In John 20, Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit,” but then told them a few days later that they should stay in Jerusalem until they were baptized with the Spirit. This suggests that we can receive the Holy Spirit but then have an additional measure of the Spirit available to us at a different time. The best way to understand this this is to associate “Baptism with the Spirit” with power. In the first chapter of Acts, Luke tells us, “On one occasion, while he (Jesus) was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:4-5,8).

In this text Jesus, clearly associates baptism with the Spirit with power for witnessing. We see that demonstration throughout the book of Acts. On the Day of Pentecost, we see it manifested through boldness, preaching, and a miraculous gift of tongues. If those manifestations of the Spirit only came after the Spirit was poured out on Pentecost then what was the Spirit the disciples received in John 20?

I think it helps to understand that the Holy Spirit has two broad functions or ministries in the life of each believer. One is transformation while the other is empowerment for ministry.

When we come to faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit takes up residence within each of us and begins to transform our hearts, our minds, and our character to make us more and more like Jesus. First of all, he gives life to our spirits that have been dead in sin (see Eph.2:4-5).

Secondly, he begins to give us an understanding of spiritual things. “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they can only be discerned through the Spirit” (1 Cor.2:14).

Thirdly, he begins to bear his fruit or character in our lives. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal.5:22-23). For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)” (Eph.5:8-9).

One part of the Christian life is simply to walk in righteousness as Jesus walked in righteousness. We are to become godly people with the character of Jesus reflected in each of us. We are to be salt and light in a world of darkness. We are to care for the poor and the hurting and even love our enemies. All of these things reflect the heart and character of Christ and without his Spirit we cannot overcome the flesh (our fallen nature) to become like him in our heart as well as our actions. But there is more to the Christian life.

Jesus established a pattern for establishing the kingdom of God on this earth. “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness” (Mt.9:35). Wherever he went, Jesus preached the kingdom of God and then demonstrated it. He then commanded his followers to do the same. “As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give” (Mt.10:7-9).   The expression of power to destroy the works of the devil is inherent in the kingdom of God and is part of the ministry of the Spirit through us. Baptism with the Spirit is directly related to such power. More about that in my next blog.

 For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (Ezek.36:24 -27)

The Old Testament is full of promises regarding an increase in the move and ministry of God’s Spirit such as the one quoted above. Joel also spoke of a great “pouring out of God’s Spirit” that was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost in Acts 1-2. As we read the gospels, the promise is moved from the backburner where it has simmered for centuries and placed on the front the burner so that it began to boil. In my last blog, I listed several scriptures that raised some important issues about the “baptism of the Spirit” and which also give us some insights into the biblical meaning of that phrase. Let’s begin to connect some of those dots now.

John the Baptist came to prepare hearts for the coming of Messiah. When asked if he himself were the Messiah he clearly said that he was not. He also clearly pointed them to one greater than himself who would not just baptize with water, as John was doing, but would also baptize with the Holy Spirit. This was such an important mark of the Messiah that it is mentioned in all four gospels (Mt. 3:11; Mk.1:8; Luke 3:16; Jn. 1:33).

The obvious question that every serious Jew had to be asking was when was this “baptism” going to take place and what would it look like? In John 7, Jesus spoke of rivers of living water flowing from within believers. John explained that Jesus was speaking of the Holy Spirit whom believers were later to receive because Jesus had not yet been glorified and had not yet released the Spirit.

The “promise of the Spirit” then would come only after Jesus was glorified. John is not saying that there was no ministry or work of the Spirit at that time because the Spirit had been evident and working since Genesis 1:2 when he was brooding over the chaos of earth. The Spirit is powerfully evident in the lives of the prophets, the judges, and the great men and women of the Old Testament. He had also landed on Jesus himself at his baptism by John. This “promise of the Spirit” then was not just the coming of the Spirit because he had already come but it would be an unprecedented manifestation of the Spirit called a “baptism.” This “baptism” would occur after the glorification of Jesus.

Another hint is given in John 14:16-17. Jesus, speaking about the Spirit, told his disciples, “the Spirit lives with you and will be in you.” Prepositions are important. Jesus described the Spirit as being with believers at the time but pointed to a time when the Spirit would be in them. This indicates that the Spirit had ministered to and through believers but would soon actually take up residence within believers as a result of Christ’s sacrifice.

Then, in John 20:19-22, an interesting thing takes place. This incident occurs after the resurrection when Jesus is making multiple appearances to his followers. In this section, Jesus appeared to his disciples – a term used for all of his followers and not just his apostles. In this appearance, Jesus commissions them by saying, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” We are then told that Jesus breathed on his disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit!” Was that the baptism of the Spirit? Apparently, it was not because a short time later in Acts 1:5, Jesus told his followers to stay in Jerusalem where, in a few days, they would then be baptized with the Holy Spirit. So…what did they receive when Jesus breathed on them? We’ll discuss that in my next blog. Until then, be blessed in Him.

We just finished a Sunday morning class that was a mini-course on the Holy Spirit at our church. The last module of the study is always on the “Baptism of the Spirit.” The conversations are always interesting as people from various faith backgrounds talk about their understanding of the topic. Their understanding falls on a continuum that runs from “any talk about the Baptism of the Spirit is definitely from the devil” to “the baptism of the Spirit is when you fall on the ground, shake all over like your being electrocuted, and jump up speaking in tongues.”

Having heard some of those conversations this morning I thought I might discuss “Holy Spirit baptism” in a brief series to see if I can make biblical sense of it for you. It is an important topic that we should all understand because it is something that Jesus purchased for each of us with his blood. Anything that Jesus purchased for us that we leave sitting on the shelf somehow takes away from his amazing sacrifice. As we begin, I want you to notice that this baptism in the Spirit brought almost immediate transformation to the lives of the disciples. One minute they were hiding from the Jews, and in the next minute they were standing in the temple courts preaching Jesus to the very people who had crucified him only fifty days earlier. If we want to experience that kind of transformation, we need to understand this baptism.

Let me begin by listing a few key verses from the gospels and from Acts that will raise some important questions and frame our brief study. I will bold face some important phrases within the texts.

I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Mt.3:11

I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. Mk.1:8

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. Jn.7:38-39

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. Jn.14:16-17

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.     Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Jn.20:19-22

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:4-5

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4

No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.Acts 2:16-17

These verses form a sequence that will give us a great deal of insight for a biblical view of baptism with or in the Holy Spirit. I encourage you to spend some time looking at these verses and others related to the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. I believe that by looking at these you will begin to sense some truths about the baptism of the Spirit. Be sure to look at each verse in detail noting verb tenses, prepositions, and so forth. I will begin to discuss these verses in my next blog. You may want to print these verses off for reference as we look at them this week. I n addition, be sure to ask the Holy Spirit for revelation about this baptism. Blessings!

PSALM 100

A Psalm for Thanksgiving.

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving  and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His loving kindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.

Americans celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday. My guess is that few really took time away from cooking, early Black Friday shopping, and football to truly give thanks to the Lord for His blessings. This psalm of David reminds us of the power and the promptings for giving thanks. It is written in the context of the tabernacle since the temple had not yet been built in the days of David and may be instructive to us as believers who should make every day a day of thanksgiving.

The tabernacle, and later the temple, was a place where God could dwell among his people without his presence devastating them. Both God and his people knew that he did not dwell in tents or buildings made by man but somehow a part of his presence rested in the Holy of Holies so that representatives of the people could come before him for direction, provision, and spiritual cleansing.

A key verse in Psalm 100 declares that we should enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. This language symbolizes the act of drawing close to the Father. It symbolizes entering the gate of the tabernacle and moving into the courts or open places of the tabernacle as they progressed toward the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. Of course, only the high priest could enter that room but the people could move into the courts where they could praise the Lord and seek his blessings.

Notice that “thanksgiving” gained entrance into courts where sacrifices, praise, and prayer could be offered. A thankful heart adjusts our mind so that we can come before the Lord with a perspective that opens the gates of heaven to us. David invites us, as God’s people, to shout joyfully, serve with gladness, and sing with joy before Him. That doesn’t happen unless we recognized the goodness of God and the blessings of God in our lives.

It is the recognition of God’s goodness and presence in our lives that creates a heart of thanksgiving, which then produces joy and gladness. It is the recognition that God is our shepherd and that we are his people that sets our compass toward him. As our shepherd he is committed to protect us, care for us, lead us, and provide for us. We need to constantly sense those things in our lives as expressions of his love for us so that thanksgiving and joy mark our lives.

That is not to say that we never struggle, never experience loss, never wither under the attacks of the enemy, or never wonder where our shepherd is on occasion. We live in enemy territory, we wander away from the flock at times, and we long for a peace and sense of security that will not be fully ours until we are home with Him. And yet, in the midst of these struggles God’s grace and expressions of love are still there if we look for them. In the 23^rd Psalm, David declared that God prepared a table for him in the midst of his enemies. David knew hardship, betrayal, loss, and the constant threat of death – yet he still saw the hand of God caring for him in the midst of all that. He still saw expressions of God’s love and faithfulness while hiding out in caves rather than sitting in a palace.

It is in those moments that we need a heart of thanksgiving more than ever. Thanksgiving opens the door to a closer walk with God and a heavenly perspective that produces more faith and even peace in the chaos of life on a fallen planet. Several years ago, I heard Bill Johnson say that we need to focus on what God has done for us rather than what he has not yet done for us. That thought has really stuck with me and is, I believe, the key to thanksgiving which is the very thing that keeps our hearts navigating toward God. So…if all the celebrations got in the way yesterday, today is just as good a day for some serious thanksgiving. Be blessed and notice your blessings even in the dark moments of life.

Enough about curses. In this last segment on words, let’s move on to the empowering and encouraging aspect of our words. God has placed us on this planet and called us into his kingdom to rule on his behalf. In order to do that, he has given us authority and authority is expressed through words.

Jesus came as a man. His most used self-descriptor in the gospels was Son of Man. One of the reasons he came as a man was to demonstrate the life that each of us can have as we walk in fellowship with the Father. What Jesus did, we can do. Jesus lived a life as a representative of the Father expressing his authority and directing the power of heaven through his words.

Through words he commanded men to be healed, demons to depart, the dead to come forth, storms to cease, lepers to be cleansed, blind eyes to see, and lame men to leap. His words released the power of heaven into situations on earth. His words were powerful because he was declaring the Father’s will over individuals and circumstances. Jesus said, “For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it” (Jn.12:49). Remember God’s word to Isaiah. “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isa.55:11). When God’s word goes forth it will accomplish his purposes whether from the lips of the Father, his Son, or those who represent him – his sons and daughter’s on the earth.

If it is a specific word and a fresh word from the Lord it is powerful. If it is a declaration, a prayer, or a command that expresses his will as revealed in scripture it is also powerful. Our words release God to fulfill his intentions on the earth. We do not control God but God, in his own sovereignty, has determined to rule in partnership with his people and, in many cases, he waits on us to declare his word over circumstances he wishes to change before he acts. Most of us understand that concept when it comes to healing or deliverance or provision. But what about the process of shaping the lives of people?

God’s word is compared to a seed in numerous places in the scripture. It goes forth carrying an innate power to produce life. In the right environment it will grow and bear abundant fruit. Many prophetic words are words that God is broadcasting with the potential to produce what has been declared if they are accompanied by faith and obedience. Sometimes the faith is in the one who receives the word. Sometimes the faith is in the one who declares the word.

Speaking life over people is simply declaring God’s will and God’s truth over a person. Like watering a seed, we are calling out the potential for good and greatness that God has placed in every person. We are calling out their destiny in Christ. Our words, because we have authority, impart power to that potential. When we encourage one another, build up one another, or bless one another we are imparting power to the potential God has placed in each of his children. When we call out gifts, faith, leadership, salvation, success, or godliness in others we are releasing the work of the Spirit in those individuals to produce what we are calling out. That is speaking life over others (or ourselves) rather than death. That is blessing rather than cursing. We are doing more than expressing sentiment; we are releasing the power of heaven because we represent heaven. This is especially true as we declare life and destiny over children.

So…measure your words. Be intentional. Be life-giving. Words matter because they have power. Recognize the power God has placed in your mouth and use it to administer God’s grace in every life and every situation – including your own and be blessed!

Words Matter (Part 5) – More About Curses

Biblically, there are two sources of curses. One is the result of persistent and unrepented sin on the part of a person, a family, or a nation. The other source is a spoken curse established by our own words or the words of another. If you read through Deuteronomy 28, you will see that God established certain consequences for obedience and disobedience to the covenant he established with his people. Obedience brought an array of blessings while disobedience triggered an array of curses. Those curses manifested in the form of crop failures, financial woes, oppression by others, health issues, problems with pregnancies, drought, defeat, mental illnesses, and so forth. God also established a principle that the children would experience the punishment of their Father’s sins to the third and fourth generation (see Ex. 20:5).

These consequences are called curses and some of those curses may be attached to families for generations. I do not believe that God is the source of these evils since by nature he is good and he is light and in him is no darkness at all (1 Jn. 1:5). Since Adam turned his dominion, planet earth, over to Satan, God’s people have lived behind enemy lines. Satan is always poised to kill, steal, and destroy anything or anyone that God loves. There are times when our persistent sins, our rebellion, and our pride force God to lift his hand of protection that has restrained Satan because our actions have given Satan a legal right to come after us. We experience Satan’s attacks as curses. Paul expressed that reality in his letter to the Galatians. “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.         The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Gal.6:7-8). Consequences operate in the spiritual realm as well as in the natural realm. God warns us and even pleads with us not to open ourselves up to curses. The biblical pattern for breaking these sin curses is to acknowledge our sin or the sins of our Fathers, repent of our sins, renounce the sins that have brought the curse, and then to nullify those curses in the name of Jesus who became a curse for us that we might be blessed. There is an entire chapter on curses and vows in my book Born to Be Free if you want more detail on that.

In addition to sin curses are word curses. In a sense, the words of man have creative power. God spoke the universe into existence with words. Man is made in his image and although that image has been diminished by sin, remnants of his nature are still reflected in all men. Our words can create by setting forces in motion that establish the very things we spoke. We pray and we declare God’s word over situations and people with faith that he will establish what we prayed or declared when our words express his will. That is true because God has given his people authority. But Satan can also give authority to those who walk with him. In my last blog, I mentioned Balaam who had the capacity to inflict curses on others. We are told in Joshua 13:22 that Balaam practiced sorcery or divination. In other words, he called on demonic powers to enforce his curses.

We have no need to fear curses. The bible tells, “Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest” (Prov.26:2). In other words, curses spoken by others don’t have the power to affect us if we walk with the Father and keep our hearts and words aligned with Him. However, most of us have seasons where our walk is more of a stagger and in those seasons we may be open to a curse spoken by others. Since we have authority, our own words may act as curses when we pronounce judgments and negative outcomes over ourselves. If we have opened ourselves up then repentance, renouncing the sin or the words, and the blood and authority of Christ is sufficient to nullify any curses. Each time Israel fell under a season of cursing because of disobedience, repentance and renouncing broke the curses and opened up a season of God’s blessings again. As our hearts turn to the Father, he is able to place his hand of protection and blessing over us again.

What we need to remember, however, is that we can be aligned with God in 90% of our lives but if we have reserved 10% for the flesh, secret addictions, unforgiveness, etc. that 10% makes us vulnerable to curses spoken by others. Our own words always have authority to establish curses. Again…I don’t believe that a single utterance will open us up to a curse but if we persist in sin or negative words we may find ourselves being oppressed and afflicted by the enemy. Words matter and so we want to speak only as Jesus would speak and always speak life over others and ourselves. Be blessed!

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. James 3:10

When we speak of cursing today we usually think of swearing or cussing or simply saying hateful things to someone with whom we are angry. In our minds we limit the damage to hurt feelings or broken relationships. The Bible views curses as much more serious because they have a spiritual dimension to them.

In Numbers 22, we find an interesting account. Israel had moved into the region of Moab. Balak, the king of Moab, felt threatened by their presence. He went to a man named Balaam and declared, “Now come and put a curse on these people, because they are too powerful for me. Perhaps then I will be able to defeat them and drive them out of the country. For I know that those you bless are blessed, and those you curse are cursed” (Num.22:6) But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed” (Num.22:12).

Balak had seen the power of Balaam’s words over people and situations. Those over whom he spoke blessings seemed to be blessed and those over whom he had spoken curses seemed to be cursed. The interesting thing is that God took him seriously and instructed him to speak a curse over those whom God had blessed. How do we make sense of that in our world?

It is not that words have power in themselves but they have authority to set things in motion in the spiritual realm. A curse releases forces in the spiritual realm to come against a man, a family, or a nation to work for negative outcomes in the natural realm. Before you write that notion off, think of a curse as a kind of prayer. We pray to God and ask him to set forces in motion to bring blessings and positive outcomes to ourselves, our families, and people we care about. We pray for health, provision, protection, direction and all kinds of things and expect God to mobilize his angels or to work through his Spirit to create positive outcomes for those we bless.

A curse is a kind of a prayer than mobilizes forces in the spiritual realm to hinder blessings and bring about negative outcomes in the life of the individual over which it has been spoken and Satan is very eager to take the curse as his authority to come against those who have been cursed. Satan is always poised to kill, steal and destroy and he is simply looking for the legal right to do so. A curse may give him that right.

If you are reading this blog, you probably already believe in the God-given authority of believers to command, declare, and pray for kingdom outcomes in lives, situations and nations. If our words have authority, how much more should we guard our words so that we do not release a curse over others either purposely or carelessly. We should always speak blessings because our words can set demonic forces in motion to enforce any curse we speak over others. As I have already said in this series, we may not take our words seriously but the spiritual realm does.

Our words don’t have to be formal curses. They can simply be expressions of ill will or judgments over others: Your worthless! You’ll never amount to anything! I wish you were dead! You’re going to end up in prison just like your worthless father! Etc. We can even speak curse over ourselves in the same tone. I don’t believe every careless word is enforced as a curse by demons but I do believe that if we say it often enough or with enough venom, the demonic realm may answer. I also know that there are man and women today who do pronounce formal curses over God’s work and God’s people. Maybe someone has even spoken a curse over you or your family even in past generations. I will discuss that in our next blog. Until then, be a constant source of blessing even toward your enemies (see Luke 6:27-28).

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Ephesians 4:29-31

If we were to take a survey at any church and ask the members what they considered to be “unwholesome talk” they would most likely identify unwholesome as coarse or sexual language. In his statement to the church at Ephesus, however, the apostle Paul seems to include a much wider range of spoken things than that. From the scripture above, we might conclude that Paul thought of unwholesome talk as anything that tore down or diminished a person rather than building him or her up.

That view seems to be confirmed by the list of things Paul commands us to jettison from our lives…bitterness, rage, anger, brawling and slander, and every form of malice. Malice means to hold ill-will or spitefulness toward another person. So, things we might blurt out in anger or words we might share over coffee that slandered another person’s reputation or character (gossip) would fall under the umbrella of unwholesome words. Put-downs, constant criticism, or sarcasm would also find their way into this category of words that tear down rather than building up.

The gist of the command is that we should be a people whose words constantly build up the people around us and that call out the best in them. To do less grieves the Holy Spirit who lives within us. Unwholesome words grieve the Spirit because they are contrary to his character and his nature. In a world of hurt, our words should always be a source of healing. The wise man said, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Prov. 12:18). James said it this way, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?” (Ja.3:9-11). Salt water kills living plants and humans while fresh water brings life. Our words should impart life because our God is a God of life.

Words matter because they have the power to build up or tear down. The heart of God is to build up and the to call out the destiny and greatness he has placed inside every human being. Whatever your emotional or relational struggles are in life they usually relate to early experiences of rejection, constant criticism, abuse, or fear. Most of that came in the form of words. Words can wound or words can heal. God calls on us to be encouragers, healers, comforters, and those who build up the people that the world has torn down. Anything short of that falls in the category of unwholesome and honestly constitutes sin. David declared, “I have resolved that my mouth will not sin” (Ps. 17:3). We should resolve the same.

If you want to change the world around you or even want to change yourself, you may want to start with your own words. Examine your words. In one sense, our heart determines our words but in another sense our words affect our hearts. It is a two-way street. The things we speak consistently eventually are written on our hearts. Speak as God would have you speak and you will become more like God in your heart. Speak life not death; encouragement rather than criticism; greatness rather than failure; and words that always build up rather than tearing down. Your words have impact for good or for evil. You choose the fruit that your words produce.

(Thoughts on blessing and cursing in Friday’s blog.)

Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. (Matt. 12:33-37)

The last verse in this section of scripture is very sobering. The thought that I might have to give an accounting on Judgment Day for every careless word I have ever spoken should get my attention. Even if I have not given much thought to my words, apparently heaven has. The context of these words is a rebuke by Jesus toward the Pharisees who have just attributed his authority to cast out demons to some alliance with Beelzebub. Jesus then equates their assertions to blasphemy of the Spirit which, I believe, is synonymous with unbelief in the face of a clear work of God.

Jesus goes on to the reveal the significance of these words spoken by the Pharisees which were obviously not well thought out. In this context, Jesus gives us one very significant reason that our words matter so much. Our words, especially our careless words, reveal what is truly in our hearts. We often deny that truth by blurting out something or making some sarcastic or cutting remark and then declaring that we didn’t really mean what we said. I hear that frequently from couples whose marriages are crumbling under the weight of anger and mistrust in the relationship. They often share with me the brutal remarks with which they wounded one another in the heat of their fighting and then say that they were just angry and didn’t really mean what they had said. The one who received the wound, however, is not so quick to dismiss the words that were spoken. The truth is that their words reveal something that is in their heart about their spouse and until that something is changed, the marriage will not truly heal.

In our hearts reside out deepest beliefs. We have a set of beliefs that rest neatly in our mind and in our intellect but those are often our “acceptable” or our “aspirational” beliefs. Those are the beliefs or attitudes we would like to have or believe we should have. Those are the beliefs or attitudes that we show to others and acknowledge as our own. Our actual beliefs are hidden in our hearts. Those show up when we are tempted, angry, afraid, or offended. They show up in our actions that have not been calculated and our careless words that pop out of our mouths in stressful moments or in moments of temptation.

Sometimes, even we wonder where those words or thoughts came from and are surprised by what we just said. David was aware that deep within our hearts we sometimes harbor thoughts or beliefs that are contrary to the mind and heart of God and reflect a part of us that we don’t want to recognize. He prayed, “Search me O God and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting” (Ps.139:23-24, ESV).

Our words matter because they can reveal the truest thoughts and attitudes of our hearts – even the ones we carefully hide from others who would disapprove or that we deny when confronted about them. My words will acquit us or condemn me because they reveal my heart which then reveals the “true me”. The good news for every believer is that even our hearts are covered by the grace of God and the blood of Christ. That grace reaches even the hidden sin in our hearts and we can take comfort in that.

However, the wisest path is to pay attention to our careless words, our impetuous words, and our angry words because they do reveal the unattractive reality of our fallen nature. We should pay attention and take responsibility for those words and the part of us that is not yet fully submitted to Jesus. We can then acknowledge that part of us, repent of the attitudes or beliefs our words reflect, and submit them to the cross so that the Holy Spirit can then begin to change our heart at the deepest level.

Our careless words, then, can be our allies in discovering what still needs to be aligned with the heart and mind of Christ. They can be our allies in discovering footholds or even strongholds of the enemy. Denying that spontaneous words or actions reflect who we “really are” leaves an unlocked door through which the enemy can enter when we least expect it. The wise man and the spiritual man will acknowledge that some parts of his heart are not yet submitted to Jesus and as he discovers each part, he will gladly lay them at the foot of the cross. That is a key to real transformation in the kingdom of God.

In one sense, God judges his people every day. He judges us not in the sense of condemnation but in the sense of evaluation and then goes to work changing those things that are not aligned with the mind and heart of Jesus. The transforming work of God is much easier and effective when we cooperate. It is easier when we willingly bend to his will rather than resisting. When we resist or deny that we need to change, more pressure must be applied even to the point of breaking. From personal experience I would say it is better to bend that to be broken. Carless words can alert us t the need to bend or can alert God to the need for more pressure. Our choice!  More about “words” on Wednesday.

But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. Matthew 12:36-37

I want to start a series on “our words” because they have far more impact than we imagine and the spiritual realm takes our words much more seriously than we do. To begin the series I have listed a few verses about our words that you may want to reflect on over the weekend for some devotional time before I start commenting on them. The words of Jesus quoted above are quite sobering so I hope you (we) will take these verses to heart.

 Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin. Psalm 17:3

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Psalm 34:12-13

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. Proverbs 10:19

Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few. Ecc.5:2

 But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. Matthew 15:18

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45

Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouth but only that which is good for building up the other person according to their needs. Ephesians 4:29

Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.   The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. James 3:5-10