By:
Sven W
Grahn
1. There
are invisible
forces at work which determine each person's
destiny, for better or for worse.
The
Bible calls them blessings and curses and mentions them more than 640
times. Just as
blessings are real and
operative, so are curses - and not to be merely associated with
superstitious
practices from the Dark Ages. The Bible also
tells us
how we can enjoy the beneficial
blessings and protect
ourselves from the harmful curses. We need to have an
understanding of what blessings and curses are and how they work, to
give us
answers to frustrating problems and failures in our own lives as well
as that
of others.
2.
SYMPTOMS OF A
CURSE A curse could be
described as a long, evil arm reaching out from the past. It
rests on you like a
heavy hand holding you
back. You
never feel completely free to be yourself.
You sense your potential is never properly
developed or just when you were about to reach your goal when the way
seemed
clear, something went wrong.
IT SEEMS
THAT THERE IS SOME FORCE AT WORK THAT YOU
CANNOT PUT YOUR FINGER ON. The one word that sums up the effects of a
curse: FRUSTRATION.
N.B. Even when a person is
not failing in life, but achieving success, there is still frustration. This may happen in
various
areas of life: Family; marriage;
career; health; finances.
If you relate
to this, it does
not mean you have to endure this state for the rest of your life. Don't
be
discouraged. THERE IS HOPE. God has
provided a remedy and we will be sharing
practical, basic instructions on
how to apply God's solution in your life.
3. *2Corinthians
4:17-18 While we are
all familiar with the visible, physical, material universe, God through
His
Word reveals another invisible universe (dimension) which is not
physical but
spiritual. It is this dimension
that is ultimate reality and is permanent and eternal. It is
in this
unseen dimension that we find the forces which shape/guide our
destinies in the
visible world we live in. We are instructed to look there for
answers! Both blessings and curses
belong to the invisible, spiritual realm. THEY ARE CARRIERS OF
SUPERNATURAL, SPIRITUAL POWER. Blessings
bring good and beneficial results.Curses bring evil,
bad and harmful
results. 4.
TWO FEATURES ARE COMMON TO
BOTH. Firstly: Their effect is not
usually limited to the person only.
It
extends to the immediate family,
relatives, social groups or even nations. Secondly:
Once they are
released, they can continue from generation
to generation until something happens to cancel their affects.
This means that there
could be forces at work in our lives that have their roots in previous
generations. We may
be experiencing
recurring situations or patterns of behaviour (good or bad) that are
not solely
as a result of our own personal decisions and actions, but
the consequences from a previous generation. The root
cause could go back to before you were born.
5.
THE MAIN
CARRIERS OF BOTH BLESSINGS AND CURSES ARE WORDS. These
words may be spoken, written, or said
inwardly.
The Bible tells us that words have great power.
Some examples: *Proverbs
11:9; 12:18; 15:4; 18:21; *James
3:5-6; 9-10.
James clearly states that
words can be charged with
supernatural
power of blessings and curses.
N.B.
Words are not
the only channels through which the spiritual power of blessings and
curses can
be transmitted.
6. PHYSICAL OBJECTS
CAN BECOME CARRIERS OF THIS KIND OF POWER AS
WELL.
a) CURSES
CAN BE TRANSMITTED THROUGH:
Birthstones, Zodiac charms, music cassettes,
CD discs, "lucky symbols" i.e. (horseshoes), religious
objects
("saints", buddha), African masks, drums, books about witchcraft,
occult. Even frogs, owls, cats, crows, vultures - because they
represent
something that has been an object of pagan worship for centuries.
They expose
people to the
invisible
influence of a curse. They
open a channel into your home for evil powers. N.B.
A curse not
only keeps people from receiving God's offered
blessings BUT also keeps people
from
realising that
the blessings are even
actually there to receive.
Satan robs,
cheats and deceives. b) BLESSINGS
CAN BE TRANSMITTED THROUGH PHYSICAL OBJECTS. The anointing oil of the
Old
Testament was used to impart the blessing of holiness to the
Tabernacle, its
furniture and the priests. It was also used to impart God's blessing
upon the
kings of Israel to reign.
E.g.
When Samuel anointed David to be
king, the oil
poured onto David's head
became the channel
through which the blessing of the Holy Spirit
was released upon his life, equipping him for his
calling as king. In the New Testament the
emblems used in the Table of the Lord become the carriers of God's
blessing to
those who partake of them. 1Corinthians
10:16
is saying:
When we partake in faith
of these
physical emblems they transmit the
blessings of God.
"The
cup of blessing" - It is the cup that transmits the
blessing of the new covenant to those who
drink from it. N.B.
The blessings
are not in the physical objects as
such,
but through them.
By obedient
faith in the finished work of the cross, the blessings are
transmitted
through these physical objects. THE
REVERSE: *1Corinthians
11:29 "For
he who eats and drinks, eats and
drinks judgement to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly".
THE
ALTERNATIVES:
Faith and obedience receive God's blessing through
the emblems, unbelief and disobedience (rebellion) brings God's
judgement through the emblems. These emblems transmit
spiritual power, whether
it be for blessing or for
judgement. Amen
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