Generational Curses

[Starise]

12 hours ago, other one said:

what is a generational curse?   Would such always come from God?

As I understand it God desires to bless us. so maybe by default we sometimes prevent God from blessing us because we choose to do things that keep Him from it which in turn might affect our sons and daughters.

Without airing my dirty laundry here on Worthy I'll just say I have seen some repetitive things that happened to both my father, his father and myself where I had to wonder if there was some sort of a pattern to it. I don't attribute this to God as being responsible. We are all responsible, yet it sometimes seems to me conditions are ripe for some things to happen more to some than others. In other words, did the situation or the surrounding somehow contribute to it or would it have happened anyway? 

In one respect we are all cursed (sin) and that curse carries over into everything that we do if we aren't living in the spirit. Even if we are living in the spirit we will all suffer the consequences of the Adamic curse that carries to all humanity. In that sense it's a generational curse.

All through scripture we see God making things tough on those who rebel from His commands and ways. If we don't confess our sins and continue in sin there are bound to be consequences.

If we go back to Cain we can see a generational curse on him that affected his descendants . He was responsible for offspring who built cities that worshiped false gods. His rebellion did not stop at murdering his brother. If we look at the various countries of the world we can see the results of generations of pantheistic idol worship. The results are never good, yet to this day they still engage in these acts.

The key word here for me is FAMILY. Many families engage in things that are bound to affect their children.

While Jesus lifted the eternal consequences of sin, so long as we are on this earth we will be followed by the consequences of sin on this earth amplified by rebellion..

To be free from the things that follow us through our families I think we must see the error in their ways and break from it to become more independent. If your family is following a false religion you need to break free from it through Christ. Pray for God to change the way you think to see how He wants you to live and act.

Many children born into families that practice pagan worship know of nothing else. It takes an act of God to show them that their parents are in error. I think some can get comfortable following a religion simply because the entire family is involved in it and has been for generations.

Edited April 2, 2021 by Starise

[The_Patriot21]

On 3/31/2021 at 10:52 PM, Starise said:

This is interesting that you bring up the elimination of curses in the NT. This would make sense. Maybe the nature of what we think a curse is plays into this as well?

In other words, does a father curse his children if he has the money to send them to college and he doesn't?  Are children who don't receive the correct instruction early in life at a disadvantage to children that do? 

I see the opposite of blessing as a curse. What is a blessing? I see it as anything we can do to help someone else or something God does to help or bless us. If we withold a blessing that is in our power have we then made a curse instead?

God can make crops grow (blessing) or He can cause a drought (curse). I see either one as having influences on generations. 

Even though people tend to place far too much significance on material prosperity. Material wealth honestly gotten though the Lord's hand of blessing can be a source of blessing for future generations. Poverty OTOH assures no help from elders who are poor. This is often through no fault of the person who is in a bad situation or sometimes it is the result of laziness, chemical abuse and general negligence of parental responsibilities.

I would seem some people are cursed by default as the result of rejecting the source of all blessings. Generations who don't train up their children in the ways of the Lord can't expect any fruit from lack of training which can be passed on to successive generations.

I apologize for my late reply ive been really busy and not online...

But i dont really see any of those things as a curse...i mean they could...but they could also be life. Can a bad fathers decisions negatively impact his kids lives....absolutely. In all likelihood his kids will follow in his footsteps. However they dont always and do sometimes break free of that life.

A curse is something an outside force does to you. Either the devil or in some cases God curses a person (like the line of cain) witches curse people. However, a father choosing not to do something beneficial for his kids when he could (im not going to use your college example...because lets face it going to college isnt always beneficial, but thats another topic altogether) that is not a curse, that is simply a choice. A abusive father...again choice. And the kids growing up like their dad-again thats a choice on the kids part. They can choose not to follow their dad.

As far as droughts and what not...well, the entire earth is cursed because of mans sin...has been since adam. So yes you can call those curses...but whether theyre targeted at anyone in particular or just part of how life is is another another matter. I lean towards just natural course of the earth...and that God always-and i mean always-uses such disastors for His own good in one way or another, to attempt to get someones attention or fulfill prophesy, or whatever.

[Starise]

5 hours ago, The_Patriot21 said:

But i dont really see any of those things as a curse...i mean they could...but they could also be life.

I'm probably overthinking this some. 

I guess I went this direction because family lineages seem so very important in the Bible. I would venture to guess many here don't know anything about their families past a few generations.

Jesus ancestry involved a few unlikely characters that would have been "gentile". That his lineage was protected provincially can not be mistaken, yet his DNA included blood that probably wasn't entirely Jewish. I know this ventures into other topics but I think it's important to note that the savior of the world was not necessarily a 'pure' bloodline. This was both representative and providential.

God used Timothy to assist Paul. Timothy might have been one of the first 'half breeds' to become a disciple of Christ. Bloodline seems to be secondary to the spiritual aspect and the importance of grafting in the gentiles.

So do we discount all family lineage and say it all means nothing or do we say there are implications that can be seen as curses? 

So far as salvation is concerned I personally see a child's progress toward salvation as impeded if they were raised in a family that practices 'majik'. Good examples of this are spirit attachments that follow families. This is a fact, that many of these spirits are generational in who they try to attach to and follow. This is because the family opened the door for them. Mom was a medium or a witch, dad conjured spirits.

I'm not saying the child has no hope of salvation, I'm saying it's a very real distraction and I see it as a family self induced 'curse'.

Imagine going into a room and trying to carry on a conversation with someone while there's a radio turned wide open. Think of this as spiritual interference. These things are trying to get the upper hand. Herein lies a spiritual battle.

- families into voodoo and hexes/curses

-families into the illuminati/skull and bones or similar

-families who are witches and warlocks

-families who are involved into idol worship, Buddhists, Hindu, pantheism, etc

-families who are into false quasi Christian religions that deny or water down the real power and truths of the bible. RCC, LDS, prosperity gospel and similar

- Muslims who deny Christ is the Son of God.

I think in many cases NO EXPOSURE to religion might be preferable to the above since the child has been indoctrinated. Spirits running interference are a part of all false religions. If you partake in a cursed thing you will be cursed and probably your family as well. Maybe a more descriptive term is BLINDED.

 

[Marathoner]

God doesn't account us after this flesh, my friend. As Peter said when he visited with Cornelius,

Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him." (Acts 10:34-35 NKJV)

There is no earthly ethnicity nor worldly nationality in Jesus Christ. 

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29 NKJV)

If one's ancestry mattered, then the Lord wouldn't have called many from every language and nation on earth.  

[The_Patriot21]

On 4/3/2021 at 6:47 AM, Starise said:

I'm probably overthinking this some. 

I guess I went this direction because family lineages seem so very important in the Bible. I would venture to guess many here don't know anything about their families past a few generations.

Jesus ancestry involved a few unlikely characters that would have been "gentile". That his lineage was protected provincially can not be mistaken, yet his DNA included blood that probably wasn't entirely Jewish. I know this ventures into other topics but I think it's important to note that the savior of the world was not necessarily a 'pure' bloodline. This was both representative and providential.

God used Timothy to assist Paul. Timothy might have been one of the first 'half breeds' to become a disciple of Christ. Bloodline seems to be secondary to the spiritual aspect and the importance of grafting in the gentiles.

So do we discount all family lineage and say it all means nothing or do we say there are implications that can be seen as curses? 

So far as salvation is concerned I personally see a child's progress toward salvation as impeded if they were raised in a family that practices 'majik'. Good examples of this are spirit attachments that follow families. This is a fact, that many of these spirits are generational in who they try to attach to and follow. This is because the family opened the door for them. Mom was a medium or a witch, dad conjured spirits.

I'm not saying the child has no hope of salvation, I'm saying it's a very real distraction and I see it as a family self induced 'curse'.

Imagine going into a room and trying to carry on a conversation with someone while there's a radio turned wide open. Think of this as spiritual interference. These things are trying to get the upper hand. Herein lies a spiritual battle.

- families into voodoo and hexes/curses

-families into the illuminati/skull and bones or similar

-families who are witches and warlocks

-families who are involved into idol worship, Buddhists, Hindu, pantheism, etc

-families who are into false quasi Christian religions that deny or water down the real power and truths of the bible. RCC, LDS, prosperity gospel and similar

- Muslims who deny Christ is the Son of God.

I think in many cases NO EXPOSURE to religion might be preferable to the above since the child has been indoctrinated. Spirits running interference are a part of all false religions. If you partake in a cursed thing you will be cursed and probably your family as well. Maybe a more descriptive term is BLINDED.

 

Its the old "nature vs nurture" argument. Are we doomed by dna to follow the same sins as our parents or no...

I would say when it comes down to it....were all cursed. Romans 3:23 says for ALL have sinned and fallen short. And it all goes back to adam. So from that perspective, curses do come down.

However...nurture plays a bigger part then we think. For example a lot of research shows that women tend to be attracted to men who are like their dads...so if their dad is a loser who is in jail for drug use...her chances of ending up with a druggie go up significantly. Not because its in her dna, or her family is cursed, but because of who her role model is.

A son raised by a alcoholic stands a statistically higher chance of becoming a alcoholic. Now one could say the family is cursed because you have a whole line of alcoholics...but the reality is you have a whole line of alcoholics because look at who the kids had as a role model, and no ones managed to break free.

Now you notice i say statistically...because they dont ALL follow in their parents footsteps. If it was truly a curse they all would, but there are many exmples of people who recognize that they dont have to make the same mistakes their parents make and they rise up out of whatever quagmire they are in. Sure theyre still sinners, but they dont make the same sins.

[Starise]

No worries taking awhile to get back @The_Patriot21 I've been busy too. I think you brought out some good points.

I have to watch closely how and what I type or it will end up coming off differently than what I'm attempting to say. I did say this which I need to clarify-

On 4/3/2021 at 8:47 AM, Starise said:

I'm not saying the child has no hope of salvation, I'm saying it's a very real distraction and I see it as a family self induced 'curse'.

I realized I need to back pedal on what I said there. I was under the false impression a curse was just something bad that comes on people. In other words a series of events that can happen as a result of our or our family's action's. I actually expanded the definition of that word into a territory where it doesn't really fit. The true definition of the word has more to do with a predicated, intentional act of malice towards another sometimes evoking another power or powers to carry it out...think spiritual hit man. Voodoo, Hoodoo and other 'black arts' are noted for such things.

In speaking of cursing, the bible tells us about the implications of our own tongue-

 

James 3:8-10 ESV 

But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. 

That means WE can CURSE or BLESS with only that little thing in our mouth.

 

EVEN IF a person or persons is 'cursed' by the strict definition of the term, I don't believe the curse can hold up against the protective power of God. This is where I see a spiritual battle taking place. The devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking who he may devour.

Some of this gets into the area of both bad and good spiritual 'strongholds'. Fortifications of the enemy, many established long ago, some running through family lines and/or staying in areas/locales where the enemy has set up camp.

We as Christians have access to the power of God in our lives to counter any moves of the enemy. 

Strictly speaking, GENERATIONAL CURSES are possible in theory because  entities and people can 'curse' individuals and families which presumably could open 'doorways' or solidify 'strongholds' if access is not blocked or protected by good forces.

That individuals can break free of these things is possible through Christ. We can choose to dam it up or open the dam to evil that affects others around us. Salvation is never withheld from anyone who desires it, yet children born into households that either don't train the child or discourage the pursuit of God through Jesus through either actions or words

I know of no parent that would intentionally 'curse' their child, yet the sins of the fathers can sometimes follow the child through association. In short, mistakes follow us.This affects others.

Are families cursed? 

10 hours ago, The_Patriot21 said:

However...nurture plays a bigger part then we think. For example a lot of research shows that women tend to be attracted to men who are like their dads...so if their dad is a loser who is in jail for drug use...her chances of ending up with a druggie go up significantly. Not because its in her dna, or her family is cursed, but because of who her role model is.

A son raised by a alcoholic stands a statistically higher chance of becoming a alcoholic. Now one could say the family is cursed because you have a whole line of alcoholics...but the reality is you have a whole line of alcoholics because look at who the kids had as a role model, and no ones managed to break free.

Now you notice i say statistically...because they dont ALL follow in their parents footsteps. If it was truly a curse they all would, but there are many exmples of people who recognize that they dont have to make the same mistakes their parents make and they rise up out of whatever quagmire they are in. Sure theyre still sinners, but they dont make the same sins.

I think we all tell ourselves we are going to be a better person than our parents if we experienced a bad childhood. Unfortunately alcohol ran in my family through at least two generations. My dad was a functioning drinker. He could hold a job down, actually excelled at his work, but he would come home change and go right out to the bar. Come stumbling back home late, wash rinse, repeat. Drink seldom made my dad mean, it just robbed lots of family time, wasted money and did his health no good.

During all of that I was still responsible for ME. We can choose how we are going to live. I'm not a blamer so far as blaming my family for my mistakes. To his credit my dad was well liked and he provided. Whenever he talked with me there was usually something wrong with something I had done or not done, so I tried to stay away from him. I very seldom had a conversation just for the sake of a conversation with him. I have to wonder how much different my life might have been if my dad had been a christian and attended church regularly with my mother. In my case this was not meant to be. Even many years later after my mom's death when my dad claimed he had accepted the Lord, he never darkened the doors of any church. 

Maybe in some cases looking at the last generation can be lessons learned for the next. Not that I haven't had my share of woes coming up that my son undoubtedly looks at as things he will do differently.

 

Edited April 5, 2021 by Starise