BECOMING A PEOPLE OF BLESSING

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My oldest believer son just sent me the latest edition of the book The Grace Outpouring – Becoming a People of Blessing by Roy Godwin and Dave Roberts. I had read the book in 2008 when it was released and was impacted significantly by its content. It’s the kind of book that changes your perspective of Jesus, His work, and the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives.

Roy Godwin and his wife Daphne through an amazing set of circumstances (miracles) become directors of a beautiful Welsh Christian retreat centre, Ffaldy-y-Brenin. However, Roy, who had been an active evangelist and businessman felt out of place in a retreat centre where Christians came to recharge and reflect.

Daphne was convinced from the miracles that occurred for them to get the posting that they were where God wanted them to be and she convinced Roy that he needed to take it to the Lord. His prayer and how God answered it is amazing. Within hours of Roy’s prayer there was a knock at the door. “The tall and middle-aged couple calling on us were unknown”.

“Hello, I hope you don’t mind us calling like this, but could you tell us what this place is?” The reason for their visit was eventually revealed.

“Well, we were driving along here, and we don’t quite understand it, but we were compelled to come up your drive. From the sign, they knew it was a Christian retreat centre but that meant little to them.

Daphne got them a cup of tea and Roy eventually explained to them that in this place lives get changed because God is real. Roy then took them on a tour of the retreat with its beautiful views of the valley and surrounding hills. The final destination was the chapel. “There they seemed to sense something of the presence of God, although they might not have been able to articulate what was happening to them. They sat down rather speedily, rather heavily, as though their legs had gone weak.” Roy was prompted to create a new tradition. We have a rule here of how we respond to our visitors. We like to bless them before they leave. May I bless you?” They had no problem with that so Roy simply said, “I bless you in the name of Jesus to know God, His purpose for your life and His blessings on you and your family and the situations of your life, Amen.”

They started to weep. The sense of the presence of God was tangible. Roy felt led to leave them alone with God so left the chapel. It was time for God to do what He wanted to do with that couple.

The next day another knock on the door and the same enquiring words. At last as Roy went through the social pleasantries it was dawning on Roy that this was God’s response to his prayer. When Roy eventually took them to the chapel the Holy Spirit came with even more power and the couple wept profusely.

Later that day Roy and Daphne prayed: “Lord we like what you are doing and we bless what you are doing. Lord, would you please do more of it?” And He did. In fact, God started to send so many people that today there is a reception area for them where they are greeted by team members.

If you are not blessing people try it: Asking people, if you can bless them is an offer few people refuse. We are not saying, “Can we pray for you in a general way?” We are not putting a difficult burden on those doing the praying. Blessing someone is simple and easy. The Holy Spirit comes because when you bless, you reflect something the Father is doing and speaking words the Father desires to be said. God desires to bless His creation. A simple prayer is “I bless you in the name of Jesus to know God, His purpose for your life, and His blessings on you and your family and the situations of your life.“

GOD’S RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT

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How do you line up with Paul’s assessment of people living in his day? Has God given you up “in the lusts of your heart to impurity” If you continue to deny Him and His goodness He will. Look around you at the beauty of the world He created. You do not take your next breath without Him making it possible. How can you deny His existence? Moreover, your Creator God sent His son, Jesus to become a man to not only reveal the truth about God but also pay the price for the original man and woman’s rebellion (SIN) against God. If this does not reveal His goodness to you nothing will.

“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, and malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” Romans 1:21-32

WE ARE FREE TO CHOOSE BUT NOT FREE TO CHOOSE THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR CHOICES

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Mercy is the biblical term for not getting the punishment we deserve. But mercy does not do away with consequences. Even though God is ‘longsuffering and abundant in mercy,’ He reserves the right to visit the consequences of sin on future generations.

“The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’” Numbers 14:18

Even though David was forgiven for his double sins of adultery and murder, the consequence of his sins would be the death of the child conceived in immorality.

And Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.’ 2 Samuel 12:13-14

Mercy spares you from punishment. But it doesn’t always spare you or others from the consequences of your sin.

Old Testament doctrine: “Generational curse”

In Romans, chapters 5 through 7, the apostle Paul argues that human sin and death are a corporate problem rather than an individual one. He tells us that “one man’s sin [Adam] brought guilt to all people” (Romans 5:18) and that “sin entered the world because one man sinned. And death came because of sin” (Romans 5:12).

This is why each one of us remains a “slave of sin” unless we’re “set free” by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:20-22).

So here’s what the “generational curse” is really about, the skeletons in your closet weren’t put there by your dad or your grandmother or your great-aunt. They’re the work of your First Parents. You were in Adam when he broke God’s commandment. You were condemned with him. But that’s not the end of the story — praise God!

Just as you were in Adam when he fell from grace, so now, if you believe in Jesus, you are in Christ through faith. This is what Paul means when he says that “one man [Jesus] did obey. That is why many people will be made right with God.” (Romans 5:19).

To get out from under the “generational curse,” you have to be grafted into a whole new family tree (Romans 11:11-24).

New Testament teaching: Salvation is individual

There is only one standard God uses to judge the world and determine who is saved and who isn’t: faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible confirms this in several passages, including:“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” 1 John 5:12,

“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” John 3:17-18

The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah wrote 600 years before the birth of Christ, and he anticipated this New Testament perspective. That ultimately, you will answer for your own actions:

“In those days people will no longer say, ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes. But the children have a bitter taste in their mouths.’ Instead, everyone will die for their own sin. The one who eats sour grapes will taste how bitter they are” Jeremiah 31:29-30

Every individual is responsible for their own choices

In the end, the only choice that really counts is how you answer this question: “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:22, ESV)

Will you reject Him? Then you will receive just punishment and second death in the Lake of Fire. It won’t be because of the skeletons in your family closet. It will be because you didn’t embrace the gift of God’s forgiveness and grace through Jesus Christ (John 1:17, John 3:16).

Or will you receive Him? You will reign with Jesus and the Saints for one thousand years (Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom) and then after the White Throne judgement with Jesus and our Heavenly Father on a new Earth where only the righteous dwell. If so, it won’t be because you somehow managed to avoid the mistakes that previous generations made. It will be because you accepted God’s merciful offer of unmerited deliverance and salvation.

No one can make that decision for you. It’s your decision to make. Even the worst offender in a long line of sinners can be saved if they turn to Christ.

Set theology aside for a moment. Common sense tells us that behavior and attitude problems tend to run in families. Just like physical characteristics of height, weight, hair color, and complexion.

In the same way, certain types of sin can pass from generation to generation. This is particularly true of addictive behaviors such as alcoholism. Similarly, physical and sexual abuse might become ingrained in the psychological legacy of certain families.

However, none of this should be viewed in terms of an irreversible “curse.” Spiritual deliverance is available to everyone who sincerely calls upon the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13). And there are many sources of professional assistance for those who need practical help — pastors, therapists, counselors, and doctors.