Author’s Note: This is part of a 40 Day Lenten & Easter YWAP Devotional that explores self-sacrifice as it relates to the death and resurrection of Christ.
DON'T HOLD ONTO WHAT JESUS TOOK AWAY
The other night at a basketball program sponsored by Anointed Athletics, I had an interesting conversation with a Native American man named Joseph. We were sitting on the sidelines waiting to get in the game and he shared with me his story of how he came to be saved in Christ. He also shared how getting saved was only part of the story of removing generational curses from his life.
Accepting Christ into your life is the most important thing you can ever do. There is a great deal to be said about all that Christ has done for us and getting saved is only the beginning. Imagine accepting a Bible as a gift and you put it on a shelf without ever opening it. You'd be missing the power of declaring God's promises over your life. My friend Joseph said he was saved, but not healed from generational curses. At first he was led to believe that once he was saved, all his past was gone. His sin was gone, but the residue of that sin or the generational curses remained until they're removed. He did finally get healed when someone gave him a deeper teaching on the healing that comes with Believing in Jesus. Now he's saved and healed.
It's possible to be saved and remain in bondage to sin. As a saved person who is now a new creature in Christ, we need to allow the Sun of righteousness to arise within us with healing in His wings. All diseases are a result of the fallen condition of man. Generational bondage is repeating the sinful history surrounding you. No matter who hands you sin, you must not pick it up and repeat it. No matter how much you get stabbed in the back, you don't pull the knife out and return the wounds. Letting go is hard, but that's Christ's way of love.
Last Sunday (3-8-20) at Church for The Nations Flagstaff, Pastor Daniel Williamson gave a powerful teaching about Communion. Now you need to understand that I'm an old-head who's been walking with Jesus for many years. Still, my world sometimes gets rocked by new insight and revelations of God's power. Pastor Daniel or PD as folks call him, blasted a home run over the walls of my flesh into the bleachers of my spirit. He talked about the sacrifice of Christ on the cross - His broken body and poured out blood. He gave a very graphic demonstration of how Jesus was whipped 39 times before He was crucified. If you read yesterday's devotion, you would have read about "39 rivers of blood."
I've been intently focused for the last few days on PD's words about the 39 lashes Jesus received and how they represented 39 diseases. The Bible says we are healed through the woundings of Jesus. Some folks will miss the point and argue about the number of disease classifications in the world. None of that matters to me. Here is what does matter. Jesus died for all of my sins. He died for all of your sins. Jesus died for every sin I committed against you. Jesus died for every sin you committed against me. All of our sins were healed through the woundings of Jesus. There is no room for me or you to be wounded when all of the wounds we've caused have been cast upon Him. There's no room in the torn flesh of a wounded Christ for us to continue wounding each other. Jesus doesn't allow it and neither should I.
Through PD, God gave me a revelation that has revolutionized my way of thinking. Anyone who has done me dirty, already has their dirty deeds covered in 39 rivers of blood. I have no right to hold something against them that has already been removed by Christ. While it's true that they owe their debt of repentance to Christ, I must recognize a debt that's already been paid by Christ. Whether they accept it or not is none of my business (unless I can help them in knowing Christ.)
All sin has been covered by the actions of a Father who loved us so much that He allowed His Son to die so that by His stripes we are healed. God desires that none of us should perish so nobody has to. All you have to do is accept that you are healed from your sinful condition by the woundedness of Christ. Jesus granted mercy and grace to me when I didn't deserve it. I don't have any right to pierce those who've committed transgressions against me. I must give mercy and grace as it flows from the 39 rivers of the blood of Christ's forgiveness.
DAY 14 WORD
“But it was because of our rebellious deeds
that he was pierced
and because of our sins
that he was crushed.
He endured the punishment
that made us completely whole,
and in his wounding we found our healing.”
Isaiah 53:5 (TPT)
“He personally carried our sins
in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right.
By his wounds you are healed.”
1 Peter 2:24 (NLT)
HEART THOUGHTS
Forgiveness begins with yourself - for what you have done and what you have failed to do.
HEART REFLECTIONS
Spend a few moments for as many days as you need to let this sink in:
"All of us have sinned. Jesus paid the price for all of our sins.
I have no right to hold onto a debt that's already been paid by Christ."
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.
#ywap40daysofLent #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW
Accepting Christ into your life is the most important thing you can ever do. There is a great deal to be said about all that Christ has done for us and getting saved is only the beginning. Imagine accepting a Bible as a gift and you put it on a shelf without ever opening it. You'd be missing the power of declaring God's promises over your life. My friend Joseph said he was saved, but not healed from generational curses. At first he was led to believe that once he was saved, all his past was gone. His sin was gone, but the residue of that sin or the generational curses remained until they're removed. He did finally get healed when someone gave him a deeper teaching on the healing that comes with Believing in Jesus. Now he's saved and healed.
It's possible to be saved and remain in bondage to sin. As a saved person who is now a new creature in Christ, we need to allow the Sun of righteousness to arise within us with healing in His wings. All diseases are a result of the fallen condition of man. Generational bondage is repeating the sinful history surrounding you. No matter who hands you sin, you must not pick it up and repeat it. No matter how much you get stabbed in the back, you don't pull the knife out and return the wounds. Letting go is hard, but that's Christ's way of love.
Last Sunday (3-8-20) at Church for The Nations Flagstaff, Pastor Daniel Williamson gave a powerful teaching about Communion. Now you need to understand that I'm an old-head who's been walking with Jesus for many years. Still, my world sometimes gets rocked by new insight and revelations of God's power. Pastor Daniel or PD as folks call him, blasted a home run over the walls of my flesh into the bleachers of my spirit. He talked about the sacrifice of Christ on the cross - His broken body and poured out blood. He gave a very graphic demonstration of how Jesus was whipped 39 times before He was crucified. If you read yesterday's devotion, you would have read about "39 rivers of blood."
I've been intently focused for the last few days on PD's words about the 39 lashes Jesus received and how they represented 39 diseases. The Bible says we are healed through the woundings of Jesus. Some folks will miss the point and argue about the number of disease classifications in the world. None of that matters to me. Here is what does matter. Jesus died for all of my sins. He died for all of your sins. Jesus died for every sin I committed against you. Jesus died for every sin you committed against me. All of our sins were healed through the woundings of Jesus. There is no room for me or you to be wounded when all of the wounds we've caused have been cast upon Him. There's no room in the torn flesh of a wounded Christ for us to continue wounding each other. Jesus doesn't allow it and neither should I.
Through PD, God gave me a revelation that has revolutionized my way of thinking. Anyone who has done me dirty, already has their dirty deeds covered in 39 rivers of blood. I have no right to hold something against them that has already been removed by Christ. While it's true that they owe their debt of repentance to Christ, I must recognize a debt that's already been paid by Christ. Whether they accept it or not is none of my business (unless I can help them in knowing Christ.)
All sin has been covered by the actions of a Father who loved us so much that He allowed His Son to die so that by His stripes we are healed. God desires that none of us should perish so nobody has to. All you have to do is accept that you are healed from your sinful condition by the woundedness of Christ. Jesus granted mercy and grace to me when I didn't deserve it. I don't have any right to pierce those who've committed transgressions against me. I must give mercy and grace as it flows from the 39 rivers of the blood of Christ's forgiveness.
DAY 14 WORD
“But it was because of our rebellious deeds
that he was pierced
and because of our sins
that he was crushed.
He endured the punishment
that made us completely whole,
and in his wounding we found our healing.”
Isaiah 53:5 (TPT)
“He personally carried our sins
in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right.
By his wounds you are healed.”
1 Peter 2:24 (NLT)
HEART THOUGHTS
Forgiveness begins with yourself - for what you have done and what you have failed to do.
HEART REFLECTIONS
Spend a few moments for as many days as you need to let this sink in:
"All of us have sinned. Jesus paid the price for all of our sins.
I have no right to hold onto a debt that's already been paid by Christ."
Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.
#ywap40daysofLent #ywap4Christ #JLYASDW
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