This message comes from Randy Clark, founder and president of Global Awakening.  I thought it was worth posting for those who read my blog.  So enjoy.  Tom Vermillion


If grace has no limits, how much is grace? 

Some of us have entered the Kingdom by faith, and we believe we have been forgiven. We understand we are sinners saved by grace. This is wonderful, but we will limit our victories if we camp here.

You see, grace that brings you out and causes you to be born again takes you to the door of what grace actually provides. Not only does Jesus save, but He takes the signet ring of the Father and gives it to you.

If we just come to the door and say, “I’m forgiven,” we’ll live like spiritual paupers. We need to understand that we are more than forgiven—and that is by God’s grace. Grace not only forgave us but put the ring back on our finger. Now, in the authority of the Father’s name, we can make decrees.

Jesus did not just die to forgive you but to welcome you into the Kingdom as children of the Most High with all authority and power to use on His behalf. He puts His own Spirit within you so you can walk right into the taverns now and begin to prophesy. You now have access to God as your beloved, your Father, and a best friend. More than that, He grants us the grace for impartation, spiritual gifts, and supernatural empowerment in our Kingdom callings. Healings, miracles, the five-fold ministry—these Kingdom works are the grace of God in our lives.

I really believe that if we could get a full understanding of grace, we would not need to go through most of the issues we face as Christians. If we could get grounded in throne life at the beginning of our Christian life, we could walk in victory a lot more. Too often, as Bill Johnson says, we’ve repented—changed the way we think—enough to get into the Kingdom but not enough to walk in its power. 

Don’t stop at the doorway. He loves you. We can’t comprehend how much He truly loves us. More than that—He has abundant grace for us. He wants us to rule and reign with Kingdom authority so we can go into all the world and disciple, heal, deliver, and walk in victory.

God wants to bless people.  It is his nature.  Just as a good father always wants the best for his children, our Heavenly Father wants the best for those he loves.  What we forget at times is that we are often his chosen instruments for doing so.

God’s original intent was to rule the earth through his children as his representatives. As he gave Adam and Eve dominion over the earth, he gave them authority to rule. Their words carried authority just as the words of Jesus carried authority.  I believe Adam and Eve, before their sin, had the same authority we saw in Jesus as he walked the earth as a sinless man.  I believe they could quiet the storms, walk on water, curse a fig tree, or give life to something just as Jesus did.  Jesus came not only to obtain forgiveness for our sins, but also to show us what we lost through our rebellion and what we could regain through an intimate relationship with the Father.  As Adam and Eve were to use their dominion to spread the culture of heaven over the earth, we too are to carry that influence.

Authority was given up through rebellion, but regained in Christ.  As his sons and daughters now, he still wants to rule the earth through his children who can represent him well.  Jesus told us that he only did what he saw the father doing and only spoke what we heard the Father saying.  He told Philip those who had seen him (Jesus), had seen the Father.  That is perfect representation.  In the same way, we are to be Spirit-led and do or say what our Heavenly Father would do or say if he were physically present.  When we pray according to his will, it is done because God honors the authority to rule that he has given us through Christ.  Our spoken words carry the same authority.

One of the privileges we have as sons and daughters of the King is the privilege of blessing.  In the epistle of James, he rebukes Christians for speaking curses over others or even over circumstances and directs them to speak only life-giving words.  He uses the analogy of a spring.  When fresh water flows out (blessings and truth), life is released.  When salt water flows from the spring (curses), death is the result.  James tells us that we are to always be sources of fresh water because that represents the heart of God.

Of course, Proverbs 18:21 comes to mind where the writer says, “The tongue has the power of life and death.”  When we speak life, we impart life.  When we speak death, we impart death.  Why?  Because our words have authority. In Ephesians 4:29, Paul declares, “Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up.” Jesus goes further and instructs us to bless even those who would curse us because we represent a Father who sends rain and blessing on both the righteous and the wicked.  He also sends discipline and judgment, but that is his business.  Our business is to bless through our prayers and our words.  Satan imparts death.  Jesus imparts life.

One of the priestly functions of the children of God is to impart blessings.  In Numbers 6, Moses was told, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites.  Say to them: The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.  The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.’  So, they will put my name on the Israelites and I will bless them.” Notice the Lord was willing and even desired to bless, but waited on the priests to declare the blessing before he acted.  We too are priests and God often waits on us to declare a blessing before he releases it. 

We are in a partnership with God for ruling the earth and dispensing blessings from heaven.  Blessings release good things on the earth.  The earth needs all the good things it can get…peace, health, provision, protection, justice, love, forgiveness, etc.  As we speak blessings, we impart life.  Paul tells us also that we reap what we sow.  We harvest what we plant and we plant by broadcasting seeds.  Blessings are seeds we are broadcasting and planting.  If we sow blessings, we eventually reap blessings. 

Now, I believe we are to be Spirit-led in our blessings.  Who are we to bless and how are we to bless them?  Blessings are valuable because they bear good fruit.  We should develop a habit of sensing who and how God wants us to bless. When Jesus sent out the seventy disciples to preach and perform miracles he said, “When you enter a house, first say ‘Peace to this house. If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them. If not, it will return to you.’” (LK. 10:5-6).  When in doubt, we still speak good things over people, but we tune in especially to those God puts on our hearts.

So today, be fresh water to those you encounter…not just those you know, but even strangers for they are not strangers to God.  Be sensitive to the Spirt and ask who he wants you to bless and what the blessing should be. Be a priest to those God puts in your path. Both you and the world will be better for it. May the Lord bless you today and meet your greatest need. 

Indicators You Need a House Cleansing

We frequently do “house cleansings” for believers in our church and our city.  I’m not talking about a service day on which we go to some needy person’s home to deep clean, organize, and haul away junk (we also do that from time to time). But what I am talking about is clearing the house of demonic spirits that are attached or assigned to that location to oppress or afflict the people living there.  In a sense, it is deliverance for a location rather than a person.  The demonic spirits are not in or attached to the residents, but have an assignment against anyone who is living in that location.

In scripture we have several indicators that demonic spirits are assigned to locations. In Daniel 10, we are told that a demonic prince, the Prince of Persia, resisted the angel God had sent in response to Daniel’s prayer.  He was assigned to a nation. In the gospels, the demon named Legion (for we are many), who was afflicting the man of the Geresenes, plead with Jesus not to drive them out of the region (Mark5).  The region must have been a geographical assignment. There are many other examples but we can be assured that some spirits do have ties to geographical locations. 

Those spirits can be attached to a location where sin has been prevalent such as when pornography, adultery, or molestation in a home has occurred.  They often exist where some form of witchcraft has taken place…Ouija boards, tarot cards, psychic readings, or more formalized forms of witchcraft. When there has been conflict, violence, or abuse spirits seem to be established in those locations. Where suicide or murder has taken place, a spirit of death often remains.  Sometimes the spirit is attached to the house, sometimes to the property where something took place before a house was even built there.  It also seems that individuals who are involved in witchcraft, false religions, or unrepented sin can “shed” demons when they have been in someone’s home – friends, relatives, service workers, etc.  The person leaves but a demon stays.  

Demons can also take up residence when objects in the house invite them…idols (sometimes used for décor), books about witchcraft, souvenirs from overseas that have spirits attached to them, movies or television shows about the supernatural, pornography, tokens of false religions, new age items, and so forth.  The residents may come and go but the spirits remain.  Apartments are especially susceptible to such attachments. 

There are tried and true ways to rid the house of these spirits through the authority of Jesus Christ, but when is a house cleansing indicated in the first place?  Let me list a few of the most common indicators that demonic spirits are operating in your house, a business location, or even in your church and that you need to take action.

1.  You sense a heavy or “dark’ atmosphere in part of your home where you feel sad, depressed, or hopeless when you are in a certain room or section of the house.
2. You and your family frequently feel agitated or angry for no apparent reason when you are home and don’t experience that anger when you are away from your home.  There is irrational conflict and even violence that seems unexplained or unsolvable.
3. You or family members see shadows that are out of place…sometimes with a vague human form.
4. You experience sleep disturbance, feel the presence of something around you, or have tormenting dreams.
5. You feel fear in certain parts of your home.
6. Your children are afraid of something in their room or playroom. They tell you they see scary things or scary people or have frequent nightmares.
7. You hear unexplained sounds in the house…voices at night, cabinet doors opening by themselves, footsteps in the house when no one is there, electronics coming on by themselves, etc.
8. You see inanimate objects move by themselves.
9. You experience frequent illness or fatigue that defy diagnosis or treatment.
10. Demons actually manifest in the house in physical form.

To many, these indicators sound like the quintessential haunted house.  But these are demonic spirits that are subject to the authority if Jesus Christ and those who walk in His authority.  Satan has his greatest success we he operates without detection.  When we live unaware of the spiritual realm and his schemes against us, he oppresses and torments freely. Certainly, not everything is demonic. But when these indicators persist or when several become apparent, you should seriously consider a house cleansing.  Satan comes to kill, steal and destroy. He wants to rob the peace and blessings that a home should provide for a family.  

If you go on line, you will find any number of articles on house cleansings from New Age practitioners.  They will describe essentially the same indicators but will prescribe sage, music, crystals, bells, and meditation.  When facing the demonic, the blood of Christ and his authority over the enemy is all you need.  Next week, I will write a brief blog on how to cleanse a house when needed.  May the Lord bless you and keep you. 

The Lord has been reminding me lately of a truth I know well, but still sometimes forget.  It is the authority with which we speak as children of God.  Sometimes my prayers feel powerless and my commands seem to have little impact.  Sometimes I begin to forget who I am in Christ and feel totally ineffective. I begin to feel as if my words don’t matter. Sometimes I need a refresher course in the power God has entrusted to his people. 

The first chapter of Jeremiah is incredibly instructive about the power of our words.  Early in the chapter, God reveals to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jer.1:5).  Like many others called by God, Jeremiah’s first response was, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young!” Moses, Gideon, Jeremiah, and others strenuously objected when God called them to their destiny.  Each felt inadequate.  Each was acutely aware of his weakness.

But then God goes on to say, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.  You must go to everyone I send you and say whatever I command you…I have put my words in your mouth. See. today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and over throw, to build and to plant’” (Jer. 1:7-10).  

As you read the remained for the book, you discover that Jeremiah never led an army or directed a revolution.  Yet, by simply declaring the words of the Lord, he launched initiatives in the heavenly realms that tore down nations and built them up.  God could have certainly done those things without any prophet declaring them.  But God chose to use men to whom he had given authority on this earth. God waited on his people to declare what he was going to do before he would do it.  God honors the authority he has given us.

Remember, God’s original intent was to give men who represented Him dominion and authority over all the works of his hands (Ps. 8:6). Jesus demonstrated that perfectly in his ministry.  He walked in the Father’s authority to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, multiply bread and fish, and still the squalls of the Sea of Galilee…with words.  Then he gave authority to his disciples, who also healed the sick, raised the dead and cast out demon…with words. Jesus then declared that those who would follow and believe in him would not only do what he had been doing but would do even greater things (Jn.14:12).…with words.

As followers of Jesus, our words have power and authority.  But how often do we feel helpless and weak.  In a sense, just as Jeremiah recognized his own inadequacy, we too are inadequate by ourselves.  But, like Jeremiah, God makes us adequate by giving us and our words authority and backing up that authority with the power of heaven.  Our failure is to focus on our own abilities rather than His.

When we pray, we pray with authority.  When we command demons, we do so with authority.  When we command illness, we do so with authority.  Certainly, the outcome is not always immediate or automatic.  ‘There are many times we must contend for the outcome with persistence, faith, and fervor.  But when we are aligned with God’s word and will, then it is his word going forth from our mouths just as it was with Jeremiah. Then the promise is that whenever God’s word goes forth, it always fulfills its purpose.  

In the moments when you feel weak and are on the verge of giving up, remember who you are and the authority God has granted you. His word does the work, but we are the ones who must declare it. As followers of Jesus, we walk in authority.  When we are aligned with the Father, heaven heeds our words and the spiritual realm moves on our behalf. The key to authority is believing that we possess it as representative of Christ on the earth. From time to time, I encourage you to refresh your faith and remember who you are because of Him.

Most of us are familiar with the account of Daniel in the lions’ den.  We know he wasTossed into the den for not worshiping King Darius. In the morning he was found to be unharmed because God had shut the mouths of the lions during the night.  This, of course, is a story of faith and obedience and God’s care for those who serve him faithfully.  However, there is another element of the story I want to focus on in this blog.

In Daniel 6, we discover that a number of King Darius’ officials were envious of Daniel because he had the king’s favor and was given a very high position in the kingdom.  These officials schemed against Daniel.  They knew they would never be able to find him negligent or guilty of any mishandling of the king’s business, but might be able to accuse him on the basis of his relationship with his God. Appealing to the king’s vanity, these officials encouraged him to make a decree that for the next 30 days, no one could pray to their God or another human other than Darius.  

These officials knew that Daniel would continue to pray to his God and so “catching him the act,” they reported him to Darius and reminded him of the decree he had issued.  The text says, “When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel, and made every effort until sundown to save him” (Dan. 6:14).  

Darius was caught by his own words.  He had declared the edict without thinking through the possible ramifications.  Because he was king, his words had authority and once spoken, could not be revoked.  I assume that his “every effort” was a hasty search of Medo-Persian law to find some legal loophole that would allow Daniel to avoid the death penalty.  He could find none, however, and Daniel was tossed to the hungry carnivores.  

When Daniel survived the night, scripture says, “The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den.  And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him because he had trusted in the Lord. At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den” (Dan. 6:23-24). 

There are numerous lessons in this story, but my focus for the moment is the danger of declaring things we have not thought out when we are people of authority.  Once spoken, these words can become law and will be enforced whether we want them to or not.  Many of us, as we were growing up, may have ventured to talk back to our mothers.  If we did, we probably her tell us to “watch your mouth.”  That is a biblical concept.

In Matthew 12, we are told, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned” (Mt. 12:36-37).  We tend to discount our words and expect we will never be called to account for the things we say.  We declare that we didn’t mean what we said, we were taken out of context, we were misunderstood, we misspoke, etc. How many of our government officials have “plead the fifth” on words they have spoken as they deny what was even caught on video.

So, if we give little thought to our words and expect no real consequences for our verbal declarations, why is Jesus giving such a stern warning?  It is because, in the heavenly realm, our words as believers carry authority.  When we speak, spiritual beings may well act to enforce what we have declared over our families, our health, our finances, our marriage, our children, our nation, our church, etc.  We can plead we didn’t mean it, but if we didn’t mean it, like Darius, we should not have spoken it.

Our words often bring unintended consequences, but we spoke them just the same and we, as followers of Jesus, have authority. If we have the authority to command demons in an act of deliverance, then our other words can command them as well…even if we “didn’t mean it.” How often do we declare curses over ourselves and others because we have not thought through the ramifications of our words

Proverbs counsels us over and over to measure our words and to be thoughtful about everything we say for “the tongue has the power of life and death.”  The New Testament writers counsel (command) us to speak blessings rather than curses, even over our enemies.  Our words have power and authority. Too often we are like Darius who spoke something without considering the ripples his words would send out.  I know better, but I often become careless with my words and speak negatively over situations and outcomes.  I forget that I am speaking death rather than life and that Jesus warns me to measure every word.

May we pray for wisdom and the Holy Spirit to convict us of our words before they even leave our tongues when we begin to speak carelessly.  Our words have consequences for us, our families, our children, and our nation as we move into the days ahead.   We should submit to the spiritual discipline of measuring our words and always speaking life rather than death over any person of circumstance.  It is also true that so much of what we say is so automatic that we are not even conscious of words we say throughout the day as we “pop off” to others.  If we are wise, we may want to invite the people closest to us to remind us when we have been careless and thoughtless with our words so that we may repent and redirect our own tongues.  

We get lots of warnings about our words…and rightfully so. We all know the proverb, “The tongue has the power of life and death” (Provide. 18:21) and the stern warning from Jesus that on the day of judgment, everyone will have to give account for every careless word he or she has spoken (Matt. 12:36). We tend to focus on the negative effects of the tongue, but perhaps we should focus more on the positive effects or the positive potential of our tongue.

The truth is that words carry power and authority. As followers of Jesus, we have been given authority to represent Him on the earth. As children of the King, our words carry great weight in the spiritual realm and in a sense, direct the activities of heaven. When we pray with faith, things start stirring in the heavenlies. When we declare the word of God over something, we release the powers of heaven to fulfill that word.

Although God is clearly sovereign, in his sovereignty he has decreed that much of what happens on this earth depends on our prayers, declarations, commands, and actions. The psalmist declared, “The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to mankind” (Ps. 115:16). When he created man, especially Adam and Eve, he gave them dominion (authority) over the earth. They were to rule as his representatives, extending the ways of heaven over the earth. I believe Jesus demonstrated the dominion man once had before he was separated from God by sin. Of course, they sinned and, in doing so, turned that dominion over to Satan.

Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the Law and from the sovereignty of Satan. God, then, relaunched his initial intent to rule the earth through his sons and daughters, as they represent the Great King on this earth. As a result, we have authority and our words have authority. So, let’s consider how our words might bring about tremendous good in the earth.

Most of us are familiar with the Old Testament passage in which God declares, “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desired and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:11). We get some insight into how this works from the prophet Jeremiah. There, the Lord tells the prophet, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and over throw, to build and to plant” (Jer. 1:9-10).

Jeremiah never led an army or fought a battle, but accomplished those things by declaring the word of God over those nations as God decreed. When God’s word was released by Jeremiah, then the heavenlies got busy making those words a reality. When God’s word goes forth from his lips to ours, and then from our lips over situations and circumstances, that word of God will still fulfill its purpose. We simply need to be Spirit-led to know when to declare God’s will over a person or circumstance. I also believe he gives us some freedom to declare his word and exercise his authority based on our own judgment and discernment as long as our declaration or command is consistent with his word and his ways.

Now consider the power of your words for good. Healing comes when we declare healing with our tongue, just as Jesus did. Demons are driven out when we command them with our tongue in the name of Jesus. Heaven moves on behalf of a person when we verbalize prayers because we represent the Father. When we bless thoughtfully and with faith, we should expect that blessing to manifest because we have standing in heaven.

Remember we are seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6). Being seated is a position of authority. We sit with Christ, therefore, we share in his authority. When we encourage, something happens beyond the emotional realm of a person and bears some kind of spiritual fruit because encouragement is one of the spiritual gifts. When we prophecy over a person, we are releasing the Word of God over them just as Jeremiah released that word over nations. It will accomplish God’s purpose. God has given us an amazing position in heaven so that we speak with authority…which is why we need to be very intentional with our words.

Most of us fail to recognize the power of our words and their authority. Our words can release angels in the heavenly realm to bless and protect or, because of our authority, can release demons to fulfill a curse if we speak carelessly. James tells us that we are not to utter curses, but are to be a source of blessing for all those we encounter (James 3:9-11). How much fun can it be to release blessings over people and know that good is coming their way because you have spoken and you have authority in heaven? That knowledge should brighten every day.

Because God has put much of this in our hands, he often wishes to do something but waits on us to declare a thing or pray a thing. He honors the authority he has given us. We have so much more power than we imagine because we forget who we are. It’s true that we need to ask with godly motives, but when we do, we should expect heaven to respond to our lead. You are a designated distributor of God’s blessings and heaven has no supply-chain issues to keep those blessings from manifesting. Know who you are. Speak blessings, healing, freedom, provision, encouragement, destiny, etc. over others and yourself. Speak with faith and purpose. See the good you can sow in the earth and enjoy the good fruit of your words. Oh by the way…be blessed today with the fulfillment of your greatest need.