AMEN, AMEN, and AMEN
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2009 6:23 PM
Subject: Curses Via Email
> Curses Via Email
>
> By Phil Scovell
>
>
> Now, don't become offended, or take it personally, as you
> read this article. It is something I have been prayerfully
> considering for a long time. Now just seems to be the time to
> write about it because I believe it is a spiritually important
> topic.
>
> I know everyone with an email address has received Christian
> related email messages which tell a wonderful story. I have read
> these for years. These messages are often clones of the secular
> type which normally end with a tag line which reads, "If you don't
> forward this to your 10 best friends within 5 days, you will
> experience bad luck for a month." Sometimes it will say just the
> opposite, that is, you will have amazingly good luck for a week.
> The Christian ones, or those that appear Christian in nature,
> normally have a kinder and gentler suggestion that you won't be a
> very good Christian if you don't forward the message. The
> variables on this theme are endless and I have literally seen
> hundreds of them.
>
> The Christian stories have always intrigued me. I mean, they
> sound true, they feel good, they are often stories of miracles, or
> cute innocent reminders of a big God somewhere up in the sky that
> loves you, but when you hit the tag line, wham! You are belted
> with a threat. For example, "If you believe in prayer, forward
> this message to your friends." So if you don't, you aren't a
> believer in prayer? "If you want to really experience God's
> love, forward this message." Meaning, of course, if you don't,
> you won't experience God's love? "Forward this message and don't
> break the circle,"" Meaning, if you don't send it to others, you,
> you and you alone, have broken the circle? Again, they vary
> limitlessly but they all sound somehow threatening. The question
> is not, "Is the story real," but what is behind the message tag
> line. I do believe it is a curse, of sorts, which is very
> likely, in most cases, initiated by someone who doesn't believe
> in the salvitic message of the Bible and wants to see their own
> message come back a couple of months later to get a good belly
> laugh at Christians. At the very least, it is a passive form of
> control, or manipulation, and those who participate are engaging
> in acts of superstitious beliefs.
>
> Note.
> Definition of Superstition.
> 1. An irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance
> not logically related to a course of events influences its
> outcome.
> 2.
> a. A belief, practice, or rite irrationally maintained by
> ignorance of the laws of nature or by faith in magic or chance.
> b. A fearful or abject state of mind resulting from such
> ignorance or irrationality.
> c. Idolatry.
> (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth
> Edition copyright -2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in
> 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company).
> End of note.
>
>
>
> More sinister, in my opinion, is the curse that is delivered
> with the good old Christian story for which I have already stated
> examples. Is it really a curse? Good question. Those who
> fiddle around with the unseen world have no problem believing it
> is a curse that works. Christians, on the other hand, think it
> is just good Christian works playing itself out on the global
> internet and reaching millions of souls for Christ. I consider
> them a story with a curse. Yes, I have forwarded them on myself
> over the years so don't get your tail in a knot because I am not
> criticizing anybody. The question that comes to my mind asks, "Is
> it wrong to forward the message?" I believe it is more than
> possible that the suggestiveness of the tagline is a passive form
> of executing a curse. The harsher ones, those that threaten bad
> luck and the like, may fall into more spiritually harmful
> categories such as hexes and spells. Then again, as Christians,
> we don't believe in such evil things today, so what do we do? We
> forward the message right on.
>
> Let's look to the Bible for confirmation of what I am saying.
>
> John 5:1-9
> 1 After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to
> Jerusalem.
> 2 Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is
> called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.
> 3 In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind,
> halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
> 4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and
> troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of
> the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
> 5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and
> eight years.
> 6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long
> time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
> 7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the
> water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am
> coming, another steppeth down before me.
> 8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
> 9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed,
> and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
>
> Many years ago, it was discovered that there was an
> underground spring which fed this pool of water. Occasionally,
> therefore, the water passing beneath the pool released air into
> the pool and the water appeared to be mysteriously moving by an
> unseen hand. A religion developed out of it, a superstition, if
> you will, that whoever made into the water the second it began to
> move, would be healed. There is never any Biblical confirmation
> that a single person was ever healed at this pool in this manner.
> Yes, it is possible, that God Himself did send an angel down to
> this pool occasionally in order that people could be heal, too, so
> I am not eliminating that possibility but if God was doing that,
> then why did Jesus need to come an intervene? Yes, it says that
> the man reported, "I have no man to put me into the water," but
> you will note, Jesus didn't offer to assist him; Jesus healed him
> outright. The only question Jesus asked the lame man is if he
> wished to be made whole. Likely the man thought, "Finally.
> Someone to help me into the water." He was wrong. Jesus healed
> the man by His own spoken Words. The Biblical truth is clear; it
> is in the Lord, and in nothing else, we should believe. If you
> don't believe the Enemy works consistently in attempting to gain a
> foothold in your life in any way possible, you have just exposed
> yourself as a willing target for deceitfulness.
>
> With this in mind, people then ask me what I do. If I think
> the story sounds legitimate, or is an encouragement, I may forward
> the message to someone I think would benefit from it. First,
> however, I removed the tagline and refuse to forward that part of
> the message. I also pray against, bind and remove, any curses
> associated with the tagline or message. So, I'm crazy. What else
> is new? You may do as you like and believe as you wish.
>
> Many years ago, I was running a bulletin board. This was
> long before most of us were on the internet. I received a message
> sent to me directly, that is, the person was on the east coast
> and he literally dialed up my computer's telephone number and sent
> me a message. It was short, had a nice little story with it, but
> a very ominous tagline. The tagline basically said, "If you
> forward this to 5 or 7 or 10 of your friends, you, and they, will
> have good luck come to you, lots of extra money that comes into
> your hands, good health," and several other such things were
> promised. "If you don't forward it," so it read, "you will have
> bad luck come your way." So, the tone of the tagline sounded
> evil. I just laughed it off and deleted it because I in no, way,
> shape, or form believed in such things. The next three weeks were
> hell on earth for me. You can't believe the things that happened.
> I was even notified by the IRS I was being audited. I did not
> know how to pray against such curses back then, nor was I even
> certain I believe in such things. I do now and I know how to pray
> against such passive suggestiveness. I trust you do.
>
> 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty
> through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
> 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth
> itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity
> every thought to the obedience of Christ;
> 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when
> your obedience is fulfilled, (2 Corinthians 10:4-6).
>
> The Curse That Works Is The One We Believe.
> www.SafePlaceFellowship.com
>
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