Introduction
The theme is “Release from the Curse.” And this contains truths which God has been teaching me largely, I would say, in the last five years. Truths which have revolutionized my own life and the lives of countless other people to whom I’ve been privileged to minister this truth. In some areas where I’ve ministered, when I have asked people at the end of the message if they want to avail themselves of what God offers through this truth, I would say ninety-five percent of the people have responded. And we have seen the most dramatic changes in people.
I remember speaking in Zambia in central Africa several years ago now. I taught this theme and at the end a man came up to me, and Africans are basically not wealthy, but he was a well dressed, educated man. He threw himself on the ground at my feet and would have kissed my feet if I would have allowed him to. Then he stood up—and he was probably about forty years of age—and he said, “All my life I’ve been in pain and I’ve been miserable. I haven’t known one happy day.” But he said, “Since I prayed that prayer with you, everything has changed in me. I’m totally free from pain, I’m a different person.”
So, this is a message that has power. It’s appropriate to turn to Galatians 3:13–14 as a basis for this message. Galatians 3:13–14:
“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one who hangs on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
Those verses reveal an exchange that took place when Jesus hung on the cross. It states in the Old Testament in the book of Leviticus that anyone who dies by hanging on a tree is a curse. And so when Jesus hung on the tree that was the cross He became a curse. What took place was a divinely ordained exchange which is clearly stated in these verses. Jesus took upon Himself the curse, every curse, due to us that we might be redeemed from the curse and enter into the blessing which God has prepared for His people. So there is a very simple practical exchange. Jesus became a curse that we might receive the blessing.
In order to make this real to you I invite you to join with me in saying that. And I’d like you to use your hands; your left hand for the bad thing, your right hand for the good thing. Watch me once and then we’ll do it together. “Jesus became a curse that we might receive the blessing.” Okay? Now remember, your left hand is opposite my right so don’t get confused by me. And don’t hit your neighbor on the nose but just do it tactfully! Are you ready? “Jesus became a curse that we might receive the blessing.”
What I’m going to do now is explain to you the nature of curses and blessings. These are two major themes of Scripture. I think the word bless in various forms occurs about 600 times in the Bible. And the word curse probably nearly half that number of times. But I have learned by experience that most of God’s people are not really familiar with the nature of curses and blessings. I believe it’s the purpose of God that through the redemption in Christ we should be released from curses and enjoy the blessings. But wherever I travel I find many of God’s people who are enduring curses when they should be enjoying blessings. One main reason is they don’t know how to recognize what’s a curse and what’s a blessing.
The second reason is that even if they recognize it they may not know how to be released from the curse and entered into the blessing. So let me begin by offering you a simple definition of blessings and curses. Both of them are vehicles of supernatural power. It’s very important to understand we’re not dealing with something that’s purely natural. It goes beyond the natural. They are vehicles of supernatural power for good if they’re blessings, for evil if they’re curses. And one characteristic feature of them is that very frequently they’ll continue on from generation to generation. Often until somebody knows how to cut them off if they’re curses. The result of that is that many people—and some of you are here tonight—are enduring in your life consequences of things that may have taken place many generations ago. And you have to trace your problem to its source and take the appropriate action in order to be released.
