I’m a friend of God and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Steve Brown:
I’m a friend of God and there’s nothing you can do about it. Let’s talk about it, on Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
If you’ve suffered too long under a do more, try harder religion, Key Life is here to proclaim that Jesus sets the captives free. Steve invited Jerry Parries to teach us this week. Jerry is an author and the pastor of Christian Family Worship Center, House of Grace.

Steve Brown:
Thank you Matthew. Hi Jerry.

Jerry Parries:
Hey, how you doing, Dr. Brown?

Steve Brown:
I’m doing great and better since you’re here. I love to listen to what, you know, I think this is going to affect me personally. I have kind of a negative, cynical personality, and it’s very easy to be cynical about other people and about myself, and I think you’re going to fix it. And because you will, I’ll rise up and call you blessed. Review what was said yesterday, and let’s jump into the subject for today.

Jerry Parries:
Yeah, yesterday we talked about the power of confession, is that you need to speak over your life, what God says about you. Yesterday we talked about that sometimes our negative attitude towards ourselves can keep us from seeing the blessings of God over our lives. We say things, the Bible says in Proverbs 18:21

That death and life is in the power of the tongue.

That you either can speak life over yourself or you could speak death to your situation. Speak death to your marriage, I can’t stand my wife or I can’t stand my husband that’s speaking death over your situation. And you have to speak those things that be not as though they were, one of the things with the Lord taught me early in my marriage is that my wife, I’m blaming it on her. She wasn’t doing the things that I wanted her to do. And the Lord, and I kept fussing and talking about, you’re not doing this, you’re not doing that. And the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, stop saying that, what you need to share with your wife, is share with her the things that she’s doing and how pleased you are with her. And the Lord said this to me clearly. Now, I want you to do for her as if you were doing it for me. And once I did that, my marriage turned around because I started seeing the God in it instead of looking at the negative parts.

Steve Brown:
So good. And it’s so easy to be negative. Those are lies. If you’re a child of God, if you’re a Christian and you’re a believer, you’re something else. I mean, you really are. You are a close friend of the King of the Universe.

Jerry Parries:
Absolutely.

Steve Brown:
And words have power, that’s what you said yesterday.

Jerry Parries:
Yes.

Steve Brown:
We have a tendency to think sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.

Jerry Parries:
Not true.

Steve Brown:
That’s from the pit of hell and smells like smoke.

Jerry Parries:
That is absolutely right.

Steve Brown:
Okay, let’s get down to the subject today.

Jerry Parries:
Well, I want to talk about three things this week, but I’m going to hone in on one today. Well, pastor, how do I change this? How do I turn my life around? I’m glad that you asked that question. How do I change from being a negative person to becoming a positive person? I want to tell you no matter where you are in your life, no matter who your parents were, no matter your education, you have the power to change your future by what you confess. Hebrews 11:3 says.

By faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God.

And this is what I want to tell you, your world, I’m talking about your life is framed by how you see it and what you say in it can help change your world to be what God has called it to be. So, here’s the first thing that I want, you to write this down. The first thing you have to do to change from a negative to positive is speak life over your own life. Let me tell you what I mean by that. Every morning, Dr. Steve, when I get up, this is what I say.

The favor of God is over my life.

Steve Brown:
And it is.

Jerry Parries:
It is. That’s the start of my day. I start my day saying.

The favor of God is over my life.

I am favored by God. If you are around me for any length of time. God loves me. I’m one of his favorite. And so, I walk into a building and that’s why you say I walk in here smiling. Cause I know God favors me, He loves me, He’s crazy about me. And so, it doesn’t matter what you say to me, it doesn’t matter when I go on my job, what you think about me, it doesn’t matter what you, how you dislike me. I’ve got a God that loves me and is crazy about Jerry Q. Parries. And He will move earth, hell, wind to come see about me. And you’ve got to believe that.

Steve Brown:
Cause it’s true.

Jerry Parries:
Yeah.

Steve Brown:
And the Scripture teaches it over and over again.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends, and you’re my friends.

You know, where do we get this negative stuff?

Jerry Parries:
If the enemy could keep you negative about yourself, then you won’t come to God. Just say, I’m not worthy to come to God. But when you know that you were, when Adam sinned and God didn’t change, God came back looking for Adam. Adam changed. Because when sin hits your life and destruction hits your life, if you don’t properly understand that you’ve been forgiven. And God has already settled that for you, you hide from God and you don’t feel that you’re worthy to get the blessings of God that God has for you. But I know that I’m worthy. I know that God loves me. I know that he’s crazy about me. So, I walk around knowing that no weapon formed against me shall prosper. So, I laugh a smile through the day because of who I am. And I make that confession over my life. I make that confession all the time. I say good things are going to happen for me today. I don’t say if there was no such thing as bad luck, I’ll have no luck at all.

Steve Brown:
You know, there was in the early days of the civil rights movement, one of the leaders was Stokely Carmichael. And he, and one of the most powerful things I’ve ever heard was what he said, he said.

I’m doing this so that every little black girl in America can look at the mirror and say, I’m black and I’m beautiful.

Jerry Parries:
Yeah.

Steve Brown:
That’s strong. And you know, that’s what Jesus has done. He’s gone through a lot of trouble, so we can stand in front of the mirror and say what you just said, I’m a sinner, but I am his, and I’m valuable, and I’m important, and he wants to bless me.

Jerry Parries:
Yeah, and you’ve got to see, you have to constantly remind yourself that you’re worthy of it. You know, I said to my church years ago, one of the times that some people have come from backgrounds, Dr. Steve, where they have been beat down so much that I’d like to take people and let them know that you are worthy of this blessing. You are worthy of God’s blessings and glory over your life. And people would say, well, I’m not worthy, God. I’m not worthy. I’m not worthy. You are worthy. You’re worthy because of what Jesus did on the cross for you. You wouldn’t be worthy, but because your under the righteousness of Jesus, whatever Jesus gets, you get. You’re covered by the blood of Christ.

Steve Brown:
By the way, guys, you’re saying, I can’t believe this. Yes, you can. Cause the Scripture teaches it, justification and imputation. Justification is when you’re justified and every time you go before God, every bad thought, every bad sin, everything you’ve done that wrong is covered by this sufficient blood sacrifice of Christ. And then if that weren’t enough, God took the goodness and the righteousness and the obedience of God and put it in your account.

Jerry Parries:
Yeah! Yeah! Listen, if I had your money, I’d go shopping all the time. And that’s what we have, we have the righteousness of God over our lives. And there’s no reason for us to hang our heads down, you know? Now, I want to make this clear. We’re not talking about naming and claiming. I can’t go to Delta and say, in the name of Jesus, let me fly a plane. You know, I don’t have, I’m talking about having enough confidence to go to school and finish the work and do what I need to do and know that I have the grace on my life to become whatever God has called me to become. I have the grace over my life to finish my education. I have enough grace over my life to start a business. I have enough grace over my life to walk into areas of my life and believe that God’s going to meet me there to give me the favor necessary to do what it is that God has called me to do. And when you believe that man, when you walk that way and you talk that way and your head is up and you know that the favor of God is over your life and you declare that and you confess it out of your mouth. Today, I’m talking to all of you all that’s listening to me. No more saying what you can’t do. Always say through Christ, I can do this and God will give you the ability to do it.

Steve Brown:
Oh man. That’s it. You know, one of the things I’ve liked about you among a lot of things is the way you have reacted to the sin in the church.

Jerry Parries:
Yeah.

Steve Brown:
When you know, a couple number of leaders that you and I know and have been friends with have done some really bad things, and they’ve been kicked out and fired and demeaned. And you, and this, and now I know why, you’ve done just the opposite. You’ve loved them, you’ve spoken good things to them, you’ve spoken life and forgiveness and health to them. And that has always blown me away and it’s meant, so we offer this not only for ourselves, but for each other. Don’t we?

Jerry Parries:
Absolutely. I model Jesus, Jesus’ model, when he says, at the woman who was caught in adultery.

Go and sin no more, he that has not sinned, let him cast the first stone.

And we all preach that, but do we live that? Do we throw the stones down and allow other people to be healed.

Steve Brown:
There you go. That’s a confession.

Jerry Parries:
Yes.

Steve Brown:
It’s a witness to who we are and what we’re about and the power and strength of the gospel. So, if you’ve been beating yourself up, talking about being a worm, really going on a negative track about everything you do, and you think that God is finished with you. Stop it. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Steve Brown and Jerry Parries, all this week we’re pausing our journey through Proverbs to discuss the power of confession. I trust you’re enjoying it as much as I am. Steve and Jerry will be back tomorrow to continue this fascinating conversation, hope you will join us for that. Hey, you ever feel overwhelmed just by how busted this world is? I mean, there’s just so much hurt and need, right? Well, here’s some encouragement for you. One of the biggest things we can do for our world is to simply love each other. Steve spoke about this in a powerful sermon called All The World Needs Is Love. In it, he explores what love is, how it’s expressed, and the life changing impact it has. Get it on CD for free by calling us right now at 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail [email protected] to ask for that CD and to mail your request, go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses for the U.S. and Canada. Just ask for the CD called All The World Needs Is Love. And finally, if you value the work of Key Life, would you join us in that work through your financial support? It’s easy, just charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or you can now give safely and securely through text. Simply text Key Life to 28950 then follow the instructions. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And we are a listener supported production of Key Life Network.