All posts tagged: God

The curse of Generational curse

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The idea of a generational curse has captured the thinking of many Christians because it sounds so reasonable. Without doubt, parents have an influence on their children through inherited traits and parental teaching and example. But God holds individuals responsible for their choices and sins, not the sins of ancestors. The biblical passage on which the extreme teaching of generational curses is based must be revisited in order to see how Scripture has been misapplied. Instructing the Israelites concerning the second commandment, God said, You shall not bow down to them [idols and other gods] or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generationsof those who love me and keep my commandments (Exodus 20:5,6). Let’s unpack the verse by sharing some arguments against generational curse that I find compelling: – The word “curse” is nowhere found in the Exodus passage. -If the punishment God …

Slain in the Spirit – part 1

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The phrases “slain in the Spirit,” “falling under the power,” or “resting in the Spirit” are not found in the Bible. They are used, however, to describe the experience of falling to the floor under the power of the Holy Spirit. Although being slain in the Spirit seems to be a distinguishing characteristic of some recent revivals and evangelistic ministries, there are recorded accounts of people falling under the power of God or being slain in the Spirit in 18th and 19th century revivals. Some of the earlier recorded prostration experiences were related to sinners falling under conviction for their sins. More frequently in the modern Pentecostal/Charismatic revival, believers who are slain in the Spirit experience an extended, intense time of inner work of the Spirit tailored to the specific nature or needs of the individual. Some expositors have noted that in all biblical instances of the powerful presence of God causing one to fall prostrate, the position was always face down, while in contemporary instances, the worshipper falls backward. When the number of worshippers …

Modern Day Manifestation of the Spirit – Intro.

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Misunderstanding and controversy have swirled around the happenings in every revival since New Testament times. When the divine manifestation of tongues was heard on the Day of Pentecost, skeptics declared the Spirit-filled believers drunk (Acts 2:13). In similar fashion, in the early days of 20th century Pentecost, many skeptics in mainline churches also misunderstood the Spirit’s outpouring and declared the Spirit-filled believers to be demon possessed. Such criticism and controversy, however, are not limited to attacks from non-Pentecostals. Some who have been reared in Pentecostal churches also disagree over which manifestations of the Spirit are biblical and therefore appropriate. Critics of extra-biblical manifestations declare them to be inappropriate because the exact same manifestations cannot be found in the Bible. Proponents of such manifestations counter, also citing scripture to justify their experiences, but remote passages used for support are often extremely distant or unrelated to the modern-day manifestation. Yet in spite of the lack of strong scriptural support, the Assemblies of God recognizes those instances in Scripture where individuals were in an abnormal physical and spiritual …

The Death Of A Dream, Tale of a comeback Kid

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Galatians 6:4, 5 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life. (The Message) Do not let the death of a dream define who you are – you are not your dream. Do not let the death of a dream stop you from dreaming for greater things – it is just a part of your journey. Do not let the death of a dream isolate you from friends, from God and new ideas – you need some love, encouragement, inspiration and revelation. Do not let the death of a dream create in you a false sense of entitlement – don’t force things… Learn when to change course, pack up, say goodby and move on. Do not let the death of a dream steal what you can learn from the experience – use it as a teaching …

Bible Trivia on Steroids?

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Get ready for the American Bible Challenge. Okay, there is a new game show coming to the Game Show Network. It is a bible trivia kind of a deal and will be starting sometime in August of this year. Is there anyone out there that would like to be a part of it if you had an opportunity? For me, no! Not because it’s a bad idea to make lots of money to give away to charities, but because I don’t want to disgrace myself on mainstream television by missing question about the bible. Here is a little breakdown of what it’s about: The Show The American Bible Challenge is a spirited game show that will celebrate the Bible and its place in American culture. Bible enthusiasts from all across the country will compete in a variety of challenges that put their knowledge of the Good Book to the test. The Host Comedian Jeff Foxworthy is the largest selling comedy-recording artist in history, a multiple Grammy® Award nominee and the best-selling author of 11 books. …

Break my heart for what breaks Yours

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Heal my heart and make it clean Open up my eyes to the things unseen Show me how to love like You have loved me Break my heart for what breaks Yours We are living in a day and time where everything we see or hear, potentially, has a deadening effect on us spiritually. The movies, the tv shows, the music and even our culture has this deadening effect on our sensitivity to what is holy and of God. Some of us have already become desensitized to these horrors and filth all around. To become desensitized is to become numb, stupefied or less likely to feel shocked or distressed at scenes of horror, sexual perversion, cruelty, violence and suffering by overexposure to such images. That is why a prayer like “break my heart Lord, for what breaks yours” is so powerful and timely. Would you join me today and for the rest of the week in praying this prayer – “break my heart Lord for what breaks yours?”. Would you join in sounding the alarm …

Raping the Innocence of Generation Z (revisited)

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Raping the Innocence of Generation Z (revisited). Vai – ChurchRelevance Generation Z is still undefined but could loosely be labeled those born from 1996 to today. In 2009, we highlighted University of Pittsburgh’s research discovering the connection between musical lyrics and sexual activity. Lyrics Influence Teens Exposure to lyrics describing degrading sex was one of the strongest associations with sexual activity. Compared to those with the least exposure to lyrics describing degrading sex, those with the most exposure were more than twice as likely to have had sexual intercourse. Similarly, among those who had not had sexual intercourse, those in the highest third of exposure to lyrics describing degrading sex were nearly twice as likely to have progressed along a noncoital sexual continuum compared to those in the lowest third. Movies Influence Teens Now 3 years later, there is new research linking movie consumption to sexual behavior. Psychological Science will soon be publishing a 6-year study by Ross O’Hara while at Dartmouth College that states: Much research has shown that adolescents’ sexual attitudes and behaviors are influenced by media, but the role …

Beautiful Ugly Scars

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At 4 I started skipping school to go play what we call football, not America Football, but Football – the real deal. If you are still confused, I am talking about soccer. I can’t begin to tell you how many scars I have on my body from injuries playing soccer. But as rough as soccer can be, my most painful and visible scars did not come from playing soccer. I have eleven stitches on my right pinkie and 9 stitches on the right side of my face close to my ear and they were inflicted on me by my evil sister. The injuries were punishment for telling on her. She was not to bring boys home, but one evening I caught her in the back yard kissing a guy. When she realized that I had flagged her down, she came after me with a vengeance. Her weapon of choice was one of those hard old fashioned Swedish Slippers. The next thing I knew, I was being rushed to the hospital. All of us carry some kind …

Too hot for him to handle

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A few years ago one of best friends lived in Accra, Ghana. He got his monthly pay check one beautiful Friday just before he left work. His first stop was at a local bank where he cashed his check than sped to the local market to get supplies for the weekend. After walking around for a few minutes, he reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. To his surprise, it was gone together with every penny he had to his name. He didn’t know that someone had picked his pocket and lifted his wallet. He sat down in disbelief wondering how he was going to get through the month. Well, being a godly, praying man of God, he bowed his head and said a prayer. After the amen was said, my friend decided to stay seated for a few more minutes, as he braced himself for a few difficult days ahead. All of a sudden, a young man showed up with my friend’s wallet in his hand . The young man shaking and sweating, …