ISAIAH 61:
“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple”.
Isaiah was a prophet of the Living God. In this text he recounts his encounter with the Lord. A Seraph of the Lord picked a live coal of fire and placed it on the tongue of Isaiah. Note that the Seraph picked the live coal with a tongue; he did not pick it with his hand because it was hot. It was, as a person would pick a hot slice of yam from a pot on fire. The Seraphim placed the hot coal on Isaiah’s tongue and the tongue became pure. It was then that he could answer the call to be sent by God. Immediately Isaiah saw the Lord, the trouble with his life and the reason for his powerlessness, was revealed to him. His lips were unclean and his tongue was polluted, therefore, his words carried no power.
This incidence took place in Jerusalem around 742 BC. Isaiah was a middle-aged man. He was in the midst of worshippers in the temple, whilst the evening sacrifice was taking place Uzziah King of Judah, one of the best kings around, had just died.
II Chronicles 261-5:
“Concerning the divisions of the porters: Of the Korhites was Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph. And the sons of Meshelemiah were, Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Elioenai the seventh. Moreover the sons of Obed-edom were, Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, and Sacar the fourth, and Nethaneel the fifth, Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peulthai the eighth: for God blessed him”.
1 Chronicles 2621-23:
“As concerning the sons of Laadan; the sons of the Gershonite Laadan, chief fathers, even of Laadan the Gershonite, were Jehieli. The sons of Jehieli; Zetham, and Joel his brother, which were over the treasures of the house of the Lord. Of the Amramites, and the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites”
Uzziah was a powerful wise king he became very strong and was feared by neighbouring countries. His strength got into his head and he became proud. He was really a better king than many; his reign was golden; money and splendour corrupted the hearts of the people. God’s people forgot their calling as a holy nation. They were no longer living in conformity with the statutes of the Lord. They no longer trusted in God to protect them and provide for them. They conformed to the unholy ways of the nations around them. Their bellies and ears became heavy; they were unable to speak the Word of God. They could not even hear from God. Isaiah too was like that, until he saw the Lord and his life changed. He realised that he had unclean Lips: his tongue had no power. A tongue can carry power, discouragement, defeat and failure.
For your tongue to carry power you must:
1. Encounter the Giver of power
The Bible says: “Death and Life are in the power of the tongue.” Your tongue can carry power or weakness, disease or discouragement. God wants our tongue to carry power.
It is amazing to discover that the children of the devil do not mind doing anything to get power. Some sleep in the burial ground for 201 nights, some fast for many days, some memorise many incantations because they want power. It is discouraging to note that the children of God find it difficult to memorise the Word of God or fast and pray for many days.
2. Allow God’s coal of fire to dropped on your tongue, to purify it and your sins will be wiped away.
Do not be like the sons of Sceva who were trying to cast out a demon, in the Name of Jesus, that they heard Paul Preach. They themselves did not know Jesus so, the demon revolted; saying that it knew Paul and Jesus but did not know them. It pounced on them and dealt with them seriously.
How to experience the tongue of power
1. Your ‘King Uzziah’ must die.
Anything blocking you from seeing the Lord is a ‘King Uzziah’. It is that thing, which prevents you from seeing divine revelation. It is the thing that makes you so comfortable, that you do not have time to pray or work for God again. It is the thing, which occupies your time at the expense of your prayer life and Bible Study.
Take this prayer point seriously:
- My ‘Uzziah’ must die today, in the Name of Jesus.
It does not make sense, for any one who says he or she wants to reign with Christ, to have strange dreams, where he or she is having sexual intercourse or is being pursued or is flying. This is not God’s plan for His children. Your ‘Uzziah’ must die.
Uzziah stands for pride, over-confidence, etc. Isaiah could not see anything or move forward until King Uzziah died.
2. Have a personal encounter with the Lord
You should be able to say clearly and with certainty, how and when you met God. If you cannot remember when you got born again, it is unlikely that you are. If you are not sure that you are born again, it shows that you are not. Some people say they got born again several times. It is not possible; you are either born again or you are not. A person who gives his or her life to the Lord Jesus, changes. The Bible says he becomes a new creature, old things are passed away and all things become new.
3. See yourself as you are
Do not deceive yourself or compare yourself with other people. Peter had fished all night and Jesus came to tell him where to throw his net to catch fish. He did and he caught a lot. It was then that he realised that he was a sinner. He saw himself the way he was. Do not look in the mirror of someone else, to see yourself. Know who you really are. When you see the real you, you will know who you really are and God will drop His coal of fire upon your tongue and He will destroy the things that have been limiting His power in your life.
4. Allow the Holy Spirit to possess you
The Bible says: “Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfil the desire of the flesh.” You must lay down all your weapons of rebellion and give full control to the Holy Spirit.
5. Pray for purging
Ask God to purge your life and purify you.
This is a practical message; your tongue is either dead or alive. There is no middle camp; you have either seen the Lord or you have not. You either see yourself the way you are, or you do not see anything.
Right there where you are, ask the Holy Spirit to shine His light upon your life and reveal every hidden sin. Every sin of pride, malice, un-forgiveness, sleeping with a man or woman to whom you are not married; that is fornication or adultery, etc. All these are signs of rebellion and until they go, not much can happen.
Uzziah must die, but before that happens, you have to open your life before the Lord. Tell Him who you are; tell Him what you are thinking about, be sincere with yourself, so that God can touch you today.
It will be sad beloved, if you take this message lightly and not allow God to touch your life. There is anointing to break every yoke of sin, destroy every bondage of bad habits and remove every cataract from your spiritual eyes, so that you too can say that you have seen the Lord.
When you see the Lord, your life will no longer be the same. For your eyes to see the King of Kings, something must happen.
Lessons from Isaiah’s experience
1. He saw the Lord. When you see the Lord, something must happen. The picture remains indelible in your heart. No matter where you are, or how far you roam away the picture stays there, unforgettable.
2. He became aware of his spiritual state. When you see the Lord, nobody needs to tell you your sin; you will see yourself the way you really are. You do not need a preacher to tell you what is wrong with you. You will know your position. If you have been faking, you will know. If you are a pretender or a glorified hypocrite, you will know. You will see yourself plainly, when you see the Lord.
However, you cannot see the Lord, if you do not surrender your totality to Him. This means that you have to decide to be born again. All you need do, is repent of your sins, confess them to the Lord and ask Him to forgive you. Name those sins one after the other, renounce them and ask God to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Claim the redemptive power in the Blood of Jesus that was shed on the Cross at Calvary, for the remission of your sins. Say goodbye to the world of sin and the devil.
Open your heart and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to come into your life. Ask Him to become your personal Lord and Saviour. Enthrone Him over your life and hand over all that concerns you to Him. Let Him take over all that concerns you.
If you have just taken this decision. I congratulate you. It is the most important decision in life. I pray that it shall be permanent in your life in the Name of Jesus. I pray that the Lord will write your name in the Book of life and you will not by any means, rub it off in the Name of Jesus. I pray that the Lord will keep your feet form falling in the Name of Jesus.
Take the following prayer point with all the aggression that you can gather:
· Holy Ghost Fire, purge my eyes in the Name of Jesus.
· O Lord, make Your way plain before my face in the Name of Jesus.
· You my eyes receive divine revelation in the Name of Jesus.
The Bible says bitter and sweet water cannot come form the same source. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. I do not know what your tongue is carrying right now, but I know that God wants it to carry power.
· Lord purge my tongue with your fire in the Name of Jesus.
· Anything in my life making my words ineffective against the enemy, get out now in the Name of Jesus.
· Satan, you are a liar, what you are saying about my life will not happen to me in the Name of Jesus.
· Any power planning to eat my children, eat yourself and your children in the Name of Jesus.
· Every satanic mission against my call be paralysed in the Name of Jesus.
· Let all satanic success on my life, be turned to defeat for the devil in the Name of Jesus.
· I trample upon all my personal Jericho in the Name of Jesus.
· Any blessing of mine, locked up in the heavens, in the earth or underneath the earth be released in the Name of Jesus.
· Let every hindrance to my breakthroughs; be melted away by the fire of the Holy Ghost, in the Name of Jesus.
· Every organ of my body stored in the bank of the enemy, be released now, in the Name of Jesus.
· My body, reject every satanic arrow in the Name of Jesus.
