In studying the baptism of the Spirit, we should remember that God often provides normative processes and principles for how he works in people but he is not bound to formulas. As we move through the book of Acts we recognize that there were normative manifestations when the Spirit fell on or filled believers. The gift of tongues seems to have been imparted on several occasions (Acts 2, 10). Sometimes prophecy broke out. Boldness to declare the name of Jesus was almost always a recorded result as well as a host of miracles that demonstrated the kingdom of God and the reality of the King. Each of these manifestations reflected Christ’s statement to his disciples in Acts 1 that they would be baptized with the Spirit and receive power to be his witnesses.

Many charismatic churches today believe that speaking tongues is the single evidence or experience for having been baptized in the Spirit. Many believe that “the baptism” must manifest in tongues, in “falling out” in the Spirit, laughing uncontrollably, weeping uncontrollably, or feeling power surging through your body like an electric current. In my experience, all of these can be manifestations of the power of the Spirit falling on a person but we should not limit or define how the Spirit manifests himself after imparting power for ministry to a believer.

Most of the churches that want to see extreme manifestations of the Spirit as proof of being filled with the Spirit would say that no one could operate in healing, deliverance, prophecy, words of knowledge, tongues, miracles, etc. without being baptized in the Spirit. I would agree that baptism or empowering must come first but not always with extreme manifestations of the Spirit. Certainly, spiritual gifts are bestowed and empowered by the Holy Spirit. But I know many believers who operate powerfully in these gifts but have never “fallen out” in the Spirit or felt electricity surging through their bodies and not all speak in tongues.

In 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 Paul gives extended teachings on spiritual gifts that include the “power” gifts of tongues, prophecy, healings, knowledge, miracles, interpretations, etc. in the same list as wisdom, mercy, administration, giving, serving, etc. along with teaching, worship, and evangelism and no one would require extreme manifestations of the Spirit before believing that individuals were operating in these gifts. In addition, Paul never suggests that these gifts are given or received in fundamentally different ways.

To be honest, most of us desire an extreme manifestation of the Spirit because it helps us to have faith that the Spirit has truly done something powerful within us for healing or for empowering. However, we must still be willing to live by faith and not by sight even when it comes to receiving from the Spirit. The evidence of the Spirit’s work in us, including baptism, may manifest over time as we recognize an increase in boldness, effectiveness, the ability to hear God, insights into scripture, a hunger for spiritual things, etc. It may also manifest in response to prayers we have offered up year after year for a spiritual gift that we have desired. That gift may begin to manifest in small ways and slowly and then develop as we use the gift rather than exploding on us as tongues did for the believers at Pentecost.

Remember, I do believe that many individuals have those extreme experiences when they receive the baptism of the Spirit but I also believe that the baptism can occur in more subtle forms. In the kingdom, fruit is the best evidence of what we have received and the fruit of new spiritual gifts, an increase in the effectiveness of gifts we already possess, an increase in boldness, or an upgrade in intimacy with the Father is evidence that we have received the baptism or a new filling. Like most things in the kingdom, we receive those things by asking with faith and then being open to how God responds. The gift of tonguesis certainly one evidence of “the baptism” but is not the only evidence. Wherever and however we operate in the power of the Spirit is ultimately evidence that we have received a baptism and, perhaps, subsequent baptisms for fillings.

Again, I believe the baptism of the Spirit is typically used to describe the first time we are infused with power or spiritual gifts but there will be fillings or more immersions in the Spirit to come. I believe we should always hunger for more, pursue more, and ask for more in our lifelong walk with Jesus and in special moments when we need a turbo-charge from the Spirit we may receive an unexpected filling. Be blessed and be baptized. If you want the baptism of the Spirit ask Jesus for it and then receive what he gives you by faith. If you are not satisfied, keep asking.

Acts 2 describes the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy that God would pour out his Spirit on all people. We know from the words of Jesus that this “pouring out” is closely associated with the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the power that would be imparted through that baptism. The question is whether that was a one-time event for the early church or whether it is available to believers today. We might also ask whether it is a one-time experience for believers or whether it can be experienced multiple times. Let me list several scriptures that may give us some insights to these questions. Notice the language in the scriptures and the ways in which the Spirit manifested in these believers.

Acts 2:1-8                   

 “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…(emphasis added)

Acts 4:23-24, 29-31

On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God…Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (emphasis added)

Acts 10:44-48

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days. (emphasis added)

Acts 8:14-18             

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. (emphasis added)

Acts 19:1-7                

 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. (emphasis added)

As you look at these verses, several things become apparent. Several phrases seem to be used interchangeably that describe the same experience. In Acts 2, the moment that tongues of fire appeared over the disciples and they began to speak in tongues is obviously the moment that Jesus had pointed them to when they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit and receive power for witnessing. In this text, baptism with the Spirit is described as being filled with the Spirit. The same language is used in Acts 4 when the same people who were filled in Acts 2 seem to be filled again. Both “fillings” resulted in miraculous signs and boldness to declare the word of God. In Acts 10, the Spirit is poured out even on the Gentiles so they are experiencing the same manifestation that the Jews experienced on Pentecost. The result was speaking in tongues and praising God just as the disciples had done on Pentecost as well. This “baptism with the Spirit” is also described as the Spirit coming on those believers and having been received by those believers. The same language is used in Acts 8 when the Samaritans responded to the gospel and again in Acts 19 in Corinth.

It appears that “baptism with the Spirit” is a moment when the Spirit comes upon a believer in abundance and when the believer receives something from the Spirit not previously given. The idea of receiving suggests that the believer is open to the experience and, perhaps, even desires more of the Spirit or more of what the Spirit offers than what he/she has already received. This idea parallels 1 Corinthians 12-14 where Paul discusses spiritual gifts (a form of empowerment by the Holy Spirit) and tells us that the Spirit distributes those gifts as he determines and invites believers to ask for more.

In summary, the baptism with the Spirit seems to be a moment when the Spirit falls on a believer and imparts power for ministry in some form. The fact that Jesus said that those who had faith in him would do what he had done and even more, requires that the baptism of the Spirit (the empowering of the Spirit) is still available today. It is often referred to as being filled with the Spirit or the Spirit coming on us or falling on us and can happen multiple times. It seems that our first experience of being filled is often called “baptism with the Spirit” and, indeed, a level of spiritual power or gifts remain in us from that point forward although the Spirit may add to that or magnify what is in us when circumstances call for it.

So what about tongues and prophecy and other miracles being manifested when the Spirit first empowers us? I will talk about that in my next blog.

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. Bill Johnson says that a gospel without power is no gospel at all. I agree. The New Testament model for preaching the gospel was the declaration that the Kingdom of God had come followed by a demonstration of that truth. Jesus declared, “But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you” (Lk.11:20). When John the Baptist began to question whether Jesus was truly the Messiah, Jesus told John’s followers, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.     Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me” (Mt.11:4-6).

It’s interesting that Jesus did not fit the preconceptions of even John the Baptist when it came to the fulfillment of his mission. Some were being tempted to fall away because Jesus was not using the methodology of the world (power and politics) to establish the kingdom of God on the earth. Today, many believers are much more comfortable with the strategies of the world to build churches than the power of the Spirit. Many church leaders are glad to bring on great music, great sound, state of the art media, celebrity testimonies, and global television productions but balk immediately at the thought of healings, deliverance, and raising people from the dead.

John tells us that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 Jn.3:8). Those works were unbelief, disease, demonic oppression, death before God’s appointed times, bondage, physical disabilities, etc. We know those are the works of the devil because those are the very things Jesus reversed over and over again in his ministry and then gifted his church to do the same. To destroy those works requires power and authority.

Jesus told his disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they received power when the Spirit came upon them. Having received that power they would then be equipped to be his witnesses throughout the world. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is closely associated with the “pouring out of the Spirit” in Acts 2. Jesus told his disciples to wait. They waited together as they had been instructed. Suddenly the sound of a violent wind was heard, fire appeared above the heads of the believers, they began to speak in languages they had not learned, and boldness entered into their hearts. Peter’s explanation for the event was that Joel’s prophecy had finally been fulfilled. “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. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy” (Acts 2:16-18).

In Acts 1:5, Jesus told his disciples that they would be baptized in the Spirit in a few days and that the Spirit would release power in them when they received that baptism. Power was manifested when the Spirit was poured out so the baptism of the Spirit is closely associated with the fulfillment of Joel 2. A close study of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament reveals that the Holy Spirit healed, raised the dead, prophesied, imparted supernatural power, performed miracles, produced dreams, and everything we see him doing in the New Testament. In the O.T., however, the Spirit was reserved for a few prophets, priests, kings, and judges. In the book of Acts that power is poured out in abundance and made available to every believer. In addition, the Holy Spirit takes up residence and goes to work maturing believers so that their character might match the gifts and power God places within them.

I believe this “pouring out of the Spirit on all flesh (all believers)” was the historic moment when the baptism of the Spirit was made available to every believer. Beginning at that moment, every follower of Jesus has the potential to receive great power from the Holy Spirit for boldness and miracles as we bear witness to the reality of Jesus to those around us. (More about that power today in my next blog).

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).