Bless and Do Not Curse

Sep - 18 2015 | By

When God spoke, and said “Let there be Light” there was light, and it was good. As we are saints, set apart and called by the Most High God for His mighty Purposes, we must always remember that in Christ Jesus, our words too have power to do good in this place that we have been sent.

Mat 16:19 – “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

As a shepherd to a homeless flock, I hear much self-deprecation coming out of the mouths of those who are, in fact, actively walking with Jesus and who would not want to displease the King, if they realized that this is precisely what they are doing. They say things like, “I am no saint” or “I can’t be like Jesus” or worse, things like “that is just the way I am” (in regards to some pernicious sinful behavior) or “I don’t have the strength to forgive my mother (or father, friend, brother, partner, wife, husband, cop who arrested me, storekeeper who shortchanged me, you fill in the blank).

When I hear these statements coming from my friends, I like to kindly point out to them that they have just cursed themselves by speaking negatively about a saved and sanctified, called and empowered child of the Family of God. I also point out that the reason it is not pleasing to God when we do this is because it ties His Hands from blessing and renders His servant (ourselves) ineffective in the tasks and trials we have been given to do.

Eph. 2:10 – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Worse yet, I hear many of my friends who are walking Believers, even my pastor friends, speak curses like “well, you know that one is never going to change” or “I hope they get what is coming to them” or “Obama is the Anti-Christ”.

Right now you may be thinking, what’s wrong with saying that? Here’s what I believe. If we believe as our Lord says that every person in Christ is a New Creation and if He is working in each of us to conform us into the image of Jesus, then who are we to curse ourselves and each other with the voice God gave us to pray and to bless. He also called us to submit under those He puts in authority and to pray for our leaders. Whoever they are, let’s do that. God can change a heart, if a heart is only willing to be changed. Let us pray down the walls of the enemy instead of throwing at each other the bricks he has handed us!

We as christians (little Christs) have been called to enlighten, encourage, exhort (in love), pray for and bless the Body of Christ (each other). Why would we curse with our mouths those we are called to bear with in love? Truthfully, the answer is often found in the way we are taught, and how we apply ourselves to God’s Word. Many “religious” Christians like to apply John 3:16 to themselves as if it were a badge that gets them into Heaven, but they have never read, been taught, or understood 1 John 3:16 which tells us “By this we know what love is, that Jesus laid down His Life for us and so we ought to lay down our lives for each other.” It is in this verse that we see that we are not called just to receive the Love of God but to distribute it as well.

On another note, we have been called to be a “Light and salt” in this dark and tasteless world to the unbelievers. We must also speak encouragement and reveal our faith in a Holy and Righteous, as well as a loving God by our words and as well as our deeds. I have always had the desire and ability to look for the good in a person and thereby, to find it. My mom, a wise and loving Jewish woman, taught me that if you look for the good in a person, you will find it, and that is how they will treat you, but if you look for the bad in the same person, look out, because you will find that, and it will not be pretty.

I apply this great truth as a pastor. When I minister to a large (or small) group of homeless folks coming to eat a free meal, not all of them are Believers, and some want nothing to do with the Word of God, but I greet each one personally, and offer them a kind word of blessing or an offer of prayer as if they are a Believer. It is VERY rarely that someone will not appreciate the blessing of a word or the personal touch of kindness that comes from the Holy Spirit through the submitted saint. Many of these, who go on to give their lives to Christ, reveal to me afterwards that when we first met they were unbelievers, or actively enemies of God, but they liked the way they felt when they received a blessing from me and it set them on a path to seek God because of that. Of course, the Lord sent others to them, and arranged many trials and encounters in their lives that brought them to faith along their journey. God’s Plan is perfect and has many moving parts. Romans 8:28 assures us of this. This is one reason why He deserves ALL the Glory.

Just know… If you are a lover of Jesus and those He calls you to, you can be effective as one who blesses, a prayer-warrior, an encourager of the brethren, a friend and a soldier in God’s Army for good. You have the choice to use your words for good or evil. Listen saint… Bless and do not curse.

John Henry Raskin – Roadhouse Rabbi
August 18,2015

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