THE CROSS did away with “generational curses”. If it didn’t, then The Cross meant nothing at all.

Exodus 20 (ten commandments) says:  (And this is the main scripture where people get the idea of generational curses)

3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

(But why is this verse left off?):   6 And shewing MERCY unto thousands of them (GENERATIONS) that love me, and keep my commandments

Ezk 18:  (whole chapter)

The Soul Who Sins Will Die

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ” ‘The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? 3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel. 4 For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son–both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die.

5 “Suppose there is a righteous man who does what is just and right. 6 He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife or lie with a woman during her period. 7 He does not oppress anyone, but returns what he took in pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. 8 He does not lend at usury or take excessive interest. He withholds his hand from doing wrong and judges fairly between man and man. 9 He follows my decrees and faithfully keeps my laws. That man is righteous; he will surely live, declares the Sovereign LORD. 10 “Suppose he has a violent son, who sheds blood or does any of these other things 11 (though the father has done none of them): “He eats at the mountain shrines. He defiles his neighbor’s wife. 12 He oppresses the poor and needy. He commits robbery. He does not return what he took in pledge. He looks to the idols. He does detestable things. 13 He lends at usury and takes excessive interest. Will such a man live? He will not! Because he has done all these detestable things, he will surely be put to death and his blood will be on his own head.

14 “But suppose this son has a son who sees all the sins his father commits, and though he sees them, he does not do such things: 15 “He does not eat at the mountain shrines or look to the idols of the house of Israel. He does not defile his neighbor’s wife. 16 He does not oppress anyone or require a pledge for a loan. He does not commit robbery but gives his food to the hungry and provides clothing for the naked. 17 He withholds his hand from sin and takes no usury or excessive interest. He keeps my laws and follows my decrees. He will not die for his father’s sin; he will surely live.

18 But his father will die for his own sin, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was wrong among his people. 19 “Yet you ask, ‘Why does the son not share the guilt of his father?’ Since the son has done what is just and right and has been careful to keep all my decrees, he will surely live. 20 The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him.

21 “But if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. 22 None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live. 23 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? 24 “But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked man does, will he live? None of the righteous things he has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness he is guilty of and because of the sins he has committed, he will die.

25 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? 26 If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. 27 But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. 28 Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die. 29 Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?

30 “Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 31 Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!

When we REPENT WE ARE FORGIVEN. REPENT MEANS TO TURN AROUND. NO ONE CAN REPENT FOR A DEAD PERSON!

 What about what the New Testament says?

Gal 3: 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

 

In other words, The Cross did away with “generational curses”.  If it didn’t, then the Cross meant nothing at all. 

You still believing that “generational curses” are still clinging to believers in Christ today?  Explain that one to me.  My Lord did away with those nasty things for my sake because I sure don’t despise Him and I surely do call myself His child.

But for those believers who still want to hold on to the generational curses,I’ve got to ask you: Which god are you following?  Where’s the scriptures you’re using that override His sacrifice on the cross?

Joel O! You CAN build a crowd without building a church.

Does Joel Osteen Not Know, or Does He Not Care?

Article: Unbiblical Christianity

Here we go again. Joel Osteen is in the news once again, this time for saying that Mormonism is just another form of Christianity. Osteen, pastor of “America’s largest church,” as the media repeat over and over, was speaking to The Washington Times in an interview that covered a variety of issues. It was the quintessential Joel on display.

Speaking to the newspaper on Monday, Osteen said, “I see faith in America at an all-time high.” His comments came just as a major research project detailed a significant loss of vitality in America’s Christian congregations. That loss of vitality can be traced, among other things, to a loss of theological and biblical conviction. Joel, of course, is proof positive that you can build a crowd without building a church. He is not inclined to deal in much theological conviction.

On Mormonism, Joel said: “I believe that [Mormons] are Christians. … I don’t know if it’s the purest form of Christianity, like I grew up with. But you know what, I know Mormons. I hear Mitt Romney – and I’ve never met him – but I hear him say, ‘I believe Jesus is the son of God,’ ‘I believe he’s my savior,’ and that’s one of the core issues.

“I’m sure there are other issues that we don’t agree on. But you know, I can say that the Baptists and the Methodists and the Catholics don’t all agree on everything. So that would be my take on it.”

The main point of concern in Joel’s latest comment is the lack of any biblical standard of judgment and the total abdication of theological responsibility. He relegates doctrinal disagreements between Christians and Mormons to the status of theological debates between Protestant denominations and then includes Roman Catholicism. There are plenty of issues there, and the issues are not the same when comparing Baptists to Methodists, on the one hand, and Protestants and Roman Catholics, on the other. Comparing any form of Trinitarian orthodoxy with Mormonism is another class of question altogether.

By now, it is clear that Joel Osteen’s carelessness is deliberate and calculated. This is not the first time that he has encountered the question of Mormonism. Back in 2007, he told Chris Wallace of FOX News that Mormons are indeed Christians: “Well, in my mind they are. Mitt Romney has said that he believes in Christ as his savior, and that’s what I believe, so, you know, I’m not the one to judge the little details of it. So I believe they are.”

In a remarkable exchange with Chris Wallace, Osteen muddied the waters further:

WALLACE: So, for instance, when people start talking about Joseph Smith, the founder of the church, and the golden tablets in upstate New York, and God assumes the shape of a man, do you not get hung up in those theological issues?

OSTEEN: I probably don’t get hung up in them because I haven’t really studied them or thought about them. And you know, I just try to let God be the judge of that. I mean, I don’t know.

Read Full Article…. Please check out UnderstandtheTimes.org

My note:

Even MORMONS know they are not Christians.  To them, this is a no brainer.  I have witnessed to and spoken with many of them.  The only way that you, a Christian, would  truly believe in your heart that their beliefs are just like yours, would be if you were totally ignorant of Mormon beliefs lined up against God’s Word.

And we thought we might be close.. guess again

October 26, 2011

NOT A SINGLE CHRISTIAN CHURCH LEFT IN AFGHANISTAN, SAYS STATE DEPARTMENT

 [Excerpts] This reflects the state of religious freedom in that country ten years after the United States first invaded it and overthrew its Islamist Taliban regime. In the intervening decade, U.S. taxpayers have spent $440 billion to support Afghanistan’s new government and more than 1,700 U.S. military personnel have died serving in that country.

The last public Christian church in Afghanistan was razed in March 2010, according to the State Department’s latest International Religious Freedom Report. The report, which was released last month and covers the period of July 1, 2010 through December 31, 2010, also states that “there were no Christian schools in the country.”

Most Christians in the country refuse to “state their beliefs or gather openly to worship,” said the State Department. The report acknowledged that Afghanistan’s post-Taliban constitution, which was ratified with the help of U.S. mediation in 2004, can be contradictory when it comes to the free exercise of religion. While the new constitution states that Islam is the “religion of the state” and that “no law can be contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam,” it also proclaims that “followers of other religions are free to exercise their faith and perform their religious rites within the limits of the provisions of the law.”

However, “the right to change one’s religion was not respected either in law or in practice,” according to the State Department. “Muslims who converted away from Islam risked losing their marriages, rejection from their families and villages, and loss of jobs,” according to the report. “Legal aid for imprisoned converts away from Islam remains difficult due to the personal objection of Afghan lawyers to defend apostates.”

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/not-single-christian-church-left-afghanistan-says-state-department Our most popular newsletters: • The Secret Seduction • The Shameful Social Gospel • Weaning Evangelicals Off the Word • Judgment Day Approaching • Ancient-Future Heresies • Psychology and the Doctrines of Devils • Weaning Evangelicals Off the Word – Part 3 • Evangelical Mysticism? • Beck’s Bogus Beliefs • The Avatar Gospel • Israel and Prophetic Proof Part I • Christianity Today’s Anti-Christianity Today • What a Sovereign God Cannot Do • According to the Scriptures • “They Have Forsaken the LORD” • The Seeker-Friendly Way of Doing Church • The Power of His Resurrection • The “Jesus” the World Loves • “Road Map” to Armageddon • “A Way Which Seemeth Right…”

Our Lord Jesus is very soon to return.  Come Lord Jesus, Come!

 

Thank you for this, Dave Hunt and T.A. McMahon

Remember the movie, ‘Ghost’? Because THIS is a true story.

Even unbelievers recognize there’s a Heaven and there’s a Hell. But ‘Ghost’ was just a movie so that’s just make believe, right?

In 1985 I was with my mother in law as she laid in her hospital bed, dying with cancer. I had many times witnessed to her, trying to tell her how much God loved her – so much that he allowed his son to die for her so that she could be forgiven for her sins – but she would have nothing to do with it. Then as time went by, her condition steadily went downhill. She finally had to be taken to the local hospital.

On that night, one other relative and I were in her room with her, standing at the foot of her bed. The rest of the family, not knowing she was that close to going, had left saying they’d return in the morning. She had been unconscious for several hours when at 12:30 a.m. she suddenly opened her eyes very wide and appeared to be looking straight thru us at waist level. Her facial expression was one I’ll never forget. She looked terrified – absolutely terrified. Her mouth opened but she didn’t make a sound. Suddenly, her chest went up, down, up, down. A sudden, final expiratory breath – and she was gone.

Fifteen years later, in 2000 I was at another relative’s death bed. This woman knew the Lord Jesus and tried to share His love with everyone she had ever met. She was also in the hospital and we’d all been called in to say our goodbyes. She was unable to speak due to her illness and was only awake a few minutes. When she was awake, however, she smiled at whomever was at her bedside. Not long after we arrived she drifted off to sleep. Again, not realizing she was that close, all the family had left for the night.

My husband and I were still there, at her bedside. I had just turned off most of the lights when she opened her eyes. She was looking up. It was as though she was looking straight thru the ceiling. Her face was just beaming a radiant smile! Then, her hands, down at her side, began making gestures – as if she was trying to motion to whomever it was to “come here, come here”. My husband and I, seeing this agreed, she was seeing Jesus. It was a wonderful, uplifting event I will never forget. After a couple minutes she drifted back to sleep. About six hours later, she very gently passed away.

Looking back on both of these events, I know what I saw was real. I know that what I saw was God Himself showing me – saying, “This is the way people enter Heaven, and this is the way they enter Hell.” I’ve seen the expression on the faces of people going to both places. How did that old commercial go, “It’s the next best thing to being there”? I remember knowing that I was in the presence of the Lord and the other time, knowing that I was in the presence of evil.

“This Generation” is Which Generation?

“Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Matt 24:34

This is how Jesus ended his prophetic discourse on the Mount of Olives. He had given His disciples the signs they had requested, then discussed the coming great tribulation and finally His glorious return in the clouds of heaven. And “all these things” were to be fulfilled before “this generation” would pass away.

So what “generation” would that be? Many commentators have taken it as the Jewish “race,” but that would be redundant, since many other passages had already promised that the nation of Israel would never pass away Jeremiah 31:37-40. Furthermore, the Greek word for “generation” (genea) is never used elsewhere for any meaning but that of a particular age generation. A similar word genos sometimes means “stock” or “kind,” but never genea.

So, the generation which Christ was predicting probably meant the generation that would see the events He had prophesied. “When ye shall see all these things,” He said, “know that it is near, even at the doors” Matt 23:33.

And what are some of “these things”? World wars, accompanied and followed by “earthquakes in divers places,” as well as “famines, and pestilences”, worldwide spread of the gospel witness, many false Christs and false prophets, widespread wickedness and spiritual indifference as in the days of Noah, and the budding of the fig tree, Israel.

The word for “this” in verse 34 is the main demonstrative adjective, so Christ seems to be referring to “that” generation which sees “these things begin to come to pass.” That generation will see all these things fulfilled! To that generation He says: “Lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” Luke 21:28

There is so much darkness in this world today.  It is as if the entire planet knows that “something” is about to happen.  “When ye shall see all these things,” He said, “know that it is near, even at the doors” Matt 23:33.  There is no place scripturally that mentions the ‘rapture’, but believers simply ‘know’ within their hearts that the Lord is soon to return.  Come Lord Jesus!

 

Excuse me, but WHY are we clapping?

I’d led praise and worship for churches for years, sang “special music” as they call it and then work transferred us out of state, moving to an area of the country that didn’t need my many talents as there were plenty of people equally endowed with musical ability.  (Of course I say this in jest.)  So I have merely been a part of the congregation and/or singing up front with the praise leaders…

OK so we again get transferred and once again, prepare to move.  In the midst of all this I get to visit different churches in the Houston area to which we’re moving.  The last church visit we did really opened my eyes about something the church has gotten into the habit of doing and I truly believe it does not please the Lord.

The music was led by your standard praise and worship team.  Everyone dressed nicely, standing up front, words on the screens above the platform etc.  -you know, same old same old.  The only difference in the music was that there were no musical instruments accompanying them.  I admit, it sounded lovely.  But after the last song ended, absolutley no one in that entire congregation began clapping.  My fleshly man wanted to really give it a good round of applause (!) but not one soul in there did a thing.  They just remained standing, some heads bowed, but just stood — silently.

The hair stood up on the back of my neck!  I felt the Lord’s presence as never before.  And no, we’re not talking about “feelings” here.  We’re talking about the Lord’s presence.

It suddenly hit me: People in churches are not clapping in thanksgiving to the Lord when they do.  They/WE are actually telling the ‘performers up front’ thank you for entertaining me!   Immediately I knew the Lord was showing me that real worship requires no outward signs of approval from men.  And just for the record, yes, there were musical instruments used later on.  But still no applause.  It wasn’t a Broadway show, it was a service of Worship to our God and King.

Yesterday, I had a dear friend send me something that had been written about the same identical thing.  I hope this blesses you as it did me.  Thank you to author, Paul Proctor.

A NEW SONG
PART 4

Would somebody please tell me why we applaud singers at church? We don’t applaud people when they pray.

We don’t applaud the preacher when he preaches or the teacher when he teaches or the
ushers when they pass around the plate. Does anyone applaud the greeters or the
nursery workers for their performance each week? How about the folks that mow
the grass on Saturday or clean the restrooms on Monday; does anybody clap for
them? I’ll bet your church secretary has never received a round of applause –
unless she’s in the choir, of course.

No, the reality is, we applaud
singers almost exclusively. Why? Because that’s what our entertainment-oriented
world has taught us to do. Like many other things these days; as the world does,
so does the church. We instinctively applaud people that amuse us in some way or
another in a live group setting. Sometimes we applaud for no other reason than,
everyone else is applauding and we don’t want to appear different and look as if
we disapprove or weren’t paying attention. It is a carnal response we offer and
a clear reward intended for those who move us emotionally with a song, pure and
simple – something for the eyes to see and the ears to hear, requiring, by the
way, absolutely no faith in Christ.

I am reminded of the three
instances in scripture where Jesus spoke disparagingly of “hypocrites” who
performed for the eyes of others through their giving, their praying and their
fasting in Matthew 6:2, Matthew 6:5 and Matthew 6:16 – ending all three with the
same solemn pronouncement, “They have their reward.”

“I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” – Romans 12:1

If carrying out the Lord’s will
each day, including Sunday, is merely our “reasonable service”, why then should
any of His redeemed be applauded for it – especially in a worship service where
all glory, honor and praise belong to God?

If the songs we applaud during
worship are not entertainment and we’re not really rewarding singers for
services rendered, why then do we only applaud performers after they finish a
song? If it isn’t their performance we’re applauding, why don’t we applaud when
we see them before church in the foyer, in the hallway or on their way to the
microphone? Why don’t we applaud them for just being a member of the choir or
for simply showing up on Sunday?

Do we applaud singers at church
because they had to prepare diligently beforehand? Well, didn’t the preacher and
the teacher both put in at least as much time in their preparation of a sermon
and lesson as that singer did for his or her song? What about the poor ushers?
Where’s their reward? They have to go up and down the aisles for money like
beggars! I’m sure they could use some applause.

I know what some of you are
thinking: “We’re applauding the Lord, not the singers!” Oh, is that right? Well,
if it’s the Lord you’re applauding; why don’t you applaud Him when the preacher
brings a stirring message directly from the Word of God and tells you that the
sins of all those who have repented and put their faith in Christ are forgiven –
that they have been forever set free from an eternity in Hell? If there was ever
a time to applaud God, wouldn’t that be it – or are you waiting for a song?

Why don’t we applaud the Lord
when the teacher shows us in the scriptures where Jesus died on the cross for
our sins and rose again on the third day or when Saul becomes Paul after the
Lord strikes him blind on the road to Damascus and he stops persecuting the
church to follow Christ and spread the good news that Jesus lives?

Why don’t we applaud the Lord
when we sit down over a hot meal at dinnertime? Did you applaud the Lord when He
gave you your first child or when you got a raise at work? How about that new
house or car? Did you applaud the Lord for either of those? Fact is – you didn’t
even applaud the salesman for giving you a good deal, now did you? How about
when you didn’t get the flu this year or that lab work that came back negative?
Was there any clapping around the house over that? Why don’t we applaud the Lord
when we get up in the morning – if for no other reason, just because He gave us
another day?

Maybe if He sang to us we would.

Why don’t we applaud hymns like
we do praise songs and all those sensually gratifying contemporary Christian
tunes we throw our money at in the record stores? Maybe those hymns are a little
more honest about our condition than praise tunes are – maybe a little too
honest.

Maybe we applaud praise choruses
because so many of us are still in bondage to our sin and those little
simplistic chants we can’t seem to live without help put a smile on our face and
anesthetize the pain of our own stubborn disobedience and rebellion toward God –
soothing and distracting our unrepentant hearts by allowing us two or three
glorious minutes of relief to forget our troubles with a mesmerizing melody so
we can pretend there really isn’t anything wrong with our spiritual lives – you
know, kind of like when we go to a concert or a show or just turn the radio up
real loud in the car on the way to the mall to drown out that “still small
voice” so we’ll momentarily feel better about ourselves. Would it be accurate to
say they might just be an escape for many of us?

Oh we LOVE those praise choruses,
don’t we? It’s like we can’t worship without them. Aren’t praise songs
essentially musical prayers? Didn’t Jesus specifically command us in Matthew 6:7
to not use “vain repetitions” when we pray? And isn’t that precisely what many
praise choruses are; vain repetitions?

“But when ye pray, use not vain
repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for
their much speaking.” – Matthew 6:7

One dear lady, whom I think the
world of, wrote me the other day about her fondness for choruses, noting, that
in singing them, “you really don’t have to think real hard…”

I couldn’t agree more.

So, not only do we offer “vain
repetitions” to God in worship these days, we applaud and exalt those that excel
in it. Shall we gather to praise, honor and glorify men or worship the Lord?
Just who is it we’re really applauding at church? I certainly can’t answer that
question for you but I do know that God sees the heart.

Could it be, in casually
celebrating His marvelous love for us with “vain repetitions” and resounding
applause, we’ve forgotten all about His holiness and jealousy in order to unduly
reward ourselves in His presence?

Exodus 20:5, Exodus 34:14,
Deuteronomy 4:24, Deuteronomy 5:9, Deuteronomy 6:15, Deuteronomy 32:16,
Deuteronomy 32:21, Joshua 24:19, Ezekiel 39:25, Nahum 1:2, 2 Corinthians
11:2

By Paul Proctor

February 17,  2004

NewsWithViews.com

A New Song  Part 3
A New Song  Part 2
A New Song  Part 1

Related
Articles:

Why Sing Hymns?
Selecting Worship Music

THIS is obedience?

Even if the Pope were Satan incarnate, we ought not to raise up our heads against him, but calmly lie down to rest on his bosom. He who rebels against our Father is condemned to death, for that which we do to him we do to Christ: we honor Christ if we honor the Pope; we dishonor Christ if we dishonor the Pope. I know very well that many defend themselves by boasting: “They are so corrupt, and work all manner of evil!”  But God has commanded that, even if the priests, the pastors, and Christ-on-earth were incarnate devils, we be obedient and subject to them, not for their sakes, but for the sake of God, and out of obedience to Him.” - St. Catherine of Siena, SCS, p. 201-202, p. 222, (quoted in Apostolic Digest, by Michael Malone, Book 5: “The Book of Obedience”, Chapter 1: “There is No Salvation Without Personal Submission to the Pope”).

Thank you for this T.A. McMahon and Dave Hunt

Years ago I had a man write in and scorn me for daring to say anything against contemplative prayer. (I’d mentioned that some of the mystics who really made a name for themselves were Catholic nuns.)

If you’re Catholic, do you agree with this?  If you do, please tell me why you do.  I found what St. Catherine of Siena said to be  disturbing to say the least.