In part 1 of this comprehensive presentation, I established that this investigation was done in response to incidents that have occurred this school year. Once again, I would like to thank Mr. Marques for collaborating on this investigation, and for continually praying for me as I endure this season of adversity. All grory to God for placing this presentation (and the words which I write to you today) in my heart this week.
The passage in question for this piece is Proverbs 18:21, which speaks about the power of the tongue, and how the words we utter out of our lips can make or break relationships, families, individuals, and souls. Unfortunately, as I observed and researched these past few months, this is another one of these “simple yet complex” verses that are often twisted and used for ill purposes.
Based on the information gathered, and the revelation I received through my extensive investigation, there are three main goals that Satan and many false prophets want to achieve through misquoting this verse.
1. Censorship– To silence and hinder the spoken truth, or the spoken testimony of another (“I don’t want to hear it”).
2. Avoidance– To avoid the consequence of paying the price for the words spoken to one who is accused. To avoid rebuke, ignoring that one must give an account of the spoken words on the Day of Judhement. This is done by omitting the second half of this verse (you shall eat the fruit).
3. Pressume– Using the power of the tongue and pressuming that your words are a magic instrument that can cause natural phenominon to happen. This is the point I aim to address in this second part of my presentation.
Presumption
What Is The Word Of Faith Movement?
The Word of Faith movement is a famous doctrine taught in many Pentecostal and evangelical churches since its original founding in the 20th century. Aside from the notion that you can speak things into existence, faith is used as an instrument of naming and claiming a blessing, such as wealth or healing. Among many theoligical fallacies is the depiction of humans as a “little god”, whose ability to speak things into existence was lost due to man conforming to Satan’s image after the Garden of Eden.
From a Biblical and theological standpoint, “The Word of Faith movement is deceiving countless people, causing them to grasp after a way of life and faith that is not biblical. At its core is the same lie Satan has been telling since the Garden: ‘You shall be as God'” (Gotquestions.org).
This movement was especially popular during the coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, and continues to gain national attention from Christian circles across America.
Famous church leaders who teach and promote this doctine include Kenneth Copeland, Jim Bakker, and Kenneth Hagin. Their argument that humans can “speak things into existence” is based on a faulty interpretation of Mark 11:22:23, which states:
22, Jesus answering said to them, “Have faith in God [and His will].
23, For most assuredly I tell you, whoever may tell this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and doesn’t doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says happens; he shall have whatever he says [if it is God’s will]. (Note: All additional notes in this paragraph is in brackets for commentary purposes).
Proverbs 18:21: WOF’S Interpretation
To better illustrate their interpretation, I will use the analogy of a deceased grandmother.
The Story Of The Dying Grandmother And The Pastor
Now, let’s say your sick, frail grandmother was lying on her deathbed, on life support. She is unconcious and can’t speak or hear anthying. The doctor says she has two hours left to live. Now, let’s say you invite your local church pastor pays a visit to the hospital one last time to pray for her healing. You tell the pastor, “Father X, my grandma is going to die! They tried everything!” As you await for the terrible news to come, your handsome pastor turns to you and says, ”Don’t cancel the healing by saying that she is going to die. Life and death are in the tongue. If you say she will die, she will die”.
It’s been two hours. You have been praying for a miracle and tried to not “cancel it”. But, then, you get the phone call you have dreaded to get. Your grandma has, … … died. In tears, you lament, saying, “Why didn’t God answer my prayer? Why is this happening to me?”
Lesson: Always Pray For God’s Will To Be Done, Even In Unchartered Times
In the heat of a raging trial, and at the height of the treacherous storms of life, one of Satan’s favorite strategies is to convince us to pray to our Heavenly Father for what comforts our flesh. As pleasing as a miracle seems, and as sweet as it is to know that your grandmother survived a heart attack that put her in a coma for three months, Satan wants you to consider a thought-provoking question that is designed to deceive the man into thinking that he has a god-like power. Answering such question with this pressumption is placing faith in the RESULT rather than the ONE who gives the result.
If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and is so omnipetent– if God is the God of miracles and providence: then why should you pray for His will if it is not going to be something that pleases you or comforts you?
The hard truth is: You do not have the divine power to speak things (or even miracles) into existence with the assumption that God will intervene in your circumstances just because you cited Scripture. Sometimes, what happens may not be the things we like. Are we willing to go beyond wants and desires and start thirsting for God’s will– not for what He will do, but for who He truly is?
Fallacies like these are exactly why many young people who grow up in the church eventually sell their souls to Satan in exchange for a miracle, or at very least, a soothsaying who pollutes their minds with cotton candy decrees that do nothing but deceive its victims. Who will be the next person to rise up and say “Not my will, Lord Jesus, but your will be done as it is in Heaven!”?
Conclusion
Our tongues do not only have the power to tear down or build up, but they also have the capacity to bring others to the knowledge and the saving power of the Gospel that has the power to set the captive free from the darkness into the light of Jesus Christ. “One of the most fundamental faiths of Christianity is that Christ shed his blood for salvation. Jesus Christ was not just “anybody” but he was the Word made flesh, totally conceived by the Holy Ghost in the belly of Mary, and the only begotten Son of God. Millions tune in and support this type of heretical programming everyday. If the cross of Christ is misunderstood then everything that follows there after would be false doctrine” (Gospel of the Cross).
As one who continually witnesses and patiently endures the fiery trials of Satan — therefore serving on behalf of Jesus Christ the Living God of Heaven and Earth, I have taken it upon myself to challenge you to use your tongue as an instrument of light, showcasing a breathtaking example of the power, presence, and person of the Gospel: The cross where the Master shed His blood for our freedom from the curse of iniquity, the burden of condemnation, and the flames of Hell. Thank you!