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BETWEEN
THE BLESSINGS AND THE CURSES
2/7/00
Hi Loved
Ones,
I came
across an interesting section of scripture the other
day. The spiritual and prophetic parable leaped off the
page and grabbed my heart.
Prior to
crossing into the promised land, Moses told the people
they would be given the choice between God’s blessing or
God’s curse. To make the point very clear, he told them
that after they crossed over, 6 tribes would stand upon
Mt Gerizim proclaiming blessings and 6 tribes would
stand upon Mt Ebal proclaiming curses. (Deut 11:26-32,
Deut 27:11-14, Josh 8:33-35)
These
two mountains stood one to the north and the other to
the south of a narrow valley cutting through the
mountain range. This valley carved a main north-south
road that ran between the two mountains making Mt
Gerizim (about 2500-2800 feet) a strategic military
importance. This valley of Shechem between was about 3
miles long and narrow enough to hear voices between the
two mountains.
In this
valley between the divided tribes stood the ark of God
and the Levites, the priests. They were to literally
stand between the blessings and the cursings, shouting
the curses and blessings of the law. As I read this
suddenly something very personal and very prophetic
became quite clear.
A
FORERUNNER IN BATTLE
As a
background to what I am about to share: in 1984 when I
received my supernatural calling from the Lord (15 years
after I became a Christian) the Lord planted in my heart
a burning and passion to pursue Him. He launched me into
dreams and visions and my life became a red-hot pursuit
of Him. I discovered in the process that I had an enemy
that did not want me to succeed in my pursuit and
suddenly opposition came from every side.
It has
been a very long uphill journey overcoming a step at a
time. The Lord has kept me safe within His hedge
allowing allotted degrees of warfare. He gave me the
understanding and the faith to stand upon the scripture:
"For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that
they should come against Israel in battle, that He might
utterly destroy them, and that they might receive no
mercy, but that He might destroy them, as the LORD had
commanded Moses." (Josh 11:20 NKJV) I didn’t like this,
but I accepted it, grateful for the enlightenment.
It is
important to note that as an intercessor, I do not go
after principalities and fight offensive battles. To do
so is sure presumption and certain doom without the
command of the Lord. In certain seasons I have had
intercessory assignments where principalities have
opposed me at night time. I have stood in these
incidents and seen some wonderful dynamic clashes of
lightening as opposing forces fight, while in my weak
flesh I merely speak His Name or Word, or take simple
authority over such. We are called to do our part and
the warring angels do the rest as we stand in faith. On
a number of occasions I have wrestled in hand to hand
combat with these rulers ("For we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Eph
6:12) and have come to appreciate that Paul certainly
knew this wrestling experience.
In all
of these assignments, they have lasted for seasons, some
longer than others, always sprinkled with blessings and
the keeping power of Him Whom I love, and intimacy with
Him. I have learned to trust that He totally equips us
with exactly what we need to stand and stay within Him.
Every assignment, although some very difficult and
lengthy, has ended in victory as He has commanded it.
Such is the background for what I am about to tell you.
Within
the past year I have had 3 occasions, lasting a total of
several weeks, where a principality of cursing opposed
me. It was like nothing I had ever stood against before,
for this was a blatant attack during the daylight hours
directly against my thoughts. My spiritual ears would
open and I could hear him curse myself and others,
hundreds and hundreds of times, over and over again. It
got to the point where as I walked in public places I
knew who was a Christian and who was not, merely by
hearing the curses hurled against them! It was the most
difficult battle I have ever faced. I did everything to
stand against this horrific onslaught. I want to briefly
share some of the ways I stood, to pass on some tools,
but this is not the point of this posting.
I bound
him in Jesus Name. I said whom God has blessed, you
cannot curse. I told him that no matter how tiny I was,
and how tall he was, he was doomed to fall because I
stood not in my own power, but in the power of Jesus
Christ. I told him he had no authority against Jesus
Christ. I poured the blood of Jesus Christ all over his
head. I commanded double portion blessings upon each and
every person he cursed. I said he had no authority
except what God Himself had ordained, in order that he
might be destroyed. I did self inspection, repenting of
any unknown sins, searched my home to make sure there
was nothing offensive to the Lord, and fasted the ol’
flesh. I submitted to the covering and prayers of those
whom the Lord has called me to be personally accountable
to. I called upon the Lord’s help, I loosed the warring
angels to stand strong against this big dude. I
commanded the curses to be null and void in Jesus Name.
I sent the curses to be chained in the abyss to await
their judgment. I sent the curses to the feet of Jesus
to be held captive. I placed the curses under my feet in
Jesus Name. You name it, it did it.
TAKING
THOUGHTS CAPTIVE
Paul
understood the spiritual battle: "For though we walk in
the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God
for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and
every high thing that exalts itself against the
knowledge of God, BRINGING EVERY THOUGHT INTO CAPTIVITY
TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST, and being ready to punish
all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled." (2
Cor 10:3-6 NKJV)
I tried
to command every thought, every curse I heard to be held
captive in Jesus Name. Sometimes they came so fast and
furious, it was literally impossible, and so I would
take authority over all the curses since the last time I
sent them to be judged. Many, many times I felt as
though I was getting nowhere. But I knew that when my
obedience in warfare, intercession and my own walk was
fulfilled, these curses would receive their punishment.
THE
REWARD
As the
days turned into weeks I became very weary. In the final
week of battle some interesting things took place. I
started wondering how tall this dude was. I knew he was
at least as tall as a mountain. And once again, I said
it didn’t matter how tiny I was, he was doomed. That
night I was taken up into hand to hand wrestling with
him and the Lord opened my eyes. We were miles above
ground. Somehow, it didn’t matter to me. I knew it was
only a matter of time, he was doomed. That week
something wonderful happened. I began to get very
discouraged! I started to complain to the Lord and said,
"Lord where is my reward for having to hear all of this
terrible cursing?" I suddenly thought that He has given
us the nations for our inheritance, if we ask.
Psalms 2
(NKJV)
"Why do
the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The
kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take
counsel together, against the LORD and against His
anointed, saying, "Let us break their bonds in pieces
and cast away their cords from us." He who sits in the
heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in
derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and
distress them in His deep displeasure: "Yet I have set
My king on My holy hill of Zion." "I will declare the
decree: The LORD has said to me, 'You are My Son, today
I have begotten You. ASK OF ME, AND I WILL GIVE YOU THE
NATIONS FOR YOUR INHERITANCE, AND THE ENDS OF THE EARTH
FOR YOUR POSSESSION. You shall break them with a rod of
iron; you shall dash them to pieces like a potter's
vessel.' "Now therefore, be wise, O kings; be
instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with
fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He
be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is
kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put
their trust in Him."
As I
pondered this, I began to get very excited. I asked the
Lord for 100 souls for every curse I had heard! I
immediately heard another barrage of curses. Each and
every curse, I stood against and said, "That’s 100 souls
in Jesus Name!" "That’s another 100 souls in Jesus
Name." "There’s another 100 souls!" In a few minutes I
had over 1000 souls. My heart leaped and I started
rejoicing. I was seeing a sea of faces. I became so
excited at every curse I heard, that I actually started
thanking the enemy for another 100 souls! I became a
fanatic for souls, rejoicing with every curse!!!! I have
to tell you, with no bells or whistles the curses
fizzled out that week as I stood against their dwindling
numbers, with my rejoicing of each 100 added to the
list. In a few short days, all became quiet.
THE
PARABLE
In the
past year as Words of the Lord have come through various
sources, we have heard the voices of coming judgment and
glory. These are the curses and the blessings. The
intercessors have stood in between declaring, "Oh God
how we have fallen! Turn us around and let us enter Your
glory!"
In the
day of Joshua, the divided tribes were in the high
places declaring blessings and cursings. This was going
on over the heads of the Levites in the valley, those
who carried the ark of God. I consider this a parable,
where the high places are the spirituals where the
blessings and curses are spoken and the angels and
demons bring to pass the spoken Words. The Levites had a
Word war going on above their heads!
OUR
CHOICES IN THE DAYS TO COME
What I
went through was a parable and a forerunner of what is
to come. In the days to come, we each will have our
portion of warfare and battle. Together we fight against
common enemies and together we will utterly destroy
these giants. For truly at the turn of the year, I knew
we had come into the land of giants. This one of cursing
opposes us day and night, whether or not we hear. I wish
I could say this giant is dissolved and completely
destroyed. He is not, for even though the Lord has
closed my ears and hedge to his barrage, I can still
feel him behind my invisible shield. His authority to
curse the body of Christ comes from our disobedience! As
we come into this new land of promises, depending upon
our own choices, we will receive blessings or curses.
Deut
28:1-10 TLB
"If you
fully obey all of these commandments of the Lord your
God, the laws I am declaring to you today, God will
transform you into the greatest nation in the world.
These are the blessings that will come upon you:
Blessings in the city,
Blessings in the field;
Many
children,
Ample
crops,
Large
flocks and herds;
Blessings of fruit and bread;
Blessings when you come in,
Blessings when you go out.
"The
Lord will defeat your enemies before you; they will
march out together against you but scatter before you in
seven directions! The Lord will bless you with good
crops and healthy cattle, and prosper everything you do
when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving
you. He will change you into a holy people dedicated to
himself; this he has promised to do if you will only
obey him and walk in his ways. All the nations in the
world shall see that you belong to the Lord, and they
will stand in awe."
Deut
28:15-21 TLB
"If you
won't listen to the Lord your God and won't obey these
laws I am giving you today, then all of these curses
shall come upon you:
Curses
in the city,
Curses
in the fields,
Curses
on your fruit and bread,
The
curse of barren wombs,
Curses
upon your crops,
Curses
upon the fertility of your cattle and flocks,
Curses
when you come in,
Curses
when you go out.
"For the
Lord himself will send his personal curse upon you. You
will be confused and a failure in everything you do,
until at last you are destroyed because of the sin of
forsaking him. He will send disease among you until you
are destroyed from the face of the land you are about to
enter and possess."
Beloved
of the Lord, if ever there was a more serious time to
get our lives in line with Him and become holy people
set apart unto Him — it is now.
Lovingly,
Sandy
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