Blessings & Curses

[IslandRose]

Am I understanding this topic and the responses correctly? Are you (those who have posted) saying that infertility, diseases of the body, diseases of the mind, loss of jobs, loss of homes, loss of family members due to illness or due to vehicle accidents, etc, is all the result of disobedience to God?  Does that mean that those who have huge homes, high-salary jobs, lots of kids, and are healthy are the only ones "chosen" who have been obeying God?  what makes the difference?

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One thing that is important to remember is that having wealth does not necessarily equate having happiness, or even the blessing of God. Somehow people have grown to think of wealth as being the thing that takes away your troubles and puts joy into your life. But I have known people with great riches whose lives are miserable. One man told my father-in-law..."I have so much money that I cannot sleep at night for the thought of what would happen to me if I were to lose it."

I also know people who have very little of this worlds goods, and yet they have a peace and joy that shows on their countenence.

Wealth in itself can be a curse. I think that sometimes God allows people to get rich so that they can see that money is not the source of joy. Only in a relationship with the Lord can one find peace joy and happiness.

[Guest yod]

Generalizations can be too encompasing and I'm sure that was never LT's intent....and from his remarks about "greedy" churches in another thread it is clear that he doesnt' think being wealthy is necessarily a sign of God's favor!

I wholeheartedly agree with the basic premise of what he is pointing out in the scriptures. Suzanne has explained it better than I could...but I offer an example

I know quite a few "non-Moshiach aware" jewish folks who are Torah observant in the way they live. Now, forget what the church calls "torah observant" because most christians think that is some kind of legalism. It is not. We should rather see the Torah they follow as a guide given by the same Lord we serve whether they recognize the Son or not.

These people are leading lives of prosperity and blessing! They love God and they love their neighbor as themselves..even though they don't see Yeshua as their Messiah.

So my point is that there IS a blessing for obedience to the commands of God...even apart from faith in Yeshua. It's as real as the law of gravity that those who obey God will receive favor and those who do not will receive a curse.

The rain falls on all of us but our attitude towards obeying God will affect how we handle the trials and triumphs of our lives.

[Kabowd]

We should worry less about what everyone else is doing. As long as you are living in obedience to God...all you really need to know is that His faithfulness is to a thousand generations.

"Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; (Deu 7:9 NASB)

[apothanein kerdos]

Just keep in mind, Job's friends tried to tell Job that his pain and suffering was due to unrepentent sin and they were cursed by God for it.

[larryt]

Generalizations can be too encompasing and I'm sure that was never LT's intent....and from his remarks about "greedy" churches in another thread it is clear that he doesnt' think being wealthy is necessarily a sign of God's favor!

I wholeheartedly agree with the basic premise of what he is pointing out in the scriptures. Suzanne has explained it better than I could...but I offer an example

I know quite a few "non-Moshiach aware" jewish folks who are Torah observant in the way they live. Now, forget what the church calls "torah observant" because most christians think that is some kind of legalism. It is not. We should rather see the Torah they follow as a guide given by the same Lord we serve whether they recognize the Son or not.

These people are leading lives of prosperity and blessing! They love God and they love their neighbor as themselves..even though they don't see Yeshua as their Messiah.

So my point is that there IS a blessing for obedience to the commands of God...even apart from faith in Yeshua. It's as real as the law of gravity that those who obey God will receive favor and those who do not will receive a curse.

The rain falls on all of us but our attitude towards obeying God will affect how we handle the trials and triumphs of our lives.

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Well said Yod.

LT

[larryt]

We should worry less about what everyone else is doing. As long as you are living in obedience to God...all you really need to know is that His faithfulness is to a thousand generations.

"Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; (Deu 7:9 NASB)

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Hi Tess,

The purpose is not to worry, but to try to shed some light on the struggles that people go through.

There are many who are living lives that, for whatever reason, are not "living in obedience to God" because of either ignorance or willfullness. They are suffering and haven't a clue as to why. Keep in mind that the blind man was a very special case as was Job. There are very few Jobs.

I believe that grace goes a looonnnggg way for those that through ignorance do not live according to the Word. God is patient. I know He is. There does come a point when we should know better though.

Heb 5:11  Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

Let me use this example.

A christian family of four is having financial problems. The husband is working and even making a good wage. Yet something always happens to "devour" some of the money even though they are trying to be careful not to spend frivolously. They are continually asking the church they go to to pray for them. Is it possible that this family is living under a curse because of what an ansestor did?

I know this family and when they finally understood the nature of blessings and curses started to get their financial life back in order. The debts are being reduced. They are starting to live in abundance.

LT

[apothanein kerdos]

A christian family of four is having financial problems. The husband is working and even making a good wage. Yet something always happens to "devour" some of the money even though they are trying to be careful not to spend frivolously. They are continually asking the church they go to to pray for them. Is it possible that this family is living under a curse because of what an ansestor did?

Are we to say that God is limited by man-made curses? Of course not. This is nothing more than Christian myths and fables. God chooses to keep financial wealth or even well being from people for His own reasons. There is no curse, simply God in His soveriegn nature.

Again, what about Job?

[WayneB]

Bless you saints!

I have not been following the discussion but I

[Guest yod]

Are we to say that God is limited by man-made curses? Of course not. This is nothing more than Christian myths and fables. God chooses to keep financial wealth or even well being from people for His own reasons. There is no curse, simply God in His soveriegn nature.

Again, what about Job?

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I don't think we are talking about man made curses, SJ.

Sin has consequences beyond our being. For example, when our leaders sin it causes the whole nation to suffer. If our earthly father is a womanizer we will grow up thinking that is "normal" and be a womanizer ourselves unless we overcome it somehow. That is an example of a "curse" that needs to be broken.

I think Job is an excellent example.....depending on which period of his life you are looking at!

He, like all of us, went through some really rough times of testing yet remained faithful to obey God. In the end, he was restored double....and had a much better wife

I don't think it was LT's intent to say that those who obey will never suffer the storms of life...but rather that they will endure them and be victorious at the end of them.

I think you will agree when you understand exactly what he's saying because you seem to be an obedient saint (to me)

[apothanein kerdos]

AH, I see now. I thought we were saying all infirmities and such were a direct result of sin in our own lives.