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Junk To Jewels
Chapter 8
Blessings and Curses
I
believe that a major theme of the Bible is turning curses into blessings. The curse was pronounced in Genesis,
and the end of the curse is in Revelation. I also believe that often the process of removing curses is
"overcoming."
Deuteronomy Chapter 28 is a good place to study
curses and blessings.
A
curse is the opposite of a blessing.
A blessing is some type of prosperity that is the result of good and
positive words or deeds. A curse
is some type of failure caused or propagated by wicked or negative words or
deeds. In Deuteronomy 28 Moses
lists the blessings if one obeys the commandments of God and the curses if one
does not obey the commandments of God.
Exodus
34:5-8 says that curses are passed down to future generations. "Keeping
mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means
clearing the guilty, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the
third and the fourth generation" (Exodus 34:7).
God's
original purpose was for us to have blessings passed down to future
generations, which would have resulted from man's free will in right
relationship to Him. However
justice demands that if blessings can be passed down so must curses be passed
down.
Curses and blessings are subject to the law of sowing
and reaping. If your grandfather
sowed the sin of anger and rage, you and/or your children may be in line for
far more anger and rage than your grandfather ever committed. He sowed the seed, however the fruit is
always more abundant than the seed.
If you do a little drinking of alcohol, don't be surprised if your
children or grandchildren are plagued with substance addictions including
substances more dangerous than alcohol.
We have overcome physical infirmities that have been experienced by our
ancestors. While we have no idea
how these originated, we do know that they were passed down. However, with our overcoming we know
that our children and their children will never have to suffer with these
issues. That "generation has
passed away" (Matthew 23:34).
When Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means
pass away till all these things take place" (Matthew 24:34), I believe He
was not only talking about the end of the world, but He also was referring to
the generational curse in your individual life. In Matthew 24 He was talking about all kinds of tragedies
taking place as a prelude to the curse being overcome. That process is overcoming.
In
his book titled Blessing or Curse [1]
Derek Prince defines some of the affects of a curse. "You, too, may have tasted success. You do indeed know the sweetness of it
but it never lasts! Suddenly, for
no reason you can explain, you are dissatisfied. Depression settles over you like a cloud. All your achievements seem so
insubstantial. You look at others
who appear content in similar circumstances, and you ask yourself, 'What's wrong with me? Why don't I ever experience real
fulfillment?'"
"Wrestling against shadows" is one of the phrases he
uses.
In
my experience, when I experienced the effects of a curse, whether it was a
product of my own doing or something that was passed down through the
generations, my self-esteem level was at zero. I was made to feel like there was something terribly wrong
with me, and I experienced great despair and hopelessness. I want to add that this was during a
time when I had a very intense relationship with the Lord.
People can react to this in difference ways. Some just sink down under the weight of
despair and give up, others become performance oriented and seek to establish
their own self-esteem based upon their works. I never gave up but rather gained relief on a daily basis by
fellowshipping with the Lord in His Word.
I can remember the Lord teaching me during that time about curses and
blessings, and about me.
Eventually God gave me my self-esteem based upon having my identity in
Him. Looking back, I think that
the inner healing came before the actual curse was overcome and before
circumstances started looking brighter.
I entreat you now, be honest with God. Let Him know if there are areas in your life like this. It will be the beginning of your
freedom. The truth will always
make you free!
Jesus
encountered several people who were bound with infirmities and/or demons that
apparently were generational in nature.
In
Mark chapter 9:17-29, Jesus cast a demon out of a young man who had been demon
possessed from his childhood. The
disciples could not cast out this demon, and after Jesus did the job they asked
Him about it. "So He said to them, 'This kind can come out by
nothing but prayer and fasting'" (Mark 9:29). Apparently there were some issues that had to be dealt with
besides the fact that a demon was present.
We need to see Jesus' heart in dealing with generational spiritual
bondages. First, He wants us
free. Next, He is sovereign and
often takes the initiative. Also,
He heals us without condemnation.
I am not saying that we will not be uncomfortable, or that God will not
confront us with some tough issues and tough disciplines, but He does not
condemn. The Holy Spirit does
convict, and we need to be mature and honest enough to allow Him to do so.
In John chapter 9, Jesus was walking with His disciples and He
noticed a man blind from his birth.
How did He know the man was blind from birth? Who knows?
Perhaps it was a word of knowledge, maybe God had spoken to Him in
prayer the night before. This man
was not seeking healing, Jesus sought him out of a crowd.
John 9:2 says, "And His disciples asked Him, saying, 'Rabbi,
who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'" They thought that infirmities were due
to sin, perhaps the sin of the parents, perhaps a deeper generational curse as
Moses had discovered. Jesus
answered the question in a way that I believe the Amplified version states the
best. "Jesus answered, It was
not that this man or his parents sinned, but he was born blind in order that
the workings of God should be manifested (displayed and illustrated) in
him" (John 9:3 AMP).
Obviously all have sinned, including this man and his
parents. The point was, that Jesus
saw a higher purpose in the infirmity and knew that focusing on whose sin
caused it would not be merciful, nor would it produce a cure. I believe Jesus was teaching that our
"junk," viewed from God's perspective, was nothing more than raw
material for "jewels."
So it is with our generational curses. I believe that Jesus has fasted and prayed, and that He
comes to us with His power and converts our curses to blessings. What I want to impart here is first,
the knowledge of the subject, and second, how we can cooperate with God's
effort to free us.
Your purpose in life may never be
realized if curses are not dealt with.
Many years ago I was taking an extended walk with the
Lord. In a moment of feeling that
I wanted to totally consecrate myself to Him I said, "Lord, write your
purpose on the tablet of my heart by the pen of the Word dipped into the ink of
Holy Spirit." I just wanted
whatever God wanted for my life, no more, no less.
I could see some sort of canvas inside of me with the Lord
writing His plan on it for my life.
"Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your
eye. Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart" (Proverbs 7:2,3).
The Lord responded, "I don't have to write; the
plan for your life was written on your heart before the foundation of the
world. The counterfeiter has
stolen your canvas and has painted his plan on it, covering up My plan. What needs to be done now is to scrape
away the counterfeit paint."
The Lord knew that I had met an artist one time that
would steal beautiful paintings from galleries, not for their art beauty, but
just for the value of the canvas.
He would then paint his work over the original. This is the picture I saw.
I believe that God has a beautiful purpose for you,
here on earth, one that will satisfy you beyond your greatest dreams, dreams
that you may have never dreamed, but that are locked up inside of you
(Ephesians 3:20).
I also believe that much of the counterfeit paint
consists of old sin and especially generational curses, including things that
happened to you when you were young, and things that happened to your forefathers
before you were born. I can tell
you two things from my experience.
First, God has been taking me into my purpose, and is still working it
out. Second, it has not been easy;
it has taken "overcoming" at every step of the way. But nothing in life is easy, so why not
go for the "gold."
Abandonment is the requirement.
Abandonment is believing and trusting. It is faith, and it really gets God's
attention. If you do not live in
total abandonment to God, most likely you will have many regrets when you see
Jesus face to face. When you
abandon yourself in faith to Jesus, you set Him free to accomplish His purpose
for your life. You have to make
room for Him or He will not operate.
I believe that when God sees your abandonment, He will begin your journey
to turn your curses into blessings.
Here are some facts about generational curses
extracted (in part) from the book Blessing or Curse. [2]
1. The
penalty for sin is the curse. The
curse of eternal separation is the ultimate curse. If that has been settled, what about those of a lesser
penalty? If He annulled death, He
also annulled your curse.
2. A curse
or a blessing is a supernatural power for good or for bad. Deuteronomy 28:21 says they cling,
verse 29 says none can save.
3. Curses
and blessings can be generational, passed down. They can be on families, nations, races, and regions.
4. Curses
are usually propagated by words spoken, written or inward or by objects.
5. Curses
are like a long arm from the past.
Wrestling against shadows.
6. The
primary cause of a curse is not hearing and obeying God, Deuteronomy 28.
Some indications of a curse.
I
do not believe that all of the
following conditions always have
to do with a curse, but they certainly make up a checklist to look into. Please do not take all of these as
absolute indications that there is a curse operating in your life. I have seen exceptions. These outlines are taken (in part) from
the book Blessing or Curse by Derek Prince, referred to above.
1. Mental
or emotional breakdown.
2. Repeated or chronic sicknesses, especially if hereditary.
3. Barrenness,
and/or a tendency to miscarry, or related female problems.
4. Breakdown of marriage and family
alienation.
5. Continuing financial insufficiency.
6. Being
accident prone.
7. A history of suicides and unnatural
deaths.
8. Rebellion.
9. Demon activity.
10. Continuing failure, and the inability to succeed.
11. Inordinate sexual orientation.
12. Substance abuse such as alcohol and drugs.
13. Inordinate eating habits.
14. Other addictions.
If
you feel that some of these may apply to you, don't feel condemned, just
convicted enough to be honest. I
have been delivered from many curses.
The problem is that many people do not wish to agree with God about
their condition, therefore they cannot be delivered. Allow Jesus to take your curse and your sin. He already did, now just appropriate
it. Be honest with Him! It may be less painful to avoid the
truth, but you will stay in bondage.
Some sources of curses.
Deuteronomy
27:17 says the person that moves the boundaries is cursed. God gave us boundaries, and when we
transgress them, we are cursed.
1. False
Gods, Exodus 20:3-5.
2. Idolatry
(occult), Deuteronomy 27:15.
3. Disrespect
for parents, Proverb 30:17.
4. Treachery to a neighbor,
Proverb 17:13.
5. Injustice
to the weak and poor, Proverb 28:27.
6. Unnatural
sex/incest, Leviticus 20:10-16.
7. Anti-Semitism,
Genesis 12:3, 27:29.
8. Depending
on the flesh, Jeremiah 17:5-7.
9. Stealing/perjury,
Zechariah 5:1-4.
10. Stinginess,
Malachi 3:8-10.
11. Perverting
the true Gospel, Galatians 1:8-9.
12. Living by
legalism, by the Law, and not by grace, Galatians 3:10.
13. Self-imposed
(speaking negative words, and/or personal sin), Genesis 27:11-13, Matthew
27:24-25.
14. Servants of
Satan, others cursing you like Balaam and Goliath, Numbers 22:6, 23:11-13, 1
Sam. 17:43.
15. Deuteronomy
28:15 says that if we do not obey His commands, all these curses will come upon
us. Most of the time we recognize
our sin, and when we confess it we are cleansed. However, God commands us to "fear not." Fear, which is born out of an ignorance
of God's great love for us, can bring curses. Fear can be the spirit connector to the curse.
Meeting the Conditions for breaking the curse.
A
curse cannot attach itself without a cause. "Like a
flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow, So a curse without cause shall not
alight" (Proverbs 26:2).
The
way to make every curse have no cause is to cooperate in its transfer to Jesus,
who bore it for us, and to hear and obey the Word of God. When we miss it, we confess our sin and
we come back into right standing and obedience. (1 John 1:9).
Removal of the curse was a promise to Israel.
We, the church, are reaping the benefits of the New Covenant
ahead of time. Natural Israel will
also enter into the New Covenant as told by Jeremiah. Jeremiah describes the promise in Jeremiah 31:29-34. However verses 29-30 gives a great
picture that I urge you to keep in your mind and spirit. "In those
days they shall say no more: 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the
children's teeth are set on edge.'
But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the
sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge" (Jeremiah 31:29,30).
Jesus was the fulfillment of this promise. "Christ has redeemed us from the
curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree')"
(Galatians 3:13).
Jesus took Barabbas' curse and yours as well.
Matthew 27:16 says that
Barabbas was a notorious prisoner.
There were three crosses on Golgotha. The two on either side were made for criminals. Was the
middle cross made for, Jesus? No,
It was made for Barabbas. Jesus
took his place. Isaiah 53 says
that Jesus took our place.
Isaiah 53:4-6 says, "Surely He has borne our griefs, and
carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted. But He was wounded for
our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our
peace was on Him; and with His stripes we ourselves are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we
have turned, each one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity
of us all."
The steps for becoming free from a
curse are:
1. Confess
your faith in the finished work of the Cross, that Jesus took every curse that
could come on you. Lift up Jesus,
as the Israelites lifted up the snake on the brass pole (Numbers 21). Place the reaping of the consequences
of sin, perhaps that of your forefathers or even your own, on the Cross.
2. Confess
your faith that Jesus is the Son of God, the only way to God, and that He died
on the Cross and rose again.
3. Repentance
is a powerful way to deal with curses.
Repent from
all rebellion and sin, and submit to Jesus as Lord. This may include your personal repentance as well as
corporate repentance for your family or whoever is affected by this curse. In the case of our children, we should
repent for them, and for our forefathers who may have passed this curse down as
well as for ourselves. Look back
at your forefathers' sins and forgive them. Then put the fruit of those sins on the Cross of Jesus who
bore their fruit. Look at yourself
and ask God to forgive you. Then
look forward and ask God to forgive your children and pray to put the fruit of
generational curses on Jesus instead of on them. Repentance in this manner is powerful. My wife and I can testify to that. We have seen supernatural blessings
occur in this area.
4. Claim
forgiveness for all of your sins, especially for the sins that exposed you to a
curse. Ask for release from
consequences of your ancestor's sins.
5. Forgive
others who have wronged you or disappointed you.
6. Renounce
all contact with anything occult or satanic, including objects that represent them.
7. Replace
the void created with the Word of God.
Ask God to give you the Word that will counteract the curse you have
renounced. Then meditate upon it,
memorize it, and continually confess it.
Overcoming a curse may come immediately or it may take
some time.
Often
it takes a period of time to become totally loosed from the affects of a
curse. With some it is immediate,
with me it has more often required a lengthy process. I am not trying to bottle up God in a formula. He can work any way He wills. I am just giving you what my experience
has been and how it has lined up with Scripture. We have seen victory and overcoming when we have lived out
the overcoming lifestyle as I have explained. "And they overcame him by the
blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love
their lives to the death" (Revelation 12:11). We have also seen immediate manifestations of the path of
healing and deliverance when we identified the problem and confessed our sin
with repentance. Our job is to be
honest and repent, God has the plan and the path customized for your life.
Pull the chain around the tree.
I
heard someone from Derek Prince ministries tell a wonderful way to stand once
we meet the conditions. He used
the analogy of a giant Redwood tree.
Sometimes they do not simply saw them down. Instead they will wrap a chain around the huge trunk and
tighten it with a winch. Every so
often they come and tighten up a few more notches. The tree is dead once this happens, yet it still has great
foliage on it. Every so often the
workmen come back and tighten the chain, more and more, until the manifestation
of the death is obvious. When we
meet the conditions as stated above, our curse is also dead, but it may still
have fruit and foliage. Just
continue to tighten up your chain by living the overcoming lifestyle!
That
is what we are doing as we position ourselves to be free from curses in our
lives. We have strapped down the
chain. Now simply tighten it by
living the overcoming lifestyle.
Remember to "keep your garden clean," or in other words, walk
a life worthy of the Lord as in Ephesians 4:1. Stay out of strife and live your life in love and
forgiveness.
Suggested prayers.
Scriptural basis: "Lord Jesus Christ, I believe that on the cross you
took every curse that could come on me."
Faith in Christ: "You are the Son of God, the only way to God; you died
on the cross and rose again."
Repentance: "I give up all rebellion and sin, and I submit to you
as Lord and Master."
Claim forgiveness: "I confess all my sins and ask your forgiveness,
especially for sins that exposed me to a curse. Release me also from consequences of my ancestors'
sins."
Forgive: "By a decision of my will, I forgive all who have
wronged or disappointed me--just as I want God to forgive me."
Renounce: "I renounce all contact with anything occult or
satanic. If I have "contact
objects" I commit myself to destroy them. I cancel all Satan's claims against me." (See pp. 68-71 of Blessing or Curse:
You Can Choose for list of occult practices. See pp. 121-124 of They Shall Expel Demons [3]
for five signs of a cult.)
Release: "I ask you now to release me from every curse over my
life. In your Name, Jesus, I
release myself.
Now receive the exchange.
|
Blessings |
Curses |
|
Exaltation |
Humiliation |
|
Reproductiveness |
Barrenness |
|
Health |
Sickness of all kinds |
|
Prosperity |
Poverty or failure |
|
Victory |
Defeat |
|
Authority (head) |
Helplessness (tail) |
|
Above (strength) |
Beneath (weakness) |
Here
is the point to remember. God's
solution for us is to see
and believe.
There
is a spiritual reality behind everything in the natural realm. The spiritual and invisible world is
all around us but we cannot see it with our natural eyes. It is upholding everything that we can
see with our eyes. Paul prayed in
Ephesians chapter 1 that the people would have eyes to see the spiritual world. Ephesians 1:17,18 says, "that
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His
calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the
saints." When we see the
truth of the spiritual world, we will know the truth and we will be free, as
Jesus said in John chapter 8.
Paul's prayer is that you and I may see the riches of the glory that is our
inheritance. What is this
glory? Colossians 1:27 says,
"To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this
mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of
glory." The glory, the
blessing is, Christ in you! You,
the old person that is subject to curses, have been crucified with Christ
(Galatians 2:20), however the new man, Christ in you, is now living. And guess what, Christ in you cannot be
subject to curses!
We must see the good and the bad.
First you see the positive, that you were born again with the
resurrected Christ who is now living in you, and who is not subject to being
under a curse. Christ is not
merely your example for living, He is not just somebody out there in Heaven
helping you, but He has become your substitute, living His life in you instead
of you living your old life.
God, in His mercy, will help you to see yourself. As you stay close to God and spend time
with Him in prayer and the Word, the Holy Spirit will convict you of
strongholds, habits, and attitudes that are not Christlike. Use this reason: if Christ is living in
me, then what is this in me that is not Christlike? This conviction is a gift of repentance from God. As you feel and sense bitterness,
anger, jealousy, lust, etc., immediately bring it to Him as sin. Ask God to show you from where this
originated. Open all of the doors
of your heart and allow God to come into the closed areas of your life. Only He can heal them. Daniel was not harmed in the lion's den
because, as the Scripture says, he was innocent with God. The Hebrew word for innocent is
transparent - Daniel 6:21.
In years past, before I knew much at all about curses and
blessings, God was releasing me from curses through my simple honesty and
transparency with Him. I would
continually look into the Word as a mirror and allow it to read me. Then I would confess all things in me
that did not look like Jesus. This
is really what you need to be free!
The fact that curses are attempting
to overtake you is based upon a lie!
If Christ lives in you, then the issue of curses hurting you is
legally settled. However now you
must possess that truth for yourself by seeing and believing. You must continue to see what is going
on in the spiritual realm and affirming the truth of what you see. That is the only way to make it,
because some curses don't just release the next day. Some demonic strongholds don't just go away like a scared
dog. It may take patience and a
lot of time affirming and testifying to the truth of the Cross. At the same time you must live a holy
life, in other words an honest life, so that your testimony is effective with
God and with Satan. It may take
some time for your mind to become renewed or the genetic factors to change, but
as you continue to see and believe you are overcoming.
Seeing is your God given heritage as a child of God "But as it is written: 'Eye has
not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things
which God has prepared for those who love Him.' But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things,
yes, the deep things of God" (1 Corinthians 2:9,10).
Remember our previous statements regarding
curses.
While they are not desirable in our
lives, they can be the raw material for "jewels" for the Kingdom of
God. Remember the theme of the
Book of Revelation. We saw Jesus
at God's throne holding our Scroll with our curses recorded therein. After the process in Revelation, we see
in its final chapters jewels making up God's Kingdom.
On the Cross Jesus was cursed. In Hell He was cursed. But God spoke resurrection life into
Him and He is now King! That same
resurrection life spoken to you will also transform you and your life.