God And His Law

  

       When I asked Jesus into my heart and proclaimed Him as my Savior over 30 years ago, I became a member of a Church in Austin, Texas that was known for breaking the bonds of strict religious doctrine. Like many churches of that era, the message heard each Sunday changed from "Law" to "Grace". In fact, the mantra became that the Law belonged in the Old Testament, and Jesus's resurrection meant we were now all under Grace, not the Law.
     In the minds of many believers, this has led to the Law of God being positioned in a subordinate role to Grace. But that is a false assumption. The fact that we have a legal standing of righteousness before God bears witness that His Law is still in existence, and it is important to Him -- that standing before God that says we are in covenant with Him as citizens of the Kingdom of God on earth, and our belief in salvation from Jesus Christ [alone], our King.
     Sometimes I think the modern Church has forgotten that God's Laws define righteousness and sin, and the last time I looked, both can still be a problem for man, and are therefore still pertinent in our lives. They are not burdensome and every one of them is for our benefit. The Apostle Paul, who is so often used to justify a "Grace Only" theology, tells us that "the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good", and that "the law is spiritual" (Romans 7:12,14). Doesn't sound much like we should dismiss the Law, does it? 
     But there will be those who say the Law no longer has any significance for us, and that is what the writer of Hebrews is saying in 8:13, In speaking of a new covenant, He makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.  I think it is important that we read this verse within the context of what the writer is talking about. He is speaking about the renewal of the original covenant into a better model. He is not talking about abolishing the Law.

      Also, it depends on exactly what you mean by "The Law".  Then, it depends on a correct understanding of "Old" and "New" Covenant.  The fact that the Mosaic law (and its rituals of animal sacrifice for salvation) has been terminated does not mean that there is no law in this age of grace.  The New Testament is full of references to various forms of law under God's direction:  “the perfect law of liberty" (James. 1:25), “the royal law” (James. 2:8), the Law of Christ (Galatians. 6:2), and the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (Romans. 8:2). These all point to various commands found throughout the epistles which comprise God's Law. They cover all areas of the believer’s life to direct him in the will of God in today’s world. 

     We can all agree that parts of the Mosaic Law were weak because they were dependent on man’s ability, and God put an end to that sacrificial system with the advent of Christ.  But that was the system God used to divorce the Israelites from the pagan ways of their centuries of bondage in Egypt.  They were so steeped in the occultic practices and sins of Egypt that they had lost any sense of a relationship with their God.  The Mosaic Law was designed to build and maintain a proper relationship (through covenant) between God and His people Israel (blessing versus cursing) until the coming of Messiah and the establishment of a New Covenant. There were portions of the Mosaic Law that were never designed to be a permanent rule of life. But that is not true of all components of the Law.

     So let's talk about the Mosaic Law. It was given specifically to the nation of Israel, and included the Ten Commandments, the ordinances, and the worship system, which included the priesthood, the tabernacle, the offerings, and the feasts, or festivals. The Mosaic Law was intended to reveal the holy character of God to a people who had seemed to have forgotten Him during their 400 years of captivity in unholy Egypt. While they revealed the sinfulness of man, they did not provide eternal salvation. Faith in Jesus would accomplish that.

     And, yes, there were numerous statutes and ordinances that existed then, whose specifics may not apply to us -- rules that dealt with war, slavery, tithes, religious festivals, sacrifices, kosher food, prophecy, the monarchy, and the particulars of the Temple sanctuary. But I would venture that if you would read them today, the spirit of the Law remains intact. And then there are those Ten Commandments. Could it be that they comprise the heart of all of God's Laws? That they existed before Moses received the stone tablets on Mount Sinai, and they are intended to remain at the center of God's government on Earth?

     I recently read an article on the website Life, Hope & Truth, and it presented a very good case for this last statement. For example, the Bible tells us in Genesis 26:5: Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.  Since Abraham obeyed God in these matters hundreds of years before Moses lived, then there have been known laws that have existed before Mount Sinai.

     And think about this: the Bible is very clear in 1 John 3:4 that sin is breaking God's Law. As early as Genesis 4:7, a connection is made between sin and rules [law] to prevent it:  If you do well [believing Me and doing what is acceptable and pleasing to Me], will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well [but ignore My instruction], sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you [to overpower you], but you must master it. This implies the rules of Kingdom [of Heaven] government here on earth.

     The patriarch, Jacob, understood the importance of the First and Second Commandments 300 years before Moses received the stone tablets. On his return to his homeland, he commanded his family and servants to get rid of idols they were carrying with them before he went to Bethel and built an altar to the One True God.

     One of the most interesting discoveries I found in the article pointed out that the Commandment to not take the Lord's name in vain, was obviously known by Job. In the First Chapter of Job, which is believed to be one of the oldest books in the Bible, Scripture says that he offered burnt offerings according to the number of his children. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually. To me, this lends to an understanding that Job knew about a law that demanded sacrificial offerings for taking God's name in vain. -- before Mount Sinai. 

     Was God's commandment against adultery known by Joseph [in Genesis 39] when he refused to lie with his master's wife and spoke these words: How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? Was the law forbidding adultery already established when God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, ‘Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife (Genesis 20)?

     The bottom line is this .... the word "Law" is not a bad word. God has rules by which He intends to see His purpose fulfilled. There is a spiritual morality indicated in each of His Laws -- both those who are no longer needed under the New Covenant, and those that are still to be followed in the New Covenant. But most importantly, we need to understand that all His laws are based on love. They were established to show us how God expects us to love Him and love others. Again, I say they are not burdensome and are a part of His Kingdom government, both in Heaven and on earth. It is by His grace (His power in us that enables us to do what we cannot do on our own) that we love Him and follow His commandments. And that pleases Him!

John 14:15     If you Love Me, keep My commandments.

John 15:23

Greater love has no one than this, 

that someone lay down his life for his friends.

 

 

     Today the nation will be remembering those who have been willing to make the ultimate sacrifice so that we, the people of the United States, could continue to live in peace and prosperity. It should be a very sobering day, and one that should be commemorated down through our generations. My own father served in WW II, and I have had the privilege to serve those who have served us through a ministry at one of the Fisher Houses at Fort Sam Houston, and to work with a special group of female veterans who have hearts to serve their own.  But those who have gone before us [and paid the ultimate price] should never be forgotten.  

     I hope that everyone honors Memorial Day for what it really is: a day to remember and commemorate the people and events of our history.  And in context of the Bible, the meaning of the Hebrew word for memorial is actually “to remember.”  And God makes it very clear that He feels memorials serve a valuable purpose: to remind us of all He has done for us. 

      One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Joshua 4:1-24.  The Lord was finally delivering His People into their inheritance, and had appointed Joshua to lead the tribes of Israel across the Jordan River into the Promised Land. Joshua was given very specific directions ... have the priests carry the Ark of the Covenant ahead of the people into the Jordan, and God would stop the flow of the river (which always overflowed its banks during this harvest time).  The priests were to stop on this dry ground, in the midst of the Jordan, while the people of Israel passed to the opposite shore.  

     Then the Lord instructed Joshua to send one man from each of the 12 tribes of Israel to where the priests were standing, and to gather a rock from the riverbed. They were to bring them back to where the people were lodging on the west bank.  The purpose for these 12 stones was very important to God: "Let this be a sign among you, so that when your children ask later, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ then you shall say to them, ‘Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.’ So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever."

     This very visible memorial would be a reminder to all future generations that the Lord of all the earth had delivered them out of the land of Egypt and into the Land that had been promised to their ancestor, Abraham.  The memorial of stones would cause each succeeding generation to ask of their meaning, and then be reminded of all that the Lord of all the earth had done for them.  It would be a lasting reminder and memorial forever of the goodness of God.

     But I love it that Joshua, himself, also erected a memorial in the middle of the Jordan, where the feet of the priests stood in the dry riverbed.  Perhaps he wanted to offer a personal memorial to God, separate from the corporate one that would be erected on the west bank of the Jordan.  But I think there is a much more consequential meaning to Joshua's actions.  We must take note that once the priests continued with the Ark of the Covenant and set their feet upon dry ground on the opposite bank, the waters of the Jordan were released and this memorial was buried under the raging waters, never to be seen by anyone.  Is there significance to this memorial, as well? 

      Perhaps we can glean some meaning from the waters of the Jordan as being symbolic of judgment, just as the waters of The Flood condemned all corrupted flesh in Genesis 6; and the waters of the Red Sea buried the Egyptians; and Jonah was buried under the waters during his own judgment.  Then there is Hosea 5:6, when God says, "I will pour out my wrath on them like water".

     If this interpretation is a possibility, what is the difference between the two memorials?  Why is one established in the Promised Land, and one is buried under the Jordan River?  If water is judgment, then it makes sense to me that the memorial on the west bank is a picture of being saved from the waters of Judgment.  The Ark of the LORD, which typologically points to Christ, stood in the midst of the Jordan, holding back the waters and allowing the stones to be brought up and erected on the shore as a memorial and sign of God's Deliverance.

     But the other memorial of stones was covered by the Jordan. They cannot be a sign because they cannot be seen.  Those stones are a warning! It was Joshua alone (whose name means YHWH is Salvation) who did the work of setting up the twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan.  It is not only Joshua's name that points to Jesus, but his actions. Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead.  Those 12 stones are a warning about death and judgment!  If people do not repent and trust in Jesus, they remain in the miry clay of a river — and that river will overflow in judgment at death.

     Those 12 stones represent the unredeemed, who have rejected Jesus and are buried in death by the righteous judgment of God… “and they are there to this day”.  But here is the really sad part... they will never be seen or inquired about. They were quickly forgotten and there would be no evidence of them for the rest of eternity.

    As we celebrate the Memorial Day established by this nation, it is my prayer that we would share our own memories of those who so bravely gave their lives as a testimony of their belief and faithfulness to this country. Do not let those memories be buried and those men and women forgotten. But let us also share what the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ has done in our individual lives. Don't let the unsaved think they are safe on whatever dry ground they are standing upon. Tell them how they can be saved from the waters of judgment.  Tell them how, through the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, and the work of Jesus in saving and sanctifying them, they can be a memorial stone of remembrance of God’s goodness and rulership. Let this Memorial Day mark a new remembrance of the work of the Lord in our nation.

 

The Battle Is The Lord's, But We Must Play Our Part!

     I am writing this post as my husband, Mark, and I are preparing to enter a spiritual battle over a child tomorrow, and it is on my heart to share what the Lord is revealing. Our children in this particular generation are the battleground! They need deliverance and inner healing from spirits of pharmakeia (drugs), alcohol, pornography, rejection, rebellion, depression, suicide, sexual depravity, anger, gender confusion, hopelessness, and so much more. In addition, spiritual attacks categorized as  "mental disorders" -- including Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), etc. -- are on the rise, and you can see that the Enemy has targeted our children for defeat. These issues that I have mentioned have become common among the adults in our society, but now our children's innocence is being threatened by spiritual darkness coming straight from the pits of hell.
     I find myself asking why do Autism statistics report that 1 in 50 children now fall on the Autism spectrum -- up 30% from last year; up 150% from the year 2000, and only 1 in 10,000 children were diagnosed in 1980? And why do boys outnumber girls at a 5:1 ratio? Why are 1 out of 7 children receiving a porn solicitation online, and why do so many adults report that their porn addiction started before puberty? Why do more teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease... COMBINED? Why is suicide the second leading cause of death for our youth aged 10 to 24? Why does the psychological community now list 14 unique Gender Identity Disorders? Why do the Milennials refer to themselves as "Generation Hopelessness"?

     I ask all these questions because I am discerning that the Enemy is aware that God has a remnant that is awakening to their identity as citizens of Heaven, and that revival is in the spiritual air. I believe that we are raising a generation whose purpose is to "prepare the way of the Lord!" Every generation is born with the possibility to answer that call, but I believe Satan has deliberately aimed his demonic attacks against this generation of children and young adults because parents and grandparents have turned and sought the Lord, and picked up their mantle of power and authority, instructing and training this next generation to receive their assignments as God pours out His spirit upon all people.
     "Your sons and daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions...". The Greek word for "prophesy" is propheteuo, and it means "a proclaimer of a divine message; a proclamation of God's divine purpose in the earth". The Greek word for “visions,” horasis, can mean “our eyes opened to have divine encounters and see into the spiritual realm.” These are not daydreams but visions of the heavenly realm! They will see the reality of the Heavenly kingdom and be instrumental in bringing it to earth! Can you see that Satan would do everything he could to deter the destiny of a child called to that commission? 
     And he's done a pretty good job so far with our kids attached to their phones and computers, and with social media running their lives. And I don't use that term "attached" lightly. Technology has opened portals to the dark side, and demonic programming and components can become attached to the soul (mind, will, and emotions) and literally run (govern; operate in; own) someone's life. And we must prepare for a spiritual battle to not only protect our kids, but to empower them to walk out their destiny and receive their inheritance when the Lord returns.
     We must become a nation and a people that is willing to "get in the fight". We must be willing to follow the Biblical mandate to "pray and fast", for that is what Jesus did before He began His assignment. He knew the power of this dynamic combination that would see God work in miraculous ways to restore dominion of the earth to Him and His children. He prayed and fasted for 40 days in the wilderness before His temptation from Satan, and His isn't the only example we have of the effects of prayer and fasting. Moses fasted before receiving the Ten Commandments. Elijah fasted during his escape from Jezebel. Esther fasted for the safety of the Jews. Daniel fasted for an answer from God. Paul fasted after his conversion. And each of these periods of fasting (no matter how short or long) were accompanied by private and urgent prayer; and they were all honored by God.
     That is why Mark and I have committed to this fast before we speak to this child and his parents as ambassadors of the Kingdom of Heaven. We will declare that the kingdom of darkness that has taken hold of this child must yield and bow a knee to the King of all creation. Our notice to minister to this child has been short, but we truly believe that this time in which we are fasting and praying will be consecrated unto the Lord, and the impact will be compounded and magnified. He will anoint our words with His power and authority, and He will display His love for this child.

     There is one thing I know for sure ... and that is that Jesus desperately loves this young man and wants him to walk free from the bondage he has been in since childhood. I know that the battle is the Lord's and He goes before us, commanding His heavenly host to prepare the ground and seed the environment of our meeting place with His glory. He and the Holy Spirit will be present to declare that this child belongs to Him; that there is a scroll written in Heaven with the boy's name on it and all the good works that Jesus has planned for him, and which are still to be accomplished as he walks in His Freedom!  The spiritual consequences of our prayer and fasting will be mighty weapons in the hands of the Lord and His angels. Our obedience will be rewarded with victory in this boy's life! 

     So it is my prayer that we all will commit to prayer and fasting as a means to transform our lives and our nation; as a way to transition the earth to become like Heaven; and as a pledge to help this generation of children, teens, and young adults to step into their calling. Let us raise up a generation of mighty prophets and warriors that will not only proclaim God's divine purpose, but walk in divine encounters as they set the stage for Christ's return. The time is now!

Isaiah 58:6    Is this not the fast which I choose; To undo the bonds of wickedness; To tear to pieces the ropes of the yoke; To let the oppressed go free and break apart every [enslaving] yoke?

    
    

The Relevancy of the Old Testament & Why It's Important

     I am so grateful to God for showing me the relevancy of the Old Testament. The dictionary defines "relevancy" as "legally pertinent". And since our God is legally-minded and a God of laws, it is important to understand that He gave us His laws to be seen as rules of the Kingdom of God and His way of Life -- both in Heaven and on Earth. More and more I am seeing this Truth validated by what He shows me in the New Testament. And I feel sorry for those who are still following denominational doctrines that say the first 39 Books of the Bible do not apply to us; that God abolished the Law at the Cross; that we are under a new covenant of Grace that cancels the old. Not true! The Old Testament speaks volumes of our Lord and Savior, and how He will manifest the Kingdom of God is recorded in the history of its pages.
      In fact, there is so much in just the first few books of Genesis that I'd like to share some precious nuggets of knowledge that jump out at me. These three Chapters are integral to understanding the entirety of the Bible and the reason we exist.
     As I've shown you in the past, Genesis 1:26-27 reveals God's act of making us in His image and placing us here on this earth to administrate His kingdom colony. We are spirit begat by Spirit. Our purpose in this life has nothing to do with what we accomplish according to the world's standards, but everything to do with how well we govern His kingdom on earth. In Genesis 2, God created man [the word ish in Hebrew] from the earth -- the name "Adam" means "ground" or "earth" in Hebrew. Then God took a rib from Adam and formed a partner for him; and Adam called her Woman [ishshah in Hebrew].  Our ancestral parents started out in complete union with our Creator, and now, thousands of years later, we are desperately yearning to return to that state of Paradise.

     But then in Genesis 3, we see that Lucifer, who was formerly a "Shining One" and "a Light-Bearer" in the Kingdom of Heaven, became the Father of Pride and devised his own plan to win back a place of prominence in God's creation. He was able to seduce Adam and his wife by introducing a spirit of pride that provoked them to rebel against God. Their defiance of God's command to not eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil resulted in mankind being given a death sentence and separation from the One with whom they had walked and talked. They turned their dominion of the earth [their power, control, and government] over to the devil. God confronts the couple and pronounces His punishment on Adam and the woman for their grievous rebellion. And Death became a part of the human existence.
     But I want you to notice something. Even as God pronounces judgment on both the serpent and the couple, He offers the victims hope. Genesis 3:15 reads, And I will put enmity (open hostility) between you and the woman, And between your seed (offspring) and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, and you shall [only] bruise His heel. Can you see that this is the first announcement of the Good News of a coming Kingdom of God on earth? This is the first prophecy about the Messiah (Christ), who through His death on the Cross and His resurrection would ultimately defeat Satan, the power behind the serpent, with a death blow! Hallelujah! 
     And for those who deem the Old Testament irrelevant, Isaiah 9:6 validates this prophecy: For to us a Child is born; to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. I submit to you that it is Jesus's reinstatement of God's kingdom government on Earth that is now defeating the government of Satan's kingdom of darkness!
     Then there is this nugget: take a look at the progression of verses 14-20 in Genesis 3. God first addresses the Serpent with his punishment [at the same time giving hope to the woman/man and their offspring]. Then He pronounces the woman's punishment and the relationship between her and her husband. Then He tells Adam the consequences of his sin; namely, that the earth is cursed because of his rebellion and there will be an end to his life. And here's what I want you to see.... Until verse 20, the female is only referred to as "woman" or "wife". It is only after judgment has been pronounced that the woman receives her name ... Eve. Since Adam was given the authority to name all the creation on earth, he named his wife Eve, which means life-giver. He did so following the promise of Genesis 3:15, which displays his faith in God's Word. Every child born afterward would be a testament to God's promise of life to the dying human race. At some point in the history of mankind, one of Eve's offspring would crush the head of the serpent and deceiver of man!
     But there is more revelation and relevance in Genesis 3:21. The Bible says, The Lord God made tunics of [animal] skins for Adam and his wife and clothed them. We have all seen the pictures of Adam and Eve with their fig leaf aprons. But that is not what the Word says. They were covered with animal hides, necessitating that animals be sacrificed for their skins, and that requires that blood be shed. This sacrifice of an animal to cover the sin of Adam and Eve can be seen in the establishment of Israel's sacrificial system for the atonement of their sins. God intentionally set up that system to point man towards the essential elements of His plan for redemption -- Death is the result of our sin; and it can only be covered by a sacrifice and the shedding of blood. But that system of God's government was temporary, a dress rehearsal, so to speak, that pointed the way to Jesus, the Sacrificial Lamb of God, who, by His shed blood, paid the price that covers our sin.

     The first three Chapters of the first Book of the Bible set the stage for the rest of God's Word. They show us that man's rebellion against God and His Kingdom on earth results in separation from His Presence. They show us that the only way to reconciliation with our Creator is through the sprinkling of blood. They point the way to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, whose blood restores fellowship with our Father in Heaven. And when we look upon Jesus and His purpose in the New Testament, we must see more than the forgiveness of our sins [our salvation]. We must see that He comes to declare that the Presence of God [and His Kingdom] has once again been manifested on the Earth. 
     Adam and Eve were cast out of that Kingdom and barred from the Tree of Life. But Jesus came to reinstate and restore the Kingdom of God on Earth, and authorize us to once again be in charge over it, establishing His Father's government and way of Life. Those are our marching orders! And one day we will have access to the Tree of Life [again] in the New Jerusalem of the Millennial Kingdom. That is revealed in the last Book of the Bible. So from Genesis to Revelation, God reveals His plan: to establish His creation, mankind, to administrate His Kingdom on Earth. Along the way, man rebels and plan B goes into action: He sends a part of Himself to redeem mankind and reestablish His Kingdom. 
     In order to see the full scope of God's vision, we must give credence to both the Old and New Testaments. To ignore the biggest portion of the Bible is to have a distorted perspective. The message of the Bible is not all about us and our salvation. The message of the Bible is the purpose and intent of God's will in creating man. IT'S ABOUT HIM! Let us thank Him for His love, and patience, and grace and mercy towards us. But above all else, let us honor and glorify His purpose for us.

Revelation 22:1-2     Eden Restored: Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, flowing with water clear as crystal, continuously pouring out from the throne of God and of the Lamb. The river was flowing in the middle of the street of the city [New Jerusalem], and on either side of the river was the Tree of Life, with its twelve kinds of ripe fruit according to each month of the year. The leaves of the Tree of Life are for the healing of the nations. 
   

The Danger of Narcissism in The Body of Christ

     I recently read an article by Joseph Mattera in Charisma Magazine, titled "9 Signs You're Operating in A Spirit of Lawlessness Instead of God's Kingdom". The article was addressed to pastors who were more interested in empire building than in equipping the saints to do the ministry of spreading the gospel of the kingdom.
     One of the signs was this: you are a narcissist in relating to your desires in life. The article referenced Ezekiel 34 and "the judgment God will bring on shepherds who use and abuse the sheep for their own pleasure." It focused on pastors in the church and the narcissism that leads them into building churches that glorify themselves and [leads them] away from their kingdom assignment. But I will also tell you that this particular sin is often found in our Deliverance ministry among individuals looking for spiritual healing.
     The psychological definition of narcissism -- selfishness involving a sense of entitlement; egotism; self-absorption; self-love -- points to the Biblical warning to us believers: But you need to be aware that in the final days the culture of society will become extremely fierce and difficult for the people of God. People will be self-centered lovers of themselves and obsessed with money. They will boast of great things as they strut around in their arrogant pride and mock all that is right. They will ignore their own families. They will be ungrateful and ungodly (2 Timothy 3:1-2).

     You see, the sin of Pride is at the root of Narcissism and has been a problem for God's people ever since Lucifer fell from Heaven and brought Pride to the Garden. It was Pride that convinced Adam and Eve that they could decide for themselves to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; that they could be "like God". It was Pride that caused their separation from the Presence of God and their exile east of Eden. It is Pride that keeps people from recognizing their sin, or convinces them to cover up the sin that was committed against them.
     Narcissism has been a most useful and powerful weapon of Satan's in keeping all human beings -- both believers and non-believers -- in bondage to his kingdom of darkness. This has resulted in innumerable opportunities for spirits of lawlessness and independence [from God] to gain strongholds in people. 
     We have many examples of Narcissism in the Bible, but I want to concentrate on two of the better known. The first is Jezebel, and her spirit is very evident in today's world. Ryan LeStrange, in his book, Hell's Toxic Trio, says that "Jezebel is a bewitching spirit" and "the first component of witchcraft is rebellion". 
     The Bible Study Tools website gives this testimony of Jezebel's character in the Bible: "As a woman seeking more power, she sought to destroy those who questioned her and most of the prophets of Yahweh were murdered at her request ...  Jezebel has come to be recognized as a model of the wicked woman, embodying the characteristics of cruelty, greed, and vanity", or as the Bible describes people like her, "self-centered lovers of themselves".
     But here is the thing you need to understand: the Jezebel spirit is sexless; it can manifest in either a man or woman. Both Adam and Eve gave in to rebellion and it was Satan who found an open door into Jezebel's heart, and he is the originator of her rebellion. So he is only too willing to sow that same spirit into any willing person, male or female. We have seen many men come through Deliverance with "Jezebel spirits". Whenever this spirit is present it is operating in a seductive and controlling manner with the goal of destruction for selfish purposes. We see that in the story of Jezebel and Ahab in the Bible. She was able to seduce Ahab to abandon his God and serve Baal and worship him, leading to the destruction of the prophets of the Lord.
     In Hell's Toxic Trio, Ryan LeStrange writes, "[Jezebel] is a perverse spirit of domination that works to open up gateways for demonic activity to overthrow godly plans, families, ministries, and people ... The Jezebel spirit neither honors nor recognizes covenant. When this spirit operates in families, it manipulates and forms alliances to fulfill its own evil agenda. When this spirit operates in ministries, it totally disregards authority, honor, and relationship [towards the Lord] to pursue its own desires. It is totally deceptive and demon-inspired." Power and Control are its motivators.
     The other prime example of Narcissism in the Bible is Nebuchadnezzar.  We know the story of Nebuchadnezzar largely from the perspective of Daniel, the Jewish prince who rose to prominence in this Babylonian's kingdom. Daniel became known to King Nebuchadnezzar because he was able to interpret the king's dreams. But it was Nebuchadnezzar's arrogance and pride that saw him reject the repeated warnings God sent in those dreams. Although he praised the God of Daniel after the interpretation of the statue of gold, silver, bronze and iron, he refused to repent, believing himself to be a legend [in his own mind] and above reproach or defeat; certainly above the chastisement of Daniel's God. He believed in his own self-importance.
     Again, we can apply the warning from 2 Timothy (above) .... They will boast of great things as they strut around in their arrogant pride and mock all that is right... They will be ungrateful and ungodly. But God humbled King Nebuchadnezzar and brought him into a season of insanity that he might finally repent of his arrogance and pride and acknowledge the sovereignty of YHWH. 

     The Bible is full of other examples of narcissism and self-love: Cain, Saul, Absalom, Azariah, Manasseh, and most likely even Solomon. And they all learned painful lessons! And Jezebel and Nebuchadnezzar's lessons were particularly traumatic. But there is a difference in how they responded to the warnings of the Lord. Jezebel was tossed out of a window by her eunuchs and her body was devoured by dogs. There was no repentance on her part and she suffered a violent death.
     But God will offer mercy to those who accept His chastisement and turn back to Him. Nebuchadnezzar, after his season of insanity, lifted his eyes to heaven, his reason was restored, and He blessed the Most High, and he praised and honored God with this prayer: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation, all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and He does according to His will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand or say to Him, “What have you done?”
     We must all examine our hearts and see if we have any trace of Narcissism, or its root sin of Pride. At its core it is the self-idolatry that Adam and Eve submitted to, and which caused the downfall of ancient leaders of Israel. Our modern leaders must not bow down to its seduction, and we must each stay humble to avoid its temptation in our lives. It is much more pervasive than we would ever admit, and this spirit's objective is to keep us from walking in God's plan of sanctification for our lives by distracting us with our selfishness. We must turn away from self and towards Jesus in humble adoration. Once we are cleansed from this destructive spirit, our path to glory will be opened, and we will praise Him in immeasurable ways!

Daniel 4:37    Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and faithful and His ways are just, and He is able to humiliate and humble those who walk in [self-centered, self-righteous] pride.
        

The Ekklesia, The Kingdom & The Seven Mountains of Influence

     As I was finishing up my study of Hebrews, I was struck by the various interpretations of some verses in Chapter 12. I feel as if the Lord is leading me on a treasure hunt, and one verse leads to another and then back to a previous understanding; and somehow it all comes together to form new revelation.
    So, let's follow the Bible's trail of clues, shall we? As we begin Chapter 12, we find that the writer of Hebrews [which I believe to be Paul] is exhorting the believers to persevere through trials, as well as God's discipline, in order to enter into the earthly presence of God. In fact, the Bible says in verse 8, We all should welcome God's discipline as the validation of authentic sonship..

     All of this is given to us as encouragement to let us know we can enter into the presence of God just as Moses did on Mount Zion. However, we enter into a different realm than he did --- his was a physical mountain; ours is a spiritual mountain. Hebrews 12:22 says, By contrast, we have already come near to God in a totally different realm, the Zion-realm, for we have entered the city of the Living God, which is the New Jerusalem in heaven! We have joined the festal gathering of myriads of angels in their joyous celebration! (TPT)
     Let's take a minute and unpack this important verse. "We have already come near to God" indicates that the fullness of our heavenly salvation and our entrance into God’s heavenly realm has already taken place. We also see that truth in the following verses: For he knew all about us before we were born and he destined us from the beginning to share the likeness of his Son. This means the Son is the oldest among a vast family of brothers and sisters who will become just like Him (Romans 8:29); He raised us up with Christ the exalted One, and we ascended with Him into the glorious perfection and authority of the heavenly realm, for we are now co-seated as one with Christ! (Ephesians 2:6); Christ’s resurrection is your resurrection too. This is why we are to yearn for all that is above, for that’s where Christ sits enthroned at the place of all power, honor, and authority! Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm. Your crucifixion with Christ has severed the tie to this life, and now your true life is hidden away in God in Christ. And as Christ Himself is seen for who He really is, who you really are will also be revealed, for you are now one with Him in his glory!(Colossians 3:1-4).
     As we walk out our salvation here on earth, we are present with God in a totally different realm, the realm of Zion, which is used in both the Old and New Testaments as more than a location. Zion is referred to as the place of God’s dwelling. When Moses met Him, He was dwelling on the physical Mount Zion, but now we are present with Him in His spiritual mountain, the heavenly Jerusalem. This is the fulfillment of Abraham’s vision in Hebrews 11:10, and what Israel’s ancestors had seen from afar in Hebrews 11:13. The New Jerusalem is not only a place, but a people who dwell with God in their midst. It is what the Garden of Eden was intended to be. It is a city that is a bride or a bridal-city coming out of heaven to the earth (Revelation. 21:9-14). We are not going TO the New Jerusalem; we are going to BE the New Jerusalem! Are you starting to see the Good News of the Kingdom of God on earth yet?
     But wait ... there's more! Take a look at the next verse, Hebrews 12:23: And as members of the church of the Firstborn all our names have been legally registered as citizens of heaven! And we have come before God who judges all, and who lives among the spirits of the righteous who have been made perfect in His eyes! I think that perhaps this verse causes more confusion than we Christians recognize.  As members of the Kingdom of God on earth, we are citizens of heaven (having been spirits in heaven sent to earth to have dominion over it on behalf of our King). Jesus is God's uniquely Firstborn, but because of our position as citizens of heaven on earth, we are in Christ, and we are all the first-born and have all the rights and blessings that Jesus has. 
     As 21st Century Christians we don't understand that, and I think we get hung up on the part of the verse that says we are "members of the church of Jesus". And here's the real dilemma ... we don't even have the proper understanding of what that word church meant in the first century! And that confusion is compounded by the misinterpretation of Matthew 16:18, which we read in most versions of the Bible like this, And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I've read so many commentary's that say "Peter" sounds like "Petra", the Greek word for rock. And the Greek text does state that Peter is the “rock” on which the church is built. However, the implication is that it is Peter’s revelation from the Father and his confession of Jesus as the Son of God that becomes the “bedrock foundation” for the church. The earliest writings of the church fathers all acknowledge that the Rock is Jesus Christ, not Peter.

    So here is a more correct interpretation of this verse, in Aramaic: I give you the name Peter, a stone. And this truth of who I am will be the bedrock foundation on which I will build my church—my legislative assembly -- and the power of death will not be able to overpower it!  It is important to understand that the Greek word commonly used for "church" is ekklēsia. However, ekklēsia means more than a church meeting, for it signified in Greek culture the governing assembly which had the authority to make decisions for the entire city. It means “legislative assembly” or “selected ones.” This is not a religious term at all, but a political and governmental term that is used many times in classical Greek for a group of people who have been summoned and gathered together to govern the affairs of a city. For Jesus to use this term means he is giving the keys of governmental authority in His kingdom to the church.
     The problem is that the church, as we know it, has not walked in their kingdom identity, nor used their authority to govern the earth as it was originally mandated. The power of death [which is the power of Satan] was not to overpower God's kingdom on earth. True, Adam and Eve handed over dominion to the devil, but Jesus came to re-inaugurate the kingdom and gave us back the keys to govern the earth once again. The "Church" was to be a legislative body of sons and daughters of the King who would rule this earth [and all the spheres of influence within it] as a colony of Heaven. It's time we walked out our governmental duties. 
     As ambassadors of the kingdom of heaven, and its legislative body on earth, the Church was to bring the mountain of God (His Presence) to the mountains of influence on this earth; namely, Education, Religion, Family, Business, Government/Military, Arts/Entertainment, and Media. How do you think the modern Church has done so far? I would venture to say that it has lost its true identity as an ekklésia, and walks in a different identity of its own making. 
     I think we need to take a good hard look at the two final verses in Chapter 12 of Hebrews: Since we are receiving our rights to an unshakeable kingdom we should be extremely thankful and offer God the purest worship that delights his heart as we lay down our lives in absolute surrender, filled with awe.  For our God is a holy, devouring fire!
     Moses knew what it was like to be in the presence of God and experience that holy, consuming fire. Hebrews 12:21 even quotes him [at the sight]:  The astounding phenomena Moses witnessed caused him to shudder with fear and he could only say, “I am trembling in terror!" Gives new meaning to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling", doesn't it?  We are still in the process of working out our salvation while here on earth. When it is considered that we have been given the keys to the kingdom here on earth, we must ask ourselves if we have done right by the authority we received to govern this heavenly colony. I think we all know the answer -- and it's time to do something about it.

If you're looking for additional resources on the true meaning of the Ekklésia, I highly recommend two books: Ekklésia Rising by Dean Briggs, and Ekklésia by El Silvoso. Both are available on Amazon.

Matthew 23:13    Great sorrow awaits you religious scholars and you Pharisees—such frauds and pretenders! You do all you can to keep people from experiencing the reality of heaven’s kingdom realm. Not only do you refuse to enter in, you also forbid anyone else from entering in!

The Kingdom of God and the Old Testament

     Now that my soul and spirit have been awakened to the truth of the Kingdom of God as Jesus's priority, I am beginning to engage the Bible through a Kingdom lens. When I came to Hebrews 11 during my morning Bible study (which is one of my favorite chapters, by the way) I was astounded to find that these familiar verses refer to Old Testament individuals who modeled God's concept of man's dominion on earth on behalf of the Kingdom of Heaven. Let's take a look at what I'm talking about
     Chapter 11 in Hebrews has become known throughout Christian circles as "the Hall of Faith". The Bible begins the chapter by defining faith, and then giving us a list of people who modeled faith for us. To begin, let's look at what we've come to know as the familiar explanation of faith: Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

     Now, let's take a look at Hebrews 11:1 in the Amplified version, and through a Kingdom lens. It reads like this: Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. 
     Let's consider this verse through the mandate given to mankind in Genesis 1:26. We are not only made in the image of God, Himself, but have been given authority and power over the earth and everything in it. At that time, the Garden of Eden represented the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. There was no sickness, no death, no worry; all the needs of Adam and Eve were met, and they were in divine relationship with God. They had the title deed to the earth, promised to them by God. Dominion -- which is supremacy, authority, power, and sovereignty -- was theirs. But their rebellion resulted in that dominion passing to the devil. 
     But, here we have the writer of Hebrews declaring that even after the fall of man, faith abounded. First and foremost, the members of the Hall of Faith exhibited obedience produced by trust and confidence in God as the Creator and ruler of all things. We must believe He is who He says He is. That is the foundation of faith. And the Bible tells us in verse 6 that it is impossible to please God without it. And since God's purpose for man was to have authority over His creation of earth, then faith is the foundation of recognizing and establishing the Kingdom of God on earth.
     So, let me now show you where I saw Kingdom in Hebrews, Chapter 11.  Let's begin in verse 8, where we read that by faith, Abraham obeyed God's call to leave his familiar territory [in order] to discover the territory he was destined to inherit from God. The Passion Translation reads like this: So he left with only a promise and without even knowing ahead of time where he was going, Abraham stepped out in faith. He lived by faith as an immigrant in his promised land as though it belonged to someone else. He journeyed through the land living in tents with Isaac and Jacob who were persuaded that they were also co-heirs of the same promise.
      The truth is, Abraham was living as an immigrant in a foreign land! His ancestors, Adam and Eve, had given his inheritance (dominion over the earth) away when they listened to the serpent! The truth was that the land (the earth) had been promised to mankind from the beginning. Now God has determined He will use Abraham, the father of the Israelites, to begin taking back dominion of the earth in His name. That is why when the Lord appears to Abram in Genesis 12:7, He tells him, "To your offspring, I will give this land". God wanted to give the earth back to man! And here is an interesting fact: it was 1948 years from Adam to Abraham. The modern nation of Israel was founded in 1948. We can never doubt the sovereignty of God!
     But let's move on. Hebrews 11:13 reads, These heroes all died still clinging to their faith, not even receiving all that had been promised them. But they saw beyond the horizon the fulfillment of their promises and gladly embraced it from afar. They all lived their lives on earth as those who belonged to another realm. The Old Testament patriarchs never realized "Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven". They lived their lives in a territory owned and controlled by the one who retained dominion over it, the devil. 

     Abraham and his descendants in the Old Testament didn't receive the promise (restored dominion of the earth to mankind) but could see it coming as God went before them conquering lands and other kingdoms. They knew they were still strangers and sojourners in earth.
     But now, I'd like to show you another couple of verses in Hebrews 11 that had me looking through the Kingdom lens. Take a look at verses 32-33: And what more could I say to convince you? For there is not enough time to tell you of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. Through faith’s power they conquered kingdoms and established true justice [righteousness]. Their faith fastened onto their promises and pulled them into reality!
     I'm immediately reminded of Jesus declaring in Matthew 6:33, Seek first, the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you! What did these men have in common? I decided to take a look at the references my Bible gave me for each name and this is what I found: Gideon took back dominion from the kingdom of darkness by tearing down the altars of Baal and destroying the groves. First, I'd like to ask how many of you know what "a grove" is? It's important to know, because God told the Israelites, as they entered their promised land, to destroy the altars to false gods, break their images, and cut down their groves. A grove was a cultic object (usually a wooden sacred pole) set up near an altar to Baal that represented the presence of the Canaanite goddess Asherah. Gideon obeyed the Lord and took back dominion from the Midianites. Then he built an altar to the Lord and called it Jehovah-Shalom, "The Lord is peace". When you look at this story through the Kingdom lens, you can see the elements of the Kingdom: taking back dominion and declaring that peace is established because "the Kingdom of God is a matter of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17).
     Next, let's look at Barak. He appears in Judges, Chapter 4, and he, too, helped defeat the Canaanite kingdom. Samson defeated the kingdom of the Philistines, and his name means "sunlight; supported by Divine Sovereignty". The next in line is Jephthah, who is written about in Judges 11-12. He defeated the kingdom of the Ammonites, and he kept a vow he made to God that if he was victorious, he would offer the first person who greeted him [when he returned to his home] as a burnt offering unto the Lord. Sadly, that vow cost him his beloved daughter, his only child. But he is listed in the Hall of Faith because he not only took back dominion from the kingdom of darkness but he was a righteous man. 
     Next, we come to David, and I have to admit that I wondered which of David's exploits would be  mentioned with these men who are recorded as taking back territory from Satan. But the reference was to a single verse in 1 Samuel 16:17, So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.” This was an episode where the Holy Spirit had departed from King Saul and an evil spirit from the Lord was tormenting him. David played his harp for the King and Saul was "refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him" (1 Samuel 16:23). This is a picture of healing and deliverance from evil, which will be a standard and measure of the Kingdom of God coming to earth. Jesus modeled that as a consequence of the Kingdom having arrived.
     The last name mentioned is that of Samuel, a prophet who called upon the Lord to subdue the Philistines. And he built an altar to God, calling it "the Stone of Help" because God delivered them out of the hands of the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 
     As I read these testimonies of these men of faith, they all had something in common. They obeyed the Lord in taking back what He had promised to the seed of Abraham... that they would live in a territory and enjoy peace. Their righteousness was conveyed by their obedience. The battle was between what God had created earth to be (His transplanted Kingdom from heaven) and the kingdoms of man, influenced by the god of this world, Satan. These men were, in effect, strangers in a strange land. And as Hebrews 11:13 says, they didn't get to see the fulfillment of God's promise to restore His original plan of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, but they embraced the promise that the Kingdom would one day be fulfilled, and they walked in righteousness towards it. They got a glimpse of the Kingdom, but Israel's continued rebelliousness against God could never establish it.
     God attempted to get His chosen people to step into their role in His original plan for man. They were designed to take back rulership of the earth and to occupy it, and they met with sporadic success whenever the power of the Lord came down to rest upon them. But because of their rebellious nature, they never saw the fulfillment of the Kingdom. 

     But just like them, we New Testament believers are still sojourning in a foreign land while waiting for the fullness of the Kingdom to be restored to earth. We are spirits from heaven, living in fleshly suits. But we have the benefit of the continuous presence of the Holy Spirit IN US.  Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20) and we are raised up with Jesus and seated with Him in heavenly realms (Ephesians 2:6). The difference is that God, Himself, came back as His Son, and declared that the Kingdom had arrived! And He began to model what taking back dominion looks like. We New Testament believers have been given the keys to participate in the final and incontrovertible establishment of God's Kingdom on earth. And it's found in Matthew 24:14: Preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to the whole world, and as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come!
     We can look at all the eschatology signs we want, but until we make the Gospel of the Kingdom our priority, this Age will not end. He will not return to judge the wicked and establish the Millennial Kingdom on earth until we fulfill that assignment. He showed us what the Kingdom looks like and how to live as a Kingdom citizen. Read the Bible -- He teaches us everything we need to know in the four Gospels.
     But the purpose of this post is to show you that the Kingdom of God is not just a theme in the New Testament. It was always in view and was God's objective from Genesis One all the way to Revelation 22. We just haven't heard Jesus's message very well. And that's the reason that I'm writing my new book. The Body of Christ must understand what the Kingdom of God is all about and what our purpose is here on earth. The earth was created as an extension of Heaven. We were created to rule the earth for our God in Heaven. It is His Kingdom. Jesus came to reclaim it, and we are to share that Good News with all the world. That was His priority and it should be ours.

Psalm 24:1    God claims the world as His. Everything and everyone belongs to Him!  

Matthew 6:10   Manifest Your Kingdom realm, and cause Your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth, just as it is fulfilled in heaven.

Iniquity And Generational Sins

     According to the dictionary, the word iniquity means wickedness, sinfulness, evil, obscenity or depravity. But, it is important for the Christian to know the origin and implications of iniquity. Oftentimes, I have found that Christians believe sin is sin is sin. But there are actually different levels of sin, and King David addresses this issue in Psalm 32, acknowledging his sin and iniquity, and confessing his transgressions.
     Before I go any further, it is vital that we understand the differences between the three. First of all, SIN means we have "missed the mark".  We instantly recognize that we have sinned; we confess, repent, and ask God for forgiveness. We turn away from our sin and towards Him. Anytime we recognize the temptation of that sin, we stop it in its tracks.
     TRANSGRESSION means willful rebellion. We know we have sinned and recognize our propensity for that sin, yet we make a conscious decision to continue engaging in the sin. We just can't give it up.
     INIQUITY is a deep sinning that perverts our original design of being made in the image of God. Iniquity can also go so deep in our family line that the simple act of repentance doesn't rid us of the perversion.

     Let me give you an example: let's say that an adult man or woman, while innocently browsing the internet, stumbles upon a website promoting child pornography. A sudden thought of having inappropriate sexual relations with a child enters their mind. They are immediately conscious of their sin, approach the Father confessing the sin, repent of it, and ask for forgiveness. They then make a deliberate effort to stay away from anything that could lead to that sin again.
     But, if after repenting and receiving forgiveness, they continually return to that site of their own free will, knowing it is a sin, [and developing a desire for the thoughts and images that the site invites] then they are in open rebellion to God; then they have transgressed against Him.
     When this rebellion becomes an obsession for pedophilia, then they have crossed over into perversion and iniquity. Their mind is no longer able to be renewed and, in reality, becomes depraved. And here's how iniquity becomes a generational curse: If that person continues in his/her perversion and has a child, the perversion can become woven into the child's DNA [in the womb], and the child becomes an adult and can't understand why their prayers of repentance don't break the bond to the perversion of pedophilia.
     That's why God proclaimed in Exodus 34:6-7 that He was "compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth (faithfulness); keeping mercy and lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; but He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting (avenging) the iniquity (sin, perversion, guilt) of the fathers upon the children and the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations [that is, calling the children to account for the sins of their fathers, if they, too, continue in the sin]."
     If you don't stop the iniquity in any generation, it will impregnate the next generation at the moment of conception. In fact, Iniquity acts as "a spiritual umbilical cord" that transmits evil spiritual DNA from one generation to the next. This is how legacies of sin get passed from one generation to the next? Have you ever wondered why alcoholism runs in a family line? Or abortion? Or divorce? Or sexual molestation?  It is important to understand that you can sin yourself into transgression; and transgress yourself into iniquity. And iniquity is a very real bondage that can affect generations.
     But there is hope! God says in Ezekiel 18:19-20, "When the son has done what is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself." Iniquity in a family line can be stopped by a righteous man or woman!
     We are each responsible for the sins we commit. And if, upon examination, you discern  the perversion of your DNA by means of generational sin, then it is up to you to stop the forward progress and renounce it! And I want you to know that to renounce means "to break agreement with". So, if,  like many of us, there is a pattern of generational sin in your family, I have prepared a prayer for you to recite so that you can break agreement with the spirit of the sin and receive anew the full blessings of God.

Father God, I confess the sin of my ancestors, my parents, and my own sin, and I name that sin as the Spirit leads.

I choose to forgive and release my ancestors of the sin, the curses, and the consequences in my life. I ask You to forgive me, Lord, for this sin; for yielding to it, and to the resulting curses. I receive Your forgiveness.

On the basis of Your forgiveness, Lord, I choose to forgive myself for involvement in this sin. I receive God's freedom from this sin and the resulting curses. 

I place these sins and any unknown sins my forefathers committed upon the Cross. I ask that You would cleanse me now, Lord, from the sin and that You would break off of me, all that the Enemy has placed on me because of this sin.

I also bring all the consequences and effects of this sin to the Cross of Jesus Christ. I place the blood of Jesus between me and all generational sin on both paternal and maternal sides of my family.

I ask that the blood of Jesus cleanse my family bloodlines, all the way back to Adam. I break all contracts, covenants, alliances, vows, hexes, or curses between me and my father and/or my mother and all their ancestors.

Lord, now on the basis of my confession, repentance, and cleansing, I ask that You restore me to my fullest measure of existence in You. AMEN!

Isaiah 53:5      But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.