The Curse of Trusting in Man

Blessings are part of the Christian life and faith. Blessings are also part of the culture of the kingdom of God. People like the idea of blessings but seldom consider the consequences of sin. The Bible lets us know that the wages of sin are death. It also tells us that a man reaps what he sows. Scripture says, "The curse without cause shall not come." Yet curses with a cause will. Here are six curses looking for a cause.

1. TRUSTING IN MAN

"Thus saith the LORD: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land not inhabited." (Jeremiah 17:5-6)

Jehovah is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). Oprah Winfrey claimed this verse turned her away from Christianity. She is the host of the highest-rated talk show in television history, which has 132 countries and 15 million daily viewers.Winfrey started her own New Age church because she believes in a mystical New Age god, calling it a force. She said, "The force, I call it God." Trusting in the spiritual self is nothing more than a perverted form of religious humanism cloaked in spiritualism. Oprah often weaves bible verses into her teachings, but clearly holds to a misdirected view of God. If God does not direct a person through His Word, then the only things left are humanistic inner voices, twisted antinomian mysticism, or familiar spirits to provide guidance.

On one program with new age authors Betty Eadie, Sophy Burnham, and Dannion Brinkley, Winfrey alluded to the book "Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn, saying, "One of the biggest mistakes humans make is to believe that there is only one way. Actually, there are many diverse paths leading to what you call God." A Christian in the audience corrected her, saying that Jesus was the only way to God. The panel was upset, to say the least. Oprah responded, "There couldn't possibly be only one way. Does God care about your heart or whether you called His Son Jesus?"

The point is that man can’t save himself; he needs a savior. Only Christ can fill that role. He is King of kings and Lord of lords. Scripture confirms that Oprah is wrong: "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

2. FALSE MINISTERS ARE NOT CALLED BY GOD

"Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully." (Jeremiah 48:10)

Not every minister of the gospel has received God's call and approval.Some have departed from the faith, teaching deceitful doctrines of devils (1 Timothy 4:1). One young man told me of a network of these Janus-faced preachers. He wanted to repent and renounce his involvement. He said the purpose of their conferences was only to raise money, not to advance the ministry of Christ. After services, they divide the offerings among themselves. These ministers are cursed. Avoid their gospel shows and performances at all costs. Don't go to their meetings or send them any money. The Holy Ghost is not with them.

3. GIVING CORRUPTED OFFERINGS TO THE LORD

"Cursed be the liar who has a male in his flock, makes a vow, and offers a bad thing to the Lord as a sacrifice, for I am a great king, says the LORD of Hosts, and my name is terrifying to the nations."(Malachi 1:14)

You don’t give the Lord sullied offerings. One time a man knocked on the church office door. He said, "Pastor, I am on my way to the dump with these items on my truck. Come out to the parking lot and see if there is anything you might want." I replied, "Sir, what makes you think God would want anything you are taking to the trash?"

4. NOT GIVING GOD ALL THE GLORY

"And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart." (Malachi 2:1-2)

One who believes prosperity and success are because of his own intelligence or brilliance will face plenty of spiritual adversity. Jesus said apart from me you can do nothing. Another verse cautions us not to think too highly of ourselves or to forget our source of blessings. "When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD, thy God, for the good land which he hath given thee. Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses and dwelt therein; and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold are multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied, then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage" (Deuteronomy 8:10-14).

5. NOT TITHING

"Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse, for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3:8-10)

Jehovah was concerned for His covenant people. They were cursed with a curse. The tithe is described in Lev. 27:30–33. God claims a tenth of all produce or production as His due and has set aside or made holy for Him.Christ did not repeal tithing, nor did he condemn the Pharisees for tithing. He said, "These ought you to have done, and not to leave the others undone," meaning "the weightier matters of the law, judgment (justice), mercy, and faith" (Matthew 23:23). Paying tithes demonstrates your oath of allegiance to Jehovah, who owns all the cattle on a thousand hills. The earth is the Lord's, and all that is therein is fullness.

The Holy Spirit told me that "tithing is for believers." That’s a simple yet profound answer to the question. Jehovah was clear that this curse could be broken by returning to Him with tithes and offerings. Obedience to tithing not only broke the curse but also brought blessings. God promised to rebuke the devourer for their sake and open the windows of heaven.

6. SEXUAL SINS

"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, nor were they thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like corruptible men, birds, four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies among themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever? Amen. For this cause, God gave them up to vile affections, for even their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error, which was meet. And because they did not want to keep God in their minds, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things that are not convenient: being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, spiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding. "Who, knowing the judgment of God, knows that those who commit such things are worthy of death, not only do they but have pleasure in doing them, knowing that they are worthy of death, not only do they but have pleasure in doing them, knowing that they are worthy," (Romans 1:21-32)

Sexual sins such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, and lesbianism lead to destruction. As one practices these things, God gives them over to uncleanness and reprobate minds. The nexus of all these sins is separation from God, which is the doorway to generational curses.

Curses look for a cause. As already said, "The curse without cause shall not come" (Proverbs 26:2). Family curses are the result of sin or someone in the family rebelling against God. Rebellion discharges curses down the family tree. The good news is that every curse can be broken through prayer, repentance, and the atoning blood of Christ.

Your partner,

(c) Apostle Jonas Clark
www.jonasclark.com