Angels on Assignment - Jim Croft

Angels on Assignment

Jim Croft

Hebrews 1:14 "Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?"

Hebrews 13:2 "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels."

Mankind and angels are beings of separate, distinct species. Angels were created in heaven in an age before the world was formed. They have celestial bodies that are superior in strength to humans. (1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Pet. 2:11) The only angels that have wings are the cherubim and seraphim. The cherubs will have two or four and seraphim have six. (1 Kings 6:27; Ezek. 1:6; 10:14; Isa. 6:1-3)

Angels, cherubim, and seraphim are all majestic in appearance and are often frightening. When angels appeared to biblical characters, it was not uncommon for them to encourage them not to be fearful. (Luke 1:13, 30) Angels have a number of functions on behalf of the Kingdom of God and for the good of mankind.

Some continually minister to members of the Godhead with adulations of praise. Others serve as emissaries to deliver specific messages from God to individuals. The majority of the time they minister aspects of God’s mercy to saints and sinners alike.

A common function for angels is to orchestrate situations to coincide the paths of the unconverted with Christians who can direct them to the Cross. When they assist in these matters, they either remain invisible or take on the appearance of mere mortals. My parents and sister, Prudence and I, and our four daughters have encountered angels on numerous occasions.

Angel Balances Car

When I was age 9 and my sister was 5, our family took a trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway of the Smokey Mountains. The weather turned bad and the roads became icy. As we rounded a sharp bend, our 1951 Chrysler skidded off of the road and crashed through its stone guard rail.

We were all dazed. When my father came to his senses, he realized that two-thirds of the car was hanging over a three hundred foot precipice.

He commanded all of us to remain perfectly still until help came. My little sister, Candace, said, “Daddy, I see a big man sitting on the back of our car.”

My father slowly turned around and said, “I don’t see anyone. Are you sure?” Her response was that he was still there. My mother and father spoke at the same time. “It must be the angel of the Lord.”

My parents climbed into the backseat and opened the door that was closest to flat ground. My father got out first and then lifted us all to safety. Shortly afterward, a farmer came along in his truck and pulled the car back onto the road with a chain. Then my sister exclaimed, “The man just jumped off the back of the car!” The kind farmer towed our car to the next village for repairs, and my parents led us all in thanksgiving to God for sending His angel to help us.

The Extra Button

While my parents were living in Atlanta, GA, they had a beautiful home in the Club Drive area. It had a sewing room that was set apart for my mother’s passion for sewing. One of my father’s favorite sport jackets was purchased in Europe. It had leather patches on the sleeves and intricately woven leather buttons.

My father had lost one of the buttons. Mom and Dad searched the house and car and could not find it. My mother uttered a prayer, “Lord, send one of your angels to help me find that button”. Several days later as she passed through the sewing room and saw the button sitting on top of her sewing machine.

She thanked the Lord and then sewed the button back onto the jacket. Later she rationalized that she must have forgotten about putting the button on the sewing machine. Apparently, she was having second thoughts about presuming that God would send an angel to locate anything as insignificant as a button.

Later that day she had to run some errands. As she got into her car, she saw a button on the armrest of her Cadillac. It was identical to the one she had just sewn onto my father’s sports jacket. Apparently, our God who keeps track of the number of hairs on our heads is also interested in the mundane matters of our lives.

Glue stick

Prudence frequently helps people with her interior decorating skills. She designed and constructed a built-in couch for one of her clients. When adding the piping around the edges of the couch she saw that she didn’t have enough glue sticks for her glue gun. As usual she prayed about the matter. She asked the Lord to either stretch her supply of glue within the gun or to send an angel to fetch more glue sticks for her.

Three-quarters through the piping the gun ran out of glue. She checked her tool bag and looked for one that she might have missed and found none. She was preparing to leave to purchase some more sticks and laid the piping down at the end of the couch.

When she did so, she saw a glue stick sitting on the floor. She knew that an angel had put it there, as she had not previously done anything on that end of the couch. She giggled with delight, “Thank you, Mr. Angel.”

You have an Appointment

My father served under General George S. Patton in World War II. As his company was advancing, they routed the Germans from a village in Luxembourg. My Dad’s company took some much-needed R & R after liberating the town. The only person who spoke English was a 14-year-old girl by the name Andrea. She became his interpreter and my father appointed her as the honorary mayor of the city.

Fifty years later my parents made one of their frequent trips to Europe. Their purpose this time was to make a trek through the various cities that my father had liberated. At about 2:00 PM one afternoon they arrived in Andrea’s city. Dad located the family restaurant that Andrea’s parents had owned.

He knocked on the front door and there was no answer. He then went to the back door and knocked. Still there was no response. As he started to walk down the path back to his car, he heard a voice saying, “Captain”.

When he turned around, he saw a 64-year-old woman that he recognized as Mayor Andrea. She said that she had recognized him by his distinct walking gait. It was more-less like a John Wayne swagger

Andrea took my parents to her home and introduced them to her husband. They shared a meal and spent the afternoon in reminiscent small talk. As evening came my Dad led the conversation into spiritual matters. Andrea accepted Jesus as her Savior and Lord.

When it came time for the two couples to part, Andrea’s husband fell into my father’s arms and wept deeply. Then they related the following story. Earlier that day they had been visiting the home of friends who lived about fifty kilometers away in a remote farm area. Andrea and her husband were childless, so no one was informed about their plans of the day’s excursion.

Curiously, a man came to the farm house door and asked to speak with Andrea and her husband. Neither of them knew the man.

He said to them, “You have an appointment at your restaurant today at 2:00 PM. You cannot afford to miss it.” A peculiarity was that there were no cars parked along the road which inferred that he had not come by car.

After delivering the message, he turned and walked away and disappeared from sight. There is no doubt that he was an angel of God that had been sent by the Father to see to it that Andrea would be in the right place at the right time to hear the message of salvation.

A Bible for Narumi

Our third daughter, Holly, was married in August of 1997. One of the wedding guests was a young Japanese woman from Tokyo, Japan. Her name is Narumi Kanazawa. At Christmas time of that year, Narumi requested that we extend an invitation for her to travel from Japan to spend the holidays in our home.

We were delighted to have her, and she began to call us her American Mommy and Daddy. She attended a New Year’s Eve party with Holly and her husband, Chris. During the party, she began to ask questions about Prudence and me.

She expressed that we had something special that she would like to have. Holly told her that we were Christians and that Jesus had brought great peace and many blessings to our lives. Her response was, “I want that to.”

Holly telephoned our oldest daughter, Kari who led Narumi through repentance from sin and a confession that Jesus was God’s Son that He raised from the dead. Prudence and I wept for joy when the girls called us and told us of Narumi’s salvation.

The following morning I awoke with the plan of locating a store to buy Narumi a Japanese Bible. When I went into my office, I picked up a magazine from my shelf and there was a Bible under it. What a wonder, a brand new Bible in the Japanese language. I had never seen it before. Surely one of God’s majestic angels put it there just for her.

Later on, Narumi’s employment as a high fashion photographer led her to relocate to NYC in the following December. She dated a young man there and expressed disappointment that he had not invited her to his family’s home for Christmas.

The fellow defended himself by saying that he thought that as Japanese that she would be Buddhist with no interests in Christian celebrations. Narumi’s response makes me smile to this day.

"I’ll have you know that I’m not Buddhist. I am a born-again Christian and a holy angel of God delivered a Japanese Bible for me to my America Daddy. So there, Mr. Smarty Pants." Narumi parted company with the rude guy and is now happily married with children.

God, do what Holly said

Our daughter Holly’s husband is Chris Van Buren. My father led him to the Lord shortly after they were married. Before coming to Christ, he was a decent man, but had little understanding of spiritual matters. He is continually amazed by the things God does.

He is a cabinetmaker by trade. Recently, he was building a cabinet from driftwood for a client. He had purchased some antique hinges for it at a flea market. He found that after installing one of the hinges that the other was missing. He looked all over the shop and could not find it.

He called Holly and she came and helped him clear everything from the garage in hopes of finding the hinge. The baby began to fuss, so Holly had to abandon the search. As she walked into the house, she said, “Lord, send one of your angels to help Chris find that hinge.”

Chris made another thorough inspection of the entire garage, including the cabinet that needed the hinge. The search yielded no results. In exasperation he said, “God, do what Holly said.” When he turned around, his gaze fell on the cabinet shelf that needed the hinge. The missing hinge was sitting on the shelf that was directly in line with the place on the cabinet’s door where it was to be installed.

Help’s on the Way

Debbie has dated Prudence’s brother, Tim for the past 20 years. Their relationship is not platonic. On a cold snowy day, she went down the basement stairs of her parent’s house to fetch something. There was not anyone else at home. She stumbled early in the descent. She was knocked out when her cheek slammed onto the concrete pavement of the basement.

She came to and found that she was seriously injured and could hardly move. Debbie had numerous broken bones including her jaw and was bleeding profusely. She painfully crawled up the stairs and knocked the phone of its hook with a foot. She had two broken arms and could not dial the phone or speak. She hit 911 with her tongue and then passed out.

Later she gained consciousness and decided to crawl out the front door onto the walk, so that the ambulance would be sure to see her. She laid there for a long while. It was bitter cold and she feared freezing to death, so she made the decision to crawl back into the enclosed porch.

Out of nowhere, a man of about 80-years-of-age appeared right beside her. He knelt and whispered in her ear not to be fearful as help was on the way and then he disappeared.

Debbie spent months recuperating in the hospital. During that time she made inquiries by phone and newspaper notices to locate the old man who had spoken to her. She lives in a small rural town and nobody came forth who had a clue about the man’s identity.

When Debbie told us this story, it proved an undisputable fact: Our God is the Father of Mercies. Every day, all over the world, he sends his holy angles to minister comfort to people who are living less than godly Christian lives.

You Too

I encourage you to imitate my family’s practice of calling on the Lord to send his angels to assist you in your daily life. The situation does not have to be a monumental emergency. Whatever is helpful to you is of importance to God.

Jim Croft  jcm888@comcast.net


Love For His People Editor's Note: Angel photo below added by me.  We have this statue in our home. I like the looks of it.

Steve Martin

Time to Call It In - Won’t somebody help me by standing up to testify & say Amen? Jim Croft

Time to Call It In - Won’t somebody help me by standing up to testify & say Amen?  
Jim Croft  

I have travelled the globe in ministry for over 40 years and have been in well over 40 nations.  The trips were financed by $s from the sacrificial giving of tenderhearted and generous American Christians.  The wonderful saints who have given to ministries like mine have significant untapped funds available to them.

For many, it’s high time to call in funds from that which they have stored in the heavenly accounts over the nations where they sowed for the sake of the furthering the Kingdom.  This is especially so in regard to those who have added to the billions of $s given through the years to impoverished and developing nations.

Curiously, it is apparent that the indigenous ministers and ministries that have been sown into for continuous decades by American ministries have not learned the principles of sowing into those who have blessed them spiritually. (1Cor 9:7-11)  It’s rare for indigenous clergy and churches to reciprocate by giving American ministers offerings.  This is rude protocol that needs correction.

Many claim that the churches of other nations are too poor to give.  That is an unbiblical notion.  No one is too poor to give.  In addition, countless clergymen from many countries regularly fly to the USA to speak at conferences and churches in order to reap humongous offerings from soft-touch American believers.  I have ministered at some of those visitors’ home turf fellowships in afar-off lands.  I have observed at firsthand, that many don’t have the slightest hint of unmet needs.

Without exaggeration, I can say that as often as not, the foreigners have more elaborate homes and well equipped offices than the USA pastors who invite them to speak in the USA.  In many African nations, any pastor that does not have a luxury car and a fulltime chauffer is not considered by his indigenous peers to have achieved full-stride success in ministry.  

It might be said that the people who comprise the US funding base for global missions are as naïve and gullible as they are sweet and generous.  I think they would be quickly sobered if some of the more famous foreign revivalists that minister in their churches were scrutinized by the American News Media.

US Christiana don’t take kindly to learning that funds they gave to bless the poor and neglected in faraway places were primarily used to boost the lifestyles of some clergymen to gaudy levels of extravagance.  Stateside pastors who have been exposed as manipulators for personal gain by the media usually repent and return to their original desire to serve Christ as humble servants.

I am a giver and will continue to give with discretionary cheerfulness to missions, but I am not happy about seeing my countrymen played.  The ability of  US citizens to have been so generous for the purposes of the Kingdom and for disaster victims worldwide for centuries is a blessed privilege more so than a burden.   Nevertheless, the Bible endorses the concept of reciprocal giving.

Churches, ministries and ministers of supposed needy nations that have received from the believers of affluent nations are to have a mindset to give back when their benefactors are going through trials.  This is so that there might be equality. (2Cor 8:13-14)  This principle is a preventative against the believers of one nation endlessly financing the churches of developing nations that have had plenty of time to start exercising faith to be self-supportive and to sow seeds elsewhere.

I cannot believe the hindrance has been poverty and societal idolatry.  We must remember that the Church was launched in a period of harsh religious-political persecution, slavery, widespread poverty, food shortages, high taxation, and cultures satiated with occultism.  Yet, the churches of that day in every nation quickly became self- supporting and sowed into traveling ministries of foreigners.  

We need to ask ourselves why we continually have to support churches in nations that are not directly under political and religious persecution and have a rapidly expanding middleclass.  There are many believers in other nations that are far more dependent on America for their livelihood than they are on faith in God.  This should not be so.

Spiritual slothfulness is rampant in many countries where believers ought to be making faith confessions about what they have sown in order to reap harvests to overcome their circumstance. Shoe now on other Foot Many generous US believers have been going through tough times over the past number of years.  I believe that they have an untapped source from their faithful sowing during times of plenty.

It is the manifold return of all they have sown into foreign missions and ministers throughout the years.  Most conscientious Christians have a huge harvest waiting on them.  All they need do is to wake-up and call it in. Start naming the foreign works and workers that you have sowed into and call in your harvests from them with great expectation.

Please remember that God laid it on your heart to give to them.  It is reasonable and biblical to anticipate that he will lay it on their hearts to bless you.  It is just as possible for God to put your name, your ministry on the heart of someone in a foreign land as it has historically been for him to put their names on your heart.

I’m not speaking from theological theory.  I’ve experienced what I’m speaking about on numerous occasions.  My wife and I had a $5,000 need and we don’t make our needs known to others.  That week a brother from a former political and religious oppressed nation was on a flight to the USA.  The Lord spoke to him about Prudence and me during his journey here.  Upon arrival, he invited us to dinner as I had him countless times when ministering in his nation.  During the meal he told us what the Lord had said and gave us an envelope that contained $5,000 in cash.

On other occasions, my bank has called to say $1,000 or more had been wired into my account.  I recently spoke on this theme to those in my house church.  I led them in a session of “calling it from foreign heavenly bank accounts.”  Within the following week, we received $3,000 from unexpected sources.  I instantly gave $3,400 to a stateside ministry couple who have been struggling for several years.

Am I rich?  No!  There was a day when I piled up thousands in credit card debt to fly to distant ports to minister faith to needy people.  God completely revolutionized my perspective.  I’ve learned that when I’m outrageously generous towards my wife and toward others, God is outrageously generous towards me.

Call It In 

Don’t you think that it is about time for you to call in the treasures you have laid-up in foreign heavenly bank accounts?  The Lord is well able to bring you funds from where you’ve sown abroad.  Or, it might be that he’ll have the funds transferred into someone else’s stateside heavenly storage account who has been predisposed by God’s whisper to share with you.

One way or the other, it will come. Faith demands simplified boldness.

The simplicity is to say, God send money.  The boldness is to not be shy about the amount.  Your Heavenly Father is not staggered by monetary figures.  He is your friend and you have already proven through years of sacrificial giving that you are not greedy.  (Heb 6:10)

Remember, Father God is glorified when the prayers of Jesus’ people are answered. (Jn 15:7-8)  It is one of numerous signs that you are spiritually-minded and are abiding in the Vine.

Call it in!

Jim Croft

jcm888@comcast.net

Editor's Note: 

I wholeheartedly agree with Jim's words, "He is your friend and you have already proven through years of sacrificial giving that you are not greedy.  (Heb 6:10) Remember, Father God is glorified when the prayers of Jesus’ people are answered. (Jn 15:7-8)  It is one of numerous signs that you are spiritually-minded and are abiding in the Vine."

The photo below was added by me (just because I like photos and color!) 

Also, as for the support we provide to our friends in other countries, we have been to their homes. Our good pastor friend in India lives in a three room apartment and sleeps on a cot in Hyderabad. One family in Jerusalem, with four kids, soon to be five, live in a 700 square foot (if that) four room apartment. Another couple in Jerusalemwhom we support monthly live in an apartment provided by the ministry they volunteer with, while having little earthly goods of their own. 

You need to know those whom you are supporting. If you don't, then find ones you do.

Steve Martin

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. And as for our ministry, we do not take funds from the ministry for salaries or office rent. My full time accounting job, and my wife's daycare job provide for our living.

"Wartime Consigliere - You are in a war and you cannot afford to “forget about it”" - Jim Croft

Wartime Consigliere - You are in a war and you cannot afford to “forget about it” 

Jim Croft 

A consigliere is a trusted advisor or counselor to a La Cosa Nosta Don, a Mafia family boss.  The term was first popularized through Mario Puzo’s 1969 mafia crime novel The Godfather.  Robert Duval played the part of the Corleone mafia family’s consigliere, Tom Hagen in the Godfather series of movies.

With some reluctance, I have come to realize that a significant portion of my ministry as a Bible teacher might be described as serving as a type of wartime consigliere for the Body of Christ.  It not easy to focus on this aspect of ministry as my jovial predisposition wants to forget about the war to concentrate on the more pleasant aspects of the faith.

Experience has proven that victory is more likely to be apprehended by those whom I serve if I occasionally emphasize the biblical fact that we are in a war with evil.  To fulfill my calling, I am obligated to encourage all at becoming proactive in talking the battle to the enemy. This article is a brief reminder of the emphasis the New Testament places on the realities of our war.

Wartime Mentality is Biblical 

All avid Bible readers know that the first step of Jesus’ launch into ministry was a mind battle with Satan.   Christ overcame the devil by rebuking him with the Word of God.  That was a single battlefield skirmish and it did not end his war with the evil one.  The Scriptures infer that Satan returned for conflict with Jesus after departing from him for a season. (Lk 4:13)

Jesus trained a total of 82 disciples to assist him in engaging the demonic forces of Satan on the frontlines of the battle for the souls and bodies of mankind.  For the 3.5 years of his ministry, and that of his men, they expelled evil spirits of every sort and healed those who had been wounded by the sicknesses of the enemy.

The Early Churchmen and Christians followed suit and believers will continue to do so until the final battle at the end of the Millennial Reign of Christ.  The Apostle Paul refereed to Christians as soldiers who had been enlisted into God’s army by the Lord. (2Tim 2:3-4)  Throughout the New Testament there are over 325 single verse references that mention Satan and various aspects of our war with him and the schemes of his minions.

Many of the references extend into further verses to explain the nature of the battlefields.   The New Testaments of most Bibles, not counting commentators’ introductory book outlines, have less than 380 pages.  This plus the number references to the Devil and our war with him strongly suggest that a prominent
theme of the New Testament is spiritual warfare.

In a manner of speaking, it might be said that warfare appears on most every page of the New Testament. As a wartime consigliere, I must tell you that you are in a war regardless of whether you feel called to armed service or not.  Do not be alarmed by this.  Acknowledgement that there is a war is not a peculiarity of Christians that flows with Satan’s whispers that emphasis on this spiritual dynamic is weird.  Without understanding who the war is with, the people of world demonstrate daily that they are in a fearsome battle for their lives.

Mankind’s War Footing

As learned behavior performed unconsciously by rote, homemakers purchase anti-bacterial wipes and household disinfectants to protect their families.

Many public thoroughfares have intermittent hand cleansing stations.  The entirety of the Medical and Pharmaceutical industries would be out of work were it not for concerns about every form of disease.   Obama-Care would not have ever been passed were it not for the populations’ preoccupation with the likely-hood of becoming disease stricken.

Insurance companies make billions to hedge against fears of loss of income by death.  Pest control companies exist to keep disease carrying insects and rodents away from homes.  The number of police related TV shows and movies point to mankind’s fascination with the solving of hurtful crimes. All of this demonstrates that the people of the world wittingly and unwittingly indicate that they are in a war.

Believers should not be shy about expressing strategies to overcome the invisible forces that are the instigators of the war with the unsaved as well as the born-again.

Satan Prefers to Kill You Softly

Jesus spoke about how the enemy comes to steal, to kill and to destroy. (Jn 10:10)  Many Christians make the mistake of not becoming proactive in battle until it is obvious that the thief is at work. Too many wait for some sort of tragedy to happen. It is my observation that more often than not, Satan prefers to subtly rob and destroy the joy in believer’s lives slowly rather than to bring about instant death.  It is his delight to bring reproach to the name of Christ by making it appear that faith in Jesus has no benefits.

The destroyer saps away peace and joy by seemingly routine life events. The car needs more work after it just came from the shop.  The kids go berserk on a night that mom and dad anticipated freedom from childcare hassles.  Cyclical yearly ailments strike precisely on time and so forth etc, etc.

The Bible declares that believers will undergo tribulations for righteousness sake.  It is godly to bear up under that type of persecution.  It is quite another to take it patiently when battered by endless events that are solely due to the Devil’s destructive nature.

Jesus gave us instructions in the Lord’s Prayer about how to minimize demonic strategies that are designed to burglarize the Kingdom’s peace and to kill our daily pursuit of reasonable enjoyment of life.  We are to pray for deliverance from evil.  It requires preemptive thought about all of the arenas of life from which the subtle attacks might come. This wartime consigliere suggests that you list all issues of life important to you.

Systematically call for protection from evil in each one at least one time weekly.  Think of it as your use of anti-satanic disinfectant wipes for cleansing possible harm from each area.  I am speaking of the likes of your relationships; your and your children’s health; your employment and savings; accident free motoring; and the function of work and household appliances.

Disinfect Your Mind  

The Bible prophesies that during the end-time battles many will become offended and will depart from the faith. (Matt 24:10-14)  As a wartime consigliere, I have observed that a main way that it happens is when things happen to circumspect Christians that are not supposed to be able to happen.  One is the devastating sicknesses that strike some homes.  The general innuendo of much teaching is that if all spiritual bases are covered, protection from wasting disease happenings are a given.

I think there is a reason for this presumption to often be proved wrong.  The restoration of revelations about divine healing has come in bits and pieces over the past century.   Upon the arrival of a new revelation, whether it is the baptism in the Holy Spirit; breaking curses; deliverance from demons; or whatever, it is preached as though it is a cure all to end all with finality.  The failures that we have all witnessed and that too many have experienced are disheartening.

The secret to not becoming offended is to disinfect your mind with realities from life and the Word of God. There are casualties in all wars.  God has chosen to release revelations about the weaponry of our warfare in a progressive manner through periods of refreshing from his presence. (Acts 3:19-21)

The failures are due to the fact that we claim possession of an entire truth when we have only received the initial revelations about that particular area of warfare.  God is not at fault when we prematurely propagate revelations as complete that are half-baked with incomplete revelations.

Divine healing is not an exact science.  In due time the Lord will divulge the lacking ingredients to give glorious victories where there were once too many failures.  Disinfect your mind with the decision to continue in strong confidence in God’s wisdom.   Those who endure till the end will be saved to see the victories in this life or from heavenly banisters.

Do the best you know how with present revelation and correct and adjust as the Spirit gives clarifying insights that were there all along in the Scriptures.  In Christ, you have an eternal win, win situation.  That is the advice of this wartime consigliere and I am sticking to it.

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Jim Croft

Editor's Note: Artwork of Warrior Lady on the white horse was added by me. It is not part of the original article by Jim Croft. Steve Martin

Jim Croft - Widespread Consequences of Sowing & Reaping

Widespread Consequences of Sowing & Reaping
Jim Croft

The Lord told Noah that there would be seedtime and harvest until the end of this age. I have been shocked by the extent to which the law of sowing and reaping applies to every facet of life. Seeds sown in attitude and interaction with others produce remarkably after like-kind just as they do with plants.

My father and I enjoyed many pleasant rounds of golf after I took up the sport at age 45. However, in his later years he became severely vision impaired and our golf outings frequently featured shameful irritability on my part. It was in the days before I was delivered from an evil spirit of impatience that gave me the temperament of a spoiled 2-year-old.

I resented the break of concentration required to locate the club in Dad's golf bag for his next shot. It was tedious to walk him to where his ball was on the ground and to always have to give him distance and direction for every shot. The endless questions about where his ball went were drudgery.

In ’95, I was rendered legally blind by an airbag in a car wreck. From that time to this, I still golf and am frequently teamed up with complete strangers. I have reaped the embarrassing consequence of having to ask golfers that I just met to do for me what I use to have to do for my father. It is now me who is plaguing players with questions about where my ball went.

What goes around - Comes around

Whatever actions are committed have a way of backfiring. The Canaanite king, Adoni-Bezek had a habit of cutting off the thumbs and big toes of kings that he conquered in battle. 70 of them ate the scraps that fell from his royal buffeting table. When Joshua’s forces captured him, they cut off his thumbs and big toes. Adoni-Bezek bemoaned his former cruelty as he hobbled about and used his fingers like chopsticks to eat for the rest of his life. (Jdg 1:6-7)

Jesus spoke of the principles of sowing and reaping in Lk 6:35-38. We are to imitate the kindness and forgiveness of God. He blesses the ungrateful and the evil as well as the righteous.

With whatever measure we plant positive blessings or, negative curses in our secret conversations and inner judgments about people will be measured back to us in an abundant manner from many directions. Negative conversations and uncharitable inner judgments about us can secretly bombard us long term from multiple sources
.
There are many believers who sit in self-pity wondering about why they hear rumors that numerous people are not speaking well of them. Many notice stiff body language and sense suspicions from those from whom they expect cordiality. This is heavy indication that they need to reflect on what they have sown about the reputation of someone else when not with them. (Mat 7:1-5)

I know of a minister who throughout life sowed harsh criticism about the preaching styles and doctrinal emphasis of ministers who did not suit him. He is now in his declining years and lives as a recluse exposed only to immediate family. All others are hesitant to welcome fellowship with him.

Another pastor was a habitual sheep thief. He sweet-talked, wined and dined the members of other churches. His church had encouraging growth for a while. Then key-people became disenchanted and there was a mass exodus of members. His enticing words to get people in his front door could not keep pace with the swing of the backdoor of his church. His fellowship abruptly ceased to exist.

I must add that this pastor’s church growth program is duplicated around the world. At hearing of a church with problems, the immediate inner response of many pastors is quite different than their first audible response. “I wonder how I can get the names of his church members;” precedes, “That is so sad to hear.”
The declining numbers on church rolls and the relatively fast open-closure rate with start-up churches can partially be attributed to pastoral sowing and reaping payback.

Armchair Ministry Critics

I pity believers that feel obligated to condemn ministries as false that don’t fall within their comfort-zone preference. Personal preference is seldom reflective of God’s view.

The disciples of John the Baptist complained that Jesus was drawing more people for baptism than John. John’s response has broad applications. "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.” (Jn 3:26-27)

Whenever I hear Christians demeaning a particular ministry, I look at the fruit of the ministry. More often than not, there is sound evidence that God has given attestations of his approval. The followers of the ministry are enjoying redemptive benefits and there has been financial abundance sufficient to support the minister and staff for many years.

I have observed that ministries that are innovative and unconventional in approach draw fire. The negativity is rarely about the core beliefs necessary tofunction as a Christian. It is normally about views that are helpful, but non-essential beliefs.

It is legitimate to have differing perspectives and emphasis as the prism of God’s wisdom is multifaceted and has variable interpretations. It is dangerous to be accusatory about motive and to spout ongoing disapproval to all who will listen.

I have shuddered to see what has befallen those who would not refrain from nasty criticisms about ministries that have God’s approval, but not theirs. My concern about possible impending doom is alerted when I hear people condemning ministries that formerly did them good. Proverbs 17:13 says that evil will not depart from the homes of those who return evil for good. I have seen that truth activated in frightening ways in numerous lives.

Facilitate Crop Failure

Many of God’s people need to do some soul searching about what is happening in their lives. They cannot re-gather the negative seeds they have sown. But, they can repent to God about all that they foolishly sowed. In some instances the Holy Spirit dictates that offenders approach those they have shot with secret fiery darts to confess and request forgiveness. God is more than willing to grant crop failure for negative seeds scheduled to come to fruition in the future harvests.

Jim Croft
Boca Raton, FL

Give America a Break – Please Jim Croft

Give America a Break – Please

Jim Croft 

Throughout my Christian experience there has been a peculiarity with increasing numbers of believers that I find mystifying. It is the assertion that political-religious tribulation, economic downturns and natural disasters will bring the unconverted masses to Christ and the churched to greater intensities of dedication to the Lord. Some seem to get what might qualify as a crazed gleam in their eyes when they speak of America’s incoming just deserves. It is as though their oratory is lathered with fervency about impending doom by the haunting cellos and French horns of the Jaws movie score.

The Scriptures, history and candid observation of the Church in oppressed nations do not support the premise that troubles guarantee massive upturns in zeal for the Lord. Incessant pressures are more apt to incite frustrated discouragement that leads to willful departure from the faith. There are relatively few who utilize subjection to life’s various tribulations as reminders of the brevity of this life and that Christians are to live with eternity in mind.

Ancient & Contemporary Observations

There were considerable numbers of Jews left behind in Israel after many had been deported to Babylon for the 70 years of captivity prophesied by Jeremiah. If the concept that trouble invokes righteous behavior is true, there was a serious glitch in the program in that period. The remaining Jews acted even worse while their brethren were captive servants. Many quit speaking Hebrew, intermarried with idol worshipers, and habitually profaned the Law’s regulations. Nehemiah severely rebuked them with cuffs to the head and by jerking out portions of their beards while coercing them to put way their heathen wives. (Neh 13:15-25; Ezra 10:13-19)

The nations surrounding the Mediterranean region were the first evangelized by the Early Church. Christianity flourished for about 7 hundred years until Islam’s jihad hordes rode through butchering any who would not accept Allah and renounce the divinity of Christ. Under Islam, useful Christians were reduced to less than second-class status.

Till this day, many of those nations that were once bastions of Christian witness are still Islamic. The descendants of the first Christians dance in the streets whenever news is heard about a Christianized population suffering blows from Allah’s warriors. The Church did not rise and overcome in countries like Turkey due to the pressures of persecution. Many of the fellowships spoken of in the New Testament were located there.

Turkey’s current population is 25-million. Of that number, the Bible believing Christians of today come in around 3-thousand. This does not indicate that hardships necessarily foster widespread return to the Lord. I have spent decades ministering in impoverished nations and in those under the antichrist thumb of Communism. For the sake of positive press and audience appeal mission reports only focus on the indigenous champions of righteousness in lands beleaguered by hostile politics and poverty. Those who have up-close and personal interaction with broad facets of the Persecuted Church are seldom candid about all that they witness.

Economic hardship does not inevitably produce holiness. The nakedness of poverty creates boredom. The prospects that nothing creative can be accomplished, ignites the challenge of lustful escapades. My experience is that many poverty ridden believers in 3rd world nations have a brand of sanctification that exists from the waist up.

Politically based religious persecution does not always guarantee unified cooperation between different Christian groups. Some of the most divisive attitudes and corrupt activity that I have ever seen amongst churches have been in Communist strongholds. The shameful sins that are found in too many American pastoral leaders and their parishioners are just a prevalent with believers in countries closed to the Gospel.

It would be prudent for those who glamorize what tribulation can allegedly accomplish to keep the words of Jesus in mind. The cares of this life include concerns about creative innovation to better livelihood and the resultant relational upheaval caused by the lack of reasonable provision. These cares have no less capacity to choke out the Word’s productivity than the deceitfulness of riches.

When it comes to desires for more things, the oppressed are ever mindful; perhaps even more so than the affluent. (Matt 13:22: Mk 4:19)

God’s Design

If you were born in the USA or immigrated, it was by divine grace. The Lord sets the boundaries of nations and it is he who ordains the dwellings of men. (Acts 17:26) It is upright to speak about wherever he has placed you with reverential caution. An attitude of gratitude will serve you best for whatever the future holds. It is above my station of revelatory insight to give explanation for all of the reasons that God has designed the end-times to be tribulation ridden. But, I might have revelation about one of the reasons for diverse trials. It pertains to the purifying of the Body of Christ.

I do not think it is accurate to assume that the turbulence is solely designed to bring about experiential holiness in individuals. I am of the opinion that the purification is more so a winnowing separation of chaff personalities from the Body of Christ. It would be tragic for people who have holdover deposits of Adam’s treachery to be participants in the Bridal reign of the Church with Christ throughout the Millennium.

We know that many of the mere mortals who survive the end-time tribulations will be citizens of the kingdom reign. At the close of the thousand years, Satan will be loosed from imprisonment and will beguile many to attempt insurrection against Christ and the Father. It stands to reason that the purification process of this life serves to insure that none of the glorified body equipped members of the Lamb’s Bridal Company will join the forces of Satan in the final battle of this age.

Great News

Testing is not restricted to the lack of material blessings and the temptation to lose peace because of persecution. The peace of God that passes understanding has a history of equipping faith-filled disciples with the ability to triumph in the midst of the harshest of circumstance. In addition, it is God’s custom to bless the faithful with material provision and miracles even when they are undergoing punishment.

He tested Israel in the wilderness with miraculous food and water supply and divine healing. During the Babylonian captivity, he commanded the Israelis to bless the cities in which they dwelt. He promised that as they did so, the cities would prosper and the captives would in turn reap the benefits also. I am confident that believers, who choose faith for America and resist condemning her, will experience greater measures of peace and prosperity than those who persist in woeful prognostications. To give America a break is educated household preservation. It will reap optimum results, no matter what the future holds.

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Jim Croft
jcm888@comcast.net

Those were the Days, but Better are Coming - Jim Croft

Those were the Days, but Better are Coming
Jim Croft

In the early ‘70s Bob Mumford, Derek Prince and Don Basham held weekly teachings at the Governor’s Club in downtown Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The meetings were well attended as the worldwide Charismatic Renewal was in full swing. In ’74 the brothers launched a church called, Good News Fellowship. In September of ’75, Derek asked me to found a satellite branch that became known as Good News Church.

There are many exciting things that I could say about our services. I will only focus on one. It is the prophetic dynamic of our worship. To this day, I still get many comments from aging members and visitors that it was the most memorable time of their Christian experience.

The worship team was comprised of a 10 piece orchestra; at least 4 singers; the worship leader; and a cast of skilled interpretive dancers. Here is a sample of what might occur in most any Sunday service. One of the instrument players would get a spontaneous melody line from the Lord. It was often our cellist, Cheryl or our flutist, Sue. They would play through a melody that had not previously been heard on this planet. The entire orchestra would have revelatory insight for the direction that the piece was going. Whether the essence was classical, country, or rock, it sounded as though it had been rehearsed all week.

At the onset of the second play through, one of the singers would begin to sing lyrics in unknown tongues. After a bit, either one of the platform singers or, perhaps a prophetically inclined parishioner would come to the microphone and sing the lyric’s interpretation in English. At that, the worship singers would all sing in their prayer languages to the same melody line. After a pause, one of them would sing the interpretation.

A new song of the Lord would evolve with chorus and verses. Usually, the entire congregation would unite in singing the chorus. The content of the lyrics could be about the attributes of a member of the Godhead; any imaginable aspect of redemption; and future glories of the Body of Christ. Whether the tone was worshipfully delicate or that of rhythmic praise, the sheen of God’s presence glistened from tearful eyes and smiling faces as each spontaneous installment of verses came forth.

At varying points during these episodes, it was not uncommon for one of the dancers to minister to the Lord in interpretive dance. Their dance was so anointed that the message of the spontaneous song could be discerned without hearing its lyrics.

More Better

Oh’ how I have longed for repeats of those days of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Tonight, I am getting a message in tongues with an interpretation. As I have listened to myself singing several times, the unknown languages seemed to vary, but the interpretations had little variance. I suspect that the message is comprised of more than one language as there do not seem to be the customary repetitions of articles and verbs of a single language. I will give the tongue message with phonetic spelling and then give the interpretation as it comes to me.

Tongues

Et-treach, Wo meek? Et-treach un gaases et-treach un shoeetta zo na tringgal twilla? Ap chan twa gena, bingo eem motetra neech tre mesa dua ing gen. Na peep ean ba twing Sangu Trinco ta timach bosta ean tabchan met ean drunsa twing Sangminyah.

An Interpretation 

Who, I say? Who is this who is created from the nation discounted? It is many people, who will arise and walk the earth united. It is the people of the Living God who will cover the world manifesting the presence of the Spirit of Christ.

That is my hope and I am sticking to it. So be it!

Jim Croft
jcm888@comcast.net

Editor's note: I added the Holy Spirit artwork at the top of this blog page. Steve Martin

Meaningful Questions about Curses and Deliverance from Evil Spirits

Meaningful Questions about 

Curses and Deliverance 

from Evil Spirits

Jim Croft

Questions from Vince

Jim,

I really enjoyed your book, Invisible Enemies: How to recognize and defeat demons. I have been working to get cleaned out. I have also been reading your articles and I am seeking to apply them to myself where needed.

I have some thoughts and questions. As you know, I come from a Vineyard background. This does not make me special, but I embraced the Vineyard’s history of openness to the things of God.

Anyway, I understand the need for forgiveness, repentance and renunciation of the curses listed in the Old Testament and any sowing and reaping effects.Jim, I notice that in the New Testament, there is no indication that the disciples or Jesus required anyone to ask for forgiveness before ministry of healing or deliverance.

Likewise, neither Christ nor the disciples asked anyone to renounce curses before healing. It appears the same pattern exists when they drove out evil spirits. Of course, I am seeking to apply these principals in your articles and book to my life. But I wonder what your thoughts are on these issues?

My Response

Vince – I’m very pleased about your observation of the absence of specific mention of repentance and renouncements in relation to demonic and curse issues in the New Testament and the Early Church. Miracles were performed without explanatory trimmings of that genre. Were you to exhaust yourself by reading all
of my articles, you would find that I’ve pointed out the truths that you have mentioned.

However, I have thoughts about the evolvement of the practices in question.Though the practices are not specifically addressed in “how to instruction” in the New Testament, they can be arrived upon by reasoning about the implications of the entirety of the Bible’s record.

There are many modern evangelistic techniques that we hold dear that are not explicit in the New Testament. Among them are found altar calls for salvation and leading people in prayers where they ask Jesus to come into their hearts to replace self in Lordship on the throne of their hearts. Nonetheless, millions have been born-again through those methods.It is much the same with the evolvement of how we function in the gifts of
words of knowledge, wisdom and discerning of spirits. We have come up with acceptable guesses about function and the Lord grants results.

Repenting of and renouncing sins resultant of curses and any accompanying demons had similar evolution that came from innuendo in both Testaments. We know of a certainty that Jesus, like John the Baptist, preached repentance and that the Lord’s disciples baptized the repentant. Therefore, it is safe to assume that inclination of repentance permeated the atmosphere of Jesus’ presence.

The existence of a particular habitual sin and demonic infestation within a person are evidence that either the Adamic curse or a self-induced curse is in effect. There is a vernacular way to define renouncement. It is verbal or physical indication that a person wants riddance of the curse of a sin and/or a demon.

People made physical indication that they wanted liberation from the aforementioned when they presented themselves to Jesus for healing from affliction.With all of that said I rarely bring up demonic and curse issues during first prayer encounters with people’s sicknesses and negative life situations. I simply pray with faith’s expectation and routinely see positive results.

Countless secular people and many nominal Christians are not familiar with the idea of evil spirit and curse affliction. If introduced prematurely, those concepts can derail attempts for effective ministry. With that in mind, I hesitate to venture more than subtle reference to evil spirits and innuendo about curses when ministering to them. 

The phrasing could go something like this: “I command the aspect of John’s personality that compels him to be excessively confrontational to leave his psyche. (Speaking about demons) If John’s parental guardians exhibited habitual contentious interaction with others, I break ancestral influence in his life. (Pertains to curses)”

It is my conviction that the generic repentance and forgiveness of initial salvation dissolves many curses and puts most demonic entities to flight. I do not bring the possibility of demons and curses to bear, unless a Christian incessantly has the same issues after prayers of faith. In that event, I surmise it is legitimate to do so under an extension of the “confess your faults” clause of James 5:16.

In conclusion, the concept of renouncing curses has become ingrained in the collective psyche of a sector of the Church. Due to this, it is better to address the matter on common ground than to try to stop the momentum of what so many reliable voices assert.

We can offer thanks to the Lord for allowing us innovation in our efforts to see captives of life’s bondages liberate.

jcm888@comcast.net

Note: Following artwork added by blog editor.  :)

Steve Martin

Liberation from Curses and Un-kept Vows - Jim Croft

Editor's Note: Above artwork was added to this teaching by me. We can have victory 

over all the works of the enemy 

through the Blood of Jesus Christ, 

Yehsua HaMashiach. 

Thank you Jim Croft for your many years of life giving teaching, prophetic gifts and love for all the nations. I am glad I know you, and give thanks also for your commitment to Derek Prince Ministries, with your being a member of the Board for over 30+ years.

You, your wife Prudence, and your daughters have been a real blessing to the Church at large.

With our love,

Steve & Laurie Martin
Love For His People, Inc.


Liberation from Curses and Un-kept Vows

This article is for anyone wishing to learn more about ministering deliverance from life’s bondages.  I have used every facet of my gifting to make the complex topic of curses as simple as possible.  That which I have written was adapted from a 3 hour extemporaneous sermon that I recently preached on the Omega Man Radio Show.  The expressions of appreciation from many sectors of the world have been humbling.  I trust it will be helpful for your liberation and for those to whom you minister.

Be blessed and be a blessing,

Jim Croft

Adapted from extemporaneous sermon and interview on the Omega Man 
Internet Radio Show episode 1076 aired 8/21/13 - Jim Croft

The mention of curses brings various thoughts to mind. For some, it is 
Hollywood horror films, The Curse of the Mummy and so forth. Others connect 
curses to seasons of bad luck. It is not unusual for people of our day to consider 
curses mere archaic superstition that has no basis in reality. 

The words curse, curses, cursed and cursing are biblical terms that appear 
161 times in the Old Testament and 17 times in the New Testament. There are 
scores of additional references that imply the enactment and effects of curses 
without specifically mentioning the word curse. 

In modern terminology, curses might be described in the following ways: 
Curses are the troublesome penalties brought upon people for persistent sinful 
behavior. A curse is a verbal denouncement capable of inciting troubles for the 
person targeted by the denouncement. Curses are self-induced hardships spawned 
by flippant negative confessions; foolish vows; and un-kept holy vows. Habitual 
sinful behavior in a given area is in itself a curse and the resultant troublesome 
effects that are activated by the sin are also called curses.

This article will cover how un-kept holy vows; foolish vows and flippant
confessions activate self-induced curses. It will also explain the various types of 
curses; how curses are enacted; the evidence of a curse; and most importantly how 
to stop the effects of almost all curses. 

I say almost, because the effects of one particular curse will not completely 
stop until after the Millennial Reign of Christ. It is the Adamic curse that came 
upon all mankind by Adam and Eve’s fall into deliberate sin. 

Adamic Curse

Adam and Eve were created perfect in spirit, soul and body. They were 
designed for God’s pleasure possessing capability to glorify God through worship 
and by enjoyable two-way interactive fellowship with him. God told the first 
couple that if they sinned, the consequential penalty would be death. That was a 
curse with far reaching implication. 

The chief function of the human spirit is to give life to the soul and physical 
body; and to facilitate human capacity to give God pleasure through adoration and 
by mutually enjoyable fellowship between God and man. The curse of death that 
Adam and Eve experienced after eating the forbidden fruit was immediate, but it 
was not instant physical death. Due to the curse of sin contamination, the first couple’s spirits died to the ability to give God pleasure and glory through worship and enjoyable fellowship 
with him. This curse further polluted their souls with a state of habitual inclination 
to sin. That portion of the Adamic curse inserted sensations of soul that reflect 
guilt; anxious fears and angers; and proclivity for emotional upheaval. It initiated 
pain in childbearing along with vocational troubles in tilling the soil and efforts to 
make a living by other means.

Lastly, Adam and Eve’s previously perfect bodies were made subject to 
corruptive influences. These included genetic alteration that cause birth defects; 
sicknesses; and the process of aging that eventuality brings physical death. All of 
the effects of the Adamic curse upon mankind have been carried by the spirits, 
souls and bodies of mankind and transmitted to every generation since.

God’s remedy for all other types of curses is salvation through faith in the 
atoning blood of Jesus. Relief from routine curses can be apprehended by 
repentance from sin and renunciation committal not to sin again; and by confessing 
that the harmful effects of a particular curse have been vaporized by the blood of 
the Lamb. 

Believers can experience suspension of varying aspects of the Adamic curse 
through healing prayer. For them, the entirety of the Adamic curse and the effects 
of any other unresolved curses will end at the Coming of the Lord when they 
receive glorified bodies. During the Millennial Reign of Christ, they alone will 
posses curse-free, glorified bodies. 

However, there will be a remnant of unconverted mankind that will survive 
the end-times. They will live and beget children during the Millennium. Ordinary 
citizens will still be subject to the varying death effects of spirit, soul and body that 
are evidence of the Adamic curse. This will not end until after the Millennial 
Reign when God proclaims that curses are no more. We will speak more about this later when we cover generational curses.

Symptoms of Curses

Here is a list of some commonly experienced curses that are listed in Deut 
28:16-68 after this warning of 28:15 - “But it shall come to pass, if you do not 
obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments 
and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon 
you and overtake you.”

The harmful effects of Old Covenant curses carry over into the New 
Covenant. However, they are activated by disobedience to New Testament 
principles of behavior rather than by breaking the regulations Old Covenant Laws. 
Confusion and frustration in all you attempt to accomplish (see verse 20)
Defeat by one’s enemies, humiliation at the hand of competitors (see 
verse 25) Groping for reasonable prosperity only to receive disappointing losses (see 
verse 29)

Children ensnared by peer pressures that are contrary to parental values (see 
verse 32)

Chronic sicknesses for which no remedies are found (see verses 35, 59)
Embarrassment about not achieving success levels common with others who 
are afforded similar opportunities and are not more gifted (see verse 37)
Out-of-control indebtedness when income is sufficient to meet all needs (see 
verse 44)

Hostility from spouses toward their mates and children (see verses 54–56)
Homes, businesses and transportation captured by enemies and repossessed
(see verse 63)

Panic attacks, restlessness and insomnia (see verses 65–66)

Dread of day at night, dread of night during the day (see verse 67)

We have all observed Christians as well as the unconverted struggling with 
one or more of the symptoms of the curses listed. It is not uncommon for those 
experiencing the symptoms of curses to battle suicidal thoughts. For many, the 
oppressive circumstances driving them to thoughts of ending their lives are fueled 
by demons within and without.

Overview of Curses

There are seven major categories of curses that have implication in the 
Scriptures. Steps of repentance, renunciation and deliverance from penalties need 
not become repetitive. One or more sessions of physical and emotional healing 
might be required, but that does not indicate that the curse was not deactivated. 

Law of Moses Curses - These curses can fall on anyone born Jewish who 
practices Judaism who is unrepentant about disobedience to any of the Old 
Covenant’s 500+ commands. The curses possible touch every arena of life and are 
listed in Deut 28:15-68. Unfortunately, the penalties can also fall on any 
Messianic Jew or Gentile New Covenant believer who is bewitched and foolish 
enough to reckon that they are responsible to adhere to the Law of Moses.

The remedy is to hide one’s life in the truths of redemption that obliterate 
necessity for adherence to Old Covenant Law. It is permissible to keep various 
Old Covenant ceremonial and dietary laws as a matter of personal preference. 
However, this must not be regarded as a means of righteousness. That puts 
adherents at risk of suffering the curse consequences of breaking the laws beyond 
those of choice preference.

Anti-Semitism’s Curse - Those who curse Jews by demeaning language 
and persecution fall under curses. (Gen 12:3)

Sowing & Reaping Curses – Those who sow the sin of inner judgments 
against others can reap the curse of judgments against them from many people. 
Unforgiveness of man begets the curse of the suspension of God’s forgiveness 
until there is repentant change of attitude. Anyone who plants corruptive practices 
such as sexual sin and actions that damage the human body is apt to reap a harvest 
of corruption. Those who are selfish with their finances cannot expect bountiful 
harvest. Those who sow to the works of the flesh as listed in Gal 5:19-21 will reap 
the penalty of like kind activity against them from others. 

In most cases those who repent are granted divine crop failures for what they 
have sown. However, in circumstances where birth defects are the issue and in 
some instances where physical health has been severely compromised, the crop 
failures do not always materialize.

Curses from un-kept godly vows, flippant vows and silly negative 
confessions – Marriage and baptismal vows should be considered holy. Flippant 
vows would be the likes of, “cross my heart and hope to die.” An example of a 
silly confession is, “I’m so stupid that I can’t ever do anything right.” These are 
very common areas where people invoke the curses spoken against self.

Divorce regrettably happens. Divorcees should repent of their part in 
breaking marriage vows. 

Many people live as though they were never born-again and baptized. Those 
who have not kept the vows stated or implied when immersed in water, must 
repent of and renounce their failures.

Repentance and renunciation of the habit of making flippant vows and silly 
confessions is the cure for the consequences. 

Curses from parental and legitimate authority figures - These are verbal 
denouncements that are taken to heart by young minds and cause them to believe 
lies about their characters and lives. Often these are carried into adulthood. An 
example of this type of curse would be that of a man I know named, Luke.
He came under a lot of work related stress in his early 40s. For over a year, 
Luke experienced panic attacks and accompanying heart attack symptoms. He 
sought medical attention, but it gave no answers. 

The answer came to him in prayer. During his formative years, his mother 
had volatile emotional outbursts. At times, she would scream that she hated Luke 
and wished he had been born dead. He approached his mother about his situation. 
She repented and asked forgiveness. Luke renounced the curse and has not had a 
panic attack since. 

Curses from servants of the Devil – Curses of this genre are rarely 
effective against Christians. That is because a satanic curse cannot fall on anyone 
whom God has not cursed. It cannot happen unless the recipient has in some way 
harbored a sin for which there has been no genuine repentance. God will not 
authorize a curse of this type unless the recipient is engaged in persistent rebellion. 
(Num 23:8, 21, 23)Anyone who has ever received guidance from a fortuneteller and/or dabbled 
in any form of occultism must renounce the activity to liberate their lives from its 
penalties. 

Generational Curses - These are instances where inclination to commit 
particular forms of sin and the consequential penalties pass from one generation to 
the next. Under the New Covenant, generational curses normally manifest where 
children have been directly influenced by a sinful relative. Face to face interaction 
rarely goes beyond two generations back.

The New Covenant is called a better covenant. It is better in that it differs 
from the Old in a wonderful way. Descendants are not held responsible for 
ancestral sins. Believers are new creations in Christ who are forgiven personal sins 
and those of forefathers; and therefore are not subject to the penalties for their
forefather’s transgressions. (Jer 31:29-34; Ezek 18:19-22, 30-32)

There are occasional situations where for unknown reasons aspects of a 
generational curse from a dead relative whom he/she never met can spillover into 
the life of a Christian. The descendant should repent of committing sins like those 
of the ancestor. Then they should specifically name the relative and renounce the 
curse and its consequences that were passed down to them. This can be 
accompanied by expelling demons that incite the sins and whatever types of 
consequential troubles.

The concept of generational curses provokes a deep question: Why would a 
loving God invent such a policy under the Old Covenant? 

It was intended to be a deterrent to disobedience. If a sensitive father 
understands that disobedience can harness his children and grandchildren to 
miserable-go-rounds of sin and the consequences; the father might be more apt to 
live a godly life.

The Adamic Curse & Generational Curses

It is not helpful to give innuendo that life would be free of all curse related 
trials if generational curses were specifically renounced. To varying degrees, 
everyone still has to continually contend with overcoming the curses generated by 
the Fall of Adam. I am making reference to sickness; the effects of aging; 
disruptions in relational harmony; and the like. 

Let us pretend that it is possible to place 10 successive generations of 
paternal and maternal family members in an antiseptic environment. The 
environment is free of all occult contamination; verbal denouncement curses; 
unforgiveness issues; and everything else considered acts of current and ancestral 
sins. 

Even in that event, not a single generation would have guarantee of living a 
life free of incidents of hardship that are routinely attributed to generational curses. No matter how antiseptic an environment is in a spiritual sense; bad things have 
potential to happen. 

This is because in body and soul, even those who possess a new creation 
inner-man of the Spirit, are carriers and transmitters of the Adamic curse. There 
are instances when some aspects of the Adamic curse can be suspended by prayer 
to alleviate suffering. But, it will not be completely eradicated until after the 
Millennium.

Potpourri Statements & Principles

 Christians who concentrate on the dangers of generational curses from 
remote past generations would do well to consider the probability of 
generational forgiveness. I Cor 7:14 says that children are sanctified by the 
faith of just one parent who is a believer. A child can become a circumspect 
believer during the first years of personal sin accountability without ever 
persisting in unrepentant curse spawning sins. The love of God and the 
blood of Jesus at salvation bring forgiveness that covers a multitude of sins. 
This includes the sins and consequential penalties of long past generations. 
If a child born to a born-again parent remains faithful to God from birth 
through adulthood; it is highly likely that they will experience the protection 
of generational forgiveness regardless of the curses on past paternal and 
maternal generations.

 I do not believe that it is spiritually beneficial to suspect a generational sin 
needs to be renounced, unless the consequences of the Adamic curse have 
been ruled out. This would be instances where there are specific signs that a 
Christian is experiencing evidence of a hardship that has intensity unusually 
beyond that routinely experienced by saints and sinners alike.

 The first commandment that has promise is that children should honor their 
parents. This paves the way for them to have long and successful lives. Life 
cannot go well for those who have habitual history of disrespect for their 
parents. (Eph 6:1-2) Mal 4:6 warns that the hearts of fathers must be turned 
toward their children and children toward their fathers, lest the earth be 
smitten with a curse. 

There are segments of our culture where excessive 
percentages of all children are not conceived in wedlock. The fathers 
express no concerns for their children and leave their nurture and sustenance 
to the State. Our suburbs are filled with children whose fathers have 
abdicated fatherhood responsibilities. They try to avoid making even 
minimal child-support payments. In inner-cities and posh neighborhoods, 
there is a vicious cycle of curses fueled by fatherly neglect even with people 
of churchgoing heritage. There is no hope of change for the better until 
fathers turn their hearts toward home. This will encourage children to respect their parents. The curse of children repeating the sins of their fathers 
and suffering the curse penalties will be broken.

 Evil will not depart from the house of those who return evil for good. (Prov 
17:13) This is a curse frequently experienced by Christians who criticize 
members of a former church that they once boasted was of great help. 
Condemning speech is generated when it is the critic’s decision that an 
excuse is needed to hop to another fellowship. Believers must be very 
careful how they handle fellow believers. The Church at large exemplifies 
the wreckage of the lives of members who brought curses upon themselves 
by giving cause for other Christians to question the character of a fellow 
believer. In retrospect, I have been shocked to see the mayhem and 
instances of premature death that can come upon people who are unrepentant 
about breaking this biblical principle. 

 Paul admonished the Corinthian Church that many were weak and sickly 
and that some had died prematurely for disrespecting Holy Communion, the 
Lord’s Supper. This can happen by taking it in a flippant manner soon 
forgetting all that participation implies about living holy lives. Disrespect is 
also exemplified by churches’ infrequent provision of the Eucharist elements 
for believer’s benefit.

 I am not of the opinion that God personally orchestrates every curse 
incident. I believe that the laws of sowing and reaping that God instituted in 
the event of mankind’s fall into sin are the onsite causes for curses.

 The greatest protection against risks of curses of sin and the consequences is 
by having the right attitude about what happens at salvation and subsequent 
water baptism. Identification with Christ in salvation executes the old man 
of sin and produces a new creation in Christ. It says the old me was in 
Christ when he was crucified. 

When he said it was finished and died; that finished sin and curses for me because I died when he died. Identification with Jesus in water baptism symbolizes the burial of the old me and my 
resurrection out of the water as a new creation in Christ. My old nature of 
sin that was subject to curses has been washed down the drain of the 
baptismal font. My old carnal nature is no longer available for seduction by 
the glamour of sin and its consequential curses. You are knocking at the 
door of a new man in Christ whose born-again spirit is incapable of 
generating sins that spawn the troubles associated with curses. That is my 
story and I am sticking to it, so be gone!

Sample Prayer for Divine Crop Failure Intervention

If you have identified fields where you know the seeds of a curse are at 
work; the Lord is willing to grant you divine crop failures. It happens by earnestly 
repenting, confessing any related sins, and by invoking the forgiveness and power of the blood of Jesus Christ. God will cause “crop failures” of curses in the fields 
you have identified.

Here is a sample prayer to help you place that desire before the Lord. It will 
help you express your thoughts to the Lord in a way that will bring His grace and 
help.

Heavenly Father, I come to You in Jesus’ name. I have discovered that I am 
suffering the consequences of denouncements and vows. There are fields within 
my life circumstances that bear the evidences of this. (Name the areas of economic 
and relational stresses and any adverse health conditions, etc.)

Lord, I need for You to intervene on my behalf. I ask for Your help on the 
basis of all that Your Son accomplished for me through His atoning blood. At 
Calvary, He kept His vow of obedience to God’s will. Jesus took all of the 
punishment due me that I might be liberated to enjoy all of the blessings due Him. 
His cleansing blood is Your divine agent to rectify my situation. I declare that His 
blood spoils the cursed harvest that I am experiencing. His blood brings true “crop 
failure” to the consequences of the seeds of curses that were planted in my life.

I declare that I am a new creation in Christ. The denouncements that (name 
the person) uttered against me cannot thrive where Christ’s blood has been applied. 
Due to God’s forgiveness, the vows that I have broken no longer bear witness 
against me. The ill-advised vows that I have made carry no weight in the courts of 
heaven. I thank you that I am forgiven for interweaving flippant vows and antiSemitism into my conversations. 

By Your grace I will not suffer any more consequences. By the authority of Jesus’ name, I command any demonic parasites to leave my soul and body now so that I may be restored to wholeness. So be it in the name of Jesus!

Lord, I humbly accept the truth that Your will for me is spiritual vibrancy, 
mental sharpness, physical health, financial prosperity and relational harmony. 
From this time forward, I know that I will be blessed in all of my endeavors and 
relationships. I thank You, dear Father, for granting me liberation from further 
harvests of any of the seeds of curses that were planted in my life. In Jesus’ name, 
Amen!

Anyone interested in thorough study about this topic and related themes can 
order my book from Amazon.com – Invisible Enemies: How to recognize and 
defeat demons. You will also benefit by reading Derek Prince’s, Blessing or 
Curse: You can choose.

Jim Croft

jcm888@comcast.net