Most Christians think it impossible that God would hurt them.
A majority believe God is always nice and He would never hurt a Christian, allow a demon to afflict them, oppress them, or allow them to get in an "accident".
So when something does come along in life and it hurts, aches, needs stitches, a cast or a replacement, depression pills, a marriage counselor or children intervention , God is nowhere in the picture. "Those things happen" and shoulders are shrugged... and a doctor consulted.
Do you know many scriptures say the opposite? From the old to New Testaments, God has always punished sin, corrected, and chastised His children, and "judged" them in this life..
Recently I was reluctantly sent to give a Word to a man in a position of authority.
The Lord had given me three dreams in one night for him, and even though I knew he would reject me and the dreams, I went anyway telling the Lord that I loved Him more than sparing myself an unpleasant interview.
After several days of prayer and getting my heart free of any ill-will or self-righteousness, I went to his office and shared the 3 dreams. As expected, he was sceptical but we parted in a friendly manner. Driving home I was a bit sad and feeling rejected, but I knew I had done what God sent me to do. Was it a coincidence a few days later this man was in an "accident" and shaken up?
The Lord told me he had not only rejected the message, but he had also spoken against me.
Did the man connect the two events? Probably not...
Does it say in1Thess 5:20 despise not prophesyings?
What happens if a Christian does? Do you think God might send a message in another form?
I could give many personal examples of God's chastisements in my own life as he has dealt with my sins and transgressions. And we know of many cases where others have suffered because of pride, rebellion, unbelief, greed, lust, grumbling, complaining and other iniquities. These events transpire in the lives of the majority of Christians and churches but very few make the connection between our sin and God's intervention.
God does "hurt" his kids, and He does so to chastise and correct them. -as often as we need it, in order to humble us, purge us, and turn us around.
Need proof?
Hebrews 12: 9 Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we gave them reverence...
10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.
11 All chastening seemeth for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yieldeth peaceable fruit unto them that have been exercised thereby, even the fruit of righteousness.
The word "chasten" is used all through scripture. Strong's 3811 defines it:
to cause one to learn
to chastise or castigate with words, to correct
of those who are moulding the character of others by reproof and admonition
to chasten by the affliction of evils and calamities
to chastise with blows, to scourge
of a father punishing his son
of a judge ordering one to be scourged
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Chastisement is a work of the "curse", and is the affliction of pain, torment, and other symptoms which God created as the corrective instruments to bring us back to obedience. It is often applied by the demons. The "curse/chastising" serves the Lord in God's people by humbling them and motivating them to repent and seek His face.
That is what 2Chronicles 7:14 is saying.
The Good News of the New Testament is that when we come into agreement with the Word, He has already provided the blessing of healing, deliverance, restoration, and provision.
2nd Chronicles 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. -Our land is our physical body.
In our New Testament Covenant, when we repent and believe the gospel of scripture, as children of the King we are entitled to the benefits of our salvation.. "for by His stripes we were healed" 1Peter 2:24 and here is another goodie from Psalm 103: 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases
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Would God do that in the age of grace? Can a Christian have a demon? Does God punish willful disobedience in His church? Does the curse still impact Christians?
Although many deny, these things do occur and they do so often. Once you recognize the curse, and the chastisements of the Lord, and what and how pain is inflicted, you will see it everywhere including and especially in churches.
James 5:9 Murmur not, brethren, one against another, that ye be not judged: behold, the judge standeth before the doors.
Want a little revelation? God judges murmuring here and now. -And those doors? Why they are the ears, mouth, and eyes. He is watching every thought, every word we utter, and even what we hear.
Look at this prophetic Psalm 89:
27 I also will make him my first-born, The highest of the kings of the earth.
28 My lovingkindness will I keep for him for evermore; And my covenant shall stand fast with him.
29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, And his throne as the days of heaven.
30 If his children forsake my law, And walk not in mine ordinances;
31 If they break my statutes, And keep not my commandments;
32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, And their iniquity with stripes.
33 But my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
And Job 33:19 He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, And with continual strife in his bones
Psalms 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray; But now I observe thy word
Why is that pastor sick?
Why did that Christian die young?
Why did our children rebel or suffer?
Why did that deacon have cancer?
Why did that sister have arthritis?
Why did that elder have a car wreck?
Why was that church family so troubled?
Deuteronomy 32:39 See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not (do not hate) thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
-scourge: G3148; to flog (literally or figuratively)-scourge. from the base of G3145 (through the idea of contact); a whip (literally the Roman flagellum for criminals; figuratively a disease): - plague, scourging.
That's a word for God putting the hurt on us. The Lord does so not for His pleasure, but in order to purge and sanctify us, and to bring us into the image of Christ and sonship.
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Many Christians will say "A CHRISTIAN CANNOT HAVE A CURSE!
If that was true, then WHY do so many Christians suffer from the very afflictions God stated were part of the curse?
-sickness, "whatsoever plague", rebellious children, poverty, debt, pain in child birth, shortened lives, and so much more... (Deut. 28 and other passages tell us so.)
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Perhaps this passage from 1Cor. 11 will now make sense to you
29 For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. (they died)
31 But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.
32 When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.
THE NLT renders it:
27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.
29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.
30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.
Right there you have an explanation for many dead Christians and why many are ill.
Jesus taught unforgiveness will bring sorrow and torment.
Matt. 18: 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due.35 So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts.
The "tormentors" are the demons.
An unforgiving Christian turned over to them will have depression, bitterness, anger, and eventually develop physical ailments, many times in the form of cancer. Suffering and pain can bring deep repentance and humbleness.
But the flip side is when we do forgive everyone their trespasses and repent of holding grudges and criticisms, THEN we have a right to cast out the demon(s) and receive healing!
It is easy to be healed! Of course, we need to stand on the Rock of scripture when we do so, and confess appropriate verses of scripture from God's promises.
James 5: 14
Is any among you sick? (there's the curse in the church)
Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: (real elders know how to pray and get healing!)
15 and the prayer of faith shall save him that is sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him.
16 Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.
Sadly, the churches are filled with sick, afflicted, and troubled people from the pulpits to the pews. Very few have understood Proverbs 26:2
Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow,
an undeserved curse does not come to rest.
Learning these wonderful principles will not only restore our obedience and Godly fear, it will also empower us to minister powerfully to others in repentance and healing.
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Using the approach of finding the sin involved, confession and repentance, and speaking the Word of God in faith, many healings are observed through the name and Word of Jesus.
When we pray for someone, I BELIEVE they will be healed. It is not a rote prayer. And sometimes we will also need time to build the faith of the afflicted one in order for them to receive and believe they are healed.
It is wonderful when you know God's promises and exercise strong, "hold-fast" faith in what He said.
Many pains are immediately gone.
Healing is begun and/or completed.
Symptoms leave.
Many pray and hope for healing. But most often, when we find and deal with the sin first, we WILL be healed.
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For the parents:
How easy is it for us to "impart" the curse?
We do so through our words and actions as our children receive our words and actions.
Cuss words, anger, complaining, hating others, unforgiveness, political views, evil speaking against anyone, fear, superstitions, false traditions like Santa Claus are examples of what Christian parents impart to their children.
We see many examples in both testaments how a parent's sin may bring "the curse" upon our children.
If we persist in holding on to sin, God may (not always) at some point allow the curse to touch our children. We have seen examples from scripture where the children were struck with sickness or an injury because of the stubbornness and sin of their parents.
Another case.
We received a request to pray for a man's sick son. The boy had suffered for about 7-8 years and was now around 12 years old. We discerned there was a cause for the curse of autism in the boy, so I asked him "what happened 7-8 years ago?"
He immediately replied at that time of a serious problem in his marriage and though his wife had said she had forgiven him, she still had a grudge.
-Her lack of forgiveness brought the curse that alighted on the child. When this was pointed out, the man agreed and acknowledged it was the true.
We have seen other similar examples as we are more aware and observant of the operation of the curse in Christians.
In fact, once you recognize "the curse", you will see it in the lives of people all around you. -Especially in the lives of Christians which is what Paul said to the Corinthians. "for this cause MANY are weak and sickly among you (the curse) and some sleep" (die).
In another case of child leukemia, the Lord revealed hidden anger and unforgiveness in the parents as the cause. The parent who was responsible became angry and denied God would do that. She refused responsibility and they sought medical treatment. (She attended a faithless apostate church that did not believe in God healing)
A friend backslid into sin and after being warned many times to repent, a son was killed at 17.
A friend who died at age 56, a committed Christian, but he had many grudges and complaints against family and others. Unforgiveness will KILL a Christian.
1 Corinthians 11:30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep (die).
When parents understand the responsibility of their sin inflicting suffering upon their children, as shown in the scriptures below, perhaps they will seek God for repentance.
2 Samuel 12:15 And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died.
1Kings 13: 33 After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again from among all the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, that there might be priests of the high places.
(He put people in leadership who were neither called, anointed, nor qualified. Just like the church does.)
34 And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.
14:1 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. (and died)
1 Samuel 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him. (Saul and his sons were killed as a result of Saul's sin)
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