The Authority and Power of Jesus Over Demons

by Albert Kang

As Jesus began his public ministry, the Gospels recorded a remarkable encounter that revealed his sovereign authority over the demonic realm. In the synagogue, Jesus confronted a man possessed by an unclean spirit (Luke 4:33-36). When the demon sensed the presence of its mortal enemy, it cried out in protest, “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” (Luke 4:34). But rather than engaging the demon in debate, Jesus responded with unwavering command, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” (Luke 4:35).

This incident is deeply instructive, for it demonstrates a fundamental truth about spiritual warfare. Demons may hate God and defiantly resist His will, but they are ultimately powerless against the sovereign authority of the Son of God. As the text states, “the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm” (Luke 4:35). The onlookers were left “amazed” at the sheer power of Jesus’ words (Luke 4:36).

What accounts for this remarkable display of dominance over the demonic? The key lies in the distinction between God’s moral will and His sovereign will. The moral will of God is revealed in commandments like the Ten Commandments. These instructions are the ethical precepts that demons will brazenly defy. But there is another aspect of God’s will, His sovereign will, which demons are totally powerless to resist.

When God exercised His sovereign will and said, “Let there be light,” light came into being. When Jesus commanded, “Lazarus, come out,” the dead man could not resist the command of life into his dead body and got up to walk out of the tomb. And when Jesus declared to the unclean spirit, “Be silent and come out of him,” the demon had no choice but to obey. This is the authority and power that left the people in the synagogue utterly astonished.

The implications of this truth are profound. As followers of Christ, we need not cower in fear before the forces of darkness. For we serve a Savior who has been given “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). When we stand firm in our faith and invoke the name of Jesus, even the mightiest demons must submit to His sovereign command.

In Luke 9:1-2, we read, “He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and heal.” This is a staggering commission. Jesus was not merely sending them out as passive messengers but directly empowering them with His divine authority.

The text specifies that He gave them “power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases.”  This was no small matter. Demons were understood to be powerful spiritual forces that could torment and possess human beings. Yet Jesus was entrusting His followers with the ability to cast out these unclean spirits and bring healing to the afflicted.

But the disciples’ mission was more than just casting out demons and miraculous healings. Jesus also sent them “to proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:2). In other words, they were to be authoritative heralds of the new reality that Jesus had inaugurated – the breaking in of God’s reign on earth. This is the “two-hand punch” that every believer must apply in their ministry – applying power and authority to minister healing miracles, casting out demons, and sharing the Gospel.

This theme was further developed in Luke 10, where Jesus commissioned 70 or 72 additional disciples and sent them out in pairs. Once again, the emphasis is on the authority and power they have been given. As Jesus instructed them, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you” (Luke 10:19).

The implication is clear – those who faithfully represent Jesus as His authorized messengers will be supernaturally empowered to overcome the forces of darkness. They will have the authority to pronounce judgment on demonic powers and declare the triumph of God’s kingdom.

This is a remarkable trust that Jesus placed in His followers. He was not sending them out as mere cheerleaders or bystanders but as authorized agents of His own divine rule. And this authority and power were not for their own aggrandizement but for the advancement of the Gospel and the liberation of the captives.

The same commission stands for Jesus’ disciples today. We too have been entrusted with the authority of the kingdom, empowered by the Holy Spirit to confront the powers of evil, proclaim the good news, and see God’s reign established in the lives of those we reach. What an awesome privilege and responsibility this is!

May we, like the original disciples, faithfully steward this authority and power for the glory of Christ and the expansion of his kingdom. For the battle is the Lord’s, and the victory is assured.

This truth should fill our hearts with boldness and confidence. No matter how daunting the spiritual battle may seem, we can take courage knowing that Jesus has already secured the ultimate victory. With His authority and power behind us, we can advance the kingdom of God and set the captives free, to the glory of his name.

Note: If you are interested in learning how to exercise your faith to do Power Evangelism, here is a free video course for you on YouTube by Rev Albert Kang.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe-frSJlCn8oowZ6SSLlH831OZdz-twV7&si=fI_xc-5u3v0J1Otf

Is Divine Healing In The Holy Communion?

Having been in the healing ministry since 2006, I noticed that divine healing continues to be a subject of great significance and interest for many believers. As trained by The Elijah Challenge, I continue to use the “commanding approach” to rebuke the diseases and demons to go in the mighty name of Jesus. This has been the primary healing approach that I knew that is bringing very good healing results.

For several years, I have been hearing about people being divinely healed after they partook in the Holy Communion daily, and in some instances, they took it a few times a day. Is this an alternative way of healing?  In order to understand this further, I did a little study about their correlation.

This article explores the idea that the bread and cup are merely points of faith used to facilitate healing, and ascribing supernatural power to these physical elements would be contrary to biblical teachings. Additionally, we will examine the biblical example of the handkerchiefs and aprons of Paul the Apostle, and the bronze serpent of Moses, which served as points of faith for healing.

The Power of Faith
The Holy Communion is a powerful representation of God’s unconditional love for us, and it is manifested through the emblems of the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, it’s important for us to understand the profound meaning behind the Holy Communion and to realize that FAITH is the conduit through which divine healing is received. It is the individual’s trust and belief in the ability of Jesus Christ to heal that allows for the manifestation of healing.

For example, in the biblical account of the woman with the issue of blood, we witness a remarkable demonstration of faith in Jesus as the Healer (Luke 8:43-48). This woman had been suffering from a chronic bleeding condition for twelve years, and she had exhausted all medical options without finding relief. However, when she heard about Jesus and the miracles He performed, she believed that He held the power to heal her. In an act of unwavering faith, she pressed through the crowd surrounding Jesus and reached out to touch the hem of His garment. At that moment, she experienced miraculous healing as her bleeding immediately ceased. Her contact point of faith, the hem of Jesus’ garment, served as a tangible connection to the power and authority she believed Jesus possessed. Through her faith in Jesus as the Healer, she found restoration and wholeness.

Holy Communion as a Contact Point of Faith
As believers, we must have a clear understanding that the healing associated with Holy Communion is not due to any magical properties within the bread and cup themselves. Rather, they serve as tangible contact points of faith, reminding the recipient of Jesus’ sacrifice and prompting them to place their trust in Him for healing.

The physical act of partaking in Holy Communion can serve as a powerful focal contact point for our faith. As we consume the bread and cup, we are reminded of Jesus’ redemptive work and are encouraged to place our faith in Him as the source of healing. It is the recipient’s faith in Jesus’ ability to heal that brings about the desired healing, not any inherent supernatural power within the elements.

Paul’s Handkerchiefs and Aprons
The New Testament provides us with an example of how physical objects can serve as contact points of faith for healing. In the book of Acts, we read about Paul the Apostle, whose handkerchiefs and aprons were used to bring healing to the sick (Acts 19:11-12). People would touch these items, and by their faith in Christ, they would receive healing. It is important to note that the power to heal did not reside within the handkerchiefs and aprons themselves. Instead, they served as physical symbols that facilitated the recipients’ faith in Jesus Christ. The act of touching these objects was an expression of their trust in Jesus as the healer.

The Bronze Serpent
The children of Israel had become rebellious and were speaking against God and Moses. As a consequence, God sent venomous snakes among them, and many were bitten and dying. In their distress, the people approached Moses, acknowledging their sin and asking for help. (Numbers 21:4-8). In response to their plea, God instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and place it on a pole. Moses did as commanded, and anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze serpent and live. The bronze serpent served as a symbol of God’s provision for healing and deliverance.

Over time, the symbolic meaning behind the bronze serpent became distorted, and the people began to attribute healing power directly to the bronze serpent itself. Instead of recognizing it as a symbol of God’s healing provision and turning their faith towards God, they started worshiping the bronze serpent as an idol.

This deviated from the intended purpose and led to spiritual misdirection. Recognizing the danger of idolatry and the loss of true faith, Hezekiah, a righteous king of Judah, took decisive action and destroyed the bronze serpent (2 Kings 18:4). He understood the importance of redirecting the people’s focus and worship towards the one true God and away from any object that had become a misplaced source of healing power. By removing the serpent, Hezekiah sought to restore the proper understanding of God as the ultimate source of healing and deliverance.

The Danger of Making Holy Communion into a Magical Ritual
The danger of idolizing the Holy Communion and making it into a magical ritual lies in losing sight of its true purpose and significance. Just as the Israelites fell into the trap of worshiping the bronze serpent instead of directing their worship to God, there is a risk of idolizing the ritual of Communion itself. When the focus shifts solely to the physical elements of bread and cup, viewing them as objects of power or as a magical means of healing, the true essence of Communion is distorted.

The sacrament is meant to be a solemn remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice, a moment of spiritual communion with Him, and a reaffirmation of faith in His redemptive work. It is a symbolic representation of His body and blood, not a source of miraculous healing in and of itself. Therefore, it is essential to recognize that healing occurs because of the recipient’s faith in the Person of Jesus Christ. The bread and cup are not inherently imbued with supernatural power but instead serve as points of faith, reminding individuals to place their trust in Jesus for healing.

By understanding that divine healing is ultimately a result of faith in Jesus Christ, we can approach Holy Communion and other acts of faith with a deeper appreciation for their significance. It is through our faith in Christ that we find healing, recognizing that tangible elements are means to strengthen our belief rather than the source of supernatural power.

The Distinction Between Commanding Healing and Praying for the Sick: Why We Do Not Say “Amen”

In our healing ministry, Grace and I used to encounter people who were curious why we did not say “Amen” after we commanded healing for the infirm. In the ministry of healing, there are two types of ministers, and thus exists a distinction between commanding healing and praying for the sick. We who were trained by Pastor William Lau of The Elijah Challenge, practice the “healing command” approach. The other approach practiced by other churches is by praying for the sick. While both practices aim to alleviate suffering and restore health, the approach and intention behind each differ significantly. This article explores why we do not say “Amen” after commanding healing, as opposed to concluding prayers with this customary word.

Understanding the Difference:
In the New Testament, Jesus and His disciples commanded healing for the infirm, they were not engaging in prayer but rather rebuking infirmities or demons. This practice is more biblical because we are engaging in spiritual warfare and through the power and authority of Jesus, we can directly address and cast out ailments or spiritual entities that are causing the illness.

On the other hand, praying for the sick involves seeking God’s intervention and guidance in restoring health, often accompanied by supplication, intercession, and surrendering to His will. It is not wrong to pray for the sick but in our experience, we find it to be less effective. For example, in the previous twenty years of my ministry, I prayed for the sick and only about ten people were healed. However, since 2005, after Grace and I had learned the “healing command” method advocated by The Elijah Challenge, we have more than 10,000 people healed.

The Act of Commanding Healing:
When commanding healing, as recorded in Luke 9:1-2 and also Luke 10:9, we assert our God-given power and authority as believers in Jesus Christ to rebuke diseases or pain. By invoking the mighty name of Jesus, we confront and drive out these afflictions. This act of rebuking is not a form of prayer but rather an authoritative divine power against the infirmities or spiritual forces at work.

Rebuking Infirmities or Demons:
In commanding healing, sometimes, we have to address infirmities or demons associated with sickness. The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual discernment that certain illnesses may have spiritual origins or be influenced by evil forces. By rebuking these infirmities or demons, we aim to release the person from their grip and restore them to health. This practice aligns with biblical teachings that emphasize the power of Jesus’ name in overcoming all evil forces.

The Absence of “Amen”:
The word “Amen” holds significant meaning in the kingdom of God, often used to conclude prayers as a way of expressing agreement, affirmation, or acceptance. However, when commanding healing, the absence of “Amen” is intentional. This omission reflects the distinction between prayer and rebuking. Commanding healing is not a supplication to God but an authoritative act against the infirmities or demons causing illness.

Praying to God:
In contrast to commanding healing, when we pray to God for healing, we always conclude our prayers with “Amen.” This ecclesiastical practice signifies the end of the prayer and expresses trust in God’s will and power. By saying “Amen,” we express our submission to God’s authority and accept His plans for our lives.

Summary: The Distinction Between Commanding And Praying
The distinction between commanding healing and praying for the sick lies in the approach and intention behind each practice. When commanding healing, we rebuke infirmities or demons in the name of Jesus, addressing them directly without engaging in prayer. As a result, the customary word “Amen” is not used. Conversely, when praying to God for any request, we conclude our prayers with “Amen” as an expression of trust and submission to His will.

Empowered Witnesses For Christ

There is a story about a believer who prayed to God for the courage to witness for Jesus. He said, “Father in heaven, if you really want me to witness to someone about Jesus, please show me a sign as to who this person is.”

Later that day, he took a bus and realized he was the only passenger. Then, the bus stopped for another passenger. The timid Christian was shocked to see this tall tattooed man boarding the bus. And his fear became more intense as the man sat right beside him.

The timid believer was praying for the bus to stop quickly so that he could get away from this scary man. However, before he could do anything, the man turned and talked to him. He was surprised because he could see tears in that man’s eyes.

The man said quietly, “I had a terrible dream and found myself in hell. You looked like an intelligent man. Can you tell me how not to go to hell?” The timid believer said, “Wait, let me pray about this!” He immediately bowed his head and asked the Lord, “Is this the sign for me to witness now?”

POWERFUL WITNESSES
You may laugh at the reaction of this believer because the Lord had made it so obvious. Sadly, this story represents the fact that many Christians do not see the need or have the knowledge of witnessing for Jesus. They consider witnessing or evangelism as a secondary requirement, in spite of the fact that they are specially called to be witnesses for Jesus Christ.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” You are not just going to be a witness but you will be a powerful one. This power that Jesus promised is not just for the disciples in the Bible but for every believer today.

We have been given the power of the Holy Spirit to boldly witness and share the gospel with confidence and speak the truth in love. We can command healing for the sick and see them healed, and we can cast out demons in the name of Jesus. As we apply the “two-hand” punch – applying the power and authority to heal the sick and cast out demons plus sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, the power of the Holy Spirit will help us to overcome fear and doubt. We can trust in God’s strength and not our own abilities. People will be miraculously healed and they would want to know what supernatural power heals them. And that is when we can share the Gospel with confidence. When we step out by faith, the Holy Spirit will always empower us to do what we cannot do on our own.

LIFE WITH AGAPE LOVE
Power Evangelism is effective when it is enhanced by our life testimony. We have to live a life that reflects this Agape love and grace of God. We witness for Jesus is by being the love of Jesus extended. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and this includes everyone we come into contact with. When we show kindness, compassion, and forgiveness to others, it can be a powerful witness to the love of Jesus. Oftentimes, the seed of salvation is planted.

AUTHENTIC FAITH
By being authentic and true to ourselves, God will use our unique testimony to touch others for Christ. While this can seem intimidating at times, however, it is important to remember that we do not have to be perfect or have all the answers. Instead, we can simply share our own personal experiences with Jesus and how He has transformed our lives. As unique individuals, God has indeed given each of us a unique story to share. We can share our testimony, how we came to know Jesus, and the ways in which He has worked in our lives. When we are open and honest about our struggles and how Jesus has helped us through them, we can be powerful witnesses to others.

In conclusion, witnessing for Jesus can seem intimidating, but it is important to remember that we do not have to be perfect or have all the answers. By being authentic and true to ourselves, loving others, and living out our faith in our daily lives, we can be powerful witnesses for Jesus Christ.

Here is a video on how God can empower you to change the world
https://youtu.be/sO1i-zj2FF8

Here is another message by Rev Dr. Wilson Ng that will bless you too.
https://youtu.be/jVhT0yx2uHc

Understanding Generational Curses – Part 6 (Nature Versus Nurture)

The Real Generational Curse
What is a Generational Curse? If you have not read my five earlier articles about this topic, please do so. For first-time readers, a generational curse is described as “the cumulative effect on a person of things that their ancestors did, believed, or practiced in the past, and a consequence of an ancestor’s actions, beliefs, and sins being passed down.” (Gospel Coalition).

As I have explained in my previous articles that the Adamic Curse of the original sin has often been misunderstood as the generational curses of our ancestors. Once this is understood, you will be glad to know that you have been liberated and there is no need to adopt the erroneous tedious approach of repenting and renouncing every sin of your ancestors. The Bible shows us a more expedient way – “Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.” (Romans 5:18).

Therefore, if we were to use the language of the proponents of the generational curse, our biggest “generational curse” is found only in the first couple that God created – Adam and Eve. Their disobedience produced the Adamic curse and the original sin. And ever since then, after the Fall, the nature of all human beings has become corrupted and sinful. The imperfect environmental and genetic factors have compounded the problem which made us more susceptible to bad habits and poor health. Thus, our behaviors and medical records resemble those of our parents and their parents and we can link them directly to the Adamic curse but not the so-called generational curses. However, in spite of what we inherited, there is also the question of our own responsibility and accountability of our lives and behaviors. That raises the question of whether we are more affected by our nature or whether we are simply nurtured to become the types of people that we are.

Nature Versus Nurture
This is an age-old debate on whether we inherit our behaviors or we learn them from our elders. Dr. Brenda Shook, a professor of psychology at the National University, the largest, private nonprofit university in San Diego, USA, enlightens us by stating that we have often asked the wrong question – “Is human behavior genetic or learned?” The more accurate question should be “To what extent is a particular behavior genetic or learned?”

Without going into all the complicating scientific details, Dr. Shook said that we do not inherit behavioral traits or personality but genes. And these genes contain information that produces proteins. These in turn form various combinations that ultimately affect our behavior. In short, while our DNA code does not change, the epigenome may change. Interestingly, the environment and social influence can turn on or off a gene.

Dr. Shook says, for example, that you may think that a good singer has inherited her talent genetically. However, she points out this might not necessarily be true. The good singer may not have a good singing voice but somehow her brain is wired in such a way that she can learn and remember easily all the vocal lessons that she has taken. And so her excellent singing voice is due to her ability to remember and activate all the vocal skills that she has acquired. The immense ability to remember is inherited but her vocal excellence is not. This singer is an example of the effective use of both nature and nurture.

An understanding of human behavior from a scientific point of view is beneficial for our understanding of “generational curses” so that we are aware that we are not slaves to the DNA that we inherited from our ancestors. And that it is scientifically observed in their study of Epigenetics that the epigenome when affected by outside influence, will affect the physical structure of the genome, which in turn, dictates which genes to turn on and which to turn off.

Differentiating Reality From Excuses.
As Dr. Shook has pointed out a person’s character may be affected both by nature and nurture. And so with that understanding, we should be able to differentiate what is reality and what is an excuse. No one can fully blame their ancestors for how they behaved and the consequential results of their behaviors.

For example, one believer approached me for advice because he believed that he was under the generational curse of gambling. He told me that his father was a gambler and so was his grandfather. However, I discovered that all his other four siblings were not gamblers. If it was a generation curse then why didn’t it affect all his other siblings? In fact, all of them were doing well in their careers and living responsible lives. Later, one of his brothers told me that this man was the “black sheep” of the family. Since a child, he had lived a very irresponsible life. He was the only one who did not help out at the mother’s hawker stall selling wanton noodles. He was playing truant somewhere while all his siblings realized their stark financial situation, and helped their mother whose business was the only source of income. To me, this man was definitely not under any generational curse but simply an irresponsible person who lived a very careless life.

Personal Dysfunction Versus Generational Curses
Too many people hide behind this concept of generational curses and dodge the true problem that lies in their personal dysfunction and wrong decisions. If they only take responsibility to resolve their problematic behavior than merely embrace this false teaching of generational curses so as to render themselves, helpless victims.

In conclusion, the only real curse is the wrong belief that we are powerless to break our personal dysfunctions and surrender our future to these mystical “generational curses”. When we understand that the Adamic curse has been nullified at the cross, no amount of “generational curses” can derail the purpose and objective of God in our lives.

What Does It Mean To Be Seated In Heavenly Realms?

The question is often asked, “how can we be seated with Christ in the heavenly realms if we are still here upon this earth?” Let’s look at what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:4-7

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

The Theory of the Spiritual Position
Some teachers of the Bible believe that this is a spiritual position. The idea is that though we are living in the physical realm and experiencing natural realities, our spirit “in Christ” is seated in the exalted spiritual realm known also as “heavenly places”. This is supposedly the spiritual realm of Christ’s victories and therefore, you are expected to live in His favor and victory on earth.

Does your spirit need to leave your body to enter into the heavenly realms? Some teachers have the idea that is very similar to Plato’s dualism (but not in its entirety). If my understanding of what they believe is correct, then they are saying that the body and spirit are two separate entities and can exist in different spheres. So, the spirit is “seated” in the heavenly realms with Christ while the body on earth is being directed by that human spirit that is seated above. I do not subscribe to this mystical idea and I will explain why later.

The Theory of the Legal Position
Other teachers suggest that this “seated in heavenly realms” is an expression of our legal position. We are still here on earth and the “heavenly places” expression has to do with our legal rights being restored by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To them, our new legal position has placed us not so much as being physically there in the heavenly realms with Christ but having the legal rights and authority of Christ who is in the heavenly realms. Our real-life condition remains staunchly here on earth but we function with heavenly authority. This theory sounds plausible but is it really what the Bible is teaching?

The Prophetic Perfect
Having discussed the two commonly preached positions, let’s venture into the biblical understanding of this exciting portion in Ephesians 2:4-7. For this purpose, I like to introduce you to a particular style of writing of the Bible known as the Prophetic Perfect. Bible scholars recognize the Hebraic and Aramaic idiom of using past tense to express the certainty of something in the future. This is known as the “perfective of confidence” – something that God is so confident that in His mind, even though the event is still in the future, He declares it as accomplished or has already happened.

The Promise To Abraham
For example, in Genesis 15:18, in the original Hebrew text, it is “To your descendants, I have given this land.” At that time, all those descendants had not existed and how could God give them the land? You would not be asking this question if you understood that God was using prophetic perfect in his promise. He was so confident in giving this land to Abraham’s descendants and so He used the prophetic perfect to emphasize the certainty of the event one thousand years before it actually happened.
There are just too many occasions that the prophetic perfect has been used in the Bible for me to list all of them here. Let me give you a few more examples:

Victory In A Battle
A quick reference to Numbers 21:34 (NIV) –  The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, along with all his people and his land. Do the same to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.” 
The context of this portion was God assuring Moses that Israel would win the battle against Og, the king of Bashan. Here most of the English translators kept the original prophetic perfect meaning. Reading the NIV translation, you may think that the battle was already over because God said, “I have handed him over to you, along with all his people and his land.” The truth is that the battle had not been fought yet but in the mind of God, it was already a done deal.

The Coming Of The Messiah
Let’s check a prophecy about the coming of Jesus, given by Balaam. We read Numbers 24:17 (NIV) – “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” Did you realize that in most English translations this portion is in the future tense except in the Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)? The reason is that Robert Young the translator followed rigidly what he read in both the Textus Receptus (TR) and the Masoretic Text (MT). Young’s translation has accurately expressed the Hebrew text of the prophetic perfect tense – “A star hath proceeded from Jacob, And a scepter hath risen from Israel.”
This was to be fulfilled by Christ 1,400 years after the prophecy but in the sight of God, it was already a done deal.

Let’s look at another popular scripture about the coming of Jesus – Isaiah 9:6. God was so certain of the coming of His Son that He made Isaiah write in the prophetic perfect tense- “To us, a child has been born, to us a son has been given, and the government has been on his shoulders, and he has been called Wonderful, Counselor….” Can you now recognize the force of the prophetic perfect tense? Isaiah was writing as though this birth of Jesus was a past event, even though he knew that it would be something far in the future – actually 700 years into the future.

Prophetic Perfect Tense In The New Testament
What about the prophetic perfect tense in the New Testament? We have to remember that the New Testament was written in Greek but by people who were mostly Jews or living in the Jewish culture. It is like me – I am Chinese and raised in Chinese culture but I speak and write in English. Many of my Chinese cultural influences are reflected in my English messages and writing.

The Prophetic Perfect Tense In Jude
In Jude 1:14, we see the force of the prophetic perfect tense at work – “It was about these people that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, when he said, “Look, the Lord came with myriads of His holy ones.” (Amplified version). The International Standard Version states: “Look! The Lord has come with countless thousands of his holy ones.“
Most English translators used the future tense to translate this portion because they did not want to confuse the readers. Imagine those who only read the “prophetic perfect” translations, they may not understand the purpose of God in emphasizing His certainty of a future event, and so they may be puzzled and ask, “When did the Lord come back with thousands of His holy angels?” Once again, the purpose of the prophetic perfect tense is to indicate the certainty of the second coming of the Lord with His angels.

The Prophetic Perfect Tense of Ephesians 2:6
Paul apparently used the prophetic perfect tense when he wrote: “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus“. Surprisingly, the majority of the English translations followed the past tense in the Greek text and did not use the future tense. And that is why many believers who have no idea about the idiom of the prophetic perfect struggle with this idea of “seated in the heavenly realms” while they are still here, very much alive. on earth. If only they knew that God is so confident of them sitting with Christ forever in heaven in their future that He inspired Paul to express it in the past tense with the prophetic perfect sense.

Most scholars will tell you that the concept that God has “already seated His people with Christ in the heavenly realm” as a past or present experience is not found in all the other epistles of Paul the Apostle. The more accurate explanation will have to be that this is a statement of God’s absolute confidence that His people will one day be seated eternally with Christ.

Now, you may have some doubts about this explanation. Let’s look at the fact – you are here on earth and not in the heavenly realms. You can only look up to what Colossians 3:1 has stated – “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.“

Which Scripture Is Literal?
Now, you have to figure out which scripture is literal and which is prophetic perfect. If you accept Ephesians 2:6 as a literal “sitting in the heavenly realms now” then you will have to reject Colossians 3:1 which places you on earth, looking above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. However, since the Bible does not contradict itself, I would definitely accept Colossians 3:1 as literal and Ephesians 2:6 as an expression of the prophetic perfect tense.

Therefore, based upon Colossians 3:1, we are now living on earth, serving the kingdom of God and we are looking and seeking “above” where “Christ is seated right now in the heavenly realms”. Then, with our understanding of the prophetic perfect tense in Ephesians 2:6, we are confident that one day, in the future, we will definitely be seated with Christ in the heavenly realms.

Blood Covenant Part 3: Should You Be Sprinkled With The Blood?

For many years, I have observed how the previous religious cultures of believers have influenced how they believe the Word of God. One of the most misunderstood concepts among these believers is the blood of Jesus. In certain Eastern religions, actual blood sacrifice is made to their deities. I saw a video of a man who plunged his head under the gushing blood of a decapitated carcass of a sacrificed animal. The purpose was to get his sins cleansed by the blood of the sacrificed animal. Another series of disturbing photos online showed devotees of certain Eastern religions drinking fresh blood right off the recently killed animals. Some believers today also have this idea that the blood of Jesus is to be magically sprinkled upon them when they ask to be “covered or sprinkled by the blood.” A similar image of the gushing blood of Jesus somehow would cover and protect them. And so, with this idea, they proceed to “cover their loved ones and their treasured items with the blood of Jesus”. Many of them are now doing this as a daily ritual for divine protection and guidance. Our question is whether this practice was taught by Jesus and the Apostles. Should believers continue to include such a ritual in their daily life?

The Contextualization of the Gospel
As the Gospel of Jesus Christ is spread throughout the world, it is inevitable that certain degrees of contextualization of the message would take place. What is contextualization? To put it in a nutshell, it is to share the message of God’s love in the language and cultural understandings of a particular race, dialect, nation, or culture.

For example, the celebration of the birth of Christ on 25th December. This is a tradition that is supposedly adapted from the ancient European celebration of the resurgence of the sun after a harsh winter. The joy of welcoming spring and the warm summer was contextualized from welcoming the sun to welcoming the Son of God.

Healthy contextualization helps the people to appreciate the Gospel within their own cultures, languages, and also meanings. However, if contextualization is not done properly, then all kinds of misunderstandings will happen in the local Church. For example, in the 1970s, we received news that certain remote churches in China actually sacrificed goats or sheep and drank their blood on Good Fridays.

In Singapore and Malaysia, due to the Charismatic influences of the 1970s to 2000s, many extra-biblical teachings from other nations became appealing to the local believers. The new believers readily swallowed the teachings by teachers of Generational Curses, performed prayer walking to rebuke the territorial spirits, depended upon personal prophecies from self-styled prophets, sold out to the teachings of the Word of Faith that included the “name it and claim it” approach of the prosperity gospel. Then they were inundated by the laughter movement, animals’ sounds movement, uncontrollable shaking and jerking of the head movement, etc. All these were claimed to be the new works of God as they did not have any biblical basis or precedents.

Sprinkled By The Blood?
When more people from other religions were converted, they found consoling similarities of their former religions in Christianity. For example, the idea of being “sprinkled by the blood” or “covered by the blood”. The biblical image of having the blood of the sacrifice sprinkled over the people came from a ceremony conducted by Moses upon the children of Israel as commanded by God in Exodus 24:4-8…

[Moses] got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillars representing the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord. Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashed against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the Lord has said; we will obey.”
Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.”

In that unique, one-time ceremony, Moses splashed half of the sacrificed blood upon the altar, and the other half, he sprinkled on the people to symbolize the covenantal bond between God and Israel. Though this only happened once in biblical history, what Moses did was not an uncommon practice among ancient civilizations. To those people of antiquity, the principle of any worthy covenant had to be sealed with blood. The parties involved in the covenant became partakers of that blood and became committed to a sacramental union.

The writer of Hebrews recalled this incident in Hebrews 9:19-22
When Moses had proclaimed every command of the law to all the people, he took the blood of calves, together with water, scarlet wool, and branches of hyssop, and sprinkled the scroll and all the people. He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.” In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies. In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

The New Covenant In The Blood of Jesus
Strictly speaking, you should avoid doing the ritual of sprinkling water as imaginary blood or worse still, usinfg real raw blood of a sacrificed animal. This has never been required in the New Testament. Why shouldn’t you do that? The reason is that God has instituted a sacrament known as the Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper, just for you.

Reading from 1 Corinthians 11:25, we will see its meaning:
In the same way, after supper He [Jesus] took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.

When you partake of the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion, you are recalling the sacrifice of the Lord upon the cross. The purpose of His sacrifice is to reconcile the relationship between God and you. Jesus specifically said that the cup represented the “New Covenant” in His blood. This blood was poured out for you (Luke 22:20) and it was to take the place of the past animal sacrifices practiced in ancient Israel. You of course know that during the Holy Communion, you are not drinking actual blood but a symbolic representation made either of wine or grape juice. You also do not eat actual flesh but its symbol that is a piece of bread.

Do You Need To Plead The Blood Of Jesus?
The phrase “pleading the blood” is not found in the Bible but it is used among many believers today, especially those from the Charismatic circle. The word, “pleading” means a sincere and humble appeal to a higher authority. The phrase has almost a similar emphasis as “in the name of Jesus”.

Most people who plead the blood of Jesus see the scriptural relevance in Revelation 12:11 – “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” Thus to them, the idea is implied that you can actually conquer the devil and his demons by “pleading the blood of Jesus”.

As the “blood of Jesus” is just another term for the New Covenant in His blood, it may seem appropriate to appeal to the authority of this covenant rather than to a mystical image of the blood. However, it is not necessary to always appeal to the New Covenant because it is a “done deal”.

Many believers may not know the reason why they “plead the blood of Jesus” and may use it like a magic spell or a mantra, especially during deliverance. I have seen fellow ministers who kept “pleading the blood of Jesus” when they could simply command the demons to leave with their “kingly authority”. Others “plead the blood of Jesus” to declare and decree so as to claim certain imaginary “legal rights” to good health and great wealth. The level of superstition in modern Christianity is unimaginably high. Too many believers have unwittingly carried the rituals and beliefs of their former religions into the Christian faith.

Should you then use this phrase, “I plead the blood of Jesus?” Strictly speaking, you don’t have to. Jesus has already defeated Satan and all the fallen angels by His death on the cross and resurrection on the third day. That was a one-time event that forever changed history. Your faith in the finished work of Christ is good enough to provide all the protection that you need. However, if you feel that the phrase helps you when you are in the midst of a deliverance ministry, then it is perfectly harmless in using it. However, it is also meaningless to the demons because they already knew about this blood covenant of Jesus that has been established for you. What you need to do is simply to command the demons to leave with the authority and power of the Lord. So, instead of saying “by the blood of Jesus”, you can command “in the mighty name of Jesus”.

Here is a video teaching on the Blood of Jesus. I trust that it will help you appreciate and understand deeper the meaning of the blood covenant that God has with all of us.

Blood Covenant Part 2 – Why The Blood Is Important?

Before becoming a Christian, I was involved in worshipping Chinese deities and ancestors. As my father was the chairman of the Seventh Month Celebration and also the treasurer of a Hainanese association, I had seen my fair share of blood sacrifices. These were usually done with live roosters that got their throats slit and blood spilling all over the altars of the deities. That was my initial introduction to “applying the blood.”
Then recently, I heard from a believer that she was taught by her church to “apply the Blood of Jesus” every day. I have heard this phrase before and I wonder if the believer really understood the meaning of “applying the Blood of Jesus”. In my last blog post, “Blood Covenant Part 1: Do You Need To Apply The Blood Every Day”, I shared why you do not need to apply the blood all the time. In this post, I like to share the importance of blood in the sacrifices instructed by God.

Why Is The Blood Important?
Many long-time Christians will remember this hymn by Robert Lowry – “Nothing But The Blood of Jesus”. The first stanza alone is enough to give us the theological meaning and purpose of the blood of Jesus:
What can wash away my sin
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me whole again
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Oh, precious is the flow, that makes me white as snow
No other fount I know
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Blood Represents Life
The Bible says in Leviticus 17:11 – “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” Therefore, for the blood to be shed, means death. The writer of Hebrews says: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22).

Since antiquity, every culture has had a recorded history of religious blood sacrifices. The people of Israel have theirs too. In fact, you can read Leviticus 23 which contains a list of all the Jewish festivals that were related to blood sacrifice.

Since the time of Moses in the desert, these feasts were observed in the Tabernacle and later in the temple at Jerusalem. All these feasts carried within themselves deep prophetic meaning of future events and they all included sacrifices and offerings. The feasts were namely:
1. Passover – Leviticus 23:4-8
2. Feast of Unleavened Bread – Leviticus 23:6
3. Feast of Firstfruits – Leviticus 23:10
4. Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) – Leviticus 23:16
5. Feast of Trumpets – Leviticus 23:24
6. Day of Atonement – Leviticus 16, 23:26-32
7. Feast of Tabernacles or Booths – Leviticus 23:34

As in every feast and festival, the priests and Levites had to sacrifice animals that were without blemish and these were representatives of the future Lamb of God – Jesus Christ. The early Jewish ceremonies were very complicating, with the slaughtering of animals, shedding of blood, and sprinkling of blood around the altar and other areas. It was a very messy and bloody era but it was necessary.

The Blood of Jesus
The most endearing meaning is that all these ceremonies and feasts pointed to the fulfillment of them all by one Person – Jesus Christ. We can see how much God loves us by His intentional leaving of clues in the Old Covenant that foreshadowed the coming of His Son, Jesus Christ. How God has hidden truths in the Old Testament and only to be revealed gloriously in the New Testament.

All the blood of unblemished animals being shed in the Old Testament was only a shadow of the future. The real blood of the sacrifice for the sins of mankind was given by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, being crucified on a cross.

The Covenant In The Blood of Jesus
Taking the imagery of the Passover lamb in Exodus 12, Jesus taught His disciples an object lesson. During the Last Supper (Matthew 26), Jesus held up a piece of bread and said to His disciples, “Take it and eat it, for this is My body” (Matthew 26:26). He then gave thanks and offered them the cup and said, “Each of you, drink from it, for this is My blood, which seals the covenant between God and His people. It is poured out to forgive the sins of many ” (Matthew 26:27-28). Jesus would fulfill the meaning of these symbols by actually dying on the cross and having His body tortured and His blood spilled.

Paul the Apostel later recorded this event in 1 Corinthians 11:25 – “In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the NEW COVENANT IN MY BLOOD; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me” (Italic mine). There you have it – the blood is for the purpose of establishing a new covenant between God and you. So, whenever you “plead the blood” or “apply the blood”, you are actually reminding yourself or others of the fact that there is a blood covenant between God and you.

Pleading and Applying The Blood Of Jesus
Is it wrong to use the terms “plead the blood of Jesus” or “apply the blood of Jesus” upon your life? The answer is both “yes” and “no”. If “pleading” or “applying” the blood of Jesus is understood as a magical rendition of a powerful mantra, then you should not use these terms.

For example, one believer had made it a rule to have his wife “pleads the blood of Jesus” over their two young sons as she drops them off at school every morning. He himself “pleads the blood of Jesus” over his car and journey to work. Then he invited a pastor to come and “apply the blood of Jesus” over his new factory. During the dedication of his factory, the pastor buried four small metal boxes of scriptures in the four corners of the factory ground. And those scriptures were supposed to have supernatural power to prevent evil spirits from disturbing the premises. And in the event of any breach of the spiritual protective walls, the believer hung a big cross on the wall of his office to ward off evil spirits. Does that sound similar to what the Feng Shui masters or temple mediums are offering?

When Can We Plead The Blood of Jesus?
If I ever used the phrase, “plead the blood of Jesus”, I do not consider it a magic formula of words or the application of some invisible blood. Rather, I would be fully aware of the covenant that Jesus has established by His sacrifice on the cross. That covenant has a “spiritual dynamic” and its authority is far greater than our own human abilities and those of our spiritual enemy. The blood covenant has given us the privilege of being saved. Apart from that, it also gives us the power and authority to come against the enemy by nullifying all the demonic activities plus those of our flesh. So, when you say, “I plead the blood of Jesus”, you are bringing to your remembrance what Jesus has done at Calvary’s cross to give you victory in all situations. And the same time, you are reminding the demons that they are defeated foes. This is, of course, unnecessary because they know that they have been thoroughly defeated and waiting for the day of Judgement.
Here is a video teaching on the Blood of Jesus. I trust that it will help you appreciate and understand deeper the meaning of the blood covenant that God has with all of us.

Understanding Generational Curses – Part 5 (Individual Judgement vs. Generational Judgement)

Recently, a reader who read my blog posts – “Understanding Generational Curses” – said that her family, because of the high divorce rate among her siblings, is still under the generational curses of their ancestors. Her predicament is that no matter how she confessed on behalf of her ancestors for their sins, she has no way of knowing whether this curse of divorce would continue to her children and grandchildren. She keeps asking God to reveal the hidden sins of her ancestors and that process almost drives her crazy. She has so many nightmares about all the unrepented and unrenounced ancestral sins that might still harm her and her family. It is very sad because she thought that she would gain total freedom in Christ through a course about “Generational Curses” and now, she finds herself trapped in fear and bondage.

Getting Rid Of The Inherited Futile Way Of Life?
The proponents of the “Generational Curses” encourage you to ask God to reveal the sins of your ancestors to get rid of “… your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers.” (1 Peter 1:18). This is the verse that they referred to in their instruction manual. (Neil Anderson, The Steps To Freedom In Christ – Step Seven, Curses Versus Blessings).

To be fair to your understanding of this portion, let’s check 1 Peter 1:18 and also verse19.

“…knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NASB)

Do you read any mention of generational curses or the need to repent or renounce the “futile way of life that you inherited from your forefathers”? Let’s see if we can decipher these verses by reading another translation:

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NLT)

Now, the meaning is very clear – God has already paid the price to save you from the “futile life that you have inherited from your forefathers” and He did it through the “precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”

Do you need a secondary ritual to repent and renounce this “futile life that you have inherited from your forefathers” even after you have been Born Again? Absolutely not!

If Not Guilty Then Why Repent And Renounce?
The proponents of “Generational Curses” often quote Exodus 20:4-6 about the “iniquities of one generation can be visited on to the third and fourth generations of those who hate God” to mean “the iniquities of one generation can adversely affect future ones unless those sins are renounced, and your new spiritual heritage in Christ is claimed. This cycle of abuse and all negative influences can be stopped by genuine repentance.” Then almost immediately, they say that “you are not guilty of your ancestor’s sins, but because of their sins you have been affected by their influence.“ (Neil Anderson, The Steps To Freedom In Christ – Step Seven, Curses Versus Blessings).

Now, the question is if you are not guilty of your ancestor’s sins, then why do you need to stop the curse by”genuine repentance”. What is the biblical idea of repentance?

Both the Old and New Testament has a similar meaning to the word, “repentance”. The two Hebrew words, “nacham’ and “sub”, found in the Old Testament, depict a “turning around”; “a change of mind”; and “a restoration or return to the relationship with God”. The Greek word, “metanoia” in the New Testament literally means “to change the mind.” So, whose mind would you be changing in your repentance? Yours or those of your ancestors’ minds?

The Principle of Individual Judgment
You can only repent for your personal sins. Ezekiel echoes this truth in Ezekiel 18:20 – “The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.”

This is based on the principle of individual judgment as stated in Deuteronomy 24:16 – “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin.”

The Principle of Generational Judgment
What about the generational judgment that seems to prevail in the Old Testament? How are we to understand it?

The verse in Jeremiah 32:18 is similar in meaning to that of Exodus 34:7: “Keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation” (see also Exodus 20:5–6).

Jeremiah recognized that the exile was a generational judgment – “Our fathers sinned, and are gone; It is we who have been burdened with the punishment for their wrongdoings.” (Lamentations 5:7).

The Old Testament has quite a few examples of the descendants paying for the sins of their forefathers – for example, the great flood that drowned everybody (children included) except Noah’s family (Gen. 7:21). God rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah killing everybody there (Genesis 19:24–25). How about Achan? The Bible recorded that: “And all the Israelites stoned Achan and his family and burned their bodies.” (Joshua 7:25).

Another gruesome act of generational judgment is found in 2 Samuel 21 where David handed over seven of Saul’s descendants (two sons and five grandsons) to the Gibeonites, who executed them. King Saul had violated the covenant made between Joshua and the Gibeonites (Joshua 9) when he massacred them in order to get rid of them from Israel. Reading 2 Samuel 21:1 – you will notice that King Saul’s children and grandchildren were also not innocent of this violation – “It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.” The “blood-stained house” refers to his sons and grandsons who may be guilty of approval or involvement.

Jeroboam was also judged by having his descendants totally destroyed. Reading from 1 Kings 14:9-11,
“You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made other gods for yourself and have made me furious with your gold calves. And since you have turned your back on me, I will bring disaster on your dynasty and will destroy every one of your male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel. I will burn up your royal dynasty as one burns up trash until it is all gone. The members of Jeroboam’s family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by vultures. I, the Lord, have spoken.’”

Generational Judgments in the New Testament?
There are other narratives about generational judgments in the Old Testament but what about in the New Testament? To answer this question up-front – there are no generational judgments but only individual judgments in the New Testament.

For example, the proclamation of judgment upon people such as Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), Simon Magus (Acts 8), and Bar-Jesus (Acts 13).

If you searched the New Testament carefully, you will discover that Jesus never taught “Generational Curses” at all. In fact, there was an occasion as recorded in John 9:1-3, that Jesus could have taught this so-called “Generational Curses” but HE DID NOT!

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him”. (John 9:1-3).

This is the common indiscretion of the proponents of the “Generational Curses”. They constantly try to find the connection between infirmities and acts of sin.

For example, one such person asked whether I was under a generational curse because of the genetic disorder which was an autoimmune disease that I inherited from my father. Thank God that since 2007, I have been totally healed of ankylosing spondylitis by the application of the “kingly authority” without having to repent on behalf of my ancestors or renounce any of their sins. Like that man who was born blind in John 9, my condition was an occasion for the healing miracle of God to happen and the power of God is now being seen through my healed body and life.

What can we learn from John 9:1-3? The answer of our Lord teaches us not to immediately trace the misfortunes and handicaps of our fellow men to individual sin or consider them to be signs of God’s punishment. Whenever we meet someone who is afflicted with certain deformities or handicaps, we are to be full of compassion and understanding instead of judgment and despise.

Are You Under Any Generational Curses?
As far as the New Testament is concerned, we cannot find any instances where someone was cursed by the sins or deeds of any ancestors. The day you gave your life to Jesus, you should have repented of your sins and cut your ties with anything that contradict the will of God. You should have renounced all these past influences in your life and be truly Born Again.

Jesus said being Born Again means that you have experienced a spiritual rebirth (John 3:5-8). You have moved from the cursed bloodline of the First Adam to the blessed bloodline of the Lord Jesus Christ who is known as the Second Adam or Last Man. The Apostle Paul declares, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Jesus is very powerful – and He has not only taken away all your curses – He even broke the toxic Adamic curse that brought death to the whole world -“For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).

Jesus came to bear “our sins in his body on the tree that we might live to righteousness” (1 Peter 2:24).

“The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Yes, you are really free because there is not a single instruction in the New Testament for you to go back to repent and renounce each sin of your ancestors… “So, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36).

Please read the previous articles about Generational Curses and be set free:

Understanding Generational Curses – Part 1 (Adamic Curse Versus Generational Curse)

Understanding Generational Curses – Part 2 (Does God Punish Sons for the Sins of Their Fathers?)

Understanding Generational Curses – Part 3 (The Danger of Witch Hunt)

Understanding Generational Curses – Part 4 (The Basis Of This New Teaching)

Understanding Generational Curses – Part 4 (The Basis Of This New Teaching)

Today, the topic of generational curses or generational sins is prevalent if you get involved in the healing and deliverance ministry. (This is not taught in the Elijah Challenge or Healing Encounter Ministry). In the marketplace, there are literally hundreds of books teaching that your present problems are the results of what your ancestors did in the past. Coming from the Pentecostal and Charismatic traditions, I am naturally exposed to such teaching promoted by many popular leaders of our movements. The truth of the matter is that I have never heard of this teaching until the early 1990s. It might have been there earlier but it did not catch on that fast. Now, fast forward to 2022, this teaching is not only popular but has become almost like a “fundamental truth” in the belief system of most Pentecostal and Charismatic believers who have been saved during those last 30 years.

Does The Bible Really Teach This?
Would there be some truths in this new teaching? Do I go along with the teaching even if I discovered discrepancies in its exegesis and hermeneutics? How am I to reconcile with the fact that top Pentecostal / Charismatic leaders are preaching and teaching this topic? Entire series of books has been devoted to teaching you how to repent and renounce all the sins of your ancestors. What about the proper interpretation of Scripture that I have learned from Professor Gordon Fee during my seminary days? I remember one statement that he made very succinctly in class and that was “the Bible will never say what it never did say!” Can I ignore this fact, and embrace this teaching because it is popular? My conscience does not allow me to do so because the Christian faith can only remain true to the teaching of Jesus Christ if we “believe” (faith), and “practice” (faith in action) by the correct interpretation and understanding of Scripture.

During my forty years of ministry, I have observed what Professor Fee has pointed out in his book about people who attempt to outsmart others by coming out with all kinds of unique interpretations, claiming them to be from the Holy Spirit, angels, or even some departed saints. Professor Fee wrote that… “Interpretation that aims at, or thrives on, uniqueness can usually be attributed to pride (an attempt to “outclever” the rest of the world), a false understanding of spirituality (wherein the Bible is full of deeply buried truths waiting to be mined by the spiritually sensitive person with special insight), or vested interests (the need to support a theological bias, especially in dealing with texts that seem to go against that bias).”
Gordon D. Fee, How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth.

The Basis For This New Generational Curses Teaching
There is not a trace of such teaching in Church history until about 30 years ago. What is the basis for such teaching? We can easily trace to the misinterpretation of God’s Word. The most common scripture verses used by the proponents of the generational curses are from Exodus 20:5-6; 34:6-7; Numbers 14:18; and Deuteronomy 5:9-10. The reason is because of a warning placed by the Lord to the Children of Israel against disobedience and unfaithfulness with words such as “visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children . . . to the third and the fourth generations” (KJV).

The meaning of these verses has been changed from God’s warning of the repercussion for disobedience to become generational curses. From the correct meaning of bad generational influence to another totally foreign meaning and that is the descendants will acquire the accumulated sins and also punishments on behalf of all their ancestors. If that is true then what about this scripture that “the son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffers for the iniquity of the son.” (Ezekiel 18:20, cf. Jeremiah 31:30). Why is this clarifying verse not taken into consideration?
What about the promise of Jesus in John 8:36 – “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” How about what Paul wrote in Galatians 5:1 – “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery.” Paul was especially concerned not of any ancestral sins or generational curses but our personal sins that will put us back to the “yoke of slavery”.

Satan Added Into The Teaching
The next thing that the proponents of this teaching do is to add Satan into the picture. They say that since God sees you as being guilty, not just for your own sins, but also the sins of your ancestors, then if you did not repent and renounce on their behalf, you would have given the devil the legal rights to attack you. You and your family will suffer misfortune, failed marriages, violence, sicknesses, addictions, impotence, failures, poverty, and all kinds of unimaginable disasters and crises, etc.

Aren’t all these frightening? What about the blood of Jesus that was shed for your sins? Well, the proponents say that the blood is there but you must take an ADDITIONAL STEP to appropriate the blood by removing the curses that you have inherited from your sinful ancestors. Accepting Jesus as your personal Savior by confessing, repenting, and renouncing your sins is not enough. Being born-again is not enough. Even though you are now in a different bloodline is not enough. They say that you still have to break all these generational curses. And so, you run to a so-called expert or minister to help you in a ritual of repenting and renouncing all the sins of your ancestors.

The Rise of A New Breed of Experts
These self-proclaimed experts will see visions for you, listen to God’s advice for you, and reveal all the generational curses that are inundating you. They will lead you in an elaborate ritual of listing the sins of your ancestors all the way back to four generations. You will need to confess the sins of those sinful ancestors, even they are not your own sins. You will be led to renounce all these sins and some ministers will even ask you to cut the shackles of generational curses by using your hands to strike the air with a cutting movement. You are to declare and decree that all these curses have been cut and broken in the name of Jesus. Finally, you are to repeat the prayer led by the minister or recite a recommended prayer. Are all these really biblical? Do we see Jesus or the Apostles doing and teaching these?

Personally, I do not know where all the “experts” get all these from. However, they actually reminded me of the time when my grandmother visited a Chinese temple medium to do certain rituals to get rid of all the calamities in our family. The medium went into a trance and declared the reasons for our misfortune. According to the interpreter for the medium, one of our ancestors had done a very cruel deed in the past and so our family was paying the penalty for it. Then a specific instruction was given about what type of peace-offering we have to give to that offended soul, which corner of the house we have placed certain sacred objects, and what talismans we have to paste on the doorposts, where we should have an extra altar, how many joss-sticks to burn, and what chant to utter when doing so. Very elaborate and very convincing because subsequently peace returned to the family and calamities were circumvented.

The danger that I see is that these so-called experts in handling generational curses would become “personal priests or mediums” to many who are gullible enough to seek their help. This happened before and will happen again. This is the End Times and many people would be deceived into this type of fruitless pursuit.

More New Methods And Rituals
Then as though this type of ritual is not enough, popular “teachers” keep coming out with new methods of breaking the generational curses. The latest approach is to go to the “Courts of Heaven” and get rid of your ancestral sins and generational curses. The proponents of this latest method claim that at the “Courts of Heaven”, you get to assert your “legal rights” in order to get rid of all these curses. When you get a favorable verdict from God then you are free from further harassment of such ancient curses and the attacks of the devil. Once again, we question whether this is a biblical approach and where in the New Testament we have been advised to go to the “Courts of Heaven”?

Talking about new rituals, that reminded me of the 1980s when I was pastoring in Singapore. A couple of self-styled ministers there developed a deliverance ritual such as getting people to stand in positions to form a cross. Then the officiating minister stood in the center of the cross. He apparently had these special eyes to see demons attacking. And so he shouted that he had spotted demons from a particular direction flying at them. He wanted all to be alert and ready to fight the demons. Then he commanded for all to draw out their invisible swords which were earlier placed on their backs. Then they had to say “siang” to mimic the sound of the invisible swords being drawn out. There was actually nothing in their hands but these participants had to cut the air above them with their invisible swords to kill the demons. This method of destroying the demons is not only unbiblical but hilarious. This is the result of an over fertile imagination stimulated by some Hong Kong kungfu movies. If I am not wrong, this method is still being used by some today.

The Tedious Rituals To Get Rid Of The Generational Curses
Let’s assume that the teaching of generational curses is accurate and biblical because there are many testimonies from practitioners to convince you that such a method works. You would read that this person or his family has been set free from generational curses and how happy they are now. However, when you probe deeper, you will discover a DILEMMA – with the lineages from both your parents and then from both sets of grandparents who in turn, inherited generational curses from both their parents (your great-parents) who inherited from both sets of great-great-grandparents, etc, you would have a long list of ancestors with their long lists of sins. Like one of the teachers of generational curses states that you have a “long shadow from the past” like a “long evil arm of curses” that grab hold of you so that you are not blessed but cursed. That is the reason why this generational curses teaching creates more bondages than setting people free. There will always be a doubt that maybe you have not dealt with some missing or hidden ancestral sins.

Why Some Still Believe In Generational Curses?
This is one puzzle that I have been trying to solve. Since believers are now in the spiritual bloodline of the second or last Adam (Jesus) then why are so many still living in the cursed bloodline of the first Adam? Then it dawned on me that people are thinking that their weaknesses are all results of the generational curses instead of the original sin nature given to us by Adam.

For example, I used to have an anger management problem even after accepting Christ. That’s the result of my “Sin” nature and not so much a curse. I had to go through the sanctifying process of the Holy Spirit and learn how to exercise my self-control. My legal rights as a child of God have been acquired at the cross and therefore, I am now free to become the person whom God wants me to be. However, that sanctification is a long process. The earlier I die to myself, the earlier I would become alive to Christ, and the earlier the Holy Spirit can transform me to be like Christ. When I learn to fully surrender to the Lord, the uncontrollable rage no longer exists. No curse was broken except that I have matured in Christ.

What About Past Demons?
For Christians who are still under the influence of those demons that have crept in before they accepted Jesus, the only option is to cast them out with the kingly authority and in the mighty name of Jesus. There is no question that these believers are fully saved because they are justified by the death of Christ on the cross. They have the fullest legal rights as children of God and so these demons cannot harass them anymore. The believers who have been affected, do not need to go through the tedious ritualistic process of repenting for their ancestors and renouncing their sins. All they need to do is to shut the door by repenting of their own sins and not going back to them again. By living a repented life, all believers should never need to be victims of the devil. They, instead, can become kingdom warriors to attack the enemy by applying their kingly authority.

You Are Not Under Any Curse
As long as you do not choose rebellion against God, nothing of your ancestors is going to cling to you and make you pay. Listen to what Jeremiah says in Jeremiah 31:29-30
In those days people will no longer say, “The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” Instead, everyone will die for their own sin; whoever eats sour grapes—their own teeth will be set on edge.”
Jesus has taken all the curses away from you at Calvary cross. When you accepted Him as your Savior, you are born again into His bloodline. You do not need to repent and renounce the sins of your ancestors to be a part of this bloodline. Jesus did it for you and His Blood is powerful enough to redeem you from any curse. The Bible is clear that everyone is to be responsible for his own sins and you are not responsible for the sins of your ancestors. You are definitely not under any curse.

If you have missed out on the previous articles about Generational Curses, please check out the following:
Understanding Generational Curses – Part 1 (Adamic Curse Versus Generational Curse)

Understanding Generational Curses – Part 1 (Adamic Curse Versus Generational Curse)

Understanding Generational Curses – Part 2 (Does God Punish Sons for the Sins of Their Fathers?)

Understanding Generational Curses – Part 2 (Does God Punish Sons for the Sins of Their Fathers?)

Understanding Generational Curses – Part 3 (The Danger of Witch Hunt)

Understanding Generational Curses – Part 3 (The Danger of Witch Hunt)