IT'S TIME TO SHOUT!

 I believe that the Lord says that it is time for Believers everywhere to start shouting! Not just any shout, but a sustained shout – one that also circles the globe and permeates the second heaven, which will scare the devil and his minions!

Prepare to Shout! Prepare for the Victory!

Too many folks have allowed the circumstances of the pandemic, life's challenges, and even the loss of normal church fellowship to create a sad countenance over their lives. The sadness then manifests itself through complaining, bickering, murmuring and the complacency that allows the sadness to have dominion in their lives. This has then morphed and transformed into a community that attacks, criticizes, and at times even assaults others simply because the joy of the Lord is no longer a precious commodity.

As a result, we have lost our ability to practice Philippians 4:6-8 which clearly states, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things."

But many only think about the problems.

How do we change this overriding riptide current that is trying to drown everyone in sorrow?

Give a Shout!

It's time to SHOUT!

"Shout in celebration of praise to the Lord! Everyone who loves the Lord and delights in Him will cherish His words and be blessed beyond expectation." (Psalm 112:1) 

It takes effort and strength to shout! It's a lot easier not to shout. So many people are despondent and discouraged for so many reasons, and the enemy of our souls is also the enemy of our shout. He has convinced many people that shouting is for the extreme, and for those few folks who have legitimately gained a super amount of success, wealth, love, and faith; but those people are rare and few and far between.

He has also convinced us that shouting is too extreme! However, God is a God of the shout. Psalm 98:4 declares, "Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy and sing praises."

Psalm 16:11 adds this creative element: "You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand."

God Came to Set the Captives Free

There are reasons to shout. There are negative circumstances in your life that will hang around until you learn how to shout them down. These circumstances have become strongholds and need to be removed. Additionally, these circumstances are trying to raise their voices and raise their place of dominion in your life to hold you captive, but God came to set the captives free. Discouragement, anxiety, stress, negative thinking, demoralization, depression, any kind of sin and iniquity, and many other situations that trouble and bother us consistently are trying to steal our joy. We all know that the joy of the Lord is our strength, but do we apply that truth? Do we appropriate it appropriately? Probably not. Why not?

Demons use thoughts to communicate with us. That's why we are told to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ, and to pull down the strongholds.

3: For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)

5: Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

6: And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)

If we don't take these thoughts captive, they soon rule our lives. A thought becomes a consideration, which soon becomes a decision. A decision then becomes action and after that, the action is repeated. Soon it becomes a habit, and it isn't long until that habit becomes a stronghold. Change your thoughts and change your shout!

The solution is easy. Get joyful in Jesus, and see Him increase your strength and re-strengthen that which was previously strong. That, in turn, will change your confessions and declarations into those that align with the Kingdom, and soon you will be shouting.

Give the Lord Jesus Christ the Upper Hand, Not the Enemy

If we lose our joy, we lose our strength, and then the enemy starts to have the upper hand. Soon, he rises to a place of authority in our lives instead of Jesus. We must regain our shout. We must reposition ourselves in a seated position next to Jesus. 

4: But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

5: Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

6: And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 4-6)

We just reclaim what has been stolen and lost – it's our right, our heritage and our destiny. It belongs to those who belong to Jesus. 

 Many victories in the Bible were won simply through the shout! We are in a season when the shouts of many negative entities are expanding – simply because their message is loud.

God says, "Rise up and shout! Shout the victory! Shout the Cross! Shout the Word of God! Loudly proclaim the truth! Boldly access the throne! Courageously respond! Just shout!"

The rest of creation is ready to do this as God's Word is established. In Isaiah 55:11 we are told that the Word of the Lord will not return void, but it will accomplish that which He sent it to do. Then, watch how creation responds in verse 12: "You will go out in joy, and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands."

Can you even imagine how loud it will be to hear the mountains and hills bursting into song and the trees of the field clapping? WOW! If we don't worship God, the rocks will. It's time we rock with the shout!

We definitely have something to shout about in the victory circle with Jesus. It is definitely time to live up your shout. Revelation 19:6 exclaims this to us:

"Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, 'Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.'"