And Elijah ...said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word. 1 Kings 17:1.

According to "My Word, "Your Word," "Our Word" — What is the worth of such words? How much weight do they carry? Will our words move ant hills, or mountains, or neither? And, let us ask, in whose name do we speak?

We can expect men like Elijah to say: "...according to my word." But for us to prophesy, pray for the sick, or cast out demons "according to my word," would be unthinkable for most, and rightly so, especially if we happen to be speaking from the natural, human realm, even if we happen to be dressed in our finest religious garb with golden crosses hanging from our necks. Outward show works on the man’s psyche but not on spiritual matters.

Notwithstanding, when we pray or prophesy, it has been common practice to conclude with: "Thus saith the Lord," or "In the name of Jesus," etc., for we want to at least be scriptural. Or do we feel that God will hopefully endorse those words and seal them with His immutable authority and power. We all, I am sure, have said those very words in our prayers, even screamed them, spouted, spewed, declared, demanded, and quoted dozens of scriptures from one end of the Bible to the other while invoking the name of Jesus, Lord, Lord Jesus Christ, Lord God, Father, Father God, and more during the process. And when it was over and done with, it was an exception if anyone was delivered, changed, or helped to any degree. On the other hand, there were times when we spoke a mere dozen words or less and mountains were removed. What’s the difference? Although we may have shouted a hundred times, "In the name of Jesus," we may have been speaking in our own name, that of the natural man, yet when people were healed and the words, Jesus, Lord, God, Father, etc, were never breathed, but having been one in Him, we were speaking in His name. We carry His name, and everything we do or say is in His name. It can, then, be said that we were also speaking in our name, but not our natural, human name/nature, but it was in His/our Name/nature, since we and the Father were one. We were identified with Him and He with us.

This identification is not always the case and has concerned me over the years. For instance, when someone had ministered a great word, or a miracle was done by them, very often they divested themselves from the anointed word they delivered or the miracle they had done. They would humbly say, "It wasn’t me. It was the Lord. Praise His wonderful name." However, when they did or said something that was not accepted as being "Christian," they were quick to stand front and center to be identified with it, and say, "I am a guilty sinner. The devil tempted me and I submitted to the temptation. Why am I so often a partner with such a foe of Christ? I hate the devil and I hate myself."

Why is it so hard to identify and be one with Jesus when we do something good and powerful, while we are quick to snuggle into the feather downed den of iniquity with the devil and claim to be one with him? If someone tells you what a wonderful word you shared, or how tremendous it was that you laid hands on and healed the sick baby, just say thank you! It is ok to be one with Jesus, and when you speak or do marvelous things that stream from His throne, it is in His name, and this is without having to utter the words, "In the name of Jesus." Moreover, when it is not presumption and you know from where you speak, you can say, "This will not happen except by MY word."

Our Lord made it clear that His source of power and authority was not His alone: "Then Jesus answered and said to them, Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner." And, "I can of my own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who has sent me." John 5:19, 31.

Not one time with His thirty-seven miracles recorded did He say in the name of anyone, not even in the name of His Father, or Jehovah-Jireh. He simply commanded, and it was done, such as, with the religious man with the unclean spirit(s):

"Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, ‘What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!’ ‘Be quiet!’ said Jesus sternly. ‘Come out of him!’ The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, ‘What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him’." Mark 1:24-27.

Another instance:

"And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment." Mark 5:41-42.

This begs the question—do we really know who we are? Jesus certainly did; for He said, "I and My Father are one." John 10:30. Have we heard those words by the Spirit? Is our relationship with Him as Father and son? If so, we can say that we know who we are. Since this rings true to most of us, why, then, are we at times so quick to say it was not me but, Jesus, or perhaps to attach someone else’s name to the wonders of God that we do or when we declare spiritual truths? Let me explain:

When we share things, it is often something we had heard from others. A small number will plagiarize and take it for their own, but most will say, "I heard this from Brother so-and-so, or Sister so-and-so said this or that," and this can be for various reasons. For one, we want to be honorable and give credit where credit is due. Another reason could be that we are not sure the word will be received as being sound, and to say, "This is what Brother so-and-so said," helps to prevent others from thinking we believe something that is questionable. If the word is not believed, the heat will then rest on the one we are quoting rather than ourselves. None of us want to be found guilty of plagiarism, and feeling that someone might have read or heard the same thing, we make sure to give the source of what we share. And it might be that we quote well-known authorities in the word in order to give credence to our word, especially if we have always seen them as being so big that we can’t say anything of our own that could measure up to them, or would be of any real value without their name embossed into it. And again, it might be that it is just the way we are saying something and has no motive behind it at all.

A good indicator, however, that the word of truth is not owned by people is that if you hear them always saying, "Elwin Roach wrote..." "Brother Eby said...," "Bill Britton believed...," or "My grandma always said..." They may believe it, but owning it as their own, maybe not. Hopefully, I am wrong, but I don’t think this is the case.

What must happen or how long does it take for a word to become our own? When we forget from where or whom we heard it? Sometimes I wonder if we have anything of our own. Will we forever be students of others? Will we ever grow up to be masters in the Lord’s house, or will we remain servants forever? Does an auto mechanic recite from where he learned how to work on cars every time a customer brings one to fix? Or an astro-physicist who is the quest speaker at an international conference, does he tell his colleagues the names of the professors who he sat under in college to validate his word? To do so would not only be a waste of time, but could cast doubt in the others’ minds as to whether this guy is sure enough about himself to teach me or work on my car.

There was a dear friend of ours who told just about everyone she talked to that there is no eternal hell and that everyone would eventually be saved. Along with her declarations of truth, she would always be sure to say,"This is what Elwin Roach believes and has been teaching for years." In essence, she was saying, "I declare these truths to you in the name of Elwin Roach." Although this was a little embarrassing to me, that which she shared changed many people’s lives, and some of them were delivered from the lies they had embraced. They were freed from the deceptions of dead dogmas that are embedded throughout the church system. Her works were, therefore, good and profitable. I do not know if there would have been less or more reaping if my name had not been used; but I know of no one who was more faithful and diligent in her pursuit of truth and making it known to everyone she knew, yet this dear saint had difficulty in seeing who she was in her Lord.

Permit me to ask again; the word that you know to be truth, did you hear it by the Spirit? Did the Lord give it to you? Was it quickened by His Spirit? If the answer is yes, then speak it as your word, for if it was given to you, it belongs to you. It is yours! Anything that is given to you is yours. If your husband gives you a new car for your birthday, the car is yours, and you do not have to drive it in the name of your husband. You just get in and drive it to Dillards and buy yourself a new pair of shoes. That which you buy also becomes yours. You do not wear your new shoes in the name of Dillards. It is not necessary to invoke the store’s name nor the name of the manufacturer to make it right for you to wear the new shoes. It is the same with truth! Buy the truth, and sell it not! Once you have bought it, that truth belongs to you. You can tell others from whom you bought it if you so desire, or you can simplely declare the truth, and the Spirit of that truth will embody your word.

If we say to an infirm man, "Rise up and walk in the name of the Lord Jesus," we are either speaking as a son in training or as a servant who has been given his Master’s authority. If we have our Master’s authority the man will be healed whether we are a servant or a son. However, sons who have the name of their Father written in their foreheads will have become of age and will simply say, "Rise up and walk," and they will rise up and walk. Or it can be, "Rise up and walk according to MY word."

It matters not where we stand or what we believe, this could still be difficult to embrace. We may wonder if we can be justified in saying such a thing? To some, it could seem to be blasphemy, and if not blasphemy, perhaps unscriptural to say the least; for we have always invoked the name of Jesus when we ended a prayer, asked for a healing, or commanded a demon to be cast out of a possessed person, and not to use the name of Jesus would be unthinkable to some. However, such will be the standard mode of healing and delivering people after the sons of God are revealed that the apostle Paul spoke of in the eighth chapter of Romans.

We might quote scriptures to people for the same reason we name people. It could be to insure that our words are from a creditable source. But tell me, which of these is the most creditable?

"Jesus said in John 3:16 that God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

or without mentioning the chapter and verse...

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

Quote chapter and verse if you chose to do so; but one is just as powerful, or weak, as the other, depending on by which spirit the words are spoken. We can use the name of Jesus, or not use it. We can quote the verse word for word the way the King James’ translators rendered it, or we can speak the word that is easily understood by most English speaking people, or in any other language of the world. If it is by YOUR word that is ONE with the SPIRIT OF CHRIST, it will have the power to raise the dead. If not, the word will be dead regardless of how it is said, and nothing will happen. Formulas do not twist the arm of God, but Life begets life! That, dear friends, you can count on!

For instance, there is a story about some men in the book of Acts that used the "name" of Jesus, and much to their own peril:

"Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists [I call them kingdom Gypsies], took upon themselves to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches. And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you? And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded." Acts 19:13-16.

Seems to me that there are no mystical powers in the given name of Jesus. If there were powers, His childhood friends could have had a heyday using his name. They could have played mischievous tricks on their friends, commanding dead birds to "rise up and fly in the name of Jesus," or "In the name of Jesus, I command my scuffed knee to be healed." Sounds a little silly, but the same goes with the way Christians use His name today. You see, His name can be recited all day long while praying for the sick, it can be shouted from the rooftops, it can be broadcasted through the airways of the world by every electronic device known to man, and not one hair on a man’s head will be moved. That is, unless His Name, His Nature, His Life embodies that word, then mountainous kingdoms will come down. Moreover, His Name can embody the words that we speak without ever mentioning "the name of Jesus."

Not to be condescending, but please let me ask; do you hear what is being said? Namely, that God is not interested so much in how we voice certain words and names in human languages. His ear is not listening to a particular set of words that has the right pitch and ring to it. This does not matter; but speaking by the Spirit, the Life, the Nature of our Lord Jesus Christ matters a lot!

There are great teachers of the truth today. He has always supplied His body with His anointed word. But can you tell me why it is that we have a hard time speaking without calling upon their names. When sharing with others, I often quote my old friend, Stacy Wood, who awaits us on the other side. He had a major impact upon my life and he holds a special place in my heart. I also quote my friends Bob Torango and Preston Eby. I even quote myself at times, as well as many others, and I am sure it is for one or more of the reasons listed earlier. But when will I only say that which I hear from our Father. And when will my Father and I be so one that the word can be said to be my own? When will I say, according to MY word whether it is a scripture, a personal revelation, or originally from another member of His body?

I wonder also if Elijah questioned his own statement after having declared it to Ahab? I doubt it, especially since he stood before God, and He knew where he stood. He was one with Him and whatever Elijah spoke, he was speaking by the power of God. There was no division between the two, and when Ahab heard Elijah he heard God, and so it was also with the elements. If the prophet was silent, the elements were likewise silent; but when he spoke, they spoke; that is, they thundered and manifested HIS WORD in the form of RAIN! He was surely one of the WATCHERS at whose command nations rise or fall! For "This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and sets up over it the basest of men." Daniel 4:17. (ref. "The Watchers" Parts 1-3 free upon request).

I believe the holy watchers of today have been made ready to sound from the throne, and in some cases they have sounded and nations have fallen and risen at their word; but the manifestation of the sons of God that creation eagerly awaits has not yet taken place. If it is here, as some say, it is without manifestation, and a kingdom void of demonstration has little use. It has no power to move a hill of beans, much less mountains.

When the sons of God are manifested, each will be heard saying: "Except by MY word," or "According to MY word," and things will be held at bay or they will be loosed according to their word. The phenomenal will take place on such a scale that it will become normal. When a missing limb grows from the stub of a man’s shoulder or hip, this would be far from normal to the average person; but that which is supernatural is common to Him as well as to those who will be living in His manifested fulness where all things are possible, and not merely possible; but they are manifested. The events of the manifested sons of God would be classified as supernatural today; but not much time would lapse before people would grow accustomed to them and be viewed as normal and expected. Do we see such transpiring today? Not on our street. It is not happening in our city, and neither have we heard that is taking place in yours.

I wish I could say that the great day of this manifestation has begun, and we are walking in the glory of its brightness, but if I did, I would not be truthful, or presumptuous at best. The sum of creation still groans in pain, and we ourselves as well. We surely stand in an hour that precedes the fulfillment of the next great feast, the feast of Tabernacles. We have been in our own palm covered huts; but although that day has not broken forth, the time is swiftly approaching for it to suddenly appear. It is then that the trumpets will sound and the shout of great rejoicing will be heard everywhere in the streets of every city, highway, and byway.

By the anointed word of God all things are created and come into being. The anointing of Jesus is certainly in our midst, and it will bring to pass according to His word. This anointed word will bring about the Kingdom of God in the earth that will be a greater glory than we have ever known. It will come as the manifested sons of God and will usher in the new order, the Kingdom Age. It is then that the fullness of time will have arrived. In pain, from glory to glory, will this New Age be birthed. This will be the real New Age to rise and shine with the glory and power of the Last man, Jesus Christ the King of kings, rather than the first man, Adam. Although painful, it has come to this place, from glory to glory.

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