Taming the Tongue

Mike Connell

Copyright 2012 Mike Connell Ministries

http://mikeconnellministries.com

Audio Transcripts of regular Sunday Sermons

Taming the Tongue

Power of Words (1 of 12) Words have the power to change lives. You can empower people through words you speak, or cut them down. You can cause them to live, or to wither and die. Don't let your mouth be full of negative talk, but rather practice and make it a habit, a lifestyle of speaking words that build.

Diseases of the Tongue (2 of 12) When the tongue is not controlled then it has all kinds of dramatic and serious consequences in people's lives, but when the tongue is controlled, when we begin to yield our tongue and master the words we speak and begin to learn how to speak words that are God-given words, if we get into agreement with God and begin to speak the things God is saying about our life, our circumstances, our condition, our future, then we make way for God to move in those situations.

Empty Words (3 of 12) Words are containers – they carry a ‘spirit’ content. They are living seeds that produce fruit when spoken. The words we speak impacts our relationships, our personal health and destiny. What words are you releasing into the world around? Empty words include: flattery; religious Words; lame excuses; insincere commitments. God speaks words that create, impart life, and release spiritual authority. We are called to imitate god.

Dealing with Put-Downs (4 of 12) The Tall Poppy Syndrome is the words and behaviours intended to cut people down who are achievers or excellent in their field in some kind of way. It originated as a reaction in New Zealand and Australia to the class system of England and particularly the first place the tall poppy syndrome really began to express itself was against people who thought they were more important or better than anyone else, or carried on like they were, or projected I'm better than you. It started off as a reaction against the class system; now it's evolved. Now it's a reaction usually rooted in envy against anyone who shows excellence or achievement or gets ahead in a field. It's envy. The root behind it is envy, bitterness and envy.

Dealing with Put-Downs (5 of 12) If you connect with Jesus Christ and begin to listen to His dreams for your life, He will want you to stand up and become a tall poppy. He wants you to be one. You're called to represent heaven. You're called to stand out and be different. You're called to stand up and bring something of God into the earth.

Power Of Agreement (6 of 12) The words that we come into agreement with, and then begin to speak forth, create and shape our future and our destiny. Who are we agreeing with?

Hasty Words (7 of 12) Hasty words always have bad consequences. Words spoken out of inflamed emotions. Have you ever found afterwards you've had to say I wish I hadn't said that? When our emotions are stirred, we get angry, we get wound up on the inside, we say and do things we later regret. Anger is a strong, violent feeling. It is the seed that gives rise to murder. Be angry but do not sin. It becomes sin when we don't resolve it.

Verbal Abuse (8 of 12) How many know we live in a culture that really puts people down? If we don't break out of things which are spoken against us, then those negative words spoken in our life which we agree with will soon speak, and begin to set the course of our destiny.

Power of the Tongue (9 of 12) One of the biggest difficulties all marriages and families struggle with is the failure of men to actually speak words that give value, identity, purpose and encouragement to their wife and their children. Marriages languish for lack of words like plants languish for lack of water. Relationships languish for lack of words. They just wither. Use words to build relationships.

Wise Words (10 of 12) When God wants to change something in the natural world, He always gets someone to speak, because words are the way the power of God is released from the spirit world into the natural world. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Your tongue has power. With our tongue we express our words, ideas, feelings, and fears. If there's bitterness/anger or doubt/limitation in your heart, you'll express it through your tongue. Change on the inside, then you'll start to see the things change on the outside. Internal shifts first.

Shaping Your Own World (11 of 12) You know you've heard the old saying: sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me? Not true, because long after the bones have been fixed, the words and names you've been called are still ringing inside you like a message that won't go away, defining who you are. You cannot let what other people say define who you are. Let God define who you are. He's designed you and through relationship with Him, you begin to embrace what He has to say, and your life comes up to a different level.

Creative Power of the Tongue (12 of 12) Atmosphere is the prevailing influence that's around; it can't be seen but it can be felt. An atmosphere can affect your whole life, your quality of life. You can either thrive in it or be destroyed in it. Atmosphere gets polluted, it affects you very, very seriously.

Audio

- Power of Words (1 of 12).mp3

- Diseases of the Tongue (2 of 12).mp3

- Empty Words (3 of 12).mp3

- Dealing with Put-Downs (4 of 12).mp3

- Dealing with Put-Downs (5 of 12).mp3

- Power Of Agreement (6 of 12).mp3

- Hasty Words (7 of 12).mp3

- Verbal Abuse (8 of 12).mp3

- Power of the Tongue (9 of 12).mp3

- Wise Words (10 of 12).mp3

- Shaping Your Own World (11 of 12).mp3

- Creative Power of the Tongue (12 of 12) .mp3

Notes

- Power of Words (1 of 12)

- Diseases of the Tongue (2 of 12)

- Empty Words (3 of 12)

- Dealing with Put-Downs (4 of 12)

- Dealing with Put-Downs (5 of 12)

- Hasty Words (7 of 12)

- Verbal Abuse (8 of 12)

- Power of the Tongue (9 of 12)

- Wise Words (10 of 12)

- Creative Power of the Tongue (12 of 12)

Paperback

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- http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1481286102

Power of Words (1 of 12)

Sun 28 Oct 2007 AM  « Back to Top

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Words have the power to change lives. You can empower people through words you speak, or cut them down. You can cause them to live, or to wither and die. Don't let your mouth be full of negative talk, but rather practice and make it a habit, a lifestyle of speaking words that build.

Let's have a look in Ephesians 4, Verse 29. So things that I encourage you to just begin to fast off or to begin to confront; every one of us as got our own little giants. How many know they've got a giant, something that's pushing you down, holding you back? How many can recognise at least one that's doing that right now? Okay then, so for some of you it might be passivity. You just sort of shut down. That's a giant that holds you down so you're passive. You can't even begin to express or enjoy life. That's a spirit that gets around our life and we have to actually break out of the habit pattern of being passive sort of people, but there's other kinds of things. Some of us may be intimidated. We can have something that scares us and when you're intimidated your gifts won't flow, so you can't be all you're called to be if you live under the bondage of fear and are in agreement with the spirit of fear.

But I want to look at this area of negativity, where our mind, our thoughts, our heart and particularly our mouth talks negative stuff and let's just start off with this verse here in Ephesians 4:29, and it says let no corrupt word come out of your mouth. So how much room does it have for corrupt words or negative words? Let NONE, so why don't you circle 'none'. Don't let any. Zip your lip to negative talk. See, let no corrupt communication come out of your mouth. It doesn't mean stop talking. That would be just too much to ask, see [Laughter] . but rather speak words that will build up people. Speak words that are good to edify. Now words you speak are going to do something to you and the people around you. I'm going to talk a little bit about that further in a moment, but words have an ability to shape what's around us in the atmosphere and shape the relationships. In fact words have the power to shape the world we live in. Think about that.

So the Bible says put a stop to negative talk and rather practice and make it a habit to speak words that will actually edify and build up the world and the environment around you, see? Speak words - and then it goes onto an interesting thing. It says that it will minister grace or impart empowerment. You see you can empower people through words you speak, or you can cut them down. You can lift them up, or you can put them down. You can cause them to live, or you can cause them to wither and die. Words have the power to change lives and notice that straight after that it says, having exalted us, don't let your mouth be full of negative talk, but rather practice and make it a habit, a lifestyle of speaking words that build.

Then it goes on to begin to say, and don't grieve the Holy Ghost. So it tells us very clearly that negative words are associated with grieving the Holy Ghost, and if you grieve the Holy Ghost that means you make Him sad, you cause Him to withdraw, you cause Him to grieve and feel burdened about you. How can you be empowered to live a powerful, strong life if the one who's given to help you live that life, you're hurting Him and grieving Him and making Him sad all the time? I really encourage us to have a fast off negative words, because the very fact that you start fasting in that area - fast off food too, that'll get the negative words up to the surface much quicker [Laughter] . See, fast off food. You know when you fast off food, you can't believe how negative you get. You just have these feelings come over you, and they want to express.

We were sharing with the kids at camp how whatever's in you is going to find a way out of you, firstly on your face. See, secondly, through your words and finally, the things you do. So we were talking to the kids about getting filled with the Holy Ghost, so that certain things come out of our life. We talked about some things that'll come out of your life, so when you get in a fast, whatever's in there is going to come up, start to come out of your life and manifest, so don't worry if, when you fast, your problems appear to get really bad. It seems like they took on a life of their own, flared up and got out of control. That's perfectly normal. How many have found that, know what I'm talking about here?

You fasted to break the power of something in your life, and the moment you started fasting, it just suddenly got very, very bad, it got worse, aye? It's because now you've made a decision to war with it, it rises up to see how determined you are. See, sin has a life of it's own - so the Bible tells us then, not to grieve the Holy Ghost, not to cause Him to withdraw, not to cause Him to shut down. I want to talk with you a little bit about the power that is in your words. I want to make a statement that I felt the Holy Ghost put in my heart today. I'll read it so I get it right. The words we agree with, and the words we speak, create our future. That's powerful isn't it? I'm still thinking about that one. The words we agree with, and the words we speak, create our future. What words are you agreeing with? What words has your heart come in agreement and embraced and said, I believe that? Very soon you will be speaking those words, and the words that you have agreed in your heart and spoken with your mouth then begin to shape your future and your destiny.

Man, if you just got that bit you'd be doing well wouldn't you? I'm still thinking about that. The words we agree with, and the words we speak, shape our future - so our words have got tremendous power. Your words reveal who you are. You see you can put on act, you can do all kinds of things, but after a little while of listening, your words will show who you are, what kind of person you are. See, if we could just following you around, hear everything you were saying, you know what? We'd know exactly what kind of person you are, because your words come out of your heart. So the Bible tells us the words are the overflow of our heart. In Matthew, Chapter 12, Verse 34, it tells us, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks - so whatever's in your heart, whatever is you, see? Whatever's in your heart will overflow and come out your mouth, and so all you've got to do is catch yourself, what am I saying? Then you'll find out exactly what really is in your heart. So I know we come to church, we sing happy songs, and we love Jesus, and it's a wonderful feeling and all that kind of stuff, and it's beautiful. We feel the presence of God, but we've got often in that kind of situation unaware what is really in our heart. But if we listen to our words, after a while we'll begin to see what is in our heart. You've just got to listen and out of the heart, the mouth will speak.

Listen to the words. Now when you're listening to words, it's not just what they say, it's the impact, or the feel they create with the words. You see, Jesus said the words: I speak, they are spirit, and they are life. So when Jesus speaks words, they impart something of a spirit nature. That's why the first words that's recorded, God spoke, created something, so words can create something, so whatever's in your heart is creating something. So for example, if you're constantly critical of your husband, or constantly critical of your wife, constantly speaking and giving voice to negative things, you are creating a very sad marriage. You're actually creating the future, you then have to live with. Think about that.

Your words are creating an atmosphere, an environment, which will either sustain your life and nourish you, or will cause you to wither like a plant without water. Words. People want words. We need words. Even Jesus said, Matthew 4:4, man shall not live by bread alone. In other words, food is not enough to sustain us. Our soul needs words, words that love, words that encourage, words that build, prophetic words that speak destiny. There's a generation dying because there are no fathers to speak words of encouragement, love and faith and destiny. Without those words, people get lost. They don't know where to go. They're looking for something, so they look in the bottle, they look in drugs, they look in the cell, they look on the internet, look with games, look with high speed cars. They're looking for something, but what is needed are creative words to shape destiny.

You and I have got a unique ability to be able to create with our mouth, not only in our own life, but in the lives of others. Whoa! See, so whatever words you agree with, whatever you're speaking is creating a world around you. So what kind of atmosphere are you creating? You know you go into some people's places and they make you welcome and you feel quite, you know - but you go in, you feel man, what's in this place? Feel the atmosphere, and that atmosphere is actually spiritual atmosphere created by the words you speak, so either you've invited the Holy Spirit and the angels of God into your house, and the words you speak are cultivating that atmosphere, or you've invited demons into the house so now they're causing all kinds of other things.

Now I was just thinking about words, and sometimes you know, we kind of meekly agree with this, but I started to look in the Bible for some word pictures of what words are like, and I got some beauties. I started to look and search through the Bible and find out some pictures. Now sometimes when you hear words spoken, the impact, you don't fully appreciate it, but when you get a picture - I only wish I'd had the time to get some pictures of this, because if I got the pictures up, you'd be stunned enough to actually really have impact. I'll try and describe it to you, and I'll give you some scripture references, but I don't want us to spend a lot of time just looking up the verses. I'll give you the reference and what it says, but what I want you to do is get the picture it creates see, so that you begin to start to be aware my words are the overflow of my heart, and they are creating something.

How do I get into a relationship with God? Words. How did you get married? Words. It's true. Words establish the covenant. When those words were witnessed, and it was written down, the words you spoke - that's it. It's a binding covenant. See words on earth are listened to in the heavens. You speak cursing words, demons are just waiting, and they become empowered to begin to operate, so you can speak words into your own life. You can agree with words about your own life, and that way as you begin to give voice to them, that will cause demons to operate against you. You can agree with the words other people speak, and then when you agree with them and begin to repeat them, what happens then our demons are unleashed. See, agreement on the earth, and then giving voice to what we've agreed with, activates things in the supernatural realm. We have to understand the importance of that.

Of course, as you begin to realise this and start to fast, to break negative words and to tame the tongue - Bible says no man can tame it, only the Holy Ghost can tame your tongue. The first part of taming your tongue is to realise what it's saying, so I want to give you some pictures, some word pictures of what the tongue is likened to, or what our words are likened to. I'm going to give you about six different word pictures. I'll show you where they're found in the Bible, but I want you to get the picture of it, because as you get the picture of it, you begin to think my God, are my words like that! This sweet person sitting there and you look so nice and we all look lovely, got our hands raised to Jesus today and then tomorrow something else is coming out of our tongue, see?

The Bible says it shouldn't be like that. You know today you're blessing God, and tomorrow you're cursing someone near to you, that you're supposed to be loving. Come on now. I want to give you some word pictures. These are good ones I found in the - these are really [laughs] man, I was shocked. In 2 Timothy 2, Verse 17, it says in talking about certain kinds of people, it says their word eats like cancer - or if you look up the original it means like Gangrene. I don't know if you've ever seen Gangrene. Gangrene is where the flesh has actually died, and not only has it died, it's started to turn green and give a horrible smell off, and it not only does that, it begins to poison the body. So if a person gets Gangrene in them, if they get Gangrene in them, then what happens is you've got to amputate that limb. There isn't any remedy. The flesh is actually dying, and it's starting to turn septic, and if you don't deal with it, it begins to poison the whole body. When a person's got Gangrene, death is imminent. When there's Gangrene, death is imminent. In the medical field - and I don't know a lot about it - but if they see Gangrene all the emergency bells go off. You're into that operating theatre right quick, because it will poison the whole system. You can't have Gangrene in one bit. It gets in and affects the whole lot, so it says there, words, it's talking about certain words eating your whole life away, like a gangrene would eat a limb away, and poison the whole body.

Gangrene - ask somebody have you got gangrenous words? Oh, cancer. See the word cancer? Uses words like a king. It's like it eats away, like a worm eating away. Think about that. That's a horrible picture. I don't like the smell of that. I don't want to have cancer. I'll get you another couple of words. Here's another word found in James, Chapter 3, Verse 8. Just read the verse there, and it talks about words, or the tongue. Here it is; No man can tame the tongue, for it us unruly or uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison. Now that word poison there actually has two meanings to it, so we're going to give you both meanings. You notice what it says, it says deadly. That means it carries death. The tongue can carry death.

Imagine just carrying a little bag around on you and you got something to give to people. Here it is. Some people have got a little bag of it, some people have got a huge bag of it, but here they're carrying it around and you know what it is? That word deadly means death bearing. They carrying around death, ready to give it to someone, and the word poison has two meanings. Number one, it means rust. It means literally rust. Any of you know about rust? Men know about rust. Get it in your car, it's a big problem. In fact rust, you know you get it in your car, and it starts off as a little bit, then it begins to spread and it starts off like a little wee bit on the surface, and then it begins to eat. Finally it's eaten the metal out, then it begins to spread out, so you kind of cover it up and patch it up but it breaks out again. So you cover it again and patch it up, breaks out again, put some paint over it. But in the end if there's rust there, it always comes through the paint. No matter how good the car looks, the rust always come through the paint, so no matter how sweet you dressed yourself up, no matter how good we look on the outside, if we've got bitterness and negativity in our heart, it's a rust that eventually shows through that fine paintwork of yours.

You go along and test a new car if you want to buy a second car. You go along and test it, the thing you want to look for is rust. Some cars, in England, they put salt on the road where there's a lot of snow. Of course the car gets the salt under it, and it just eats the thing out. You've got this fine looking car, but underneath she's all eaten out. It's actually not fit for the road, so you take your car - now one of the things they'll put the car off the road for is rust. So you get your car down there and it looks fine, starts up, got a lovely stereo pumping, looks nice, everything's painted up and looks good. Take it down there and then they cancel the Warrant. There's no new Warrant given to you and you say why? Why didn't I get a new Warrant? Look at the stereo! Look at the car seats. Look at the colour, look at the paint on the thing, it's brilliant! And they say it's got rust underneath in the chassis - so it's not roadworthy.

How about a Christian being not roadworthy? Called on a great mission, but no Warrant of Fitness. Got no Warrant of Fitness, what happens? You leave your car parked out on the road, no Warrant of Fitness, come on. Now don't tell me you don't know. There wouldn't be many of us haven't had that one time. No Warrant of Fitness, they give you a fine. You should not be on the road. You're not even allowed to park it on the road. When you haven't got a Warrant of Fitness, it's a crime even to have it out on the road. Imagine Christians being without a Warrant of Fitness, out on the road, trying to extend the kingdom of God. Trouble is their chassis's full of rust. Negative talk spewing out, criticise the boss, talking negatively about this, negatively about that, they're on about every kind of thing. Listen, that is not roadworthy. You can't accomplish anything with that kind of rust working in your life. You've got to get it out, got to cut the rust out, get the thing strengthened. Sometimes you've got to actually cut it all out, put a whole new beam in there.

Here's another meaning of that word. It means deadly poison. It means a venom, so it means two words - it's a cancer, a gangrene or it's a rust or it's a - these are good words aren't they? The Bible's actually got quite good descriptive words about our tongue. What's coming out of our life. Imagine carrying around a big bag of deadly poison see, and you're about ready to impart it to someone. You've got to not only deal with it in our own lives, but what we need to do is recognise when it's operating in someone else, and take preventative action. Okay then, so the next is venom. Now I looked up on venom, so it's the poison, so when a snake bites you - a venomous snake is a snake that's got poison. When it bites you, sometimes the bite itself is not a real problem, just a couple of punctures, but it's the venom that gets in you, and that word there, the tongue - the tongue is a deadly poison, means the tongue is a deadly venom. When a snake bites you, and there's venom in you, there's two kinds of different responses you have depending on the type of snake that bit you. One of them is the venom paralyses the nervous system slowly, so you can't actually breathe. Your system, in the end, you actually suffocate, because your whole nervous system shuts down. The nervous system is that part of us that causes us to be sensitive and aware to directions from the head, so when you have got a deadly poison working inside you, you can't actually respond to what God's saying properly at all. You're paralysed. Death is imminent.

The other kind of venom produces gangrene in a person's life, and so when a person gets bitten, what happens is the flesh begins to die all around the bite, and it keeps on and on and on. If it's not cut out, they die. Whoa! That's the tongue. Has anyone not got a tongue? All got a tongue. Okay, the thing that differs is what we're using the tongue for. So what are you using your tongue for? Are you building consciously, taking dominion over it, and using it to build, or you lose control of it? Suddenly you find you've blabbed out. You can't get those words back once they've gone out there. They're already out there doing their work. It's real hard to get them back, and after you've blabbed off your mouth, you can't seem to get the words back. Even if you go and say sorry, you can't get it back, because it's still done it's work. It's still hurt someone, and saying sorry, recognising, taking responsibility for the words, but it doesn't heal. The person's then been bitten by venom.

So here's another. James 3, Verse 6, it says the tongue is a fire. I was just looking at that stuff up in California, and they think someone may have lit it, but anyway whatever it is, this whole house is burning down because of a fire they couldn't control. Notice what it tells about the tongue. Look at the tongue - Verse 5; the tongue is a little member, very, very small. There's some have got a bigger tongue than others, but it boasts great things, and see how great a forest, the little fire starts. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. It's set among our members, and it defiles the whole body, it sets on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell itself. Whoa! Whoa! So hell - now we find that hell has got a gate. At least one of them, I know what the gate is. Have a look in the mirror and it's found just here. That's where hell gets to work. Straight from our heart, out our mouth, is one of the gates of hell.

Jesus said the church that He's building will prevail against the gates of hell, so we've got to learn to use our mouth to build words, to have words that build. To do that, we've got to get to sort through the issues of the things of the heart. I'll give you a couple more. In Psalm 64 and Verse 7, it says the tongue fires out arrows. Ooh. Imagine - suppose it went down, and you have a look there, and you see that you come out to a field there, and you notice there's a whole lot of people, and they're practising archery. They've got their bow, fine set of arrows and they've got this compound bow, and they're just launching the arrows. Man, it's great! It's great if you stand behind the people who are shooting. [Laughter]. It's not so nice if you're at the front and you're the target. If you're the target, and they hit you with one of those arrows, you will hurt, and the Bible says, there is that speaks like the piercing. So it goes - there's woundings that go deep down into people. Gossip wounds people. It's like an arrow in them, and it goes right into the core of their being, and it begins to work away on the inside, like a snake actually. So you don't want to be in front of someone shooting.

So if people are talking to you, and they've got poison in their mouth, and they're talking negative, shut it down. Don't let them keep talking arrows, because some of them are going to get in there, and once you agree with them, you'll find they start to grow in you, and then you're talking the same stuff. Whoa! What are we coming into agreement with? What are we listening to? What are we welcoming into our inner world, that then is beginning to express through the outer world, of our language and words?

Proverbs 18, Verse 18 describes the tongue as causing wounds. The words of a tale bearer are like wounds that go right down into the inner most parts. That word wound again is the same kind of thing. Imagine that. That's a whole heap of descriptions of words. I wonder if anyone - now of course we won't just make it personal. We'll just keep it away from you, because you might feel uncomfortable for the moment - but I wonder if any one of you have been exposed to, or could think of someone, as you were listening to them talk, their words are like a deadly poison. It affects people. How many have been in homes been ripped apart by words? How many of you have been there, and it's like a rust? You know what I'm talking about, talking about rust just eating the thing out. You've seen whole families eaten out by bitterness, fighting. It always is expressed through words, always through words.

So words have tremendous power. That's why the Bible gives us these pictures of things that we can recognise, so we'll hate it. If you saw a snake, I know you'd jump out of the way, but if you see someone or hear someone talking, and they've got bitterness in their heart, you need to do something. A serpent is about to bite you. How does it bite you? First you've got to agree with what's being said. You've got to listen and agree with what's being said, and once you agree with what's being said, those words then begin to find a place in you to grow as a wound, a sore, rust, a fire, cancer or whatever. Then they will find expression through you, and will begin to start to impact others.

Let me just give you - we won't look them up just in the interest of time, but let me just give you some examples in the Bible of this kind of thing. First of all agreeing with words; now there are lots of ways we can agree with words. In Numbers, Chapter 13 and 14, it tells us in Numbers, Chapter 13, that 12 people went into the Promised Land, and God showed them some wonderful things. God showed them many, many wonderful things but what happened was, 10 of them came back, and they came back, and what was in their hearts was negativity, and it flowed out. They began to say things - we can't do it! We can't, it's too hard. There's giants, and they build big walls. Yeah, I know God's good, but this is too big for Him even. And this is what God said; the very words you spoke, determine your future. You won't be able, and you won't enter. See how important it is?

God said, I've heard what you spoke, and I agree with you, so it's not going to happen. Isn't that a shocking thing? Caleb said, our God is mighty! If He is with us, we are well able. Joshua said, I've brought word, as was in my heart. You see, one group of people looked at the circumstances, and doubt and fear and negativity and feeling sorry for themselves - all of those things arose, and they agreed with it. Once they agreed with it, they spoke it, and that was their destiny. Joshua and Caleb, the Bible says, they agreed with the Lord. He said, I brought word as was in my heart. What was in his heart? Our God is with us, we're well able. See, what gets in your heart, is what finds expression through your mouth. Hence the heart has to be cleansed, because that's the source of the trouble with the tongue. You can stop talking, but in the end, you've still got stuff in the heart, see?

So what are we coming into agreement with? In 2 Samuel, Chapter 15, there was a guy called Absalom. People listened to him, and this is what he was doing. He was running down the king and promoting himself, and the people who agreed with him then followed him, and then their lives were destroyed. It's really important what you're agreeing with. Are we agreeing with what God says about us?

Listen, you may have rejection. Rejection has a voice. You may have fear; fear has a voice. You may have shame, or self-pity. These things have a voice. If you hear those voices speaking, and agree with them, you will come into alignment, start to speak it - oh, I can't do anything. Oh, there's not much love around here. Nobody loves me. See, I've come into agreement, now I'm speaking, and you know what? It's true, I'll have all of those things. It's true because I've agreed in my heart, and started to echo it, and speak these things. See demons, when they get into a person's life, first of all speak to you. Listen, Eve came into agreement with the Devil's words, and then began to speak them, then that's when the problem started. It defined her destiny. She let the Devil, let his words come into her heart. Once the words got in there, and she agreed with him, and gave voice to them, then her destiny was described.

What you agree with, and begin to speak, will shape and create your future. It's really important. I don't know who you've been agreeing with, or what you've been agreeing with. See, we could be agreeing with negatives that have been spoken into our life; perhaps someone spoke over you, you're no good, you'll never amount to anything. Now if you agree with that, then that will actually begin to reflect through your life, and your mouth, and it'll shape your future. We have to break the agreement with the negatives that we've been listening to over the years, and begin to start to meditate, and come into agreement with what God says, and reflect that into our world.

Now the problem is, if our experiences have been real bad, it actually is a shift of faith to abandon the speaking and thinking, and begin to start to think and speak like God wants us to think and speak like. But when you start to do it, your experience goes from here, and shifts up to here. You've made room for the word of God, and the spirit of God, to move. See if we begin to say well, I can't do that, I can't - someone's spoken over our life, you're dumb, you're stupid, you're thick, you'll never come to anything. Now, you see and you begin to agree with that, because you are wounded by it, very soon oh, I can't do much. I can't do anything - so God begins to come into your life, and He talks about your destiny. Oh, I can't do that. See, we're in agreement with the past words spoken. Got to break the agreement.

Now one of the things that David was preaching and speaking into the church as prophetic word was, we need to resolve the past, and become empowered in the present. Then our future begins to reflect what God has given us, to break the things of the past we've got to recognise them, and break my agreement with them. Sometimes that means I've got to forgive people who've hurt me, but always it means I need to cancel my agreement with the words and the thoughts, and begin to speak something different.

The Bible tells us a whole kind of lot of words that people speak that create problems: lying words; flattering words; too many words. See, empty words; - we'll maybe share some of those soon, but what I want to just talk about that agreement. Let me just finish with this last thing here now, just on this area.

Number one, the words we agree with; number two, the words we speak. Now let me just give you a second one, and that is Abraham. This is a really good example is Abraham. Abraham's a brilliant example. I'll tell you why he's a brilliant example. Do you know God said? God said, I want you to look up, see Abram, see all the stars? He said that's what your descendants are going to be like. Have a look down, you see the sand? That's what your descendants are going to be like, and you know what? In order to get this right, I'm going to change your name, and this is what I want you to do. You're not going to be called Abram. You're going to be called Abraham, so at any time anyone says to you who are you, you won't say oh, I'm Abram, and I'm old, and my wife's old, and we've got no kids. What you'll say is, at 90-plus and your wife's 90-plus, He said you'll begin to declare I'm the father of nations, and every night when you look up at the stars, your heart will begin to be filled with the vision of a multitude. Every day when you rise up, and someone says who are you? I'm the father of nations. When you look out, and you walk through the desert and see the sand, your heart will be filled with My promise. Day and night, your heart will fill with My promise. See, the heavens and the earth will speak My promise to you.

Now we don't have that. We have the word of God, so God wants us day and night to have His word come into our heart about who we are, and what we're called to do, and what we can do, and what we can be, and then we need to give voice to it. If someone says who are you? Oh well, I'm just an old man. Listen! I'll tell you who you are! You're a child of God! You're the daughter and son of a king! You're royal family, destined to rule, destined to reign. You have a destiny! Listen, what are you agreeing with? What are you agreeing with? What words are you listening to in your heart that are negative and defeat-filled words? You're reflecting them into your environment, and creating that kind of thing.

Listen, we need to fast off that stuff. See fasting is not just having to do without. I'm actually going to cancel it's power completely. I'm going to deal with this thing at it's root, and the root is always in the heart, and it's expressed through the mouth. See God wants us to come into agreement with Him. Let me just finish with one last scripture. The Bible says in Hebrews 3, Verse 1, Jesus is the high priest of our confession. Now that word confession means, speaking the same thing that God is saying about us, and about our circumstances. See, so what I need to do is, agree with what God says about me, and about my family, and about my marriage, and about my finances, and about my world, because if I agree with Him, I position myself to come up to actually see Him work on my behalf.

It says, Jesus is the high priest of what? The high priest's role was to go into the presence of God, intercede on behalf of others, and begin to receive blessing and bring it out to the people. So when Jesus goes before the Father, He's got something to go with. It's your confession! And not just talk and talk, and confessing about your sins. That's the lowest level of confession - important, but it's not where - that's a start point. We confess our sins, positions us to be forgiven, provided I believe Jesus died on the cross for them. But listen, see God is wanting us to access the realm of the supernatural, so He has to have something to work with. When I come in here, we begin to praise the Lord, and thank the Lord, express it. Why do we do that? Because I want Jesus to have something to work with.

I've got to give Him something to work with. I've got to give Him something from my heart; gratitude, praise, confession. I've got to begin to declare things. You notice some of the songs, and the songs that help us come into the presence of God, they are declaring things. See, you listen to that song, Lord, You're My Healer. You're My Healer. You know, that man positioned himself to get the healing, because it was in His heart that God's a healer and he spoke it out of his mouth. He said, I'm going to write a song about it. Even if I die, long after I've died, they'll still be singing the song, Lord, You're My Healer. You're my portion.

I just have thought about that for a week or so, what it's like to sit in a chair, your body slowly losing energy, breaking down, you can't even stand without breaking limbs. No strength, everything's brittle, but in the heart there's no negativity, there's just Lord, You're My Healer. I believe you're my portion. What a great thing - but he positioned himself you see, because Jesus, the high priest of that confession - now this is what I like about that song. This one man didn't just make a confession of faith, and agree with what God said, and position himself for the healing. He wrote a song that could touch and bring others into it, so the very thing that the devil sent to destroy him, becomes not just the stepping stone of his own faith, but actually makes a provision and a blessing for other people to experience God.

People are waiting for you to break through. All around you, there's someone waiting for you to break through from negativity. Maybe there's some relationships you need to cut off. Listen, not all friendships and relationships help us achieve what God wants. The devil is well able to send people into your life, full of negativity, who just eat out what God is trying to do, and you don't even know it. You've got some sense of false loyalty, you're holding onto those people, thinking that this is going to change them. Well, if they haven't changed in three years, what makes you think they're going to change? But what's been happening to you, while that negativity's been getting into your ears? Think about it - fast off negativity.

To fast off negativity means, I need to recognise Lord, I need you to show me in my heart, where I have embraced negative thoughts, doubts, despair, unbelief, self-pity, reasonings, where I've listened to gossip, listened to rumours, focussed on negative things. I want you to show me where the things are. Every time you show me something, I'm repenting, I'm disagreeing with it. I'm breaking my agreement with that thing, and I'm going to begin to declare the things that You say to me.

Start off - give up the news for a while. Give up your papers. Give up the television. Give up the stuff that's filling you full of despair and hopelessness. Fast off it. Some people can't even begin a day without having to look at the news, see what's happening. I'll tell you what's happening - it's all bad. Well, that's the bit they're reporting on, but actually there's heaps of good stuff, but you didn't hear about that. See, you didn't hear about that, unless you looked at Shine TV or something like that. You didn't hear about it on most of the main channels. The main channels are concerned with the negativity. It sells. People are absorbed with it. There's something in us - we want to see someone else fail and fall so we'll feel better. How perverse.

Hey, God wants us to change on the inside. Come on, let's make a decision in our heart. Listen, the Bible says if you believe with your heart and confess with your mouth, Christ is Lord, salvation comes to you. If that's how our faith starts, that's how it continues. I believe that God provides for me. I believe that God comes through for me. I let my heart dwell and meditate on His word, until it truly is rooted in my heart.

I refuse to agree with the doubts and the negatives. I begin to speak day by day. I believe You're my portion. I believe You are all I need to fulfil my life. I believe, and as I begin to declare those things, I start to make a way in my life for the spirit of God to move afresh.

Let's close our eyes right now. Father, we just thank you that you are committed to teach and instruct us, and to cancel and break the power of negativity, which rests like a blanket over New Zealand, over so many people in this nation. It shouldn't be here Lord, we have such a fine nation, such a wonderful place to live, and yet Lord, we confess to You today, that we have imbibed of the spirit of the nation, negativity and criticism and judgementalism. Today we repent of those things, and turn from them, and we ask Lord, You begin to help us and give grace, that our heart might be filled with good things. Whatsoever things are good and true and just, lovely and have good rapport, any virtue, any praise, any good thing; Lord, we give ourselves to think on those things, and reflect those things from our life, that Your spirit might move supernaturally, and our lives could have a powerful impact.

Father, I ask that for every one of us, over the coming months Lord, the whole issue of negativity will begin to be exposed by Your spirit, and we'll be given grace to repent and change, that our words might be words that refresh and build people. Bless them, and speak words that break bondages, and bring releases of the power of God. Lord, I just thank You right now You're going to do it.

Summary Notes:  Formatted »  Back to Top »

1. Introduction:

· Joshua 3:5 - “Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you”.

· People of God positioned to receive their promised inheritance.

· God requires hem “sanctify yourselves” – prepare heart/life so positioned to receive.

· Sanctify = 6942 = to prepare, dedicate, set apart.

· One area must face: Tongue – negativity.

· Ephesians 4:29 - No corrupt communication – do not grieve the Holy Spirit.

· Corrupt = 4550 = rotten, corrupted by age, no longer fit for use.

· Words we speak impact relationships and impact presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

· Grieve = 3076 = to make sorrowful, affect with sadness, put into sorrow.

2. The Power of your Words:

· The words we agree with in our heart and the words we speak shape our present and create our future.

· Proverbs 18:21 – “Death and life are in the tongue and those who love it will eat its fruit”.

· Words we speak can impart death to ourselves and others or impart life.

· Words we speak:

i) Reveal who we are - Matthew 12:34

ii) Flow out from what is in the heart - Matthew 12:30

iii) Shape and create our environment - Proverbs 18:21

- atmosphere

- relationships

· Words have a ‘spirit quality’ that shapes our world.

- ‘Angry words’ – fill the atmosphere with ‘tension’ – the demonic present.

- ‘Encouraging words’ impart life to ourselves and others.

· “Fruit” = the consequence of the “word seeds” we have sown.

3. Bible Pictures of Negative Words:

i) Words are like cancer/gangrene:

· 2 Timothy 2:17 - “…their word does eat like a cancer…”

· Cancer is like a deadly cell that spreads and invades the body destroying it.

· Gangrene – dead flesh that spreads and kills without amputation.

ii) Words are like rust:

· James 3:8 - “ The tongue no man can tame – it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison”.

· Poison = 2447 = Rust

· Words can eat out and destroy relationships like rust eats out metal.

iii) Words are like snake venom:

· James 3:8 - “But the tongue no man can tame, it is an unruly evil full of deadly poison”.

· Poison = 2447 = snake venom.

· Snake venom:

i) Paralyses the nervous system leading to suffocation.

ii) Kills tissue and spreads through the body like gangrene.

· Deadly = 2287 = deathbearing.

iv) Words are like fire:

· James 3:5-6 - “…the tongue is a fire …and it is set on fire by hell”.

· A very small fire can cause destruction of unstable areas of property, endanger and destroys lives.

· The tongue sets on fire “the course of nature” i.e. an career, life course.

· The tongue is set on fire by hell = a spiritual power.

v) Words are like arrows:

· Psalm 64:3 - “… their tongues like a sword and bend their bows and shoot their arrows, even bitter words”.

· Arrows penetrate a person’s body destroying organs, poisoning.

· Words spoken can penetrate and wound like an arrow.

· Even words spoken in humor can be like arrows – Proverbs 26:18.

vi) Words are like wounds:

· Proverbs 18:8 - “The words of a tale bearer are as wounds, they go into the innermost parts of the belly”.

· Words spoken can deeply wound people – impact their spirit.

· Wound = 3859 = to burn, cause bitter irritation.

Root – Latin = little snake, festering sore.

4. Words Shape and Create our Destiny:

· James 3:3-5 - “the tongue – like a horses bridle , a ships rudder.

- the tongue can direct life like a horse’s bridle or a ship’s rudder.

- By agreeing and speaking we release:

i) Spirit of God

ii) Demons

a) Agreement:

· Agree = to give consent to, harmonize with, come into one mind with.

· E.g. Genesis 3:1-5 - “Eve came into agreement with devils words.

· E.g. 2 Samuel 15:3-4/11 - People came into agreement with Absolom’s words.

· The words they agreed with => actions => destiny.

· What words are you coming into agreement with?

· E.g. Words of rejection / shame / fear / self-pity / unbelief?

E.g. Words of criticism / gossip?

b) Speaking:

· To utter aloud what is in our heart.

· Numbers 13:30-32 - Israel / Caleb spoke words.

· Numbers 14:26-28 - The words they spoke determines their future.

· Genesis 17:5 - Abraham – ‘Your name shall be Abraham’, father of nations.

God put before Abraham a vision of his descendants – sand, stars.

Everybody spoke his name, they spoke his destiny.

· The words we agree with and speak shape or present and determine our future.

Diseases of the Tongue (2 of 12)

Sun 4th Nov 2007 AM  « Back to Top

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When the tongue is not controlled then it has all kinds of dramatic and serious consequences in people's lives, but when the tongue is controlled, when we begin to yield our tongue and master the words we speak and begin to learn how to speak words that are God-given words, if we get into agreement with God and begin to speak the things God is saying about our life, our circumstances, our condition, our future, then we make way for God to move in those situations.

Okay, would you open your Bible with me. We're going to just carry on where we were last week. We're talking about Taming the Tongue. The Bible says that no one can tame the tongue, but God can. God can, when he changes the heart, and I just want you to pick up where we were in Joshua 3:5, Joshua, Chapter 3, Verse 5. It's got nothing to do with the tongue really, but it's just the scripture God put in my hand in relationship to just speaking about this area. And Joshua said to the people, sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you. Sanctify, or separate, or prepare your heart, prepare your lives, for God desires to do unusual things, impossible things, miracles among you.

Or another way of putting this, he's saying position yourself today, so that God can do unusual, different things in your life tomorrow. The choices you're making today, decisions you're making today, are preparing your tomorrow. Now here's one of the interesting things on that story, that they went from that place there, into their first encounter in battle to possess the Promised Land, and do you know what God required for them to do? Nothing. They had to actually master the tongue.

Now I want you to think, sometimes we read this story the Bible tells us in Joshua, Chapter 6, that they walked around the city of Jericho for six days. Every day they went around it several times. Every day they went around it, and no one was allowed to speak, or to talk, or to say anything. Now I want you just to imagine what that's like. Here you are, it's your first conflict. This is the first battle in the Promised Land. This is a history-making battle, and the strategy that Joshua's come up with is, no one talks. Six days they walk around, and the seventh day they walked around it seven times, and then at the end he gave the command to give a shout, so for six days they had to walk around. Now I want you to think what that is like for a man who's armed, who's got a shield and sword, and they've got trumpets playing. He'll be thinking what kind of battle is this? What kind of leadership is this? We just walk around the place.

Every day they walk around it, they see how big the walls are, they hear the jeering of the enemy. Every day they're walking around, and no one's allowed to say anything. No one is allowed to speak a negative thing. You can't say anything positive, well don't say a negative. For six days they had to walk around, and in that period of six days, they developed in their heart a vision of the city falling down, and on the seventh day, when they let the shout out, can you imagine the anticipation on the seventh day, and they go round it seven times, then they all stop and face the city. Then the whole lot let out a shout - seven days in the making! Actually 40 years in the making - and a shout went out, and the Bible tells us that God heard this, and the walls fell down flat, and they went straight into the city.

It's interesting. This is the first battle in the Promised Land, and they had to control the tongue; the very first encounter in the New Testament with the church, the Holy Ghost came on them, and they spoke in tongues and magnified God. God got a hold and control of their tongue. The tongue, I suppose it's a very little thing, but it says it actually controls the whole of your life. James 3 says like the rudder on a ship, it'll control where it goes. It's like a bridle in a horse's mouth, it'll control where you go. I only have to listen to what you're saying, and I can tell where you're going. Think about that. So we're going to just share a few words. I want to just follow this theme with taming of the tongue, but I want to pick up today on some diseases of the tongue - some diseases of the tongue.

But first let's just have a look at a couple more verses. I want you to have a look with me in Psalm 34. We shared last week that the words you agree with in your heart, and the words you speak, shape your future. We talked about a wedding; you get married, you had something in your heart, you come into agreement with it, and then you spoke the words out, and there it is, you're hitched. You're hitched. You made a commitment, and there it is, so before you say the words, think it through. It's a good principle to success - think it through. Anyway, let's have a look in Chapter 34 or Psalms, Verse 11; Come and listen to me, and I'll teach you the fear of the Lord, so he's talking about having the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, beginning of success in life. And he says, who is the one that loves life, and wants many days, that he may see good?

When he asks this question, who is it, that would really love a great life, and would like their days to be filled with many blessings? I guess that's everyone here, then he says well, deal with your tongue. Deal with the words you're saying, because the words you're speaking are shaping the world you live in. Relentlessly, day by day they're shaping your relationships; they shape the spiritual atmosphere over you. They shape your destiny, so he's saying - notice this what he says. He says very clearly concerning the tongue, if you want a good life, and you want to have good days, many days that you may see good, keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil, do good, seek peace, and pursue it. So he makes it very clear, that there is a very close connection between the kind of life we have, and the way we speak.

Obviously people who are very angry, very hasty with their words, they have a very poor life, because all the people around them are in conflict and turmoil, because they speak angry, hostile words, so the words we speak have tremendous power.

Jesus said, the words I speak, they are spirit, and they impart or bring life to people, so your words are unusual. Your words have a capacity to change the spiritual atmosphere around you, to release the spirit of God to move, and to create a better future for yourself - or to shut down your future, open the way for demons. A little later, when we begin to talk about releasing the power of God, you will realise that the power of God is primarily released by words spoken. Last term we were doing a whole series on undercover. I really appreciate all who put their hand up and led a group. I thank you for your commitment, because it was just life-changing for so many people, but doing that and coming under cover, the whole purpose of that is to position yourself, so you're in a place where you can begin to express the authority of God, and change the world around you.

It's done in many ways, but the one we're looking at at the moment, are the kinds of words that we speak, the sort of words that you speak, and last week we shared about different pictures of what the tongue is like. We found that the Bible described it in one place like gangrene; a poisonous tongue was like gangrene. We saw it was described like snake venom. We saw it described in one place in scripture like rust. In other words, when the tongue is just out of control it's like a fire, it's like an arrow. It actually has power to hurt people. We saw that when the tongue is not controlled, then it has all kinds of dramatic and serious consequences in people's lives, but when the tongue is controlled, when we begin to yield our tongue, and master the words we speak, and begin to learn how to speak words that are God-given words, if we get into agreement with God, and begin to speak the things God is saying about our life, our circumstances, our condition, our future, then we make way for God to move in those situations.

You will be surprised, we talked last week about coming to a point where we begin to fast off negative talk, fast off talk which is destructive. How many people had a go at that this week? There's a few. How many found it was a bit of a challenge actually? Bit of a challenge, you couldn't help that tongue going [blab blab] [Laughter] Once the words are out, you can't get them back again, that's the problem - I wish I hadn't said that. We don't want to be in that place of saying, I wish I hadn't said that, having to cancel the power of the words and take them back, and eat our words with a bit of humble pie. We don't want to do that. We want to learn to actually let our heart be changed, so we can speak words that shift things.

I've known people who have prayed and commanded demons, nothing happened, and then when something came into their heart, and their heart was changed, they began to say the same sorts of things, and the power of God was in their words. You must have words that have substance, and we're going to just over two Sundays, I want to just share with you some common things, which are very common. Actually I thought there's a lot of things in the Bible. I felt I'd take the ones that I personally have had to wrestle and break through, either because this is what's come against me, or because I've had the issue in my own heart and had to deal with it. I felt that would bring more life to do it that way. You can make a search yourself in the Bible of these things.

Notice in Proverbs 21, Verse 23; Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue, keeps his own soul from troubles. So you keep your own soul - so the words you speak not only create an atmosphere around you, and affect the people around you. They actually affect your own life. Interesting isn't it, that when we got the Holy Ghost, we got the gift of tongues. The gift of tongues, when you begin to pray in tongues, it actually edifies or builds your spirit man. If you understand the power of words, and begin to start to speak into your own spirit, you begin to start to speak words in tongues, your whole spirit man becomes energised and full of life. So the words we speak have got tremendous power to change our life, affect us. You begin to speak words over your life - I'd never be able to do that. I can't do anything. I never get things right. You start to speak that kind of word over you, you then come into agreement in your heart with failure, and you make the way for demons to help you achieve your goal. It's very, very powerful. We need to understand this important principle.

However, in Proverbs 15, Verse 4, look at this one. A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. The wholesome tongue; the tongue has the power to bring healing to people. You can actually speak words that bring healing to people, touch their spirit, encourage them, lift them up. Imagine having a life like this where everywhere you went, the words you spoke lifted people up, and gave them encouragement. Imagine deciding every day, that I will speak words that will minister grace to people. I'll actually empower people through the words I speak, and even if they speak negatively, I'm not going to be defiled by that. I'm actually going to be proactive in changing this environment, by speaking words that build. It's a choice. It's actually a lifestyle, a whole lifestyle.

The Bible tells us - I want to show you a Verse in a moment, a very, very powerful Verse about our relationship - there's a number of them, but our relationship with God is greatly affected by the kind of words we speak. God listens to the words you speak. I want to show you this, and have a look with me first of all in Proverbs 27 and Verse 19. The root of the issue is the heart, so if we're going to deal with the tongue, you've got to deal with the heart, what lies in the heart, but the tongue gives an indication of what's in the heart. So the tongue's like the flag waving [laughs] and it tells you what's going on. You listen to people talk. Within a very short time you know what's in their heart.

So in Proverbs, Chapter 27, Verse 19, look what it says here. It says as in water, face reflects face, so a man's heart reveals the man. So he's using an illustration of a mirror. When you look in a mirror, you see yourself, you see exactly what you're like, you see the exact image, so you look at the mirror - oi, spots! Need a shave. Need some make-up. You actually see what you're like - and so the Bible says when you look into the person's heart, as the heart is, that's what the person's really like. So how are you going to look at the heart of a person? It's very simple. The way you look into the heart of a person is, you listen to the words they speak. If you want to see the heart of a person, listen to the words they speak.

Have a look in Matthew, Chapter 12. We'll read these Verses here - so if I want to know the state of a person, their condition, where they're at, what's going on in their heart, I've only got to listen to how they're talking, and the words they're speaking, and then the feeling of those words, what sensation or impression the words leave me. It's interesting with people, their words sound okay, but after you've been with them, you realise your spirit has been deeply affected. Something is wrong. You don't know what it is, you can't work out what it is, but actually what's happened is, you have picked up the flow from their inner man, their heart, and if you can identify what you feel, then you'll actually discover what's in their heart. See, because words have a spirit capacity, and so when we start to talk, we speak words, and some people carefully guard their words. Their words are very carefully shaped and spoken, and when you listen to the words, the words sound all correct, but when you feel what's in the words, you sense the person is hiding behind a wall of pretence.

You're not meeting the real person. They're projecting an image, a very carefully crafted image for you to connect with, so you know there's something not right in that person. The Bible says, we know people after the spirit, not after the flesh, not after what we see, so you've got to learn to listen to people, and to train yourself to open your heart to listen to the content of the person's words. You'll be amazed what you hear. If I hear a person praying, I listen to a person praying, I can tell the content of their walk with God. It just comes out in their praying. If a person is intimate and engaging God intimately, when they talk, you'll feel in the spirit of it, you'll feel the content of their walk with God. That's why the Bible's very clear; you want to know what a man's like, don't look at the outside, don't look at the money, don't look at the car he drives, don't look at the house. Don't look at anything around - look at the heart. How do you look at the heart? Well here it is; you've got to listen to the words that are spoken. Words give it all away.

Look what Jesus said here, and in Verse 34 He's rebuking the Pharisee's religious people. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. A good man, out of the good treasure in his heart, brings forth good things, an evil man, out of the evil treasure in his heart, brings forth evil things. Let's just stop there for a moment. So He said notice that whatever's filling your heart, will find expression through your mouth. Treasure are the things that you value, and you hold onto, so if you've got little treasures at home, you've probably got them in a little box, squirreled them away somewhere. They're treasures; maybe you've got some papers, maybe you've got some jewellery, maybe you've got something that's really valuable, something that's given, handed down. You'll have squirreled it away, and it'll be a little treasure. Anyone touches your treasures, you get upset - so everyone's got little treasures, but we also have treasures that we hold in our heart. Now they're not all necessarily good, but we still hold them in our heart, and hold on to them.

So for example, some people hold onto offences. Now offences aren't good things, but if you hold on to them, then they become the treasure of the heart, and guess what must come out? Offences. See? Some people have been really deeply disappointed, and they hold on to the hurt of their disappointment. Their disappointment's treasured in their heart. They hold on to that little thing, and they've buried it down... disappointment will be coming out of their words. It just cannot help but come out. Jesus said, out of what's in your heart you will speak, you will speak, and declare. Now notice what else He says. He says that every idle word that a man speaks, he'll have to give account for. Now I may get on to idle words next time around, but an idle word is a word that's empty, or has no substance or value in it. It's just chatter.

Here's the thing I want you to notice about it; that heaven is listening to every word you speak, and somehow every word you speak is recorded, otherwise how would you give account for it? Now some people can't even give account for their money, let alone their words. How you going to give account for your words? That's a major thing. You think about this, that the words that I'm speaking, all of them, God will remind me of them, and call me to give account for what I've said. Even as a preacher, I'll speak words, and then God will hear me speak the words, then He'll ask me if I was living the words, and show the inconsistency between spoken, and words lived. Ooh! We've got to think about this. See, not only do we give account before God one day, but we actually give account on the way, because on the way, you begin to reap the consequences of the words you speak - so even words spoken in silence have a way of getting out somewhere.

See, so our words are an expression of the life we have. Your words are an expression of the life you have, so for many men for example, we struggle to speak words that build intimate relationships, because of being alone, or being locked up, or being shut down in our own world, so when a man lives in a world where he keeps his thoughts, his heart and everything to himself, then what you find he'll struggle to build intimate relationships, because he hasn't got words, or hasn't learned to express words. Often you find in meetings, men won't sing, they won't clap, they won't do anything. They won't express, but that's actually a sign of dysfunction, because relationships are formed through words that have a substance of love in them.

So very clearly - I want to share one more Verse, then we're going to look at these diseases of the tongue. You're going to love these ones and just see, you may find there's one that reflects you. In Proverbs 22:11, look at this. It says he who loves purity of heart, and has grace on his lips, the king will be his friend. That's a good one isn't it? He who loves purity of heart, and has grace on his lips; now what does that mean? Well, whatever comes out of your mouth is going to be a reflection of what's in your heart, so when we begin to cultivate purity in motive and heart and intent, when we begin to let the Holy Spirit show us where we need to make shifts and changes, and we do it, and we begin to make a practice of speaking life-giving words; grace means words that empower and build and bless people. The Bible says let your speech always be seasoned with grace, that it may build up the people who listen.

So it's something we can begin to cultivate in our life, is the words we speak, we speak to build people, to strengthen and to change what's around us. We can do that. It's a decision to do that, and notice what it says, that the person who does this, the king will be his friend. The king will be his friend. In other words intimacy with God is deeply impacted by the way you speak to people, the way we treat others with our words, the way we speak to people around us, deeply impacts our relationship with God. In Psalm 15 it tells us very clearly there, who shall abide in the hill of the Lord, he that has clean hands, a pure heart - now look at this - and then hasn't lifted up his soul to deceit and lying, doesn't take up a reproach against his neighbour, doesn't backbite with his tongue. Notice there's about three things, where the tongue deeply impacts the ability to abide in intimacy with the Lord, and experience His power in our life.

So if you were serious, if we're serious about enjoying the presence of God, carrying the presence of God, we have to put a guard about our lips. We have to actually deal with the things in our heart. Now the Bible says, no man can tame the tongue, so therefore God has got to help us in it. Amen, He's willing to help us in it, and I want to show you some things. First thing is, you've got to know where He needs to help you, so we've seen then, if you want to know what a person's like, you've got to look at their heart, not at their outside. If you want to find out what's in the heart, listen to the words, and feel the content of the words, then you can begin to start to see what's really there.

If you want to change a person's life, change the heart, what the person's holding in the heart. Now I want to look at three diseases of the tongue, very quickly look at three diseases of the tongue, and we'll look at each disease, and I want to give you what a scripture says about it, then an example of person who did it, then what is in the heart. There's always something in the heart drives it, so if you're going to change the tongue, you've got to change the heart. You've got to come to grips with what we've got going on in the heart. Are we okay on that? Alright, here's the first one.

See, now when you go to the doctor, one of the first things he gets you to do [laughs] open your mouth. He looks at the tongue, he looks down your throat, looks at your tongue because your tongue, you know, if it's a furry tongue - if you're not well in your body, your tongue doesn't look good either. Ever looked when your body's unhealthy, how bad your tongue looks? See, so even physically in your body, when your body's not well, your tongue looks grotty and smells bad, tastes bad, gets furry, gets horrendous. But the same thing in the spirit; when our heart isn't good, when our heart isn't sound, then the words we speak won't be either. So let me get the first one, the first disease of the tongue - see how far I get, may only get one or two done today, but we'll keep going with these because I just felt it's really a time, if you just look at it now, and then begin to just decide Lord, if this applies to me, I'm going to make a shift. Here's the first one, Proverbs 6 and Verse 16.

The first issue is the one of lying. Of course some immediately say well that's not me, I tell the truth. So I'd like you just to remain open to the possibility that this might include you, and these six things the Lord hates, a-ha, so God hates things. Now it's interesting when you hate something, you define what you love; what you hate, you move away from, what you love, you move towards. So to hate certain things is really good. You hate certain things, you then move away from them, you stand against them, you shift them out of your world, so one of the things that God hates is a lying tongue. These are the six things that the Lord hates; seven are an abomination; a proud look, a lying tongue. He hates a lying tongue, how about that?

Verse - we might as well pick it up while we're there - Verse 19, a false witness who speaks lies, and someone who sows discord among the brethren. Well we could just stop at that point, but the Lord hates a lying tongue. David said, I hate lying tongues. The Bible tells us, David hated what God hated, so he hated liars, anyone who lied. Now of course to lie, you can lie in a couple of ways - many ways you could lie I guess, but let me give you two things. To lie means literally you alter the facts, so you deliberately misrepresent the situation. That's the most common form of lying, you just tell something that isn't the truth. But there's another form of lying which is very much more subtle, which is far more common, so after you've been a believer for a while, we would hope that we're all moved away from lying. The Holy Spirit's a spirit of truth you know, kind of wants us to tell the truth. The moment you tell something that's not right, He convicts you; that wasn't right!

But the most common form of lying is when we withhold information to create an impression that isn't quite true - give a bit of the truth,, but not the whole truth, given just enough to keep the situation nice, but not enough to really explain what was happening. That's the most common, in other words, where we give partial truth. Partial truth is a lie, because it creates an impression in the other person that is not true. They believe something that's now not true. The most common place you'll find that, is when someone sells something. They tell you all the great points, and they ignore the things that may not be right, then you go and buy it and you've driven around the corner and next thing the gearbox drops out. Well how did I not notice that before? Or you're rubbing it down one day and suddenly your hand goes through the side; there was all this rust had been painted over, just neglect - and that's why the guy says, let the buyer beware of course.

But when we deliberately in our relationships with others, try to create an impression, or to misrepresent what's really happening, that is a lie. That is a lie, and God hates lying. It grieves the spirit of God, and so your words can hardly be empowered with the Holy Ghost if you practice doing that. Of course, this is the one that's most common, where people misrepresent. Young kids will do it, teenagers will do it, adults do it, where they don't quite tell the truth. Where are you going tonight? Oh, I'm going to so-and-so's - which is partly true, but actually from there we're going to somewhere else. So the parent says oh, that's good, good Christian family from Bay City, wonderful. What they didn't know is, you've got something else planned on the way, and so this is one of the most common areas of course where people misrepresent the truth. They only tell you half the truth, and we'll get on to this next year too; a lot of people who buy stuff, you only get half the truth it seems, when you buy the object, about the cost of the finance. They don't always come up front, in fact, would you realise this: they'd have to legislate so that people come up front with the real true cost of the finance, because the tendency is to misrepresent.

Misrepresentation is a lie. Okay then, so God hates the lie, and so that's one of the issues we've got to deal with. Now there's a great example of it, because there's examples all through the Bible of it. A great example is found in Genesis, Chapter 20, and we find it with Abraham. Abraham has got a lovely, beautiful wife. She's been magnificently restored by the Lord, been on one of Lyn's retreats and really come alive now, but she's not only got healed on her soul. She's actually become quite a stunner, and so here's this 90 year old woman, and now she's looking a stunner after God's done a miracle work on her, and Abraham gets a bit nervous. You know, if this king that we're going to be staying with, he'll just kill me to get the wife. That tells you she must have looked good! No man is going to be chasing after a very old 90 year old woman whose teeth have fallen out, and everything's not there you know? You don't want to be chasing after that - and he was really scared, because he thought, the king was going to kill him to get his wife, so she must have really had a massive restoration job, true total make-over by the Holy Ghost! [Laughter]

So he told a little bit of a lie. Now it wasn't a complete lie. He just said oh, she's my sister, and actually there was a relational connection, so he didn't quite lie completely. He just misrepresented, so the king thought, oh this one's up for grabs, and took Sarah into his home and so what happened was, he got struck down with a plague, he and everyone in the home. God showed him, you're a dead man. You've got someone else's wife. He said I didn't know, no one told me and he went back and said to Abraham, what's this thing you've done? You lied to me. And he said this; he said I was afraid, so fear causes people to lie. That's one reason that people lie, is because they're afraid. Another reason they lie, is because of hate. The Bible says, that the person who lies, hates the one and they afflict with the lie, so true love, we don't lie to people. We tell them the truth. We're talking, we're open, we're honest - so the key heart issue here when people lie, one is fear, fear of being truthful, fear of the consequences. One heart motivation for lying, misrepresenting the truth, holding back the truth, is just plain fear, I'm looking out for myself.

See the second one is hate, where actually we lack love for people, and we've got no hesitation to just tell them a lie. Another one is a hidden agenda, where we have a hidden agenda, we have something we're trying to accomplish, and if we told them the truth they'd never buy in, so we tell them a part truth, so we'll get them to respond, and we get what we want from them. We're getting close now aren't we? There's an awful lot of that goes on isn't there? So there's a Holy Ghost, a spirit of truth. So the first place for Him to talk the truth, is to us. The Holy Ghost wants to tell us, so what you do, if you would ask the Lord to just begin to speak to you every time you misrepresent the truth, or tell something that's actually creating some kind of illusion or misrepresentation - just begin to ask the Holy Ghost to do it. Believe me, the words will barely have got out of your mouth, and He will tell you. That wasn't true. That's what He'll say - that wasn't true, or He'll say more bluntly, you lied. I tell you, it's quite a shock to get a slap on the face by the Holy Ghost, when you've asked Him to help you deal with words, and you didn't quite lie, just sort of well, you know, told most of the truth. [Laughs] Yeah, most of the truth is still a lie, because it doesn't actually paint the full picture.

So we see that those are things of the heart, so therefore if I want to deal with that, I've got to ask the Lord to help me get over the issue of fear, begin to really have a heart that loves and embraces the truth, embraces the truth in my own life, and then embraces the truth in speaking the truth to others. Of course, some people aren't ready to hear the truth. You know, there was a Jack Nicholson movie and they were talking, they were saying, I want the truth, I want the truth. He said, you can't handle the truth! Of course some people in relationship aren't able to handle truth. They go bananas when you tell them the truth, and they just react, and get angry and upset. You still have to tell them at some point, but there is a timing in things, so just because we've talked about being truthful, doesn't mean you have to go now and blab. You've got to speak the truth in love, so in our relationships, our relationships are cultivated by speaking the truth.

Think about this. If you lie to your spouse, or lie to your parents, or give things which are misrepresenting the truth, your relationship is going into darkness. You've left a whole area now, where demons can come in to isolate you and afflict you. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 28, it says that we've come into a covenant with death and hell agreement. Now in other words, we've come into a binding agreement with demons. How? Because we made lies our refuge. We hid under lies and deceit. You'll find whenever people speak a lie or misrepresent something, immediately demons are empowered by their agreement with the devil, who's a liar. The Bible says, John 8:44, the devil's a liar. The lies come from him, so when we lie, when we deliberately misrepresent something, deliberately tell a lie, we immediately come into agreement with a demon, and now he's empowered to further increase the web.

The interesting thing is, once you start down the road of lying, you've got to keep going there, and it gets more and more - you can't even remember what you said and what you didn't say. Then finally it all collapses, and you get caught out, and it's a disaster. You're humiliated, because you never just embraced the way which is right. God hates lying. He loves the truth. He's a God of the truth. Why don't we just in our heart just say Lord, help me now to just guard my lips, that I actually speak and represent the truth, and that every time I misrepresent it, you'll convict me, show me, so I can get out and walk in the light very, very quickly. Oh, he'll go quietly. See, the truth sets you free. Truth sets you free. I can give you one more, because I think it's gotten - I'll give time, four minutes to do one more. This one's a good one too, and it's an infectious disease. It's a deadly disease, actually really breaks up families and churches and businesses and all kinds of things.

Let me just give you one more, come on, here it is, this one here. It's gossip and slander. Gossip - you knew that one was coming. Juicy gossip, it's the words of a tale bearer, like dainty morsels, they go down, but they wound you on the inside. They have an effect, so tale bearing, gossip. There's a bit of a difference between gossip and slander, I'm going to define that for you. The first one, gossip; gossip's when you talk about someone. You talk about them, and you share their person affairs, but here's the thing about it. It's always flavoured by your interpretation of it, and when you tell someone they don't just pick up the facts, they pick up your interpretation of the facts. So when we start to uncover what's happening in other people's lives and share it, what we do is we begin to create a defilement. We begin to defile the relationship, and then the person's name and reputation are run down. That's a horrendous thing. Magazines make millions on gossip, juicy gossip, all the women's magazines. Now if you're going to fast off negativity, fast off every magazine that's loaded with gossip. Just start with gossip. Start with gossip and end with that. Put and end to it.

Get on the phone - did you hear about so-and-so? Oh [natter natter] Well if it wasn't edifying, why did you tell them that? Why did you go and share that thing? Why did you share what was private, see? Here's the thing is, when someone shares with you something about someone else, you don't hear all the story. You hear what's in their spirit, you feel it, and you're left with an impression, and your facts aren't quite right, because anyone knows if I start a story off over here and we spread it round, by the time it gets up here it's a totally different story. So what happened? See people repeated what they thought they heard, and sometimes they hear out of their own heart, so if someone's got a snitch with Bill, and I share them something about Bill, they don't hear what I said. It just reinforces what they already felt in their heart towards him. You understand? So gossip's horrendous.

Now slander's something different again. Slander goes a bit further. Slander deliberately misrepresents a person, so the things that are spoken deliberately create a wrong impression about them, so undermining their character and reputation, their good name. Slander is a horrendous thing, because when you slander someone, you are destroying their good name and reputation. You're actually taking something - if you took $100 from them you can pay it back, but if you slander someone, you can't pay it back. You can't even fix it. It's a horrendous thing to slander someone, to speak and misrepresent them deliberately. That's what a slander is, and so in Psalm 15, Verse 1 and 3, it tells us if you want to abide the presence of the Lord, don't get into back-biting or gossiping, and don't take up a reproach, or start to agree with people about someone else's faults. Everyone has got faults.

Listen, if someone comes to you with the faults of another, you've got a choice in a moment to shut it down, and begin to speak something positive. If you don't, you lose your initiative. We've got to be empowered to actually create changes in relationships, by shutting down things which destroy them, and speaking in things that will build them. So gossip and slander are just horrendous ones. We get on the phone, in Proverbs 11:13, a tale bearer reveals secrets; but the one with a faithful spirit conceals a matter. So if you've got a faithful spirit, you don't go around blabbing other people's failures. You actually just keep them quiet. You don't advertise them, you don't shout them out. Even when Saul fell, David didn't rejoice over Saul falling. He actually mourned over it. He didn't go around gossiping. He didn't go round spreading stories, spreading rumours, all that kind of thing.

In Proverbs 6:19, the Lord hates a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among the brethren. God actually hates it. If you start to talk about a person and negatively affect their attitude, you're sowing discord, and you'll reap something even greater in your own life - and God hates it. Just think about that. Every time you start to talk about someone negatively, and they're not present, you're saying things that God is recording, that's been listened to in heaven, and you're starting to set something in motion that can move you forward, or it can move you backward. You make the decision.

These are very, very powerful. Anyway, I'll just finish it with this thing here. An example of it's Miriam. Miriam thought she had every right to criticise Moses, because he married a black Ethiopian woman, so she got her tongue wagging, and started to gossip about - you see this woman he's marrying? Man, what kind of choice of a wife is that? An Ethiopian! How come he marries an Ethiopian? Isn't anyone around here good enough? She got gossiping and running him down - and God heard. God said this: I heard what you said. You should have had more respect for Moses than to speak about him behind his back like that. You've got Me upset now - so Miriam walked away covered in leprosy. Horrendous - that's a story for us to get a lesson from. Don't go bad-mouthing people, don't go bad-mouthing - if you can't say anything nice, just zip the lip. Just better to zip the lip, than to let it run away and get yourself into trouble.

The heart issues usually are bitterness and pride, bitterness and pride. When we're bitter in our heart, we will then start to run others down. When we've got pride in our heart, we'll speak, and run people down. We delight in their failures and their weaknesses and shortcomings. If there's envy of another person, you'll be caught up doing this kind of thing, so the common heart issues are envy, bitterness and pride. So if we're going to deal with gossip and slander, then what we've got to do is deal with those things in the heart; bring the Lord in place of repentance. See, the Holy Ghost will help us. You don't have to really sweat on this one; He is a spirit of truth, sent to lead us into truth, so all you've got to do is say Holy Ghost, begin to talk to me, if I've got a disease of lying, and I'm beginning to open the way for demons in relationships, and misrepresent things, and create a situation that's not real, or not true. Lies inherently must fail, because there's no substance in them. The truth inherently will stand, because it's the truth, it's got substance in it, see?

If I'm a gossip, if I get on the phone and yappety-yappety-yap about others; young people, guard your tongue, guard your mouth. Don't go running people down, don't go listening to the stories you - someone comes with a story, did you hear about so-and-so? No, I didn't, I don't want to hear if it's negative either. Why are you telling me this? Have you told it to them? Shall we go to talk to them and see if it's true? Just stand up and actually don't become a garbage can for someone else defiling you. Normally if someone comes with gossip, they'll test you out, how open you are to hear it, and when they start to test you out, that's the time to make a stand and say no. Just put your hand up and say no, I don't want you to speak about that person like that without them present. If you can't speak positively about them, please don't run them down to me.

See now these are things in our culture that if we went into a different dimension with God, we just make a decision, I'm going to be a man of truth, I'm going to be a man who refuses to gossip. I'm not going to allow this thing to be a part of my life. You say Amen to that and what happens is, God comes on the person, and we can abide in His presence. See, we're wanting to have a supernatural life in this coming year. Why don't we start to prepare the ground in our personal life for it to happen? Begin to start to speak words that bring grace to people.

When I've done the other diseases of the tongue, I'll begin to talk to you then about how you release words that change atmospheres, how you release words that shift demons. There's a way to about doing it, but you can't do it if you don't deal with these other things.

Father in heaven, we just thank you that you are lifting us up to a new level. You're preparing us for greater things. We thank You Lord always there's greater things. This year's been great - next year will be greater. We thank You for greater blessing, greater opportunities, a greater church, greater impact. We thank You in every area our lives will be greater, our influence will be increased. Lord, we thank You right now, today, You're working in our lives to prepare us for that.

Lord, we ask that the spirit of truth, the spirit of grace be in our midst and that Lord, over these next weeks You would come upon every one of us and convince us quickly, if we're misrepresenting people, misrepresenting situations, misrepresenting the truth, come upon us quickly and empower us to change, so we come to a new level. Lord, if Your ears hear us giving heed, or passing gossip or slander, Lord speak directly and quickly into our hearts that we might be convicted, and immediately respond to put it right. Lord, lift us to a new level, so our words will be like Your words; we watch over them, to keep them. Our words will carry substance of spirit and life. Our words will create. Our words will impart life to people. Our words will build better relationships, and a better atmosphere around us. God, we believe You will lift us to a new level, in Jesus' name. Can you say Amen? [Amen!] Say Amen! Come on, let's stand to give the Lord a clap, come on, let's stand to give Him a clap. He's a great and awesome God, and He wants us to lift us into a better place, lift us into a place of blessing, lift us into a place where our destiny begins to unfold in harmony with His plan. Lord, we thank you today! We thank you today! Halleluiah. Musicians, you got a great song to finish with?

Summary Notes:  Formatted »  Back to Top »

1. Introduction:

· Joshua 3:5 - “Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you”.

· Sanctify = to separate, make clean, set apart for divine purpose.

· Wonders = things beyond natural ability, supernatural release of miracles.

· People of God called to position themselves for increase of the Supernatural.

· Joshua 6:10 - “… no word proceed out of your mouth until the day I say to you ‘Shout!’”.

1st miracle of possessing Jericho required mastery of tongue.

1st sign of Holy Spirit filling in NT – Spoke in tongues – praised God.

2. Your Words can Shape your Future:

· Words we agree with in heart and words we speak create our future.

· Psalm 34:11-13 - “Who is man that loves life…keep your tongue from evil”.

· Word pictures of tongue: Gangrene, Rust, Snake Venom, Fire, Arrows, and Wounds.

· Fear of the Lord that leads to life and prosperity seen in how we speak.

· We cannot have a good life if we cannot control our tongue.

· The words we speak either nurture or destroy relationships around us.

· Proverbs 21:23 - “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles”.

· Proverbs 15:4 - “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life – but perverseness with it breaks the spirit”.

Wholesome = healing - the tongue has power to bring healing, encouragement.

Perverseness = distortion, crashed dealing – tongue has power to wound

and hurt.

3. The Root of the Issues of the Heart

· Proverbs 27:19 - “As a water face reflects face so a mans heart reveals the man”.

- Water act as a mirror that reveals what we look like.

- What is in your heart reveals what kind of person you are.

- The overflow of the heart is the mouth – your words reveal who you are.

· Matthew 12:33-37 - “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”.

- Abundance = to overflow with what fills the heart.

- Treasure = things that you value, long for, hold onto, think on, store up.

- Whatever your heart holds and values will overflow out through words.

- Our words are so important that we are required to give account for them.

- Our words give expression to the life within and create our future.

· Proverbs 22:11 - “He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, the King will be his friend”.

- Purity of heart overflows in grace – empowering words that strengthen and build.

- Our relationship With Jesus – the King of Kings is impacted by our words.

4. Diseases of the Tongue:

· Note: Problems in you body – Doctor looks at tongue (poor diet, infection)

i) Lying:

· Proverbs 6:16-19 - These things the Lord hates – Lying tongue.

· Lying = deliberately alters facts to misrepresent truth.

= withhold part of truth to create a false impression and deceive.

· Example: Genesis 20:1-12 - Abraham lied about his wife Sarah – created false impression.

· Heart issue: Fear; Hate (Proverbs 26:26-28); Hidden motive.

· Proverbs 12:27 - “lying lips are an abolishment to the Lord”.

· Jeremiah 9:6 - “Through deceit they refuse to know me”.

ii) Gossip / Slander:

· Psalm 15:1-3 - “… does not backbite with tongue,…take up a reproach”.

· Gossip = talk about someone else’s personal affairs.

- As the story is shared it is ‘colored’ by the person’s attitude.

- Those listening hear the words and pick up the heart attitude.

· Slander = False and malicious statements about someone.

- Words falsely spoken that misrepresent the person and damage their reputation or impart offence to the hearer.

· Proverbs 11:13 - “A talebearer reveals secrets but he who is of faithful spirit conceals a matter (doesn’t gossip or slander)”.

· Proverbs 6:19 - “Lord hates – false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren”.

· Example: Numbers 12:1-9 – Miriam.

· Heart issue: Bitterness; Pride; Envy; Rebellion

Ephesians 4:25 - “Putting away lying speech”.

· Proverbs 12:19 - ‘lip of truth shall be established forever but the lying tongue is but for a moment”.

iii) Flattery:

· Proverbs 26:28 - “a flattery mouth works ruin”.

· Flattery = excessive or insincere praise – often with hidden agenda.

- Person showers positive compliments but with hidden motives: ask for favor; obtain information.

· Proverbs 29:5 - “A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet”.

· 2 Samuel 15-16 - Absolom.

· Heart issue: seeking approval, seeking recognition, hidden agnda.

· Isaiah 6:5-7 - “Isaiah’s lips cleansed through confession and encounter with God => empowered to represent God.

Empty Words (3 of 12)

Sun 25 Nov 2007 PM  « Back to Top

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Words are containers – they carry a ‘spirit’ content. They are living seeds that produce fruit when spoken. The words we speak impacts our relationships, our personal health and destiny. What words are you releasing into the world around? Empty words include: flattery; religious Words; lame excuses; insincere commitments. God speaks words that create, impart life, and release spiritual authority. We are called to imitate god.

I want you to open your Bible then in James, Chapter 3. We've been speaking about Taming the Tongue. Oh my, it's been a really good series. I've found myself catching myself every day with words, catching the words I'm speaking, starting to look again at the things I'm saying, and we saw that we're in a season where God's wanting us to prepare our hearts, prepare our lives. One area of your life to really deal with is the tongue, the words that we speak, and we've been looking at diseases of the tongue, chronic diseases of the tongue. We looked at some Bible pictures of the tongue, and it was pictured as a deadly serpent about to bite. It was pictured as a sword, about to pierce someone. It was pictured in a whole number of different ways; as rust eating people out, so the words that we speak have tremendous negative impact, but the words we speak can have amazing, wonderful, positive impact.

We looked at some particular areas that God was wanting us to become sensitive to. Once the word is preached you become aware of it, then you become sensitive to it, then the spirit of God can suddenly bring to your awareness, whenever you're slipping with your mouth. We looked at the area of lying. We looked at the area of gossip and slander. Last week we looked at the area of put down words, words that put you down and cause you to feel devalued and a loss of esteem or shamed.

How many people have been really aware of the put down words around them this last week or so? Yeah, a lot of people aware. How many have been aware in your own life, you start to catch yourself whenever you've said anything that had a slight put down thing in it? How many started to find that? Great, that's wonderful. I found I become much more alert to it, so I want to get into another area today and where we're leading to is we're going to be looking at how God has designed us to function. So I want to start to sow something out on that today, how God has designed us to operate, and then we're going to go into look at another kind of words which we're all guilty of, and that area we'll look at is the empty words, empty words, insincere words, words that carry no substance.

So let's have a look in James, Chapter 3, pick up and begin to look into these Verses - Verse 3. Indeed we put a bit in a horse's mouth, that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look at ships: they're large, but they're driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member, but it boasts great things. See how great a forest, a little fire kindles!

So you notice he's using some pictures here. You steer a big horse, you change the whole direction of its body by the bridle, by getting a hold of its mouth. You see a ship, we change direction of a big ship just with a small rudder. What he's saying is your life is turned about, if you can tame the tongue, and master the kinds of words you're speaking. Now of course that, yeah, we can understand it with a horse, and we understand it with the ship. We really do find it a lot more difficult to understand it from a spiritual perspective how this affects our life, but the Bible's very clear. If you can shift a horse by tugging on its mouth, you can change your life by speaking different words. You can change your life by speaking different words, and we talked about kinds of words that people speak. Words are containers. Words are containers. There's not just words that are spoken. They actually carry something with them. That's why when someone says something to you it sounds okay, but then you feel different afterwards. You can get off the phone with someone and you feel quite down afterwards, you feel depressed. You don't even know why you're like that, but as you evaluate it, you realise although the words seemed okay, the negativity and despair or offence in their heart was downloaded to you. You pick up what is ministered from their heart, as we saw that people speak out of their heart, their inner man, so what is in our spirit will always flow out of our mouth. The words that flow are containers. They actually carry something.

Another place, the Bible says that the words we speak are seeds; a seed is very small, but if you just leave it'll germinate and grow. You start to tell a lie about someone, pretty soon that lie springs up and grows and the person's whole relationship with that other person is changed. So words have great power to shift and change the way our lives operate. Now I want us to look a little bit about how God designed us to operate, and we want to ask the question, what words are you releasing into this world? What words are you speaking into this world? What words are you reflecting?

Last week we were looking at the issue of whether you are an echo or whether you are a voice. An echo means something is being repeated, that someone else said, and so we looked at your life, and many people are just repeating what someone else said about them. Many people just reflect - you were put down, you were told you were an idiot, told you couldn't do this, couldn't do that. It got into your mind and heart. In the end you begin to echo what was told to you, and that begins to now determine your life course. You are in agreement with it, and you're speaking it, it's where you're going. If we're going to change our life, we need to come into agreement with the words God says about us, the words God says about our life, the words God says about who we are, what we have, what we can do. We need to agree with what God says, and give voice to what God says. When you agree with what God says, and give voice to what God says, the power of heaven is released. Your life changes.

How does a person get saved? How does a person get out of the power of sin, and change their eternal destiny for an eternal destiny without God, an eternal destiny separated from God, tormented forever? How do they change, and end up with a destiny which is eternal, it's walking with God, enjoying this life on the earth? Simply this: words. Words from God get in your heart. You believe Him, and speak Him, and then heaven hears, and your life changes! So if such an important thing as my eternal destiny can be changed by the words I believe and speak, how much more will the rest of my life be affected, in exactly the same way? It's just because we have a western non-spirit world view, we don't understand the power of words, so I want to just talk to you a little bit about God's design. I'm not going to go far on it, because I want to go from here back into this issue of empty words, and want to identify words which we so commonly speak which are quite empty.

So let's have a look at divine design. First of all look with me in Ephesians 5, Verse 1. When we talk about divine design, we're talking about the way God designed things to work. God designed stuff to work. I guess the guy who makes something, knows how it works best. Sin means we disagree with the designer how to do it best, we have our own plan. The reality is though, that the way God designed things to work, is actually how they really work. He knows how life works. You do things His way, you find you get His results.

In Ephesians 5, Verse 1, it tells us this. It says be therefore, followers of God, as beloved children. Now any of you who've had children, little children, realise there's something they do quite regularly. It's very common, is they copy mum and dad. It can be really embarrassing, it can be really good, but they copy you. They listen to what you say, they watch what you do, and then they do it, and so you'll find little kids often acting out what mum and dad say and do. We've had ours in the pool baptising kids, pushing them under, trying to remember what we said - but they got the picture of it. Someone's been baptised, they're into it and they're copying what they've seen done. So children tend to imitate and copy or walk like their parents. They do that thing, and the Bible says be followers of God as beloved children, so if we're born again, we're called to be followers of God. That word means to imitate, literally be imitators of God. That word comes from the word meaning to mimic, be a mimic of God. In other words, the way God speaks, and the way God operates or behaves, do the same thing, like a little child would do that to his father.

It's interesting that Jesus actually ran His whole life that way. He said the things I hear the Father say, I say those things. The things I see the Father doing, that's what I do - so His life on earth was a reflection of imitating His Father, and that why He was able to say, if you've seen Me, you've seen My Dad. You've seen God the Father, you've seen what God is like. I'm reflecting Him completely. Now we are called and designed to represent God in the earth. We're designed to be His ambassadors, to be His sons and daughters, to reflect in the earth what He's like, so therefore, we are called to operate in the world like God operates. Now there's many ways He operates, but I wanted to pick up one particular thing and this is about the use of words. I want to give you three uses of words, three ways that God uses words and we should imitate those ways, okay?

Here's the first one. God uses words to create things. Hebrews 11, Verse 3, says by faith, we understand the worlds were framed by the word of God, so the things that are seen came from things that were not seen. Now that's a hard thing for a western-minded person to think. We think of building of house. Then we think of the materials, we think of the construction, the foundation, we think of things we can see, but everything that you see around you which is visible came into being this way; the spirit of God was moving, and the word of God was spoken, let there be, and things were created. In other words, the things you see, were created by words coming out of the heart of God, and God still operates that way. When God speaks words, the words have creative power to bring something into existence that wasn't there before. Now that's a real problem for us, especially if you're an evolutionist. You'll have a lot of trouble with that.

But God does it. He creates new things by speaking His word. That's how things work, so it says we understand the words were framed. In other words they were established or brought into being, or they were designed and brought forth so we can see them. How were they done? By the word God spoke. So that tells us that the first words that God is recorded to have said in the Bible were creative words. Let there be! - and there was. We go, well that's God. Okay, we'll just take it a little further then, because your words are creating something too. Your words create an atmosphere in your home. Your words create the relationships you have around you. When you come up and you stand up here at an altar, and you speak words, you create a marriage bond, and you're committed for life.

When you want to build a building, you'll always start off with the dream, and you'll put it into words. You're never going to get a building built if you don't speak words, so even without spirit creativity, words are still used to bring new things into existence. If you want to bring something new into existence, you have to first have the dream, but somehow you've got to speak and communicate it. Now God's way is even at a different level, He can speak, and it supernaturally is created. So we realise then that Jesus did exactly the same thing. Think about it. Jesus spoke into bread, and it says He blessed the bread, or He spoke words over it, and it multiplied. How do you figure that one?

If He hadn't spoken any words, they'd all go hungry for lunch. He was able to release creative power. He released it in a whole number of ways. He spoke creatively into situations. He spoke into the environment. He spoke into diseases. He spoke in a whole range of things, but the way things are brought into being, creative miracles come when the spirit of God is moving, and someone speaks a word. Now God is wanting us to imitate Him, so if we want to bring forth God's design in our life we must know it, and see it, and then speak it from our spirit. Now a lot of people don't understand that, so they remain like this: oh God, please change me. I bet you've been praying that prayer a long, long time and you will be continuing to pray it a long, long time because that's not how you bring about change.

You don't bring it about by saying please God, change me. The Bible says very clearly how change comes about. It comes about when we change how we think, change what we believe and change what we say. According to your faith, let it be done to you - so if I know what God has done in my life with the new birth, and I begin to declare that, and I begin to confess it, and I begin to decree it over my life, my circumstances in life will begin to adjust to agree with the words I'm speaking. You see, I can feel the struggle we have with it see, because we only think of things being constructed by something we can see. If you're a builder, you know you've got to get some four-by-twos and some other stuff, put it together, I can make something, but we don't think of designing things by the words of God being spoken out of our mouth. But we must get into that. That's how Jesus operated.

He spoke into people's bodies, and there were creative miracles, in other words limbs restored, eyes restored where there were none before. How did it happen? The spirit of God moving. He heard what the Father wanted to say, He said it, and something changed. That's how we're designed to operate. Is God seeking to change you to become like Christ? You just begin to operate the same way - and we'll get on to how to do that in another session, but I want to just get these seeds laid out in your heart.

Here's the second thing about the words that God speaks. The words God speaks impart life. In other words, when God speaks, He will always speak in such a way, that there is an impartation into you, of life. That means you'll be encouraged. It means you'll be built up, or if He convinces you of sin, it's not to put you down or condemn you. It's to show you what needs to change, so you can come into life, so there's still words of life. In John 6:63 Jesus said the words I speak, they are spirit. See, they are spirit, and they are life. So He said, I don't just speak words that are nothing. He said words I speak actually have a spirit nature about them, because I'm in the image of God, and so He says I speak words, and there's a spirit content in them, and wherever they go they bring life into people. That's how we're designed to operate. You're designed as a spirit being, to be able to speak God's words, the words God gives you into a situation, and it changes and it turns, and it begins to become like what you've said. This is a new thing for many people, but it's actually how we're designed to operate see. Think about it.

See, Jesus spoke to a withered hand. A man had a withered hand in Mark, Chapter 3. Jesus said this, now this is what He just said. He just spoke a command. He said stretch! That's pretty mean to tell a crippled man to stretch. Unless your words are spirit, and have life [grunt], and there was power released. He spoke. See, Jesus spoke. Whenever He spoke, He released something. Something happened when He spoke. This is why we're going through this process of looking about words which are destructive, so you wake up and stop saying that kind of word, and begin to position yourself where you can say words that change environments, change circumstance, bring life into people. There's no situation ever recorded where Jesus put anyone down.

A put down word, is a word releasing the spirit of murder and death into someone. That's why when someone puts you down, you always feel afterwards downed on the inside. You don't feel alive and built up and lifted up. You actually got hit by something. Have you noticed you get around some people, and after you've been around them, you are down? They are releasing a spirit of murder, which steals away your life, because before you were talking to them you were doing just fine, and after you were talking to them, you're downed. They stole away your life. That's what murder is. So people can release a spirit against you without even knowing, and two people get talking, come into agreement, it'll come against you, and you'll feel it, and you can't work out why you feel down. But a spirit has been released from the spirit world to come against you and to begin to press on you and drain your life out, see?

Spirit of death. What does the spirit of death do? When we tend to think of death, we tend to think oh, there's a body, he's gone, but death means a separation, to become isolated, or to become cut off relationally, is death. See, the wages of sin is death. It means we're cut off relationally, so when people speak words that down you, when people speak words that lie to you, they release a spirit of death. Why? Because when you find out, or you feel those words, what happens is you become separated from that person. Someone puts you down, you want to move away from them. Someone lies to you, you feel wounded inside, and you want to move away from them. You're alienated from them. Someone gossips about you, or slanders you, again it releases a spirit of murder and death. It releases something, and when you find out about it, you are wounded and hurt, and then you withdraw from them. That's the very symptoms of murder and death. There's a spirit come against you.

Now you and I are responsible. We are called to be ambassadors of Christ, to use our mouth, our creative faculty to bring words that change how people are. You every day could go round and speak words of encouragement to people. Sincere words of genuine encouragement will make people's faces light up, and their day a happy day. It's such a contrast. Most people go around complaining, they're negative, they're impatient, they demand things of people that are serving them. But when you go, and you begin to encourage and lift up and speak well, something changes. You release or you give permission for the spirit of God to touch their life. What an amazing thing - so God's words; one, they're creative; two, they speak life. What are your words like?

Here's another thing about God's words. The words that God speaks, release power and authority. They release spiritual power and authority. In Luke, Chapter 4, Verse 36, Jesus has just cast out a demon. How did He get rid of a demon? Words. They said what word is this! They realised it was His words. What kind of words does this man speak, for He speaks with authority, and He speaks with power, even the demons listen to His words, and do what His words say. Don't ever complain you've got demons harassing you, when within you is the power to confront them and drive them away. It's just you're not using it. You're probably using it to attract them. You speak negativity and death, and speak pessimistically, and won't use your mouth the way God designed your mouth to be used, to glorify Him, to honour Him, to bring His life into the earth. Well it's not surprising demons hang around, and if they're hanging around, you have to understand this. God gave you the capacity to deal with them. If they're hanging around, it's because you didn't deal with them, and that's probably because you didn't get into your heart an understanding of the power of your words, and the privilege you have as a son, a daughter of the living God to dismiss these demons, get rid of them. If they're there, you let them be there. Do something different - use your mouth. See? Use your mouth differently.

Okay, see, so words of life, so Jesus' words released power. In other words, ever heard this statement: his words carry weight, or he's a man of his word, see? That means, the words had something in them that's substantial. If he's a man of his word, means what he says, he'll do. I like that. God's like that. He watches over His word to do it, see. Jesus' words carried substance. I've heard people shout at demons, shout until their voice is hoarse. He said listen, you can shout all you like, no demon's going to shift through shouting. They will shift when you believe in your heart the authority Jesus has given you, and as His representative, you speak with belief. Your words carry your spirit, and carry faith. According to your faith, it'll be done to you.

Jesus spoke to winds, they changed. He spoke to storms, they changed. He spoke to dead men, and they rose up. His words carried substance. You say oh well, you know I'm not like that. Well listen, maybe that's big brother, but you're called to be like big brother, so start off now, doing the right things. Copy big brother, start to speak the right kind of words, speak words that live. Okay then, so we got the idea of how we're designed.

So Jesus said this, in case you didn't realise this, John 14:12, the works I do, he that believes in me, the works I do, he will do also, so if you believe in Jesus, the things He did spoke to things, you'll do them also. If you're not doing them, it's because you don't believe it'll work, and one of the reasons we don't believe it works, is because our experience with our words is they're not very good words. They're often deceptive words, or dishonest words, or gossipy words, or as we'll see in a moment empty words. Listen, if I become aware of the capacity I have, with the words I speak, to change my environment, I'm going to be careful what I say. I'm going to ask the Holy Ghost to pull me up every moment I speak a word that's empty or deceptive or dishonest or gossipy or negative or whatever. Holy Ghost, pull me up on that, immediately show me. I'm not going to have that flowing out of my heart. My heart is going to speak out of my mouth, words that change atmospheres, bring life, create things.

Long before I saw miracles actually present, I was seeing them and speaking them, see? I was in my prayer room speaking them, declaring it shall be this, see? Long before I ever saw them happen, I saw them with my mind and imagination, agreed with the word of God, and declared it would be so. So you are creating by your words and your meditations of your heart, your future. That's why we need to be guarding what we say. I'll get on to different kinds of words next week, and then we'll get onto how to just release things. See, Jesus said, have the faith of God, Mark 11:22, if you will speak to this mountain, be moved. Now you see most people, when they've got a problem, you know what they do? They talk about their problem. Then they'll ring someone up, and talk to them about their problem. They come to the cell group, and talk about their problem. They come up in altar call, and they're still talking about their problem. They have not moved into a position where it will change, because they're not talking solution.

I need to speak to the problem, not talk about it. I need to command it to be diminished! I need to command the spirits that energise it to go in Jesus' name! I need to declare what God says, blessing into this area. Long before I see a result, I've got to do that. Okay then, so let's have a look at Matthew, Chapter 12. Let's go back, I want to pick up this thing of idle words. Okay, are we getting the idea how God intends you to use your tongue, how He intends you? We'll go back into that area. I just want to pick up this thing of idle words, Matthew, Chapter 12, Verse 34. A good man, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. A good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good things, and an evil man, out of the evil treasure, brings forth evil things. I say to you, every idle word men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment, for by your words you will be justified, by your words you'll be condemned. Isn't it interesting? The words you speak reveal who you are. The words you speak, reveal the kind of person you are.

The words you speak, the spirit world is listening to. It's listening to your words so carefully, that every one of them is recorded. Every one of them, every idle word. How can you hear an idle word? You've got to be listening in, tuning in to every word, so every word that we are speaking in the earth, as God's representative, He's listening to, all heaven is listening to, demons are listening to it so they can leap on it and have a chance to do some havoc. God is listening to it, because He wants to be able to work on your behalf. The key thing is, are you speaking as an ambassador of heaven, or are you representing and reflecting the demonic chaos of the world? What are you speaking?

He says every idle word; an idle word means literally something that's barren. It yields no return. There's no fruit in it. It's an empty word, so probably the best way you'd describe it is, it's a word that you speak, but you never meant it. Any word you speak, and you didn't mean what you said, is an idle word, any word. Any word you spoke, but you had no intention of keeping it, is an idle word. Any word that was insincere and not genuine or authentic is an empty, idle word, see? No content. Now the thing is oh, well if it's an empty word, at least it's not a negative word. Actually that's not true, because an empty word still releases something. I tell you, it's so simple to see it. If I give a commitment to you that I will pay a bill today, and you then arrange your plans on the basis of my word, but I had no intention of doing it, the day comes, I don't pay the bill. Don't say that you won't be affected by that. You will be affected in a number of ways. First you'll be hurt that I treated you with such little respect and value. Secondly, you'll feel distrustful of me. Thirdly, you will step away from me, so these are all the manifestations of the spirit of death. See, words can bring us closer, words can separate us, so it does minister something. Empty words - you think, when a tradesman said they'd come, and they never came. You think when someone said they'd do something, and they never did it. You think when someone said something to you, and you just felt as you heard it, it's not going to happen. They're just lying to me, and you wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say. Don't tell me it doesn't have any affect. Empty words have a huge effect. They actually have a number of effects in our relationships. Let me just give you some examples of negative, empty words.

I'll just quickly do them, just so you get an idea of what they are. I just want you to understand what they are, and then we want to turn so that we never speak empty words. We're going to speak words that have substance, or we'll just zip our lip. Okay, empty words: flattery is a form of empty words. Flattery is insincere praise. When people flatter you, they tell you oh, I think you're wonderful, and it's just sort of over the top. Now there's sincere praise, there's insincere praise. It's actually praise which is over the top, and it has a hidden agenda. The Bible says the person who flatters with the tongue, is spreading a net for your feet. They want something, so when someone comes and flatters you, they're buttering you up, they're going to ask for a favour or they're pumping you up to get some information out of you. That's what they're doing, all of which of course is manipulative and deceptive, and releases the spirit of death, because when you find out what they were up to, you feel quite wounded, hurt and distrustful. Ha! Something was ministered alright - so flattery, flattery, flattery, flattery. There's an agenda in behind it.

Religious words. Here's another one, religious words. This is the one you find around the church, religious words. It's found in Matthew, Chapter 15, Verse 8. These people honour Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. You say whoa! We would never do that! We're in a Pentecostal - we're actually in Bay City. Listen, any time you stand there, and you're just mouthing some words, but your heart and your mind and everything is far away, there are empty words. Don't think they don't do something. The only kind of words that build an atmosphere that brings the presence of God, is words that come from a heart that's engaged, and actually really authentically wants to love God, and express to Him something, and He comes to those words. The other, He says, they're religious words. He said Pharisees are like that. He said the Pharisees talk, but they don't do. That's why you'll get stirred periodically in church to get out of just being half-hearted. Half-hearted means you're saying the words, and going through the motions, but your heart isn't in it. That is empty words, and they don't release life. They release death. They actually reinforce a heavy spirit over the whole congregation. That's why we stir people to be very expressive physically, and with words. Why? Because it totally shifts the atmosphere, by putting something with life into it.

Empty words won't do that. Empty praise will not bring about the presence of God. Don't think that just because you sing a few songs, God has to come. He doesn't at all. He comes where there's faith, and a heart that loves Him, and will engage Him. So engaging God is what counts, not just having a service, and so you get these palavery oh well, the Lord bless you. You think, oh! Actually, religious words make me sick. I just actually feel sick inside, because they're sweet to the point of being sick, because they're not authentic, and they turn you off, and not only that, if you're an unsaved person well, you've got every right to be turned off. I'm turned off by them! I can't stand them, because they're insincere. There's no life in them. They don't carry life, they carry a religious spirit, which brings death. Oh brother, we're praying for you. Just do it - don't tell me about it!

You start to listen around, boy, you'll just be amazed how much of this religious talk goes on, and it's just words which are not sincere, words which the person's heart isn't engaged in. That's all it is, and Jesus said we're called to account for empty words. Don't speak empty words. They don't bring about life. They bring about death - empty, religious words. Whoa! We're getting all quiet now. Here's another one, empty words: lame excuses. Ever heard the old lame excuse? Someone gives you an excuse, and you think oh God, that one's so lame it can't even stand up on its feet. [Laughter] Kids give all these excuses, why they didn't get their homework done, and why they didn't get their room done, didn't do the dishes, didn't do this, didn't do that. You think oh God, give me a break. Basically, you're just not being responsible for your behaviour, and you're covering it with these empty words. They don't mean a thing.

Saul did that, had empty words, you know, empty words. He failed to do what God said, and then he said oh, I'm so sorry. Yeah, right! How do we know yeah, right? Because a few minutes later, he was saying look, I'm really sorry, but could you come and honour me in front of all the people, because that's what I'm really concerned about? He wasn't concerned about God. It was empty words. It sounded religious and good - oh, I'm sorry, I have sinned against the Lord. But listen, just so that it looks good in front of all the people, could you make sure you come over here and pray with me? Come on, this is the kind of nonsense. This is the sort of stuff that people get offended with, and God gets offended with it. He took away the guy's role because of that.

Here's the last one, insincere commitments. This is the classic one. This is the one most commonly, where we speak empty words, and you are really truly only as good as your word. I've been guilty of this myself. I've worked all my life, I try hard at it, and every now and then slip up, but let me just give it to you. I've written down a few, you'll think of your own ones, but a commitment's an undertaking to fulfil a responsibility, so when you make a commitment, you've got to be careful that you actually are going to fulfil it. If you're going to fulfil it, that's fine. If you're not going to, don't give a commitment. This is what happens, see, these are the kinds of things that happen. I'll give them to you quickly then we'll just finish up. Well meaning - I meant to do it, but I forgot. That's an empty word. Yeah, you meant well. Oh, I really meant it when I said yes, I don't know what happened, I just forgot. I talked to someone else, and just forgot - so don't say things you don't mean to go - and some personalities are a bit more like that than others, so some personalities have a tendency. They really meant well while they were with you, but then five minutes later they were distracted and they just forgot. Really meant to do it, I really meant - but it was an empty word, because it never got fulfilled. It was an empty word that requires acknowledgement and repentance of, or its power stands.

Okay, here's another one: vague. Yeah, yeah, I'll do it. When are you going to do it? Oh, I'll do it - its okay, just leave it to me, I'll get it done. And you hear those words, and in your heart you're thinking oh no, it's not going to get done. It's sort of vague. It's got no specifics on it, got no time and day and completion point. You know it's not going to happen, and you get on edge. Did you get life given to you? No, you did not get life. Empty words do not impart life, they impart death, they definitely do. They leave you nervous. I wonder if that's really going to get done. You start to lay awake at night thinking, I wonder if it will get done - and sure enough, it didn't get done. I knew it! You see, how did you know it, when the words were, I'll get it done? You knew it, because you felt it was empty. They weren't in it. They weren't in it. Their heart wasn't in it. You heard the words, the heart wasn't in it.

Here's another one: punctuality. Yes, I'll be there at three o'clock. Jesus help me! Three o'clock comes and goes. That's the most common one of an empty word. I'll be there to do the job tomorrow. Tomorrow comes and goes, and the job isn't done. Oh! Tell the person next to you, boy, this is for you! This is all for you. [Laughter] I just feel it in my spirit this is from God for you. I really feel this is for you. I hope you're listening. You really need this one! [Laughs]

Okay, I better quickly finish this one then. Here we go. Here's another one, it's where a person makes a reluctant commitment. They've made the commitment, but it's under pressure, and you feel the reluctance. You should know either it won't get done, it'll get done late, or it'll be done bad. Either way, it's an empty word and boy, you can feel it. Teenager - got your room done? Yeah, okay. [Laughter] I can see we're in for a fight over this one. There's no mention of a fight. All you heard was yeah, I'll get it done - but you knew! How did you know? You felt their heart wasn't in it. Their heart was definitely not in it. It was an empty word. The other one, insincere words. Insincere words are words said just to please someone, and get them off your back. Now many people, especially if you're a mother and you're trying to get your kids to do something or you're talking to your husband about something, say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll get it done. Yeah, yeah, okay, I'll get to it - and what they're really doing is, they're not at all saying, I'll get to it. What the real meaning is, get off my back! [Laughter] Just don't remind me I haven't done it. Don't tell me that - I don't want you to tell me that - so they say words like yeah, I'll get it done. Okay, just in a minute. But they're empty words, because they aren't what they mean.

They don't mean anything. It's just smokescreen - so empty words are a smokescreen. They always leave people disappointed, hurt, frustrated. Here's what they do, the thing is your words - let me just finish with this scripture here, Numbers, Chapter 23:19. God is not a man, that He should lie, neither the son of man, that He should repent. Has He not said, and will He not do? Has He not said it, and will He not make it good? That's God. So we're called to be like Him. He said it, do it! Said it, make it good! Said it, then do it - that's how God does it. Copy Him.

See, now your words will establish your credibility, so when you actually decide you're going to back up your words, repent of empty words, so the first place to start is God, help me to see every time I say something that's empty. Just quickly show me, so I can quickly repent of it. Help me to just zip my lip, rather than say words that are empty, and if I make commitments, help me to see how important it is to keep them, and to keep them like you would keep them. Because we don't keep our word, and we don't experience people keeping their word, and we find a lot of words are empty and full of da-da-da-da, we find it real hard to believe that God would keep His word. We project our negative experience onto God, and we have trouble believing if God says it, He's as good as His word. Say Amen! [Amen.]

Father, we just thank You right now that You're helping us in this whole realm of the words that we speak. Lord, we are designed to speak words that create and bring new things into being. We're designed to speak words that impart life and encouragement and lift people up. We're designed to speak words into our environment with authority, and power, that shift things. Father, help us to be people like that, that speak those words. Father, show us every time we speak empty words that we are insincere, have no intention of keeping or actually fail to keep. Show us so we can repent of them and put it good. Father, we pray You'll help us by showing us words which are deceptive and dishonest, words which are gossipy and slanderous about others, words which put people down. Lord, Holy Spirit, no man can tame the tongue, but You can. Take hold of our tongue, that we might begin to move into realms in the spirit, where we speak and things begin to change, where we lay hands on people, and speak to diseases, and the disease responds to the words we've spoken; where we can lay hands and speak, and demons will listen to the words we speak and respond, where we can speak over our office and work environment and things begin to change, things which were covered, manifest and come out, things which were controlling are defeated, and life comes into the relationships, and the business. Father, that's the kind of people we're designed to be. That's the people we are. We've just gone along with something else for a long time, so much it's become a habit. Help us to break the habit and to stand up and be who we're called to be.

Summary Notes:  Formatted »  Back to Top »

1. Introduction:

· James 3:3-8 - The tongue directs the course of our life like a bridle or a rudder.

· The words we speaks impacts our relationships, our personal health and destiny.

· The words we agree with in our hearts and speak with our mouth shape our present and determine our future.

· Words are containers – they carry a ‘spirit’ content.

Words are seeds – they are living seeds that produce fruit when spoken.

What words are you releasing into the world around.

2. Devine Design:

We are designed to be ambassadors of the Kingdom, speak and act on behalf of God.

Ephesians 5:1 - “be followers of God as dear children”.

- Follower = 3402 = imitate, mimic, to speak and act like another.

- We are called to imitate our Heavenly Father – to speak and act like Him, represent Him.

How God uses Words - God speaks:

1. Words that Create:

· Hebrews 11:3 - “By faith we understand the words were formed by the word of God”.

· Framed = 2675 = to put in order, arrange, make what ought to be, completely finished.

· The first recorded use of words = words used to create something visible.

· Jesus did exactly this when He blessed the loaves and fish – Mark 6:41

· He spoke creatively into them and released a creative miracle into the earth.

2. Words that Impart Life:

· John 6:63 - “The words I speak to you are spirit, they are life.

· Words are containers for what is in our spirit.

· When words are spoken their spirit content is felt – creates and impression.

· God uses words to nurture the spirit of people and to impart supernatural life.

· Jesus did this when He spoke to the man with the withered hand – Mark 3:5.

· He also did it when He spoke to discouraged disciples – Luke 4:32.

3. Words that Release Spiritual Authority:

· Luke 4:36 - “What a word is this, for with authority power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out”.

· Jesus spoke with authority – there was a weight, force behind His words.

· Jesus words released spiritual power that demons obeyed.

· Jesus spoke words to trees, storms, sickness, demons, dead men.

· His words carried a spiritual substance that altered the world around Him.

· He spoke words that He heard from His Father with faith they would work.

· We are called to imitate God:

- John 14:12 - He that believes in Me – the works that I do, he will do also”.

- Mark 1:22 - Have the faith of God – Who ever says to this mountain “Be removed and be cast into the sea and does not doubt in his heart….”

- God fully stands behind the words He speaks.

- We are designed to use words to create, impart life, release Spirit Power and Authority.

3. Don’t Speak Empty Words:

· We have looked at:

i) Lying Words ii) Gossip Words iii) Put Down Words

· These release a spirit of murder and death that impacts people.

· Matthew 12:34-37 - “Every idle word that men speak, they will give account”.

- Words we speak reveal who we are – “As good as his word”.

- Words we speak are noted, recorded and have significance in the spirit world.

· “Idle” = 692 = without work, barren, yielding no return.

- words that we spoke but did not mean it.

- Words that we spoke but did not intend to fulfill.

- Words that were insincere, not genuine.

- Empty words – without significance or substance or content.

· Examples of ‘Empty Words’ – they release a Spirit of Death:

· Death = distance, separation, coldness, distrust.

i) Flattery:

· Flattery = excessive or insincere praise.

= positive words spoken that conceal a hidden agenda.

· Agenda is usually to gain favour, gain knowledge, impress, please, placate.

· Proverbs 29:5 - “Men who flatters their neighbour spreads a net for feet”.

ii) Religious Words:

· Matthew 15:8 - Honour me with their lips but their heart is far from me”.

· Religious words – “sound nice”, “sound plausible” but have no spirit life.

· Saying the ‘right thing”.

iii) Lame excuses:

· 1 Samuel 15:24,25,30

· Lame excuse = failure to take responsibility and empty words to cover failure.

· Lame excuses for not coming to work, doing job, completing responsibility.

iv) Insincere Commitments:

· A commitment is a undertaking to fulfill some responsibility.

· E.g.: * Well meaning - meant to do it but forgot

* Vague - commitment lacks clarity

* Punctuality - commitment to be at place on time

* Reluctant - commitment under pressure – please

* Insincere - said to please person or get these ‘of

my back’.

- said ‘Yes’ but really meant ‘No’.

4. Words Impact our World:

Numbers 23:19 - “God is not a man that He should lie….has He said and will He not do? Has He spoken and will He not make it good?”.

Works: * Establish your credibility

* Establish your character

* Establish your testimony as ambassador

* Establish standing before God

· Start small – repent of empty words – keep your word in small matters.

· Psalm 15:1-4 - Keep your commitments, honor your words.

Dealing with Put-Downs (4 of 12)

Sun 18 Nov 2007 AM  « Back to Top

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The Tall Poppy Syndrome is the words and behaviours intended to cut people down who are achievers or excellent in their field in some kind of way. It originated as a reaction in New Zealand and Australia to the class system of England and particularly the first place the tall poppy syndrome really began to express itself was against people who thought they were more important or better than anyone else, or carried on like they were, or projected I'm better than you. It started off as a reaction against the class system; now it's evolved. Now it's a reaction usually rooted in envy against anyone who shows excellence or achievement or gets ahead in a field. It's envy. The root behind it is envy, bitterness and envy.

Praise the Lord. Let's open our Bibles. I want to carry on where we were at and share with you, we're just talking about the tongue. Stick it out, let someone have a look at it. Very dangerous [laughs] and we're talking about Taming the Tongue, and where we're going to is this. Let me just say where we're leading towards, so we just know where we're going, and this is where we're heading towards. We're doing a series, we're in the church on being under cover, or positioning ourself under the authority of the Lord, in order that we can have authority to speak, and to begin to say words that release the power of God to flow. So what we're doing now is just looking at this area of the tongue, and I want to identify some of the diseases of the tongue, some of the ways we speak, and we often are not even aware of it, and they are totally counter-productive to us being able to advance the kingdom of God.

So we're just over these two or three sessions getting you aware of the power of the tongue, of the power that God has given to us to create with our tongue, and the impact of the words we speak. The Lord put something on my heart for today that really quite impacted me, as I've thought about it and dwelt on it, and I know it's going to impact you too, so let's just go back and just pick up where we were. We were sharing how God had spoken out of that verse in Joshua, Chapter 3, Verse 5; Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will work wonders among you. God has been speaking about getting our lives in order so that we can come to another level in Him, so we're looking at the tongue and in James, Chapter 3 it says this. It says Verse 2, we all stumble in many things, and if anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man. That's not bad - and able to bridle the whole body. So if you can control your tongue, you can control every part of your life. Indeed, we put a bit in a horse's mouth, that they may obey us, and we turn the whole body. Look also at ships, although they are so large and driven by very fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot desires it to go. Even so the tongue.

So notice what it's telling here, that the tongue is like a bridle on a horse. I remember one time when Joy had a go on a horse in Dannevirke. It was a great experience, and it was a spectacular experience, because she couldn't keep her feet in the stirrups, and didn't get the bridle in the horse's mouth properly, so the horse just got the bit between the teeth, and anyone who's ridden a horse knows if you haven't got the bridle in the right spot so you can pull on the mouth, you can't stop it, you can't steer it. You just are in for a ride of your life, and Joy had the ride of her life, and she couldn't do anything because she had no power to get the bridle into the back of the mouth to control the horse. If you want to steer a huge horse, you've only got to get the bridle in the mouth. You control the mouth, you steer the horse. Same with a ship; you can control the rudder, you steer the big ship. No matter how big it is the rudder will determine it's direction.

So the Bible uses these two things, a bridle for a horse, and a rudder for a ship, so the tongue for your life. Bridle for a horse, turns it. Rudder for a ship, turns it. So the tongue turns your life. You want to turn your life? Talk differently. Talk differently, if you want to turn your life, so we want to pick up a few things. I want to just go back to where I was, because there's something new I want to share today, about the tongue. In Proverbs 18:21, the Bible says death and life are in the power of the tongue, so there is power in your words. Notice, death and life are in the power of the tongue, so your tongue has power. It's not just some empty little thing. It's not like your hands or anything else. There is power in the words we speak to shape atmospheres. There's power in the words we speak to create an environment. There's power in the words we speak to build relationships. Our words have power, they have an ability. When you think how God created, He didn't create by waving His hand.

When you read the Bible, it doesn't say that the spirit of God was moving and God waved His hand - Boof! Then something happened! It says He spoke words, so creation, or creativity, and particularly creative miracles of God, are all released by words. What you didn't pick up there was that I actually spoke creatively. I said to the Pastor, when you step up on the lectern and read the Bible, you will not be able to stand. See, they didn't put it in the clip, but I spoke what I felt God showed me would happen. When we came into the meeting I got a vision and saw seven walking sticks leaning against a wall, and I spoke out that today God is going to set seven people free of walking sticks, and I immediately without any warning in the meeting just got everyone with a walking stick to come up. There were seven people, and so what you saw was an excerpt of seven people leaving their walking sticks behind. But you understand a word had to be spoken when the presence of God was there, so words are very powerful. They affect our future, they affect our lives.

Here's how important it is. We saw last week in Joshua, when they were doing their first battle against Jericho, Joshua said be silent, don't utter a word for the six days, because it would be so easy for them to undo the creative miracle God was about to do by speaking negatively and critically. You imagine marching around a huge city for seven days, imagine what must have gone through people's minds about this military strategy, but they were forbidden to give utterance to any word. If you read in the New Testament, interesting, now that was the beginning of the possession of God's promises. Now get this - in the New Testament when God was about to birth Jesus, he raised up a forerunner, John the Baptist, and when the angel appeared to John the Baptist's father Zachariah, he didn't believe and he was struck dumb. He wasn't able to speak a word negatively against what God was about to do.

Now these things are not in there just as a coincidence, it just happened to be that God just felt mean one day and struck him dumb. He realised that the father had the power to speak words that could totally undo what God wanted to do, and so he had a zip lip. He couldn't speak, until the day he wrote on a piece of paper, his name will be called John, then immediately he could speak. See, so the Bible, there's so many examples. It's all through the Bible you'll see this, but I want to just have us be very aware. So your ability to speak words is part of your creativity of God, so God's given us the ability we can reproduce life sexually, but we can also create things with words, and we have power to release things into being, and build families, build relationships with words - so death and life are in the power of the tongue.

Now get this; notice it says death. Jesus, in Mark 11:21 I think it is, He spoke to a tree, and the tree withered. Don't say sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me. They do hurt, and they have power to change your life. The Bible says it very clearly, and so when Jesus spoke words, a tree withered and died. When Mary spoke words, a baby in the womb leapt. Don't say words don't have power. Your words carry not just the words that you say, but the spirit that flows from within your heart, so the Bible says out of the heart, the mouth speaks. So whenever you speak, it's not just that you say words, but there's a content of your heart, and spirit flows with the words.

In John 6:63, Jesus said, the words that I speak, they are spirit, and they are life, so when Jesus speaks a word to us, it has spirit power in it, and it imparts life, and it can change your future. If you can hold onto the word and let it build in your life, it can change your whole future. Isn't it amazing? Most people wait for the miracles to happen, when actually as soon as you've heard God, the miracle is there ready to walk into, if you can agree and speak it, then start to act on it. So this is a very powerful thing, very important for us to understand this, and particularly so as I share with you some things today. Now I do want to move to the positive ways of how we can actually speak our words to build, but I feel it's really important that we look at some of the areas, or recognise how negative we are, and learn to begin to deal with this issue in our life, and also in the people around us.

So Jesus said, the words I speak, they are spirit. So words can release a spiritual atmosphere. Words have a spiritual power in them, so words can shift an atmosphere. So angry words, for some reason, the whole atmosphere changes, becomes incredibly tense, because demons are activated into that atmosphere. When we begin to, like for example when we come in here, then we will begin to actually speak words and then sing words, and as we sing words, the atmosphere shifts and changes, see? Now you were watching something, and you were hearing something. If I had no sound on, you wouldn't have had much happen in here, but when you saw and heard, it started to affect you, and the same anointing that was in that video started to touch us here. If we had no sound on, you wouldn't have felt a thing. Words, words carry a spirit substance, a spirit content, and so when people speak to you, there's not just the words they utter with their mouth, but what is in their spirit flows with the words, and what you're left with, is the impression that your spirit was touched by.

So for example, if someone comes to you and they've got an offence with someone, no matter how nice they are, you'll feel the offence, and if you've got something in your own heart, their words will stir it up, and before you know it you're talking and running someone down together. If someone's a carrier of gossip - gossip we talked about was one of the misuses of the tongue, while we're speaking about someone, talking about them in a negative way, revealing their secrets, revealing their heart. When you begin to start to gossip, if gossip is in your heart, then someone starts gossiping, it'll stir the thing to come up in you, and before you know it, now the two of you are in agreement. Now there's a whole new dynamic of this gossip. It starts to infect. We talked about the different slander. Slander is where you talk about some person's life, and you run them down. The intent of slander is to run down their reputation or misrepresent them, so when we begin to speak and run people down behind their back, what we do then is we release something into the atmosphere.

The Bible says one of the words for the word devil is the word slanderer. Anytime you're running someone down, you have taken the devil's side. You are releasing hell into earth. You are violating your very cause that God raised you in the earth for, and you cannot gossip or slander against someone without wounding yourself. You cannot, because you're malfunctioning. You're functioning against your purpose. We were raised up by God to bring heaven into the earth through our words, our faith, our believing, our actions, our speaking, and so when we begin to slander, run people down, we are now releasing hell into the earth. That's why in James 3, it says the tongue is set on fire by hell. How does hell manifest? Mostly with words. Words start fights. Words start wars. Words break up relationships. Words build, words create. There's all these things that words can do, death and life in the power of the tongue.

So words have a huge effect. Deuteronomy 1, Verse 28, it says that Moses or Caleb was talking, and he says something like this. He says our brethren discouraged us, or made our heart to melt with their words, so when the twelve spies went into the land, two came back and said we can do it. God is with us, we can do it. This is bread for us. We're going to grow. The others came back and said, it's too hard, we can't do it, we're going to perish. So what happened? The 10 spies infected the whole nation - negativity infects people. It's so easy to take it on-board. It just spreads like a disease, and yet when we speak positive words, we can stand up and make a difference.

Now last week I shared with you some manifestations of diseases of the tongue, and one of them was lying, the other one was gossip and slander. Today I want to pick up another one and I started out, and I had the series all worked out, but it's changing on the way, so this one I want to share on is I want to speak about put downs. Put downs - that's a very Kiwi thing, put downs. So I'm going to talk to you a little bit about it, and share with you some scripture. I want to share with you some insight on it that may surprise you, and I want us to become sensitive in our conscience and in our heart to any kind of words we use, or things we do that put people down, because we are moving to build people up. We're called to create. That's why you come into a prophetic seminar, you're going to get words that will lift and build people, and so we have to recognise the other.

I hadn't realised, and as I say, all of this stuff's coming out of experience; let me just give you a couple of definitions. I looked up in the thing put down, a put down is literally this; to remark, to make a remark, or speak or act, a remark or an action that's intended to humiliate or embarrass someone. So a put down, you put someone down when you speak, or do something that embarrasses them, or humiliates them, put downs. Okay, let's just define it a bit further. Humiliate means you cause the person a painful loss of dignity. They feel embarrassed. They feel ashamed. They feel their respect is gone. They feel down, see? They become self-conscious. So a put down, any words or actions that intentionally, or even sometimes we don't even know we're doing it, it puts a person down, or it causes them to be humiliated, to feel they're shamed about who they are, and they lose their sense of value, they lose their sense of self-respect, become quite embarrassed.

How many have had a put down in your life, one or two? [Laughs] Okay, yeah, well the reason we get it of course, is because the world's the devil's playground, and the devil's been put down. He's been put down, he wants to put everyone else down, so put downs are a manifestation of demonic nature. Build ups are a manifestation of divine nature. Build up - that's God at work. Put down - that's the devil at work. You and I choose whether we build up, or put down, whether we bless, or whether we curse. Put downs curse people. Put downs release spiritual power against them. Put downs can eventually determine, and set the direction, for a person's life, put downs, so we're going to look at some put downs, and this of course is a major thing in New Zealand culture, is put downs, a whole put down culture, and put downs can take many forms.

I want to just pick three forms of put down that I felt I've had to address and deal with in my own life, and that you'll have to address and deal with in your life. There's probably other ones as well, but the first ones come out of family dysfunction or family patterns, and of course they take place in tribal groups as well. But the first one I want to look at is in the area of family patterns. We're going to look at it in just a moment. Now a put down can take many forms, but get this, this is what it is. When there's a put down takes place, inevitably words are spoken that have a spiritual empowerment in them. We'll get to this in a moment, and I'll show you what the spirit is. When a person puts another one down, words are usually spoken in some kind of way that are spiritually empowered, there's a spirit carried with the words. I'll show you what it is in a moment, and what it comes out of, in the heart.

The second thing is, it's the spirit of murder. It's the spirit of murder. The Bible says, hatred is as murder, because murder arises when we hate people in our heart, so a spirit of murder is released against a person when you put them down. A spirit of murder - oh well, of course we're such sweet people, we'd never murder anyone. Not so. We murder people with our words. Let me give you a couple of verses that describe this. In Psalm 55:21 it says the words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart. See? His words were softer than oil, but they were as drawn swords. Notice it says the words, soft, smooth, but there was war in the heart, and actually when he spoke the words, they were like a sword. It cut in, and hurt, and I felt it. How many people have made a comment to you, and it may be a laughing kind of comment or a joking comment, but you suddenly felt there was something in it? You want to know what was in it? The spirit of murder, and it hurt you, and if you don't do something about it, it affects you, especially if it keeps happening.

Here's another verse. Psalm 64:3; They sharpen their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words. So put downs then are words, put downs release a spirit of murder, and put downs are a form of cursing, and the root behind it is bitterness, and hatred, and envy. I'll show you those roots are in - whenever there are put downs, there are roots of bitterness, and hate, and envy. Now because we ask ourselves, have you got bitterness in your heart? Well no, no, I don't feel it, I don't feel like I have. Have you got hatred in your heart? No, I don't feel like I have. Got envy in your heart? I don't feel like I have, no, I feel real good, just been praising the Lord, I feel real good.

Okay then, now let's have a look what words begin to flow, because the words reveal what is actually festering, and is in the heart. If I find having come to church and felt good and praised the Lord, had a wonderful time, then 10 minutes later I'm putting someone down, there's something in my heart, something in my heart - there's bitterness. There's something not right in my heart, because when you put people down, you actually release a spirit of murder against them. To murder someone is to unlawfully take away their life. When you put people down, you take away their life. They don't feel better afterwards, they feel worse. Oh yeah, you haven't thrown them on the ground and physically cut their head off or stabbed them to death. What you've done is, put words into them that actually wound and hurt them, then they struggle to cope with the feelings that all go with that, and we take away people's life.

That's one of the most common ways that people have their life taken away, is by words which put them down, words which put them down. Remember, death and life in the power of the tongue. So there are three common sources of it that I want to identify for you. The first one as I mentioned, is family put downs, family dynamics and some families are filled with put downs. There are some families, the whole family get in that environment. Everyone is putting people down. It's like the whole culture of the family is filled with put downs and so you know then that demon powers are at work. The family is unhealthy. It's not an environment people can grow in and so people grow bitter. Why does it happen? How does it work? Well, name calling is one way you put people down, call them names. Another way is nicknames. Most nicknames are derogatory, or many nicknames are derogatory. Sometimes you find in families, abusive words are being spoken, that people speak abusive words. Abusive words don't just talk about behaviour, they actually attack the person. Oh you're stupid, you're a dummy, you're an idiot, you're a fool. That is a put down, because it ridicules, or it attacks the person's identity, and shames them. It releases a spirit of murder against them, and then the person's got to cope with what's happened.

Of course, if a father speaks words like that, the results are devastating through the whole family. Some cultures are like that, and I think there's a lot of it in New Zealand culture. My observation in teaching, and I've got no issue here, but I notice among a lot of the Maori kids, the words, the way they spoke to one another, I have never heard such vicious put downs in my life. What happens is, it's trying to bring everyone down to the same level, or at least put someone down lower than you, so you look better, and it's got a spirit of murder in it. It's violent murder. It releases violence against a person. I was astonished teaching, to find how much put down goes on in classes, how much put down goes on in schools, and in some families that's the whole family's riddled with put downs, so people are not speaking words to encourage, bring forth dreams, bring forth destinies, identify gifts, lift up and bless. Instead it's critical, negative, fault finding, putting down, and when you put down, you actually attack the person and push them down, so they don't stand up the way they ought to.

So one area that's most common is in families. Some families are riddled with it. Now of course there's Biblical examples for all of these things, so one example is Genesis 37, 4 to 5. Joseph's brothers put him down all the time. Often the youngest one is picked on by everyone. Sometimes there's a black sheep in the family, and they're picked on by everyone, and that put down is actually attack of the spirit of murder, rooted in hatred and bitterness and envy. So Joseph's brothers put him down all the time. It says they couldn't speak peaceably to him. In other words there was war continued, their words hurt him, and we're going to look at what it does to you, if you don't deal with this thing, or don't know what to do with it, and I'm going to minister on it tonight, and give an opportunity for people to be set free.

In 1 Samuel, 17:28, David's brothers put him down. David come down because his dad said, take some food down. Now get this; his dad said go down to the battle, take some food to your brothers, so he goes down there and Elijah rides up - who do you think you are? What are you doing down here? I know you're naughty. You came here just because you want to see a battle. He could have said some battle, no one's fighting, but understand it was a put down, and David turned away from it. He turned away from put downs. He would not allow himself to be put down, he wouldn't allow himself to be devalued. You have to do something about put downs, see? So some cultures are just absolutely full of it. Now inevitably, at the core of put downs, are attempts to control people. At the core of a put down, is an attempt to control you, so if you have a vision and a dream and aspire to greatness, you're going to meet a world of put downs, and the attempt is to actually control you, and suppress your destiny, and the dream inside you.

Notice Joseph was hated for two reasons; one, because his father loved him, and two, because he's had these prophetic dreams, which described the destiny God had for him, and that initiated the put downs of him, because of envy. Why did the brothers put him down? Because he was daddy's little favourite. Well, we'll show daddy's little favourite. That's what they did, gave him a hard time, gave him a very hard time, and then betrayed him, so put downs - it's a terrible thing.

Here's a second one. Now this one here is one I had to really repent of one time, and I've got to watch it all the time, and that is bitter humour, bitter or dark humour, and I'll just describe what it is. The first thing to see is that joy is a feature of the kingdom of heaven, saw it in a meeting, God moves, people laugh, people are happy. Joy is about the kingdom of God, and it's a wonderful thing to be joyful. Humour is the ability to see the funny side of things, so I love funny movies. I love humorous movies, and I like to see the funny side of things. It keeps perspective in life. Some people are too intense and too serious. They do need to laugh a lot more, and the manifestation of joy is laughter and being able to see the funny side of things is very healthy. If you don't take yourself too seriously, and you can enjoy life with all the funny things that happen, and the unusual interesting things that come into your life, you've got to be able to laugh at that. I've survived many things because of an ability to laugh.

However there's another side to humour. Humour can be misused as a way of putting down, and humour can be used to ridicule people by laughing at them. That's the misuse of humour. It ridicules them. Now let me just define that word ridicule. Man, I've just really felt God showing me some things. Ridicule means to make fun of a person with the intention of humiliating them, see? Intention is there to humiliate them. It's a mocking humour. It's got a bitter edge, and you hear the laugh, but you feel put down. There's something in it, and I had an issue one time, I was in a Pastor's Conference and man, we did a lot of laughing there to get rid of stress and stuff and we were all standing around. A group was there and someone was there and he's a funny guy. Man, he's a funny guy, a friend of mine and boy, did he just joke all the time. So he's joking all the way there, and we're just standing around laughing away and just enjoying ourselves, and in the middle of it, I heard the Lord say, step back. So I just stepped away from the crowd that were laughing, and then He said to me, I want you to listen, and I started to listen. As I listened, I realised that this guy was telling jokes, and all of the jokes had one thing in common; they were putting himself down.

We were all laughing and getting involved in the humour, but if you analysed it, the humour was all about him being put down, and the Lord said he's got a spirit of rejection, and he's manifesting it through humour, and you're all being defiled by it, and you're joining in and carrying on putting him down. I was shocked. I went away and repented, then I went to him and I asked forgiveness, and he cried when I spoke to him. He hadn't even realised he was doing it, then he told me he'd been kicked out of home by his dad. There was a deep root of rejection in his life, and the way it manifested was by this dark humour. He was laughing at himself and putting himself down, so some humour puts people down. There's two examples; one of them is found in Nehemiah, Chapter 2, and it says when they had a vision to build the house, and build the house for God, and build a great thing for God, it says their enemies came and mocked and laughed and ridiculed them, but they used laughter as a put down. There's another example in Luke, Chapter 8, where Jesus came in, and there's a girl, and she's lying there dead. He said she's not dead, she's just sleeping, and they laughed and ridiculed Him. This is what He did. See, this is what Nehemiah did. You cannot remain in the presence of a mocking, laughing, belittling, putting down person. You've got to do something, so what Nehemiah did, he says you've got no portion with us. No way you're having anything to do with - in other words he created a separation, said we're going about God's business.

You know what Jesus did? He put all the mockers out. He just rejected them all, put them all out, so that He could create an atmosphere, within which a miracle of life could take place. You have to put out of your life all mocking, belittling laughter that puts you down, in order to create an environment for you, to be able to build things that God can come in, and do creative things. Okay then, are we getting - it must be striking home, you're all getting real quiet, and looking at me like that aye? So we all know that there's someone who's done that. We've done it ourselves, laughed, and then realised there was a bite to the laugh.

Now here's the next one. You're going to like this one. It's the tall poppy syndrome, the tall poppy syndrome. I looked it up on the Internet to find out exactly what this thing is, the tall poppy syndrome. Now have you ever seen a poppy - it's quite interesting. It's just got a long single stalk, and then a flower on the top, beautiful flower often on the top. My mum used to love these poppies, and a tall poppy then is one that stands out above all the others, so a tall poppy then is a person who stands head and shoulders above others, because of their success or their position, or their money or their achievements in life, a tall poppy. The origin of the tall poppy syndrome is where people take a scythe through the poppy field, and they cut off every top, so everything is equalised. Okay, so the tall poppy syndrome is very common. It's actually found when you Google it, you find it's common in New Zealand and Australia. It's not referred to as being anywhere else in the world, just New Zealand and Australia. In fact, the Prime Minister of Australia said, one of the things we need to eliminate out of our culture is this tall poppy syndrome, because it stops excellence, and it stops achievement.

So what is the tall poppy syndrome? Well, the tall poppy syndrome is the words and behaviours intended to cut people down who are achievers, or excellent in their field in some kind of way. Now where it originated from was this. It originated as a reaction in New Zealand and Australia to the class system of England, and particularly the first place the tall poppy syndrome really began to express itself was against people who thought they were more important, or better than anyone else, or carried on like they were, or projected I'm better than you.

That came particularly out of the British class system, and so coming out to New Zealand, Australia, there was a strong reaction to the class system, and a culture of what we call egalitarianism - everyone is equal. It's got some really good things in that. However, the problem is - so what it did initially, they began to pull down and mock and laugh and belittle anyone who thought they were more important than anyone else, or better than anyone else. It started off as a reaction against the class system; now it's evolved. Now it's a reaction, usually rooted in envy, against anyone who shows excellence or achievement or gets ahead in a field. You know what the root thing that drives this tall poppy syndrome is? It's envy. The root behind it is envy, bitterness and envy. I'm upset because I don't have that.

Benjamin Franklin said this; you cannot strengthen a person by weakening another. You cannot add to the stature of a dwarf, by cutting the legs off a giant. That's not bad is it aye? You can't make a dwarf taller, by cutting the legs off a giant. It won't make you taller. In fact actually, it makes you a smaller person, so you can't do this thing without it, so of course it's rooted in envy. Envy is wanting to possess what someone else has, so jealousy is a bit different. Jealousy is when you have a bitter feeling about someone, and you have ill will towards them, because they have something you really want, or think I should have that! I should have that. Aah, watch the tall poppy syndrome come out. Soon, words and actions to cut the person down, belittle them, scorn them, find ways to explain why they've got where they've got, except the obvious thing which is they worked harder than you did.

But the interesting thing is, tall poppy syndrome is found in the Bible. It's not referred to, but you can find it there if you understand what it is. Remember a tall poppy is a person who stands out from others because they're great achievers, they've worked hard, they excel. Financially they've got ahead. They've risen up and achieved in sports, they've really risen up and they've got somewhere in a position somewhere. Okay, that's a tall poppy. Tall poppy syndrome is, pull them down so they're equal or less than us - not good. It absolutely promotes mediocrity, and lack of achievement, and lack of potential, and destroys dreams. It's a wicked thing. It's a wicked thing. It's a wicked evil. It's a spirit of murder, that comes in the nation to try and knock people down. Jesus experienced it in Mark 15, Verse 10 I think it is somewhere. It says that Pilot or Herod knew that it was envy that caused the Pharisees to hand Jesus over. They had Him killed, because they envied Him. That's tall poppy syndrome. They did a dirty on Him, because of the tall poppy syndrome. They wanted what He had. He was popular, they wanted to be popular. He didn't seek the fame, he had it, so the tall poppy syndrome - you can see it manifest. Someone gets a new car, someone gets a promotion, someone gets some money, someone gets a new house, someone gets ahead, someone achieves - oh oh oh! Do you think people can rise up and bless them? No, often they just kind of ah well, he probably stole it, probably cheated. Well, you know lawyers, they steal stuff. He's probably ripped it off someone down - see, it's all words to tear down, rather than acknowledge an achiever, rather than acknowledge someone achieving.

What I found in school teaching is, I found that in some of the classes, the tall poppy syndrome is so powerful, it shapes the whole academic achievement of the class, and again unfortunately, it was particularly so among the Maori students that I taught. When one did well, all the others so abused him for doing well, that the next time the tests came in, he didn't do well at all. Oh, I used to get so upset with that kind of stuff, but it's not distinct for any culture. It's just part of issues we've got to deal with in life. How about that aye, so how are you going to deal with the put downs? Well you've got to deal with the put downs, because these kinds of put downs, and the tall poppy syndrome, or mocking humour, or family put downs, all those kinds of things, they wound your spirit, they impart shame, so you don't like who you are, and what they do is they destroy your initiative, and your excellence. They shut your gifts down. That's the things they do; shut your gifts down, destroy initiative and excellence.

So now this is what happens when people are put down. There are two responses you can make to being put down, and how you respond is going to have a huge impact on your life. Tonight I want to make it possible for people to receive ministry if you've lived a life where you've been put down. Now listen to this. When a put down comes, usually there's words or humour or an attitude, and it always imparts a spirit that murders your initiative, your life, your desire, your dream, whatever, tries to hold you back down.

Now there's one of two responses. Number one response is, you can receive it, and come into agreement with it, but when you do, that not only do you get wounded inside, but you come into agreement with that statement. You come into agreement with a curse, and then almost certainly you'll start to echo it yourself, and repeat it yourself, and put yourself down, then soon you'll be putting someone else down, like for example I'm no value, I can never get ahead, I'll never get anywhere, I'll never achieve, I'll never amount to much. See, once we start to agree I'm no good, there's something wrong with me - see when we start to listen to those messages of shame that put downs put in us, and we agree with them, they become empowered to become our future. Is that what you want for your life? Is that what you want for the people around you, who you love? I don't think so. We've got to get this put down thing out of our system.

So here's what happens. When you begin to agree with the put downs, so suppose you're in a family, and there's abusive put down, often it's like men putting down women; sometimes it's women putting down men, sometimes it's parents putting down kids. It goes in all of these forms, but you feel it. You feel the spirit of put down, something sharp goes in and wounds you. Now here's what happens if you come into agreement with it. You will start to interpret all of life as putting you down. You'll misinterpret everything in life, and you'll begin to interpret life's things, that people are putting you down. You come into a church, you think people are putting you down, you think people don't accept you. No matter where you go, you'll have this thing working in your life, you'll interpret life that way. If someone tries to correct you and adjust you, you'll take it as a put down. It's not a put down, it's words spoken in love, to change your life, and help you fulfil your potential.

So when we get into that zone, man we're really in bad shape ,and we can't receive any help, we can't receive any ability to go ahead, so what we need to do is, we need to actually repent. We've actually got to realise, I've been agreeing with the put downs about who I am. I need to repent of it, I need to break the power of those words, I need to forgive the people who have put me down, and start to bless them, and I need to renew my mind, so I agree with what God says, see? He says I'm a child of God! He says I'm forgiven! He says I'm something beautiful, created in His image and likeness! He says I'm an ambassador. He says I'm a gift to this world. He says I have something to do that can change life. God says these things about me! I'm agreeing with what God says about me! I don't care what you say about me. I'm believing what God says about me.

See, unless you start to agree with what God's saying, you'll agree with the put downs. See God is a builder upper, but the devil is a putter downer. You agree with the put downs, you allow the spirits from hell to dominate you, and soon you'll join the ranks of people putting people down - so we have two options; one, we could receive it, in which case if you've received these things and come into agreement with them, you've got to cancel that power, break those agreements, change the meditation of your heart to agree with God. See, and the other thing is that when people do try and put you down, you've got to do something. Jesus walked away from it. Joseph walked away from it. Nehemiah told him, you'll not have any part to do with me. I will not be part of a mocking, jeering, ridiculing, putting down environment, because it breeds a spirit of murder, and that's not what I want to create around me. So the only way to stop that, is to do something about it, got to stand up, and speak out, and stop it.

So if you're in that situation, begin to start to speak God's words, remove yourself from an environment if it's at all possible, where it's negative and putting down, or confront it if it's possible, or if not, trust God to help you walk through it until that season is over, and use it as an opportunity to grow character and excellence in your life. The pursuit of excellence, is the pursuit of God's dream, that we would rise to our greatest potential, and ahead of us, between us and that dream, there's a culture of people that want to put you down. You've got to decide, I WILL NOT be in agreement with the putter downers. I will not be in agreement with that spirit of murder. I will not manifest that spirit of murder, but I will speak words that build. Philemon, Verse 6 says this. The communication or imparting of faith, is effectual when you acknowledge every good thing in you, in Christ. We have to learn to acknowledge the good, acknowledge the things God's put in us, acknowledge what God's put in others, speak words that impart grace and build and empower and lift, and not be part of a culture that's a put down culture.

You start to excel in an area, someone will say, who do you think you are? Well, I think I'm a child of God, called with a destiny to excel, and do my best - who are you? You have to get something in you that rises up, and no longer will be put down, no longer will accept that spirit of murder, but rises up and challenges it. We have to do it. We have to do it in order for us to flow prophetically, in order for us to begin to release in the atmosphere around our lives what God wants to release. We have to get rid of this put down thing that gets around our life. If you're in agreement with it, today decide I will disagree. I will disagree with those words that curse me, those words that stole my life, those words that wounded me, those words that said I couldn't be anything, I couldn't do anything. I will disagree, because there's nothing impossible to him that believes God! I will believe God, and what God says about me. I will believe His plan for my life. I will believe His words, because His words are life for me.

Friends, you've got to get that into your spirit. There's no place for neutrality, no place to be passive and neutral. You have to make a stand in this area about words, and the power of words to create an atmosphere and environment which releases the supernatural and activate your potential. Can you say Amen! [Amen!] Can you say Amen! [Amen!] Come on, let's give Jesus a great clap. [Applause] This is how Jesus speaks. Your name is Simon and I'm telling you something, I'm calling you Rock. I'm calling you a rock because I'm going to build something great upon you, that will touch generations. That's how God talks, so people say all kinds of stuff about you, but it's what God says about you - if you will believe that, and stand up and confess it, then heaven will come to your help and you will fulfil the dream God has for you.

Come on, let's stand and give the Lord a clap. [Applause] Who are you? I'm Abram. No you're not, you're Abraham, the father of nations. Who are you? Well I'm nothing, I'm a nobody, I'm the least of my family. You're a mighty warrior! You'll change a nation. Come on, you've got to get it, you've got to get it in your spirit. That's how God talks. That's how God talks. The devil talks a different way. God talks that way! He talks that way! You've got it in you. You're a winner! You're a winner! You can win in life! Thanks be to God who always in all things causes us to be winners and triumph in Christ! Come on, let's give the Lord a great clap.

Summary Notes:  Formatted »  Back to Top »

1. Introduction:

· The words we agree with in our hearts and speak with our mouth shape our future.

· James 3:2-5 - “We put bits in horses mouths that they may obey us”.

The tongue is like:

1) Bit in horses mouth.

2) Rudder on a ship.

The words we speak forth control the direction our life takes.

· E.g. Numbers 14:28 - “…just as you have spoken in my hearing, I will do to you”.

· Note:

i) Joshua 6:10 - Israel forbidden to speak (negatively) prior to miracle.

ii) Luke 1:18-20 - Zechariah forbidden to speak prior to birth of John the Baptist.

2. There is Power in Your Words:

a) Proverbs 18:21 - “death and life is in the power of the tongue”.

· Your ability to speak is part of the nature of God.

· Your words carry power – to destroy or to build.

· E.g. Mark 11:21 - Jesus spoke words to a fig tree – he cursed it and it withered and died.

b) John 6:63 - “The words I speak have spirit and they have life”.

· Words that are spoken from the heart release “spiritual energy” into the atmosphere.

· Words we speak can attracted the presence of demons or angels.

· Words spoke create a spiritual atmosphere that motives are polluted.

· Words are seldom “neutral” – they impart the ‘spirit’ of the person speaking.

· E.g. Deuteronomy 1:28 - “Our brethren have discouraged our hearts”.

- Words spoken surface and reinforce issues people have in their heart.

- E.g. offence, negativity, unbelief, gossip, slander.

3. The Spiritual dynamic of “Put Downs”

· “Put Down” = a remark or act intended to humiliate or embarrass another person.

· Humiliate = to cause a person painful loss of dignity, personal value, so they feel shame, embarrassment or self-conscious.

· A major issue in NZ culture is “Put Downs”.

· Put Downs can take many forms but all have similar character.

i) Words are spoken – spiritually empowered by the heart of the speaker.

ii) A spirit of murder / death is released against the person being put down.

· Psalm 55:21 - “Words of mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart his words were softer than oil, yet they are drawn swords”.

· Psalm 64:3 - “ Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows – bitter words”.

· The roots behind put downs are bitterness, hatred and envy.

· Hate is the root of murder – to deprive a person of life in any manner.

i) Put downs are a form of cursing.

ii) Put downs are an attack upon a persons identity to shame them.

· People who have been put down - tend to put others down (cycle of cursing)

4. 3 Common Sources of Put Downs:

i) Family Dynamics:

· Some families and cultures is filled with ‘Put Downs’.

· Men put down woman, woman put down men, adults put down children.

· Name calling.

· Nicknames – especially if the person is gifted or different.

· Abusive words.

· Genesis 37:4-5 - Josephs brothers hated him, could not speak peacefully to him.

· 1 Samuel 17:28 - David’s brothers ‘put him down’ for coming to the battle.

· Some cultures are filled with ‘violent’ put downs.

· Put downs are a form of control.

ii) Bitter Humor:

· Joy is one of the characteristics of the Kingdom of Heaven

– Romans 14:17

· Humor = ability to see the funny aspect of a situation.

· Humor can become ‘dark’ when used as a form of put down.

· Nehemiah 2:19 - “They laughed as to scorn and despised us”.

· Ridicule = to make fun of a person with the intention of humiliating them.

· Mocking humor or humor with a bitter edge “put people down”.

· Luke 8:53 - They ridiculed Jesus, knowing she was dead.

· Jesus’ response: “put them all out” – protected the environment so that the miracle of resurrection can happen.

iii) Tall Poppy Syndrome:

· Tall Poppy is a successful person or achiever.

· Tall Poppy Syndrome = Lords or nations that put down or equalize them into who stand out above others because of excellence or achievement.

Origin – reaction to British class distinction, reaction to people who project an ego, self-importance or desire to impress others.

· Evolved – reaction to any person who stands out from others as excellent or achieving in their field.

· TPS is a manifestation of bitterness and envy.

· Berry Franklin = “You cannot strengthen one by weakening another. You cannot add to the statue of a dwarf by cutting of the leg of a giant”.

· Envy = longing to possess what belongs to another.

· Jealousy – feeling of resentment that someone else has gained something you feel entitled to.

· Mark 15:10 - Pharisees manifested - TPS – envy of Jesus.

· TPS manifest when another person :

i) gets a new car

ii) gets promotion

iii) succeeds

iv) gets recognition

Who does he thing he is? Probably cheated.

· James 3:14 - Bitter envying and selfish ambition => TPS.

· 1 Corinthians 12:26 - One member is honored, all members rejoiced with it.

4. Dealing with Put Downs:

Psalm 18:14 - “The spirit of a man sustains his infirmity, but a broken spirit who can fear?”

· “Put Downs” impart a spirit of murder that:

i) Wounds the persons spirit.

ii) Imparts shame – loss of value and esteem.

iii) Destroys initiative and excellence.

iv) Removes people from God’s positioning and shuts down their gifts.

· How you respond? – determines the course of your life.

· Two Options:

i) Receive the words / spirit of put down, agree with them.

‘I’m of no value’.

‘I never do anything right’.

Once a person agrees with the Put Down words they come into agreement with the demons behind them.

· They interpret all life / relationships through wrong belief.

· Innocent comments, actions are interpreted as Put Downs.

· Honest feedback is interpreted as Put Downs.

· Person is in agreement with the “Shame Message”.

· Need to:

- Repent of Agreement.

- Forgive and Bless those who cursed.

- Establish boundaries to Put Downs.

- Meditate on God’s Word.

ii) Reject the Words / Spirit of Put Down:

· E.g. David; Jesus; Nehemiah.

· Agree with God’s Words – encouraged.

· Minimize exposure to people who Put Down.

· Establish supportive relationships.

Philemon 6

Dealing with Put-Downs (5 of 12)

Sun 18 Nov 2007 PM  « Back to Top

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If you connect with Jesus Christ and begin to listen to His dreams for your life, He will want you to stand up and become a tall poppy. He wants you to be one. You're called to represent heaven. You're called to stand out and be different. You're called to stand up and bring something of God into the earth.

Let's have a little look at a verse in Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 17. I want to speak on dealing with put downs, and I want to give you some practical advice. I want to have a chance to minister to people - dealing with put downs. Who's been put down ever? Oh, one or two. [Laughs] Its part of life, isn't it aye? But I want to share with you some things. I want to pick it up from this morning, and I encourage you to just let your heart just be open to let God firstly, help you see how you've responded to this, and secondly, what you can do to break out, because at the end of the day, you'll either be where God has positioned you, and you chose to agree with Him, and stand there, or you'll be where other people put you. Think about that.

You've got to take responsibility for our life. Notice here it tells us in Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 17, the last half of it, it says those who receive abundance of grace, and the gift of righteousness, will reign in life, will reign in life. Now that means, you are wired to win, when you get connected to Jesus Christ. When you and I connect our lives to Jesus Christ by faith, He implants His spirit, His DNA in us, and you are wired to win in life. God has no plan for you to fail. He doesn't dream up plans whereby you can fail. He has one plan for you, and that is a plan that in every arena of life you succeed, and no matter what is dished up to you, that you use that as a stepping stone, and you come out on top at the end of it. See God wants you to win. Notice He said, those who receive - two things; number one, those who receive the gift of righteousness, or in other words, those who by faith have embraced Jesus Christ, and come into a place of right standing with Him. The key to being able to walk a life that wins, is our standing with God. Righteousness means I am in right standing with God, no sin issues in the way, I'm accepted, loved, valued. I'm positioned for winning in life.

Second thing, out of that position I then need to access and receive words and power to live my life. So first, I've got to be in connection and maintain that connection, secondly, I've got to learn how to draw from God what I need to cope with, and handle, and overcome things in life. This morning we're talking about put downs in life. Let me define again a put down for you. Put downs are words or actions intended to humiliate or embarrass you, or put you down. Put downs are words or actions that are intended. Their intention is that you will be humiliated, your esteem will be lowered, you'll feel ashamed, embarrassed, you'll be put down. That's what you do to an old dog aye, put him down? Well people do that to people. They put them down, and some cultures are very, very bad. We have in New Zealand, we were sharing this morning about a particular culture of the tall poppy syndrome. We defined it this morning, but a poppy is an interesting plant. It's got a long, narrow stem with a poppy, beautiful flower on the top, and a tall poppy is one that stands head and shoulders above everything else. The tall poppy syndrome is the tendency in our culture to cut down anyone who excels or rises up, or stands out in any kind of way.

Now listen. If you connect with Jesus Christ and begin to listen to His dreams for your life, He will want you to stand up and become a tall poppy. He wants you to be one. We say oh, I just want to blend in with the crowd. Where did you get that idea? You're called to represent heaven. You're not called to go with the crowd and blend in with the crowd. You're called to stand out and be different. You're called to stand up and bring something of God into the earth. We're not called to be short poppies, we're called to be tall poppies. We're called to stand up, and stand out in life, see? So this tall poppy syndrome, literally what it does is it takes away the desire of people to excel, and causes everyone to just become mediocre, fit in with the crowd, go with the flow where everyone else is going. Listen, you're not called to go with the flow. You're called to stand up, and make your life count for something, called to stand up, and be different. Stand up, and fulfil the course that God has for you.

Now the thing is that happens is, when we connect with God and embrace His dreams for our life, there will be additional put downs come just because of that. You have to understand that becoming a Christian - how many found as a Christian you get people make fun of you, put you down? See. How many know they're watching you? You make one mistake and they're onto you? See, that's a put down, because what they're trying to do is to take away from you the calling, and the stature, that God has implanted right there in your spiritual DNA. You find that in Genesis, Chapter 37 and in Verse 4. Just have a look at a couple of verses here, just so you won't be surprised if you begin to become a dreamer for God, if you begin to embrace God's dreams for your life, you're going to get some extra tall poppy syndrome dished up to you, so you've got to learn how to handle it. Here it is here, Verse 4; When his brothers saw their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and couldn't speak peaceably to him, kept putting him down. And he had a dream, and he told it to his brothers, and they hated him even more, because of the God-given dream in his life.

And his brothers - Verse 8 - said to him, shall you reign over us? Or have dominion over us? They hated - now notice this - they hated him even more because of his dreams and the words he spoke. When you begin to stand up and you live out the life God called you to and begin to speak out your dreams, you're going to have people come and put you down. They will want to somehow stop you showing them up. They'll want somehow to bring you back down to where they are, but there's something in you that's different. You weren't designed by God to just flow with the crowd. You're designed to stand up, and be different, and you've got to choose to embrace what God says, who you are, and what you can do, and not let the world push you down and say you're nobody. You're somebody destined to rule, designed by God to rule.

Now listen, there's some sources of put down. I want to share with you three sources of put downs. I want to share with you briefly the impact on their life, but most importantly how to get out of it when that put down comes. It's already come, and it's going to come, don't worry about it, it's a stepping stones. The giants have breads for you, see, bread to grow you. So three sources of put downs, here's number one. The first source of put downs really are demons. Understand that the devil has been put down, literally. The devil was in a realm or occupied a realm in the spirit, a positioning in relationship with God, and when he sinned, God put him down, so he wears shame all the time. He wears put down all the time, and all he's got to give to you is more of the same. He wants to smother you with shame. He wants to smother you with feelings of being put down. He wants you to experience what he has experienced, see? He can't do anything to attack God, so he sets his target on the people God has designed to replace the devil's occupancy in the spirit, the people God has designed to arise, and begin to occupy places in the spirit, and have dominion in the earth. The devil wants to put you down, because he's envious you're occupying what he was called to occupy.

So the first enemy we have are demonic spirits. The Bible says in Revelations 12 and Verse 10, it talks about the accuser of the brethren, the devil is the accuser of the brethren. The word devil means, one who launches violent abusive attacks against you. That's what the word devil means. It comes from a word bellow, to violently hurl fiery darts against you. The word devil also means, to slander, or to run you down in your character and your reputation, by making false accusations against you. The devil by nature, is wanting to put you down. Now to put you down means to humiliate you, so you actually experience shame, so I'll put it in a nutshell. You either walk in the glory God has for you, or you live in the shame that comes out of being fallen and under accusation. The devil wants you to live accused and ashamed, God wants you to live in glory.

When Adam sinned, he lost his glory and felt ashamed, and he retreated and hid, and lost his dominion. Jesus came to restore you, by positioning you back in relationship with God, where you have no need to have any shame, so it says the righteous, those who have no shame in the presence of God, are bold as a lion, see? So boldness is not something you feel. It comes out of knowing where you stand with God, and living in His presence, feeling that I'm clothed with glory, knowing that His glory is over my life, that I carry His nature, His divine presence. I'm His representative, and so the devil's going to put you down. Here's the second that'll put you down, people will try and put you down. Now the devil tries to put you - notice when Jesus was being tempted in the wilderness, the devil said you're the son of God, why don't you prove it? Why don't you do something? But people will do it too. People will reflect the kingdom that rules in their heart, so if people are ruled by shame or ruled by being put down or ruled by demonic spirits, they will naturally reflect out of them what is in their heart. So it's a tendency in people to put us down, and it's rooted in envy, and it's rooted in the desire to control people, to hold them down so we're on top of them, or to pull them down so we feel better about ourselves.

So put downs just come, and everywhere you get them; schools, put downs are very, very common see, so it's a way of controlling people. Usually the way its done is by words, words of abuse, name calling, laughing and mocking and ridiculing, anything that will cause you to feel humiliated as a person. So of course if you're a Christian, called by God to be an ambassador, naturally even if you don't do anything, you will experience some ridicule, because the devil knows that if he can get the ridicule to stick, you will be put down on the inside, and you will never express what God called you to express. So when we allow ourselves to be put down, see you can't stop it coming, but what you can do, is decide whether you'll allow it to put you down. If you come into agreement with it and let it put you down, then you can never be what God called you to be, so one of the challenges in our walking with God and representing Him, is how can I deal with the put downs? People laugh at you, they laugh at you because of what you look like, they laugh at you because you're a woman, laugh at you because you're a man, laugh at you because you're smaller in your body, laugh at you because your nose is big, laugh at you for all kinds of reasons. There's all sorts of ways, and in schools particularly, the environment can be incredibly cruel to people.

I can remember vividly times in my own school years of being ridiculed and scorned and how painful it was. I can remember a teacher standing over me when I was in the seventh form and literally red in the face, shouting and abusing me, and telling me I would never pass, I'd fail. That's put down. That's straight out of hell, that's a tongue on fire by hell itself. It is demonic, and it comes to people, and often people in positions of power will use their power to put others down, so they can stay in that place of power. That's not godly leadership. In Asia, they have an issue called scalding. We'd probably call it something different here, you know, got a growling or something like that, but it's actually more than just a growling. They actually use their position to speak and yell, they actually yell and put people down, and it controls the Chinese people.

I remember having an altar call one time, and got people to come. I was just moving in the spirit, and God spoke to me about scalding, started to drop a download of some scriptures on it. I got people up, and they were absolutely screaming with the wounds, and the pain, and as the demons came out of them, because when a person abuses another one by putting them down, by speaking words, they unleash a spirit of murder against them. They unleash a spirit of murder, because the Bible says there's death and life in the power of the tongue, so people can unleash a spirit of murder. They can unleash a spirit of life. We are called to bring life, we're called to prophesy. We're called to speak creatively. We're called to build! We're called to lift people up! But the devil wants to use your tongue to create something different, and so you will create around your life your own atmosphere you'll live in, and you'll be in, the atmosphere around you, so you're either going to be under that thing or over it.

You've got to decide whether you rise up and deal with the put downs, and so put downs that the devil brings against us, we need to recognise them and resist them. Put downs that people bring against us, we need to learn how to handle them. I'll show you in a moment what to do - and then there's another kind of put down, and that's the ones which come about because we think negatively about ourselves. Proverbs 23:7, as a man thinks in his heart, so he is. So the way you think about yourself; how do you see yourself? How do you see yourself? Now I'll give you an example of it. Jeremiah had a visitation of the spirit of God - a wonderful thing to have a visitation of God - and God begins to speak to him. Low and behold, God begins to say good things, and this is what God said to him. He said Jeremiah, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and I ordained and prepared that you would be a prophet to nations, so God's plan's are always good for us aren't they. But you know what his response was? He echoed what was in his heart. What did he echo? What was in his heart? I, I, I'm only a child, I'm only young, I'm too young for this stuff. This is what God said to him; he said don't talk like that. He stopped him giving voice to attitudes and a mindset inside, that would stop him totally fulfilling the call of God. In other words inside him, in his heart, in his inner life, he had issues about his youth.

When God spoke to Gideon - Gideon, you mighty man of valour. He said what? Me? I'm the youngest in the family. Gideon! You will deliver this nation. Now God is speaking His will, His purpose, which He will empower to take place. Gideon is reflecting what he really thinks, and he's reflecting his put downs - oh, we're the smallest tribe. How can any good come out of this? I'm the lowest in the family. Notice it's all about who I am, and God just ignored it completely, and kept going down the line declaring until in the end, he yielded and he actually aligned his internal thinking, and agreed with God said about him. Don't you think it's time that you aligned your thinking inside about what God says about you?

Are you an echo of what the devil is saying? You know what an echo is? HELLO - hello, hello, hello, hello, hello. You get in one of these big valleys and you yell out, or a big cave. HELLO - hello, hello, hello, hello, hello. That's the echo. Now listen, let me ask you this question. Are you an echo of what the devil has been saying about you? Are you an echo of what your family have been saying about you? Are you an echo of what your teachers have been saying about you? Are you just an echo, repeating the put downs that someone else put into your life, or are you a voice that comes from hearing what God says, and saying things that determine your destiny? An echo or a voice? To be a voice, you've got to hear God personally. Jesus said, Matthew 4:4, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that God is speaking. The revelatory words of God is how we live our life, so are you living by echo, by what others have said about you, by the voice of your experience, the voice of your circumstance, the voice of your feelings, the voice of your father, who has long died, but told you you're an idiot, and you'd never get anywhere? The voice of a teacher, who said you're a fool, you'll fail, you'll never go anywhere? What are you living by?

Or are you living by the words that God says? You are My son, My daughter, created in My image, designed to reflect uniquely what I'm like. I've got good things for you. What are you living by? Well, if we were to listen to you talk, we'll know what you're living by, and you have to decide whether you'll be an echo or a voice, whether you're going to echo the put downs of the world, or whether you'll listen to what God says, and start to speak that, and think that, and agree with that. We choose what we agree with. Now of course, it's easy to agree with the put downs; I'm no good, you know? See, we tend to listen to the put downs and agree with them and see, we've got to stop doing that. Now let me just show you what happens, the impact on your life, when people put you down. It can be all kinds of places people put us down, but there are certain things happen when we live in a family environment of put downs. Sometimes it's the brothers, there's one girl in the family, and all the brothers gang up on the girl. Sometimes it's one guy, and all the girls gang up on the guy, and sometimes it's the dad puts down the women, sometimes it's the mum puts down the men. It's through life. This is wherever we go, we're going to find it, but it will impact you, and the thing is for you to find out, well, have I been impacted by some of these put downs? Have I come into agreement with it, and am I echoing it? Or am I listening to what God says about me?

See, so the kinds of things that can happen is, number one, your spirit gets wounded when people put you down. Because they release a spirit of murder against you, you can be wounded deeply in your spirit, and need to be healed. A broken spirit causes sickness in your body, so when people have been put down, often they become vulnerable to sickness, because the words have wounded their spirit. So sometimes you find people have been deeply wounded by being put down, abused in life. They actually end up very sick. The second thing is shame. Shame comes on people, because the essence of a put down is your identity is attacked, and you are made to feel and believe I'm useless, I'm no good, I'm a failure, I'm a nothing, I'm of no value, I don't even belong here. I, I, I. Message of shame is something is wrong with me, and so the devil wants to shame you continually. People may shame you. They may not even know that they're doing it.

The third thing when we get put down is, it shuts down your giftings. Now listen, you've got to understand this. You have giftings inside you. You have giftings which are an answer to problems in life. You have giftings to help people, you have giftings to express how God has made you unique. But listen, if you are echoing shame and put down, you'll never release your gifts. See when Jesus came He was full of giftings, full of anointing, full of the presence and power of God. They just said oh this is nothing, this is just a carpenter you know. What the heck could He do? You see, so in other words, they put Him down, and when they put Him down, they shut His gifts down, no gifts operated. Do not mistake, this kind of thing really affects how you operate, and how you live your life. Now just even that one scripture alone would tell you, if the friends around you are put down people, you need to change your friends. You can't thrive in that kind of poisonous, sick environment. You have to separate from it. No plant grows in a poisonous, polluted environment, and you can't grow thoroughly and properly to your full potential, if you're surrounded by people that keep knocking and put the knockers, you know, they put people down.

I've even had to withdraw from some Pastors who've got this in them. First I spoke to them about it two or three times, then I withdrew from them. I just don't want to be in an environment where people are pulling down anyone else. I don't want to be in an environment where people are scorning anyone else. The moment it starts, I get uncomfortable, and I'm about to leave. I just am not going to live in that environment anymore. I lived with enough of it growing up, and I've made resolution inside to step out of any environment where there's a knocking, shaming, putting down spirit. I either rebuke it and stand up and confront it, or withdraw from it completely, but not live in it, where it starts to rob and ebb your strength and life. You've got to do something about this thing see, and we've got to really make a decision, I'm not going to be put down. I'm going to rise up to my full potential see? It causes a loss of initiative and motivation to excel, so when you're in an environment of put down you actually lose initiative. You lose energy to get up, and do things and you don't even want to try, and not only that, you don't excel.

Now you'd be amazed how much criticism comes when you try to do something great for God. You'd be amazed how people will knock, you know, money spent on a sound system, money spent on doing a building up, money spent on making things excellent for God. I can only assume that's because in their mind, they think you give God your crap and your leftovers. I don't think that. I think we give God our very best. I think we give Him our best, and when we give Him our best, we honour Him for who He is. You don't give God your second-hands and your leftovers, but you see there's a mentality that gets like that. When we first came here into the city, my first welcome from a Pastor; oh, you'll never last here more than six months. I said thank you very much, we'll see. We'll see. It wasn't my idea to come here anyway, I never wanted to come here. God told me to come, so I expect He'll do something to help me. Within a year and a half he was gone - never join the knockers. Never join the scorners, you know? You want to walk with God, you want to be blessed in your life, the Bible says blessed is the man who doesn't sit in the seat of the scornful. Don't sit with people who are knockers, and scorners, and putters down.

Young people, you've got to really make a stand on this one here. Choose you're going to be a builder of lives, not a tearer down. See, you're not going to tear people down, you're going to build people up. I tell you what, you'll guarantee you'll become a leader. You'll guarantee you'll have genuine, authentic friends, and you'll also guarantee you'll experience a lot more put downs, because there's something about doing that, that really gets people upset and wound up. They just can't help it. They must do something. Even Saul, when he saw that people were complimenting David, he had to put David down, see? It's just part of life. The other thing it does, it causes us to begin to believe the things we hear. We begin form beliefs inside ourselves, so when we're living in a put down environment, there's a lot of put downs coming, it can be just a father who's a perfectionist, and nothing you do is good enough. So after a little while, no matter how hard you try, it's never good enough, so you're totally put down. What happens is you lose initiative, and when people get like that, and they start to agree well I'm no good, I can never do anything right or whatever. What happens then is then you become angry, and rejected, and distressed, and down.

Spirits come around your life, and they rob your potential, so we can't afford to agree with those things. So how can I get out of it? See, I have to get out of it. There are two lots of put downs I've got to get out of; one, the ones that are outside me. The ones outside me can never really destroy me. Anything outside me, I can actually confront and deal with, or use it as a stepping stone to grow. There is no put down outside you that has the power to defeat you, until you agree with it. The moment you agree with the put down, then demons come upon your life, and then it begins to reinforce in your heart, and then it begins to become effective in your life. So what do you do if you're in an environment where you've been put down, whether it be a home environment, whether it be a school environment, a work environment, whatever kind of environment? Listen, we can't always change the environment completely, but we can do some things. Here's some things you can do, and you've got to work out and let the Holy Ghost show you what to do.

We need wisdom from God what to do, but there is no put down environment that can destroy your potential. It can make it hard for you. It can make it challenging for you. It can make it very difficult for you. It can make it very painful for you, but what you do, is what will determine what happens. I'll give you an example. David was in an environment where he was continually put down, but he learned to strengthen himself in the Lord. Jepthah was in an environment where everyone put him down, because he was a half-breed illegitimate son of a prostitute. Everyone put him down, but he became the one God used to change a nation. He was in an environment where he was put down. The Bible says he fled, so one option, you leave the environment. You say goodbye, and you're off, and you change friends, change the circle of people you connect with, shut it off, say no to it, cut it off. So it would help if you're going to move in this area of beginning to start to grow on the inside, so we can be who God called us to be, and be unashamed. It would help if you got rid of all negative, scorning, mocking, belittling stuff that you're exposed to. The first place would be TV, newspapers, magazines, any kind of junk stuff. Cut it out, cut it off and begin to start to change what you're doing with your life.

Then evaluate the people around you. If they're knocking you down, and putting you down, number one, can you shift out of that environment, just have another group of friends, or cut down the time of exposure to them? If you can't do that, then you may be able to actually speak to them about it. Sometimes we can talk to people, and just challenge it. It's not always possible to do that, but many times you can just challenge it, and you'll find when you challenge it, then the full hate of it will manifest. You'll have no doubt then it's a spirit of murder, absolutely. You start to speak about someone who's putting you down, you'll then find out what's in them. That's good you see, so you've got no illusions. That person you're trying to seek their approval and friendship, and all they've got is a spirit of murder that puts down, they're not a suitable friend. They're not a friend. They're not going to help you forward in life, see, so you've got to sometimes make some shifts and changes. I've done it.

I've deliberately disconnected from people that I would share with and talk with, who were scorners and putters down. I just am so irritated by it now, five minutes in it and I'm up, I'm getting fidgety, I'm literally getting fidgety, and I just want to walk. Most times I'll say something. I'll say I'm not comfortable with us talking like this. I think we should be speaking things that build people, not tear them down - so sometimes I've just spoke it out. That's a very mild challenge, but it often will challenge people, and that's often enough. Sometimes you actually just have to stay in it. Sometimes you may be in a home environment that's like that; you can't get out of it, but what you need to do then is ask God to give you grace how to stand up in the middle of it, get some friends to support you, and learn how to stand up, and forgive, and bless those who are cursing you, because make no doubt about it, they are cursing you.

People who put you down are releasing a spirit of murder and cursing you. You have to do something with curses. Forgive and bless, release it, pray for them and begin to fill your life with what God says about you. Remember, if you're in an environment which is polluted, poisonous, choking you, putting you down emotionally and spiritually, you must create your own zone or space and place where you are lifted up and built up. You can't just do that on a Sunday. You have to build your own life and environment. Sometimes if it's in a home situation, the place to do it is in your bedroom. You can have worship music playing. You can begin to get tapes playing. You listen to things that will lift you and build you, and you consciously work to actually have an environment that supports you, including some friends that will support you, and believe in you, and speak into you. Getting the idea?

Okay, so the things outside you, can be a stepping stone to get you where God wants you. You know why? Because in the midst of a put down environment, when you can't get out of it, can't change it, can't do anything, there's only one place you can go. You've got to go to God, and when you go to God, and then you, instead of complaining about the environment, you ask God for grace, and you begin to draw your light from Him, you begin to let your roots go into Him, you find the very environment sent to destroy you, gets you growing deeper in God, and gets you to grow up, so you become strong. Joseph was in an environment where he was put down continually, hostile words, he was betrayed, he was treated unjustly, falsely accused of rape, put in jail, put down in jail. No matter where he was, he was put down, but you know what? He kept popping up, and how come he popped up? How come he just woosh! Up to the top like a cork that someone's pushed down into the water? You try and get a ball, a decent sized ball, and you hold that thing and push it down in the water. You cannot hold it down for long. The moment you let it go, woosh! Up it comes again.

Now you see it does that because it's got something. It's got buoyancy. There's a pressure. The very environment you're trying to smother it in, now pops it up, and so we can do that in God, but we've got to train ourselves to deal with what's going on on the inside of us. So number one, the things outside can actually serve God's purpose. David said, well you guys all hated me, and sent me out here, and put me down, but God sent me. It wasn't you - God sent me. God used all of this to get me where He wanted me to get. Now I'm in a position to help you. Remember I had that dream and you put me down? God used it to get me here, see? So God can use the put downs to get you where He wants to get you, and put into your life what He wants to put in there, but you've got to decide.

Okay, here's the last one now. The last thing is, it's not the put downs so much outside you, it's the ones inside you that are the problem. If you have come into agreement in your heart with a put down message, in other words, your thoughts echo put downs, now everywhere you go in life, you'll misinterpret everything. You'll see everything as a put down. People will say things, and you'll misread what they're saying. You interpret it as a put down. You get angry. People try and come and adjust you, or speak into you, or bring correction; you get angry and resentful, you take it as a put down. It isn't that at all. Innocent things are taken as a put down. You go there and you look around, and all you can feel is everywhere you go, it feels like you're being put down, because something in you is resonating, you've come into agreement with put down. I'm no good, I'm no good, I'm no good - oh, I'm no good. Oh, I'm no good. It's like having red glasses. Everywhere you look its red see, so you have to actually deal with the inner things in the heart.

Now let me just give you some simple steps. I won't develop them. There's some things which you can do right now, and there's other things you can't. You've got to make it a part of your life, so let me give you quickly the things you can do, that will help you get out of the put down place, out of the echo within. If you don't silence that echo within, you will stay below your potential in Christ. But if you can silence the echo so that whatever people say, or whatever they do, I don't care about that. I know what God's put in me. I've got a dream. I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to do just what God told me to do. You can't do that they say. Oh, you watch me. Yeah, just watch me! See, Nehemiah said come on down, talk and reason with us. He said no, I've got a big dream in here, I'm going to fulfil my dream. I'm much too busy to come down and reason and talk and argue with unbelievers and scoffers. I'm focussed on a vision and a dream that God has given me! There's no way I'm being diverted and distracted. See, you've got to think that way.

Okay then, so what are we going to do with the things that are inside us? Well there's a few things you've got to do. The first thing is I believe you've got to come to a source. If you don't come to Christ, the source of life, you can hardly ever get over your put downs. What you can do is read a lot of motivational books, and get some good positive motivational messages, and they will help, but they won't deal with the core issue, which is sin. They won't deal with the thing you do need, which is to be grafted into the king of kings and Lord of Lords, a royal family and become a royal person! That's what you need - become a royal person, a royal person, royalty! Something of heaven inside me, I'm grafted into the winner. Man, the devil threw everything at Jesus, and he won it all - and He's in me! Oh, I'm a winner! I've got to be a winner, with that kind of spirit in me, see?

So first, I've got to be joined and grafted to Him, so I've got to choose to believe that God is good, and get connected to Him. That'd be the beginning, because if you don't have a source of something to lift you up, God is always lifting us up. God is always building us up. God is always - and even if He puts His finger on something in your life, it's so He can get rid of the junk, cut the rust out so you can be built up and become strong again. So every now and then you've got to turn up to the Holy Ghost panel beaters, you know? We've had a few accidents. We've had a few funny old cars in our time, and some of them had rust in them. I had one car there, and everyone in the family had dented one of the panels. There were dents in every panel, and once a year we'd take it into the panel beater. The Little Brown Poo they used to call it. [Laughter] It was a brown Mitsubishi Mirage, and it had dents all over it, front, back, left, right. Even the boarder borrowed it one night, and he was driving down the road, a dog ran in front of him, and he dented the front of it. It just seemed to have sort of something about that car you know? I remember shifting it one time, and it seemed to be in the way and I shifted it, and I forgot I'd shifted it. I hopped into my car and I drove back and ran into it, and I dented it as well, so everyone dented it. I tried not to tell anyone. When I came home the kids had all talked. They all asked who dented the car? They came to the conclusion there was only one person possible. I walked in and they all pointed the finger. [Laughter] It was ME!

So we get it in the panel beaters once a year, they knock out all the panels, cut out the rust, put in the good stuff, it's ready to go again. And that's sometimes what we've got to do, to get with the Holy Ghost; let Him knock out the dents, and get Him to cut the rust out. It's not very nice to cut the rust out, but let Him cut the rust out. If you've got some bad stuff going around in your mind, let the Holy Ghost cut it out. Let me give you the keys to it now. Come on, you've got to recognise your stinking thinking. You've got to recognise how you see yourself. You've got to recognise those thoughts. What is it you're saying or echoing inside?

Number two, you need to forgive, and bless the people that have spoken those words over your life. Consciously, we need to forgive them. They may have hurt us - we need to consciously forgive and release them. If you don't, you remain locked into their sin, you can't get out of that stinking thinking of put down. It just keeps you there. Then we need to repent, need to break the agreement with it. I need to change my agreement with put downs. I'm not a failure. I'm not nobody. See, that hurts people to believe that. See, we're somebody that God made, in His image and likeness and I'm well on the way to completion. See, so I've got to break the agreement with shame and negative belief, got to break it. In Jesus' name, I reject that old thinking. I reject those lies! I don't know how I've ever put up with them. I'm rejecting those things IN JESUS' NAME! I cancel that thing now. I will not echo it. See, so I need to do that. Sometimes we need to grieve over, and bring to the Lord the grief we've had of being put down. Being put down hurts, hurts bad and sometimes there's just a part where we've got to take the grief, come into the presence of God and remember what happened, remember how we felt and connect with how we really feel about those put downs, let it go to the Lord. Just weep, just let it go.

And so those kinds of things we can do. You can do that in one evening. You can do it in one session, one encounter with the Lord, you can do that see? Believing God's best, connecting with Him, choosing to identify what you're in agreement with, and cancel that agreement with that demon, cancel that agreement with that thought. Forgive and release the person and let the grief go to the Lord. You can do all of that in one moment, one encounter with God can actually deal with that. But then there's another part, and it's this part that you've got to really embrace. It's the rebuilding of how you think. It's very, very simple. You know Jesus made it very clear, the words I speak are spirit and life. You've got to let God start to talk to you, you've got to get God's words. Now they can come direct through encounter, but for most of us they'll come through reading the word of God and meditating it, so some things you can do with these. Let me just give them to you quickly.

The first thing you can do is begin to just take some scriptures and begin to meditate on them, and confess them, make them personal, see? I'm made in the image of God. I'm loved by God. I'm fully embraced - begin to meditate, picture it, see it. I'm of great value to God. Begin to personalise it, and begin to confess it daily see? Fast off the negative stuff, just cut it all out for a season while you re-establish good thinking inside, see? Catch the negative thoughts when they start to come. Sometimes you get knocked, you get down, you get on an old negative pattern. Stop it quick. Just stop it! Pull yourself up. Stop going there. Redirect your attention somewhere else. It's actually quite an aggressive thing to catch your life. Then the other things you can do is, constantly express gratitude and praise to the Lord, and I'll tell you why, because the Bible tells us very clearly that when we praise God, when we begin to speak out of His goodness, then we silence the accuser. In other words, demonic spirits invading your life and accusing you, you can directly rebuke them, or you can literally silence them by choosing to acknowledge the goodness of God.

The second thing that praise and thanksgiving does is this, it let's us magnify the Lord with thanksgiving, so God becomes bigger in your life, as you become very grateful for what you have, instead of focussing on what you don't have. What you don't have, is only for a season, then that season changes. See another thing you can do is, when we praise the Lord is, we create an environment and atmosphere where His presence is around us and we're hearing His words, so I have to create atmosphere around my life, and I do it by consciously choosing what I'll set my mind on, and diligently working on my thought and belief system. Now most people aren't willing to do that. They kind of want a quick fix, but that's where the key really lies. It's in the process of shifting how I think, until I'm in agreement with what God says, and catching yourself at it. You could become accountable to someone. Any time you hear me running myself down, or running anyone else down, stop me immediately.

It's so addictive this behaviour, and the moment you start to make a stand against it and you say no more put downs, I will not live in a put down environment anymore. I will create the environment in my own life that nurtures vitality and health. I will begin to catch these negative thoughts and stop them in a moment. I will meditate, and fix my mind every day on what God is saying about me. I will let the spirit of God come around my life, as I worship, and thank Him, and meditate, and dwell in His presence. I will consciously shift what is inside me. I'll no longer be an echo of negativity and put down. I will be a voice of the power of God to change a person's life. Now no one can make that for you. The challenge for you is this - let me ask you this. How many people know that it's an issue in your life of agreeing with, and allowing put downs to rest on you? How many know that's an issue? Just put your hand up, just let's identify it, see how widespread. See, its wider spread than you thought, and the reason it's so widespread, is because within you is the potential to change your community.

The devil's got to target you. He's got to put you down, because if he can get you to agree with it, you can never stand up and say oh, I'm here to bring God answer to something, and that's what he wants to stop you. Put downs mean you carry yourself like this. I've seen in some cultures and you watch people, they go [condemning expression]. You know what they're wearing? I'm wearing a shirt right now. That's wearing shame and put down. It is so visible on some people, you can literally see it on them, they walk down - and you can see the put down all over them. Don't wear that spirit! There's another spirit called the spirit of God. God has got the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. You've got to decide to put on another spirit! Oh yes! Confront that kind of thinking! Change what I believe, and begin to start to speak and declare, oh, this is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice today! Now young people, you need to do something. Break out of all of that stuff. Be different. Don't follow the crowd. You want to live in depression? Oh, enjoy your misery. I'm not going there. I'm NOT going there! I was there. I used to be there for long periods of time, but no more!

You choose what spirit you'll wear. Why don't you put on the garment of glory, put on the spirit of God, put on a garment of praise, begin to be a different kind of person, make a difference, instead of coming under that thing! Stand up and say whoa! Well God put me in this school to make a difference. How am I going to go about doing it? God put me in this street to make a difference; how can I do it? God has put me in this community to make a difference; how can I do it? How can I be all that God wants me to be? That's what you've got to do, and if we can start to do that, you know what'll happen? Everything will change. When you stop echoing the negatives and put downs, and give voice to what God says, creative miracles happen. The Bible says in Job, He will decree, and it will happen. That's what I like, but you've got to change on the inside, change on the inside. Come on young people, the community you live in, the school you live in, the young people you're with, all want to put you down, and when they've got you down, they'll offer a comfort, a way out, called drugs, or sex, or all kinds of stuff.

It's anything to feel better. You look at all the young ones you know around you, that are into that scene. All of them have got the same thing; they carry a put down, and they don't know what to do with it. Because they don't know what to do with it, they've got to make themselves feel better, so they drink until they chuck. They do weird stuff to show off, and all of it's because they're put down on the inside. They're wearing something. They're wearing a garment. Oh, they look cool, they talk bravado, but inside there's broken people wearing a garment of shame and trying to feel better.

You've got what it takes. You've just got to lay hold of it and say, I'm going to stand up. I'm not going to live ashamed of being a Christian. I've got the answers for them. There's an authority in me to cast the demons out that torment that person! I'm connected to the one who gives eternal life! See? I'm not talking about being geeky here. We're talking about actually being bold, see? Being bold. You've got to be bold. The only way you can be bold, is if you shake off the put downs, and know who you are. Who are you? See, some of you are artists, you're creative, some of you are musicians, some of you have got great gifts and abilities. You've just got to stand up and be who God called you to be. Don't copy someone else. How can you be them? God threw away the mould when He made them. You've got to be you. You've got to be you. If you can accept you - you know an interesting thing, we've got a room in there. It's a good room. It's called a mirror room. Kids love it. They go in there - adults go in there, open the door, take one look at AAAH! A mirror - and out! You would be amazed how many adults run from the dreaded mirror room. Why do they run?

I'll tell you why they run - because they see themselves, and they don't like what they see. You should be able to look in the mirror and say oh, you're beautiful, made in the image of God! Full of glory. Today's another great day for us. Come on, the reason you can't do it, is because you've got issues - time to chuck the issues, stop being in agreement with them, cancel them until you can stand up in who you are! Be a beautiful person, a wonderful gift to the community, a wonderful expression of God's uniqueness in you!

Summary Notes:  Formatted »  Back to Top »

1. Introduction:

· The words we agree with in our hearts and speak with our mouth shape our future.

· James 3:2-5 - “We put bits in horses mouths that they may obey us”.

The tongue is like:

1) Bit in horses mouth.

2) Rudder on a ship.

The words we speak forth control the direction our life takes.

· E.g. Numbers 14:28 - “…just as you have spoken in my hearing, I will do to you”.

· Note:

i) Joshua 6:10 - Israel forbidden to speak (negatively) prior to miracle.

ii) Luke 1:18-20 - Zechariah forbidden to speak prior to birth of John the Baptist.

2. There is Power in Your Words:

a) Proverbs 18:21 - “death and life is in the power of the tongue”.

· Your ability to speak is part of the nature of God.

· Your words carry power – to destroy or to build.

· E.g. Mark 11:21 - Jesus spoke words to a fig tree – he cursed it and it withered and died.

b) John 6:63 - “The words I speak have spirit and they have life”.

· Words that are spoken from the heart release “spiritual energy” into the atmosphere.

· Words we speak can attracted the presence of demons or angels.

· Words spoke create a spiritual atmosphere that motives are polluted.

· Words are seldom “neutral” – they impart the ‘spirit’ of the person speaking.

· E.g. Deuteronomy 1:28 - “Our brethren have discouraged our hearts”.

- Words spoken surface and reinforce issues people have in their heart.

- E.g. offence, negativity, unbelief, gossip, slander.

3. The Spiritual dynamic of “Put Downs”

· “Put Down” = a remark or act intended to humiliate or embarrass another person.

· Humiliate = to cause a person painful loss of dignity, personal value, so they feel shame, embarrassment or self-conscious.

· A major issue in NZ culture is “Put Downs”.

· Put Downs can take many forms but all have similar character.

i) Words are spoken – spiritually empowered by the heart of the speaker.

ii) A spirit of murder / death is released against the person being put down.

· Psalm 55:21 - “Words of mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart his words were softer than oil, yet they are drawn swords”.

· Psalm 64:3 - “ Who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows – bitter words”.

· The roots behind put downs are bitterness, hatred and envy.

· Hate is the root of murder – to deprive a person of life in any manner.

i) Put downs are a form of cursing.

ii) Put downs are an attack upon a persons identity to shame them.

· People who have been put down - tend to put others down (cycle of cursing)

4. 3 Common Sources of Put Downs:

i) Family Dynamics:

· Some families and cultures is filled with ‘Put Downs’.

· Men put down woman, woman put down men, adults put down children.

· Name calling.

· Nicknames – especially if the person is gifted or different.

· Abusive words.

· Genesis 37:4-5 - Josephs brothers hated him, could not speak peacefully to him.

· 1 Samuel 17:28 - David’s brothers ‘put him down’ for coming to the battle.

· Some cultures are filled with ‘violent’ put downs.

· Put downs are a form of control.

ii) Bitter Humor:

· Joy is one of the characteristics of the Kingdom of Heaven

– Romans 14:17

· Humor = ability to see the funny aspect of a situation.

· Humor can become ‘dark’ when used as a form of put down.

· Nehemiah 2:19 - “They laughed as to scorn and despised us”.

· Ridicule = to make fun of a person with the intention of humiliating them.

· Mocking humor or humor with a bitter edge “put people down”.

· Luke 8:53 - They ridiculed Jesus, knowing she was dead.

· Jesus’ response: “put them all out” – protected the environment so that the miracle of resurrection can happen.

iii) Tall Poppy Syndrome:

· Tall Poppy is a successful person or achiever.

· Tall Poppy Syndrome = Lords or nations that put down or equalize them into who stand out above others because of excellence or achievement.

Origin – reaction to British class distinction, reaction to people who project an ego, self-importance or desire to impress others.

· Evolved – reaction to any person who stands out from others as excellent or achieving in their field.

· TPS is a manifestation of bitterness and envy.

· Berry Franklin = “You cannot strengthen one by weakening another. You cannot add to the statue of a dwarf by cutting of the leg of a giant”.

· Envy = longing to possess what belongs to another.

· Jealousy – feeling of resentment that someone else has gained something you feel entitled to.

· Mark 15:10 - Pharisees manifested - TPS – envy of Jesus.

· TPS manifest when another person :

i) gets a new car

ii) gets promotion

iii) succeeds

iv) gets recognition

Who does he thing he is? Probably cheated.

· James 3:14 - Bitter envying and selfish ambition => TPS.

· 1 Corinthians 12:26 - One member is honored, all members rejoiced with it.

4. Dealing with Put Downs:

Psalm 18:14 - “The spirit of a man sustains his infirmity, but a broken spirit who can fear?”

· “Put Downs” impart a spirit of murder that:

i) Wounds the persons spirit.

ii) Imparts shame – loss of value and esteem.

iii) Destroys initiative and excellence.

iv) Removes people from God’s positioning and shuts down their gifts.

· How you respond? – determines the course of your life.

· Two Options:

i) Receive the words / spirit of put down, agree with them.

‘I’m of no value’.

‘I never do anything right’.

Once a person agrees with the Put Down words they come into agreement with the demons behind them.

· They interpret all life / relationships through wrong belief.

· Innocent comments, actions are interpreted as Put Downs.

· Honest feedback is interpreted as Put Downs.

· Person is in agreement with the “Shame Message”.

· Need to:

- Repent of Agreement.

- Forgive and Bless those who cursed.

- Establish boundaries to Put Downs.

- Meditate on God’s Word.

ii) Reject the Words / Spirit of Put Down:

· E.g. David; Jesus; Nehemiah.

· Agree with God’s Words – encouraged.

· Minimize exposure to people who Put Down.

· Establish supportive relationships.

Philemon 6

Power Of Agreement (6 of 12)

Sun 28 Oct 2007 PM  « Back to Top

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The words that we come into agreement with, and then begin to speak forth, create and shape our future and our destiny. Who are we agreeing with?

Great to be able to just exalt Jesus aye? What a great privilege we have that you and I, with our heart or with our lips, can do things that open up heaven, and bring heaven into earth. What an amazing thing aye, with your heart and your mouth, you can bring heaven to earth - or hell of course. You can bring hell to earth as well. You know you've got to choose on that one, but oh, if only we would just understand the power of agreement, the power of our heart agreeing with God, and beginning to declare what God says is true. It opens the doorway through which the life of God can flow - wonderful Jesus. We are in agreement Lord today, that heaven will invade earth and your presence will invade our lives. Amen ... Thank you Lord, wow, just enjoying God.

We've had a wonderful weekend with God touching young people. We'll get Steve to come up and just share just what he saw happening there and how he saw God touch young people. You know, in all my years growing and what - I never saw God move, never saw anything. I went to schools that taught about God, and went to church that taught about God, but never ever in my younger years growing up, 20, 30 years almost, never saw God move. I look at these young ones here, and they're not only seeing God move, they're actually experiencing Him, and encountering Him. I thought oh, the privilege to be part of a new generation that can access the presence of God. What a great thing to be in a church that God comes too, you know? How we just love His presence - you've got to love the presence of God. To love His presence is to love Him as a person, and a lot of people, God is sort of out there and impersonal but He wants to be personal see. So He told us - Jesus made two promises, some promises before He ascended into heaven.

He promised we'd never be alone, we'd never be an orphan, we'd never be abandoned, we'd never be on our own. We may experience a time when people abandon us. We may experience difficult circumstances in life, but He promised I will not leave you an orphan, I'll not leave you without someone to parent you. Then He promised He would pour His spirit into our life, that we would be joined to the Holy Spirit and then become empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfil an eternal destiny, a purpose and assignment of God. What an amazing thing. Boy, that's got to be great. Now that beats anything the world's got to offer, to have something that lasts for eternity.

Today I was hearing about family members and all the nice houses they're building and everything and I thought oh, I'd love them to see the house I'm building. [Laughter] Their one will go up in smoke, but this one will go forever, see? It'll go on forever - a house where Jesus is welcomed and celebrated, a house where His presence come and miracles happen. Oh, that's the house we're building, the house of the living God, an eternal house that lasts forever, and ever, and ever, and I read the end of the book, and it says that house shall come from heaven into the earth, and every nation shall see it, and the glory of that house shall be greater than anything that's ever been seen. That's what we're building. It's great, all get excited about things like that, get a vision for building something great. Anyway, Steve's going to tell us. I'm just enjoying God. I need to get Steve up - come on, tell us about what God's been doing.

[Steve] Oh I tell, man we had such an awesome weekend, and every camp that we have is just totally awesome, but I'll tell you this one - man, it would have to be - we called it a Supernatural Kid's Camp, because we've said to Pastor Mike, well you're coming and I don't know if you can do any clowning or puppets or anything like that, but one thing I do know is that Pastor Mike is awesome when it comes to the supernatural. So we said Pastor Mike, just do what you do, and so I'll tell you, man. On the Friday night, we had everything over the whole weekend, from kids who were vomiting, kids who had blood noses, one child had to go back to the medical centre because they'd injured themselves. We had other kids encountering, and seeing open visions, so that was an awesome weekend, and it had everything. So that's always a sign of a good camp.

In all seriousness, on the Friday night we had the Worship Team come out and they also came out on the Saturday night. It was just such a privilege to have just this awesome Worship Team out there, leading the kids [Applause] into the presence of God and man, I just want to really honour Pastor Kate and also Andy who just sacrificed their time. They brought out their core team - they said man, we're bringing out the best of the best, and so they all came out. Man, they just went hard. They just rocked on and I tell you, that really set the platform for what happened over the weekend. I mean CDs are great but there's nothing like a live band, you know, just bringing the anointing, and kids just getting smashed. So they just flowed into worship and honestly man, they got nailed. We just flowed into worship, then I got up and just picked it up and just spoke about God's love. Then I opened my eyes and all I could see was just kids everywhere, just with their hands raised, and these seven year olds to about 12, hands raised, just tears just flowing down their faces, because they were encountering the love of God.

You know some of these kids come from homes that are broken. Some of these kids haven't experienced love from in the natural, but man on that night, the very first night, they encountered nothing but the love of God and it was once they encountered the love of God, man it just - honestly, I had to hold back the tears and keep it together, just because - well, you know ... Really? [Laughs] And so - easy - so it was just - alright, there was a tear that came down. [Applause] Yes - so that was awesome, then we handed over to Pastor Mike and man, he just got up there and he just flowed. One thing I love about Pastor Mike, is that he will flow with what the spirit of God is doing, whereas you see some of the other ministers, they'll come in, and then they'll just get into a message. He just picked it up from there, and he pulled different kids out, just prophesied over them, and just spoke into them.

I was speaking with Pastor Mike before and I said man, did you realise that a couple of the kids you spoke for, did you realise they were these kids and he said not right then, because man the words he was speaking to them that were so sharp, just exactly where their backgrounds or what they were coming out of, and just from kids that had no love, other kids who were struggling at school, and we just ended up having the whole altar just full, full of kids just totally just crying and just being healed and touched with the love of God. It was so powerful. It was so powerful just to see how open they were, and the awesome thing was was that it didn't take a meeting to get the kids warmed up, they were right there, right away, right at the start.

So then we just flowed on from there. At the end of that, you know man, there was just such a laughter of God, and the joy of God there, just about all 80 kids just on the floor just cracking up with the Holy Spirit, and it was so great. It was so funny that come the Saturday night - we also had a Saturday morning meeting, but come the Saturday night the kids were like Pastor Mike, can you do that again? Like it was some great party trick or something. That's what I love about kids, they're just so innocent, just think that's something you do. I was laughing. So then on Sunday morning we had another awesome meeting, and we had kids - just one kid in particular, Reuben Cash, and he had an open vision on that Saturday morning, and you could just see him, he was just standing there looking up with his eyes open. He was just looking up, and we said what are you looking at? He said I can see two angels standing right there, where the front of the hall that we were having the meeting in. I was like what do they look like man? Just clothed in white, you know, just face just shining with a great smile.

How big were they? Like they're huge, you know, bigger than me anyway - and so they were standing there man, and you could just tell the impact that it had on him. Then he turned around to look at the back and he saw another angel standing there, clothed in diamonds. It was just amazing just to see and just to hear him testify about that man. I don't ever see anything like that and man, but to see these kids, they're just hungry. They've got no insecurities, they've got none of this whole thing, I've got to be cool or anything like that. They just let themselves totally go and God comes, God comes. So just over the whole weekend there was encounters like that, even to the point on that Friday night, especially the girls were so impacted by the love of God that they were up talking to the leaders in their dorms just about this, just the circumstances and the situations that they're going through at school, being bullied, being hassled, the hassles that they're having with their parents, which was awesome. It just enabled our leaders just to be able to speak into them, and just pray for them, and you know, as opposed to all the joking around and eating lollies and laughing that can go on at night.

So it was just - the tone was just set. Then last night was just a real great, you know, fear broken off kids lives and one girl in particular was just going for it full time, just had to take her out and just pray for her, had fear totally broken off her life, and other ones just coming into real freedom in themselves. So man, I just want to thank Pastor Mike for being available to come out and honestly, man, the best camp we've ever had. We didn't have to bring anyone in from anywhere in the world, we had him right here so [Applause] it was awesome.

[Pastor Mike] Wonderful! Praise the Lord! What a great job the Kid's Search Team are doing, that they've got children that are open to God right from the very beginning. I love that. Of all the things I've always hungered for more than anything, it's the presence of God. Never take Him for granted. Never, ever take Him for granted. We need to learn how to open our heart, and many adults can't do that. We've got too much control, or too much stuff in the way. Got to learn how to just become like a little child. That's what the Bible says; unless you become as a little child - it doesn't say be a little child, or silly or childish, it says rather become like a little child, which is open and receptive. As we become open and receptive, and just let the walls of our heart come down - I noticed even with one or two children, they had quite strong control and fear built around their life.

But as we decide in our hearts that we're going to actually come near to God, and open up and remove the barriers - a lot of the barriers that adults have are self-consciousness, what will people think of me? Oh, who cares? They're going to think it anyway, so why worry about that? Don't let what someone's thinking determine your destiny. That's a crazy thing. See, we need to be willing to just allow our heart to open up to the Lord and be able to celebrate Him, rejoice in Him. You know David, I love about David he was absolutely unashamed of his expressions before God, to thank Him and rejoice. We had a blast with the young ones. The laughter came [laughs] and it was hilarious.

I was a bit concerned because you know, it's the first night at camp and we've got about 80 kids all crying. I'm thinking I can't go home and leave them all like this [Laughter] and so what happened the first night - mum, get me home, you know? Because often when children don't understand why their crying, don't understand what's happening to them, and so we just needed to get them just to move from one experience of God into another. I didn't want to leave them all crying there, and a lot of them didn't understand. I just talked to them; now what's in us, will always find a way out. It'll always find a way. It comes out on our face, we see it on the face, it comes out through the words we speak, comes out in what we do, but somehow, what's in us, will always come out. So we were just talking to them about how, as we make room for God to come in, so we make room for the spirit of God, then things will come out of our life. Things will naturally come out of our life.

We talked about what happens, and tears are just a language. They're a form of expressing something that's going on inside, and so a lot of children were crying, didn't even know why they're crying initially. It just took probably a couple of sessions to help them connect what they're feeling, with actually God doing something, because we were sharing with them, you can't see God, but you can actually feel and experience, and see what He's doing, or what He's done, so you've got to keep your eye out for what He's doing, not just get caught up in all the experiences. You can't see the Holy Spirit, but we can with the eye of faith, begin to understand what He's doing, and position ourselves to co-operate with that, so in flowing in a meeting, actually - and I appreciate Steve's words of honour, but it's actually not really that hard. It's actually just feeling what God is doing, and just saying yes, I'll work with your agenda, rather than have my own plan, and stick with my own plan.

So as we just began to - so I looked around too in the worship; all these children, you could see tears starting to come down their eyes, and starting to feel the love of God. Well, if God is wanting to love people, then we want to love people too, so we just do with what God's doing. Jesus said, what I see the Father doing, is what I do. It's not really all that hard. It's so easy in fact, even a young kid can actually do that, so they began to experience, began to weep, and so I just began to talk; well what's happening is, as you feel God loving you, you've got to find a way of expressing it, and your body expresses it sometimes by tears. See, these children were just tears flowing down them, as they began to experience and feel the love of God. Its one thing to read God loves me, it's another thing to feel it. When you feel it, then it's an experience that you can keep going back to, and back to, and back to. You can begin to remember what you were doing, what was happening, and as you begin to remember, the feelings of it begin to arise again, and then you can begin to start to encounter the Lord through that same experience again. That's why it's so powerful for us to have experiences with God.

A lot of people write off experiences, and over emphasise just the mind, but actually we have to actually balance up renewing our mind with also experiencing what God has for us, and so we just began to talk, and as I began to prophesy, I began to put words to what God said, then you could see the kids - not just the ones I was praying for, but others began to start to get touched as well, because as they heard speaking encouragement into these ones that I was praying over, then it also stirred in their own heart their own struggles. So when God is beginning to speak, His words seem to bring a life into the atmosphere. It's amazing, so I just said well God, you've got to help me. I don't want us to go away tonight, and all the kids all cry, so anyway we just quietened them all down a little bit and said man, God wants to do different things, different things. See, sometimes we just get locked in God doing one thing, and God's really creative, so He can do lots of things. So we just began to talk to them all, let's see if God can do other things, or do other things in our midst, and I was trying to teach them how to begin to respond when God is doing different things.

So if He's loving us, well let's just open our heart to receive His love, but if He wants to do something different, then stop trying to do that, and don't go back there to that. Begin to hear what God's doing now, and respond to that. See, it's sort of actually not really - it's not rocket science is it? See, not really. You don't have to be smart and go to university to get all that kind of stuff. You've just got to be open in your heart, and responsive and in that sense, like a little child, or just open to what God's doing, and delighted with God. Sometimes we get to lose our delight with God. The Bible says, if we will delight in Him, see? Then He will give us the desires of our heart, so desires and destiny are unlocked as we begin to delight in the Lord - so we just began to talk, and the Lord had been putting a scripture on my heart for probably about the last couple of weeks. It comes out of 1 Peter 1, and it goes something like this; whom not having seen, yet you love. How about that? Not having seen Jesus, we just love Him see, and you rejoice with joy unspeakable, or you rejoice, or you celebrate, or you leap on the inside, you leap with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.

What he's saying is, as we believe, as we put our trust in the Lord, there can be a release of joy in our life. I've been singing that scripture, and praying that scripture, and laughing that scripture every day as I come in and out to work, so I just began talking about it. Next thing you know, they're starting to laugh, well it just broke out, and it just was everywhere. They were just rolling around. In the end we had about 80 of them all down on the ground, all rolling round, absolutely fair screaming with laughter, so we encouraged them to get to pray - we got to pray for all the leaders as well. [Laughs] Ah well, that was great. When we got to pray for all the leaders I said, let's see if we can huff and puff and blow them down [Laughter] and so we got the all in a crowd. We got them all - now you see for adults, adults have got problems with all of this you know. Adults really have got issues with all of this, but the kids don't have any trouble doing it at all. They all stretch their hands out - I don't know where they got all those kids. Man, you had so many adults out there, I don't know where they all come from. There were heaps of them out there, but the power of God just come, and the whole lot went down, they began to roll around laughing, and there was joy, see? Joy, tremendous joy.

The the kids all want to go back there the next day. I said that's fine, let's go back there and have some fun, but let's move forward, there's other things God wants you to have as well, so if you just lock in on one thing God did, you can't move forward to experience new things. The Bible says His mercies are new every day, so there's something new for every day, so let's be open to the new things that God wants to do aye? Let God do some new things [laughs] do some new things in your life.

How open would you be to new things though? Or is your mind sort of set, this is how God works: I come to church - this is what God does. Listen, it's not like that at all. Actually I never quite know what'll happen when I come to a meeting. Sometimes I'm crying as I come here, sometimes I'm laughing as I come here, sometimes I'm just still as I come here. Sometimes I'm really praying loud in tongues. There's all kinds of different ways of expressing what we're feeling with God. It's fantastic [laughs] so you need to learn to rejoice. The Bible tells us to rejoice, and that word rejoice is a word for leaping up, twirling around, getting excited. Now that's a bit of the opposite to the old Kiwi staunch thing isn't it aye? See, Kiwi staunch is completely opposite to actually being able to rejoice and celebrate, but I've watched staunch Kiwis absolutely lose it [laughs] at a football match! I've got to watch them. You look at them and you see them, they're absolutely going berserk - seen my brothers in law in front of a television when the All Blacks are playing, and I didn't watch the TV, I wasn't watching the game. I was watching them. [Laughter] That's a sight to behold, you know, these conservative people, not even filled with the Holy Ghost, and they're jumping up in their seats, and screaming and yelling. I thought well, why can't you do that for the Lord, you know? I can YES! OH YES! you know, someone gets a - YES! - excited you know. Well, you think well, you don't have to feel anything to get excited. You don't have to feel anything at all.

The Bible says there's joy inside us, the kingdom of heaven is righteousness, right standing, right relationship, being connected with God, getting short accounts with the sin, righteous peace inside because we're right with God - then JOY OF THE HOLY GHOST! You say well I don't feel joyful. Well you don't have to be joyful. You don't have to feel it. You've got to rejoice! [Laughter/applause] Yes! There's joy inside you, you've just got to give expression to it. You want to learn to do it, you know? You want to learn to do it sometimes, just run around and YES! I did it the other day in the staff room, and they all said oh, what's up? I said well nothing's up, I'm just rejoicing, full of joy. It's got to come out of you some way doesn't it? [Laughs] Well you've got to - some of you really need to loosen up like that. See, we've lost the simplicity.

The Bible says - Pauls writing in 2 Corinthians 11, he says, you know I'm really concerned that you lose the simplicity of just a passionate devotion to Jesus. You just love Him. It sort of kind of blows everyone away you see, because everyone wants an intellectual God. He's not an intellectual God, He's a personal God, and so if it's personal, then we can enjoy it. We can enjoy Him, well it should be coming out of your face somewhere you know? First place you see it is on your face - see, joy! Yes! YES! You'd be surprised when you start to give expression to joy, how you begin to start to feel it. You don't have to wait to pray in tongues, you just begin to decide, I'm going to pray in tongues. As you pray in tongues, and express praise to God, and let your mind begin to focus on His benefits, His blessing, begin to magnify God, then pretty soon you find, your whole life is overflowing with the joy of the Lord.

Sometimes I've come down here, I've come down to work sometimes. Sometimes I'm speeding up, I've got so excited. Sometimes I'm slowing down, I'm weeping so much. [Laughs] People - if anyone was watching me drive to work, they would really wonder what is with this guy? What's happening today? Let's have a look, what's today? [Makes crying sound] I've got to drive slowly, or I'll go off the road you know, I'm feeling the presence of God - and other times YES! OH YES! Oh come on, slow down, slow down - YES! [Laughter] Got to find expressions, you've got to learn to express. See one of the things in our nation, there's many things in our nation are a bastion, but there's some strongholds in the nation; one of them's a sort of staunch thing, that guys are all staunch, and they won't show any emotion or feeling or anything - except at a rugby match of course, so it's kind of a controlled staunch. It's okay in rugby, but it's not okay anywhere else. YES! Oh yes! See, give expression to what's inside you. There's joy in there - let it come out! Let it get on your face, and smile, and come out! You'll look much better, much happier when you're smiling, laughing, see. So we've got to learn how to just have a simplicity - not be simple; God doesn't want us to be simple, but it's simplicity. It's actually just a simple heart that loves God, and passionate love with God, and stirred up to keep loving God you know?

I just want us to keep that alive, so any time that people get a bit upset that we're just too expressive I think great, let's get more expressive. [Laughter] Obviously we're doing the right thing, it's stirring someone up, see? Get more expressive. Some of you don't know how to be expressive. You've got to learn to be expressive, you've got to practice it. Practice it. Have a practice jumping for joy. You'd be surprised - some people leap for joy! It says Jesus rejoiced. Can you imagine Jesus rejoicing? It says when the disciples returned, and He saw that they were - they were telling Him about the demons they cast, all that kind of stuff, and it says He rejoiced. Now can you imagine Him rejoicing, what did it look like? Oh well done. [Laughter] The word they used in that scripture in Luke 10 is rejoiced. He leapt and twirled! Now you see a lot of people have got a problem with that one, but there was a leaping of joy in His spirit. See with people becoming activated to do what God called them to do. Isn't that fantastic? You need to leap inside in your spirit a lot more.

John the Baptist, it says he leapt while he was in his mother's womb, just hearing the prophetic word - got him all excited, see, right from in the mother's womb. He got excited when he heard the prophetic word. We hear and hear words from God and don't get excited at all. Get excited! Get expressive! Break out of just that deadpan. I didn't used to be like this. I had to have an environment where it was okay to do it, but when I did then I found man, it really works. I was just watching our granddaughter this morning - interesting about little babies, little children, the really young ones is, they don't understand all your words, but they read your spirit, and they read your face. Particularly they read your face. They just read what's on your face see, and so I thought well that's good, I'll do something, so I just began to give her the biggest smile and you know what? She just broke into beaming, and I just thought I'll do this a bit more and see what happens. The more I just gave wild expressions to joy on my face, the happier she got. [Laughter] She started to get excited and wave her arms. I thought see, that's childlike you see, getting excited.

Now imagine if we can just begin to keep beholding what God is like, beholding by meditating in His words what He's like - WOW! YES! You can't contain it, can't contain the joy. [Laughs] We can't contain the joy. Okay, I want to share some things that'll just help you tonight, and that's probably helped you already, but I'll give you something else that'll help you. [Applause] See, learn to become expressive, so any time you see anyone who's a bit slack, just go encourage them to get involved, be part of it. Just really stir up yourself on the inside. You'd be surprised when you walk down the street, and you're just grinning and smiling and happy, how it changes people. You'll be amazed at what it does to people.

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Hey, I want you to open your Bible with me. I'm just going to pick up where I was this morning, and share some things about agreement - not going to give a big teaching, just want to share just a few things on it, but first of all, I'm just going to look in Genesis, Chapter 1. What I want to do is just talk to you a little bit about agreement; I want to ask you the question, what are you in agreement with? Now I'll give you a little statement that the Lord just spoke to me today while I was waiting on Him, just worshipping Him. He said the words that we come into agreement with, and speak forth, create our destiny. How about that? I'm still a bit stunned by that. I'm thinking about that more and more, every time I say it. The words that we come into agreement with, and then begin to speak forth, create and shape our future, and our destiny. How about that? Words that we come into agreement with.

Now I want to just show you something, and we're just going to pick up a couple of things. I want to look at two areas of agreement, one: who are we agreeing with. Are we agreeing with demons, or are we agreeing with the spirit of the Lord? Okay, we ready? I want to have a look first of all in Genesis 1:26. Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let them have dominion over the sea, the birds of the air, the cattle of the earth, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in His own image. In the image of God He created Him, male and female, He created them. Okay, now we see how God has made us to be spirit beings, and assigned us a purpose in the earth, to bring something into the earth. He's called us to be His ambassadors, to represent Him in the earth and to bring something from heaven into the earth that will change, and form, and shape the world around us. So we're made in the image of God. We're a spirit being, with access to the realm of the spirit, and we have also the capacity to live in a physical world, and to begin to shape it.

That is God's plan. It's not that you just get born and have a life, but rather through relationship with Him, you shape the world around you. You don't just let it be the way you found it, but you enter it, with a desire to bring dominion. Dominion means not that you're bossing everyone around. Dominion in this sense means that what God has planned or destined, or His will, you are going to bring that into the earth, so the earth becomes shaped by your influence. That's awesome isn't it see? So we see we're made in His image, so we're going to operate like God. So the Bible tells us how God formed the earth. It said the spirit of God was moving, and then God spoke the word. The word was spoken, and when a word was spoken, the spirit of God moved, and things were created. Now we are able to create and shape what's happening around us, by coming into agreement with what God says, and beginning to give voice to it, and live it out in the earth. Now you are giving voice to something. In Proverbs it tells us - Proverbs, Chapter 18, Verse 21 - it says death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those that love it will eat the fruit of it.

In other words, words that we speak have consequences, fruit. Words that you speak and declare have an impact on you, the people around you and on your life, and you're going to eat the fruit of it. So some of you right now are eating the fruit of words that you or someone spoke a long time ago. The Bible tells us in Matthew, Chapter 12 and Verses 33 and 34, it says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, so whatever words you've got in your heart, you're going to give voice to them somehow, and it's going to overflow, see? I was sharing the young ones and it's pretty obvious, if there's sadness in your heart it's going to come out on your face, and eventually you'll talk about it. If there's anger in your heart then it's going to come out on your face, your countenance. You know God said to Cain, how come your countenance is cast down, or why are you so angry? Why does your face look so angry? So whatever's in, is going to come out some way, and the first place is on the countenance, second place is through the words, and so whatever's inside us will find expression. Why? Because you're designed to bring expressions of God into the earth, but when we're separated from God, or we let other things fill our heart, they will express in the earth. Pretty simple isn't really?

Now listen. Your words can impart death. They can release something that kills, destroys, robs of vitality in life, or your words can bring a creative aspect that imparts life, lifts up and builds up, both yourself and the people around you. The key thing is this; what words are you in agreement with, in your heart? Whatever you believe in your heart, you'll begin to give utterance to, and it will determine where your life goes. That's why in Proverbs 4:23 it says, guard your heart, or diligently watch over your heart, because out of what's in your heart, are all the rivers or expressions of your life. Now of course sometimes we don't know what's quite in our heart, but if we begin to watch what we're speaking, we will begin to find what our heart has come into agreement with.

If I want to get saved for example, suppose I've been born in this world, I'm not walking with God, I'm just doing my own thing, and trying the best I can, and I begin to hear the gospel, and how Jesus came into this world, how He expressed the life of God, how He confronted sin, confronted demons, and then how He went to the cross. He died to break the power and the penalty of my sins, and God raised Him from the dead. When I hear that message, and I believe it in my heart, and begin to speak it with my mouth, heaven's power, the spirit of God is released into me to change my eternal destiny. Now look at this. I can have an eternal destiny in hell. I can have an eternal destiny in heaven, and what changes that, what turns from one to another is the words I agree with in my heart, and give expression to with my mouth. It is really important what is in your heart and what's in your mouth see, so at the point when a person, in their heart, embraces God's words. God's words give us the true perspective of life. God's words are higher than our words, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, so He gives expression to life.

So my Christian walk begins when I agree with God's words, and I begin to speak God's words, and the Bible says in Hebrews 3:1 Jesus, the high priest of my confession, or what I'm agreeing with with God - that word confession is to speak the same as what God is saying; when I speak the same as what God is saying about sin and salvation, then power is released that changes my destiny, and I've got a totally new destiny. Now that is how we start it, that is how we continue. That is how we walk the walk of faith. My challenge after I've got saved is to begin to discover God's words, and come into agreement in my heart with God's words, embrace them as a friend, meditate on them, let them become in my heart, and begin to speak them out of my mouth, and they begin to release something in my life. I'm amazed how careless people are with their words. You know, the Bible tells us be careful, because you are snared by the words of your mouth. You see, suppose you speak words to act as a guarantor for someone's loan. The Bible says in Proverbs, you're snared by the words of your mouth. Go and cancel that thing quickly or you're in trouble.

Now many a person has given a verbal guarantee, or given a written guarantee, that they would be a surety, or they would back up someone's loan, and then the person defaulted on their loan. They left, and they're snared by their words. Now their words have come back, and they have to pay the price for the careless words that were spoken, so the Bible tells us you've got to be careful with your words, careful with what's coming out of your mouth. It's beginning to shape your world. I listen to some people talk. You know what happens? You hear them, and they're very, very negative, all the time they're negative, and you know that their heart is in agreement not with God. Their heart is in agreement with something else - very, very important. Now listen, you can come into agreement with demons, and not even know it. You can find yourself expressing demonic thoughts, not even realising you are becoming an agent for hell to enter earth. Think about that.

Let me just show you a scripture, and I'll give it to you. I don't want to open it too much, because it's quite a teaching of it's own, but I just want you to see the thing here in Isaiah, Chapter 28. Here it is here and it says in Verse 15 - I want you to see a simple thing here and then we're going to look at just one other thing, and finish up. Okay, it says because you have said, we have made a covenant with death and with hell we're in agreement, when the overflowing scourge, or when judgement comes through, it will not come to us, for we have made lies our refuge and under falsehood have we hid ourselves. Now what they're saying essentially is this, the core of it really just to get it very simple is this; it said that instead of embracing the truth, people found refuge and comfort in a lie. In other words they embraced a lie about their circumstance. Now it's very easy for us to believe lies.

The Bible says the devil is the father of lies, for example, suppose someone when you're very, very young, someone begins to speak over you, you're no good, you're a failure. They can say those words, and the words will hurt, the words sting you. Emotionally, they hurt you and wound you, and they begin to have an effect, but the moment you agree with them, now they have a resting place. You have agreed with a lie. You're not a failure. No one can be a failure. You can have failures, you can't be a failure. A failure is an event, it's something that happens, but I am not a failure. I'm a person made in the image of God. Now I may be separated from God, but I'm still a person in the image of God. I am not a failure, I'll never be a failure. That's not who I am - but if I come into agreement with that lie, if I begin to hold that lie in, and begin to agree in my heart with it, I empower spirits to work and operate, to ensure that lie then is expressed through all of my life. Think about that.

Think about that. Death is a spirit. It's a spiritual power. It causes people to become lonely, isolated, numbed in their emotions, and feeling separated all the time from people around them. Hell is a power, which torments people with fears and insecurities, and all kinds of stressful things, but they are demonic spirits, and so when I agree with a lie, when I believe what the devil says to me, I then empower a demon to come into my life, and begin to operate in my life, and express and magnify and develop that lie, until it becomes a major aspect of my life. Many people say I'm a failure, and you say why am I a failure? Why do you say I'm a failure? Well, because look at all my life, all the stuff that happened. Then you go back, and you find out that years ago they came into agreement with a lie, then it began to find it's expression through their life, through their words, their attitudes and everything they did. That's why the Bible says, after we've come to Christ we must continually present our life, every part of us, our thoughts, our imagining, our heart and be renewed in our thinking, so we might outwork in our life, God's will for us.

So I can come into agreement with demons, and then they are empowered to express themselves through my life. You get some people, they embrace the lies of self pity. They embrace the lies of rejection. Rejection is a feeling, a very painful feeling. Rejection is an experience we have. Rejection is a spirit that comes against us. Rejection is also a lie that I can believe, so if I have an experience where I'm rejected, and the devil sows a lie in, and I agree with the lie, I now empower the demon to enter and begin to work this out through me. I will begin to express it in many different kinds of ways through my life, because my mandate and your mandate is to express God's dominion, the kingdom of God in the earth, but to express that, I have to agree with Him. When I agree with the words of God, the spirit of God is able to find an expression through my life, but if I agree with the words of a demon, then the demon can find it's expression through my life. They know that. That's why they work that way.

They sow thoughts and doubts sometimes, your mind can be so filled with pressure, thoughts, when you come into agreement with it, then it's empowered. So we have to learn how to break agreements in our heart with demons. If you've agreed in your heart, and believed a lie, I'm a failure, I'll never be good enough - you know that was a lie I was in agreement for many, many, many years. It didn't seem that no matter what I did, it was ever good enough, and that's part of being in a situation where someone's a perfectionist, so no matter what you do, it's never quite good enough. There's always something else you need to do, so after a while I got to believe nothing I do is ever good enough. What I was looking for was approval. What was coming was criticism and fault-finding, and in my heart I began to believe the lie, well I will never be good enough. Nothing I do will ever be good enough, and that had dramatic effects on me all my life, until I got to grips with it. It wasn't that long ago either, not as long as you think - until I actually realised that I had come into agreement with a demonic lie, and I had to break and cancel that agreement with the lie, repent of it. I had to release forgiveness where words had been spoken to me. I had to cancel the agreement with the lie, and begin to embrace the truth, meditate in the truth, and begin to give confession and expression to the truth; I am good enough, because Christ has made me accepted, see?

Now you know the scripture but listen, knowing the scripture is one thing. Having the scripture living in your heart, and you're in agreement with, it's another, and you see we have to be in agreement with what God says. In Hebrews 11 the men of faith - I think Verse 32 or something like that, it says something like this; about the men of faith it says, who saw the promises of God are far off, so the first thing when you see, the word of God is, it feels like it's a far off, or removed from your experience. But then it says, they were persuaded that what God said, He was able to do, and they embraced what God said, so you notice - embracing means like reaching out and putting your arms around the words of God, because they bring life to you, holding them into your heart.

Now initially when you reach out to the words of God, they seem strange. They seem weird, because they're not your experience. They're far off, so when God begins to speak into your destiny - I spoke to someone today, and I spoke some words of encouragement, and the moment I did, I could see the heart belief rise up and manifest on the face, and you could feel then their spirit shut down. Why? Because they had believed a lie. When I spoke the truth, it caused a reaction inside. Now what that person needed to do, was abandon the agreement with the lie, embrace the truth, begin to speak the truth, begin to meditate in the truth, until the truth became established in the heart, and then they would experience that being outworked by the spirit of God. So there is a process, recognising where I've come into agreement with a lie, cancelling the power of the lie, speak words to cancel the lie, beginning to meditate and embrace that word of God, embracing until it fits into my heart and it stays in my heart, and that's more real to me that what I feel, what I see, what I'm going through.

It says, having seen the promise afar off, they were persuaded that God was able to do it. In other words, they were persuaded God was faithful, what He said was reliable, so they embraced it. Then it says the confessed, they began to homologeo, speak the same thing as God about themselves and then they began to walk it out in their life, and that's the process of faith. Faith always speaks. Listen, I can be around you a few minutes, I can tell whether you're in a place of faith or not. It doesn't take long. It's going to be on your face, it'll be in your countenance, it'll be in your words, so let me ask you tonight then, what are you in agreement concerning yourself?

Are you in agreement with a demonic lie, so demons are empowered to give expression in your life, or are you in agreement with the words that God has to say about you; you are meditating on them, renewing your mind in them, confessing them, and acting on those words? What are you doing? We're having a season in the church of fasting, fasting off negativity. Now fasting off negativity is much more than trying to stop talking negatively. You see, if I just try and stop talking negatively, it's missing the point. See what's coming out of my mouth is a fruit. You can't just keep plucking off the weeds at the top, you've got to get the roots out. The root is what's underground, and so the words, when you start to fast off negative words, what you're going to find is that those negative words have got a root in your heart, and it's the root in your heart you've got to get out. That word repentance, changing my agreement with it, changing my mind and thoughts towards it, and coming into agreement with God, and abandoning the other, that's what repentance is about.

Jesus said repent, so the benefits, privileges, experiences of the kingdom can be yours, and find expression through you. So what do you believe about yourself? Ask yourself, what do I really believe? What am I saying? What am I living out? Someone was saying today, they were making some kind of comment about the bright shirt, I said yeah, you've got to be secure to be able to wear one like this. Huh? See, why not? I don't care what anyone thinks, I can wear what I like. You understand? You've actually got to have security that's internal, not dependent on what's around you. You've actually got to have the words of God planted and rooted inside you, so our experiences with God lead us to then embrace His truth. As we embrace His truth, and we begin to express it, we begin to have experiences with God. It's like a cycle.

Now I remember one time - I'll finish with this - I remember one time, when I was struggling with some issues, a man of faith, a powerful man in the Holy Ghost, just in a meeting. This is what I remember him saying. He said, if you had an area of your life that was a stronghold or a block for you, affecting everything that was happening in your life, all your relationships, everything you did, would it not be worth it taking that on, until you can break through it, and all the rest of your life would be changed? If it was a week, or two weeks, or three weeks, or six months, wouldn't it be worth breaking through it, so that all the rest of your life would be different? On that basis, I went home and I spent time working on myself, on thoughts I had about myself, until I experienced and encountered the Lord. Before I experienced Him, I had to abandon my agreement with the lie, begin to embrace the truth, meditate in the truth, welcome it like a friend, hugging it, and seeing it, and picturing it, until my heart welcomed it, and the day my heart welcomed it, I felt the demonic realm shift around me, and I encountered the Lord. I've carried what I've encountered everywhere, I've gone in the world. See? What are you in agreement with?

Let's just close our eyes right now. Father, we thank You that You desire us to express the kingdom of heaven in the earth. We recognise tonight, that often we give expression to other things, to self pity, to doubt, fear, to anger, to hurt, to a victim mentality, to being offended. There's so many things - but tonight Lord, we hear Your voice speaking to us. It's time to sanctify, and set ourselves apart, because of the things You want to do in our life in these coming days. Lord, we ask that You would uncover the lies that we've been in agreement with, so we can cancel their power, and begin to receive Your words into our heart.

Just while our eyes are closed and heads are bowed, perhaps there's some of you, and the lie you're in agreement with is, I'll never be good enough. See, that's something you need to cancel. Maybe there's some of you, the lie you're in agreement with is, I'm a failure, I can never do anything right. Maybe for some of you the lie you're in agreement with is, no one really could love someone like me, I'm unlovable. Maybe the lie you're in agreement with is, no one cares about me, I'm on my own. Maybe the lie you're agreeing with, and starting to agree with is, well it'd be better off for everyone if I died, and was out of here. You know when people come into agreement with these thoughts, they become troubled, become oppressed when demons oppress them. We want to be in agreement with God.

Perhaps there's some of you, and you have doubts about your standing with God; well I'm never good enough for God - then you need to break your agreement with that lie. Christ is your righteousness. If you can trust Him, you can be perfectly right with God, and enjoy Him. Perhaps for some of you, you're overwhelmed with fear; if I open my life to genuine relationship I'll be hurt. That's a lie. It's a part truth. All relationships leave us vulnerable of course, but that's only a part of the truth, because following on that is, I'll never open my heart to anyone, they'll just hurt me - and that is a lie. See, what is it, that the spirit of God is showing you, you're in agreement with? Now if you're not sure then just determine that you're going to begin to fast for a little period of time. You're going to fast, and you're going to ask God to show you, what in my heart have I come into agreement with that's a lie, that stops me fulfilling my potential?

Lord, I want to break that lie right at it's root. How do you break it at it's root? Ask the spirit of God to show you where, and how, it got established; forgive the people involved. Maybe it's a sin, something you've done, and you feel so guilty about it, God could never forgive me. Listen, just break that agreement with the lie. Jesus has already forgiven you, you've just to receive it. Whatever it is, cancel the agreement with the lie, and begin to meditate in and embrace, speak the truth, and begin to start to run your life as a person who has that truth living in them. Meditate in it, imagine what that truth feels like to be forgiven, accept it, love, enjoying the presence - meditate. Hold it into your heart until it becomes an experience for you.

Father, I just thank You right now that You're touching people. Listen, if God has been speaking to you about something you're in agreement with that's a lie, I want to just quickly raise your hand right now, just as a sign to the Lord. I'm not going to ask you to come up and get prayer. God bless, God bless, hands going up all over. God bless, God bless. I don't want you to come up and get prayer. That's not going to solve it completely for you. What is needed is you take responsibility for what you've embraced, and begin to embrace the truth. Say Amen [Amen] Some of you have just come into agreement with these things, you know, they've just changed your life. CANCEL THE AGREEMENTS! I'm a child of God! I'm born by the spirit of God! I'm called, and I have a destiny to influence my community. I have gifts this world needs! I have something to give to the people around me! I'm a child filled with the Holy Ghost, filled with the joy of the Lord! I'm going to express that life! Listen, let the truth get alive. Jesus said you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free! Yes, FREE! Free to be yourself. Free to express the life of God. Free to make a difference! Come on, let's stand, let's give Jesus Christ a wonderful honouring clap tonight. He came to set us free! Come on [Applause]

Hasty Words (7 of 12)

Sun 2nd Dec 2007 AM  « Back to Top

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Hasty words always have bad consequences. Words spoken out of inflamed emotions. Have you ever found afterwards you've had to say I wish I hadn't said that? When our emotions are stirred, we get angry, we get wound up on the inside, we say and do things we later regret. Anger is a strong, violent feeling. It is the seed that gives rise to murder. Be angry but do not sin. It becomes sin when we don't resolve it.

I want us to open up in James, Chapter 3 and we've been looking at the tongue, Taming the Tongue. Oh, terrible thing to tame. Very, very difficult instrument in our body to tame, and you would have all been finding over the last three or four weeks, how you suddenly become aware of just actually what is coming out of your mouth. The Bible says in Matthew, it tells us that the tongue speaks or brings out of, what's stored up in the heart, so if you want to know what's in a person's heart just listen to them talk. After a while you'll hear it all. It'll come out in one way or another, so the words we speak come forth from our heart. They come out of our spirit, come out of what we're meditating on, treasuring in our heart, and we can keep up a bold front, a good appearance, look good, sweet and nice, but to a discerning spirit person, you can never hide what's really going on. It's the truth.

The Bible says that we know one another, not after the flesh, but after the spirit. In other words once you're born again, you become aware of the spirit life or the nature of God, and the life that flows. When you relate with people, you can quickly pick up what's coming out of their spirit. You can quickly pick up what is impressing your life, and we are aware of that. So what we did was we looked at different kinds of words. Let's just read these verses again, and very vivid verses, Verse 2; for we all stumble in many things, and if anyone does not stumble in words that he speaks, he's a perfect man - we got any perfect men here? - able also to bridle the whole of their body. Indeed we put a bit in a horse's mouth that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. I think we've got a picture of that there somewhere; do you want to stick it up? Got a picture there of it? May have one, you can pop it up if it's there.

We also looked [laughs] Hey, look at that. Now there's a lovely looking young couple up there, and you see what happens when you get a hold of the horse's mouth, you get the bit in the horse's mouth then you're fine, but if you don't get the bit in the horse's mouth, then you can't control the horse. Big problem if you can't control the horse, and there it is there. Now that one there was just before Joy lost control of the horse. [Laughter] She was pregnant with one of our children, and she let the bridle go out of the horse's mouth, and it just took off. I can still to this day remember the horse. I was looking at the rear end of the horse as it departed across Bruce Simmond's paddocks, and her legs were sort of out like this and that, and holding on for all she was worth.

But if you don't have a control over the horse's mouth, you have no control over the whole horse, but if you can control the mouth, you control the whole horse, where it goes. Same with a ship; you've got control over the rudder, you can steer the whole ship. If you've got no control over the rudder, then you're in big trouble. The Bismarck, which was one of the greatest war ships that the German Navy produced, it had the power to out-shoot and out-run any of the ships in the British Navy. Its first engagement with HMS Hood, it had one shot went into a magazine, and the whole of the Hood with 2000 people sank. The Bismarck travelling through the seas presented a huge problem for the British Navy, and for all the merchant ships, huge problem. So Winston Churchill sent everyone to go out, and they have to sink the Bismarck. What happened was, it was attacked by some planes, and they got a lucky shot and they disabled the rudder, and there's this huge war ship covered in guns and armour, it was the leader in it's day, but the rudder was jammed. Instead of being able to steam for safety, it just went around in a circle and the British ships surrounded it and they literally pounded it until it sank. It's just amazing, just one lucky shot hit the rudder, and when they had no control over the rudder they couldn't control the ship, and the destiny of that ship and all that were on it was changed - just because of the rudder.

See, so the Bible uses these illustrations of the horse and the ship, to get us to understand that what's coming out of your mouth is determining where your life and relationships and destiny go. I just cannot state it more passionately and clearly. What you are speaking is beginning to form your future, and what we've done over the last two or three weeks is, we've looked at some of the negative kinds of things we say, and the impact they have, because we saw that words are containers. You hear the words, but what they contain, their spirit content, leaves an impact, and an impression on you, and so that begins to shape everything around you.

We looked at lying words, and the impact of lying words. We looked at words which were words of gossip and slander, destroying people's reputations. We looked at the area of put down words, words which put people down, words which have a spirit content, a spirit of murder and death and when you've been exposed to put down words you feel belittled, diminished, crushed and withdrawn on the inside. Something has impacted you. What's impacted you is the spirit released when the words were spoken, and so a spirit of death and murder comes against you. You literally shut down. Words of life would lift you up, but words that put you down actually murder you. They destroy or take away your life, and I know talking with people, many many people here suddenly become aware that within their family background their whole upraising, or the way they've been raised was in an environment of put downs that destroyed and limited their potential, maybe because they were a girl, maybe because they were the youngest, maybe because they just didn't do so good in school. Some of you would have been in school, and would have had words belittling you because of the way you looked, some defect, some kind of thing you couldn't do, maybe it was a reading problem, maybe it was some other kind of thing. And what happened was you just get put down and belittled, and those words ring in your ears for years.

It's like they programme the inner man, and then we begin to operate and live our life out of it. Truly they have begun to shape our life. What happened we saw, was we get into agreement with those words, and once you've agreed with the words, I'm no good, I can't do anything - then now you begin to speak them, and you begin to start to actually reinforce what's been spoken over your life. Those kinds of words are cursings. They are cursings. They release a spiritual power that holds you down and restricts your potential. You wouldn't know how many times over the years I've sat and looked in the eyes of a person, began to talk about their potential, and speak about the impact of these words, to watch them just break down and weep, just literally weep as they felt the grief for the first time of what had happened.

Most just say oh, that's just our family, that's just me. You see, but we want to break out of that, so we've focussed on those. Last week we talked about empty words, words which have got no substance in them. The person's got no intention of keeping them, or that the words are just for show, or the words are designed to manipulate. We saw about empty words, now in all of these cases that the words, which could have brought life, actually bring death to people. I want to look at one last area of these negative words, then next time round we're going to begin to look at how God has designed us to move prophetically, how God has designed us to speak and alter spiritual atmosphere, alter even the course of our own life by the words we speak. We're going to look at about how we can begin to actually tap into God's creative ability to speak over our life, and over our family, and over our relationships, words that release the spirit of God and the angels of God to begin to work, instead of creating an environment for demons.

So we want to look at hasty words today, okay, hasty words, angry words - hasty words. [Laughs] Hasty, irritable, impatient, thoughtless, rash, spoken quickly without thinking about the consequences, see? Here's a verse in Proverbs 29, Verse 20. Do you see a man who is hasty with his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. How about that? Now you're going to find there's an awful lot in the Bible. I'll cover some of it today. I just want to give enough that you get a handle on this, and also can deal with the root issue, but a person who is rash in their talking, they speak without thinking, they utter words without thinking, they flare up and speak out things they shouldn't be speaking, he says there's more hope for a fool than someone like that. In other words, if you want to work with someone, work with a fool, rather than work with someone who's angry and explosive, and they let outbursts of words go.

Now I know this is going to speak to many, and I want it to speak to your heart. I want you to begin to think about what you're doing, because I'm aware that in some families and some relational situations, some of you are totally unaware of the havoc you're creating by your words. I want you to become aware of these words, and then come to a place where you learn how to handle and rule your spirit, so you become able to begin to speak words that are life-giving, and words that build. If most of our life our words are out of control, when we try to speak God's words, probably there'll be no force, no power, no life in them, because they're not really part of the way we live our life.

Hasty words always have bad consequences. Words spoken out of inflamed emotions. Words that are spoken like that, out of an inflamed emotion, always have bad consequences, and have you ever found afterwards you've had to say, I wish I hadn't said that? I just wish I hadn't said that? How many people have said that - I wish I hadn't said that? When our emotions are stirred, we get angry, we get wound up on the inside, we say and do things we later regret. I wish I hadn't done that, now I've got to go and say I'm sorry and undo it all. I thought I was so right when I was saying all those things. Now I've got to go and humble myself, because I was a fool. See, so let me give you a couple of verses. So hasty words have bad consequences. Read this, Proverbs 14, Verse 17; A quick-tempered man acts foolishly. A quick-tempered man acts foolishly. Ever seen someone that flares up? Notice they always do dumb things? How many have broken something when you flared up, or you've done something stupid with your car? Ooh yes, yeah, something got broken, something was bumped into when we got angry see, so the Bible says very clearly, that a quick-tempered person will act foolishly. In other words they act without thinking - don't know what they come up with is stupid.

Proverbs 14:29, He that is slow to anger, or slow to wrath, has great understanding. If you can hold your anger back, and keep your anger in check, you're a very smart person! See, smart people can hold back their anger. Foolish people can't. He that is hasty in spirit, exalts foolishness, so the person who quickly flares up, you know what he does in his life? He does lots of stupid things. The person who can control their anger, and manage it and deal with it appropriately and right, that person's very understanding, understands the power of this thing if it's let go. Have you ever seen somebody who's started a little fire, and then couldn't put it out? That's what hasty words do. Angry words will really set something going. You know, you break out and you begin to have a deluge of angry words, what will happen is, you start a fire going in the family, in the household, in your relationships - very hard to put it out. That's why it says the tongue is a fire. The tongue is a fire, a fire!

When people are angry, they tend to speak and do things that are crazy. Shane Willard was saying that when a person gets angry their IQ drops 30 points, so if you were only an average IQ anyway [Laughter] which is most of us. You know, if we're really, really brilliant people then we can afford to drop a few for a moment, but if you're just sort of, just the normal, average, run of the mill person, and you lose 30 points on your IQ you're just a raving lunatic, can't think right. That's why the Bible says, they act stupidly, act foolishly, act like an idiot. Isn't that true? Have you ever seen someone acting like an idiot, and you think what on earth do they think they're doing? Look at that, look and they look like a crazy man, and all it is, is they're angry. Their IQ dropped. Your IQ drops 30 points when lust gets a hold of you, you just lose your ability to think. It's true, and then when anger gets a hold of you again, you lose your ability to think. All thinking's gone, now there's just I'm wanting to smash something, or yell at something. Isn't that right?

Look at this, so always when people get angry, they'll say and do things they later on regret. In Psalm 106 - let's read Psalm 106, Verse 32-33. Even Moses is a pretty good man, got upset. Cost him a bit too. Moses, now Moses was a meek man. He had himself under control, but even he got upset. It says, Verse 32, they angered Him at the waters of strife, and it went badly for Moses on account of them. It says they rebelled against His spirit, or the spirit of God, and he spoke rashly with his lips. So what happened was this. Notice this, what happened was Moses got into trouble, because he spoke angrily. What had happened was, the people of God were always complaining, and here's the man who's trying to them get to where they're supposed to get. All they can do is complain, and they complained so much, they got him wound up. So in the end God had spoken to him. He said now the last time you smote the rock with the rod. This time I want you to speak to the rock. Then he comes out, and he says you blimmin' people, you want water, you want water do you? You want water do you? Alright! And he gets the rod and he whacks the stick, he hits this rock twice, calls them all rebels. He gets very angry.

Now the interesting thing was, God gave them the water, but then God had words with Moses. Moses was not able to enter into the Promised Land, because he got angry, and didn't do what God told him to do. I think the thing that was the thing that caused the trouble was, not that he struck the rock. I think it was when he spoke with his words, because it said it was what he said was the problem. When he was angry, he spoke out. He said you rebels, you want us to get you some water, and he hit this rock, and so God honoured the office and honoured the act to get water to the people, but he was accountable for his rash words. That cost him.

Imagine you've been 40 years in the wilderness, and the very place you've got to lead everyone, you can't go yourself. So God was good. God gave him a little glimpse of it - have a look, there it is. You can't get in there, because you were crazy in your speech, and you actually began to accuse people of something. You cursed them virtually, called them rebels, see? Now it's one thing to talk to them about their complaining; it's another thing to brand them, and label them, and call them a name. I think that's what got him into trouble. He began to label, and name, the people of God, and I think that's what got him into trouble, because they're God's people, and God identifies with them.

We've got to be really careful, or we get stirred in our emotions or feel angry, that we don't begin to start to label people, and yell at people, and begin to start to vent our reaction in a way that causes us unseen consequences in the future. Okay, there we go, that was wonderful. That went down well didn't it aye? Oh well, okay. Do you want another one, found in 2 Chronicles 26:18 and 19. Now this one here's Uzziah. Uzziah was a king, and he got a bit uppity. After a little while he got so successful he got a bit proud, and he thought he could do anything. The trouble with success, when you're having successes you can begin to start to think more highly of yourself than you should. So what happened was some good Godly men rose up, and they confronted him when he was wanting to be a priest, so they stood and said you can't do this. You're not called to do that. What they did was right. They blocked him. You know what it did? It said he got absolutely outraged. He got filled with wrath. He become filled with wrath and anger, and wanted to actually then kill them, and what happened was leprosy broke out in his body, so we've got to be careful when we're confronted or blocked in life, when things don't go the way we want, that we don't end up developing attitudes that cause sickness and problems and all kinds of things to emerge in our body.

One of the things that cause people to be sick almost more than anything, certainly a cause of depression, is people being angry. When people are angry, they get depressed. When people angry, they get sick in their body, so there's some examples of it. Ecclesiastes 7:9 says, don't be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the heart of fools. Don't be hasty, or don't allow yourself to be stirred up to get angry, because anger sits in the heart of a fool. He will actually blow out and destroy what he's trying to build. Suppose you had a dream to build a family, and you have great ideas, and you have great things that you want this family to become. Then all the way when you're investing all this time and energy and labour for your 20/30 years, all the time you're doing that, you're then destroying what you're building as fast as you build it. Would you call that stupid or foolish? Pretty foolish isn't it, and that's what it says, a person who can't master this issue of anger, it says it rests in his heart, he becomes foolish in his life.

So God wants us to learn how to handle it, and we're going to touch on you how to handle it, what the root cause is in a moment, but I want you to get the message on it, okay? You getting the message? Have a look in Ephesians, Chapter 4 then. Unresolved anger opens the door to demons. Of course, we're all lovely church people. [Laughs] We would never open the door to demons. We just come and say Jesus, you're wonderful. We look beautiful with our hands up singing Jesus, I Love You. Isn't that wonderful? But the same people today singing Jesus, I Love You, later on in the week could be very, very angry and inviting demons into their home. Isn't that craziness? Isn't that sort of foolishness, isn't it really? We're wanting God to bless us, and then a couple of days later we're undoing it completely, and opening the door to something else.

Notice what it says in Ephesians 4, read these verses here - I like this verse, Verse 26. Be angry, but do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your anger, nor give place to the devil. So the verses in the original are not there, it's just one flow, and it's talking about our relationships, and dealing with our life, and certain things we need to change. So it says - now get this - it says be angry. So it's okay to be angry. For those Christians who didn't think it was okay to be angry, and carried on in a fantasy world, where actually real people get angry about lots of things, see, it's okay to be angry. Anger is just an emotion. God feels anger. We're made in the image of God, we can feel anger when there's an injustice. So it's no problem to feel angry. Anger is just like an indicator on the dashboard of your car, it's just an emotion that signals a message. Now it's okay to be angry. It's okay to feel angry, okay to feel upset. It's what you do with it, is the issue, and so it says be angry, but do not sin. So it says, it's okay to feel anger, but don't let it just blow over so it becomes sin. It becomes sin when we don't resolve it. It becomes sin when we allow it to internalise, and we begin to brood over it, and we begin to think and smoulder on the injustice of what went wrong, it stirs us up, or it becomes sin when we let go and let rip at everyone around us.

Some people are the brooders. They sort of let it go in, and sit on it. Then there's another group, and they blow up. They just kaboom, and there's a bomb goes off, you know? They let everyone have it - then they feel better. It's great, but behind them, there's this ground of people bleeding all over the place. [Laughter] They've got over it. I feel good now. I feel just great. I've done my stuff. I feel better - now what's all wrong with you? Everyone's lying there bleeding from all the wounds that they've got, cut to the quick by the spirit of murder. But they feel better, I feel better now - until the next time, because when you get into family environments like that, they're unsafe, and they create insecurity in the family. There are problems in all relationships, and people do not grow to activate their potential, see. It says anger rests in the heart of fools. [Laughs] Don't sit on your anger. Get to sort it out quick, and the Bible tells us how quick it should be. Well that's quite handy isn't it? It says, don't let the sun go down on your anger. In other words you've just got today to get over it, see, today to get over it.

When you go to bed at night, don't go to bed angry. Just get over it. Tell someone, actually you need to get over it. I can see you getting angry already. Just get over it. You need to get over it, need to resolve the anger, get over the anger before you go to sleep see, because failing to resolve the anger is like opening the door to demons. So isn't that interesting, that people would every night time go to their doors and they lock the doors, and make sure all the thieves don't get in to steal their goods, all of which could be replaced and are probably insured anyway. But then they go and throw open the spiritual doors, and allow the demons to come in and destroy everything that's of real value. That's what it means when it says don't give place to the devil. Don't open the door for demons to come, its because they can smell anger a mile off. Even dogs can smell it, you noticed that? You get stirred up inside and dogs will know it. You can get them riled up if you get a little like that. When people get angry they stiffen. You get near a dog and you begin to stiffen and stare at it, it'll get really wound up. I found that out [Laughter] with many a dog. [Laughs] Okay then, so anger needs to be dealt with.

In Proverbs 25:28, he that has no rule over his own spirit, if you can't actually deal or manage with anger - so the Bible says, it's okay to feel angry at times, but if you can't manage it and deal with it properly, it says you're just like a city that has got no walls in it. It's got no defences. The city's been broken down, an enemy has breached the city, there's nothing to defend it. So in the old days of course, they'd build a wall around the city, you defended the city against enemies. You had no walls, you had no defence. The enemy could come in and take what he wanted, so today it would be equivalent saying a person who's got no rule over their spirit, or a person who can't manage this emotion of anger, is like a person who leaves his doors and windows open every night for the thieves and burglars to come in. That would be the best way to describe it. Foolishness isn't it? But we still tolerate it. So there it is, so always unresolved anger opens the door to demons.

Now look at this. In Genesis, Chapter 4, Verses 4 to 8; Cain, the first example of someone getting angry. That's good, and we'll see what resulted from him getting angry. You've got to remember, if we just take the Bible account that there was Adam and Eve and two sons, that's four people in the world, and one quarter of them get put to death because one person got angry. Look at this. Here it says, Verse 5, the Lord did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the Lord said to Cain, why are you so angry? Why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, you'll be accepted. If you do not, sin lies at the door. Its desire is for you, but you should rule over it. Now Cain talked with Abel his brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. The Lord said to Cain, where is Abel, your brother? He said I don't know, am I my brother's keeper? I don't care about him. [Laughs]

Okay, so you notice here that Cain was angry. He was angry. Now one of the first ways you can see someone's angry, is look at their face. They get broody, moody. They get a darkness over their countenance. See, you can always tell what's in the heart comes out on the face, and so when people are angry it usually shows on their face, so his countenance fell, meant he got moody. He got the black look, you know, the black look. They look black. You know people get like that, they give you the evils, means they stare at you, and you can feel and look at the anger, ooh! [Laughs] So his face, his unresolved feeling of anger, and he was warned that if he didn't deal with it, it would get worse. Of course what happened is he didn't deal with it at all, and what happened then was he was resentful and angry, because of something he felt was unjust treatment. He felt he should have been accepted like his brother was, and when he looked at his brother - isn't it interesting? He looked at his brother, and how God favoured his brother, because the offering was an offering of faith. He looked at how his offering was not accepted, and he become angry, and the anger expressed first on his face, and then against his brother, then in the field he rose up and slew his brother.

I would think over the course of my ministry life, I would think that the greatest miracle that I have seen, is that I'm still here [Laughter] because of the words that have risen up to slay me. Simple, they hurt you, they do. People can be extraordinarily abusive and hurtful, and you need to see here, there's something - let me give a definition for anger, so you define it. I want to just talk a little bit about anger, because I want you to get a handle on this. Then we'll show you what to do, because you've got to learn how to deal with it, okay?

Anger - this is what it is - anger is a strong, violent feeling. How many - when you've got anger, it seems to fill you, have you noticed? In the Bible, actually the word means to flare the nostrils, so that's kind of like when someone's really wound up [Laughs] see, so it's a strong, violent feeling, coming out of a sense of injustice. There is of course various levels of it. Resentment, now resentment's the one most people have. Church people tend to get this. Resentment is like the smouldering fire. It doesn't kind of break out. It's just like a smouldering anger, cold, quiet. You know, granny gets it, and there's this coldness in the atmosphere. Is anything wrong? NO! [Laughter] The whole atmosphere becomes unpleasant, unsafe, and you want to run away and hide. That's what you do. That's what disconnects families of course, because see what happens is, when people are in that environment, they become afraid of the anger, and feelings of anger. They actually are afraid of the spirits, which are in the atmosphere. They don't understand that's what it is, but they're fearful of what may happen to them, and then they will find a way to retreat and find a way out. Of course one way is just to disconnect from everyone, withdraw, hide, read books, watch television, go play on a computer, disconnect, get busy, do a hobby, all kinds of ways it happens. But see often when people are resentful, it's like a dark scowl on the face, or moodiness, or sulking.

The next level of anger is - probably call it the word wrath. You don't use that much, but it's an anger that's looking for revenge and retaliation, so the definition of wrath means, you're angry to the point - you're going to pay for this. That's wrath. Can you see this? It wants to hurt someone, wants to hurt them. That's why, when it gets out of control, it comes to rage and then manifests as a violent explosion, an outburst against the people around, often physically or verbally. Now you think of how many people are in jail, because they just lost it. What did they lose? They had no rule of their spirit anger, smouldering resentment rose into wrath and then rage, then they did something, and then they can't get it back. You have a look and there's a real problem in our area of this kind of thing, of violent outbursts, violent rage. I talked to the police about this, and they said Napier and Hastings are completely different. They said in Hastings, he said like in Napier if someone hits someone they just hit them once, that's about it, or twice. He said in Hastings when they do it, they just won't stop. It's like something gets out of control and it's extremely violent, because behind anger, see anger unleashes a spirit of murder. That's why it's so serious. See a lot of Christians just laugh at the whole deal and think nothing of it. So I'll give you some examples, and then how we tend to think about it, typical examples of people who are really angry.

Ever seen a kid throwing a tantrum? Don't you love it? There he is, on the ground, screaming and they stiffen and they scream and bellow until they get what they want see; shouting, stamping their feet. Stamping feet is another form of outbursts of frustration and anger, stamping feet, smashing things, slamming doors, banging things, slamming phones, throwing things, breaking things, hissy fits. It's all the same thing, it's all anger that's exploding, and unleashing spirits of murder on everyone in hearing distance. Some homes you go to, there's dents in the wall, sometimes unusual heights. [Laughter] I've been to some homes, I've looked and thought how did that hole get up there? In other places you can see a perfect round hole the size of a man's fist, banged through something or other, banged into something, see? That's explosive anger. It's terribly destructive. Not only that, it hurts your knuckles. Now this is what we tend to do. That's why taking time to just outline this for you, because the tendency is to accept it, and say that's just me. Is it? It's an unacceptable expression of the spirit of murder. Just you? Is that what you are, a murderer? Okay, if you want to be a murderer. I think you're better than that.

See, you've got to see it for what it is. If you don't see it for what it is, you'll never ever treat it seriously, and break out of the habit pattern of angry expression. Think about it. We have to actually see it for what it is, so most will say it's just me, it's my Irish nature you know. Couple of drinks, and out with a fight. Don't drink then! You know, have you noticed many guys, they have a couple of drinks, and then suddenly all this buried anger, and now they're punching and fighting and looking for a fight. Anger is waiting to find - it's actually at a level of wrath waiting to find someone to beat on, and of course in homes where there's this kind of anger, it just perpetuates, goes generation to generation.

So a second way people tend to deal with it, is they tend to just excuse it - it's not my fault. I can't help it, it's just the way I am. Another way people tend to treat it, is just deny it - I'm not angry. I'M NOT ANGRY! Why do you think I'm ANGRY! Well, just a thought. [Laughs] Look at yourself in the mirror. [Laughs] So unrestricted anger, or unrestrained anger, will release a spirit of murder. I want you to see that Jesus taught this very clearly, so we'll get to Jesus' words. Now Jesus got angry, but He controlled His anger, and directed it productively at the right thing. See, God gets angry but there's a righteous anger - well I've got righteous anger! Yeah, yeah, we'll see. [Laughs]

Matthew, Chapter 5. Mostly what we think is righteous anger, isn't at all, but here, read this. Verse 21, you've heard what it was said of those of old, you shall not murder, and whoever murders is in danger of judgment. So you've heard the commandment, thou shalt not murder. So do we have any murderers here? Now don't all shout.[Laughter] Do we have any murderers here? I think we have heaps of them. See, He said in the - see the Old Testament, the law dealt with the behaviour, the external. Murder is the behaviour expression of unresolved anger and hate, so Jesus is saying yes, I know the law, and you've heard it said, don't murder people. There's very practical reasons not to do that. There's real punishments if you do do it. He said I'm telling you this; that the nature of God who set the law up, His intent was we would love people, and if you love people, don't harbour anger in your heart against them. He says you know if you murder someone, you're in danger of judgment. He said I'm telling you differently. I'm telling you if you get anger in your heart against someone, and don't deal with it, you are in danger of judgment, because anger is the seed that gives rise to murder. That's pretty strong talk from Jesus isn't it, but He says it there.

I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of the judgment. Whoever says to your brother is an idiot, shall be in danger of the council. Whoever says you fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Now I won't go into all that's there, and all that it means, but very simply this; anger is the root from which murder flows, and God is calling us to live a different life. He's calling us to have a spirit empowered life. See the spirit empowered life, we go far beyond not killing people. We go to a level where we deal with our heart attitude, we learn how to love people, and not hold anger, and express anger and murder at them, see? That's why He said concerning adultery, He said you know it said, don't commit adultery, but I'm telling you what God is wanting is, He's wanting a heart that's pure, that doesn't actually lust after other women, because that's what leads to adultery. Can you see? So He's saying what I'm telling you is, what we're looking for here, is far higher than just a little set of rules to keep. What we're looking for here is spirit filled people, who've got a pure heart, and know how to actually express the life of God, because that's what you're all on about. That is what I put you in the earth to do, to express the love and the life of God. So He said you need to deal with this issue that's inside you. We getting the hang on that now?

Jesus was pretty straight about that, wasn't He? Oh, you've all got very quiet about it now - so [Laughs] and remember that anger will always lead to some form of verbal or physical retaliation, with a desire to hurt. You've got to realise that. The intent when someone explodes is to vent what's in them, and usually to hurt someone else with it, and if they don't intend to hurt them, it still makes no difference, they do. Now we've all been through that. How many have been through an experience where you've had someone really nut off and lose it, and it was directed at you? How many have had that experience, and found it really unpleasant? See, everyone here, everyone here. How many - well I won't ask how many have done it themselves. The tendency is to just do, because you don't know what to do.

Let me just give you quickly now the root of it, and then a couple of practical keys how to deal with this, because God wants us to deal with it, and you don't deal with it by sitting on it. So the root of it is very simple, simple as this. Anger arises when we believe our personal rights have been violated. Anger has to do with your rights, what you believe you're entitled to. See, notice this. You see a kid doing a hissy fit on the ground. They're fussing to get what they want, and they're doing everything they can to make you do what they want, because they believe what they want, they're entitled to, see? Isn't that right? The core at the root of anger, is my belief that I'm entitled to have life go right for me. It's actually a consequence of the fall, and you'll see at the core of dealing with anger, the issue of personal rights has to be addressed, because as soon as a person believes their personal rights have been violated in some way, whether it's real or just they imagine it, they get angry. Every time they get angry, so it could be simply a blocked goal. You know, you're just trying to get to work, and then there's some silly slow car with some old person sitting there, and they're blocking the blimmin road! You just are wound up and you do something hasty. Then you're pulled over by the cops, then you really have regret, measured in how much it's going to cost you, see?

But it's like when goals are blocked, we can't get what we want, we get angry and all it is is my goal is blocked, because I believe I have a right to have my goals achieved when and how I want. That's the heart belief. You change that belief, you'll change the behaviour, see? The reality is, we live in a world where there's all kinds of things block us and hinder us. Everyone gets blocked and hindered. The thing is, if you've got an attitude like Jesus, His attitude was, I came with no expectation it would all work out good. I came with an expectation I would give My life to make things better - different mentality, if we didn't get outraged or angered by things that people did.

Badly treated - we get badly treated, we get well, I've got a right to be treated right. I haven't been treated fair, it's not fair! That's what kids say isn't it? It's not fair! Get over it, life isn't fair. Lots of things aren't fair, but God doesn't actually treat us fairly either. He treats us justly. That's a different thing from being fair. Fair means we get what everyone - you know kids, to be fair you've got to count up the strawberries that go on the plate to make sure it's fair, make sure everyone got the same number, see? Okay, we getting there? So injustice. Injustice, when we feel we've been treated unjustly, and of course injustice abounds in the world. That's the thing that really racks us up, and gets us going. So maybe someone's shouted at you, misunderstood you, did this, did that. Whatever it is, there's a perceived injustice. What the core of it is, I have a right to be treated better than this, now I'm angry.

Now I would say just this: if you were stirred up about the injustices others have, probably it's more near to God's sense of anger, how He gets angry. If you're really wound up about your own stuff, probably it's less justification for it. You need to learn how to get over it, so how do we get over it? Let me just give you a couple of simple scriptures, and I'll give you four or five simple steps what to do practically, okay?

So 1 Peter, Chapter 2, we'll find the scripture and then I'll show you just what you do. So we don't want to be murderers. We've already got a lot of people convicted of murder here today. [Laughs] We don't need to be all free of being convicted of murder. Repent of your sin, and if you've really injured people by your anger, go put it right with them, that would be the simplest thing to do, and then start to work on your life. But here's the core of it here, and it's found in 1 Peter, Chapter 2, Verse 21. Here it is, and it says for this you were called, because Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example we should walk in His steps. Remember the example of Jesus, how unjustly He was treated? He committed no sin, neither was there any deceit found in His mouth - Verse 23 - when He was abused, He didn't abuse in return. When He suffered, He didn't threaten. Notice what He did: He committed Himself to the one who judges righteously. In other words, this is what He did. When He was on the receiving end of bad treatment, instead of arising in anger, and using His power to hurt people and retaliate, or prove He was right, He committed His soul to the one who judges rightly. In other words He let His rights go to the Father, and that freed Him from the emotions, so He could then have a spirit-led response.

Did He get angry? He did get angry. He got angry in a church actually. He got angry at the church people, when they had no heart for the broken people, but He didn't actually take it out on them. He just used the anger, and He healed the person who was sick. See, He addressed the problem, addressed the issue. You find the same thing again in 1 Peter, Chapter 4, Verse 19. It says the same thing. Let those who suffer according to the will of God, commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. So here's the core issue. The core issue behind anger, somewhere I perceive my rights have been overruled or violated. I need to commit my rights to the Lord, and allow Him to be the just judge on it, and that frees me then to listen to what He wants me to do.

If He says let it go, I can let it go. If He says speak up, I can speak up. If He says put boundaries, I can put boundaries. If He says walk away, I can walk away. In other words, I'm not controlled by the emotion. I'm actually spirit-led, because I've brought the injustice and the feelings of the injustice to the Lord, so it's actually a faith walk, being spirit led. That is the core of dealing with it. Here's a few practical things that will help you, because remember always, that the key under this issue of anger is always ownership and personal rights; I have a right. Just let go your rights, and then you'll be free to be able to actually listen to what God wants you to do. Be a part of the answer, rather than part of the problem.

Here's some simple things. Number one, if you're angry, admit you're feeling angry. You just need to admit it. You've got to admit to yourself you're feeling angry. Second, create some space so that you can just process what you're feeling. Sometimes we just need to withdraw from where we're at. It's provocative, we just feel upset, we know that if we stay there, we're going to be stirred up. Just withdraw, get some space. Say look, I'm a bit emotional right now, and I just need a bit of space. Go and create some space where you can slow down and start to think through what's actually happening. Remember, anger is just the signal I've had a rights or injustice somewhere, and I need to discover it and bring it to the Lord. Okay, slow down. So you let the negative energy out constructively, so maybe if you're really, really wound up go out and chop some wood, go out and run, go out and beat a bag, go out and just do something to let the physical energy go, because when people get angry, they get a huge build up of physical energy in their body, and that's why they just go crazy, and do crazy stuff. So that's a simple thing you could do.

Fourth thing, ask the Holy Spirit to show you what's the root problem, and it may be there's been lots of little things accumulate over a number of days, lots of frustrations, lots of little blocked goals, and instead of dealing with them one at a time, day by day, you just let it all build up, and now here you are, and you're sullen, resentful, black, gloomy, negative, feeling disempowered, angry at the world. Then one thing comes - the cat goes in front of you. Next thing you know, you've kicked the cat, you've yelled at everyone, and it's all on. You think where did that come from! Well it was a long build up aye, okay, so ask the Lord to show you where the root is, try and identify what the root is, and then surrender your rights to the Lord. Just surrender to the Lord, so you can let it go.

Then the final thing is, I've got to look for constructive ways to deal with the issue. I've got to look for constructive ways. A constructive way is to just let it go. A constructive way is to go and confront. A constructive way is to do some kind act. There's lots of constructive ways, but while you're angry, you can't think of one of them. You just want to smash their face, see? That's what goes on. I know you may not think that. Some people are so sweet and nice, they'd never think of that, so what they do, instead of the anger going out, they direct it inwards, they get sick and depressed, and never happy. See, so we need to be able to do that.

If you're facing someone who's very angry, again don't treat anger with anger. You'll just stir up a fire, and you can't get rid of it. The Bible says, a soft answer turns away anger, so if a person's angry, they're really nutting off in front of you, talk to them quietly in a quiet voice. Ask questions, listen to them and try and draw out of them and they'll calm down and be quiet. A second way to deal with an angry person, is to walk away and avoid them, just to actually remove yourself completely from that situation, and withdraw from it. A third way is to, at the appropriate time, talk to them about their anger issue, and start to set some healthy boundaries.

Now we've got to learn what to do when people are angry, especially people we live with. Some situations you can't get away from, but you don't have to put up with it. More than once I've told people to confront things, or told them to just stop, and just let God help them grow through it. Remember, there's no one answer to it all, but when your rights are in the hands of the Lord, you're then able to listen to Him, and able to work this issue out properly. It is an issue of rights.

Now some of you may be sitting on stuff that goes back years, and so a little thing happens, it just triggers off a huge storm. You've got unresolved issues you need to bring out into the open, need to actually get some help to get them out. We want to move on, so we're not caught up with this thing of personal rights, speaking angry words, and destroying. We want to be able to speak prophetic words, words of life, words that build, words that bless, words that impart to people and we don't want to be foolish, destroying the thing we're trying to build. You say Amen.

Father, we just thank you you are teaching us. We thank you Lord, we had never realised just the power of our words, the impact of our words. We've never realised Lord, the way our tongue just gets so out of control in so many ways, and we're saying Lord, help us to begin to start to rule our spirit, to rule our inner man, and to begin to express the life of the kingdom and be part of the answer, instead of expressing the life of the flesh, and intensifying the problems. Lord, I pray for every person here today that's heard the message, those who listen to it on the internet or listen to it through the CD, that Lord as they begin to start to think about their words and how they're speaking, that Lord they will sense Your hand upon them to expose these things, and to help them and give grace, give grace that we can begin to start to speak words that bring life. Give us grace to overcome injustice in our personal life. Give us grace, and help us Lord to let go the demand and right that life serve us, and to become wonderful ambassadors of heaven, that are able to serve and make a difference in life.

Father, I pray this church will grow, that members will grow, people will grow to a whole new level of maturity and ability to handle this issue of anger, to handle the issue of hasty words. Lord, in this next week or so begin to show it to us every time we get into that flow that we've been in and help us to stand up and come into a breakthrough in this area - and everyone said ... Amen!

Summary Notes:  Formatted »  Back to Top »

1. Introduction:

· James 3:2-8 - “The tongue is a fire..”

· Our words and speech are containers – they release death or life wherever we direct them.

· People ‘hear’ the words but are ‘impacted’ by the spirit they are spoken in.

· Our body, soul and spirit are all impacted by spoken words.

· Previously: Lying words, Gossip, Put Down words, Empty words.

· Today: “Hasty Words” – “I wish I had never said that!”

· Hasty = irritated, impatient, thoughtless, rash, done quickly without thought of impact.

· Proverbs 29:20 - “Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool that him”.

2. Hasty Words Have Bad Consequences:

Proverbs 14:17 – “A quick tempered man acts foolishly”.

Proverbs 14:29 - “He that is slow to wrath has great understanding but he that is hasty of spirit exalts folly”.

When people are angry – they are prone to speak and act foolishly.

When people are angry – then their IQ drops – no longer think through the consequences.

E.g. Psalm 106:32-33 - Moses got angry with Israel and spoke and acted foolishly.

Moses’s hasty words and actions cost him his leadership opportunity.

E.g. 2 Chronicles 26:18-19 - Uzziah became very angry when his goal was blocked.

His failure to respond properly cost him his physical health.

Ecclesiastes 7:9 - “Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the heart of fools”.

3. Unresolved Anger Opens the Door to Demons:

· Ephesians 4:26-27 - “Be angry but do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your anger, neither give place to the devil”.

- anger is a strong emotion – It is ok to feel angry.

- Anger that is not resolved properly leads to sin.

- Anger needs to be dealt with the same day – before going to sleep.

- Anger unresolved will create a door for demons.

· Proverbs 25:28 - “He that has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down”.

· Genesis 4:4-8 - Cain was very angry and his fell.

- Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

· Cain had strong unresolved feelings of anger.

· Cain was warned that sin would come as a result of unresolved anger.

· Proverbs 29:22 - “an angry man stirs up strive and a furious man abounds in transgression (to rebel and react”).

· Anger = strong violent feelings of reaction at some perceived injustice.

· Anger has various levels of intensity.

i) Resentment:

· Smouldering, brooding on injustice.

= often appears as a dark scowl on face, moodiness, sulking.

ii) Wrath:

· Anger that seeks revenge or punishment – lashes out to hurt or wound.

iii) Rage:

· Intense explosive reaction, destructive expressions.

· Examples: Tantrums, shouting, stomp feet, slam door, yell, phone hung up.

Throw things, break things, hissy fit”, hit things, bad tempered.

· Response: People tend to “accept it” …. “Just me” (minimize it)

People tend to “excuse it” …. “Not my fault, can’t help it”.

People tend to “deny” ….”I am not angry”.

4. Unrestrained Anger releases a Spirit of Murder and Death:

Matthew 5:21-27 - “Whoever is angry with his brother is a murderer”.

Old Testament standard for living – “Thou shalt not murder…”

The intent of the law is that we live under the law of love.

New Testament standard of living – “Anger is a root from which murder flows”.

Wrath = anger that seeks revenge, punishment, retaliation, lashes out and seeks to hurt or wound”.

How many murders was the result of anger?

Explosive anger => hate => murder - 1 John 3:15

Unresolved anger opens a door to judgment in the spirit world against us.

The Root of Anger:

Anger arises when we feel our “personal rights have been violated”.

i) Blocked Goal - I have a right to get my way, what I want.

ii) Badly Treated - I have a right to be treated fairly.

iii) Injustice - I have a right to just treatment.

When anger is out of proportion to the event there is probably many

unresolved ‘injustices” that have accumulated.

5. How to Handle your Anger:

· The example of Jesus:

- 1 Peter 2:21-23 - He committed himself to him who judges right.

- 1 Peter 4:19 - commit your souls to Him in doing good.

· Key issue is one of ownership and personal rights.

· Practical:

1) Admit the feelings 2) Create space to process

3) Let – energy out constructively 4) Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal root

5) Surrender rights to God 6) Look for constructive ways to

Address issues – Do Good!

How to Handle Angry People:

· Don’t feed of their anger or react to it.

i) Speak quietly, touch arm.

Proverbs 15:1

Ecclesiastes 10:4

ii) Ask questions to understand the person.

James 1:19

iii) Withdraw – boundary abusive controlling behaviour.

iv) Confront at appropriate time to obtain changes in the behaviour.

Verbal Abuse (8 of 12)

Sun 2nd Dec 2007 PM  « Back to Top

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How many know we live in a culture that really puts people down? If we don't break out of things which are spoken against us, then those negative words spoken in our life which we agree with will soon speak, and begin to set the course of our destiny.

How many know we live in a culture that really puts people down? We're just going to talk tonight about breaking through verbal violence, and I want to pick up where I was speaking this morning, so even if you weren't there this morning it won't make any difference. You'll still be fine, be able to pick it up from where we go tonight. I want to just share just a few scriptures with you, then I want to talk primarily about how you break out, and if we don't break out of things which are spoken, then those things which are spoken, we agree with, negative words spoken in our life, which we agree with, we will soon speak, and they will begin to set the course of our destiny.

So it's really important that we understand the power of words. What we've been doing in the last three or four weeks is we've been looking at various aspects of the words that we speak, different kinds of words people speak, and I've taken time. I was hoping to do that all in one session by the way, then what the Holy Ghost did was He said no, He said it took me a long time to sort these things out in your life, so you can take time to sort them out in everyone else's too, so just take your time because - He said this, He said you'll never move forward, to be able to move in speaking God's word to change environments prophetically, unless you recognise where the words you speak actually are poisoning the environment.

The Bible says in James 3, out of the same mouth receives blessing and cursing, it shouldn't be like that. So over these last three or four weeks the Holy Ghost has been just speaking into our hearts about the kinds of words we speak, the quality of the words, and what kinds of things are coming out of your mouth, and how they're affecting the people around you. So tonight I want to pick up one particular aspect. We started on it this morning, but I'm going to pick it up tonight again, and begin to just share with you how you can break out of it. I believe there'll be many people here that will begin to start to realise you need to break out, and then not just to break out, but to stay out, and to stay free of the spiritual put downs that are prevalent in our society. You get in school - man, one of the worst places to put people down is schools. Young people are just shocking to one another. Unfortunately many teachers are like that too, and our culture is like that. Everywhere you go, there's this spirit that comes to try and contain or hold the dreamers down.

You find of Joseph, Joseph was a dreamer. He had prophetic dreams of a destiny that would change nations, and yet around him in his own family, he had those who hated him because of it, and did all they could to destroy the dream and the dreamer. Isn't it interesting, and it seems to be the nature of the world we live in, that whenever God has put a dream of something in your heart, the first thing that'll happen when you begin to articulate the dream, is that people will tell you it can't be done. They'll begin to knock you back down into your place, so if you believe that through faith in Jesus Christ you are called to express the life of God in a unique way, then God is going to put dreams in your heart, and you're going to have to recognise what are the dream thieves, what steals the dream away from you, and what stops you actually expressing the life of God. If we don't understand that, and how to nurture the dreams in our heart, and how to speak the dreams in our heart, then what happens is we become contained, and we stay where everyone else is. We don't want to be that kind of people.

This coming year I believe is the year for people to break out, and so God is preparing the way, so these four weeks we've been speaking about certain kinds of words and their impact on our life, and how many people have found God challenged you about what you're saying? How many found you just felt yourself pulling back, words would go out and you'd think oh man, what did I say that for! I've been finding that. I've been finding every week that oh, why did I say that - and then you've got to repent and ask God to forgive you, and cancel the power of the words, then begin - but it's in the heart. Whatever's in the heart is going to find a place out of your mouth. Is that right? So we're going to just tonight open the way for you to just get free of stuff, give you a couple of keys that will help you to break out of things. Then it's up to you to begin to learn how to stand up and break forth, aye? See? Learn how to stand up! Be different! Come on, tell someone: Stand up! Be different! ... Stand up! Be different! ... It's not that easy to do you know. It's not that easy to do, because the moment you try and be different, someone says who do you think you are? Well I'm me and I'm being me - and we aren't ashamed of who we are.

I want you to open up with me in 1 Peter, Chapter 2. We're going to start where we'll finish virtually, 1 Peter, Chapter 2. I want to just share with you just a couple of scriptures in the Bible that give a real insight to how Jesus handled issues, and when you look at Jesus' ministry, Jesus said this. He said I have come to give you life, and give it more abundantly, so when Jesus came, what He had in mind was that whatever kind of life you're living right now, there is another whole dimension coming, with access to the life of the spirit that you can enter into, that will lift you to a whole new dimension of how you live your life, and run your relationships, and what you do. There are dreams that God has, that when you become connected with Him, you become lifted up inside, and there's a desire to fulfil something you never thought you'd ever do before.

Some of you have got God dreams waiting to be hatched inside you, to be vocalised, birthed in prayer and then begin to be activated in your life. But the Bible says, Jesus come to give life, and give it more abundantly, so He didn't come to take stuff from us. He came to realign us with how we should live our life, so we can position ourself to come up to new levels. It's wonderful. I'd never be doing what I'm doing now. I actually remember saying as a 14 year old boy, I'll never sing in front of anyone, never. Well that was not God's plan, that was just a hurt, and an embarrassment, and shame, and a rejection thing talking, and I was saying words that would have sealed my fate. God gave me the grace to repent of the words and cancel them, and change and discover that there was more in me than I realised. There's more in you than you realise, but you've got to learn how to tap into God's life, the flow of the prophetic spirit, and begin to start to agree with the words of God. Always there's going to be other words that will come to try and knock you down, and that's what we want to do tonight, we want to speak to you about those words, how to deal with those words, and then after this we're going to start to be looking then at beginning to tap into the whole prophetic realm of getting words from God, agreeing with the words of God, begin to meditate in the words of God, speak the words of God, until our life begins to reflect and begins to start to articulate what God has to say about our life. See, there's what you see, and there's what God sees. What you see, well it's temporary, and it's subject to what you can't see, and so we need to begin to understand how the faith realm works.

So in the coming year we want to look at faith, and how faith operates, and how to position yourself in a relationship with God, and how to begin to speak God's word, so that you see things change around you. You're going to love that, but to do that, we have to shift in our heart, and abandon negative speaking. We have to actually let the Holy Ghost help us purify our heart, and our thought life, so that we begin to reflect and speak the way God speaks. You never find Jesus putting anyone down. He spoke the truth, and people didn't like it, but He never deliberately put anyone down. The devil is the one who puts down.

Let's have a look in the scripture here, 1 Peter, Chapter 2. I don't want to draw this out. I want to just give these points just quite simply and quickly. We're going to first of all look at how Jesus dealt with violence, verbal violence. Okay, we'll pick it up in Verse 21. Now for this were you called, because Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example we should follow His steps. He committed no sin, neither was any deceit in His mouth. So He didn't do anything wrong, and He didn't lie or use trickery or anything like that. Now notice this, it says when He was abused, He didn't abuse back. When He suffered, He didn't threaten. See, but what did He do? So you notice here, it's speaking of two things that Jesus experienced in His life in the earth. He experienced many things, but one of them was He was abused verbally. He was abused verbally. Many times when you look at Jesus' ministry, you find Him subject to verbal abuse, constant accusations, constant gossiping about Him, words spoken. The Bible says, they hated Him and wanted to kill Him, because they were envious of His success, so He experienced verbal abuse.

The Bible tells us when He was in the desert at the beginning of His ministry the devil came to Him and attacked Him and began to come against who He was, began to challenge who He was. Who do You think You are? The devil still does it. Who do You think You are? Well You reckon You're the Son of God - You better prove it by doing something that looks like You're the Son of God. See, there is an abusive attack upon Him and He overcame it by the word of God. When He's hanging on the cross, in suffering and in pain, the Bible says they went by and they abused Him as He was on the cross. The soldiers abused Him and belittled Him. So the kinds of words which we talked about that people do that really hurt, that release spirits of murder and death and violence against us, Jesus experienced all of those things. So when we talk about Him we often think of Him, a baby in the manger, we think of a gentle Jesus, but actually He was a man of outstanding courage and strength because when He was in His greatest pain and people stood around Him and abused Him and cursed Him and swore at Him, plucked off His beard, when they did all of these things, He did not abuse them back and He did not threaten them.

So the Bible tells us they not only verbally abused Him, they physically abused Him as well, and He didn't abuse them back verbally, and He did not threaten them, or use the threats of violence against them. He could have. The Bible says in a moment, He could have summoned angels, and those men would have gone into an eternity screaming in terror and fear. He had the power to make that happen, and yet He never used that power to get back at the people who were hurting Him. Amazing - and it says He gave an example, having suffered abuse verbally, and suffered abuse physically, how you and I can do the same thing, and it says this is what He did. He committed His cause to His Father, who judges righteously.

What it is, is He committed His personal rights to the Father. In that sense, He allowed God to sort things out on His behalf. He just listened to what the Father wanted to do, so He laid down His rights. The reason people get angry, the reason people get really upset, is because they become frustrated, and their perceived rights are violated. We think we have a right to be able to get straight here without being blocked, we get blocked by some cars or traffic, we get angry, frustrated. So Jesus laid His rights down, so Jesus' attitude in coming into the world was this; the world sucks, but I made it, and I love it, and I'm going to come in and make a difference. So as the Bible says very clearly, He came into the world, it says in Matthew, Chapter 20, Verse 28, it says He came with no expectation that the world would meet His needs. He came with an expectation, He could make a difference. He had access to something from heaven that He could release into the earth, to change what He saw. Most of us want what's around us to work to serve us, and so we set ourselves up for all kinds of anger and upsets and every kind of thing, so in this it tells us very clearly, the secret or one of the keys, was that Jesus released His rights to the Father, and let the Father sort the mess out. He just listened what to do, so instead of getting wound up and angry and reactionary, He just let it go to the Father, and then He listened to what He should do. We just want to yell, and jump up and down, and stamp, and yell back. We get all upset or hurt or withdraw, all kinds of things we get.

Notice here, 1 Peter, Chapter 4 - In 1 Peter 2 it says it's an example to walk in the same way. Now to follow His steps means, you have a look how He walked, and you'd walk the same way, so when people yell at you, you don't yell back. When people treat you badly, you don't treat them badly back. That's walking in His steps, following His example. To follow His example, you need two things to work on your behalf; one, you've got to learn to lay your rights down in the Father, let the rights of your life go to the Father, so whatever happens you're okay with, and secondly, you've got to learn how to draw from His life and spirit, so you know what to say and do. If you don't know what to say and do, you'll never know when you should: stand up against what's happening, withdraw from what's happening, or wait timing to do something. If you're angry and upset by what people are doing to you, and how they're treating you, you'll never be able to respond properly, so when we let our rights go to the Lord, when we let the injustices, and the things that are happening just go to Him, and begin to listen to what He wants us to do, we're positioned then to be able to change the situation.

I'll show you some things you can do that will help, and of course there's a lot of young people here tonight, so some of these things will be relevant for you I'm sure. So we see, we talked about different kinds of words, so the words we found which really release violence against us - it's not nice to be in situations where there's violence, I can tell you now. It's alright to watch it on television perhaps, as long as you don't watch too much and feed your soul on it. The Bible says, God hates those who feed on violence. There's something addictive about it. Violence brings a shock to the human system, and I can remember I've been in some situations which were potentially quite violent.

One, I remember being at a party, and a guy was putting down my brother, and I had to stand up and stop what was happening. The situation got very difficult, and although I was able to restrain the guy, handle the situation, afterwards the shock to my spirit was quite intense. There's something about violence that shocks our spirit, see? We're not made for that. We're made for heaven's life, which is the life where there's love and peace, and when we're in an environment where there's violence, it actually impacts us extremely deeply, because it's not something that's comes from God. It's something that comes out of the demonic realm. I've been in situations where I've had to confront people who were causing trouble to people in the church. I remember one time, having to take someone out of a meeting, because I knew his only reason for being there was to wheedle his way into the church, so he could sleep with girls in the church, so I actually confronted him in a meeting and took him outside. But you know, you could feel the violence that was about to erupt there, and it shocks your system.

Any time you're involved with or experience violence, there's a tremendous shock factor, because we're not designed for that. We're not designed for that. When you have an operation, usually the shock of the operation leaves quite an impact, it can have quite an impact on you. You're involved in an accident, a traumatic accident, a traumatic experience, then the shock actually hugely affects your body, your soul and your spirit. Every part of you is affected by it, so when you're exposed to verbal violence, and that's what we're going to focus on tonight, verbal violence - in Proverbs it tells us, in Chapter 18:21, it says death and life are in the power of the tongue. So a person can speak, and the words they speak release a violent, murderous, destructive spirit against you, or they can speak different kinds of words, and release a life-giving spirit that heals, refreshes, touches and blesses you.

When we move prophetically - prophetically means we are listening to God, and getting words from Him to speak to people - people weep, because their hearts are touched. They get touched in the depth of their being. They feel loved. They feel enveloped, they feel - when you minister prophetically, or have a word of knowledge about a broken heart, or some area in a person's life, the spirit of God comes with those words, and people often just break down and weep, because the spirit carried by the words has deeply entered into their heart with healing and restoration. So the words we speak can be words of death, they can impart destruction into people's lives, see? Suppose I got totally drunk on booze, and had a sword and start swinging the sword around. I'm just goofing off, swinging that sword around, and this room's not this big, it's a bit smaller. You would understandably get very nervous, because there's a real danger to you, that I'm unaware what I'm doing. I'll cut someone, or hurt someone seriously with that sharp sword. And yet we can be in a room with a person, who is under the influence of anger or some kind of demon spirit, and they begin to start to mouth off, and the words that they're speaking, the Bible says, there is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, their words are releasing something against us.

Of course you know sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me; words will hurt you, and change your life. The bones will repair. The wounds that the words create, may never ever be healed, unless you actually do something to change them. I've known people who have had words of cursing spoken over their life by a father, and they believed they were a failure all their life, and their life was always below their potential. When they broke the agreements with the words spoken over them, and began to agree with what God said, it was like they came alive, and emerged out of a place where they'd been contained all their life, so there's no doubt words carry a spirit. They carry something that nurtures you, or wounds you, one way or the other. Think about that. Now we're beginning to think about words, so we found there were certain kinds of words, and words which were put down words. That means they are attempting violently, they're attempting to use words literally to beat you down, so you come back down, and let go your dream, and stop being who you are called to be. Now you find that everywhere at school, people try to put you down.

There's these put down words, put down comments, put down accusations, and all those kinds of things. Now what they carry is they carry a spirit which is - its assignment is to wound you, so that you will not pursue who you are, and what you are, in Christ. That's what they do, so put down words will do that. Oh you idiot, who do you think you are? You're nothing. Those kinds of things, sometimes teacher speak those words, sometimes those words have been spoken by a father or a mother. I've had to pray for young women whose fathers called them a slut, and spoke words over them that actually changed how they saw themselves, and wounded - their whole identity changed. They began to actually agree with the words the father had spoken, and began to live out what he'd proclaimed over their life. Oh, words have power alright. See, by the blessing of the upright, the city is established. So we can bless a city, we can speak over a city, and alter its atmosphere. We can speak over our life, and alter its atmosphere. We can speak death, and many people speak death, so put down words.

Angry words also carry a spirit of violence. They carry a spirit of violence and murder, and when they come against you, you become wounded by them. You think what it was like the last time someone nutted off against you, and began yelling at you and abusing you, what it felt like on the inside. I'm just going to give you a list of some of the things that verbal violence does to us. Believe me, it's not a neutral zone when someone is nutting off at you, and someone is yelling at you, when someone is abusing you, when someone is putting you down, when someone is actually acting with verbal violence against you, there is an impact on every part of you, body, soul and spirit.

You just begin to say to yourself no, I'm no good. I'm a failure. After a while, you'll find you don't even have to say it very much and your whole soul and body begin to lose energy, as you come into agreement with those things, so when others abuse us, it can potentially have dramatic life-changing effects on us, particularly if it's the home environment, where God has designed that we be nurtured like a little plant. Now I've got some plants. I'm hopeless with plants. I don't know what happens, the day after I buy them they die [Laughter] or it seems like the day after I buy them. I'm sure it's actually a lot longer than that. Something happens. I actually neglect them, so the fact that I didn't hurt the plant, just actually fail to nurture it, it just died, and people are like plants. If they're not nurtured, then what happens is they begin to wither.

Let me just give you some examples then of what happens when there's verbal violence, put downs, scolding, yelling, anger, accusations, all of those kinds of things. They carry with them something designed to put you down. If you don't actually take a proactive step against it, it's going to hurt you, and wound you. Let me give you a few things that it does, and I'll just quickly give them, then I'll show you - mostly I want to speak about just how to get out of this thing. The first thing is violence. Proverbs 18:21, there's been a violent attack on you, when someone has abused you, yelled at you, put you down or whatever. You have been subject to verbal violence. Someone has attacked you. You've been attacked. Now if you went down the street, and someone grabbed you and beat you up, and left you lying bleeding on the ground, you'd know you'd been attacked, but people do it with words, and we don't seem to realise what it's done. But what happens afterwards, you actually feel quite numbed and stunned, and you don't even really know what's really happened to you. You've gone into shock.

Very often, if you're in a relationship which is controlling or abusive, where particularly men, sometimes men get incredibly abusive of women. They have unresolved conflict with a woman. They begin to really put down women; what can happen in that relationship is the woman actually becomes stunned and numbed totally by the violence. Maybe he never touched her once and physically harmed her, but the words. Sometimes young people growing up, they've been subject to that kind of verbal violence and angry outbursts, and it hurts their spirit. So first of all, number one, it's violence. Number two, it releases demons against you. In Ephesians 4, Verses 26 and 27, tells us be angry, but don't sin. Don't let the sun go down on your anger, and don't open the door to demons, so it tells us it's okay to feel angry, it's okay to have expressions of anger, but don't let it explode and hurt people. Deal with it the same day, so you don't open the door to demons, so very clearly angry people open the doorway to demons.

You go into some homes and you wonder, whoa, what is this? You feel the atmosphere. See, people came here the other day at the funeral and whoa! What's in here? They can't see it, but they can feel it, because we're spirit beings. So the atmosphere of heaven where there's glory, nurtures us the most. The atmosphere of the earth, which can be at times filled with violence, can destroy your life, so we have to actually determine to run our life, so while we're in the growing phase, we have continued access to the presence of God, words of encouragement and atmosphere of life, so our spirit and soul are nurtured and become strong. If you're in a situation where you're exposed to put downs, you've got to make some decisions what you're going to do about it. I'll give you a few options of what you can do, but we need to understand that demons are released. You get someone who gets violent or angry, yelling, accusing and putting down, afterwards you have had a fiery dart, and have you noticed after you walk away, it's like you can't get the words out of your ears? It's like for three or four days you say oh Father, I forgive them, but you feel like oh man! This thing, I can't seem to get over it, and now instead of being able to enjoy the next two or three days, something someone yelled at you is just echo, echo, echo. You think man, what's happened to me! Actually the Bible calls it a fiery dart. That was an arrow that had some flammable material, they'd fire it at a building, and they'd fire it at you, fire it at your shield, and set you on fire.

That's what's happened. You've had a dart come, that set you on fire. That's why we need to know the armour of God so we can quench those fiery darts. The devil doesn't always personally come to us. He often works through people around us, that are near to us, and they speak scornful or sometimes they don't even know what they're doing. They say words, and you go away and you think oh, oh, oh. You notice how often you come to a conference, or go to a camp, and you've had this wonderful, wonderful time with God and about five minutes after you're out the place ZONK! Aah! It feels like all the thing was stolen from you, because an arrow has come, and it's a living spirit that's come, using words to try and quench you, knock you down, get you out of the place God has brought you.

If you don't know how to deal with it, what to do with it, you will actually then lose all the benefit of the time you had when you went to the camp, so you've got to learn what to do. So the third thing is that verbal violence wounds people. Verbal violence wounds your soul, and your spirit. In Proverbs 12:18, it says there is one that speaks like the piercings of a sword. There are some people's words have got an ability to get right inside you, and absolutely wound you. Now if I got a sword and cut you, you'd see you're bleeding all the way out to the toilet to get fixed, but if someone spoke words into you, you could be bleeding on the inside all the way home, and all the next day, and the next week, and no one saw you, see? Because we look on the outside, God looks on the heart.

I've found over the years, as I've begun to look into this area, I found I'll just look at people sometimes, and just talk with them, they begin to weep and they're bleeding, because you look past the outside at that cocky, confident attitude or whatever it was, and suddenly saw inside there's a hurt person, who doesn't know what to do with what's ringing and echoing around in their life. So words, verbal violence wounds people. The fourth thing it does is, it intimidates people, and shuts down their gift, intimidates them, and shuts down their gift. 2 Timothy, Chapter 1 and Verse 6, Paul's talking to Timothy, and he says stir up the gift which is inside you, don't be afraid. Why was he afraid? What was he afraid of, and why was he afraid? He was actually afraid of people. People were intimidating. You know what they were doing? They were telling him you're too young to be doing that job. Who do you think you are? They were challenging him, and Paul wrote to him another time and said, don't let anyone despise your youth. Sometimes older people can have a tendency to do that. When a young person's arising and emerging, the light of God is shining on them, they begin to speak. Who do you think you are?

What that does is it intimidates, so verbal violence or angry words or accusing words, abusing words, what they can do is so intimidate a person, it shuts down their gift, they can't function, they can't even be who they're called to be. You come in a home environment where there's a lot of anger, and shouting, and disturbances and things like that, you've got to find a way to survive it. What you do is you shut your spirit up, you close up, and you close up house, and you go away somewhere in your mind, in your emotions. You just vacate being present, so this is a huge issue, especially people who've been in homes where there's been physical, or sexual, or verbal violence or anything like that. They get shut down, then you see, you come to Christ, but you've got to actually open that part of your life that was shut down, and let the Holy Ghost heal you, restore you, and begin to start to change what you believe about yourself. Does that make sense? You're all getting quieter. How many know what I'm talking about here, aye?

Here's another one then, another thing of verbal violence. It stirs up or causes further anger, so if you've been in a place where people are yelling and abusive, how many know that the first thing you feel is, you feel hurt when people yell at you? Well, what follows on just after that? You get angry. You get angry, and if you can't find a way to deal with the anger, you just internalise it, and then you've got all this anger. The Bible says that. It says in Proverbs 15:1, a soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words, harsh words, stir up and create anger. So if you're in a verbally violent situation - you have a think. Young people, think of the homes of some of the kids that you're going to school with. I have seen them in classes. They can't function. They can't succeed. They're too much of an emotional mess, because of what's going on in their homes. They're wounded, they're angry. There's a lot of young people that are really angry, and you get a few drinks, they go crazy. They get in a car, and away they go, and they go crazy, but actually they're angry, and they've got no way to deal with the anger, don't know what to do with what they're feeling, see?

They've been affected by this whole deal, and we need to know how to get out of that. So it stirs up anger, finally it lowers esteem, it lowers the value. So when you're abused, one of the things that happens is your feeling of the value you have about yourself, it tends to be lowered. You actually feel very lowered in your esteem, but you feel down on the inside, rejected and often depressed as well. But these are kinds of things that happen. This happens all around. You walk down the street, you can see people who look like that. You can see it in their eyes. You get into a church like this and of course, what we encourage is expression to the Lord, but if people have got controls, and are shut down, and been hurt and wounded, what happens is they actually find it real difficult to do it, whereas it's the most natural thing for a little child. They don't worry about anything. What happened on the way?

You weren't born reserved. You got that way. You got that way, trained like a monkey not to function like a man, see? The people that God's created, everything God's created is to praise Him, express Him, find different ways of expressing, you see? But verbal violence beats you down and then you don't function right, so how can we get out of it? There's a few simple keys, I'll give them to you now.

So what are you going to do to break free of this whole deal? So you're faced with verbal violence. One of the first strategies you could do is calm the person down, if they're angry with you. I remember having a lady over the road, and she started yelling away at me. I thought she was yelling at someone else, turns out she was yelling at me. She's yelling at me in front of the whole street, telling me what a terrible father I am. Well, I felt quite hurt. I got angry after that, wanted to throw some dirt at her. [Laughter] I was digging something there. I felt like, you stupid old woman, I know what I can do to you. I'll throw some stuff down - get off the street! Anyway, you drink too much, and you're nose is - I was thinking all those things. [Laughter] See the problem is, if you're hasty, if you're quick to get angry, then you do foolish things. Then you have to apologise. So instead of actually being right, now you're in the wrong, and you've got to go and humble yourself, eat humble pie.

So I just went down to talk with her, and I just talked very quietly, so if a person's really angry and abusive, just calm them down. Don't react, don't buy into the anger, feed on the anger, react to the anger. Just quietly talk. Talk quietly, talk with a soft voice, and begin to ask them questions, and what it does, the calm spirit will cause them to calm down, and they begin to have to talk and answer your questions, and you begin to listen to them. What happens is, they begin to start to get out of that angry cycle, and they start to talk, then they begin to open their heart. I've had a number of people angry, or really in a state, and just that one scripture, see, just soft answer turns away anger. The Bible's real clear, so you just talk softly. Oh, what seems to be the trouble? You just seem to be very upset. There must be something really worrying you? What's happening, what's going on?

Anyway, it turns out the real problem was the lady was fearful of death. You think how on earth did that come about? She's yelling at you, and she's afraid of death. Well very simple, it sort of went like this. I'm up there, and there's kids on the street. She thought they were my kids - that was wrong for a start. She was afraid someone would run them down, specifically, she was afraid her husband would run them down, and specifically, because her husband had been going through medical problems, and actually she was concerned about his health. But what she was really concerned about was, him dying, and her being alone. So the fear of death was what was causing this angry abuse of me. I hadn't done anything to cause it. It's a reflection of an unresolved problem she's got, but if I'd actually not stopped long enough, and just acted biblically, I'd have never found that out. I'd have thrown dirt at her, and told her to get off the street, and stop drinking, and I've had had an angry neighbour who'd have run me down for weeks. I have enough troubles with neighbours as it was. Just coming into the street seemed to be a trouble for the neighbours; lights on all the time, prayer meetings in the morning, meetings late at night, young people in the yard. I mean, whatever we did seemed to upset everyone. I didn't need any more angry people around you know, but that's just a very simple thing.

So sometimes you can actually quieten an angry person down, or quiet someone who's hostile. Just touch them, talk with them quietly. That's one thing that could work. Here's the second thing you do is, you just take a hike. Jesus took a hike. He even told them. He said if they persecute you, you just take a hike. In other words, you withdraw totally from the situation where people are abusing you, so if you've got people who are so-called friends, but they're angry, abusive people, they've got a lot of anger in their life, you just actually don't make them close friends, because you'll pick up their anger, and you'll become like them. Sometimes, the only way to get away from verbal violence, or violent abuse, is to actually cut off the relationship, and withdraw totally, and put a boundary on it.

That may mean hey listen, put your hand up, I'm not taking this and just walk away. I won't be treated like that, I'm out of here. Sometimes you've just got to stand up, and walk away. Now not every situation you can walk away, but many you can, so when people start to get that way, then get out of the place. Often you find you get around people, and they've been drinking a bit, it's okay for a little while, and then there's a certain point reached and they start to get nasty. When they get like that, hey, I'm out of here. So you boundary it. If it's possible to boundary your life against being exposed to it, then you should do that. Sometimes people have got to move out of relationships, even have to move out of homes, because it was too abusive, and it was actually destroying their ability to go forward. Sometimes a young person can't get out of that situation, so you've got to figure another way to deal with it, but you do need a safe space, so sometimes it's just a matter of just going into your own room and just being away from the environment.

You do have to boundary that kind of behaviour. Jesus didn't say you should be some kind of martyr and put up with it all, just because you love them. He said no, if that person leaves Christ, go to another place. Come on, you've got to get smart in this thing. Many people have stayed. I can just think of someone here tonight who was counselled by some well-meaning person, who I'd like to slap, into staying in an abusive marriage for years, violently abusive. We're talking here physically violent. I think what kind of crazy Christian would counsel that sort of way? I mean they must be confused in their head. I just said well, you should have told them to change places, and see if they've got the same counsel after two days. Well some people just give stupid - well-meant, but it's just stupid counsel. See, we're not meant to stay in a place which is going to endanger our future, where we become actually destroyed by the environment we're in, because in order for your life to go forward, you have to have an environment that nurtures emotional and relational health.

Sometimes we can do things to shift the environment we're in, sometimes we've got to learn to go deep into God, in order to make an environment of our own we can live in. So sometimes you've just got to wall it off. I can remember having a teacher that used to yell and abuse me in front of the whole class, I can't believe it. Now this is seventh form, and stand there yelling, hostile yelling. Of course there's no way I would, you know - well, of course I could have said a few things. Actually I did. I let off some bombs round in the toilet [Laughter] No, it gets better, it gets better. I put a time fuse on them, and found the guy, and started to talk with him, so he'd be my alibi. [Laughter] There's always a way of getting around stuff! I don't recommend that at all. [Laughter] You'd probably be put in jail these days. They seem to be a bit of a sensitivity about people making bombs now and [Laughter] it was fun when I used to do it, but we can't do that sort of thing today.

So what I did mentally was, I learned mentally to erect a wall, or a boundary inside me, to stop his words impacting me, because even though I wasn't a Christian, I knew intuitively they would hurt me, and they'd get in and affect me. So you actually have to build a wall. He could yell all he liked, I didn't hear a word. I'd just shut my hearing off, and just focus my thoughts and attention elsewhere, just to avoid the abuse. So I wasn't able to get out of the classroom. I needed to be there to get the instruction, to get to where I wanted to get. I had to then adopt a strategy to stop the violent abuse penetrating my life and damaging me. Get the idea? You've got to learn strategies on these things, isn't that right?

Another thing then is, sometimes you've just got to confront it, so another strategy is to confront. You have to do it at an appropriate time, so don't confront someone when they're nutting off. You'll really get them going. It's not the best time. The best time is when they're quiet, and then you sit down, you pray, you arrange to have a talk with them, and you talk about how what they're doing is impacting you, and that's it, not acceptable any more. Then you have to just set up a boundary again. Now of course, if you're in a home where this is happening, particularly unsaved parents, it's a lot more difficult, but you can find usually a room to go to, and you can do a lot to soothe. Believe me, I know what this is like. But when you're in that verbally abusive environment, it does dramatically affect you, and often we need healing.

So I'll give you the last couple of steps, and then we can just have a chance to have an altar call. Some of you, this will be really ringing bells with you. So the next thing is, we have to deal with how things have impacted us, and what I've found is that being in a terribly abusive, verbally, just there's an environment which has got a lot of anger and tension in it, you become filled with fear and you shut down. Then you become incredibly sensitive to whenever that anger and tension is in the air, and the moment those things are around, fear grips your heart.

I can remember for a long, long time being incredibly sensitive to anyone being angry, and immediately feeling afraid, just like that. So the impact can be life-long. How do you deal with that? Well we need to bring it to the cross. We need to bring what's happened to us to the cross. There's people have been abusing you, people have spoken into your life, the cross is the place of injustice and unfair treatment, where I can actually remember what has happened to me, and how I feel about it, and weep and grieve, and release it to the cross. I've got to let it go to the Lord, got to let go the right to try and get payback and vengeance, release it all to the Lord, and let it go, and grieve over it. He carried our grief. He understands what this is like. He carried our sorrows, He carried the pain, He carried the damage. He carried every aspect of abuse. He was abused. He died as a person abused, so He understands what it's like to be in that environment and He can offer healing.

The first place is to come to the cross, to come into that place by faith where Jesus took the penalty, the burden of all of these failures, so we bring it to Him and grieve over it, and forgive the person who's done it. Forgiveness unlocks the thing. Then the second thing I need to do, is to cancel the power of the words. Sometimes words spoken over us by angry people, cursing us and speaking into our life can follow us, because they've got a demonic empowerment, so we need to cancel their power, just simply like this; In the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I cancel the power of those curses. I cancel the power of those negative words. I cancel and break their power - so we can get out of this thing that's come around our life.

Finally, if I've been hurt and wounded by a verbal violence, first to the cross, then cancel it to release forgiveness and grief, secondly to cancel the power of these things, and thirdly I need to then begin to start to take time to renew how I think. Now that takes time. We'd much rather come up in altar call and get a fix. You know the fix will do a certain amount. It'll shift demons, it'll break grief, it'll break bondages, it'll unlock ties, but then I've got to actually take the word of God, and begin to start to find a strength and identity in Christ. I've got to begin to meditate in the word of God, and begin to agree with what God says about who I am, about the strength, about the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead is inside me, giving me life, giving me the ability to prevail over everything in life. I need to get that as a reality inside me. It is true, but my conscious awareness isn't aware of that. I just feel too small, because of what's been spoken to me, but meditation in the word of God, and confessing that word of God, begins to rebuild the strength and the inner man, so I can stand up and have strength on the inside.

Then when things come, I can immediately stand up to it, or I know straight away what to do. Now what happens of course, is when people have been beaten down with verbal violence - ever seen a cowered dog? You know, I hate them. I don't know how they walk, they've got a funny way of walking. They don't walk straight. They've kind of got their tail hooked in under them, you know? When you see them you think what's happened here? Obviously they've been intimidated and frightened, but a lot of people walk through life like that, like some kind of cowered, beaten up, dog you know? That's not what we're called to be. We're sons of the living God! We're sons and daughters of the living God! We're ambassadors of heaven! We have access to the presence of God! We can create an environment that nurtures us. We can build relationships that strengthen us and cause us to be encouraged. We can get in a small group, we've got people around us can speak words of life and prophesy over us, and speak the word of God into our life. We can pray in tongues, and build our spirit man, and begin to access the presence of God, and begin to have an environment that's different! That's what you're called to be. See, you're not to live out of the environment around you, but to carry the environment of heaven to that place. But that's a growth step too. You don't just suddenly arrive there. You grow your way there, but you have to realise if you're in a verbally destructive, violent situation you must do something. To do nothing is to be beaten down, and wounded, and damaged for all of your life by what is happening, and you are too special and important for that to happen.

You make a decision; I won't live with put downs. I won't live with negatives. I won't live with these things. I won't be put down any more. What I will do is, I will begin to arise and handle things differently, whether that means confront it, quieten it and calm it down, whether it means withdraw from it, I'll do whatever is needed to do this. If it means that I've got to spend time alone and change my friends, begin to build a different kind of environment around me that supports the life of God, I'll do that. I WILL pursue the person that I'm called to be. See, you're called to do that. You're called to do that. You're called to do that and that's what will make you different, because others will look around, they'll say how did you get where you are? They want to know because they need your help to get there.

So whatever you've been through, whatever you've faced, God's just ready there to help you get up, be a winner in it. That's what you're wired up to be, a winner in life; a winner in whatever situation, a winner! You say well, you don't understand how bad my situation - well, what a great chance for Jesus to raise the dead! Suppose you got killed and knocked down, battered, beaten, broken and there you are, crushed, don't even know who you are, whatever. Well that's as close to death as you can get. Jesus raises the dead!

He has the power to lift you up, but you've got to tap into it by faith in Him, and engaging Him at a heart level over these things. So over these few weeks God has been doing that, and tonight's an opportunity for you, if you've been subject to verbal violence, to cursing, words spoken over you that put you down, this is your time to make a decision, I will break out of that. If you're a person here tonight, and you've never ever actually walked with God, known what it is to have a personal connection with the Lord, tonight's your night to make that decision, to come to Jesus Christ. He came to give you life. That implies something. If He came to give you life, and give it more abundantly, it means you're living below your potential, and to maximise what God has called you to be, you must connect with the one who created you.

Come on, let's close our eyes right now. Maybe there's someone here tonight, and you know what I'm talking about. You just know what this is. You think man, I think he must have known, must have read my mail or something. He's talking just about my life, but friend tonight God loves you. You are loved by God. You are valued by God. I have taught people around the world to hear the voice of God, and almost every time they feel Him love them, and they hear Him say I love you, I love you. You are special to Me. Words from heaven - what wonderful words. Words from heaven; I love you, you are very special to Me. God Himself telling you He loves you. I have been to meetings where God's love started to touch people, people felt the love of God, and then they began to hear Him say, I love you, you're very special to Me.

When you've lived years with put downs, abused for never being good enough, criticised, accused, attacked in various ways verbally, then you hear a different kind of word, a word from heaven, I love you. Suddenly the well springs of grief begin to break open; I'm valued. I'm important to God. See, connecting with heaven you connect with the environment of God's glory and goodness, an environment where everything thrives.

Summary Notes:  Formatted »  Back to Top »

1. Introduction:

· Proverbs 18:21 – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”.

· People are spirit beings – the words we speak are containers that carry spirit content.

· We use words to express ourselves – to express what is harbored in our inner man.

· Words we speak have power to impart death or life – to change the course of our world.

· James 3:3-5 - The tongue – like a bridle or rudder – steers the course of our life.

· This week: Shaping the Inner World by the Word of God.

2. Changing the Way You Speak:

· Ephesians 4:29 - “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for edification that it might impart grace to the hearers”.

· The person you hear the most is yourself!

· Every person has an ongoing self-talk – 150-300 words p/min.

· Much of it is just about daily activities but can be negative/destructive e.g. “I’ll never be able to do that!”

· Ongoing self –talk that is negative creates “ruts in the mind” (neural pathways) and forms inner beliefs about life that can be hugely restrict or release.

e.g. Insurance Salesmen, athletes – formation of inner life key to top performance.

· “Impart Grace” = to supply something that is needed to build and

strengthen.

= the super natural ability and life and favour of God.

· “Hearer” = one who listens attentatively and receives what is spoken.

· Most people are unaware of what they are saying to themselves and its negative impact – complaining, self-pity, bitter, harsh, putdown.

· You can break negative patterns that ‘corrupt’ your inner world. You can speak God’s Word to yourself and impart grace.

· Isaiah 55:8-9 -“My thoughts are higher than my thoughts”, of Greater Value!

· John 6:63 - “The words I speak to you – they are spirit and life”.

· To change Inner World – do it the same way it was formed = by Words!

3. Changing Your Inner World:

a) Defining “Inner World”:

· Proverbs 23:7 - “As he thinks in his heart, so he is”.

· The Bible refers to your inner world as “the heart” or the “inner man”.

· Your inner man is made up of your soul and spirit.

· Matthew 12:34-35 - “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”.

· Your words are the overflow of what you have stored/treasured in your heart.

· E.g. Beliefs – something accepted as true.

Agreements – something have come into one mind, harmony with.

- get along with our contention.

· Mindsets – Habits of the mind, fixed ways of thinking or attitude.

· Expectations – things you look forward to and anticipate will happen.

· Judgments – things you have formed a decision or verdict about.

· These things can be ungodly/negative and impact the course of your life.

· These things can be shaped – formed, moulded or given new direction.

b) You must Identify the Issues – e.g.:

· A broken relationship to be resolved by forgiveness and blessing.

· A grief – painful experience to be faced.

· Bitter judgment made out of disappointment and hurt.

· Words that you have come into agreement with e.g. names you call yourself.

· Beliefs that you have formed that limit you e.g. “I’m no good at….”

· Mindsets that have formed that prevent growth.

· Key issues of all – living a life without God!

· John 10:10 - “Jesus came to give us life…more abundantly”.

· That life requires we change in the inner man = Choice.

· God imparts His Spirit into our spirit so that we have the power to change.

4. Key Steps to Change Your Inner World:

i) Personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

- 1 Corinthians 6:17 - “He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him”.

ii) Identify and resolve the relational issues e.g. broken relationships/grief/ judgment.

- Mark 11:25 -“When you stand praying, forgive”.

iii) Speak out and break agreements with negative words and demonic

spirits.

- Luke 10:19 - “I give you authority to trample on serpents and scorpions

and all the power of the enemy”.

- Matthew 16:19 - “I will give you keys of the Kingdom of heaven…”.

iv) Search out and embrace what God’s Word says about you.

- Embrace = to clasp another person in the arms in welcome and

affection”.

- Jeremiah 5:16 - “Your words were found and I did eat them and your word was to me joy and rejoicing of my heart”.

v) Declare strongly God’s Word over your life as an affirmation.

- Philemon 6 - Communication of faith is effectual as acknowledge every good thing in you in Christ.

- Romans 4:17 - “Calling those things that be not as though they are”.

- Scriptural affirmations – short – present tense – personal – positive.

vi) Meditate in what God says about you.

- Joshua 1:8 - “You shall meditate in it day and night that your may observe to do….for then you shall make you way prosperous.

- Meditate – turn over and over in the mind – picture it – imagine it.

- What does it look like? What does it feel like?

Power of the Tongue (9 of 12)

Sun 16 Dec 2007 AM  « Back to Top

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One of the biggest difficulties all marriages and families struggle with is the failure of men to actually speak words that give value, identity, purpose and encouragement to their wife and their children. Marriages languish for lack of words like plants languish for lack of water. Relationships languish for lack of words. They just wither. Use words to build relationships.

I want you to open your Bible at Proverbs, Chapter 18. Man, we feel like we've been having a feast in these last few weeks haven't we? I've been speaking on Taming the Tongue. How many found that their tongue is getting a bit better? How many have started to pick up not only what you're saying, but what others are saying? Have you noticed how strong the put downs are? It's unbelievable isn't it, and we need to learn how to address those things. First we address it in our own heart, and we're coming near Christmas now, near the end of the year, but I wanted to start to move from where we were talking about the negative aspects of the tongue, to actually how God has designed us to operate, and I want to share with you something today that'll help you.

We're just going to look at a message called the Power of the Tongue. I feel I'll add to this, and do some other sessions related to it, but I want to just give you some things that are really - I want to lift your thinking about God's design, because if we don't see how we're designed, we will always malfunction. The same with a natural thing; if you have some natural object, you don't know what it's made for, don't know what it's supposed to do, you'll end up using it for the wrong thing and use up, you know, like kids pick up a remote and use it as a hammer. They just don't quite know what it was for, until someone starts yelling [laughs] isn't that right?

Okay then, Proverbs 18:21; Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. The Bible tells us very clearly, your tongue has power. There is a power, a spiritual force in words. The Bible tells us very clearly, words that we speak are containers. They contain something. They contain what is in your heart, and we saw that there are all kinds of words people can speak. We looked at some of the negative kinds of words, and we also looked at what they release, and we're going to look today, I want to go and look really at the more positive aspect of this. But we've looked at how people release lying words, and it releases the spirit of murder and death against people. We looked at gossiping words. Gossiping words release the spirit of death against people, they hurt people.

We looked at flattery, which is empty words. They're words with an agenda, and they also hurt people, because ultimately the agenda comes out. We looked at empty words, words spoken which are insincere, have no meaning and they tend to disappoint people. Again, they minister death to people. We saw about put down words, words that you hear the words, but the spirit within it, and what it contains, you go away and you feel downed afterwards, and you feel put down. You feel less. You feel actually dishonoured and devalued, and we saw these kinds of words and what they did. We saw the last one we looked at was angry words, and we saw how angry words release a spirit of murder, and people don't just hear the words, they feel the spirit that the words contain. It's a mixture of the human spirit. It's what's in your heart, and it also activates and releases demonic spirits, so many people I know and have prayed for, ministered to, have been deeply wounded for almost the whole length of their life, because of some angry outburst within the family by a father or mother, or by someone near to them when they were very young. They've carried the impact of that right through their life.

So we saw these were some of the different kinds of words, but now I want to look at the proper use of the tongue. I want to look at design, and I want to show you something from the word of God about design, about things that God designed us to do, because most of us, because we don't know what we're designed to do, don't actually function properly. We don't realise that when people that have been made in the image of God, means we're made with God nature. We have a spirit nature, therefore when we speak, we're able to do things with our words that nothing else in creation can do, and it's part of God's purpose for our lives. So let's just go first of all into Genesis, Chapter 1 and I don't want to expand this much. I want to just show you a couple of things in Genesis, about how God uses words, how God uses words. It's quite interesting; God doesn't seem to use lots of words.

When God was speaking to Adam; Adam, where are you? Who told you you were naked? Did you eat the fruit of the tree? It's not kind of like, lots of words is it, a real man talking that one. But men and women both carry the nature of God, so God is also willing to share in the most vivid ways, and so when God communicates from the spirit to us, what He imparts into us can - it's hard to even put it into words, there's so much He can download in such a short period of time.

Okay, let's have a look in Verse 1, Genesis 1. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void; darkness was on the face of the deep. The spirit of God was moving or hovering over the face of the waters, and God said "Let there be light" and there was light. Let there be light, see and God saw the light and it was good. God saw the light, it was good. So number one, I want to share with you, two primary uses of words you'll notice that God has. Number one, He uses words to create, by releasing supernatural power. He uses words to create. He uses words to create. In fact when you're looking in the Bible, the law of first mention applies. The first place something is mentioned gives you the foundation for how it's consistently used right through the Bible, and so the very first reference to God speaking words, are words where He spoke creatively, and released power from the spirit world into the physical world, to create something that wasn't there. Now think about that.

God's first recorded use of words - I'm not saying He didn't talk before then, but the first recorded use, therefore the first mention is, He uses words to create something, by releasing supernatural power. Now if we're made in His image, and called to be imitators of Him, innately within us is an ability to create something in our physical environment, by releasing supernatural power. We may have been marred or affected by the fore, but innately inside us, is still this capacity to create using words, and we have an ability with words to release something from heaven into the earth. Now you've got to understand, that's totally connected to our design see? It's connected to our design, so God uses words to create.

In Hebrews 11, Verse 3 it says by faith we understand that, the worlds were framed by the word of God. That word framed means put together, assembled or constructed or brought into being, so by faith - we understand that with faith operating, God spoke, and His words created what we see. Now it says we understand that the things which are seen, the visible things, were made by things which are not seen. Now most of us, when we read that verse, we read it like this; the things which are seen, were made out of something invisible. But actually it says, the things which are seen by this naked human eye, were made out of something which is present, but just not visible to the naked human eye. See, for example, we can see visible - there's a certain spectrum of light waves you can see, but there are actually other light waves present. You can't see them with the naked eye, but they're still there, and what it's saying virtually, He said the things you can see, were made out of something that was there, which you couldn't see. So in other words, things from the spirit realm, brought into being the natural realm, so the spirit world is all around us, and what we see which is formed in front of us, was created by words, words brought from the spirit world into the natural world into being. That's how God did it.

It's not like He went sort of poof! Look at that! It didn't happen that way. He operated by a principle of faith, fully believing that what He said will come to pass, fully empowered to make it come to pass, because He's God. He spoke, let there be light - now you notice two things were there. The spirit of God was moving, and the word was decreed or spoken, and that created something that hadn't been seen before. Now as you look through the Bible, you find that Jesus operated in this consistently, and it's a realm that God is wanting you and I to learn how to grow up into. We already operate it in some degrees, for example the kinds of relationships you have, the kind of world that you have around you, primarily is shaped by the things you've been saying, see?

A lot of angry words, you've got a very unpleasant home and the home was created. I remember talking to staff one time, and they said we had to live in the house we build. Let's decide what kind of house we'll build, and build with one agreement about what that'll be - and it won't have gossip in it. It'll be a house without gossip, see, so words create something. They create things which we can feel, and see, their impact. So the first use of words that's recorded there, was to create something in the natural world which wasn't there before, by bringing power from heaven, the power of the Holy Spirit into the earth. Now you think of all the miracles Jesus did, how did He do it? How did He do it? The spirit of God was present. He spoke a word, power was released from that realm of the supernatural, from the realm of heaven into the earth, and the earth changed. Blind people saw, deaf people heard, crippled people walked. Now that's Jesus, who is the man, He's the one we're to follow. He sets the pace and how did He do it? He just actually fulfilled the original design, that one of the reasons for the use of words, of the tongue, is to be able to create things by releasing supernatural power.

Okay, well we could develop that a lot. I'm not going to go too far on it today. I just want to show you a few things, just to connect some things together, get the picture. Okay, the second thing that you find in Genesis that God did was this. This is the second thing He did with words; He established, and nurtured, and protected, relationships with words. He established, and nurtured, and protected, relationship with words. Now again, each of these could be developed quite a lot, but I just want to get you the overview right now, because we're right on Christmas. I want to get you to think about this. God established relationship with words. All relationships are established with words, or they're created through the words you speak. They're also nurtured, or kept alive, like water watering a plant, by the words you speak, and they're protected by speaking words.

Sometimes you have to confront things. Sometimes you have to set boundaries, so you notice in the first two or three chapters of Genesis, God begins to - let's have a look in Verse 26 for example of Genesis 1. God said "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, all the cattle, over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him. So notice He established by words, a man that He intended to have a relationship with Him. God wants relationship. Man invented religion. God designed relationship. He made us for relationship. Religion is a very poor substitute. It's a lot of emptiness, with no relationship. It has no connectedness, so how did God get connectedness? Through words, and so we read in different places there, for example it says in Genesis, Chapter 2, Verse 15; The Lord put the man in the Garden of Eden, to tend and to keep it. He gave him a purpose, and the Lord commanded the man saying, of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but out of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, you'll not eat. The day you eat it, you'll surely die. It's not good that man should be alone, I will make him a helper comparable to him.

Now I'm going through this really quick, but the essence of it is this, that God used words firstly to create a man, and then used words to define his purpose, and to begin to enter into relationship with him. God put a boundary around the relationship, to protect the relationship. He said listen, you have all this freedom, but you can't eat that particular tree over there. You eat that tree, you'll die, so God used words to establish boundaries in relationships, and consequences for breaching it.

The Bible says in Genesis 3, they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden. Obviously it was God's practice in the evening to come and talk to the man He'd made, so we see emerging here, without looking into it too deeply, we see emerging in it two primary uses of words; number one, to create - to create in the natural world something that wasn't there, by releasing the power of God into that area; secondly, to establish, and build, or develop, or cultivate relationships, and protect them by speaking words. Now you think about this. How did Adam and Eve come into such a big problem? Why is it we got such a mess in the world? Very simple - they listened to someone else's words, and agreed with those words, and then hell came into the earth. Think about that.

Here's another thing to think about just while we're on it, that Adam who was mandated to protect with words and actions what he was entrusted, failed to speak up. Adam was with her, when she was talked to by the serpent, and he never did a thing. He never spoke. It's still a problem today; silent men. Silent men. Silent men allow the devil to work. The women are all smiling now, the men are - I don't like this message! Why don't you preach something better? Silent men allow the devil to work, because without saying words, they allow relationships to suffer and be neglected, boundaries to be broken, and in the end death and destruction come. Words. Oooh! Now you've got it. Now you begin to see what we're designed for, so if you begin to think now, and just keep remembering now, I'm designed to be creative with my words, to bring changes in the world around me by the use of my words, and I'm also designed to establish relationships, and to nurture them, or maintain them, and to protect them, by the use of words.

That's what it is, and I know I use my tongue to eat, but animals can do that too. See what distinguishes humans, is humans by their words, can release a spirit content into the world. Animals can't, so although animals can communicate, they cannot release spirits into the earth. Animals cannot release the Holy Ghost to move. Animals cannot release demons to take place, and move into areas in the earth, but people can. Why can they? Because their words have power. It's part of design, part of design. Okay then, so we got that clear? You've all got real quiet about that now. It's true, see? Now we're called. Now if God used words in those two ways, to create things, or to create by releasing supernatural power, and to nurture, protect, establish relationships, and we're called in Ephesians 5:1 to be imitators of Him, then we're called to do the same stuff. We're called to do the same stuff, create things with words, start things up that weren't there with words.

How does a new business get started? Someone has words. How do you get into an agreement to get married? Words. How do you meet a girl? Words. How do you form friendships? Words. Now it'll take more than words, but words are what initiate it. You've got to start with words; hi, how are you doing, you know? That's why silent men are a bit of a problem. [Laughter] It's true, silent men are - there's an issue there. There's an issue of malfunction. It's true, it's malfunction. We're just not functioning like we're designed, and we've got to learn how to function how we're designed. We're going to see how that works out in a moment. Okay then, so now I want you to have a look in Psalm 16. The Bible says your tongue is your glory. I'll show you that. I want to compare two verses. We'll just quickly look in Psalm 16, and then we're going to go and look into Acts, Chapter 2. The Bible says a strange thing about your tongue. It's called your glory. Like to stick your glory out, and we'll have a look at it? Ooh, it's furry. How did that happen?

Okay then, so in Psalm 16 and in Verse 9. We'll read it in Verse 8. I have set the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Remember that bit - therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices. Okay then, so you got that? Okay, now we look in Acts, Chapter 2. Now in Acts, Chapter 2, Peter is filled with the Holy Ghost, just got filled with the Holy Spirit, and so what does he do? Well, he begins to speak, and when he speaks, in Acts, Chapter 2, Verses 25 and 26, he quotes that Verse. David says concerning Him, Jesus, I foresaw the Lord before my face. He is at my right hand, I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad. So in the Old Testament it read my glory rejoices; in the New Testament he says my tongue was glad, so very clearly it means the same thing. Your tongue is your glory. Your tongue is you glory. Well goodness me, what does that mean?

Psalm 30, Verse 12 says, my glory may sing praise to You. Well what does that mean? Why on earth would they use such a strange terminology? First of all, let's have a look what glory means. The word glory means, to be weighty, or to have honour, and it comes from a word meaning this; it means - think about this - your tongue is your glory. Okay then, now think about your tongue being used for these things: to honour, to build people up, to bring honour to something, to increase the value of something, to impart value into something, see? So the words you release, reveal what you're like, and they impart something into the environment around you. They can either value or devalue, so with our words, we can give glory to God, or we can dishonour God. We can honour people, we can dishonour people. Your tongue is your glory, because your tongue reveals what kind of person you are, so if I want to know what you are, I watch what you do, see how you spend your money, but listen to your words, because in the end you'll give it away.

Your words will reveal who you are, because the Bible says out of the heart, the mouth speaks. In other words your honour, the honour you carry as a person, is seen by what you express through your words to the people around you. So for example, in one of the Proverbs it says, by the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted. In other words, if we speak well about our city, and begin to talk well about our city, and begin to bless our city, there is power in blessing it for it's atmosphere and it's vitality to be changed, see? But most people curse the city, curse the mayor, curse the government, curse this, curse that. They actually speak negatively and open the way for something else to happen - so your tongue is your glory.

Okay then, now I want to show you something we'll just read here. Now the first use of words in the Bible were to create value. See, there was no world. After God spoke there was value there. There's gold, there's silver, there's trees, there's fish, there's birds, there's people, all kinds of things are there. God created value with His tongue. He brought value, He brought something there see. Now the first use of words after the Holy Spirit got a hold of the New Testament Church, remember the first mention is always the one that tells them find it, so the first use of words in the Bible by God, what did He do? Number one, He created something, released power to create; two, He developed and nurtured relationship. Now have a look in the New Testament, and see when the Holy Spirit came, and the spirit of God came and filled people just like Jesus was filled, some things happened. I want you to see two things that happened, and you find they're the same two things. You find the first thing happens is people use their tongue to give honour to God, so they use their tongue to honour God. The first thing a person does when they're filled with the spirit is to begin to speak, and honour, and thank, and praise, and give glory to God. It's the overflow.

Acts, Chapter 2, they heard them speaking in tongues, declaring the wonderful works of God. Acts, Chapter 10, they were filled with the spirit. They heard them speaking in tongues and magnifying God, so the first evidence that your life has become filled with the spirit is, you begin to start to honour God, you begin to overflow and say something! Silent men are a problem again in this area. Our tongue is to speak. It's to speak, and we're to do something with it, so one of the things that happened in the New Testament was - the first thing that happened was, they honour God, who is the source. Acts 2:11, they began to speak in tongues, declare the mighty works of God. Acts 10 and Verse 46, they spoke in tongues and magnified God. What was the second thing they did? Oh, you're going to love what the second thing they did was. You're just going to love this. They acted as God's representative, and spoke words that created new lives. How about that. Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, stood up, began to speak the things of God, as God's representative, spoke on behalf of God into the earth, and 3,000 people were born again. Now what does that mean, 3,000 born again?

It means a supernatural miracle of God came into their life. They were born again. Sin was broken off their life. They got charged with the Holy Spirit. They came alive on the inside. That is a miracle! That was the new creation, the Bible calls it when you're born again, any man born again a new creation. Well so isn't this amazing? The two things that happen straight after people get filled with the Holy Ghost; number one, firstly honour God; number two, act as His representative, and begin to create things. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that amazing. Act as His representative. First of all to honour God, and then to act as His representative, and begin to create things. Now you begin to see what you're designed to do. See, honour God, speak as His representative, and make things happen, create things.

I'll give you three things that'll show you how you can honour God, and speak things as God's representative. Let's quickly do them now. Okay, so God's designed you to do some speaking. You say well, I'm not a man of words. Well no, some people are far more strong in actions. They're able to do acts of kindness. Some are very compassionate. There's a whole range of different expressions, but you have been given a tongue, and words are necessary. Words are necessary. A gift without words is actually quite empty, and it's when you give it the words you create the value, the honour, tongue is your glory, your honour. So when you get at a function, one of the things at a lot of Kiwi functions, notice this, they don't speak words, or if they do speak words, they're so awkward and embarrassing and sometimes dishonouring, that you cringe and you wish no one had spoken. I think it's wonderful in the church in Bay City here you've got the message, because I go to any function anywhere, and I hear people stand up, and no matter how good or how simple or extravagant the meal has been, I here the words of value.

Interesting, when Rachel invited us to her birthday in a restaurant, and we went to the restaurant, and she had half of the people from church, half of the people from her work, and then she got to that magic moment where she asked me to actually speak words of honour. It's not an ego trip for her, it's actually she's wanting her unsaved friends to understand the power of words to create something in the atmosphere. They just were - like that. Bryden had a 40th birthday in Little India, and it was surrounded by people. We had lots of people there, and there was a bit of party atmosphere going on. Right next to us, there was a whole table of people who'd been boozing, and the guys were quite noisy. One after another people stood up, and they began to use their tongue for the purpose it's designed, create value, and his wife and his children and various friends and various people spoke. Do you know what happened? It changed the whole atmosphere. It added value, shut down the boozers and the drinkers, and they actually - actually, the wives were telling the guys to shut up, because we want to listen to this.

See, the tongue is used to increase value, to create value in people in their hearts, this is design. We're created to do that, and everyone longs to be honoured and valued. See, so one of the uses of your tongue, it's why we had to identify all the bad stuff, so you just get aware when that's happening to shut it down, stop it, zip it, move away from it. But now we want to move into being creative with our tongue, so we have power to bring honour, to do all kinds of stuff. Okay, so here's the two base reasons then. Number one, honour God as our creator and source, and there's a couple of ways we can honour Him. I'll give them to you. Number one, thanksgiving. Thanksgiving. Psalm 69, Verse 30 says, I will magnify the Lord with thanksgiving. How do you make God bigger? He's already big. How can I make Him bigger? I make Him bigger in my experience, or I give honour to Him. How do I do it? By thanking Him, so we develop a heart of gratitude and thankfulness. We begin to thank Him, and express thank you to Him. Speaking in tongues is one way of expressing thanks and gratitude to God. The second one is praise. In Psalm 50, Verse 23, whoever offers praise glorifies or honours Me. So thankfulness or gratitude, being thankful and praise, praising God, speaking and declaring His works, and declaring who He is, and what He's done; when we do that we are giving honour to God, see? That's why we start the service this way, because we use our tongues and our bodies to express honour to God, and the interesting thing is, God has promised to inhabit the praises, to come in - He said if you want to come into my presence, the key is thankfulness and praise. I'll enter His gates with thanksgiving, enter His courts with praise, so it's a divine design that I can access heaven, if I will be vocal. I have to be vocal. I have to use my tongue for the intention God designed it, which is to magnify Him, and honour Him, and praise Him, and as I do it, the Bible says, He even inhabits the praises of His people. Hence we make such an issue of it in expressing gratitude and praise continually to the Lord, and doing it vibrantly, and alive, and expressively. Why? Because it's design. We're designed that way, and God's appointed that's the way into His presence, otherwise you have a nice little quiet thing, but nothing happens. You don't feel the presence of God.

Now remember noise is not what counts, it's words that carry gratitude and genuine praise. Man, isn't that great? Okay, second thing then is this, that we're designed to speak out as God's personal representative. We've got to speak as God's representative, so there are three primary ways I could think of that you would speak as God's representative. You don't start off by doing "this is God speaking"! It's not done that way. The first way you can speak in a way that makes you as a representative of God is this. Now this one will surprise you, and yet it won't surprise you, but it's not the one you'd first think to come up with. Here it is; when you fulfil commitments you have made, you are speaking like an ambassador of God. Oh! When you fulfil commitments you have made, you are speaking like a true ambassador of God, because - why is this? God fulfils His commitments. God watches over His word. The Bible says in Numbers I think it is, it says God is not a man that He should lie, neither the son of man that He should repent. Has He not said, and will He not do? Has He not spoken, and will He not make it good? So when you say and do, speak and make it good, you're acting as a representative of God. How? With the way you use your words, and you know what? Here's the interesting thing. When you're a person who keeps your word people, treat you as being someone of honour. If you're a person who doesn't keep your word, people despise you, and so they should, because you're dishonourable. Have a think about it. Think about it.

We can actually - and this is the hardest thing is to watch over your words and make them good. I've taken the habit the last couple of years of writing things down, so I try to make sure I do keep good what I do. I mess up every now and then, but I've got to realise, it's really quite important, because God is a God who keeps His word. Our whole Christian faith is based on God keeping His word, so if we're to represent Him, one of the first things we must do with our words is keep them. So that introduces the whole area of making and breaking commitments. People just make them and break them without any thought. Be careful what commitments you make, and once you've made them, keep them. Commitments of what you'll do, get it done. Don't let someone down. Commitments to be there, and be there on time, do it and don't let the person down. Ooh, I had a few bad ones on that one.

We had a few difficulties in our marriage on that one, however we're on the way to a greater level as I have repented and come right. [Laughter] Yes, so it's probably why men don't say too much, because they'll be reminded of it later on [laughs] what they said. Did I say that? I don't remember saying that. Oh well you see, this is one of the things. Men may not speak well, but their wife has got an excellent memory [Laughter] to be able to remind you, a year later, what you said. How do you remember? I can't remember a week ago what I said, however fortunately this is a great teamwork. You say it, she remembers it! [Laughter] It's very, very good, a good arrangement God has made there, the second Holy Spirit.

There we go, so number one [laughs] fulfil your commitments. Okay, here's the second one. The second one is to use words to establish, nurture and protect relationships. Use words in relationship. Again all of these I could give a few things on, but let's keep it really simple. Use words to build relationships. One of the biggest difficulties all marriages and families struggle with is the failure of men to actually speak words that give value, identity, purpose and encouragement to their wife and their children. It's true. Marriages languish for lack of words, like plants languish for lack of water.

Relationships languish for lack of words. They just wither. They wither. Proverbs 15:23, A word spoken in season, how good it is! How good when you get someone encourages at the right time. Proverbs 15:4, A wholesome tongue is a tree of life. It really nurtures people. People hang out for people to encourage them. Ephesians 4:29, Let no corrupt word come out of your mouth, but that which is good to build up, and to encourage, and impart grace, and empower people. Words like that, they're treasures. Anyone who can speak words that impart grace to people, you're never going to lack for friends, never. People will be attracted like a magnet, because it's like their soul is withered, waiting for those kinds of words. You start to speak words anywhere in a street, encouraging people, valuing people, appreciating people, noticing things about them, it's like music. They will respond every time - when it's genuine and authentic, see?

In Ephesians 4:15, speaking the truth in love - so we have to protect relationships by speaking the truth and confronting, so relationships are shaped, framed, nurtured by words. Come on now, you were designed for this, and I can tell you now, I've prayed for enough people in the church. I've prayed for many young people, and they're withering for lack of words. Here they are in their teenage years, seeking direction and affirmation and help as they go through all these strange things happening in their body, and pressures from around them, and uncertainties about the future. To be silent then, is a crime against them. That's the time to speak in, and give direction, and be courageous, and if they fuss and yell and say you've ruined their life, don't take it personally. I've ruined all of my kid's lives at some time [Laughter] by saying "No!" [laughs] I can still remember a door slamming - You've ruined my life! You've ruined my life! Very dramatic. [Laughter] All I'd done was to ring up and ensure they were in the right place, the place they were supposed to be, and then gone and seen the people, and drawn them all to account for why they weren't there, and why they'd let them go when they - yeah, all that kind of stuff, you know?

Okay, so words. We need words for relationships, isn't that right? Strong silent men, this is time to start to get a tongue and use it. Okay and here's the last one. We use words to release the power of God. Words are used to release the power of God, so as an ambassador of God, you represent Him, one, when you keep your word, because you represent His character; two, when you establish, nurture, and develop, and build, and cultivate, and protect relationships, and three, when you release the power of God, by speaking the word of God. You release the power of God. Now you're called to do that. Did you realise you were called to do that? You're designed to do that. If you're not doing it, what's wrong? You're not functioning right. The tongue's flapping, but the wrong stuff's coming out, see? So let me just give you a couple of examples. We won't develop it, we'll just develop it in the next year, but we can use words.

Faith confessions, confessing what God says, releases Jesus to work on my behalf and bring it about. Hebrews, Chapter 3, Verse 1. Prophetic words; prophetic words are words that God gives me to speak, that bring encouragement and edification, to build up people, touch them, they begin to weep. I've seen people - just words and they cry when you speak words that have got the spirit of love, and hope, and encouragement in them. Wonderful! Wonderful gift to have. Notice this, interesting thing this. It says all may prophesy. It doesn't say anything about any other gift, but all may prophesy. Why? Because all have got a tongue called to build, nurture, encourage, develop relationships. Another thing we can do is faith commands, in Mark, Chapter 11. Faith command is where you speak in the name of Jesus to sickness, speak to demons, speak to invisible powers, speak to things that won't seem to move, and they move. No one's got any idea why and how they moved, but you know because you used your tongue to speak words that released heaven into the earth. Absolutely wonderful - just like we're designed to do, we've just got to learn how to do it. We'll teach you how to do that next year. And finally prayer. James 5:16, the Bible says the prayer of a righteous man, it releases great power into the earth, one of the modern translations. Is that fantastic? Well isn't this great. We're called to represent God and in representing Him we can nurture and build and encourage relationships. We can release the power of God into the earth, and we can honour Him. What a wonderful deal our tongue is given for - all that, and we can eat Hokey Pokey ice cream as well. [Laughter] Man oh man, what a deal aye! All of that, and strawberries and ice cream as well. It's great. You can do all of that.

But you see the thing is, the reality is, we've misused the tongue, because we didn't understand what it was for, and now God is saying up to another level next year, up to another level. Start to become a person who can build, who can establish, who can nurture, who can develop, who can encourage relationship. You've got a word in season, who can come to someone and bring a word of God to them, who can speak the word of God, pray the word of God, knows their authority, can start to command things. Oh no, it's not for me. Of course it's for you, you were designed for it. It wasn't for the dog down the road you know. It's actually for people. People are designed in connection with God to do all of these things. The problem is, we just don't believe in our heart we can do it, or we don't know what to do. Next year we're going to show you what to do, and how to do it, and believe for everyone start to come up to another level.

How many are involved in that prophetic evangelism over the weekend? Okay, keep your hand up. Now just put your hand down again. Here we go. How many of you found that the words you spoke touched people's lives? Whoa ho! Look at that! And we saw people saved by it. A new creation came into being, because you spoke. The church's time, the church got it's tongue.

Father, we just thank You for the great love You've given to us. We thank You for the great and wonderful power that You've put in a man and woman of faith who believe You, who love You and are connected to You. What a privilege. What a deal to be able to represent You in the earth, and to be able to bring forth the life of God, creative life into relationships, into businesses, into troubled situations, to have a word from heaven that changes it all. Oh my, we thank You, what a privilege, what an honour. Lord, we've just got to give You the glory. We've got to give You the praise and thank You Lord, You've destined us to do such wonderful things. Come on, let's give the Lord a clap [Applause] shall we? Let's stand on our feet. Let's honour Him.

Summary Notes:  Formatted »  Back to Top »

1. Introduction:

· Proverbs 18:21 – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”.

· Words we speak are containers – the carry a ‘spirit content’.

· Words we speak impact our life, relationships and future.

· We looked at the impact of Lying, Gossip, Flattery, Empty Words, Put Down Words, Angry Words.

· Now – the power use of the tongue – as God designed us.

2. Hoe God uses Words:

· Law of 1st mention – Genesis outlines the pattern and designs.

· God used Words:

1) To Create by Releasing:

· Genesis 1:1-4 - “And God said let there be light …it was good”.

· The first recorded use of words in the Bible, the creation of the natural realm.

· Words have power to create when spoken with faith – they release Power.

· Hebrews 11:3 - “By faith we understand the world we framed by the Word of God”.

· The created world was made out of things not visible, no seen.

· “Framed” = 2675 = to put together, put in order or arrange, make what ought to be.

2) To Establish, Nurture and Protect Relationship:

· Genesis 1:26 - “Let us make man in our image according to our likeness and let them have dominion”.

· God established man for relationships with Him by the use of words.

· God established a purpose and design for that relationship with words – Genesis 3:8.

· God protected the relationship by setting boundaries and speaking truth.

· Note: Eve fell into sin by listening to words.

Adam came into agreement with those words.

Adam failed to speak words to protect their relationship.

· Ephesians 5:1 - “We are called to be imitators of God – as His children”.

3. Your Tongue is your Glory:

· Why has God designed you with a tongue? What did He intent?

· Psalm 16:8-9 - “My heart is glad and my glory rejoices”.

· Acts 2:25-26 - “My heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad”.

· The tongue distinguishes man above all other living creatures.

· Peter was inspired by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost interprets

– Psalm 16:9 - “My tongue is my glory”.

· Psalm 30:12 - “My glory may sing praise to you” – your tongue is your glory.

· Glory = 3519 = kabad = weight, honour.

Rt = to honour, to bring honour to, to gain value, to impart value, honour.

· The words you release:

i) Reveal your heart.

ii) Can impart value and honour.

· Note: The first use of words in the Bible – was to create value, produce new things in the visible realm.

· The first use of Words after the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost:

i) Honour God the Source – Acts 2:11 and Acts 10:46.

ii) Speak and Act as His representative and create new life.

- Acts 2:4 - Peter standing up with the eleven raised his voice.

- Acts 2:40-41 - Those who gladly received his words were baptised.

- Acts 3:6 - In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.

4. God’s Design – Life Giving Words:

· John 6:63 - “The words I speak are spirit and life”.

Jesus is the model – He is the example to shape and build life upon.

· Two key purposes for our tongue:

i) Honour God – our Creator and Source:

a) Thanks Giving:

· Psalm 69:30 - “I will magnify Him with thanksgiving”.

b) Praise:

· Psalm 50:23 - “Whoever offers praise magnifies Me”.

· Thanksgiving and praise create an atmosphere that God indwells.

· God delights in thanksgiving and praise – Hebrews 13:15-16

· Using our tongue to honour and express gratitude nurtures our relationships with Him – Romans 1:21

ii) Speak and Act as God’s Personal Representative:

· How do we use words to act as God’s representative?

a) Fulfill Commitments we make:

· Psalm 15:14 - “Swears to his own heart it does not change”.

· God is a covenant keeping God who watches over His words and reputation.

· When we keep our word – we act as God’s representative.

b) Use words to Establish, Nurture and Protect Relationships:

· Proverbs 15:23 - “A word spoken in season, how good it is”

- Isaiah 50:4

· Proverbs 15:4 - “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life”.

· Ephesians 4:29 - “No corrupt word – good for edifying that might impart grace”.

· Ephesians 4:15 - “Speaking the truth, in love we grow”

c) Use words to release the Supernatural Power of God:

· Faith Confession – Hebrews 3:1

· Prophetic Words – 1 Corinthians 14:3

· Faith Commands – Mark 11:22-24

· Prayer – James 5:16

Wise Words (10 of 12)

Sun 23 Dec 2007 AM  « Back to Top

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When God wants to change something in the natural world, He always gets someone to speak, because words are the way the power of God is released from the spirit world into the natural world. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Your tongue has power. With our tongue we express our words, ideas, feelings, and fears. If there's bitterness/anger or doubt/limitation in your heart, you'll express it through your tongue. Change on the inside, then you'll start to see the things change on the outside. Internal shifts first.

Great, if you've got a Bible, if you could open it up, Proverbs 18:21 and I want to share with you today. I want to continue where we started last week. We were speaking about the creative power of the tongue, and I want to just pick up again, I want to talk about shaping your world with the word of God, shaping your world with the word of God - still part of that same series, the creative power of the tongue.

Proverbs 18:21, death and life are in the power of the tongue. Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Your tongue has power. With our tongue we express our words, we express our ideas, we express our feelings, we express our fears. If there's bitterness in your heart, you'll express bitterness through your tongue. If there's anger in your heart, you'll express anger through your tongue. If there's doubt and limitation in your life, no doubt you'll speak that through your tongue as well. Your tongue has power to speak out over your life, and around you into the environment, and change it, and so we see if you have a look at all of creation, the only one creature in all of creation that has the power to build civilisation and culture are human beings.

The thing that distinguishes us, that enables us to be able to do that, is we have a spirit man, we're created in the image of God,, and we can speak words that communicate in ways that the animal world cannot. We never came from the animal world. We came from God. We're a spirit being, and so last week we talked about how God used words, and we talked about the beginning in the Bible, the first ways that God used words, number one, He used words to create, so if we have a look at how creation took place, we saw the spirit of God was moving, and then God spoke words, and words released something. There was something came from the spirit world, and manifested in the natural world, something that was existing in God's heart, and in substance in the spirit world, manifested in the natural world. People that have had glimpses of heaven, or been to heaven, say there are some things which are like what it is on earth, but they're much more intense and full of life, see?

So the things which are in the natural world, in many areas, are reflections of the unseen spirit world, but they came into being because God spoke. We saw also that God used words to establish relationships, and we then talked about our responsibility to use our tongue to honour God, and then to actually represent Him, so I want to look now at the creative power, the creative power of God's words. So I want you to look with me in Jeremiah, Chapter 1. I want to just establish that, because if you don't understand this, everything we do afterwards over these next weeks, you'll miss it, because you haven't got to embrace this one thing, that God's word has power to change what you are seeing, and living in, and experiencing. God's word has the power to change it, but you've got to be able to be linked to that word, and know what to do with that word, and I'm just going to be taking one aspect of that, which is particularly speaking and declaring the word of God - but there are other aspects of course. We need to walk in obedience. I like what Bryden was sharing, how he began to speak over his life, and then he began to order his life according to what he was speaking and believing in his heart. Then externally, everything changed.

So firstly I want you to see that consistently, when God wants to change something in the natural world, He always gets someone to speak. He'll always get someone to speak something, because words are the way the power of God is released from the spirit world into the natural world. It's almost like God is waiting for someone to speak His word. When God wanted to prepare a generation for the coming of Jesus Christ, the Bible says He raised up a man. His name was John the Baptist. It said the word of the Lord came to him, and he began to speak what God was saying, and he upheaved a whole nation. See, the whole nation came out to hear him, because something was in the words he spoke, and it's getting that, not just the word of God, but there's something in it we want.

Okay, let's have a look in Jeremiah, Chapter 1 and I'm just going to read several verses. We'll pick it up at Verse 5. The word of the Lord came to me saying - now this is the word of God coming to Jeremiah. He says before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I sanctified you, and set you apart to be a prophet to the nations. Then said I, ah, Lord God, behold, I cannot speak. I'm but a youth, and the Lord said to me, do not say I'm a youth, for you shall go to all whom I send you. Whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you, said the Lord. Then the Lord put forth His hand and He touched my mouth, so he had an encounter, an experience with God - and the Lord said to me, behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, or get the vision, or begin to picture this, I have this day, set you over nations and over kingdoms, to root out and pull down, to destroy and throw down, to build and to plant. And then the word of the Lord came to me saying Jeremiah, what do you see? And I said I see the branch of an almond tree. And the Lord said to me, you have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word, or I am watching over My word, to make sure it comes to pass. How about that?

So God had a purpose. Very clearly in here, we see that God had a purpose and a destiny for Jeremiah. God's plan for him was more than just having a relationship with God. God wanted Jeremiah to be a representative of Him, and to bring about some changes, so I want you to see what God says to him. Very, very clearly, he says the Lord touched my mouth. He said behold, I have put My words in your mouth. So God had an assignment for him. The assignment that Jeremiah had was this: his assignment was to change the order in the known world. You think how on earth could you do that? His nation had been defeated, the nation were in sin and about to be overrun by the Babylonians. The nation was about to be supplanted and brought into captivity. All kinds of things were about to happen. The world that they knew it was in turmoil, and in the middle of it God said, I have ordained you. Before this time even began, before any of this stuff happened, I already had someone I was preparing to go into it and to change it. So He's saying Jeremiah, before you were born, before your parents thought of you, I had already prepared for you to be My spokesman, to go into this world situation, and to begin to speak My words into it. I will watch over the words that I've given you, and I'll make sure they come about.

When you read in the Book of Jeremiah, you find he prophesied destinies over nations, and every one of those destinies, destination was formed. If you have a look now, he began to speak that the nations which prospered, he said some of them will be so broken down, there'll be no evidence left that they were there, and you start to look at the various nations he prophesied over, or spoke God's word over, and every one of them, it was done to them exactly according to what God said through the prophet.

In other words, he spoke God's word, and began to declare how the world around him would become. God worked with him, and changed the world around him, and it became exactly what Jeremiah had said. Its powerful stuff isn't it. So of course what happens when we hear that is we - oh, that's Jeremiah. I'm only me. Now I want you to have a look at this, because Jeremiah had the same issues we have, so Jeremiah has an assignment, speak the word of God, so God has now got a basis, he's got a man on earth who agrees with Him about how this will be. Now He's able to move, and begin to create it, so God began to speak the overthrow of Jerusalem, and what would happen to it. He prophesied through Jeremiah the destiny. He prophesied what would happen to the army, how it would take it over. He prophesied about what the people would do, and how that would work out. He then prophesied about a restoration, and every one of those things historically happened. He literally shaped the known world, by the power of speaking God's words. It's a powerful thing to recognise, you can shape your world by getting a hold, or getting connected with God, and as He begins to put His words in your heart, and you begin to get the word of God in your heart, and speak it out, you begin to shape the world around you.

I'll show you, there's several areas that you need to shape, and then in later sessions we'll share with you exactly how you go about the shaping process, shaping the world around you by the word of God. Very, very powerful. Notice this, what happens in there. Notice the impact of the word of God. We see several things happen. The first thing you see is, he said Verse 10, see, I have set you over the nations, and over kingdoms. So God positions him in a place of spiritual authority, and He defines what that area is. We'll come back to this a little later - so God has connected with Jeremiah. There's a relationship. He begins to explain what his destiny is. He explains what he's going to do: he's going to speak the words of God, and He says now I have positioned you. Now where has He positioned you? In the spirit He has positioned him over the kingdoms and the nations, so you see a natural king, you see natural armies, you see natural - well you see all these things He said, but spiritually I have positioned you over it, and when you speak these words, the natural will change.

Now it didn't all change straight away. He went through a lot of difficulties, a lot of hardships, but nevertheless everything he prophesied came about, so in spite of what it looked like naturally, in spite of the fact at one stage he's in a dungeon, and looks like he's going to die, and be swallowed up in the mud at the bottom of a well, nevertheless he came out, and nevertheless everything he said worked out. Nevertheless, he got favour with the enemies, and in the end he was blessed. Everything he said came about, so we see here God positioned him. Now you have to understand this. When you got born again and joined to Jesus Christ, you are positioned with Him in a place of spiritual authority and God wants you also to speak words from that place that will shape the world around you. Think about that.

Now either you're going to go in and act like a victim in the world, or you'll act like an ambassador of God, and begin to shape the world around you. See Jesus never came into the world with any expectations the world would do Him some favours. He came in with an expectation as God's ambassador, He could change the world. Now did He change all of the world? No, He didn't. He changed a group of people, in one place, at one time, because that was His assignment. You also have an assignment. Only God can give you that assignment, and your assignment is to represent God and then to bring His words into that situation, to shape it as God wants it to be. The problem is the church has thought that the church was the kingdom, and has then become very church-centred instead of understanding God wants to invade the world. He invades the world by working in you, making you joined to Him, giving you a position of authority in the spirit, which grows as you walk with Him, and then beginning to get you to speak His words, and begin to release His life into wherever you are. What an exciting thing to do.

Okay then, let's just move on. So you notice what he's called to do with the words of God, just so you understand, He said what you're going to do is root out and pull down, destroy and throw down, build and plant. So notice he's got two things to do. The first lot of things have to do with rooting out things which are established. In other words He says, the words that I give you, one of the first functions they have is to root out imbedded spiritual powers, to root them out, dismantle them and stop them operating, see? So the first use of those words that God gives him is to confront demonic powers, which are creating situations in the world that are not according to the will of God. Second thing is that you'll speak words that will build and plant, and so when God draws you into relationship with Christ, He positions you as an ambassador. Now if you get the word of God in your heart, and learn what to do, and how to speak it, then you will do these things. You will begin to root out demon spirits. You'll root out things which are contrary to what God wants. You begin to sow in, and plant in, and then you begin to see things around you change.

Bryden just gave a testimony today - I can't wait until next week to hear the second part - but his boss gave him an assessment of his current physical situation, and instead of accepting that diagnosis he stood up, got a word from God, a rhema from God, began to declare it over the workplace, declare it over his life, and then applied himself to fulfil it - and then it all changed. This year he was recognised as the top organic farmer in the district. Now what changed it? A word from heaven! [Applause] A word from heaven. Well it's alright if it happened with Jeremiah, but it happened with someone here, sitting next to you - and if it happened for him, it can happen for you too. The question is whether you will do what Jeremiah did, and respond to what God says, so let's have a look how Jeremiah responded.

This is what Jeremiah said, Verse 6. Ah, no! I can't do it! I'm just a little youth! - and that would be the response of the majority of Christians, when they begin to hear what God called them to do. When you get a grasp of what God has called you to do, in your own sphere of influence in the community, you begin to see that God has planted you there, to bring a difference - AAAH! I can't do it! I'm too young. I'm only just a new Christian. You know what God says? [Zzz!] [Laughter]

Yeah, made him stop. Stop talking that way. This is what God made him do first. First he had to have a change inside him, then he could change what was outside him. So what he was saying - I can't do it. I can't do it! It's too big! It's too hard! You're not fair, asking me to do these things. He had to change inside, so he needed a change in his internal world, before he got a change in his external world, but you see the same thing that would change his external world, would change his internal world, a word from God. God said just cut out that negative kind of talk, that limiting talk, that actually causes you to minimise what you could do. It causes your potential to be locked up. It causes my plan to be frustrated! Stop talking that negative stuff. You're stopping Me working in you! That's what He's saying to him and He's saying the same to us today.

Two years ago we had a prophet come. He said negative words are limiting what you can do. Change. We've been speaking, done a series on negative words. I hope you took a note of it - that was God speaking to us the second time. A-ha! And now He's going to say, how to get into the flow, see, so Jeremiah had to make some changes. Now notice what happened. He stopped making excuses, embrace what God called you to do. Just stop making the excuses. Stop excusing yourself that you can't. If God says you can, you can. If God says you can, you can. Stop making excuses. The second thing, stop speaking negatively. We've already been through that; stop speaking negatively, or speaking limitations around your life. Some people, the reason they're staying where they are, and have stayed where they are all these years, is because they keep speaking limitation, because limitation is in the heart. You have to change your inner world, see?

Don't be ruled by fear. So you notice what he was afraid - the Lord said this to him, Verse 8. Do not be afraid. Don't be afraid. Get faith in your heart, not fear. Don't approach 2008 afraid to step out. Approach 2008 - I'm looking forward to it. I'm going to step out! There's new things God has for me. See, approach it with that kind of attitude, approach it with that kind of way see. Connect with God, connect with God, relationships. Verse 9, the Lord touched me, so we need to connect with God. If you have no connection with God, then God can't put His words inside you, and it's His words inside you that will change your world, so personal relationship, personal connection, personal intimacy, the touch of God. Oh, the touch of God, how I keep needing the touch of God see, because with the touch of God, then comes the words of God. That's why we worship. That's why we engage God, because we want to prepare ourselves, so we can hear the words of God.

You know the Bible says, enter His presence with gratitude and praise, and then begin to worship Him and listen for His voice. Now we could be hearing His voice, and what God's saying to you, will set what could happen in your life for years to come, so we need to do that. Your life can change. It doesn't have to stay the same. It doesn't have to stay the same, see? So embrace and agree with what God says. You're going to begin to speak that out, expect Him to do it. Expect Him to do it. Notice what God says; the things Jeremiah said, the things that I'm going to put into your mouth, He said I'll watch over them to make them happen. You don't have to worry about whether they happen or not. You job is to speak them. I'll figure out how they'll happen, see. Think about that. Think about that - so this is Jeremiah. Now of course what mentally we do, is in our heart, what we mentally do is we're like, oh that's Jeremiah, you know? Jeremiah, oh he's a big man of God you know?

Jeremiah was a young boy. He was a teenager probably, in the day he lived, and God encountered him, touched him, and told him what his destiny was. Then he changed a nation. What could you do here? You're in the presence of God, God's speaking and touched your life. All you've got to do is open your heart to hear what He wants you to change next year. Let's have a look at another example. Notice that everything Jeremiah spoke - let's have a look in Luke, Chapter 1. Everything he spoke came about. He changed his known world by the word of God. How about that? The thing is because we're so set on natural things, it just takes a little time for us to get a hold of this, because we tend in a western world, we tend to think that words don't really have much effect, because we've never learned how to use words. I want to show you in these next few weeks, how to use the word of God to shift things, firstly around your own life, then around what's around you.

Look at Luke, Chapter 1, Verses 35 through Verse 38; And the angel Lord came to Mary and said, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the Highest will overshadow you, and the Holy One that's born of you shall be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her, who was called barren. Notice this, someone else was called barren, and yet she had a child - For with God, nothing shall be, or nothing will be, impossible. Then Mary said Behold, the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me, according to your word. Now firstly we're going to look in Verse 37. The angel makes this statement: for with God, nothing shall be impossible. Nothing shall be impossible with God. Another way of interpreting that, it comes out in the American Standard version is this, no word spoken by God lacks power to bring it's accomplishment. Okay? No word spoken by God, lacks the power to bring about it's accomplishment, so whenever God says something, there is power. Now the word 'word' is a rhema, a word spoken forth, or a word declared, so when God says something, then it has power to be able to change, or to do what it's supposed to do, provided it meets someone who believes.

The thing that unlocks the power of the word of God, is faith. I must believe what He said. I need to in my heart hold on to it. The heart now believes, and my tongue confesses to salvation, it says in Romans 10. In other words, I must believe what God says, and then begin to speak it, and live on it as though it's true, then its power is released. So the word of God is like a seed. It can be released, but the thing that releases it is our faith. We must be linked to it. Now notice what her response was. Behold, let it be done to me according to your word. So she came into full agreement with what God said, spoke it forth, and her world and our world changed. Listen, I've just taken a couple of examples, but you could go through the Bible and you'll find everywhere, when God wanted to change something, He needed a person that He could speak to, that would take His words, believe His words, speak His words, act on His words and change their world - and He's never stopped. He's still looking for it.

You see this is the problem, when people are thinking or have a revival mentality, where we're thinking of waiting for God to do some great thing. He wants you to arise now, and dare to believe that now, today, you can begin to make a difference. You get the word of God in your heart, and you begin to arise and hold that word, speak that word, act on that word, so things around you can change. When I first came here to Hastings, people came to me. You know what they said to me? Oh, you'll never last more than six months. Is that so? Well it's been the longest six months of my life and I was sent by God. I had a word from God, I had a clear word from God. Every day I would take that word, hold that word and believe that God would fulfil that word - and He did, shook everything up. It literally shook everything up. Everything that was around us got changed. So what is shaping your world? Is it the word of God? Are you consciously shaping your world with the word of God, or have you given in and come into agreement with negative circumstances, disappointments, actually have come into agreement with wicked spirits that fill you with despair, it can't change. What have you come into agreement with? Think about that.

If you have despair that you can't change in any area of your life, you've come into agreement with the words of wicked spirits. What will shift you, is when you decide to disagree with those words, break their power, and begin to listen to what God says, hold what God says, speak what God says, meditate what God says. You will see everything around your world change. Many people are waiting for another revival, or they're waiting for someone to lay hands on them, or waiting for some counsellor - God is waiting for you to dare to believe, because no word from God is without power to bring about its own accomplishment. So when God gives you something, you can understand this. He's watching over that word, to make sure it takes place. All you've got to do in your part, is to hold the word, hold that word, because when you start to hold God's word, everything around you looks like it's got worse. The moment God gives you a word, it's almost like straight away everything gets worse, and the point of it is - the Bible predicts it - it says the moment the sower sows the word, the devil will come and say, I don't believe all that stuff. Then afterwards He said, then will come a bit of heat and pressure and tribulation, and if you haven't got the word into you, haven't got it rooted down in your heart, then it'll very soon wither up too. Then there'll come a lot of distractions, and that'll choke it all out too, but He says if you can just hold the word in your heart, and keep your life focussed on its fulfilment, then you'll see. You'll see it, come on, you'll see it. See, you'll see it - so what's shaping your world? What do you come into agreement with?

I want you to have a look with me in Hebrews, Chapter 11, and I want to talk to you about shaping your world by the word of God, so we're just getting into it now, and I want to share with you four areas you can shape. Hebrews, Chapter 11, Verse 3. It says by faith, we understand that the worlds were framed, or the ages or the world was framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen, were not made of things which are visible. By faith, we understand the worlds were framed by the word of God. The word frame means to thoroughly complete, put together, assemble, construct something, so by faith we understand that God constructed the visible world by faith, the operation of faith. It tells us that it was the word of God being spoken forth that brought about that construction, and so we see then that God framed, or made, the world. That word 'word' there, the word of God, is a rhema, a spoken utterance, a declaration.

So He says we understand then how God created everything. It was done by moving in the realm of faith, the realm of the supernatural where the word He spoke, He never doubted it would come about. The power was released, it came about, so we understand then the world that we see, or what we see around us, was framed, formed or put together or constructed by God's word. Okay then, now how much of your world has been constructed by God's word? Oh well, I love Jesus. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's wonderful. That's wonderful. But how much of your lifestyle, and your world has been constructed in harmony with God's words? Are your finances constructed around what God has to say? Is your marriage constructed around what God has to say? Are your relationships constructed around what God has to say? What have you consciously built by referring to God?

So what the majority of Christians do is, well I come to church once a week, maybe twice and I go to cell group, and I love Jesus - and that's it. But they don't seem to move and understand, you're an ambassador, called to shape your world with God's words. That's what we're called to do, to shape the worlds around us, and so we need to consider that.

There's always three factors take place. There's always three factors in it: number one, the Holy Spirit. We have to have the power of the Holy Spirit operating around our life. Without the spirit of God nothing happens, so you can teach a parrot to say the word of God, but it doesn't make any difference to the parrot, and it doesn't make any difference to anything around him, except tick everyone off, see. But you see when the spirit of God is moving in a human being, a spirit being has the word of God in their heart and they speak it, then things begin to happen. That's how people get healed. Someone with faith in their heart, and the Holy Ghost moving over that person, they speak the word of God, and the person gets healed, and a miracle takes place. That's how Jesus did all His miracles, and you find always with all of Jesus' miracles ,the spirit of God was present, and operative, and He was connected to the spirit of God. There was faith in the heart, and there was a word of God spoken. That's how it happens every time. You have a look at all the miracles. You'll find the spirit of God was there, the anointing of God was there present, the word of God was spoken, there was faith and expectation, and it released the power of God. Now nothing has changed. That's how power is released.

So I've got to learn well, how can I build my faith? How can I learn how to go about doing this? Alright then, so lets look at those areas now. Now you understand in Ephesians 5:1 it says we're to be imitators of God, so if God's shaped things by speaking the word, we've got to shape things by speaking the word too, got to learn to shape things by speaking the word, speaking God's word over our life, over our circumstances. Now there are four areas. I'll break them up into two things. Firstly, shape your inner world. The first thing to shape is your inner world. Then shape your outer world. Shape your inner world, then shape your outer world. That word shape means literally to form it, to bring it together, construct your inner world with the word of God, construct your inner world, meaning constructing your thoughts, constructing your ideas, your dreams, desires, the way you approach life with the word of God.

If God says in his word, that you can do all things that He calls you to do, you can do all things, but you see a negative mindset, a negative frame of thinking, will cause you to think I can't. I can't! I've never done that before, I can't do that! See? In other words, the prevailing or ruling thought is something quite different, and until you reconstruct your inner world with the word of God, nothing outside you changes. In Proverbs 23:7 I think it says, as a man thinks in his heart, so he is. So I have to learn, we're going to show you how to do this, how to begin to construct your inner world with the word of God, because if we don't do that, we don't have really much to offer people.

If you haven't built something on the inside, then you haven't actually really been able to develop inside you what you need, to be an answer to a dying world. We need more than just come to Jesus, and she'll be right. We need to come to Jesus, and the Bible tells us God's plan, we grow to become more like Him, in other words our internal world of values and attitudes and thoughts begins to change, so God wants us to change on the inside. Let me give you an example of it, of shaping your inner world. It's interesting, the first thing that happened when the Holy Ghost came on people, the first thing that happened, was they began to speak in tongues, and the Bible tells you what the purpose of speaking in tongues is for. It's to build up your spirit man. Isn't that amazing, so the first expression after they got filled with the Holy Ghost, was to build themselves up on the inside. Isn't that amazing?

Okay then, let me give you another scripture related to that, in 1 Samuel, Chapter 30 and Verse 6. David was in a very, very difficult time and it says David strengthened himself in the Lord, strengthen - there's a tremendous book out by Bill Johnson, Strengthening Yourself in the Lord. I couldn't over recommend that book. That is a wonderful book on how to strengthen yourself, in your inner life, in the Lord, the keys to strengthening yourself. So very clearly what David did when he was facing a catastrophe, the lowest point in his life, when it looked like he'd lost everything. He was in the valley of all valleys. He'd lost his wife, he'd lost his children, lost his money, lost his house, he had a financial collapse, he had a major collapse. Then he'd lost the confidence of his men, and they were now talking about killing him, and he was in a foreign land, and he was hunted by the king. It was a mess, and yet in the middle of it, the Bible says he strengthened himself. He did things that did something in his inner man, and then he got a word that changed his world. See?

Pursue, overtake and you'll recover all - and he not only got back what he lost, he got back a heap more. Now you understand what he could have done was, he could have thought like this: I've got to get out of here! They're going to kill me! It's all over - where can I go? He said nowhere, I've got nowhere to go except to God. He knew how to go to God and strengthen himself in a place of pressure. A lot of people, when they're under pressure, the first place they run is to a bottle, some to smoke, some run down to some other place. Some run to a counsellor. Run to the Lord! And you don't just run to the Lord in a pressure time; run to the Lord daily. Run into His presence, and learn how to shape your inner world. Now because there's quite a bit involved in shaping your inner world, I'll save that for a separate session just on some of the keys, how to shift your inward world - but so the first place to shift is your inner world. You shift your inner world, everything around you will start to change as well.

Interesting, I was listening just as Bryden was talking there. The first thing he did was to get a word from God. He had a word from a man, but he got a word from God. I like that and it was a beautiful word wasn't it aye? The hand of the diligent shall be rich or something like that. That was good aye? But it wasn't just a scripture. It was a personal rhema from God, and it carried with it power to bring a change in his external circumstances, but he had to believe it, confess it, then align his life. So you notice it's all internal. There had to be an internal shifting before there was external. It's always the same; shift internal, shift inside, shift your perspective, shift your values, shift your ways of thinking, begin to bring your inner world into order according to God's word - everything changes. So I'll share with you some things on that, the whole issue of how when you speak, you literally alter the neural pathways in your brain, and you set everything going differently you see, but it's in the Bible - just confess, confess the word of God.

Here's the second thing you need to change is, you need to shape the outer world, and there are three areas of the outer world to shape. I'm just going to briefly give them, I'm not going to go into how to shape them, because I want to actually focus on each one, because if I rush it through I don't think anyone will change what they're doing in their outer world, so I want to actually just take time to develop each one of these. So we're looking at the how to shift our inner world, then how to shift our outer world. Is that okay? Is that good? Okay, because we're going into a New Year. It's going to be great! And the Lord said sanctify yourselves, because tomorrow I want to work miracles among you, I'm going to work great things among you, and that's the word we had about a month ago. So sanctify yourself means to set yourself apart, and become more focussed upon what God wants for your life, and begin to align your life according to God's words. It's all the change on the inner man, He said because I want to do things outside you, so we want the things outside - Lord, give me a miracle. Give me a change, give me a breakthrough, give me this, give me that. Now listen, change on the inside, then you'll start to see the things change on the outside. Internal shifts first.

Okay then, don't just rearrange the furniture on the Titanic. It'll still go down, okay so [laughs] don't just shift a couple of little things. Change it on the inside! Patch the cracks, or take the word of God and break your agreements with demons! And break your agreements with negativity! And break the agreements you have with limiting mindsets, and begin to let God's word be over your life! Oh yeah, that'll shift you. That'll be a change won't it.

Okay, here's the three other areas on the outer world to shift, and not necessarily in order of importance, but all of them are needed, and I think it's in this sequence. Things to shape in your outer world - number one is to shape your spiritual atmosphere. I'll explain that a little bit more fully in another session, but one area that we need to shape is the spiritual atmosphere around us, because miracles always work when we're living and abiding and flowing in the presence of the Holy Spirit, so if you're living under depression or living with negative atmosphere, or the people around you are overwhelming you with negative atmosphere, you've got to do something about that. You have to shift the prevailing spiritual atmosphere. If you shift that first, again you'll start to see, shift the invisible before you see the visible change, see? You've got to shift the - there's a priority in this, so first we shifted what's invisible, what's inside us, so what's outside us can change. Then if you want to change what's outside, first shift the spirit world. It's not very hard to do it, real easy once you know what to do. I'm going to show you what to do in coming days.

So shift your spiritual atmosphere. You can shape spiritual atmosphere very, very - the Bible tells you how to do it, very, very simple. You can either listen, and meditate, and dwell, on negative things, or you can begin to develop a life of praise and gratitude, and thankfulness, and positive - you just begin to do that. The Bible says God will inhabit the praises of His people, so this is how David said it. I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make a boast in the Lord, the humble shall hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me! He got a good spiritual atmosphere around him hasn't he? See, he built a spiritual atmosphere. Your spiritual atmosphere is created by what's in your heart finding expression outside you. Now I know what's outside you. The devil's outside you, wants to depress you, make you flat, wants to make you boring, wants to make you depressed, wants to make you passive. God's inside us saying there's a lion in here - let me out! See? And I can see it when it comes to worship time.

Some people haven't understood you've got to use your voice! You've got to use your VOICE! HOW TO USE YOUR VOICE! The Bible says even God says come to Me with words. You've got to actually have words. Oh, I just - oh. No, no, no, nothing like that. No, we need to come to Him with words. The second thing is, shape your relationships. Your relationship can be shaped by declaring the word of God over them, and then speaking into them, so you shape it two ways; one, you begin to first of all speak it over it, you begin to make declarations, a declaration, a statement about what is, strong declarations, see? You begin to declare God's promises, God's word, over your marriage, over your family, over your relationships and what it does is it begins to create the atmosphere within which those relationships change. Then you've got to learn to speak into the relationships, so first speak over them, then speak into them.

You find the biggest problem in relationships is, people either not speak into them, or they're saying the wrong things, and all you've got to do to change it is begin to start to speak over them differently, so you begin to shape the atmosphere over the relationships, then speak into them. Speak words that bless, words that build, words that encourage, words that lift up, words that impart value, words that impart destiny, words that put boundaries, words that confront. You've got to speak into it, as well as speaking over it. The first place again as you see is to speak over it, and finally the last place you need to speak into is your metron, or your sphere of responsibility, your metron, or sphere of responsibility. Whatever God has given you as your area of responsibility, that's the area you've got to shape with the word of God, see? So if you are the boss of a work, or run a business, then we need to learn to shape the business, not just with business principles, but by getting the word of God and speaking God's word over that business, and beginning to allow my heart to dwell on what God says about my business, then aligning the business according to how God wants me to run it. It may be different to how I'm currently running it, and then the difficulty will be, will I be in agreement with my ideas, or will I agree with God's ideas on how to make it work? It's quite a challenge isn't it aye? For many people, if money rules you, you'll be afraid to let God's word have the directive into shaping your business. You'll let the money shape the business. Now I better unpack that just a little.

We can't serve God and Mount Money! Can't serve God and Mammon, so we're either serving one or the other. Now God doesn't say money's evil. You need money, money is needed to make anything happen, but the love of it and being ruled by it is the issue, so He says you can't serve God and Mammon. So Mammon is a spirit. God is a spirit. There's a spirit called Mammon that rules, controls and works through money and you've got to decide whether you're going to be under the dominion of the Lord in this area. Now He didn't take your money away from you. He wants you actually to be blessed and grow, but He wants you to become a channel of blessing but you've got to actually break free of the things that rule people and so we want to shape our world with the word of God. Oh, getting exciting now.

Next year I want to speak a little bit on that area because an awful lot of people are ruled by a credit card and ruled by debt. They actually can't serve God, because they're serving debt, see? If you're serving debt, and can't serve God, you need to make next year the challenge, get out of that thing. Shape your world according to the word of God. We had one couple come into the church this year, and they were in debt for a range of reasons. They got their life right with God and then miraculously God was able to arrange the whole debt was cancelled, the whole thing. They were able to pay it off. They got the money, paid the whole thing off. Now when they came in at the beginning of this year, they came in as a result of the concert we did in the park. They came in and then what happened was God was able to intervene in their life and totally shift their financial circumstance, because they ordered the inner world and then their outer world began to come into alignment.

See, everyone wants to see something happen, but you've got to shift on the inside first. We getting the idea? Getting the idea, so change your outer world. Now I'll just give you one last thing on that one, your realm of responsibility. Have a look at this in 1 Samuel, Chapter 17. Dave referred to this the other Sunday, it was just great. Now here's ruling your outer world, and it says here in 1 Samuel, Chapter 17, Verse 42; The Philistine - that's Goliath - looked at David, and he despised him, because he was just a youth. You're just a little boy! He's a hardened battle warrior, and he says am I a dog, you come to me with sticks? And he cursed him by his gods. Now what you understand is he's releasing a spirit of intimidation upon David. He's releasing cursings upon him. He's attacking him, and this is the way the devil tries to deal with us, in terms of life. He tries to accuse us, put us down, make you feel little, remind you of your failures, but David - notice this - he stood up, and he spoke the word of God. He began to declare how the battle would work out. He said today I'll lay you out fully on the ground, and I'll take your head off, and the birds in the air will eat you! I like that, that's good talk. That's fairly positive affirmation about how the battle will go.

Now you've got to realise, he's actually speaking prophetically. He's not speaking because he's hyped up, and he's really excited with youthful enthusiasm. There's much, much more to him than that. He's got a proven track record of battles won, depending on the Lord. See long before he met Goliath, he met a heap of other things as well, including a lion, and a bear, and you see he said the Lord who helped me there, is going to help me here. You see there was an anointing on his life, and he knew see, that the enemy comes at him cursing him, putting him down, trying to intimidate him. Now you've got to understand this. This is a battle-hardened man, and he's got demons operating around him, and he's intimidated a whole army, including Saul, who was the champion. He was actually head and shoulders above everyone. He should have been able to take him on, but even he's intimidated. You see there's a spiritual atmosphere has been released that's intimidated everyone, shut everyone down, and in the middle of it, a young boy rises up who's got something in his inner world!

See the problem, the others had nothing in their inner world. Saul was defeated. He had no presence over his life, he had no anointing, no faith. He was defeated. He never walked in the word of God. He actually reacted to the word of God, and now here's a young boy turns up, and here he is, 17 years old, and he says listen, you come against me with a shield and a spear, I come against you in the name of the Lord God of Israel, who's armies you have defied, and this is how the battle is going to go today. I will lay you out on the ground. I'll use your sword, and take off your head, and then the birds will eat you, then the rest of your army will be put to flight. That's how it's going to be.

But you understand, he has already formed and built his inner world. When they said you can't do that, he said listen, I've got a proven track record. I'll do it. You watch me, and it says he ran to the giant - zonk! And Goliath got the biggest headache he's ever had in his whole life. While he's lying on the ground complaining about that migraine, he lost his head completely! See now you've got to think about this. See David first shaped his inner world, then shaped his outer world, and every one of those things, shaping your inner world, shaping your relationships, shaping your spiritual atmosphere, shaping the world around you - David did all of those things. He was actually a man of the spirit and word of God, and he's an example you and I can follow.

Father, we just thank you for what you're teaching us about the need to frame our world by the word of God, just as you framed the natural world. You want us to frame the world that we live in as your representatives. Lord, firstly you want us to frame and shape the world within our heart and life and inner man; the thoughts, dreams, desires, passions, the way we think, our perspective and Lord, you want us to shape what's around us. You want us to shape the world around us, the spiritual atmosphere, so instead of depression and heaviness the spirit of God is there to bring hope and help and life. Lord, you want us to shape the environment, the relationships around us. You want us to shape the environment. I'm asking Lord over these next weeks, a spirit of faith will begin to arise among every believer here, a spirit of faith, an ability to believe that the word of God embraced in the heart, and spoken with the mouth, and acted on in the life, will release change into lives in 2008. Lord, we thank you that every generation you have men and women who dared to believed.

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The Creative Power of the Tongue – Part 2

23 December 07

1. Introduction:

· Proverbs 18:21 – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”.

· We use words to express ourselves – ideas, dreams, desires, fears, pain.

· This ability is exclusive to humans – we are spirit beings able to release spirit life.

· Last week: God used words

i) To Create/ Release Supernatural Power

ii) To Establish, Nurture and Protect relationships

· We are called to act as His ambassadors – speak and act on His behalf.

· This week: “Shaping your World by the Word of God”.

2. The Creative Power of Words of God:

a) Jeremiah:

· Jeremiah 1:9-10 - “Behold I have put my words in your mouth”.

· God has a purpose for Jeremiah’s life – to change the world around him”.

· Verse 5 - Sanctified = set apart for the purpose of God – change the nation.

· Verse 9 - God’s assignment - speak His Word our as His representative.

· Verse 9 - God positions him in a place of spiritual authority.

· By speaking what God gave him, he made way for the Spirit of God to move.

· Note the impact of the Word of God:

i) “Real out, pull down, destroy, throw down” - verse 10

- to exercise dominion over ruling spiritual forces and mentalities and cancel their power.

ii) “To build and to plant”

- to saw seeds of hope for the future, proclaim the promises of God to build and release the nation.

· Before Jeremiah could shape the world outside him he had to change his inner world!

· Verse 6-7 - “Behold, I cannot speak for I am a youth”.

· NB:

i) Stop making excuses – embrace the call/assignment of God - v7

ii) Stop speaking negatively, stop speaking limitations - v7

iii) Don’t be ruled by fear but by faith - v8

iv) Personally connect with God – relationship - v9

v) Embrace, agree with and speak His Words from the heart - v9-10

vi) Expect God to Supernaturally fulfill His way -v11,12

· All that Jeremiah spoke was fulfilled – he changed his words by the Word of God.

b) Mary:

· Luke 1:35-38 - “Let it be according to Your Word”.

· Verse 37 - “For with God nothing is impossible” (NKJV)

· Verse 37 - “For no Word of God shall be void of Power” (ASV)

· Mary heard, embraced and agreed with and spoke the Word of God – heart and mouth!

· Mary expected God to supernaturally fulfill His Word.

· Mary’s faith declaration of what God had said changed her words.

Question: What is shaping your world? The Word of God or the agreement with Demons?

3. Shaping your world by the Word of God:

· Hebrews 11:3 - “By faith we understand that the world were framed by the word of God”.

- Framed = 2675 = to thoroughly complete, put together, put in order, arrange, make what ought to be, to construct.

- Word = Rhema = 4487 = an utterance, spoken word or command. = word spoken out aloud by a living person.

· Notice 3 factors always present in creative activity of the Word of God.

1) Presence of the Holy Spirit Relationship

2) Faith – total confidence, heart.

3) Spoken Word of God – mouth.

· In all of Jesus’ miracles those factors were present.

· We must learn to operate as God operates - Ephesians 5:1

a) Shape Your Inner World:

· The first area to shape is your inner world – thoughts, attitudes, perceptions, beliefs.

· Proverbs 23:7 - “As a man thinks in his heart so he is”.

· Your inner life can be shaped by speaking/declaring the Word of God.

· 1 Corinthians 14:4 - “Speak in tongues – edified himself”.

· 1 Samuel 30:6 - David strengthened himself in the Lord.

· Declare = to state clearly you position in a controversy.

b) Shape Your Outer World:

i) Your Spiritual Atmosphere:

· You can shape/form the supernatural atmosphere around your life by the Word of God.

· Psalm 34:1-3 - David continually shaped the spiritual atmosphere around his life with thanksgiving and praise.

· Psalm 22:3 - “You are holy – enthroned on the praises of your people”.

ii) Your Relationships:

· Your relationships can be shaped by declaring the Word of God.

· Declaring God’s Word, God’s promises over marriage, children, and friendships makes room for the Holy Spirit to work to bring about the Spoken Word.

· 1 Samuel 23:14-18 - David was strengthened by Jonathan’s words. Jonathan spoke words of destiny, commitment, encouragement.

· Relationships are impacted by words!

iii) Your Metron – Realm of Responsibility:

· Metron = sphere of responsibility – 2 Corinthians 10:12-13 = people, work, money, ministry.

· Declaring God’s Word over your metron makes room for the Holy Spirit to act.

· 1 Samuel 17:47-48 - Goliath’s venomous cursing released a spirit of fear. David stood his ground and declared the real outcome based upon his trust in the Lord.

Hebrews 3:1 - Jesus – the Apostle and high priest of our profession.

· Apostle = one who is sent to build, establish.

· High Priest – the one who acts on our behalf before God.

· Profession = homologeo = to speak the same words as God.

Shaping Your Own World (11 of 12)

Sun 30 Dec 2007 AM  « Back to Top

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You know you've heard the old saying: sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me? Not true, because long after the bones have been fixed, the words and names you've been called are still ringing inside you like a message that won't go away, defining who you are. You cannot let what other people say define who you are. Let God define who you are. He's designed you and through relationship with Him, you begin to embrace what He has to say, and your life comes up to a different level.

I'm going to be speaking again, carrying on where I was last week. We've been doing a series on the Power of the Tongue, and we did a series for about four weeks on Taming the Tongue, and all the different ways that people speak destructively, and speak words that impact negatively the lives around us. Then this last couple of weeks we've been looking at the Creative Power of the Tongue, how we can actually speak words that change our lives, change our environment, so we're going to just pick up with a couple of scriptures you're familiar with. I keep going through the same scriptures, because I know then you'll get them into your mind and heart.

Proverbs 18:21, how many can remember already what that is? Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it, shall eat the fruit of it. In other words, whatever words we speak, begin to shape what's around us, shape our relationships, shape the way we are, and we have a fruit from the things we say, so already you have a fruit you're eating from, the words you've sown into relationships, and have spoken over your life over times past. I was with one group of people the other day. We were just having lunch with a friend and as we were down there I was just looking around, seeing if there was anyone I knew, found someone I knew, went over and said hello - it was a birthday party so well, it was great. We congratulated them on the birthday and say well, we've got a tradition here, what we're going to do we're going to sing Happy Birthday.

We got everyone around who was anywhere near us, we all sang Happy Birthday out loud, and then I said we've got another tradition, and we're going to start it, and that is we like to speak words that impart honour and value into people. One of the family members - not my family - one of the family members immediately says oh, we don't do that our family! Isn't that amazing? Well that was your past. You can choose a different future, and it begins today, so I'll show you how to do it, and then you can be next [Laughter] and it changed the whole environment. Isn't it interesting how someone had got fixed in their mind, well we don't do things that way. Why would you ever agree with that, when you can disagree with it, and change it, change yourself, and change your future? We need to be willing to do that - so creative words. So it was just wonderful to see them begin to talk, and share words of affirmation that spoke value into that person.

So let's have a look in James, Chapter 3. I want to go back to that one again, and then we'll start off where we want to go today. So we saw that words have power in them. You know you've heard the old saying, sticks and stones will break my bones, but names will never hurt me? That is not true, because long after the bones have been fixed, the words and names you've been called are still ringing inside you like a message that won't go away, defining who you are, and you cannot let your past define who you are. You cannot let what other people say define who you are. You must let God define who you are, and when you let God define who you are, and say what He sees in you, or what He's designed in you, and through relationship with Him, you begin to embrace what He has to say, and your life comes up to a different level. We're going to touch on that a little bit later.

James, Chapter 3, just go back there where we were, and He says this, Verse 3. Now we put a bit in a horse's mouth that it may obey us, and we turn the whole body. Isn't that amazing? Just one little part of the horse, you've got a hold of it there and control of it, you can control the whole horse. Then he says look at ships; though they're so large and driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder, wherever the pilot wants, so he uses two pictures real easy to see - a horse and a ship. It says both of them are controlled by something very, very small and then in case we didn't get it, he says it's the same with your tongue. If you can bridle the tongue, and begin to change the words you're speaking, you will change the course of your life. You will change the course of your life. You will change the course of your life. Not listening to lots of messages is going to change your life - it's what you do, will change the course of your life.

I want to share with you some things today that will help you. I'll develop them in depth or in a different way a little later on into next year, but we were talking last week about the words we speak, the words that God spoke. They are spirit, and they have capacity to bring a power to bear in the world, beyond what's just natural around us. He said the words I speak, they are spirit, and they are life. So when Jesus spoke words, many things changed. The supernatural was released. There was a spiritual dimension unlocked as He spoke the word of God, and so the Bible's very clear that, when you and I begin to start to tame our tongue, and master our tongue, begin to speak differently, our life's direction will begin to change. We looked at several areas that we wanted to change, but the most important one, the one I want to look at today, is the shaping your own world, shaping your inner world by the word of God, because if you don't shape or change what's inside you, mostly what's outside you will remain - there'll be very little change.

I talk and counsel a lot of people at times, and always they're looking for something outside them to shift. The belief inside is that if just I get a better chance, or if I just win Lotto, if I just strike it lucky or something, if I just get a break, that they're looking for an external thing, and they're putting their hope in something external that will actually shift everything for them. Reality is, it doesn't work that way. We had a guy over the road from us, and he thought that way. He won $50,000 in a scratchy Lotto thing, and so he was very happy for a little while. He thought his whole life would change. I thought well, you know, unless he's changed on the inside, it'll be about a year, and he'll have lost it all. In the end I couldn't stand it, and went over and said listen, for goodness sake get a house, do something with your money. It was all just being frittered away. He'd already done $25,000 when I intervened, and tried to help him and give him some advice to actually help him get direction.

Because he didn't change inside, a change externally didn't make any difference. You can run away from your problems, but the problems are inside you, and so next place you go, the funny thing is, the same things are happening there. Okay then, so we want to look about changing your inner world, and particularly my focus is on the words, shaping your world by the word of God, and particularly words you speak. I want you to look with me in Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verse 29. So first thing we want to look at is changing the way we speak, changing how we speak. Paul has been writing about what Christ has done for us, and the position He's given us, and now begins to talk about how you live your life. He talks about some changes to make in our lifestyle, and here's one of them. He says - Verse 29 - let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. In other words, he's saying you need to change the way you talk, after you've given your life to Christ. You need to change the way you speak. The life before Christ, we tend to speak all kinds of negativity, all kinds of things are in our hearts and life, but we come to the Lord and our inner life changes. We're born again inside.

Then he says you need to change how you speak, and how you address the outer world because, notice this, he said you should let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. That's stop doing that, then look what he tells us to do. He says but rather speak words which are good for edification, or building up. Just stop there for a moment. He said change from negative talk, critical talk, putting down talk, destructive talk, bitter talk, harsh talk. He says begin to actually start to commit yourself to speak words that are building up words, that acknowledge good things, that honour people, that value people, that appreciate people. Start to speak differently. Now notice this: he said speak words that are good for edifying - notice this - that they may impart grace to the hearers. That word impart means to transfer, or to put into someone's life, to bring into them something which they need. The word grace always in the Bible refers to the power of God. By grace you're saved, in other words the power of God that changes us on the inside, when with faith we respond to Christ.

So notice this. He's saying start to speak words that release the life of God to those who hear, or are responding to what you're saying. Now he wouldn't tell us to do that, if it wasn't possible for you and me to speak words that release the spiritual life of God, to encourage, lift up, and refresh, and touch people. Many of you have had an experience where someone prayed for you, or had a prophetic word, and your heart suddenly just felt overwhelmed, as you felt the love of God touch you. You felt the spirit of God flow through that person's words, and impact your life and heart, so you and I can speak words that impart grace, that empower people, release the life of God. Now one of the greatest dilemmas in families is silent men, men who have the power to speak words that could change young people in their thinking, in their outlook, but they don't say anything. So one of the things that God has given all of us the ability to do, is to speak words that can release grace, release the life of God. You don't even know, like you don't feel any different. You're just speaking from your heart. You're speaking the things that you have in your heart, you're speaking out of the life you're living with Christ, and what happens is the words have an effect you just were surprised by.

There's a life flow within your words, because you're joined to the Lord. He that's joined to the Lord is one spirit, so as we speak, words go out. Now the word 'hearer' means someone who's listening attentively. Who is it you listen to most of all? Yourself. The one you hear talk more than anyone in the world is yourself. Is that not true? You're talking to yourself all the time. Thoughts are going through the head, even right now some of you will be thinking, agreeing, disagreeing, feeling hot, tired, thinking about lunch. There's thoughts going on all the time, there's stuff going on. Your mind just doesn't zone out completely you know, there's thoughts going on all the time - about 30 to 40 words a minute I read about. That's an awful lot of words, a lot of words going on inside you, and you're either agreeing with those words, or rejecting those words, but there's a lot of words going on inside you, and some of them you're agreeing with, and many of them you speak out.

Now the ones you speak out, means you've come into agreement with what you're thinking, and they begin to start to impact you. You're hearing what you say. Now if our words have power to impart grace to those who hear them, you have the power to speak words of encouragement and strength into yourself. Now a lot of people say oh, why didn't no one encourage me. Encourage yourself! Well no one's really spoken words that lifted me up. Well okay, do it to yourself! Take God's words, and begin to speak them into your own life. The Bible says when David - 1 Samuel 36 - when David was in this huge problem place, he'd lost everything. In the middle of it all, when everything was disastrous, he strengthened himself. He must have said something. He spoke words that strengthened himself, in his relationship with God, and in his faith, and it turned that day. What a brilliant example, that is of a man who's whole life looks as though it's just gone down the sink hole, and in the middle of it, when everyone is talking failure, defeat, grieving, weeping, he spoke differently. He spoke words that strengthened himself in the Lord.

The result of it was, he heard God afresh, and the direction he got carried him through, and he ended up the day better off than he had been before he heard the bad news. How did he do it? Well you can read that in Bill Johnson's book, you can find some great keys on that, and I'll share some things on that, but we'll talk a little bit about it today, because there are some basic principles you do need to understand, on how to speak words to build yourself up. That'd be a good thing wouldn't it? Tell someone next to you, you need to encourage yourself. You need to encourage yourself. Now a lot of the words we're speaking to ourselves, are kind of just like oh, I need to get that done today. Man, I mustn't forget that. A lot of it's just neutral kinds of words, but there are some other kinds of words which are different, and there are many words we speak which actually are completely destructive to us, and very limiting; oh, I can never do that. Often the first time you ever ask people to do something - oh, I can never do that. Who said that? Who on earth told you you could never do that?

How many here in the church have found themselves, you've been here a while, and you've done things you'd never have thought you could have done? Look at it, all over, see? Because you just needed some words that would build you up, and encourage you, so you'd stretch out and do things you'd never done before, so obviously you were limited in your thoughts, and limited in what you were saying on the inside. There was a need to change. It's very well known of course in the sports field, this whole issue of self-talk, and insurance people use it, sportsmen do it. The cutting edge between winners and losers in the sports field is often not about the talent, it's about the inner mentalities, and that is generated and developed by what they think on, and what they say to themselves; I can do it. I can do it - so there's an inward talk that goes on.

See even naturally, without any presence of God, it's understood in the secular world, that you can actually improve your performance by speaking the right kinds of things to yourself, and stopping the whining, negative talk. How much more then, if you're a Holy Spirit-filled believer, and you begin to start to speak words into your own life, how you yourself will begin to change on the inside - but you've got to do it. See, I can tell you the message, and I can tell you the how, I can get alongside you and show you what to do, but at the end of the day, when you walk away, you've got to do something. You just have to decide at the end of 2008, I will be enlarged in my capacity, I will have changed some things in my life, and one thing I'll change is the way I talk, particularly the way I talk to myself. I'm going to begin to speak differently. I'll talk to you a little bit about what to speak - see, so we can - that word impart grace, means to supply something needed to build and strengthen you, from the resources God has made available. Isn't that amazing aye? You can build yourself.

There was a season in my life where I had to make a conscious decision to devote time specifically to building myself. Now a lot of Christians get this religious kind of thinking that oh well, you know, just be thinking about other people, doing stuff for other people. No, listen. You can only give to others what you've received. If you can grow and increase your personal capacity, and mentalities, and skills, and attitudes, you've got more to give. Even the world understands that. If you just come in and you have no skills, you get paid a low rate, but if you go away and train and you learn new skills, you're worth more. You have more to give. Well now what a tragedy for people who remain Christians, and never do anything to improve themselves, to increase their value.

You know you can have one year's Christian experience 10 times, or you can have 10 years experience. You've got to think about that. What have you done to put into practice what you learned this year? Okay, so let me just read you another verse, Isaiah 55, Verses 8 and 9. Look what it says here, and God is talking to Isaiah, a prophet. He makes an interesting statement, and this is what He says; My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. For as heaven is higher than the earth, so are My ways of doing things higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Okay, let's just stop there for a moment. Now what He's saying is, He's not being negative. He's just saying this; He's saying a human being without God is limited in their thinking. What He's saying is, the thoughts I think, are far higher than what you would think, they're bigger than what you think, they have more value than what you have. If you would connect with Me, and begin to listen to My thoughts, and come into agreement with them, your inner life would shift and change, and then your world would change. So He says My ways of doing things, now for example, one of the ways of God doing things is serving. Jesus came, He said I've come not to expect anything, or to get anything from anyone, I've come to serve and give my life. Now very clearly, the greater you are at serving, the greater influence you have, but often people think the other way.

It's more natural for us to think, I've got to get myself ahead, but actually if you serve, and value, and invest into people, which is God's way of doing stuff, it actually works. So many things you find in life, people are struggling trying to make life work, but God says listen, tune in. I know how it works, because I designed it. He says My ways of doing things have got greater value than your ways. Some ways we do things are fine, but He said there's other better ways of doing things. He said if you can lock in with My words, and My thoughts, and you begin to agree with them, and you begin to let them be a part of you, then your life will come up to a different level. My life now is a completely different level to what it was 10 years ago, and that was a completely different level to what it was 10 years before that. The more I've come into agreement with God's thoughts about me, and about life, and about what could be done, and what I could do, the more my life changes.

So who's responsible for that? You are. So to change your inner world or shape your inner world, you actually have to change what's inside your heart, see? The thing is - and let me just read this verse here - I want you to have a look with me in Proverbs 23 and Verse 7. I'm going to talk about changing your inner world, and then I'm going to give you several little keys on what to do, how specifically you about changing your inner world. I'm not just going to exhort you and tell you it's possible. I want to show you actually how it happens, then it's only a matter of just putting the discipline and the commitment into working with yourself. Why wouldn't you work with yourself? You're of great value to God. Oh, I can see straight away some thoughts come up - I'm not much value. Who told you that? Why do you agree with that?

I've found very often when I ask someone, why don't you pray for yourself, they can't pray for themselves, and when you explore why they can't pray for themselves, it's for this reason; their belief about what their value is, is very low, and they don't realise they're of great value to God. So they can pray for everyone else except for themselves. They can ask for everyone else except for themselves. God wants you to know you're of great value, but someone a long time ago, or experiences, may have told you you're not much value. Someone may have spoken it over your life, and if you've come into agreement with those words, they define who you are, and I want my life defined by what God says I am, and what I can do. Think about that. See, don't let your past define you, don't let friends define you. You need to let God's word - God's your designer, He knows what you're capable of, and I can tell you now, I can absolutely assure you now, you're capable of much more in 2008 than you did in 2007. You are capable of much, much more, but to position yourself for that to happen, you've got to be willing to change how you think about yourself. Next time we'll talk about how to change the atmosphere around you, then we'll talk about how to change the world around you, how you actually bring influence of God to bear through words you speak.

Right now, I want to just look at first of all defining your inner world. Proverbs 23:7 says as a man thinks in his heart, so he is. As a man thinks in his heart, so the Bible uses the word heart, not your physical heart. It's describing your inner man - in the heart of the matter, the core of the matter. So when the Bible's talking about your heart, it refers to the inner man. The Bible describes us as being made up with body, soul and spirit. We're a spirit being. We have capacity to interact with the spirit world. We're a human being, we have capacity to live and function in a physical world, and the soul is the connecting point between the two. If a person's in this world without God, then they're cut off from that life that God could give them. When we connect with the Lord, then we have access to the life of God.

Okay then, now in Matthew, Chapter 12 and Verses 34 and 35 it says this; Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Out of the abundance of the heart - so you have to do more than just change what you're saying. We do have to address the issues of the heart, and I'll show you just in a moment how that takes place. It's not very difficult. Nothing in God is very difficult, never is, but if I just try to control my words and change my words, and don't change what's going inside me, I'll actually find I'm slipping back into old ways. Some of you who would have had real trouble with swearing, and then you find every now and then, suddenly you lose and you're back down that track again, even though you tried to stop see? Because we've got to change the heart, so if we change what's inside us, then what's outside of us will shift easily, but the two work together as we'll see in just a moment.

Okay, so the words overflow what's in your heart, so when the Bible's talking about your heart, and what's in your heart, and what flows out of your heart, what will flow out of your heart will be things that you believe. You may be conscious of them, or not conscious of them, but things you believe, things you've accepted as true, for example, if you've accepted I'm of no value, it's going to affect everything. You'll have trouble receiving a compliment. You'll have trouble receiving praise for anything you do. You'll have trouble receiving a gift. You'll love to give them, but very difficult to receive because inside, if you were really true, you actually don't believe you're of great value and not deserving of something. These values, these beliefs form while we're younger of course.

The second thing is, that are inside us, in our heart, are agreements. Agreement is something you've come into one mind or harmony with. Now of course, the Bible tells us in the spirit world, there are demonic spirits, wicked and evil spirit beings, that invade people's minds and body, when they're ever given an opportunity, and when they invade, they fill you with feelings, and they fill you with thoughts. If you come into agreement with their thoughts, and don't actually make a stand against them, then that demon's empowered to work in your life. It will continue to work, until the day you come into disagreement with it, so I found for years for example, I struggle with thought patterns, and I was just in agreement with it. It never occurred to me that actually demonic spirits were riding in on the back of some hurts in my younger days, and were just talking to me.

They were just familiar thoughts; I could never do this, I'll never be good enough, nothing I ever do is good enough - thoughts which were demonically empowered, so I found it really difficult to change initially, until I realised I had to deal with it. One, I had to come into a disagreement with that thought, and the spirit behind it. Then I had to begin to start to plant new thoughts. I remember when I went to Dannevirke and got a school property there, they showed me the garden, and the garden was overgrown with weeds, oxalis actually. There's no chance you could grow anything unless you pulled out the weeds and plant something good, and many times when we look into our heart, we begin to see what we're saying, we're echoing what people said to us when we were younger. Some people have had dads say oh, you're an idiot, you'll never do anything, and that thing is resonating away in their head. It's in the heart, I believe I'll never be any good at anything, and so we come to the Lord; yes, we've accepted Jesus saved us, we've accepted He died on the cross for our sins, we've come into our initial connection with Him. Now He wants to renovate the inside, so you can actually accomplish His purpose for your life.

That's why it's important to grow in the Lord, to continue to grow, never stop growing, never settle down, never say I've got enough. You have far more potential in you, that'll be unlocked as you change what you're agreeing with, change what you believe. Another thing that gets into our heart and into our mind are mindsets. A mindset is like a mental rut. It's a way of thinking. Now some people have got mindsets about Asians. Some people have got mindsets about Maori. Some people have got mindsets about white people, some people have got mindsets about Africans. Now mindsets are a fixed way of thinking, and I must admit when I faced going to Asia the very first time, God opened a door for me to go to minister to Chinese. Now I had a bit of a problem, because I had a bit of a mental set birthed out of my experiences with Chinese. The only Chinese I ever met were Chinese who were in the market gardens around here. They were very cold, very unfriendly, I didn't understand them, and they were different people.

I had, I would not say positive attitudes, and now God's called me to go to minister to them! Now clearly you can't do that unless you change your mindset, so the Lord had to help me to shift, and let go the things I'd come into agreement with, and begin to form new things. I said to Him Lord, I don't know what to do. You've opened the door for me. I've got no idea how to connect with a culture that's so different to what I'm used to and I said, how would I do it? He gave me three keys, and I've just followed the three keys He gave me systematically for the last 20 years, and everywhere I go I get favour.

Now you see my thinking was lower than His thinking. He had the answers on how to think, how to behave, how to speak, how to respond, that changed everything around my relationship with the Chinese people. Now I love them, and I was away in Taiwan for about three weeks I suppose, ministering one time, came back and had to go into a chemist to pick up something. There were two people there; there was a young New Zealand boy, there was a young Chinese boy. I felt drawn to the Chinese boy, and I looked at him and I thought man, I know what that draw is. That's the spirit of God drawing me. I said you're from Taiwan aren't you? He said how did you know that? See, because God had done something in my heart to connect me, when I changed how I viewed Chinese people. Think about this.

Some people have got it towards women. There are many men sitting here, and you have got mindsets about women, and that affects your capacity to grow and develop deep and meaningful relationships. There are women here who have mindsets about men, and that affects your ability to enter into and have a long term relationship with men. You're carrying baggage, and if you want your future to be better, to you've got to - well God, what do I do about this? How can I change what's inside me? Most times, when I hear people talking about what the problem is, it's always the other partner. It's a shame really, because you can't do anything about them, you can only do something about yourself, see, because you're not responsible for them. You're responsible for yourself. Oh, gone real quiet now. Those elbows are getting out, I can tell it! [Laughter] I hope you're listening.

Okay and of course expectations are a part of our inner life, what we expect, what we're looking forward to, what we're anticipating. I had a negative outlook, very negative, expected things to go wrong, and to break, and to go wrong for me. Terrible isn't it? It's very, very bad really. Judgements is another thing, you know, where you've actually formed an opinion about someone, about men or women or life or whatever. So these are some of the things that get in our hearts, and we've got to shift, so if you're going to change what's on the inside, you have to identify the issues. You have to know what it is I need to change, and fortunately the Holy Spirit will help us. You ask Him show me what I need to change. Don't go saying: show him what he needs to change, or show her what she needs to change. Show ME what I need to change to grow to another level and enlarge my potential and capacity, see. Show me what I need - He loves to answer that kind of prayer.

Okay then, now what kinds of things He will help you see, and I'll put them in two categories, then I'll show you just a strategy for working on some of these things. One group of areas that affects how we see ourselves, and how we speak, are the issue of past trauma that we've had, painful experiences, so I'll give you three areas; one, broken relationships. If broken relationships are not resolved through forgiveness, the pain that we feel tends to cause us to lock up with certain mindsets, and so you can try and change the mindset, but if you don't deal with the root issue that's feeding it, it doesn't shift easily. So I've found, for example, when I was coming to deal with myself, I had come to the point of a situation of forgiveness of perceived unfairness I'd felt towards my own father, see. But I had to deal with it, in order to break free from the past, to be able to be changed by the word of God to go forward. So many times, to move forward, we have to actually release or identify issues of broken relationships, and release forgiveness. If you don't, you'll lock into mindsets and you're speaking negatively, you speak destruction over your life.

The second area that we need to deal with, is areas of grief, where there's been a grief, a disappointment, a loss. It could be a death of someone close to us, a loss of some kind of business, unexpected tragedy, a marriage or family break up, but the grief of it. I was just talking with someone last Sunday, and I was very sad to hear that their marriage had broken up, that I could have helped them. They didn't need to break up. The problem was this, that there was grief, and I pointed out to them about a year ago what I saw was a problem that was developing. They stood up to address it, and then the grief, they turned on one another. What a tragedy, so if we don't deal with the grief in our heart and release them, and let them go, and grieve over them, and move on, we just stay angry, and no amount of positive confession, or faith confession will shift it.

We do have to address the issues of the heart, so there's relationships, grief; bitter judgements are where we judge, or make a judgement about someone, based on a bitter feeling. Now those kinds of things lock us in to things, and there's an emotional power inside, and demons get in around - it's hard to shift it. It doesn't shift easily. It's much easier if you do what God says. You know what He says, if someone hurt you? He just says forgive them - so easy if you do it. My way is, I want to stay angry at them. God says, I've got a better way, it's a higher way, just forgive them, and let them go, and move on. Oh, that's not fair. Well that's your way of thinking. God says no, I know it's not fair, but nevertheless just let it go, it'll empower you to move on. Okay then, so let's just talk then about some of the steps that you can - so there's the first thing are relationships. The second group are the area of words, words we've come into agreement with.

I remember praying for one lady one day, and as I went to pray for her, these words came up into my mind: no one ever wanted me. I suddenly heard these words come into my mind, and I realised the word of God was showing me, this is what controlled this woman. She had come to believe years ago when she was a little girl, had gone through a conflict in her home, no one ever wanted me. So she lived her life out of that belief, and I just prayed for her. I didn't even ask her about it. I laid hands on her, broke the power of those words that said no one ever wanted me, and spoke the truth, and she just broke down and wept and wept and wept.

There was a tremendous freedom came to her life. I said now the power of that thing you've come into agreement with is broken, now you need to begin to face the issues of forgiveness, and then change how you think - no longer agree with it. You are of value. God loves you. God values you. God wants to work with you, see? Okay then, so beliefs and mindsets, so these are the things that need to change.

Now I want to share with you, is just a couple of simple keys on how to shift them. How can I shift what's going on? How can I use God's word to shift the things, just remembering that God's words have a power of spirit life. Jesus said, the words I speak are spirit in their life. Number two, that God's thoughts always are higher than ours, so initially we may find ourselves reacting to what God says, but what I want to show you is just some simple steps. I know they work. I've worked them myself, and they change the whole way I view life and they change particularly the way I viewed myself, and then my capacity to receive from God. I want to just give them to you very, very simply. Take a note of them, and if you can't get a note, get the CD or get something like that, but just put these things to work.

The first thing was - and it goes almost without saying - is I need a personal relationship with Jesus Christ for this reason. The Bible tells us, when we're born in this world, we're born without God, so we've got to try and get along on our own, do it our own way. So when we come to a place of faith in relationship with God, we open ourselves to His help. We open ourselves to His grace, we open ourselves to His power being able to touch us. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:17 if you are joined to the Lord, you are one spirit. There's a oneness of connection, so that means you now have the ability to draw on the life of the Holy Spirit. Okay, so this is the first thing, the first step to a significant change in your inner world is to actually respond to God's love, God's gift to you. He loves you and values you. The first thing is to agree with that, and become connected with Him.

Okay, here's some other things that you can do. The second one is we can identify and resolve the personal issues we have. If you realise that the Holy Spirit - I remember speaking to some of our young people over the last year, and I had spoken to them probably on and off for about a year or two years over issues that blocked them going forward and growing, I said if you will deal with this issue, your capacity and the life of God around you will increase. Just would you deal with it? Deal with it. In the end, I spoke to one and said, just deal with it now, and gave him a 10 day period, and they did it, and their life changed, see so we need to resolve relationship issues, unforgiveness, hurt, those kinds of things, just resolve and forgive.

Jesus said very clearly, when you stand praying, if you've got anything against anyone, just forgive them, release them, let it go. Let it go. Let it go. Let it go. Grieve over it, and let it go, so you can move on. Then the third thing is, practice speaking out and breaking agreements with negative words. Learn how to break agreements with negative words. Now if you've never learnt to speak things out over your life, then this will be a bit of a challenge for you, because just even hearing your own voice will be a shock. For some people, just hearing their own voice speaking is a bit of a shock, but we can speak. Remember, I can speak words that change my inner world, so one of the things I began to do was this. The first thing I did was I actually dealt with some of the unresolved relationship conflicts in my life by forgiving, grieving over it and letting it go. That meant I could move on instead of being tormented by it.

The second thing I did was I began to identify where I was in agreement with certain mindsets; self-pity, poor me, no one cares. I had to actually stand against it, and break its power - in the name of Jesus Christ I break the power of self-pity. I cancel those words. I reject those words and the spirit behind them. You've actually got to stand up. You come into disagreement with it, not settle with it, and let it be over you. You've got to stand up and disagree with it, see? Another one was rejection. I felt like I was not acceptable, so I had to actually stand up and speak words; in Jesus' name, I break that mindset of rejection, I break the power of that spirit behind it. I refuse its hold over my life in Jesus' name - actually had to make a stand against it, and there were a number of areas I had to make a stand against. If you don't make a stand against some things which are negative in your life, they're going to continue to dominate your life. You must get some grunt and fight in you and stand up, disagree with them.

Some people just want perpetual counselling. What they really need is to stand up, and take personal responsibility for your life, and begin to contend with the things which are contrary to what God says is for your life. If He says He has accepted you, why do you live with the lie of rejection? I'm not accepted, I don't belong, I've no value - why live with the lie when God says I love you, and have accepted you, because of your trust in Jesus Christ? Well I've found, yes, I knew it in my head, but my heart didn't know it, so I still lived like I was a rejected person. I had to change my heart, by speaking the word of God, and contending, and standing against the things which were negative. You've got to resist them. Don't let them settle on you. Some people live their life bowed down, because they're accepting this kind of negative thought, rejection, defeat, self-pity, bitterness, all this kind of stuff. You've got to take a stand against it, come into disagreement with it. Disagree with it. Disagree with it. You don't know how long you've agreed - I decided it would probably take me a little while, and so I set aside about three to six months to come into disagreement with those things which I saw dominated my life, and of course it's not a matter of just coming into disagreement. You've actually got to sow something - here's the next thing.

The next thing is search out and embrace what God says about you. Find out what God has to say about you. He's got a lot of good things to say about you. Find out what He has to say. Oh, that'd be a bit much work. Well listen mate, it'll change your life - do it! The word of God will change your life. It's given to build you up, so you're equipped for every good work. You need to know what God says about you. If you don't know, let someone help you, so when we read what God says, we get His thoughts on us. He says I've redeemed you. I love you. I have accepted you. I forgive you. I have a destiny - He's got a lot of things to say - got a lot of things to say, and so if we don't agree with what He says, then we're locked into the old ways of thinking which limit us, for example He tells us how to come to Him. He says come boldly to the throne of grace, so He doesn't say to come timidly and quietly. He says come boldly.

So you see if I don't know what He says, how can I be in agreement with it? You know what I'll agree with? I'll agree with what everyone around me said, or my tradition, or my background, or whatever. You've got to go to what God says is the thing we ought to do, and believe that. So find out what God has to say. In Jeremiah 15, Verse 16, he says I found your words and I ate them. I took them right into my life, and they were the joy and rejoicing of my heart. So God's word coming into our life shifts us, and changes us. You can't believe how many people, hundreds and thousands of people by now, have come into tremendous freedom because we broke the power of things that were over their life, the demons that were in them got out, the presence of God and the word of God came in. I've got letter after letter after letter of people who've felt God love them for the first time in their life, and how did that happen? The power of Spirit anointed words, spoken from someone who had changed and believed what He was saying. Okay, so find out what God has to say.

Then here's what you do is you need to begin to declare it. These are the key parts these next two parts: first, resolve the conflict. Secondly, break the agreements with the negative patterns of thinking as you identify them. Somebody will say oh, I can never get anything right. Stop saying that. Disagree with that. Some people agree, you know, they've got words spoken over them, you're a fool, you're a failure. No! God has not planned failure for you! He's planned success for you! You've got to break those agreements with those negative things. Now who's going to do it? I'm sorry, but unless you do it it's not going to happen. You have to make a decision in 2008, I will arise, I will no longer stay limited with my current limitations. I'm going to begin to start to content to break out and that means I'll change on the inside.

Now here's the next two parts which are really important. Declare strongly God's word over your life as an affirmation. We need to learn to declare what God says over our lives. Now see a lot of people are very familiar with the 23rd Psalm for example. They all know the 23rd Psalm of: the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, and so on and so forth. But now what you need to do is to take it from just being a statement by one man, David, and personalise it, and make it your statement. Lord, you are my shepherd, I have an abundance of everything I need. See? You make me lie down, in green pastures, you lead me. You restore my soul. Today, I think of you leading me in right paths, because you're a good shepherd.

To get the word of God to work in your life, you need to find a promise of God, personalise it, make it so it's personal - I, me, my. Secondly, it needs to be simple and direct. Always make it positive - so I never go declaring the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. The Lord is my shepherd, I have an abundance of everything I need. He leads me in right paths. Thank you today Lord you are leading me, and guiding me in every step, and everything I do. You actually need to declare God's word over your life, and as you declare it, speak it into yourself. Hear what you're saying, and if you need to speak up, tell yourself SPEAK UP! Don't mumble. [Mumbles] No, listen, not like that. The Lord is MY shepherd. I lack nothing. I'm full of every abundance of everything! See, get positive instead of mumbling away. Mumbles don't change anything. You've got to learn to speak, speak the word into yourself, and hear what you're saying, because the Bible says as you hear the word of God, faith rises in your heart.

This is what will happen when you personalise and speak the word of God over your life on a daily basis; it begins to change what you believe about yourself, and as it changes what you believe, you begin to change. You've got to do it, personalise it, take scriptures, speak them; I'm accepted. Today I Thank You Lord I have acceptance.

See a lot of people don't know how to pray and make their prayers personal. Thank You Lord, I'm accepted in You today. My sins are forgiven. I walk in freedom today! I thank You I can boldly come into your presence today! Now that's just taking scripture and declaring it over my life. Now what happens when you keep doing that is, you begin to change on the inside. You hear your own words, you hear yourself speaking positive, encouraging, life-giving, spirit-filled words, and you get lifted up, and you change. Your inner man changes.

Finally the last thing to do is to place with that - the Bible talks about meditating. Now non-Christian meditation is about emptying yourself until there's a vacuum all kinds of stuff can come into, but Christian meditation always means picturing, imagining, visualising, seeing God's word over and over and over. When we say we learnt our tables by heart, it meant we memorised them by repetition. In Joshua 1, Chapter 8, He said these words that I speak shall be in your mouth, shall not depart our of your mouth He said, but you'll meditate on them day and night to do them, and then you will make your own way prosperous. This is what you need to do. I'll share this in more detail in another thing. I'll just make a focus on it, and show you how to do it. We have done this overseas with large numbers of people hungry for God, and got them meditating in the word of God, and they began to encounter and experience the reality of God. Meditation opens the way for you to begin to experience the reality of God, so meditating. So what do I meditate? The Lord is my shepherd, so I need to picture, and see that as a reality. What would it look like if the Lord was my shepherd?

See for many people [recites speedily in monotone] The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want - it's just a prayer. It's never actually become an experience for you. It's never become your reality. Until it becomes your reality, it's just a prayer in the Bible, a nice prayer. Pray it when you're dying - but what I want to do is pray it now and live by it, see? So I took some time, probably for the best space of six months, praying that prayer. Sometimes I'd go through the whole lot, sometimes just one. Lord, you're my shepherd. The word shepherd is a friend and companion. I'd begin to picture and meditate Him being near to me, very near. If He's a shepherd He's near me, and meditating means you're declaring, you're speaking, and you're picturing what God's word is being true. I imagine what that would feel like, He's my friend, because all I really could imagine and feel was being alone - so time spent with the word of God, confessing it, declaring it and meditating in it, it began to find root in my heart, and I knew it changed one day, because one day I suddenly encountered the experience of God's love for me as a personal friend. I wept and wept when it become that real.

Before that it was a little hard going, I didn't feel a thing. I was doing it because I knew this was somehow going to get me to change on the inside. Afterwards, for about three months afterwards, any time I'd sit with anyone and pray the 23rd Psalm with them, they'd all break down and cry, because what I had experienced of the reality of God started to flow to touch them. Now you have to make the decision, whether you'll accept life at this level in the next year, or whether you will walk with yourself to grow and enlarge in your faith, your capacity, your mind, your way of viewing things, if you'll let the spirit of God and the word of God renew your mind and your inner man. The Bible says don't let the world shape you, and push you down into it's mould, but be totally shifted and changed, so you become quite a different person, by renovating your mind, renovating what you believe, renovating your inner man.

I've given you the keys to it today. All you've got to do is begin to start to put them into practice, and you can begin to shift whatever it is in your life at this point needs to shift. For some, it may be a poverty mindset. Poverty mindset goes like this; there's not enough, there's not enough. A person can be very young, and be deeply wounded by not having enough. They go to school, they haven't got the clothes everyone else has got, everything is second hand. They get deeply wounded, deeply hurt, begin to think there's not enough, not enough, so they begin to decide I know what I'll do. I'll really make sure I'm never in that position. So they grow, and they work, and they train, and they do very well, and they're really doing well; they've got a heap of money, but you know what their prevailing mentality is? There's not enough! I've seen people with heaps of money, and you know what they're saying to themselves? There's not enough! How much is enough? But the message inside is not enough! They've got a message of poverty, even though they've got all this money around them. Now they need to shift on the inside, change on the inside, and then all their outer world will change. You can shape your world within by the word of God.

Father in heaven, we just thank You right now for Your love and care and kindness to us. Thank you for your goodness to us. Thank You for all that You do, and continue to do. Thank You for the keys on how to change, how to shift on the inside. Just while our eyes are closed and heads are bowed, there may be someone here today, you've been thinking about spiritual things maybe for a long time, and one of the first keys to a significant change in your inward life is to have a relationship with God, through a personal faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible says, people are born into this world without God. We live our life without Him. We try the best we can, do what we can, but the Bible calls it sin, living a life apart from our creator. Jesus came to give us that life, and the Bible says this; whoever received Him, whoever put their trust in Him, He gave the power to become a child of God. So there's something required of us, not just to acknowledge Jesus was a historical figure, but to acknowledge He died on the cross for my sins. He rose from the dead, I have to put my trust in Him. To everyone who received Him, to everyone who made Him welcome in their life, to everyone who put their trust in Him, He gave power to be a child of God.

Creative Power of the Tongue (12 of 12)

Sun 6 Jan 2008 AM  « Back to Top

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Atmosphere is the prevailing influence that's around; it can't be seen but it can be felt. An atmosphere can affect your whole life, your quality of life. You can either thrive in it or be destroyed in it. Atmosphere gets polluted, it affects you very, very seriously.

We did a season where we were talking about Taming the Tongue, identifying the ways that we speak which are negative and destructive and change the atmosphere around us. Now we're looking at how we constructively use our tongue, so we're looking at a whole series now on the Creative Power of the Tongue, the ability of your words to create atmosphere and to create life. We had that verse, anyone remember it? Proverbs 18:21, death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it shall eat the fruit of it. So in other words we will eat the fruit of the words we speak, and the words we speak can impart something to us. They can impart death. They can impart life. You choose.

So I've found as I've been speaking even on this series, God's been speaking to me also, about this same area. I've been finding myself being challenged all the time on how I speak, continually, how I speak to children, how I speak to various people, God continually putting His finger on it, so we can improve what's happening around us. We shared last week, we shared with you different ways, about how you could influence and shape the world around you, and the first place to start was by shaping the world inside you. So we looked in Ephesians 4, Verse 29. It talks there - can anyone remember that verse? Can you all remember that verse? A-ha.

Don't let any corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. In other words guard what you're speaking. Put a stop to negative talk, but rather such which is good to the use of edifying. Edifying is to build up, to strengthen, to enlarge something, make it bigger and better than it was. To edify, build up. So He says - notice this, He's talking about the words we're speaking; stop talking negatively. Learn how to speak words that build up, that impart grace to the hearers, and that word impart means to give, to transfer something that's needed to build, and that something that we can transfer is the grace of God, the life of God. So it's not like we're just ordinary people. We have the ability to bring into the lives of others a word of God, encouragement from the Lord, words we speak can touch the hearts, and strengthen the lives, of people around us. What a tremendous chance!

End of last year we did a seminar, and it was just prophetic evangelism, how to hear from God, and speak words that open up the hearts of people. That was fantastic. How many enjoyed doing that? That was really good. That's something to keep doing, and of course what happens is as you speak words from God, as you speak from your heart, the things God's speaking to you about, then what happens is it opens up and touches the lives of people, builds them up - most wonderful gift. It's a tremendous gift. That's why the Bible says covet to prophesy. Covet - in other words, of all the gifts, it says covet to bring words from God, that lift, and build people up, release destiny into people. Release destiny into people. Come on, release destiny into people. Release hope into people. See, people are hungry for it, and you and I have the ability, as representatives of God, to speak into people, and to release the word of God into them. That word of God brings life.

Ezekiel prophesied into dead bones; LIVE! And God came on them, and they lived. Now God never came on them until he spoke see, so we have power in our words to speak, and something from the spirit of God can be transferred into people. Whoa! That's got to be good! So tell someone next to you, speak up, don't mumble. You won't impart life mumbling you know. That won't do it. You've got to speak words, and speak from our spirit into the world around us to change it. Now notice in that verse there, Ephesians 4:29, it says this: don't let any corrupt words come out of your mouth, but rather that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may impart grace to those who are listening to what's being said, and don't grieve the Holy Spirit.

So your words can release the spirit of God, or grieve and quench the spirit of God. See we can stand here and praise, and ask God to work through our life, but then our words can grieve Him, and the spirit of God withdraws. If He withdraws, you don't impart grace to people who hear you. Okay, we're getting there. Now what we saw last week was that, the one that you listen to the most, is yourself.

Last week we were talking about how you can speak words into your own life, into your own spirit, that shape what's going on in your inner world. I encourage you to get that if you weren't here, and begin to start to look at each of the steps I gave. They could all be developed further, so they're just the seed steps of what to do. I can tell you now, you can change your inner world. Now if you're not going to change it, who will? Okay, now then, we talked about changing first your inner world, because out of the heart the mouth speaks, so if I don't change what's going on in my heart, if I'm still negative inside, inevitably negativity will flow out. So it's not a matter of just stopping the words. I've actually got to change the attitude of heart. I've got to let the Holy Spirit in, and work with myself, and we saw that required that I deal with inner conflicts and unresolved relationship hurts, and we talked about how to do that. It involves that I begin to break mindsets, and stop agreeing with words which are limiting and negative, and begin to start to speak words that build, and are positive, and begin to start to impart life into the world. So we saw how to do that last week.

Now this time I want to start off this year, I want to carry on that same theme. We talk now about shaping the world around you. Now one of the first places is to shape the spiritual atmosphere around your own life, so what I want to do today is to talk how to shape and build the spiritual atmosphere around your own life. Then next, we'll look at shaping your relationships by the word of God, then we'll look at shaping the world around you, in other words how you release the word of God, to shape and influence what is happening around you. Is this good? Okay, so we'll look at building or shaping your spiritual atmosphere, shaping the spiritual atmosphere around your life by the word of God, or shaping your personal spiritual atmosphere.

Let me just talk to you. Most things that are spiritual, are actually really easy to understand. Anything that God wants to teach us, is usually very, very simple in it's concept, it's just we make it hard, and so when it sounds complicated, I kind of switch off to tell the truth, because God talks really simply and directly. The things He shows us are hard to put words to sometimes, but the things He wants to teach us are very, very simple. So first what I want you to do is, I want you to - we're going to just talk about atmosphere for a start off. I want to talk about something that you would know and understand. This is something we can all relate to very, very easily. I want to talk a little bit about atmosphere, define what it is, and different kinds of atmosphere. Then we want to look at spiritual atmosphere, what that is, and there are three things that it could be formed from. Then I want to just give you some simple keys on how you can shape your own spiritual atmosphere.

Okay, so first of all, the word atmosphere means this: atmos means vapour, and from the word sphaira meaning sphere, so literally, atmosphere is the sphere or the circle of vapour that just surrounds the world, and is held to the world by it's gravity. Note that, we're going to talk about that in a moment. The atmosphere that the world has, when we go outside, we can feel the atmosphere. Go to Singapore, Asia, it's a different kind of atmosphere. It smells different, feels different, everything about it is different. You go to some countries in the world, the atmospheres quite different in some countries, and some places, a very heavy atmosphere, different kinds of atmosphere. So there's a natural atmosphere which circles us. We live in that atmosphere. We live and we breathe that atmosphere, so the atmosphere is the air surrounding the earth, which the gravity holds in. It's also a surrounding or prevailing mood or influence. An atmosphere is a surrounding, prevailing influence.

Think about that - a surrounding, prevailing influence. What influence, what spiritual atmosphere surrounds you, and does it prevail? See, because if we're going to talk about making influence, spiritual influence, and impacting people, you have to be able to carry something on the inside to do that, otherwise you get overwhelmed. We used to do an experiment at high school. You get a can, a big four gallon can, put a bit of water in it and boil it. When you boil it it turns to steam, you drive all the air out. Now if you just put a cap on it and let it cool, what happens is there's the atmosphere, the air's been driven out. The water then, as it cools, just turns from vapour, it turns just to water drops, then you see the whole four gallon tin crush. You can't see what's crushing it, but there's something crushing it you couldn't see. Now what's crushing it is the weight of the air which is in the atmosphere around it, and it just literally collapses. I've done it many times - it just collapses, about 14lbs per square inch, in the way I used to remember it.

But there's an atmospheric pressure. The weight of the air has an atmospheric pressure. You go into the sea, the further down, you go the greater the pressure of that environment on you, so the atmosphere naturally exerts a pressure on us that affects us, and unless you've got something inside you to be able to withstand it, you'd collapse as well. Okay then, so there's natural atmosphere, and it's quite distinct and tangible. You can feel the atmosphere. Today it's quite sticky. Everything, you know, you do a little bit and then you're sticky and gluggy and you feel uncomfortable and go and have a shower - need an air con in here, that's what we really need [laughs] okay. So now let's just talk about some different kinds of atmospheres. Obvious one, if you go into Taipei or Thailand, you'll notice all of the policemen wear these masks, because the atmosphere is polluted. You can't see it, unless you look around in the sky you can see it, but it's polluted, and it will affect their health.

So remember atmosphere then, is the prevailing influence that's around; atmosphere can't be seen, but it can be felt. An atmosphere can affect your whole life, your quality of life. You can either thrive in it, or be destroyed in it. Atmosphere gets polluted, it affects you very, very seriously. This time of the year you get a lot of pollen in the atmosphere. You don't see it unless you look on your car in the morning, but even though you don't see it, it affects your eyes, affects your nose. So the atmosphere has effect on us, so that's just a natural atmosphere, but then there's other kinds of atmosphere. How many of you have walked into a home where there's been a death in the family, and immediately you felt a tremendous grief? You can feel it. What are you feeling? How can grief be felt? It must create an atmosphere, spiritual atmosphere that comes in on you, and you feel it. You can think of other kind of negative sorts of atmosphere - we're not talking the natural atmosphere, we're now talking about the mood, or the environment around you. Just start to think of some atmospheres.

I had one of my daughters, Sarah - she wanted to go to cricket, one of these cricket matches over in Napier, and my brother said you're not interested in cricket. Oh, yes I am! He said no you're not, who's playing? Oh, oh - she didn't have a clue who was playing. He said why do you really want to go? She said well I love the environment, the atmosphere, the excitement of all the people. So when you get in a crowd at a football match, it gets incredibly exciting. What is it? The whole atmosphere changes. It becomes changed. You change the atmosphere. You can actually feel it, and it affects you. You get into that, and you get excited. You can go into places where there's negativity and pessimism, where everyone's gloomy. Have you ever met someone who's very, very gloomy? Have you noticed that when you get around them, after a little while it affects you? Their influence, their spiritual atmosphere that they're carrying, now is coming in on you and it's starting to affect you. If you don't do something they'll be the prevailing atmosphere, not you. Think about that.

I remember we were in a cafe, it was the funniest thing, and we'd just been in a move of God, in the presence of God ,and carrying the presence of God - went into this cafe, and there's this old farmer there. He and his wife are sitting there. Well every time he opened his mouth he was negative, but we'd just been in the presence of God. We'd just had these great meetings and God was around, we were carrying the presence of God. We began to start to laugh, and the more we talked and laughed - then it became a while, every time he opened his mouth he would be negative, and we would laugh. We just were killing ourselves. In the end we were just roaring with laughter in our seats, just laughing, and just the whole humour of it all, and after a while it overcame his talking, and he began to laugh. He began to change, and when we left he and his wife were still laughing.

In other words, the atmosphere, and the way it was expressed, overwhelmed what was on his life temporarily, because as soon as we left and stayed away for a while, then he would go back to his normal state, negative and pessimistic see. How many have been in an atmosphere where it's controlled, there's a strong control presence? Some people - I haven't been into a home like this, not in Bay City, not for a long time been in a home like this, where there's a strong control. Boy, you feel like [inhales sharply] I'm going to break something for sure! You've got to watch your feet in case you trip or get something dirty. You feel it. What are you feeling? You're feeling a strong, dominant control spirit in there, and you're feeling this pressure to comply, so you do what they want you to do. That's a prevailing spiritual atmosphere, see, so people do carry it, and it can fill their home.

Ever been into a home where there's a great sense of tension in the home? You go into it, and everyone's trying to be nice, but you can feel the tension. But what are you feeling? You're feeling the prevailing spiritual atmosphere. How many have been in an environment where it's incredibly confused? The Bible talks about in Acts I think, 29, it says the whole city was filled with confusion. What's going on? Confusion, no one can make decisions, so it's an atmosphere of confusion, and it can get over people, and gets over a whole city. An atmosphere of distrust; that's a shocking one, because you can't build relationships in an atmosphere of distrust.

Now what is this thing, this atmosphere? Obviously it's spiritual, it's felt in your spirit, but it's made up of something someone's putting out there, and if they're putting it out, you could put something out that's different, and we're called to do that. So we have to learn how to build and develop a strong spiritual atmosphere around our own life, and become aware of what's around us, so we can change it. Isn't that right? Now of course you see the spiritual atmosphere you get in a church. You get a lot of broken relationships in a church, and get conflict and backbiting, and talking, very soon it's an unhealthy atmosphere, and people are not attracted. Even though God wanted to add them in, they will stay away until this issue is addressed. It's why unity is so crucial, because the mission cannot be accomplished without the church maintaining a unity of heart, vision, and focus, and one heart, one mind, one spirit. Getting the idea now?

Alright, now of course there's other kinds of atmospheres too. There's an atmosphere of excitement - oh yes! Excitement! I love Anna's full of excitement. Everyone around her is too, see? She's built that into the youth. Do you love it? She's excited. You see it in her eyes, and she carries it around everywhere she goes. I like that. Why not? I'd rather have an atmosphere of excitement about something. You go into places, you go into it just before a show. Sometimes the atmosphere of excitement - everyone's in anticipation, and you can feel it literally, and you get excited too. Well either that, or you resist it, you overcome the excitement with your passivity.

Okay, enthusiasm. Enthusiasm creates an atmosphere. You get an atmosphere of confidence. You know a person is - have you ever heard this term; they exude confidence? Well how can you feel confidence? What is it that's happening? What are they doing, that's causing a flow out of them, that you would feel when you're with them, this is a confident person? There's something going on inside them, that is being communicated. They don't go around sort of "I'm confident." That's exactly what they don't say. In fact, if someone says that, probably they're not confident, but you can feel it. It fills the atmosphere around. A confident person, the atmosphere around them is filled with confidence. They just exude confidence. Ever had a guy come to the door to to sell you something? Oh, they're full of confidence in their product. If they weren't, they'd never sell it. It's interesting, they have to build an atmosphere of confidence to overcome your resistance initially, so you find a salesman who's a good salesman will have this hugely confident attitude, confident in the product, very confident in what it is, and what it can do, and why you need it, and this is going to be wonderful! Your life will be so much better because of it.

Now you see if they just said oh, it's a good product, you're not going to respond. They are overcoming the natural resistance. If they come on too strong, I walk away, can't handle it. There's another kind of atmosphere, a romantic atmosphere. Now that's a nice one to cultivate. Not many homes have that, but they should have a romantic atmosphere. You can create a romantic atmosphere. Come on there, I saw a few - man, we're going to have to pray for some of the men here. They must have broken ribs on both sides now [Laughter] after the last few weeks. A romantic atmosphere, so you can create a romantic atmosphere. If you can create it, you can also destroy it by rudeness and crudeness. You can create a romantic atmosphere, and so what is there, that you can feel? You feel something, and it affects you. So men, if you're smart, you'll create romantic atmosphere in the home periodically, so that your wives will glow, and they'll be very loving to you. [Applause] Won't that be good? That'd be good. Some are huh? What's that? [Laughter] See? It doesn't mean you turn on the telly and watch rugby. [Laughter] That's not a romantic atmosphere - exciting atmosphere, but definitely not romantic. Romantic, you think more of candles - aah - and nice music. Aah, now we're getting it. Flowers, ooh oh ooh, yes! Now we're getting into romantic ground you see? Some of the ladies here need so much romance, they'd buy themselves flowers you know. [Laughter] You'd be surprised who.

Okay, so we've got then atmosphere. You got some idea about atmosphere, so it is very real, very tangible. It does affect people. It can be built, and can be developed and is real, people get affected by it, and it affects you. You can either thrive, or you can go down under it. Now here's an interesting thing is, if you have a look at David's men, it says this was what characterised all of David's men. They were distressed. That means they were really down in the mouth about a few issues in life. It says they were in debt, they owed a lot of money, and they were discontent. They were cranky. That's not bad is it? Three. See, they were in those conditions.

Then it tells you a little later, in the Bible it says this. It says that they were mighty men of valour. Well how did they go from being distressed, and in debt, and discontent, now become mighty men of valour? There was a prevailing spiritual atmosphere over David, that being with him, and drawing on that, and associating with him, they were changed by that spirit. They changed on the inside, because they wanted to change, they wanted to be different. They didn't want to be cranky. No one enjoys being cranky. No one enjoys being in debt. No one enjoys being upset. See, they wanted something that he had, and they saw there was something he carried. There was a charisma around his life, an anointing around his life, an atmosphere of God that was attractive to them.

When we went down to the park, we were able to change the whole atmosphere in the park. Get a choir of 100 Bay City people up singing, the whole atmosphere changed, and I could feel it from over the road. I was just getting changed and was up in my room upstairs, and I could hear the practice going on, and you know what I felt? I felt I wanted to run down and find out what was going on. I wanted to get there quick. See, there's an attracting power, and a healthy, good, spiritual atmosphere. So we got the idea about atmosphere now? Alright then.

Now I want to talk a little bit about your spiritual atmosphere, and then how you form and shape that. Okay, so your spiritual atmosphere is just the prevailing spiritual influence surrounding you. Your spiritual atmosphere is just whatever spirit is prevailing, whatever spirit is prevailing, or literally it's the presence or the spiritual presence that surrounds a person that's held around them by what's on the inside. Remember atmosphere, the natural atmosphere is an influence that's all around us, held by the earth's gravity, but your spiritual atmosphere is a spiritual presence around your life, that's held in by your inner life, held in by your God life, held in by the things you are saying and doing on the inside, and also giving voice to, outside you. See, so that's your spiritual atmosphere, and it's very distinct, it's very tangible. You ever got with a person, and they're at such peace that when they're there, sometimes just being in their presence you feel calm. See? There's a spiritual peace there. You can be with some people, and when you're with them, you just feel very loved. They haven't said or done very much, but there's something flows from their spirit. There's a prevailing spiritual atmosphere.

Now the spiritual atmosphere around us is made up of a mixture of things, but it can be any one or a mix of these things; number one, your human spirit. Your human spirit, see? Think about a football match. Everyone gets excited. You can feel the excitement - that is the human spirit, so your human spirit is designed so that it fills all of your body, and can extend into the area or region around you, and influence it. You're designed that way. Your human spirit is designed to bond with God, and receive a flow of life from the spirit of God. Your human spirit is designed so it can bond with another person, hence two shall become one. Your human spirit is designed to be able to flow out from where you are, beyond you, and begin to influence and fill what is around you. Your spirit flows. Your spirit is not contained to the limitation of your physical body. In fact your spirit can leave your body. We won't go into all of that, we'll touch on some of those things a little bit later. So you find recorded examples of that in the Bible, many examples of that in the Bible.

Okay then, so the human spirit, that's you. You can release yourself. You can express a life from within you, that affects everyone around you. A second is the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit. So a second influence in the atmosphere around us is the Holy Spirit. Now the Holy Spirit can so invade the atmosphere, that no one can stand. In the Old Testament, 2 Chronicles 5, they were worshipping and praising, the spirit of God so invaded the atmosphere, no one could even stand. They all fell on the ground. The spirit of God can come and fill the atmosphere, and when He fills the atmosphere, miracles and healings take place. Ever been in Benny Hinn Miracle Crusade, there'll come a point and he might just be talking around for a bit, but he's waiting for the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost comes, and suddenly miracles break out everywhere. There's a spiritual influence of the Holy Spirit, and he was the one that brought that there. See, came through a man, came through a person, see because God seeks to work through a man or woman, so He can invade the earth. He wants to come. He wants to do miracles. He wants to invade your neighbourhood. He wants to invade your home. He wants to come, but He's chosen to limit Himself to work through you, and with you, so we have to learn how to co-operate with the Holy Spirit.

Okay then, then the third kinds of spirit that can be around of course, are demonic spirits, and demonic spirits, when they are around and fill the atmosphere, then they oppress, and they shut people down. They create an unhealthy spiritual environment. They shut you down, they cause you to wither, and diminish, and not flourish. It's like living in a polluted atmosphere all the time. You can't flourish. You can't flourish. We're not designed to flourish in a demonic atmosphere. We're designed to flourish in the atmosphere of heaven, the presence of the spirit of God. That's what we're designed to flourish in, see? You have a demonic atmosphere around, and of course it affects your whole way of life. How many people - now get this. I'll just say this. Many people have learned to accept a prevailing demonic influence in their life, and never stop to think it may not be them, and to challenge it. If you can't challenge your own personal demons, how will you challenge the demons of others?

Now what happens is, we allow it to settle on us, things which depress us, fill us with grief, cause a fear of rejection. We allow them to settle on us without realising, I'M NOT DESIGNED TO LIVE IN THAT ATMOSPHERE! I'll die! I need to PREVAIL over such things. So Saul, the Bible tells us of King Saul in 1 Samuel 16, Verse 14, he was oppressed. See, he fell out of relationship with God, and walked in disobedience, and he was oppressed by a spirit. It would come on him, and he'd get a downer, he'd have a black dog day. I used to have black dog days, they'd go on for days, but they're actually a spirit of heaviness oppressing me, that I just thought was me - until the day I realised it wasn't me, and began to contend to have dominion over it, so I could live in the presence of the spirit of God. Getting the idea?

So now, so human spirit, the spirit of God, and demonic spirits. Now of course you choose what's going to flow, and what'll be around your life. It's your choice. No one makes that choice for you, it's your choice, and let me give you two key very simple scriptures. I'll develop them at another time in another series, but here they are, 1 Corinthians 6 and Verse 17. The Bible says he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit. So how many spirits there? One. That means when you are joined to the Lord, when you become a Christian and you walk with God, your spirit is joined - and that word is the same word, like in a marriage, two becoming one. They're two distinct people, but they flow as one, so a good marriage, the couple flow as one. They're in unity. Now of course you can get into disagreement and grieve the Holy Spirit, but if you become sensitive to Him and begin to listen to Him, and we begin to walk with Him, and we do the things that please Him, and follow His promptings, we begin to walk and flow with Him. Now notice this. If my spirit is joined to the Holy Spirit, then when my spirit flows out, the anointing flows with it. When my spirit flows out, the anointing flows with it.

Notice in John 7, Verses 38 and 39, it says out of your innermost being will flow rivers of living water, and this Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit. Now the Holy Spirit just doesn't flow out of you. You have to be part of this. You have to give yourself, so if you're locked up and demonised and subject to demonic atmospheres and oppression, you are locked inside, you can't release your potential. You can't release what God has given you today, so I want to build an atmosphere around my life, that creativity can flow, and ideas can flow, and life can flow, and joy can flow, and I can have a strongly positive influence around me. Is that right? Now you choose that. You choose that, and you develop it, and you build it. It's not something that just happens. Everything you build you build. You don't just sort of have a whole lot of materials there, and hope the building will put itself together. It doesn't happen that way.

Now how many have heard of the word charisma? Charisma - and you kind of feel well, you've either got it, or you haven't got it, you know? Well charisma is a divine impartation to people. How many people have charisma? We all do. Well, the charismatic movement, you know, the charisma that comes from the word charis, the grace of God. Is there anyone here doesn't have the grace of God? We all have the charis, so we all have the potential to be in a measure, charismatic. Of course you think well, that's not me. Time to upgrade mentalities then, and get in touch with who you are as a new creation person. You are charismatic. Why? Because God has given you grace, that you might impart it to others, and to impart it to others, you've got to catch it, and be free in it, and flow in it, and access it continually. This is what God has called all of us to be, charismatic people, people who flow in the gifts of grace, the grace of God to others. This is wonderful. I'll give you some keys, some simple things in a moment. I'm just trying to get you thinking right around this.

So of course certain people who are not born again, also have a great degree of charisma. They're flowing from their human spirit without the Holy Spirit, but they still have charisma. So another definition of charisma is, it's an empowerment to be able to influence people. Now you notice this, see President Kennedy, a political leader, had tremendous charisma. When you were around him, you felt his personal presence. He influenced people. Ever looked at some top entertainers, top movie stars, they carry a presence, a charisma. There's something about them. But when they go off the rails, boy that something leaves quick, and people who are spiritual people can carry a charisma too. Now charisma - I'll develop that when we talk on things of the human spirit, developing the whole flow of the life of the spirit later on in the year, but let me just say this. Charisma is the flow of the life of God from within you, and it comes about, of course we need focus. You have to have a focussed life. A divided life is not going to flow, you'll be too divided. People are attracted to where someone is really focussed, and know what they're doing, and know where they're going, and are non-compromised. It is extremely attractive.

When people have a sense of responsibility, and they're determined they're going to make a difference; they've taken an ownership of something - I'm responsible, I'm focussed, I'm going to change it, there's something comes out from them, and they're vocal. You have to be vocal to be charismatic. You have to speak words, so we'll touch on those things a bit later, because that'll become a part of how you influence the environment around you, because if you take a negative, defeatist aspect of end times, you'll tend to withdraw from what's around you, instead of seeing it's my mission to influence it all, to invade it. We're called to invade it all, so I need to carry the kind of atmosphere that is an invasive atmosphere. You don't go into places just to hide. You're not called to hide your light, you're called to let your light shine, and it's got to be more than just doing good works. Yes, do good works, but you've got to be vocal. Say some things. Oh, this is starting to bite.

Okay, so how do we shape our spiritual atmosphere? Let me give you some simple keys. To shape means you create it, or you're to cause something to come into a definite form, you're shaping it. It's not just something that oh well, she'll be right, whatever. If God wants to use me, use me. Now that's not it. Actually you create an atmosphere around your life by distinct things you decide to do. You literally form and shape the atmosphere, and a key problem in this is overcoming passivity, passivity. Now passivity is a major issue among men, and particularly men in our nation, and among a lot of males in the west. It's a male issue, but everyone can be passive. Let me just describe passivity, then we'll talk and give you the keys how you can break through this stuff.

Okay, to be passive means - get this - not participating readily or actively. Not participating. They're a spectator - oh yeah, watch what's going on, not participating. A person not participating, we would describe them as being passive. They don't participate actively. Here's another meaning of the word passive, it means to submit to something without resistance, so a passive person lets whatever's out there flow over them, and they become under it. That's a passive person. This is clearly not a prevailing spiritual atmosphere is it? Passivity is my enemy. Here's another one, another definition of being passive, here it is again. It's lacking will or energy, being lethargic. Lacking will or energy, in other words it's a choice. If you're passive, you've grown that way by choices made. You can come out of that by different choices, if you're passive and no believer, no follower of Jesus Christ was ever called to be passive. We are called to advance the kingdom of God, and in Matthew, Chapter 11 and Verse 12 it says now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, or that word means literally, it's people get in there forcibly. They exert energy. They make decisions, and they pursue diligently, until something comes about. That's kingdom. That's what you're born into. That's part of your new culture, its now no longer passive, yielding to whatever's this way, that way, blown around this way and that way, but you've got something in you, and you know where you're going, and what you want to achieve. You are becoming active in making it take place. See, now that's a lifestyle.

That's a lifestyle, so we need to break out of passivity. Of course once we've talked about it, now you're going to be responsible for this okay? Okay, now let me just give you then some simple keys.

I'll give you some simple keys; every one of them could be developed, but I'm just going to give you the keys, and leave you to develop them. This is about your future. Now sometimes we need help to get out of passivity. Sometimes people have been so shut down in their spirit, by the lack of nurture, or the hostile spiritual environment in the home, they actually need ministry to help unlock their spirit of freedom, but for the rest of us, we've just got to make decisions see, a decision not to be passive. I will participate actively. I will not submit to things without resistance. If they're bad, I'll resist them, see? I'll stand up and resist them. I won't be walked over by the prevailing spiritual atmosphere. Now you've got that, remember because we're going to talk about how to change the atmosphere around you. Right now you've got to change - this is the one you've got to deal with because either you prevail or something else prevails. You'll find that very quickly, go into some atmospheres and sometimes it's time to retreat, sometimes it's time to do something, take charge.

Okay then, so let's give you some simple keys. First one is take responsibility for your personal spiritual atmosphere. You've got to take responsibility and own it, it's yours. I'm not going to make it. I can help you. We provide an environment where you're nurtured, but you've got to actually choose to be responsible. Now in 2 Corinthians 5:20 it says now we are ambassadors of Christ. An ambassador is a person who represents someone, and speaks and acts on their behalf. Now if we're going to speak to you about ministry, and flowing in the power of God, and releasing the power of God, you first have to stand up and say, I'm responsible for my own spiritual life, and the atmosphere around me. I will start to do something about it, so stop blaming someone else. Stop saying that's just me, I'm that kind of person. NO! You're a born again person, with capacity to change, a new creature is inside you waiting to come out, with the right kind of things to get out.

But you've got to own that. If you are passive, then you chose to be, and if you're going to get out of it, you've got to choose not to be, to change, to change. You've got to do something specific, or you'll never change, see? So reject the old mindsets, reject the passive mindset. No longer will I stand back and just observe. I will be part of the solution. I will be involved. I will do something. Need to do that. Okay, so number one, you've got to take responsibility, so if it's going to change in this year, if you're going to be a different person, non-passive - a lot of teenagers get very passive. A lot of adults get very passive. I was incredibly passive. Males in our home were incredibly passive. I've had to have a major renovation, still underway. Every year there's something new - break out of that passivity. I'd just become passive and switch off, disengage, IQ would drop about 30 points [Laughter] waiting for someone to do something. Now I don't do that.

Okay, number two, and this is an interesting one. You have to manage your inner world. You have to take responsibility to manage your inner world. Proverbs 23 and Verse 7, as a man thinks in his heart, so he is. You've got to actually deal quickly with the junk. I'm not going to go into all the how to's of that right now, we've got other places we can do that, but you need to deal quickly with negative thoughts and feelings. You've got to acknowledge them, and resolve them quickly, in other words don't let stuff sit there. If you let stuff sit in your heart, it will become a doorway for demonic oppression, and a demonic atmosphere to sit on your life. A lot of people are depressed because they're angry, so if you've got guilt feelings resolve it quick. If there's real guilt just confess it, put it right. If it's not real guilt then reject that thing, reject it. See, you've got to reject being guilty. Jesus doesn't have a guilt trip. Religion does. Jesus has got no guilt trip. See, if you've got those kind of - if you're feeling angry or hurt, just acknowledge it and deal with it quickly. Don't go grr, grrr all day, bang, bang, bang, bang. You just - things will go bad for you all day, and you'll have a bad atmosphere. Ever been near an angry person? Don't they just alter the spiritual atmosphere? Most people just shut down and flee. Best thing you could do is confront it, and subdue it. Aah, that'd be good to do that, wouldn't it aye, instead of putting up with it and saying wah-wah. Got to try and keep him happy. No, you don't have to keep him happy at all. I told someone here - but they're angry at me. I said they're allowed to be angry, as long as they let it go today, see?

Talk to people. You can subdue anger. You subdue anger, by telling the person their behaviour is totally unacceptable, please stop this behaviour. They can be held to account for their behaviour, or just talk quietly and softly to them, ask them what their problems are, help them quiet down, and be focussed on a solution, instead of just venting anger. But you can do something, but passivity, not an option. Not an option, no passivity around here. Okay then, so offences and - all those things, if you've got negative stuff, deal with it quickly, just deal with it quickly. Here's the next thing then, having done that - okay, now develop - now this is an interesting one; develop stronger expressions with your body. Now a lot of people - I'll talk about vocal expressions shortly, but stronger expressions with your body. Now one of the things I've found about passivity, it creeps all over you, and then your body just won't co-operate in any kind of way. It just doesn't want to do anything, and we need to make it. We need to take dominion over our body.

In Psalm 47, Verse 1, it says clap your hands, a few people who feel like it, who are charismatic, and like that kind of thing, and go to a Pentecostal Church. [Laughter] It doesn't say that does it? It says clap your hands, all you people, shout to God with the voice of triumph! [Applause] I hear over here, but I don't hear much over there, come on! You've got to learn to do something! Make your body move. Take dominion over your body, which is very lazy, and wants to not do anything, and you'll find that you can begin now - you're not necessarily going to go around clapping everywhere you go, but there are times in your personal life, and times in your body, you've got to learn to take dominion. One of the ways of taking dominion, is to make your body do what it doesn't want to do, so strong clapping, strong clapping, move your body, move your body... When we're worshipping the Lord, move your body, because what happens is, you know, have you ever seen someone who's uptight, who's uptight and they're sort of stiff. Everything's stiff. Their body just won't seem to move. I feel like sometimes grabbing it, and dance down the front and whirl.

You see what's happened is, the body is being passive. You've got to break the passivity. You don't have to jump all the time, but if you can't jump at all there's something wrong - unless you've got broken legs or something, you're in a wheelchair but that's fine. You can still - have a look at that brother over here. You can tell he's jumping! He might be in a wheelchair, but he's jumping on the inside, I can see it! See, so there's not constraint okay, so move your body, smile, dance, express yourself, especially in your times of prayer. Move your body, make your body stop being passive, see? Okay, then we begin to get vocal expression, develop stronger expressions of praise. Develop stronger vocal expression. You've got to learn to speak, and say, and do things. Now there's a few things you could do. Psalm 100, Verse 4, the Bible tells us if I want to enter into the atmosphere of God, if I want to breakthrough from the natural realm into the realm of the spirit, very simple, it's right in front of me - heaven's not a long way off. All I've got to do is just do what God says to do, and He says I will enter into His gates with thanksgiving in my heart, I will enter His courts with praise. I know what to do - thank Him, and praise Him.

So if I will just give myself to thanking and praising, then I can open heaven, and once you've learned to do it, it opens up very easily, very quickly. So here's some things you can do. Develop strong vocal expression, strong speaking in tongues [Speaks in tongues 00.44.58] Let it rise up from your spirit until it's got some energy and life in it. You say oh, I'm not like that. Oh, you agree with that old passivity, oh, too bad. Everything in life's going to walk over you. Change! Just change. Of course it feels awkward. How many people ever had the thought I'd like to get fit? Especially right now - like to lose weight then. Ha ha! There you go. Okay, we got that, 90 per cent here, okay then. But you know there's going to be pain. [Laughter] There will be pain before you get fit. You go run around the block once and that's fine. The next day you're starting to feel a bit wary. The next day you're aching. The day after it's all over. [Laughter] You're back in bed again, being very passive. Your body won the day. You have to make decisions and follow them through, so learn to speak strongly in tongues, learn to praise God, use the word of God. Take the Psalms and read them aloud, read them with feeling, thank the Lord. Thank the Lord - I will magnify the Lord with thanksgiving, so I can open up the world around me, the spiritual atmosphere of God, and connect with heaven by speaking in tongues, by praising the Lord, by thanking Him, by gratitude, those kinds of things, see?

Declare the word of God over your life. Start to speak what God says over your life. As you speak it over your life, you find everything begins to shift, the whole atmosphere changes. You've got to do it long enough, and strongly enough, and consistently enough, until you feel and get the breakthrough. Then it's easier to maintain until you have see, so I watch people in services, and I don't mean any disrespect, because I can remember myself sitting in a service with all these people doing hoot and Hannah and jumping up and down and stuff, and I just thought what is this! Then they want us to raise the hands - no, they couldn't get past the waist. They literally couldn't. They were frozen when it came to praising God. They were frozen at this height. What was that all about? [Laughter] That was just self-consciousness. I needed to break through it. You can't, because you're laughing at it, not like that, but actually I was like that. I was worse than that. I very much worse than that - but I changed, and you can change. It's possible to change, but you've got to make a decision, take responsibility for your spiritual atmosphere, deal with your inner world, then begin to start developing strong expressions with your body because that's - you notice in a football match, you have a look there how they create an atmosphere. They don't sit - [Spoken in monotone 00.47.29] well that was a jolly good run wasn't it. That was not bad. [Laughter] Good run wasn't it? They don't create an atmosphere that way do they? They're strong, whole hearted expressions, and that creates the atmosphere - coming from the inner man, full of enthusiasm, just everything given into it.

You start to do that with God, the whole atmosphere around you changes, spiritual atmosphere shifts, everything shifts, everything changes. You've got to learn to do it. Okay, here's another key then; manage your outer world. You need to also manage what's around you. You've got to make decisions, I'm not going to actually let what's around me prevail over my life, so that means you've got to watch what you're looking at, what sorts of things you're feasting your eyes on, what sorts of things you're listening to, and what kind of people you're hanging out with. You become like the people you hang out with, so hang out with good people. Now you're friendly to all, but your friends are people who are going forward for God, see? If you make your friends the unsaved, you'll find after a while if you don't have a strong inner life, they will eventually take you where they're going. You see you've got just guard your outer world, so in other words be on the alert.

Then the final thing is, you need to consciously release the life of God. We need to consciously release what's in our spirit. Now that means I've got to do something, got to be quite proactive, so if I've spent time and I've built with God in my prayer life, had time in the presence of God, strong expressions, now I can start to let something fly out. Now have you ever seen a person who got a little bit afraid on the stage, and they sort of got a bit [Spoken quietly and awkwardly 00.48.59] nervous like this and um, and ah, and then they sort of shut down? Now what you're feeling now is, I'm withdrawing all spirit life completely from this. I'm actually shutting down, letting my soul block you all off, and that's what many people live their life like. But I can come, and choose to smile, and speak, and appreciate, and praise, and acknowledge, and I can start to do things with my voice that actually start to change the things around me. You can stand up inside, even with a little prayer; In Jesus' name I take dominion over this, and I release the life of God, and just begin to see the life just flowing from within you.

You see you can release the life of God all around you. Today Father, everywhere I go, I carry the life and joy and vitality of the Holy Ghost! You see it in prayer, long before you're doing it, and then you begin to develop a different habit. When you walk into a room, go and say hello to everyone, don't wait for everyone to come and say hello to you. When you see someone who's a teller, greet them, hi, how are you doing? Thank you for what you're doing for me today. Just start to express the life of God whole heartedly, and you begin to start to have an influence. You find the atmosphere begins to change. As soon as you walk into a room and it's all shut down, well you can change it within a little while but you're going to have to speak things, have to do some things. You have to talk, you have to speak, you have to start to actually arise on the inside instead of shrinking. Shrinking is because we're intimidated, arising is because we've chosen to be ambassadors and to have a prevailing spiritual atmosphere.

See the word of God alive in my heart. Wherever I go the life of God is flowing out of me. I am joined one spirit to the Lord. The spirit of God flows out of my innermost being. I thank you today wherever I am that life will flow. I see it long before I'm ever out there, and the life of God surely flows, but you've always got to make the decision not to be passive. Tell someone next to you, don't be passive. Don't be passive - change. Change. Change. Change. Change. Change! Change! Become vocal. Become expressive. Change! Get around people who are.

Summary Notes:  Formatted »  Back to Top »

1. Introduction:

· Proverbs 18:21 – “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…”.

· People are spirit beings – the words we speak are containers that carry spirit content.

· The words we speak have power to impact life or death – to change the course of our world.

· Ephesians 4:29 - “…that which is good for necessary edification that it might impart grace to the hearers”.

· “Impart grace” = supply something needed to build and to strengthen – life of God.

· This week: “Shaping Your Personal Spiritual Atmosphere”.

2. Atmosphere: What is it?:

a) Definition:

· Root meaning: atmos = vapour; spharia = sphere

· Air surrounding the earth held to it by the force of gravity.

· Surrounding or prevailing mood, influence, environment.

· Distinct tangible quality that surrounds a person.

b) Examples – Different kinds of atmosphere:

* Polluted * Grief * Negativity * Pessimism

* Control * Confusion * Excitement * Enthusiasm

* Confidence * Romantic * Joy * Faith

* Hope

· The atmosphere cannot be seen with the eye, but can be felt.

· The prevailing atmosphere influences people = they thrive or struggle e.g. David’s men were distressed; in dept; discontented (1 Samuel 22:2).

Under the influence of David’s prevailing spiritual atmosphere they were shaped and became “mighty men of valor”.

· The ‘atmosphere’ around a person can be shaped and developed.

3. Spiritual Atmosphere:

a) Definition:

· The prevailing spiritual influence that surrounds a person.

· The Spiritual presence surrounding a person held in place by the life in their inner man.

· The distinctive and tangible spiritual presence surrounding a person.

b) What is Spiritual Atmosphere made of?

i) The Human Spirit - overflowing from a persons inner-man.

ii) Demonic Spirits - intimidating and oppressing person – like flies.

e.g. 1 Samuel 16:14 - Saul – oppressed

e.g. Acts 13:45 - Jews filled with envy.

iii) The Holy Spirit moving freely within and around a person.

· 1 Corinthians 6:17 - He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit.

· John 7:38-39 - Out of you inner most being shall flow rivers – Holy Spirit.

· When your spirit flows freely without restraint there is a release of the life of the indwelling Holy Spirit – Comes from intimacy.

c) Charisma:

· Charisma = spiritually imparted gifting or ability.

= spiritual power or authority that gives a person influence.

= ‘presence’

· E.g. Political Leaders: Kennedy = Entertainment; Religious = Luther King.

· Key factors in “personal charisma” = Focus + Sense Responsibility + Vocal Experience.

4. How to Shape Your Personal Spiritual Atmosphere:

· Shape = to create; cause to conform to a particular pattern.

· Key problem = to overcome is passivity!

· “Passive” = not participating readily or actively, inactive.

= submit to something without resistance.

= lacking will or energy, lethargic.

· There is no place for passivity in creating a strong personal spiritual atmosphere where you influence others.

· Matthew 11:12 - “The Kingdom of heaven suffers violence…”

“forceful” e.g. Caleb.

· “Violence” = to use or apply force, act energetically.

· Keys:

i) Take Responsibility for your Personal Spiritual Atmosphere - 2 Corinthians 5:20

· Reject the blame game

· Reject old mindsets – ‘That’s me’.

· Break out of passive mindsets.

· You are an ambassador of heavens.

ii) Develop Stronger Physical Expressions of Praise – Psalm 47:1

· Move body

· Smile

· Clap

· Dance

iii) Develop Stronger Vocal Expressions of Praise – Psalm 100:4; Matthew 18:18

· Speaking in tongues.

· Thanksgiving – Word of God.

· Declaration of the Word of God.

· Praise – Word of God.

· Time in the Presence of God.

· Ephesians 5:18 – Filled with the Holy Spirit – speaking and singing and thanksgiving and praising.

iv) Manage Your Inner World – Your Soul – Proverbs 23:7

· Deal quickly with negative thoughts / feelings – acknowledge and resolve it.

· E.g. Guilt; Hurt; Anger; Offence; Fear - Keep focus on purpose.

v) Manage your Outer World - Psalm 101:3

· Guard what you allow to enter your inner world.

· What you see.

· What you hear.

· Who you fellowship with – resist negativity and unbelief.

vi) Consciously Release the Life of God - John 7:38

* Smile. * Speak positively, enthusiastically.

* Thank * Fill with your presence.

* Encourage * Engage people.

Table of Contents

Taming the Tongue

Power of Words (1 of 12)

Diseases of the Tongue (2 of 12)

Empty Words (3 of 12)

Dealing with Put-Downs (4 of 12)

Dealing with Put-Downs (5 of 12)

Power Of Agreement (6 of 12)

Hasty Words (7 of 12)

Verbal Abuse (8 of 12)

Power of the Tongue (9 of 12)

Wise Words (10 of 12)

Shaping Your Own World (11 of 12)

Creative Power of the Tongue (12 of 12)