to you. Why should they? You don’t have the experience. All through the day I had to ignore those thoughts. I would go around saying under my breath, “I am anointed. I am equipped. I am strong in the Lord.” Before I would come to church and minister, I would look at myself in the mirror and say, “Joel, you are well able. You’ve been raised up for such a time as this.” I didn’t feel confident, but I called myself confident. I didn’t feel anointed, but I called myself anointed. You may not feel blessed, but you need to call yourself blessed. The circumstances may not say you’re prosperous, but by faith you need to call yourself prosperous. You may not feel healthy today, but don’t go around telling everyone how you’re not going to make it. Start calling yourself healthy, whole, strong, full of energy and full of life.

When Marching Around Walls, Zip It Up

When Joshua was leading the people of Israel toward the Promised Land, they came to the city of Jericho. It towered between them and their destiny. They couldn’t go around it. They had to go through it. The problem was: Jericho was surrounded by huge, thick, tall walls made of stone and mortar. It didn’t look as though there was any way the Israelites could get in. But God told them to do something that sounded strange—for six days they were to march around those walls once a day, and on the seventh day they were to march around them seven times. As if that wasn’t odd enough, God gave them one final instruction, which was the key to the whole plan working. He said, “While you’re marching around the walls, I don’t want you to say one word, not a whisper, not a short conversation, not an update on how it’s going. Keep totally silent.” Why did God not allow them to speak? God knew that after a couple of times around the perimeter of the walls, if not before they even started marching, they would be saying, “What in the world are we doing out here? These walls are never going to fall. Look how thick they are. They’ve been here forever. Joshua must have heard God wrong.” Somebody else speaks up, “Yeah, and I’m tired. I’m hot. I’m hungry. This dust is getting in my face.” God knew they would talk themselves out of it. There are times in all of our lives when it’s difficult to be positive. And that’s okay. Just stay silent. Don’t tell everyone what you’re thinking. The people of Israel marched in silence, and you know how the story ends. On the seventh time around on the seventh day the walls came tumbling down.

Here’s the question today: Could it be that negative words are keeping you out of your Promised Land? Could it be that if you would remain silent, that if you would zip it up and not talk about how big the problem is, not complain about what didn’t work out, not tell a friend how you’re never going to be successful, maybe the walls that are holding you back would come down? Imagine behind those walls are your healing, your promotion, your dream coming to pass. Every day, so to speak, you’re walking around the walls. What are you saying? “This wall is never going to fall, Joel. I’ve had this addiction since high school.” “I’ll never be able to start my own business. I don’t know the right people.” God is saying to us what He said to the Israelites: “If you can’t say anything positive and full of faith, don’t say anything at all.” Don’t let your negative words keep you from God’s best. If you’ll stop talking defeat, lack, how it’s not going to happen, and simply remain silent, God can do for you what He did for them. He knows how to bring those walls down.

When we’re marching around the walls, sometimes we go day after day and don’t see anything happening. Just like the Israelites, the thoughts come swirling around our heads: You didn’t hear God right. Nothing is changing. You go to work every week and do your best, but you’re not being promoted, and it’s never going to happen. No, that is a time of testing. Like the Israelites, you’re marching around the walls. You may be on day five, day six. That simply means you’ve been doing it a year, two years, or five years. You’ve thought surely it would have happened by now.

Pass that test. Don’t start complaining. Don’t do like the first group that stopped at the door of the Promised Land and said, “Oh, what’s the use? Let’s just settle here.” When the negative thoughts come, let them die stillborn. Refuse to prophesy defeat over your life. If you do this, you will come into your seventh day. Like what happened with the Israelites, those walls will come tumbling down. God is a faithful God. He will do what He has promised you.

“It Is Well”

In II Kings 4, there is a story of a woman who was a good friend of the prophet Elisha. In fact, she had built an extra room on her house, so when Elisha was in town he could come and stay there. One day Elisha asked her what he could do for her to return the favor. She said, “Nothing, Elisha. My husband and I are doing just fine.” Elisha’s assistant brought it to his attention that the couple didn’t have any children. Her husband was an older man. Before Elisha left the woman, he prophesied, “By this time next year you’re going to have a baby.” She was so excited. It seemed too good to be true. But the next year, just like he told her, she had a son. When the boy was around ten years old, he was out in the field playing and his head began to hurt very badly. They carried him home and placed him in his mother’s arms where he later died. You can imagine how this mother felt. She was heartbroken, devastated beyond measure. She carried her son to Elisha’s room and placed him on Elisha’s bed.

For most people this would be the end of the story, but not for this lady. She asked for a donkey and said, “I’m going to see the prophet Elisha.” She told her assistant to ride fast and not slow down unless he was told. When Elisha saw the dust billowing up in the sky a couple of miles away, he noticed it was his friend, the woman who had built the extra room on her house for him. Elisha told his assistant Gehazi, “Go find out what’s wrong.” Gehazi ran to meet the woman way down the road, stopped her, and said, “Elisha is concerned. Why are you coming unexpectedly in such a hurry? Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?”

Speaking words of faith, she simply replied, “It is well,” and kept heading full steam ahead.

Think of all the negative thoughts that this woman was fighting, and then consider her actual words. A lot of times when we face difficulties and somebody asks us how everything is going, we do just the opposite and tell them everything that’s wrong. It’s easy to talk about the problem, how bad it is, how it’s never going to work out. But in those tough times—when you feel like complaining, when you’ve got a good reason to be sour, because you lost a job, or a friend did you wrong, or you’re not feeling well—you have to dig your heels in and say it by faith: “Business is slow, but all is well. God is still on the throne. He’s the Lord my Provider.” Or, “The medical report wasn’t good, but all is well. God is my healer. Nothing will snatch me out of His hands.” She finally made it to Elisha’s house and told him the son he promised her had died. Elisha went and prayed for the boy, and he came back to life. What I want you to see is that in her darkest hour, even when it looked impossible, this lady refused to get negative and speak defeat. When Gehazi asked, “Is everything okay?” she could have spoken out loud what I’m sure she was thinking, “No! I’m in the midst of a great tragedy. I’m facing the biggest challenge of my life.” Nobody would have faulted her for that. But she chose to speak faith even though her mind was being bombarded with doubt. She had a watch over her mouth. She wasn’t going to be snared by her words.

When you’re hurting, you’ve been through a disappointment, and you’ve suffered a loss, you have to do what she did. Say it by faith: “All is well.” It may not look well. It may not feel well. In the natural you should be complaining, talking about how bad it is, but instead you’re making a declaration of faith: “All is well.” That’s when the most powerful force in the universe goes to work.

Every Wall Will Come Tumbling Down

God can resurrect dead dreams. He can resurrect a dead marriage. He can resurrect health that’s going down or a business that’s failing. When you get in agreement with God, all things are possible. You may be facing a big obstacle. It doesn’t look good. But here’s a key: Don’t talk about the size of your problem. Talk about the size of your God. God stopped the sun for Joshua. He parted the Red Sea for the Israelites. He breathed new life into this mother’s little boy. He can turn your situation around as well. He can make a way even though you don’t see a way.

My challenge to you today is: Don’t let your negative words stop what God wants to do. If you can’t say anything positive, zip it up. You may think it, but don’t give it life by speaking it out. Your healing, your vindication, and your promotion are right up in front of you. As was true of Jeremiah, God has already ordained you to do something great. Now, put a watch over your mouth. Pay attention to what you’re saying.

When you make this adjustment, God is going to release promises that have been delayed. Suddenly the things you’ve been praying about—breaking that addiction, meeting the right person, getting healthy again, starting that business—are going to fall into place. You’re going to see God’s favor in a new way. He’s going to open up new doors of opportunity just as He did for Joshua and the Israelites. I believe and declare that every wall that’s holding you back is about to come tumbling down. You and your family will make it into your Promised Land!