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Can a Church Be Cursed?  

Can anyone put a “curse” on anyone else, by the power of God or by the power of Satan (i.e., like from a witch)?  Well, a “curse” could be described as a type of periodically recurring punishment or evil.  If a curse is believed to be the result of someone’s calling on the power of Satan, Scripture clearly reveals that God is far more powerful than Satan, so then Christians can ask for and claim protection from such attacks (cf. Mark 16:17-18; Matt. 4:1-11).  Now Jesus specifically tells Christians to wish well for their enemies, not evil (Matt. 5:44-45):  “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven.”  So the main weight of Scripture in this dispensation is against the idea that someone could pray and “curse” someone else on a recurring basis.  True, in the Old Testament, when Hiel rebuilt Jericho, it cost him both his first and last born (I Kings 16:34), which was after Joshua cursed the would-be rebuilder centuries earlier (Joshua 6:26).  And the slain souls symbolically portrayed as being under altar in Revelation do ask God for vengeance against their persecutors (Rev. 6:9-11).  

So although it’s clear that the God of the Bible still will punish people and nations for their sins (as per the prophecies to be fulfilled in the book of Revelation), the kinds of problems described in your email don’t seem to be the result of God’s punishment.  A series of bad events could be simply random bad luck or individually committed sins that may reflect a personal character flaw or an organizational weakness.  For example, if sexual sins are common in a particular church, does the ministry of that church ever give sermons or clear counsel against those sins and how to avoid them?  Are the members reading spiritual books (such as by James Dobson) or watching videotapes that provide counsel about these kinds of sins?  In this regard, it isn’t because God is punishing that church, but rather its members are sinning in this or that area.  The way to wish this kind of “curse” or institutional weakness is to give sermons and otherwise counsel members about specific ways to avoid the recurring sins.  In this case, the ministry of your church needs to give sermons and promote videotapes/CDs/books that attack sexual sin and describe specific ways to avoid them.  Then this “curse” or recurring problem can be lifted from your church after members repent.  After all, how many members might be sinning sexually without literally committing adultery or fornication (as per Matt. 5:28)?  Maybe the local pastor should read Joshua Harris’ book, “Not Even a Hint,” and then give one or more sermons based on it.  That could head off problems in advance (James 1:14-15).  It appears that the word “curse” is a label used to describe a recurring pattern of sin that’s preventable.  One need not be passive and hope and pray that things get better, or think that God (or even Satan) is specifically punishing your church.  Rather, the leadership of a local church could put into place a program encouraging Christians to aggressively fight against sexual sin, and then  the “curse” will go away.

Notice that the word “curse” could be inaccurately used to describe simply a recurring sinful pattern in a local church.  It’s necessarily that God (or Satan) is punishing a set of people directly and intentionally.

Eric Snow
www.lionofjudah1.org

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Why does God Allow Evil? Click here: /Apologeticshtml/Why Does God Allow Evil 0908.htm
May Christians work on Saturdays? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Protestant Rhetoric vs Sabbath Refuted.htm
Should Christians obey the Old Testament law? /doctrinalhtml/Does the New Covenant Abolish the OT Law.htm
Do you have an immortal soul? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Here and Hereafter.htm
Does the ministry have authority? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Is There an Ordained Ministry vs Edwards.html
Is the United States the Beast? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Are We the Beast vs Collins.htm
Should you give 10% of your income to your church? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Does the Argument from Silence Abolish the Old Testament Law of Tithing 0205 Mokarow rebuttal.htm
Is Jesus God? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Is Jesus God.htm
Will there be a third resurrection? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Will There Be a Third Resurrection.htm

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