7 Times ...

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Have you ever heard someone say that “a picture is worth a thousand words?”

I treasure the photographs of my wife, children and grandchildren.  Words really can’t describe the emotions I feel as I look at some of those photos.        

However, there are some words that are worth much more than any picture.

The 10 Commandments contain 297 words.

The Bill of Rights is stated in 463 words.

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address contains 266 words.

The U.S. Constitution is less than one thousand words.

All of these documents are far more powerful than a single photograph.

A recent federal directive to regulate the price of cabbage contains 26,911 words…I will say there are a lot of photographs worth more than those words.

While I’ve seen some touching images of Jesus, no picture of Him is worth more than the twenty-five words of John 3:16.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Here are four passages of scripture which prove the power of words.                                 

Matthew 12:34-37 in the Amplified Bible says:

“You offspring of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil (wicked)? For out of the fullness (the overflow, the [a]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.”

Proverbs 18:20-21 in the Amplified Bible says:

“A man’s [moral] self shall be filled with the fruit of his mouth; and with the consequence of his words he must be satisfied [whether good or evil].  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].”

Proverbs 18:21 in the Message Bible says:

“Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.”

Ephesians 4:29 in the Amplified Bible says:

“Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.”

Psalm 103:20 the Word says:

“Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.”

Saying that the angels “excel in strength” clearly indicates that aren’t some chubby little cherubims that you see in some religious art.  God is dispatching the strongest. . .the most elite, warrior angels on your behalf.  God’s angels can get the job done!

Next, He tells the angels to follow His instructions and obey the voice of His Word.

Get ready for this. . .

Child of God, when you speak the Word of God. . .you are summoning the strongest. . .most elite. . .warrior angels to work on your behalf.

When you speak the Word of God, they are commanded to obey.  Hallelujah.

Psalm 91 says that He has given His angels charge over you. . .so when we speak His word. . .the angels have something to work with.

Words are powerful.

One more verse comes to mind. . .James 2:20 says “. . .faith without works is dead.”

How did God create the heavens and the earth?  Did He use Caterpillars, cranes, earth-movers and other heavy-duty equipment?

No, He chose a more powerful method.  In fact, he said it ten times in Genesis chapter one.

“And God said. . .”

Faith without works is dead.  The words that you speak they are life or they can be death.

Your words, the things that you speak, change your circumstances and situations.

Mark 11:23 says:

“. . .but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.”                       

Over the past five years. . .since the economic collapse in October of 2008, the Lord has given me a clear word. . .in fact, the same word. . .numerous times.

The Lord said, “Tell my children to stop worrying about what they’ve lost and anticipate what they’re about to gain.”

On each occasion. . .the Lord reminds me that the financial crisis people have faced and are facing is not about what they’ve lost. . .whether it’s a car, a home, a job or retirement money in the stock market...it’s about what they’re going to gain. 

He also directs me re-read Proverbs 6:31 to you.

”But if he [the thief] be found, he shall restore sevenfold. . .”

Each time. . .the Lord says, tell my children to figure out exactly how much they’ve lost and multiple it by seven. . .write that number down, keep it visible and praise me with expectation for their upcoming, personal, end-time wealth transfer.

The sevenfold restoration works…..

When it leaked out that my family was moving to Texas to work with Brother John Avanzini, I received an unexpected call from a friend whom I thought had forgotten my phone number.

The friend owed me $500.  At the time I loaned him the money it seemed like a good idea…not necessarily a God idea.  I remember well when he called and asked to borrow the money.  I could hear the sorrow in his voice and almost see the tears in his eyes.  I told him I didn’t have the money.   But after a few minutes, I told him I would see what I could do about getting the money for him.

As I had done on a number of occasions before I got a cash advance on my credit card.  My friend promised to pay me back within the week.

As I listened to his voice on the phone, I realized it had been six months since I’d heard from him and almost a year since I loaned him the money.

During our phone call, he said he wanted to repay the $500 loan but he still didn’t have the money.  I told him not to worry because the debt was forgiven and his friendship was the most important thing to me now.

But he was insistent. . .he said it was a matter of honor. . .that he’d given his word that he’d repay the loan.  Again, I told him it wasn’t necessary but he promised to bring me a diamond ring that was valued at $2,000.  I told him that wouldn’t be fair and certainly wasn’t necessary, but he insisted.

The next day my friend handed me the diamond ring.  It was very attractive, but it wasn’t worth $2,000.  Maybe $200 at a stretch.  But other than my wedding ring, it was the most attractive ring I owned. . .at the time.

Several months after moving to Texas, my wife and I had two different babysitters over a busy weekend.  One of those baby sitters must have liked my “$2,000” ring more than I did as it was stolen.

A couple of friends suggested that I turn the matter over to the police and take the girls to court.  I thought about it but then I recalled what the Word had to say about stolen property being returned.

So I told my friends that I was taking the girls to court. . .but not a municipal, state, or federal court. . .I was taking them before the Court of Heaven and the most righteous Judge of all.

The scripture is very clear in Proverbs 6:31

“If he [the thief] be found, he shall restore sevenfold.”

So I prayed, “Heavenly Father, you are the most righteous Judge of heaven and earth.  I come before you pleading my case.  The diamond ring that was stolen out of my home was not taken by these two babysitters. . .because the real thief is the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy.  So right now, Father, in accordance with your Holy Word, I send notice to the kingdom of darkness, that I want my ring returned or I want one seven times the value.  I claim this promise as a Child of God and I call in done it Jesus name.  Amen.”

I prayed about. . .forgave the girls and forgot about it.

Less than a month later, a large donor to our ministry, named Roger came to Fort Worth for a visit.  As he and I were touring the international ministry headquarters, he reached in his pocket and pulled out a $10,000 check for the ministry.

I started having church right then and there.  I was praising God and thanking Roger for being a willing vessel in supporting the work and vision of the ministry.

Roger smiled, pulled the ring off his right hand and said, “Harold, that’s not all.  Driving over here today from Montgomery, Alabama, God very clearly told me that I was to personally give you this one-carat diamond ring.”

Being the deep man of God that I was, I said, “Are you sure?”   Roger said, “Absolutely. I clearly heard the voice of God telling me to give you this ring.  It’s yours.  Be blessed with it.”

I shouted “Hallelujah” and lifted my voice to heaven thanking God but not without saying, “Devil, I got my ring.”

Are you getting this?

The Lord’s message is as clear today as it was the first time He told me….He wants His children to write down, the amount of money that the enemy has stolen and multiply it by seven.

He said, tell my children to keep to keep that number visible and praise me with expectation for their upcoming, personal, end-time wealth transfer.

He also directed me to give you  I Peter 5:7 from the Amplified bible:

“Casting the whole of [our] care [all [our] anxieties, all [our] worries, all [our] concerns, once and for all] on YOU, for YOU care for [us] affectionately and care about [us] watchfully.”

He wants you to personalize Psalm 32:8 in the Amplified Bible which says:

“I [the Lord] will instruct [Harold and Bev] and teach [them] in the way [they] should go; I will counsel [Harold and Bev] with My eye upon [them].”

He has His eye upon you…and everything that He has promised you will come to pass.

As I was preparing this message, the Lord also directed me to give you:

2 Peter 2:9

The Lord does not delay and is not tardy or slow about what He promises… Bev and Harold”

He’s always on time….

Now I want you to know the Lord keeps giving me revelation and understanding about how to minister to believers during the current economic mess.

In fact, he wants me to give you a visible symbol about how to handle this and any other situation.

Before, I go any further….how many of you like M & Ms?

Which M & Ms do you prefer?  Plain, peanuts or with almonds?  Personally, I prefer the ones with nuts.

You know … sometimes you feel like a nut and sometimes you don’t.  Sorry, I’m mixing up my commercials.

Did you realize that God has a sense of humor?  The scripture says that a merry heart doeth good like medicine.

Let me explain. . .    

The Lord is continuing to reveal that financial freedom and wealth increase is not about money, it’s about your mind and your mouth…this is especially important in the current economic climate.

A few years ago, as I was meditating on how to more effectively present this message to the Body of Christ when He gave me a visual image of a bag of M&Ms.

It was too early in the morning for candy. . .so I asked the Lord the significance and He said.  “M” for mind and “M” for mouth.  He directed me to use this simple illustration as a reminder to believers.

I started laughing. . .because I knew that from this moment forward anyone hearing or  reading this teaching will forever look at M & Ms differently.

Every time you see them in the grocery or convenience store, every time you see the commercial on TV or walk by them at a concession stand, you’re going to think about the importance of your “mind” and “mouth” when it comes to financial freedom.

First “M” -- your mind.

Romans 12:2 in the New Living Translation says:

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect

Philippians 4:8-9 in the Message Bible says:

Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.”  

Ephesians 4:23 in the Amplified Bible says:

“And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude].”

The scripture gets very specific when discussing the kind of attitude you should have.

Philippians 2:5 in the New Living Translation says:

“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

The Contemporary English Version of Philippians 2:5 puts it this way:

“And think the same way that Christ Jesus thought.”

Second “M” -- your mouth.

Matthew 12:34 says:

“for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”

Ephesians 4:29 in the New Living Translation says:

“Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it.”          

In the current economic climate of fear, there are times when you’ll need to have your mouth tell your mind to shut up with the negative and worst-case-scenario thinking.

Is that possible?  Absolutely!  Right now, start counting silently to ten … Ready? Count.  Now say, “I’m debt free.”  You had to stop counting to say “I’m debt free.”  Your mouth overrode your mind.

That’s why it’s imperative that you fill your mind with the pure, the powerful and the positive from the Word of God.

Simply said, you never say something that you haven’t first thought! So be careful what you allow your mind to think about.

One final personal note, I remember when I shared the vision God gave me of the M & M’s with my Mom (an 85-year-old thorn in the devil’s flesh) she caught the spirit of it.

A day or so later, she bought 40 bags of M & M’s to pass out at the Bible Study she teaches every Tuesday morning.

I told you. . .you’ll never look at M & Ms the same way again.

One final word from Psalm 103:5, it’s the Lord “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things.”

Now you’ve got to know, I started smiling when the Lord gave me that scripture after just talking about M&Ms.

There is a reason the Lord has had me talking about your mind for a number of months….getting through tough economic times or for that matter, any difficult situation is a matter of focus….

You can choose to either focus on the negative or you can change your focus to the powerful from the Word of God.

Ask God what you should do to make everything you do prosperous

Judges 18:5 says:

“And they said unto him, Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous.”

God will show you how to walk in His divine favor in everything you do.

Proverbs 3:4-10 says:

“So shall you find favor, good understanding, and high esteem in the sight [or judgment] of God and man.

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil.

It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.

Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income;

So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine.”

God is with you even when you’re under attack.

2 Corinthians 6:1-10 in the Message Bible says:

“Companions as we are in this work with you, we beg you, please don't squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us. God reminds us,I heard your call in the nick of time; The day you needed me, I was there to help.  Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. Don't put it off; don't frustrate God's work by showing up late, throwing a question mark over everything we're doing. Our work as God's servants gets validated—or not—in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we're beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we're telling the truth, and when God's showing his power; when we're doing our best setting things right; when we're praised, and when we're blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all.”

Here’s the bottom line….the enemy has stole not billions but trillions of dollars from the Body of Christ…it’s been his modus operandi for over 2K years.

You’ve got the Word of God…the infallible, completely reliable, never wrong, always right Word of God on your side.

You need to get you Mind and Mouth working together…you need to focus on what you’re going to get and not what you’ve lost.

It is time for you to serve notice on the devil.  He has robbed you long enough.  For too long he has stripped and plundered your goods.  Enough is enough!  Don’t allow him to diminish your quality of life a day longer. 

I want you to figure out what the enemy has stolen from you. . .what you’ve lost then I want you to multiply that number by 7…and take it with you for one week…keep it visible…keep the Word of the Lord fresh in your spirit.

One final thing, I want you…no correct that, the Lord wants you to begin praising Him that you’ll be a part of the upcoming, personal, end-time wealth transfer in your life.

And everybody said, “Selah”….so let it be…….            

I thought this was the end of the message, but the Lord led me to two other scriptures.

Luke 17:4 says:

And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”

I was directed to tell you that your receipt of the 7fold return…is that you must forgive those who’ve sinned against you…who’ve done you wrong.  Otherwise God will not hear your prayers….

Then He led me to Psalm 119:161-164 in the Message Bible…when I read this verse…I knew why the Lord wasn’t finished with this message for you tonight.
“I've been slandered unmercifully by the politicians, but my awe at your words keeps me stable.

“I'm ecstatic over what you say, like one who strikes it rich. I hate lies—can't stand them!— but I love what you have revealed.

Seven times each day I stop and shout praises for the way you keep everything running right. For those who love what you reveal, everything fits— no stumbling around in the dark for them. I wait expectantly for your salvation;

“God, I do what you tell me. My soul guards and keeps all your instructions— oh, how much I love them! I follow your directions, abide by your counsel; my life's an open book before you.”

In reading this verse, it quickened in my spirit that the Lord wants you to stop seven times during the day for the next seven days to praise him for your personal, end-time wealth transfer…be specific…He wants you living in expectation.

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