Month: January 2022

You are cordially invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb…

In the ancient Hebrew culture, two invitations were expected when banquets were given. 

The first asked the guests to attend; the second announced that all was ready. 

In this story the king invited his guests three times, and each time they rejected his invitation. 

God wants us to join him at his banquet, which will last for eternity. 

That’s why he sends us invitations again and again. Have you accepted his invitation?

———

Matthew 22:1-14

The Voice

22 Jesus went on speaking in parables.

Jesus: 2 The kingdom of heaven is like a king whose son was getting married. The king organized a great feast, a huge wedding banquet. 

3 He invited everyone he knew. The day of the wedding arrived, and the king sent his servants into town to track down his guests—but when the servants approached them with the king’s message, they refused to come. 

4 So the king sent out another batch of servants.

King: Tell those people I’ve invited to come to the wedding banquet! Tell them I have prepared a great feast! Everything is ready! The oxen and fattened cattle have all been butchered, the wine is decanted, and the table is laid out just so.

5 And off the servants went, and they carried the king’s message to the errant guests—who still paid not a whit of attention. 

One guest headed into his field to work; another sat at his desk to attend to his accounts. 

6 The rest of the guests actually turned on the servants, brutalizing them and killing them. 

7 When he learned of this, the king was furious. He sent his army to kill the murderers and burn their towns. 

8 But there was, of course, still a wedding to celebrate.

King (to his remaining servants): The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited didn’t rise to the occasion. 

9 So go into the streets and invite anyone you see; invite everyone you meet.

10 And the servants did just that—they went into the streets and invited everyone they met, rich and poor, good and bad, high and low, sick and well. Everyone who was invited came, and the wedding hall practically burst with guests.

11 The king looked around the wedding party with glee, but he spotted one man who was not dressed appropriately. In fact, he was dressed rather plainly, in clothes not at all fitting for a fine nuptial feast.

King: 12 Kind sir, how did you get in here without a proper suit of wedding clothes?

The man was speechless. He had been invited in off the street, after all! 13 Getting no response, the king told his servants,

King: Tie him up, and throw him out into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and grinding of teeth.

14 For many are invited, but few are chosen.

———

22:2 THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE

Many Jewish parables depict God as a king; sometimes His son represented Israel marrying the law. 

Here the son is presumably Jesus. 

WEDDING

Because the size of wedding banquets displayed honor, hosts usually invited as many people as possible. 

22:3 THOSE WHO WERE INVITED… NOT WILLING TO COME  

Jesus will reject those who refuse his invitation into honor and privilege, replacing them with true worshipers—those restored from sin by his grace.

Refusal to accept a banquet invitation insulted the inviter; insulting a king was treason. 

But such invitations were normally RSVP, followed up by a second notice once the food was ready. 

Thus the people now refusing to come, at the second notice, had already agreed to come at the first invitation (“those who had been invited”). 

Their refusal now was therefore a conspicuously deliberate and provocative insult. 

22:4 OXEN AND FATTENED CATTLE 

A fattened calf alone could feed a village (cf. Luke 15:23); the king has made massive preparations, and the meat will spoil unless the guests come quickly. 

22:6 KILLED THEM  

All ancient readers would have agreed that slaughtering messengers was an offense worthy of death. 

By universal ancient law, heralds, or messengers, were to be exempt from any harm, even during times of war. 

22:7 BURNED UP THEIR CITY  

Conquerors burned resistant cities; a generation after Jesus’ ministry, Rome’s army burned Jerusalem. 

22:9 AS MANY AS YOU FIND, INVITE 

The first invited guests had dishonored the king; the only way to recoup some honor is to find other guests before the food can spoil. 

22:11 NOT HAVE ON A WEDDING GARMENT 

In another Jewish parable possibly (but not certainly) as early as the first century, wise servants waited at a king’s gate, awaiting the promised banquet; foolish servants kept laboring with soiled garments and were unprepared when his banquet was ready. 

Regarding the parable here in ch. 22, some scholars suggest that the host would have provided special garments; others simply note that coming to a wedding banquet in soiled clothing would insult the host. 

In v. 12, the king asks how the intruder made it past the servants guarding the doors; the intruder’s refusal to answer may suggest that his insulting act was deliberate. 

If the first invited guests represent Jerusalem’s leaders at Jesus’ first coming, the rudely dressed man perhaps represents professed followers of Jesus unprepared for His second.

———

YOU ARE INCLUDED IN THIS INVITATION 

You are cordially invited to your wedding party. 

Welcome to the great “Marriage Supper of the Lamb,” where you, one of Jesus’ brides and part of His Church, the elect, the ekklesia, the called-out ones, finally get to celebrate your marriage with Jesus. 

You became part of His Bride the minute you accepted Him into your heart, and now you finally get to have the wedding supper, and it is going to be the party to end all parties—well, at least up until this point.

John described it like this:

Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” 

And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! 

For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 

And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 

Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’”

Revelation 19:5–9

From that point on, the Bible is silent as to what the celebrations consist of, but we can rest assured that if Jesus is planning the party, it is going to be totally out of this world.

There is another event that will apparently take place at this time, referred to in Scripture as the Judgment Seat of Christ. 

This is when the saved will come individually before Jesus Christ to receive their rewards. 

Paul writes: “We shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:10,12). 

Also, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12). 

And, “The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matthew 16:27). 

And also, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). 

The apostle Paul, at the end of his ministry, shortly before his death, said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 

Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7–8). 

This crown is your reward.

A lot of Christians get confused by the Bible verses on rewards and crowns, and apply them to salvation as something that must be earned. 

Salvation cannot be worked for and thus earned; it is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:5). 

But you can work for rewards and you can earn praise and commendation from the Lord! 

A special, “Well done, good and faithful servant. … Enter into the joy of your Lord!” (Matthew 25:21). 

Although the good that you do in this life isn’t going to help to get you into Heaven, it will have a great deal to do with your reward and your position once you’re there.

When a heavenly messenger was speaking to Daniel, he said: 

“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:2–3). 

Those who have been wise by living a life dedicated to being what God wants them to be, and to turning others to righteousness, will shine as the stars; but those who haven’t done much for the Lord will be pretty dull and some held in shame and even contempt.

So those who have done more will receive more rewards. But it also has to be understood that “the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). 

He knows what you are capable of and what you desire to do, and if for some reason your circumstances hold you back from being as much of a force for good on Earth as you would like to be, then those circumstances will be taken into consideration. 

Jesus is called the Righteous Judge, and your reward will be a righteous one. 

Nevertheless, it is important that we do our best to be and do all that God expects of us.

Paul wrote, “Now if anyone builds on this foundation [salvation] with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 

If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward” (1 Corinthians 3:12–14). 

Having received Jesus, as both Lord and Savior, if you are living for Him and are doing your best to be a living sample of His love for others, when you stand before Him at this great Judgment Seat, these works will endure the test, even as gold and silver endure and come through the fire. 

They will endure and you will receive a glorious reward. “That the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ!” (1 Peter 1:7).

But, the Scripture passage in Corinthians continues, 

“If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15). 

Those who have received Jesus, but yet did nothing for Jesus in thanksgiving, who lived their lives selfishly and did not live by the golden rule of “whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them” (Matthew 7:12), will find their works burned as wood, hay, and straw, and will not receive much of a reward, if any. 

They’ll still be saved, but they’ll suffer such a sad loss! 

So if nothing else, this should be strong motivation to do our best to live the way God wants us to live and do the things He wants us to do on Earth, so that we can receive His reward and commendation in Heaven!

Meanwhile, as we are rejoicing at the Marriage Supper and receiving our rewards, the angels of the Lord are taking care of unfinished business on the earth.

So the invitations have gone out and you are one of the recipients. 

We are told that many are called, but few are chosen; and so obviously the ones that are chosen are the ones who answered the call, who have committed their life to Jesus and to His service. 

Our decision for Christ and our willingness to serve him with all of our heart, mind and strength is the most important decision we will ever make in our life. 

Luke 9:23-26

New Living Translation

23 Then he (Jesus) said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 

24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 

25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? 

26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.

So as we can gather from all the above versus Christianity is definitely not a spectator sport, it requires our total and absolute dedication, in order that we may fulfill the destiny that God has planned for each one of our lives (see Ps 139:16, Rom 8:29-30, Eph 1:4-6). 

———

Come join the Adventure! 

Skip 🕊️ 

Wed, January 12
The Berean
Daily Verse and Comment

Forerunner Commentary

Matthew 13:1-53

And Jesus spoke to the masses in parables…

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
Before Jesus interpreted this parable about the Sower, He drew His disciples away from the crowd.

They said to Him,

“Why do You speak to them in parables?”

Jesus answered them,

“To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.

For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;

For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’

But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Matthew 13:10-17).
———

Matthew 13:3-9
The Voice

[This next sermon series, the third of Jesus’ five Mosaic-like sermons, is filled with parables or stories with a deeper meaning about the kingdom of heaven.]

3 And so Jesus began to teach. On this day, He spoke in parables. Here is His first parable:

Jesus: Once there was a sower who scattered seeds. 4 One day he walked in a field scattering seeds as he went.

Some seeds fell beside a road, and a flock of birds came and ate all those seeds.

5 So the sower scattered seeds in a field, one with shallow soil and strewn with rocks.

But the seeds grew quickly amid all the rocks, 6 without rooting themselves in the shallow soil.

Their roots got tangled up in all the stones. The sun scorched these seeds, and they died.

7 And so the sower scattered seeds near a path, this one covered with thorny vines.

The seeds fared no better there—the thorns choked them, and they died.

8 And so finally the sower scattered his seeds in a patch of good earth. At home in the good earth, the seeds grew and grew.

Eventually the seeds bore fruit, and the fruit grew ripe and was harvested.

The harvest was immense—30, 60, 100 times what was sown.

9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
———

Jesus’ first parable to the multitudes concerns a sower and his limited success in receiving fruit from the earth.

Recognizing the context and audience reveals that this parable was a rebuke of the nation.

It testified of the citizens’ inability to receive “the word of the kingdom” (verse 19)—the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

It aptly describes what John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles experienced in the first century.

They saw within the people some interest—and even some willingness—to repent (after a fashion) and to be baptized, but there was little depth because their hearts were so far from their King.

In three out of four scenarios in the parable, the ground produced nothing of value.

Only the good soil—“he who hears the word and understands it” (verse 23; emphasis ours)—bears fruit.

All the types of ground receive the Word, but God prepares the soil only of some.

The masses lacked ears to hear, despite claiming Abraham as their father.

They looked for a messiah who would improve their political condition while leaving their religious system and moral state unchallenged.

We see this even within the context of the Parable of the Sower.

The critical factor is whether the “ground” heard and received the “word of the kingdom”—that is, whether God had given those hearing the Word the means to respond properly.

In Jesus’ explanation of the parable to His disciples, He refers to the multitude before Him when quoting Isaiah 6:9-10:

“Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.”

The people to whom He gave the parables were fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy.

They were living proof of the truth in this first parable—they could not receive the truth.

In contrast, He had prepared His disciples to hear and respond properly.

They were the good soil that would yield an increase (Matthew 13:16-17; see John 15:1-17).
— David C. Grabbe
———

Let us each prepare the soil of our hearts so that we may receive the FULL GOSPEL MESSAGE of our Lord into our hearts, that His seed of Truth may germinate and can grow within us!

Come join the Adventure!

Skip 🕊️

The first Person we should consult, in order to properly divide and discern the Word of Truth, is the Holy Spirit…

UNDERSTANDING HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT ACTS AS A HOLOGRAM

If you take a piece of film and expose it under a laser’s light you get a holographic (three dimensional) image.

Likewise when we study and meditate in God’s word, before we begin, we need to ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate it, to give us the understanding we need to to give us wisdom, direction and guidance in our life.

Without that illumination of the Holy Spirit, the Bible is just ink on paper.

So each day, as we read and meditate in God’s Word, let us remember always to ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate the scriptures for us and to apply its principles and truths to our lives, and to our daily circumstances.

John 16:12-15

The Voice

12 Jesus speaking: “I have so much more to say, but you cannot absorb it right now. 

13-15 The Spirit of truth will come and guide you in all truth. 

He will not speak His own words to you; He will speak what He hears, revealing to you the things to come and bringing glory to Me. 

The Spirit has unlimited access to Me, to all that I possess and know, just as everything the Father has is Mine. 

That is the reason I am confident He will care for My own and reveal the path to you.”

———

It has always been my experience that the Bible is its own best commentary; if when reading the scriptures there’s a certain area you may not understand, then take that scripture and put it on your “God shelf” and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate it for you and give you understanding.

Very often, the Holy Spirit will explain one passage of scripture by directing you to another passage, as the Bible always is its own best commentary.

———

Fri, January 7

Daily Devotionals

by Inspiration Ministries

UNDERSTANDING

“’Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘How can I, unless someone guides me?’ […] Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.” 

— Acts 8:30-31, 35

An official from Ethiopia was returning home from Jerusalem. Clearly a sincere seeker, he was reading a passage from Isaiah but did not understand the meaning.

At that moment Philip, who was following the leading of the Spirit, approached him. 

The man admitted that he needed help understanding what he was reading. Philip responded by preaching Jesus, “beginning at this Scripture.”

After hearing Philip’s teaching, the Ethiopian understood and believed. 

The passage made sense. Acting on his belief, he asked to be baptized (vs. 36-38).

Many people are like this Ethiopian. They read Bible passages, yet don’t understand. 

These are moments to remember the spiritual dimension of the Word and why we need a spiritual approach. 

We need to pray and ask God for discernment. Ask the Spirit to open our eyes spiritually, give us revelation, and lead us to mature believers who might give us insight.

Paul illustrated these principles when he wrote, 

“The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God.” 

These spiritual truths can seem like “foolishness” to our minds because the deeper things of the Bible “are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Have you ever struggled to understand a passage from the Bible? 

Are you not sure what the words mean? 

These are times to pray and ask God for discernment.

As He leads, seek the insights of mature believers who can help you understand.

PRAYER

Father, I seek spiritual discernment for Your Word and revelation from You. Give me a clearer understanding. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Extended Reading

Acts 8

———

Come join the Adventure!

Skip 🕊️

Now that the Christmas holidays have come to a close, for 2021, and we’re starting a new year — 2022… 

As we find ourselves taking down the holiday decorations and packing them away for another year; and as we are setting that once beautiful and sparkling Christmas tree, filled with all the holiday ornaments, out on the curb, do we also find ourselves packing away our Christmas cheer?

What about our Christmas spirit — you know, that extra cheery, smile and holiday attitude that causes us to be nice to everyone around us, that holiday “Joy to the World ” vibe that we embraced for the season, are we also packing that away too?

So of course as the season winds down there may be an extra rush to dispense with the festive spirit; but the more I think about it, the more I realize how much better things might be if we all kept that Christmastime cheer with us throughout the year.

During this holiday season, some of us possibly found ourselves giving money to the poor, volunteering with our church, praying with more intensity, and spending more time with friends and loved ones.

But once the season is behind us, and the overwhelming joy we all felt in remembering our Savior’s birth begins to recede, why is it so many of us are also packing away our Christmas cheer and charity to others?

Can you imagine what our world would be like if everyone, like Charles Dickens’ Scrooge, would “honor Christmas in our heart, and keep it all the year?”

“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.”

— Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

———

Mon, January 3

Minute Meditations  

A RETURN TO THE EVERYDAY

by Diane M. Houdek

No matter how much we try to extend the holiday with traveling and vacation time and a last party or two, there comes a time when we need to return to our daily activities and responsibilities. 

School starts up again, work beckons, and we have to bid farewell to Christmas once again. 

It can be refreshing to reclaim the space that was filled with the Christmas tree and other decorations. 

We forsake the Christmas cookies and boxes of candy for healthier food choices in the new year. 

If we’ve traveled to visit family, we return home, put away the suitcases, finish vacation laundry, and settle into our lives. 

Mary, Joseph, and Jesus traveled a great deal during the first years after the birth—back and forth to Jerusalem, a sojourn in Egypt, a return to their home in Nazareth. 

And in later years, Luke’s Gospel tells us, they traveled on pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where Jesus was separated from his parents and found conversing with holy teachers in the temple. 

Perhaps we’re a bit relieved that Christmas is over for another year. But perhaps we discover that something has changed in us because of an encounter, a gift, a new insight into the meaning of the incarnation. 

We can keep a little bit of that with us through the coming year and let it bring light and peace to our everyday lives. 

Our journey with God doesn’t end with the Christmas season. 

Jesus is forever, not just for Christmas. 

———

Come join the Adventure,

Skip 🕊️

Can a born-again Christian be “demonized”?…

I was reading in Exodus 34 this morning, and verses 6-7 caught my attention:

Exodus 34:6-7
New King James Version

6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,

7 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.”
———

I have always believed that there is a ripple effect regarding the sins that we commit that affect not only us, but those around us, including our families.

The question is, could these sins also have a negative effect on our DNA that affects future generations?

The above scripture, in verse 7, would seem to indicate that would be true.

To begin with, let’s take a look at how our genetics work:

GENESIS AND GENETICS

Adam’s DNA
September 12, 2011
Answers to Questions, Bible/Science

According to the Bible, Adam was created in God’s image approximately 6000 years ago.

Now that we are beginning to understand DNA, we can determine Adam’s DNA; and by understanding Adam’s DNA, and how it relates to us, we can make some significant progress in understanding who we really are and how we fit into the Kingdom of God.

Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (KJV)

So, Adam became a living soul, the first living soul. This means that he necessarily had all of the human genetic variations in his DNA.

Everyone, including Eve, came from Adam’s DNA.

(Note: If the Bible proclaimed that the first human were a woman, the Bible would be in error since women do not have the Y-Chromosome, without which man could not have been formed from the woman’s rib DNA. This is why it is called the Bible.)

Every human being has two sets of genes, one from their father and one from their mother.

These genes are generally dominant or recessive. If you get two dominant genes, that trait will be dominant.

If you get two recessive genes, that trait will be recessive.

If you get one dominant and one recessive gene, that trait will be dominant.

This means that Adam had one dominant and one recessive gene for each trait; so, in effect, we know Adam’s DNA and we have an idea what he looked like: he had dominant genetic traits.

Humans have approximately 22,000 genes and combinations of these genes give us variation in physical appearance such as eye color, nose shape, foot size, etc. These genes also affect our abilities and personality.

So, we know that Adam had all human variation in him and therefore one dominant and one recessive gene for each of the genes.

Based on current understanding of dominant traits, we can be reasonably sure that Adam had unattached earlobes, dimples, was right handed, had a widow’s peak hairline, and curly hair. All of these traits are dominant traits.

This is all very interesting, but, now we need to get into the spiritual:

Adam embodied all of humanity, including Eve and you and me.

Please read this one very carefully, the key word here is “them”:

Genesis 5:2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.(KJV)

So, all of humanity was created on day six.

Adam was formed and given life after God’s rest, Eve was formed and given life shortly thereafter, and you and I were formed and given life in our mother’s womb. This is why God said to Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 1:4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee . . . (KJV)

When Adam sinned, he became corruptible and took on the sin nature.

Since Adam embodied all of humanity, we all went down with him and also took on the sin nature.

Part of this sin nature is the corruption of our genes in the form of mutations.

Today, every generation has approximately 70 more genetic mutations than the previous generation.

These mutations can result in deformation, disorders and disease; genetic mutations are never good.

This is a bit discouraging, but we have the promise that in a twinkling of an eye, our DNA will be restored to the day 6 splendor. This is good news, this is the Gospel.

I Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

I Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

I Corinthians 15:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (KJV)

My dear friends and children, we have gone through much here on earth, but our future is very bright: We have the hope of being redeemed and restored to our original , day six, self.
———

So getting back to Exodus 34:7, how exactly do the sins of the father affect the children, down to the third and fourth generation?

It is my belief that it is passed down through our DNA, and that when we do sin it has an adverse effect on our DNA, and that corrupt programming gets passed down to the third and fourth generation.
———

HEALING AND DELIVERANCE MINISTRY

CAN A CHRISTIAN HAVE A DEMON?

Generational Curses
Have you ever seen a family where the father has a problem with uncontrollable anger, his son seems to have been ‘handed it’, and the grandpa had the same problem?

Or have you noticed that not only do you suffer from something such as persistent irrational fears or depression, but your mother and your father also suffered from it as well?

There are many people today who are living under bondage that the sins of their forefathers have brought them under.

Exodus 34:7, “…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.”

Lamentations 5:7, “Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne (been punished for) their iniquities.”

This is beyond learned behavior; many children learn to be messy if their parents are messy.

This is a spiritual bondage that is passed down from one generation to another.

Some symptoms of a generational curse is a continual negative pattern of something being handed down from generation to generation.

Often people who are adopted end up with the same characteristics as their birth parents, not because they were around their birth parents to learn how they behaved, but because they inherited their spiritual bondage.

Some common symptoms of generational curses are family illnesses that seem to just walk from one person down to the next (cancer is a common physical manifestation of a spiritual bondage), continual financial difficulties (they continually hit roadblocks in their finances), mental problems, persistent irrational fears and depression.

Anything that seems to be a persistent struggle or problem that was handed down from one generation to another may very well be a generational curse.

THE PURPOSE OF A GENERATIONAL CURSE

I believe the reason God would punish the future generations with the sins of their fathers, is because of God’s bitter hatred for sin.

He would require somebody who practiced witchcraft to be put to death (Exodus 22:18).

He knows that one of the most prized possessions you have, is your children, and therefore it makes sin a lot harder to commit when you realize that you are not the only one that is being punished for it, but also your own children are going to pay the price for your foolishness.

That’s what I believe is the reason behind generational curses. The whole human race fell thanks to Adam’s sin for that matter.

THE PRICE FOR GENERATIONAL CURSES HAS BEEN PAID!

The good news is that once you accept Jesus, the transference of bondage stops from your ancestors by means of generational curses.

You can no longer receive spiritual bondages in this manner from your parents once you accept Jesus!

Christ was made a curse, so we can be freed from the curses that sin (both our sins and those of our forefathers) has brought us. Galatians 3:13, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”

Once you become a child of God, no longer will the sins of your forefathers cause curses to transfer into your life:

Jeremiah 31:29-30, “In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.”

So why are there so many believers who seem to be living under a generational curse?

This has puzzled me before I understood how it works too.

What may need to be dealt with though, is any bondage that was already passed down to you before you came into covenant with God.

The legal grounds are certainly paid for on the cross and therefore broken.

The only thing left to do is cast out any spirits that have gained entrance before you accepted Jesus.

NON-BELIEVERS ARE STILL AFFECTED

Even after Jeremiah 31:29-30 makes it clear that believers are redeemed from generational curses, the next chapter in Jeremiah (32:18) clearly says,

“You show lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them—the Great, the Mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts.”

Apparently, generational curses are still in effect, but for who is the big question.

Ezekiel 18:2-3 tells us, “What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying:
‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth are set on edge’? As I live, says the Lord God, ‘you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.'”

(Note: This is referring to those who are in covenant with God, which includes ONLY born-again believers, not the rest of the world.)

Obviously, generational curses are alive and well in the lives of those who are outside the new covenant with God (non-believers).

‘TRIGGERING’ THE EFFECTS OF A GENERATIONAL CURSE

It is possible for demons to enter a child before he accepts Jesus, then remain dormant or hidden in that child’s life until some time later in his or her life when it manifests (or makes itself known).

Sometimes when a person heads for the ministry, it seems like the devil kicks up his ugly heels and causes havoc for that person.

Other times, a line of fear runs in the family tree, but isn’t manifested in a person’s life until they get themselves involved in something fearful, such as watching a demonic movie.

All of a sudden, the spirits in that person’s life “come alive” so to speak, and make themselves known.

They were there all along, but just now they have come out into the open.

The solution is to cast them out.

If you have involved yourself in any sin or opened any doors in your own life while ‘awaking’ or triggering the spirits, then it’s important that you clear up any legal grounds (or strongholds) that you gave the enemy in your own life relating to the bondage.

For example, if you have seen a demonic movie, and it seemed to have triggered spirits of fear in your life that were handed down to you, then it’s important to repent for going to see such a movie before trying to cast out any spirits.

It’s also possible that you picked up the spirits from such a movie without them even being there in the first place, and/or added to spirits that were already inside you.

It’s always a good idea to clear up any legal grounds or strongholds in your own life before casting spirits out.

I believe unforgiveness is a great way to ‘trigger’ generational spirits, so I would be on the lookout for any bitterness or unforgiveness in your heart as well.

A common sight is when a spirit of cancer is running down the family tree, and I believe bitterness is a great way to trigger those spirits.

Unforgiveness is a serious sin that blocks the forgiveness of your own sins (Matthew 6:15), which creates ample legal grounds for the enemy in your life.

Unforgiveness in itself puts us into the enemy’s hands (Matthew 18:23-35), say nothing about awakening any evil spirits in us already!

THE CURSE MAY BE CANCELED, BUT THE DEMONS MAY REMAIN

Just as other demons don’t automatically leave at the time of salvation… neither do the demons that you get from your ancestors automatically leave you either.

Let’s say that you accept Jesus at age 15.

Because you were born a sinner and outside of God’s covenant, you were still living under the curses handed down to you and demons can enter you through those curses.

Once you’ve accepted Jesus, those curses are broken automatically, but often the demons that entered in before you accepted Jesus still need to be cast out.

In other words, the curse is already broken, and there’s no need for you to break any generational curses.

But the demons who entered into you through those curses before you accepted Jesus may still need to be cast out.

That’s why it seems so many believers are living under generational curses, when the Bible makes it clear that we have been freed from any curses handed down from our forefathers!

My parents have almost perfect health, well into their 60’s, while it seems the family tree has many health problems that have been handed down from the forefathers.

My parents seem almost immune from the health problems in the family tree!

Sure, they take care of their bodies, but they also believe that they have been freed from the curses handed down in the family tree, and since no demons have entered them to take advantage of those old curses, they were freed from the effects simply by standing on what Jesus had done for them on the cross!

On the other hand, if demons have entered you through curses handed down to you before you became a Christian, then those demons may need to be cast out.

Demons often don’t leave on their own accord, and when they don’t, the remedy to get rid of them is by casting them out.

There’s a neat story in Mark 9:17-27, where Jesus deals with what is almost certainly a generational curse (verse 21).

Notice that Jesus didn’t have the boy confess the sins or iniquities of his ancestors, He cast out the demons that entered in through the curse.

That’s how I believe we are to deal with the effects of a generational curse; since the curse has been broken, all there is left to do is just cast the demons out that entered into that person’s life back before they became a Christian (before the curse was broken).

CONFESS WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY YOURS!

We know that our generational curses have been broken in Jesus’ name, but I still like to verbally confess what is going on and what is rightfully ours anyways, because there’s power in our verbal confessions, and it helps us to realize that we are set free, and also lets the enemy know that he’s in trouble!

Here’s a great sample confession prayer you can use to do just that:

In the name of Jesus, I confess the sins and iniquities of my parents (name specific sins if known), grandparents (name specific sins if known), and all other ancestors.

I declare that by the blood of Jesus, these sins have been forgiven and Satan and his demons can no longer use these sins as legal grounds in my life!

In the name of Jesus, and by the power of His blood, I now declare that all generational curses have been renounced, broken and severed, and that I am no longer under their bondage!

In the name of Jesus, I declare myself and my future generations loosed from any bondages passed down to me from my ancestors. AMEN!

ANOTHER FACTOR TO CONSIDER

There are other things that can ‘seem’ like generational curses, but aren’t.

Perhaps the most common is if there is an ungodly soul tie formed between you and one of your ancestors, that can also allow for the transferring of spirits.

There is more to learn on this subject in the teaching on Soul Ties.

IGNORANCE: ANOTHER SOURCE OF BONDAGE!

I also believe that some people can live under what SEEMS like a generational curse, simply because they believe it’s still in effect!

We need to know that it is NO LONGER in effect, and we have been FREED from any generational curses we used to live under!

Jesus makes it very clear that we can be held in bondage to sin through ignorance (John 8:31-36), and I believe the same is true with bondage to generational curses.

IN A NUTSHELL

To wrap it up in a nutshell, I don’t believe Christians can live under generational curses… but I do believe they can be affected by spirits that have entered through those curses before they accepted Jesus.

Just like many people’s past actions, before they came to Christ, have landed them in demonic bondage and caused them to pick up demons.

Those demons are not automatically shed at the time of salvation, they often need to be cast out.

The same is true with demons that enter in through generational curses (a doorway to demons).

How you deal with a spirit that has entered through a generational curse is very simple:

Mark 16:17, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils…”

Let us learn about the Spiritual Authority that Jesus has given us over demon spirits, and by faith, we can command those spirits to leave you in Jesus’ name!

If you can’t seem to get them out, try prayer and fasting, as Jesus clearly stated, some demons won’t come out unless you have a higher level of faith that only prayer and fasting can bring you into (Matthew 17:19-21).

If you are facing heavier bondages, it is recommended to seek deliverance through a man or woman of God who is knowledgeable and working in the ministry of deliverance.

Before seeking out a deliverance through another person or minister, I recommend reading the teaching on Seeking a Deliverance.

ANOTHER TYPE OF GENERATIONAL CURSE

The type of curses handed down as a result of an ancestor’s sin is automatically atoned for on the cross, providing we don’t hide the sins of our forefathers in our hearts (holding sin in our hearts is never a good idea – whether it’s ours of the sins of our ancestors).

But there’s another kind of generational curse that is handed down, and it’s a spoken curse that takes a toll on future generations as well.

We can see this kind of curse in action in Genesis 9:24-25, “And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.”

As the Bible goes on to say, this curse ended up affecting an entire nation!

I believe these kinds of curses may need to be renounced and broken.

If you are unsure of whether a curse should be broken, I recommend breaking it anyways, just so you know it’s broken.

It doesn’t hurt to break a curse that’s already been broken.

Here’s a sample prayer you can pray that you can use to break yourself free from spoken generational curses:

In the name of Jesus, and by the power of His blood, I now renounce, break and sever all curses that have been handed down to me from my ancestors.

In the name of Jesus, I now loose myself and my future generations from any bondages passed down to me from my ancestors!

Again, if a curse has landed on you and has been broken, it still doesn’t mean you are delivered from the spirits that entered in through that curse.

You may still need further deliverance to have the spirits cast out that took advantage of the curses handed to you.
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The first necessary step for us to receive healing and/or deliverance, from demonic oppression, is that we must have a teachable heart and we must be willing to examine the scriptures and be taught by them, as Paul says, in 2 Corinthians 10:5-6,

“…casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
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