Getting Rid of Generational Junk

I read this quote the other day that captured my attention for days to follow:

“It’s up to us to break generational curses.

When they say, ‘It runs in the family’,

you tell them, ‘And this is where it runs out!’”👊🏽

Powerful, right? I don’t want the junk of my past to impact the generations to come, so I’ve begun praying through various things to make sure they “run out” with me!

This wasn’t the case, however, with King Jeroboam. He’s a servant who becomes Israel’s king by the mighty hand of God. The position God grants is like winning a lottery ticket, but he doesn't act like it. His crimes against God are so great that they impact his entire family!

When Jeroboam dies, his son Nadab becomes king. 1 Kings 15 tells us, that he’s openly evil before God, “following in the footsteps of his father who both sinned AND made Israel sin”!

After a mere two years into his reign, he ‘s brutally assassinated by a fellow Israelite who also kills Jeroboam’s ENTIRE family! “There wasn’t a living soul left to the name of Jeroboam!”

Talk about a generational curse!😳

So if you’re like me, you might be asking, how DO I make generational junk stop with me?

I learned a prayer at a marriage conference recently that’s super helpful.

First ask the Lord to reveal anything from the generations (even if it started with you) that is coming against your or your family:

Maybe it’s a spirit of anger, lust, greed, pride…

Once He reveals an unhealthy pattern, declare,

“I place the cross of Christ in my family line & sever all ties with _______.

I lay claim to the power of the cross, breaking the power of all demonic spirits assigned to my family line in Jesus’s name.

By the power of the cross & in the name of Jesus, I command all demonic spirits & lies out of my life AND my descendants lives👉🏽from our thoughts, emotions, relationships, marriages, finances, calling & our futures completely!

I seal this in my spirit in Jesus’s name!”

Father, break all agreements we’ve made with the ungodly parts of our natural heritage. Nail our generational junk to the cross, & reveal to us what you’d like to give us in its place!

#OneYearBible

June 16th One Year Bible Readings

1 KINGS 15:25-17:24

ACTS 10:24-48

PSALM 134:1-3

PROVERBS 17:9-11

We Need Vertical Unity with God BEFORE We Can Have Horizontal Unity with Humans

“Behold” is a wonder seldom seen, so when it is spoken, behold it! When written in Scripture, it gives cause for pause & invites the reader to ponder what follows.

Psalm 133 begins with the word & is followed by Truth & a promise:

“Behold! How good & how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity…For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”

I think it’s notable that the writer uses the word “how” twice. It places equal importance on the adjectives that follow.

There are many things in life that are good, but not pleasant & conversely, there are many things pleasant that are not good! For a thing to be good AND pleasant is doubly good!

But what happens when we simply don’t see eye to eye? Is it still better to dwell together in DISunity? A lack of unity usually indicates a lack of Holy Spirit Lordship on one side, the other or maybe even both?

We cannot make anyone do anything OR see the way we see. What we CAN do is place our mind, will & emotions under our spirit & allow our spirit to lead BEHIND the Holy Spirit.

It’s there, when we individually choose to dwell in unity with the HOLY Spirit, that the Lord pronounces blessing!

That’s what to behold about this verse! Even amidst DISunity, we can experience how good & how pleasant it is to live in unity with God, praying that unity with our brothers will follow!

We must have vertical unity with God BEFORE we can experience horizontal unity with humans!

Once He is properly positioned as Lord over every area of our lives, we can walk in the Spirit & respond in the Spirit, rather than defensively reacting in the flesh.

Father, Your Word says it is “there [that] the Lord has pronounced His blessing.” Where? In unity, & we must first be unified with You before we can unify with anyone else. We want to be anointed with the oil of Your Presence so that ours might be as refreshing as the morning dew - BECAUSE of You!

Oh how good & how pleasant YOU are! May we behold You so we may be held by You! Unite our hearts vertically so we may unite with others in Truth & love horizontally. Reside within & preside over our lives for when Love dwells, unity follows!

#OneYearBible

June 15th One Year Bible Readings

1 KINGS 14:1-15:24

ACTS 10:1-23

PSALM 133:1-3

PROVERBS 17:7-8

A Foundational Distrust of God is Usually the Root of our Departure from Him

The other day I had a convo with my son warning that our heart is deceitful above all things…that we need be careful not to reason ourselves into decisions that depart from Truth.

I saw a funny meme recently of a sheep in a pasture attacking a wash basin. It made me belly laugh. He charged that thing like it was his worst enemy, making himself flip upside down over the the metal tub! The caption said, 

ME: When I wander from God.

GOD: What He sees when He leaves the 99…

The visual is such a great reminder of the ridiculousness we place ourselves in when we wander from Him.

It’s why we’ve got to allow the Word of God to become our Source of Truth AND to surround ourselves with trusted counsel who will speak Truth when we begin to wander.

Most times when we let common sense trump Divine-sense, things don’t fare well & here’s why:

Our source of counsel has a direct effect on success.

When King Solomon dies, his son, Rheoboam, becomes king & immediately faces a big decision. He seeks wisdom from his father’s advisors, but doesn’t like their counsel, so he turns to his peers. When he executes the younger men’s harsh counsel, his kingdom is split in two!

His servant, Jeroboam, begins ruling over most of Israel, while Rehoboam rules the tribe of Judah.

“Jeroboam THOUGHT TO HIMSELF😳, unless I’m careful,” the people of Israel might reconcile with Judah when they make sacrifices in Jerusalem.

So, “On the advice of his counselors” he made two gold calves for the people to worship instead!

God promised the kingdom to Jeroboam for generations if he’d obey, but the king refused. I don’t think it was due to obstinance, though, because here’s the bottom line:

A foundational distrust of God is usually the root of our departure from Him.

We don’t believe that He will care for us, so we take matters into our own hands to secure safety, to create provision, to fabricate peace…

Father, forgive us for the times we don’t believe you & pretend to be providence! You are the only one who can keep us safe & provide for our every need. Guard us from self sufficiency by speaking to us through your Word & surrounding us with wise counsel who will warn us when we begin to wander.

#OneYearBible

June 14th One Year Bible Readings

1 KINGS 12:20-13:34

ACTS 9:26-43

PSALM 132:1-18

PROVERBS 17:6