And God is able to make all grace abound to you,so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. --II Corinthians 9:8
Many times we meet people we consider to be a curse or, at least, far from a blessing. I have noticed believers that are self-centered takers who have made comfort their goal in life, and their inactivity is a general drain on the body of Christ. Yet I have noticed that God has provided for them in the midst of their immaturity, supplying jobs, house payments, help in the midst of a variety of crises, and myriad other blessings.Why is that? I suppose it happens for the same reason that He has blessed us so many times when we were out of tune. The observation has left me wondering at the grace of our God; in fact, it has left me glorifying my God. The point is that if God can bless when His children are out of tune, then should we not do the same? His grace is an example of the grace that exists within us by His indwelling Life.We have no excuse not to bless those that curse us, because whatever we believe is an offense, we must understand that the offense caused to the Father is incalculably greater, and still He blesses. His sun shines on the good and the evil. His grace is more than our example, for it is our life. His grace toward others in the midst of their failures can encourage us, for in it we can see His response to us in our failures. Is it any wonder that we love Him?
Friday, March 24, 2017
He Answered Nothing
"He answered nothing."
(Mark 15:3)
'There is a place of stillness that allows
God the opportunity to work for us, and
gives us peace. It is a stillness that ceases
our scheming, self-vindication, and the
search for a temporary means to an end
through our own wisdom and judgement.
Instead, it lets God provide an answer,
through His unfailing and faithful love,
to the cruel blow we have suffered."
AB Simpson
The day when Jesus stood alone
And felt the hearts of men like stone,
And knew He came but to atone--
That day "He held His peace."
They witnessed falsely to His word,
They bound Him with a cruel cord,
And mockingly proclaimed Him Lord;
"But Jesus held His peace."
They spat upon Him in the face,
They dragged Him on from place to place,
They heaped upon Him all disgrace;
"But Jesus held His peace."
My friend have you for far much less,
With rage, which you called righteousness,
Resented slights with great distress?
Your Savior "held His peace."
L.S.P.
(Mark 15:3)
'There is a place of stillness that allows
God the opportunity to work for us, and
gives us peace. It is a stillness that ceases
our scheming, self-vindication, and the
search for a temporary means to an end
through our own wisdom and judgement.
Instead, it lets God provide an answer,
through His unfailing and faithful love,
to the cruel blow we have suffered."
AB Simpson
The day when Jesus stood alone
And felt the hearts of men like stone,
And knew He came but to atone--
That day "He held His peace."
They witnessed falsely to His word,
They bound Him with a cruel cord,
And mockingly proclaimed Him Lord;
"But Jesus held His peace."
They spat upon Him in the face,
They dragged Him on from place to place,
They heaped upon Him all disgrace;
"But Jesus held His peace."
My friend have you for far much less,
With rage, which you called righteousness,
Resented slights with great distress?
Your Savior "held His peace."
L.S.P.
Spiritual Perseverance
"Be still and know that I am God....
Psalm 46:40
"If our hopes seem to be experiencing
disappointment right now, it simply
means that they are being purified.
Every hope or dream of the human
mind will be fulfilled if it is noble and
of God. But one of the greatest stresses
in life is the stress of waiting for God. "
(OC)
Psalm 46:40
"If our hopes seem to be experiencing
disappointment right now, it simply
means that they are being purified.
Every hope or dream of the human
mind will be fulfilled if it is noble and
of God. But one of the greatest stresses
in life is the stress of waiting for God. "
(OC)
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Painful Trials
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial
you are suffering...But rejoice that you participate
in the sufferings of Christ. (1 Peter 4: 12-13)
Many hours of waiting were necessary to enrich David's
harp with song. And hours of waiting in the wilderness
will provide us with psalms of "thanksgiving and the
sound of singing." Is 51:3 The hearts of the discouraged
here below will be lifted, and joy will be brought to our
Father's heavenly home.
Waiting on God and abiding in His will is to know Him
in "the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings"-- Phil 3:10--
and "to be conformed to the likeness of his Son"--
Rom 8:29. Therefore if God's desire is to enlarge your
capacity for spiritual understanding, do not be frightened
by the greater realm of suffering that awaits you. The
Lord's capacity for sympathy is greater still, for the
breath of the Holy spirit into His new creation never makes
a heart hard and insensitive, but affectionate, tender, and
true. (Anna Shipton)
you are suffering...But rejoice that you participate
in the sufferings of Christ. (1 Peter 4: 12-13)
Many hours of waiting were necessary to enrich David's
harp with song. And hours of waiting in the wilderness
will provide us with psalms of "thanksgiving and the
sound of singing." Is 51:3 The hearts of the discouraged
here below will be lifted, and joy will be brought to our
Father's heavenly home.
Waiting on God and abiding in His will is to know Him
in "the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings"-- Phil 3:10--
and "to be conformed to the likeness of his Son"--
Rom 8:29. Therefore if God's desire is to enlarge your
capacity for spiritual understanding, do not be frightened
by the greater realm of suffering that awaits you. The
Lord's capacity for sympathy is greater still, for the
breath of the Holy spirit into His new creation never makes
a heart hard and insensitive, but affectionate, tender, and
true. (Anna Shipton)
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Leave the Results with God
Throughout most of my 20’s, one of the biggest struggles I faced was over whether or not I was impacting people. While my public ministry didn’t begin until I was in my early 30’s, I was active in my local fellowship all throughout my 20’s. I did some speaking and trying my hand at writing (mainly in the form of pamphlets, since we didn’t have blogs back then). My 20’s were my training ground for what would happen later.
However, during that period of my life, I remember being consumed with knowing whether or not my words were having an impact, or falling to the ground. Eventually, I learned to drop this entire way of thinking. While it was difficult, I began leaving the results completely to the Lord, not measuring anything by the response of others, whether they were positive or nonexistent.
I’m writing this for those of you who may be battling the same thing. Are you focused on whether or not your speaking and/or writing is impacting others? If you are, give it up for Lent. Make your only concentration the experience of what you’re teaching, and also to be faithful. Leave the results in God’s hands.
- Frank Viola
However, during that period of my life, I remember being consumed with knowing whether or not my words were having an impact, or falling to the ground. Eventually, I learned to drop this entire way of thinking. While it was difficult, I began leaving the results completely to the Lord, not measuring anything by the response of others, whether they were positive or nonexistent.
I’m writing this for those of you who may be battling the same thing. Are you focused on whether or not your speaking and/or writing is impacting others? If you are, give it up for Lent. Make your only concentration the experience of what you’re teaching, and also to be faithful. Leave the results in God’s hands.
- Frank Viola
The spirit behind the spirit you speak for.
If the spirit behind what you believe about God is not the Spirit of Christ...what you believe about God is not of the right spirit, including the spirit of the Old Covenant writers.
Jesus is the only true reveal-er of who God is and what God is like thus, God is loving, forgiving, compassionate, merciful as Jesus is ...NOT angry, retributive or vindictive as the Old Covenant writers have recorded!
"As an epiphany of God, Jesus was a ‘disclosure’ or ‘revelation’ of God. He did not reveal God only in his teaching (as if revelation consisted primarily of information), but in his very way of being. The epiphany was Jesus—his ‘person’ as well as his message. As such, he was an ‘image’ of God, an ‘icon’ of God, revealing and mediating the divine reality. What he was like therefore discloses what God is like."
Marcus Borg
Many, like myself, who formally held to the authoritative and literalistic view of the Bible are becoming increasingly perplexed and unsatisfied with such un-biblical claims.
A "straight forward" literalistic reading of Scripture inevitably leads people to do immoral things that are against one's conscience and reasoning because of the literal idealistic approach of..."the Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it" is accepted without regard for its contextual context or a love for people. In doing so the Bible is read and judgement, condemnation and damnation is justified and considered godly. Reading the Bible from that perspective makes Christianized people immoral and sometimes barbaric in actions, and wave the banner of Christianity proudly.
This presents a magnanimous problem. The Bible is supposed to make us respectable, moral, loving people...not sear our conscience causing us to be unloving and to commit immoral acts or teach that God commits immoral acts.
Pascal said, "Men never commit evil quite so gleefully and without restraint as when they do it in the name of religion."
One of the greatest evils committed by Bible literalists and defamation of God's character is presenting our loving Father God as a demented monster who knowingly created people knowing that the vast majority would spend eternity suffering untold agony in the torture chamber of hell fire, while the chosen few enjoy heaven's bliss. The turning off of their brains and consciences is a sign...to them...they believe the Bible.
So when people are told of a God that is said to be loving...yet...condemns the vast majority of His creation to eternal damnation and suffering, they rightly become mistrustful about the Bible and the God the literalist portray, because they are moral beings. It's understandable in this context that the reaction of some is to simply discard the Bible has being a fictions horror story and God as an hateful monster.
The outcome of those literal concept of the Bible has led to some weird man-made theology and is the reason for a myriad of different segregated christian denominations all claiming the Bible to be their source of their "correct" doctrine.
We are told that letters without the Spirit are dead words because it is the Spirit that gives them life. The Word is not a book nor is the Word confined to a book. The Word that became living breathing flesh...by His Spirit now lives in us...not just among us!
Only people who refuse to live by the Spirit need to rely totally on a book to show and tell them how to live and what they think they should know.
Jesus is the only true reveal-er of who God is and what God is like thus, God is loving, forgiving, compassionate, merciful as Jesus is ...NOT angry, retributive or vindictive as the Old Covenant writers have recorded!
"As an epiphany of God, Jesus was a ‘disclosure’ or ‘revelation’ of God. He did not reveal God only in his teaching (as if revelation consisted primarily of information), but in his very way of being. The epiphany was Jesus—his ‘person’ as well as his message. As such, he was an ‘image’ of God, an ‘icon’ of God, revealing and mediating the divine reality. What he was like therefore discloses what God is like."
Marcus Borg
Many, like myself, who formally held to the authoritative and literalistic view of the Bible are becoming increasingly perplexed and unsatisfied with such un-biblical claims.
A "straight forward" literalistic reading of Scripture inevitably leads people to do immoral things that are against one's conscience and reasoning because of the literal idealistic approach of..."the Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it" is accepted without regard for its contextual context or a love for people. In doing so the Bible is read and judgement, condemnation and damnation is justified and considered godly. Reading the Bible from that perspective makes Christianized people immoral and sometimes barbaric in actions, and wave the banner of Christianity proudly.
This presents a magnanimous problem. The Bible is supposed to make us respectable, moral, loving people...not sear our conscience causing us to be unloving and to commit immoral acts or teach that God commits immoral acts.
Pascal said, "Men never commit evil quite so gleefully and without restraint as when they do it in the name of religion."
One of the greatest evils committed by Bible literalists and defamation of God's character is presenting our loving Father God as a demented monster who knowingly created people knowing that the vast majority would spend eternity suffering untold agony in the torture chamber of hell fire, while the chosen few enjoy heaven's bliss. The turning off of their brains and consciences is a sign...to them...they believe the Bible.
So when people are told of a God that is said to be loving...yet...condemns the vast majority of His creation to eternal damnation and suffering, they rightly become mistrustful about the Bible and the God the literalist portray, because they are moral beings. It's understandable in this context that the reaction of some is to simply discard the Bible has being a fictions horror story and God as an hateful monster.
The outcome of those literal concept of the Bible has led to some weird man-made theology and is the reason for a myriad of different segregated christian denominations all claiming the Bible to be their source of their "correct" doctrine.
We are told that letters without the Spirit are dead words because it is the Spirit that gives them life. The Word is not a book nor is the Word confined to a book. The Word that became living breathing flesh...by His Spirit now lives in us...not just among us!
Only people who refuse to live by the Spirit need to rely totally on a book to show and tell them how to live and what they think they should know.
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
More Than Victory
"In all these things we are more than conquerors
through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:37)
'This is more than victory. This is triumph so complete
that we not only have escaped defeat but also have
destroyed our enemies and won plunder so rich and
valuable that we can actually thank God for the battle.
When we receive from the conflict a spiritual
discipline that will greatly strengthen our faith and
establish our spiritual character, we are more than
conquerors. Temptation is like the fierce winds that
cause the mighty cedars in the mountains to sink their
roots more deeply into the soil. Our spiritual conflicts
are among our most wonderful blessings, and the
Adversary is used to train us for his own ultimate
defeat.
It was believed that the coral-building animals
instinctively built up the great reefs of the Atoll Islands
in order to protect themselves. However, it has been
shown that these organisms can only live and thrive
facing the open ocean in the highly oxygenated foam
of the combative waves.
It is commonly thought that a protected and easy life is
the best way to live. Yet the lives of all the noblest and
strongest people prove exactly the opposite and that
the endurance of hardship is the making of the person.
It produces vitality in the one whose roots are firmly
planted in Christ.'
(Adapted from Streams in the Desert)
"As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord,
so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in him, and
stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught,
abounding therein with thanksgiving." (Col 2:6,7)
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in
triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads
everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him."
(2 Cor 2:14)
through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:37)
'This is more than victory. This is triumph so complete
that we not only have escaped defeat but also have
destroyed our enemies and won plunder so rich and
valuable that we can actually thank God for the battle.
When we receive from the conflict a spiritual
discipline that will greatly strengthen our faith and
establish our spiritual character, we are more than
conquerors. Temptation is like the fierce winds that
cause the mighty cedars in the mountains to sink their
roots more deeply into the soil. Our spiritual conflicts
are among our most wonderful blessings, and the
Adversary is used to train us for his own ultimate
defeat.
It was believed that the coral-building animals
instinctively built up the great reefs of the Atoll Islands
in order to protect themselves. However, it has been
shown that these organisms can only live and thrive
facing the open ocean in the highly oxygenated foam
of the combative waves.
It is commonly thought that a protected and easy life is
the best way to live. Yet the lives of all the noblest and
strongest people prove exactly the opposite and that
the endurance of hardship is the making of the person.
It produces vitality in the one whose roots are firmly
planted in Christ.'
(Adapted from Streams in the Desert)
"As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord,
so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in him, and
stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught,
abounding therein with thanksgiving." (Col 2:6,7)
"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in
triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads
everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him."
(2 Cor 2:14)
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Walls of Separation.
The religious system has made by-laws, constitutions, creeds, rules, regulations and established denominated corrals to segregate like-minded people from different like-minded people to control and define who they are and who is “in” the a specific corral and who is “outa” a specific corral.
Nowhere in the "Christian Holy Book" that is claimed to be the authority where these different corralled people get their beliefs, is such a thing mentioned let alone sanctioned by Jesus. In fact, the only people with whom Jesus, on a regular basis, took issue with were the elite self-righteous religious people who saw themselves as having all their doctrinal-ducks in a row regarding their theology and doxology and had ticked all the right boxes on the membership forms, while consistently ruling unlike-minded people...with different beliefs than their corral belief system...as outside of God’s love and favour.
It is these very man-made stipulations and associated score-keeping that imprisons people behind invisible bars of religion, robing them of their freedom in Christ. Jesus was all about freedom. This was and is in stark contrast to our deep-seated propensity to make rules for everything, whether implicitly or explicitly and making those man-made controlling stipulations to determine who is in and who is out of a particular like-minded-corralled group.
When we make the Bible a rule book sanctioned by God to benefit our own like-minded theology it becomes a religious weapon to whip people in line and keep unlike-minded people out and is abusing and misusing the intent of the book. We turn “If you want to thrive and flourish, this is what you do”...into...“If you don’t do this, you offend God and are condemned to eternal damnation”.
The Apostle Paul tells us that God was in Christ reconciling the people of world to himself. Not a remnant or a few, but ALL. In other words, he was erasing whatever sin-barrier that existed between God and man.
Which means...whatever walls of separation and segregation still exist are there because man has erected them, and not God or godly!
Nowhere in the "Christian Holy Book" that is claimed to be the authority where these different corralled people get their beliefs, is such a thing mentioned let alone sanctioned by Jesus. In fact, the only people with whom Jesus, on a regular basis, took issue with were the elite self-righteous religious people who saw themselves as having all their doctrinal-ducks in a row regarding their theology and doxology and had ticked all the right boxes on the membership forms, while consistently ruling unlike-minded people...with different beliefs than their corral belief system...as outside of God’s love and favour.
It is these very man-made stipulations and associated score-keeping that imprisons people behind invisible bars of religion, robing them of their freedom in Christ. Jesus was all about freedom. This was and is in stark contrast to our deep-seated propensity to make rules for everything, whether implicitly or explicitly and making those man-made controlling stipulations to determine who is in and who is out of a particular like-minded-corralled group.
When we make the Bible a rule book sanctioned by God to benefit our own like-minded theology it becomes a religious weapon to whip people in line and keep unlike-minded people out and is abusing and misusing the intent of the book. We turn “If you want to thrive and flourish, this is what you do”...into...“If you don’t do this, you offend God and are condemned to eternal damnation”.
The Apostle Paul tells us that God was in Christ reconciling the people of world to himself. Not a remnant or a few, but ALL. In other words, he was erasing whatever sin-barrier that existed between God and man.
Which means...whatever walls of separation and segregation still exist are there because man has erected them, and not God or godly!
Fear Not
"Fear him who has the power to destroy both body and soul in hell!" (Matthew 10:28)
This verse is quoted as a proof text by people promoting the hell damnation theory and the terror of God in His sending people to suffer in hell for eternity. But is that the context of the verse...maybe...if it is wrenched from its context.
This verse when quoted to justify a angry, terrorizing, loveless, retributive God is the same as quoting what the friends of Job said about God without providing the fact that later on God said that they were wrong in what they said about Him. If you consider the context of this chapter in Matthew, you will find that it is not that God sends people to eternal punishment in hell fire therefore, we should be afraid of Him.
Notice that Jesus tells His disciples to go and proclaim the kingdom of God, the coming of which has the effects of restoring people...did you get that, RESTORING people, not DESTROYING people..."As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand!' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons." (Matthew 10:7-8) That's what the gospel of the kingdom is about, restoring and reconciling people...not banishing them to punishment of eternal suffering in hell.
Since God's kingdom is a kingdom of restoration and peace, it doesn't come by violent means, so Jesus tells his followers he is sending them out as sheep among wolves. Wolves tear sheep to shreds. The kingdom of the religious world was established on violence, deceit and lies. But the kingdom of God is established on martyrdom, because it is come to plant the seed of forgiveness and peace which will eventually be like leaven that works all through the dough. Jesus doesn't tell them to fight. He tells them they will be flogged and persecuted in both the political and religious centers, and that they will stand before the powers of the world and declare in the power of the Spirit the true kingdom of God. Jesus tells them they will be put to death, but it's okay, this is how they treated him.
Then he tells them "Do not fear." Do not fear these people that can kill you. Then comes the dreadful verse.
"Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear the One who has power to destroy both soul and body in gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So fear not; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:28-31)
Wait a second, the verse didn't end at fear? Nope. Notice how Jesus goes from one extreme to the other. First, fear him who has power to destroy you in gehenna (the valley of hinnom), and second, he is a Father who loves and protects every hair on your head, so don't fear. In other words, all these other guys may be able to kill your body, but there is only one who has power to destroy your actual person, and he would never dream of doing such a thing because he is your loving Father who cares for even the birds.
Jesus concludes with "Fear not" and affirming our immeasurable worth beyond that of birds. The words of Jesus..."Fear not"...means there is nothing to be afraid of.
This verse is quoted as a proof text by people promoting the hell damnation theory and the terror of God in His sending people to suffer in hell for eternity. But is that the context of the verse...maybe...if it is wrenched from its context.
This verse when quoted to justify a angry, terrorizing, loveless, retributive God is the same as quoting what the friends of Job said about God without providing the fact that later on God said that they were wrong in what they said about Him. If you consider the context of this chapter in Matthew, you will find that it is not that God sends people to eternal punishment in hell fire therefore, we should be afraid of Him.
Notice that Jesus tells His disciples to go and proclaim the kingdom of God, the coming of which has the effects of restoring people...did you get that, RESTORING people, not DESTROYING people..."As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand!' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons." (Matthew 10:7-8) That's what the gospel of the kingdom is about, restoring and reconciling people...not banishing them to punishment of eternal suffering in hell.
Since God's kingdom is a kingdom of restoration and peace, it doesn't come by violent means, so Jesus tells his followers he is sending them out as sheep among wolves. Wolves tear sheep to shreds. The kingdom of the religious world was established on violence, deceit and lies. But the kingdom of God is established on martyrdom, because it is come to plant the seed of forgiveness and peace which will eventually be like leaven that works all through the dough. Jesus doesn't tell them to fight. He tells them they will be flogged and persecuted in both the political and religious centers, and that they will stand before the powers of the world and declare in the power of the Spirit the true kingdom of God. Jesus tells them they will be put to death, but it's okay, this is how they treated him.
Then he tells them "Do not fear." Do not fear these people that can kill you. Then comes the dreadful verse.
"Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, fear the One who has power to destroy both soul and body in gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So fear not; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:28-31)
Wait a second, the verse didn't end at fear? Nope. Notice how Jesus goes from one extreme to the other. First, fear him who has power to destroy you in gehenna (the valley of hinnom), and second, he is a Father who loves and protects every hair on your head, so don't fear. In other words, all these other guys may be able to kill your body, but there is only one who has power to destroy your actual person, and he would never dream of doing such a thing because he is your loving Father who cares for even the birds.
Jesus concludes with "Fear not" and affirming our immeasurable worth beyond that of birds. The words of Jesus..."Fear not"...means there is nothing to be afraid of.
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Generational Curses
Therefore if any man is in Christ, {he is} a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. --II Corinthians 5:17
He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. --Ephesians 1:5
Often I hear of those purported to have generational curses. The cause of their present-day calamity is ascribed to the curse received by an ancestor, whether it came from God, idol worship, or a witchdoctor; it does not seem to matter. Whole meetings are dedicated to breaking the curse. Where is this in the Bible? Oh, yes, there is one passage alluded to in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 5:9, “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth {generations} of those who hate Me.” Adoption in the Old & New Testaments is much different than today’s concept of adoption, wherein there is an acknowledgement of both birth and adoptive parents. Adoption in the Bible is understood as a new birth, and the adoptee is taken out of one family and placed into the genealogy of the new family. Hence, when we become children of God by adoption once we are born again, spiritually speaking, the genealogical curse, if such did exist, would be broken.Another problem with the false teaching of a genealogical curse for a born-again believer is that it is oppressive and irrational, because everyone could trace his lineage back to someone who had not loved God, and again, we have a new root, Jesus the Vine.This brings up a several points. First, in the New Testament, with all of the idol worship that the Romans had introduced to the believers, there is not one occasion in the Epistles where a solution offered to a problem was the breaking of a curse. Second, if it is God Who has cursed someone, do we really think that a man could break it? Third, as mentioned above, once born again, a person is in a different lineage, the lineage of Jesus, with God as the Father. Is He cursed? No, He is blessed, Jesus is blessed, and we are blessed because we are in Him.There is no curse over us. The only curse, so to speak, is that of unbelief, which allows the elect to be deceived into such notions as white magic to lift curses.
Many have met these arguments with cries of, “if only you had seen what I have seen!” I have seen it. If we are to question our thoughts to examine the source, should we not on occasion also question our emotions, our experiences, and what we see? Our deceiver is a liar from the beginning. Anyway, why is it easier to believe that nearly everyone is influenced by curses when it would make much more sense, seeing that Christ is infinitely more powerful, to believe that if a person has some Christian ancestors he would have a special dispensation? And for those who appeal to Deuteronomy? Look at what happens later in the book, where God is explaining consequences He would remember “ . . . to the tenth generation” (Deuteronomy 23:2), and then He parenthetically notes what He does with those who curse His children. Deuteronomy 23:5, “However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.”
I have no difficulty understanding how many have been misled into thinking the devil is really their problem. At virtually every prayer meeting I’ve been to, whether in the church building or in a pasture, many give the devil credit for all their problems and continue to ask God to forgive them of ALL their sins they can’t name. The focus is on anything and anyone other than Jesus, and what He has done/will do for them.
I say this because it is sad we are missing out on ALL that God has done for us, and is doing for us. I see that many need to find the love of God for them.
He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. --Ephesians 1:5
Often I hear of those purported to have generational curses. The cause of their present-day calamity is ascribed to the curse received by an ancestor, whether it came from God, idol worship, or a witchdoctor; it does not seem to matter. Whole meetings are dedicated to breaking the curse. Where is this in the Bible? Oh, yes, there is one passage alluded to in the Old Testament. Deuteronomy 5:9, “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth {generations} of those who hate Me.” Adoption in the Old & New Testaments is much different than today’s concept of adoption, wherein there is an acknowledgement of both birth and adoptive parents. Adoption in the Bible is understood as a new birth, and the adoptee is taken out of one family and placed into the genealogy of the new family. Hence, when we become children of God by adoption once we are born again, spiritually speaking, the genealogical curse, if such did exist, would be broken.Another problem with the false teaching of a genealogical curse for a born-again believer is that it is oppressive and irrational, because everyone could trace his lineage back to someone who had not loved God, and again, we have a new root, Jesus the Vine.This brings up a several points. First, in the New Testament, with all of the idol worship that the Romans had introduced to the believers, there is not one occasion in the Epistles where a solution offered to a problem was the breaking of a curse. Second, if it is God Who has cursed someone, do we really think that a man could break it? Third, as mentioned above, once born again, a person is in a different lineage, the lineage of Jesus, with God as the Father. Is He cursed? No, He is blessed, Jesus is blessed, and we are blessed because we are in Him.There is no curse over us. The only curse, so to speak, is that of unbelief, which allows the elect to be deceived into such notions as white magic to lift curses.
Many have met these arguments with cries of, “if only you had seen what I have seen!” I have seen it. If we are to question our thoughts to examine the source, should we not on occasion also question our emotions, our experiences, and what we see? Our deceiver is a liar from the beginning. Anyway, why is it easier to believe that nearly everyone is influenced by curses when it would make much more sense, seeing that Christ is infinitely more powerful, to believe that if a person has some Christian ancestors he would have a special dispensation? And for those who appeal to Deuteronomy? Look at what happens later in the book, where God is explaining consequences He would remember “ . . . to the tenth generation” (Deuteronomy 23:2), and then He parenthetically notes what He does with those who curse His children. Deuteronomy 23:5, “However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you.”
I have no difficulty understanding how many have been misled into thinking the devil is really their problem. At virtually every prayer meeting I’ve been to, whether in the church building or in a pasture, many give the devil credit for all their problems and continue to ask God to forgive them of ALL their sins they can’t name. The focus is on anything and anyone other than Jesus, and what He has done/will do for them.
I say this because it is sad we are missing out on ALL that God has done for us, and is doing for us. I see that many need to find the love of God for them.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)