Another Look At “Bless”

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. – Pro 18:21

The word translated as “bless” in the New Testament is the Greek term eulogeo which basically means “to speak well of”. (It retains this primary meaning in the English derivative verb, “Eulogize”, which also means to praise somebody or something very highly.

On the other hand, one of the terms in the Old Testament for “curse” is the Hebrew qalal, which means “to make light of, trifle, or abate; in other words, “to PUT DOWN”.

These terms have great significance for us because it shows that we are “blessing” or “cursing” our families and circumstances all the time whether we realize it or not. We’re “blessing” when we speak highly of them and are “cursing” when we put them down or speak lightly of them.

If you have a problematic child, your job is not to confirm that fact with your words. You’re instead to speak your desire, not only over but also to that child. As we’ve seen, blessing that child goes beyond saying, “Child, you are blessed”. You bless by Eulogizing or speaking well of them.

Stop cursing your wallet by always saying your money is never enough. Qalal, makes us know that whenever  we belittle what we have, we’re essentially cursing it. That’s why Mark 6:41tells us that when Jesus had nothing but five loaves and two fishes to feed a multitude, He looked up to heaven, and “eulogeo” (the word translated as “bless” in that verse) the paltry meal. That means He “spoke well of it, He praised it, and declared that it was sufficient enough”.

Beloved, let’s stop cursing (putting down) our spouses, children and circumstances. Bless your wife, declare that she’s good enough; Bless your husband, declare that he’s able; bless your circumstances, declare that the conditions have never been more perfect for prosperity.

Whatever it is that you’re dealing with, make it a practice to eulogio and not qalal; always lift up, and never put down. And as you speak – and keep on speaking – all your circumstances will begin to align with your confessions in Jesus’ name.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

Out of the Abundance of the Heart, the Mouth Leaks!

Let the word of Christ dwell in you RICHLY. – Col 3:16

Contrary to popular perception, speech indicates your faith, and not the other way round.

You can’t deceive your heart. A Believer may outwardly say he’s “strong”; but if in his heart he knows he’s sick, all that churchspeak will amount to nothing.

Our Lord said in Mat 12:34 that, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

This shows that people don’t say what is in their hearts; people say what is ABUNDANT in their hearts. To put it another way, (quoting Gloria Copeland), Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth leaks!

If you have doubts, fears and worries in your heart, no matter how churchy you may try to act, it’ll eventually spill out in your words. But if your heart is constantly mulling and meditating on the promises of God to you, no matter how you try to suppress it, it’ll spill out in your words.

2Co 4:13 (BBE) states it clearly, “...our words are the outcome of our faith.”

Have you thought about your speech lately? A good index of your faith level can be found in the things you speak about... and the way you speak about them.

There is a place of verbally confessing scriptures to yourself in order for faith to get into your spirit; however, confession is an exercise, your speech on the other hand, is who you really are.

Beloved, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; Fill up your heart with God’s Word daily, listen to faith-building preaching, hang around literal believe-ers, etc. and with time, as Paul said to Timothy in 1Ti 4:15, your “profiting” will appear to all around you.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

It’s Not a Magic Spell

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; – Col 3:16

I once found it hard understanding an agitated woman who was telling me that that she saw her enemy being chased in her dream. I felt she must really be a nice woman for showing that much concern for her enemy’s welfare. It took me a while to realise that she was the “enemy” being chased in the dream!

As we established earlier, the power in the words we speak come from God Himself. There is no “Law” or “force” embedded in the fabric of the Universe that automatically brings the words we speak into existence.

The negative things we say come to pass because the Devil exploits those unguarded utterances to wreak havoc in our lives; and in the same vein the positive things we say happen because God is honouring His promise to bring them to pass. There’re no neutral, disembodied “forces” in the Universe!

Understanding this vital truth will stop Believers from being creepy with their confessions. It is not an abomination to tell your boss that you’re “sick”. Paul explicitly stated that he left Trophimus at Miletus SICK; (2Ti 4:20). Some today would have accused Paul of weak faith for using that word. (We forget that, at least among charismatic circles, it’s now semantically pointless to say you’re “strong” when the hearer understands that to mean that you are “sick”).

Confession is not a religious mantra or a magical spell. I’ve seen Believers blow their top at the ATM queue because someone asked if they were the “LAST”. They fume and counter that nobody should ever call them “last”.

Beloved, if you know who you are in Christ, you’ll not be scared of politely telling anybody your position in a queue. Confession isn’t a talisman in your mouth – a kind of “I-Command” juju that automatically creates whatever you utter no matter its semantic meaning; confession is an affirmation of what God says about you in scripture.

We mustn’t let our religious exercise become a bad testimony for the Gospel. People should hear soundness – not weirdness – in our speech.

There’s a place for positive confession. There’s also a place for clarity of thought. God has not given us the spirit of fear (which is actually what those weird word-twisting is all about); but of power, and of love, and of a SOUND MIND. (2Ti 1:7).

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

Meditation = Speaking

This book of the law shall not depart out of your MOUTH – Jos 1:8

In Josh 1:8, the LORD stated to Joshua that in order to make his way “prosperous” and in order for him to have “good success”, the Book of the Law was to remain in his mouth.

The Psalmist also echoes a similar command in Ps 1:2 where he predicates all-round prosperity on constant meditation on the Law of God.

It should be noted that God described meditation as a speaking – as opposed to a thinking – exercise. The Law was to remain in Joshua’s “mouth”, not (just) his heart.

The word translated as “meditate” in Josh 1:8, has multiple denotations.  It could mean to murmur, to mutter, to speak, or to roar. Whichever one is meant here, it’s clear it means the word of God is to be voiced out.

Speaking is to the spirit what writing is to the mind. What you write down on paper sticks more to your memory than what you simply listen to. In the same way, what you vocally express has a greater impression in your spirit that what you simply mentally assent to.

Speaking God’s Word gave Joshua the victory, it also made David victorious in all his battles. In the same way, Beloved, your vocalization of God’s word to yourself and to your circumstances is your channel to making your way prosperous and having “good success”.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN

Speak, Nothing Happens Until You

Take with you words, and turn to the LORD... – Hos 14:2

Words have power, not just in a figurative way, but in a palpable, literal sense.

Long before the ‘Word of Faith Movement’ ever considered making ‘confessions’ a doctrine, it was already being practiced to full effect by the kingdom of darkness.

Speaking is a hallmark of the ‘Secret’/“Law of Attraction” cult; it is also the primary medium of African fetish animism and even the power of so-called “white” magic relies on the proper enunciation of the right “spell” in order for things to happen.

The underlying rule in all of these practices is that “Nothing Happens Until You Speak!”

These occult practitioners seem to have stolen this principle right out of scripture; because we see it at work right from the very first page of Genesis. Gen 1:2,3 says that, at the beginning, the primordial Earth was formless and chaotic and remained that way until God spoke!

As God spoke – and continued to speak – things started taking shape; order came out of chaos, light out of darkness and beauty out of formlessness.

Now, it’s important to state here that this doesn’t mean God was following a pre-existent principle or “Law”. The Omnipotent Elohim could have just as easily thought the entire Cosmos into existence – all appearing at once and everything would still be perfect.

Speaking was not the ONLY way things could come into existence; but I believe He did it that way to teach us a useful principle; a principle we can apply in the little chaotic mini-verse that each of us lives in. When our perfect world becomes barren, formless and under a “roaring ocean covered with darkness” (Gen 1:2 CEV), let us follow the pattern of our Father in Heaven – and SPEAK light and life to the situation.

Because, as He has shown us from the Creation account, nothing happens until you SPEAK.

AMEN.

More Blessings await you today; you’ll not miss them in Jesus’ Name.

GREG ELKAN