Bless and Curse Not
God wants His people, and He told Moses how to pray for Israel (Numbers 6:22-26)
says “and the Lord Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying. Speak to Aaron and to his
sons, saying, on this wise you shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them. The
Lord Yahweh bless you, and keep you. The Lord Yahweh make His face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you. The Lord Yahweh lift up His countenance upon you,
and give you peace”.
Paul in his letters, always started out with a blessing of grace and mercy on the ones
that he was writing too (I Corinthians 1:3, II Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3) “grace be
to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ”. So did
Peter (II Peter 1:2) “grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of
God, and of Jesus our Lord”, and John (II John 3 “grace be with you, mercy, and
peace, from God, the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father,
in truth and love”.
Jesus told us “you have heard that it has been said, you shall love your neighbor,
and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you. That you may be the children of your Father which is I heaven, for He
makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on
the unjust. For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? Do not even
the publicans the same” (Matthew 5:43-46).
As we do this we are putting God’s name upon them (Numbers 6:27) says “and they
shall put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them”.
The Bible tells us how to live in godliness and honesty (I Timothy 2:1-4) “I exhort
therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks,
be made for all men. For kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a
quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. Who will have all en to be saved, and to
come to the knowledge of the truth”.
Jesus prayed for the people who crucified Him (Luke 23:34) “then said Jesus, Father
forgive them for they know not what they do”. Stephen also (Acts 7:60) “and he
kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge, and
when he had said this, he fell asleep”.
When Peter rebuked Jesus about Him going to Jerusalem, Jesus spoke to the devil
that was using him (Matthew 16:21-23) “from that time forth began Jesus to show to
His disciples, how that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders
and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised again the third day. Then
Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying, be it far from You, Lord this shall
not be to You. But He turned, and said to Peter, get you behind Me satan, you are
an offence to Me, for you savor not the things that be of God, but those that be of
men”.
As you bless and pray for those who are used of the devil to bring you an offence,
you defeat the devil because you are able to shake off offences by lifting them up in
prayer. Remember that we do not fight against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:10-13)
“finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the
whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Wherefore, take to you the whole armor of God that you may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand, stand therefore”.
When you don’t, you grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:29-32), which says “let no
corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use
of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of
God, whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath,
and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And
be you kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for
Christ’s sake has forgiven you”.
When you curse others, even if you believe that they deserve it, you are sowing
cursing and it will come back to you (Galatians 6:7-10) “be not deceived, God is not
mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his
flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that sows to the Spirit, shall of the
Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we
shall reap if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all men,
especially to them who are of the household of faith”.
James explains it to us in (James 3:9-12), which says “therewith bless we God, even
the Father, and therewith curse we men, which are made after the likeness of God.
out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things
ought not so to be. Does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and
bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? Either a vine, figs? So can
no fountain both yield salt water, and fresh”.
Let us draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. And let
us consider one another to provoke to love, and to good works. Remember if you
forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. So
let’s not fall into the devil’s trap.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: January 16, 2009
God wants His people, and He told Moses how to pray for Israel (Numbers 6:22-26)
says “and the Lord Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying. Speak to Aaron and to his
sons, saying, on this wise you shall bless the children of Israel, saying to them. The
Lord Yahweh bless you, and keep you. The Lord Yahweh make His face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you. The Lord Yahweh lift up His countenance upon you,
and give you peace”.
Paul in his letters, always started out with a blessing of grace and mercy on the ones
that he was writing too (I Corinthians 1:3, II Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 1:3) “grace be
to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ”. So did
Peter (II Peter 1:2) “grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of
God, and of Jesus our Lord”, and John (II John 3 “grace be with you, mercy, and
peace, from God, the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father,
in truth and love”.
Jesus told us “you have heard that it has been said, you shall love your neighbor,
and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you. That you may be the children of your Father which is I heaven, for He
makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on
the unjust. For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? Do not even
the publicans the same” (Matthew 5:43-46).
As we do this we are putting God’s name upon them (Numbers 6:27) says “and they
shall put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them”.
The Bible tells us how to live in godliness and honesty (I Timothy 2:1-4) “I exhort
therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks,
be made for all men. For kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a
quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and
acceptable in the sight of God our Savior. Who will have all en to be saved, and to
come to the knowledge of the truth”.
Jesus prayed for the people who crucified Him (Luke 23:34) “then said Jesus, Father
forgive them for they know not what they do”. Stephen also (Acts 7:60) “and he
kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge, and
when he had said this, he fell asleep”.
When Peter rebuked Jesus about Him going to Jerusalem, Jesus spoke to the devil
that was using him (Matthew 16:21-23) “from that time forth began Jesus to show to
His disciples, how that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders
and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised again the third day. Then
Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him, saying, be it far from You, Lord this shall
not be to You. But He turned, and said to Peter, get you behind Me satan, you are
an offence to Me, for you savor not the things that be of God, but those that be of
men”.
As you bless and pray for those who are used of the devil to bring you an offence,
you defeat the devil because you are able to shake off offences by lifting them up in
prayer. Remember that we do not fight against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:10-13)
“finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the
whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Wherefore, take to you the whole armor of God that you may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand, stand therefore”.
When you don’t, you grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:29-32), which says “let no
corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use
of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of
God, whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath,
and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And
be you kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for
Christ’s sake has forgiven you”.
When you curse others, even if you believe that they deserve it, you are sowing
cursing and it will come back to you (Galatians 6:7-10) “be not deceived, God is not
mocked, for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his
flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that sows to the Spirit, shall of the
Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we
shall reap if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all men,
especially to them who are of the household of faith”.
James explains it to us in (James 3:9-12), which says “therewith bless we God, even
the Father, and therewith curse we men, which are made after the likeness of God.
out of the same mouth proceeds blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things
ought not so to be. Does a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and
bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? Either a vine, figs? So can
no fountain both yield salt water, and fresh”.
Let us draw near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. And let
us consider one another to provoke to love, and to good works. Remember if you
forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. So
let’s not fall into the devil’s trap.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: January 16, 2009
