5. REBUILDING THE ANCIENT RUINS

5. REBUILDING THE ANCIENT RUINS

God is not out to shame us. He is out to change us, and set us free.

Exodus 20:5-6

Jealous (qana, Hebrew) means “God is always jealous for us, not against us.”

Visiting means in the original sense “we can look down through the generations, and take a head-count (census); of those who also have been adversely affected (hurt) by generational sin, in one generation.” God does not punish innocent people (Ezekiel 18); it affects the children to the third and fourth generation.

If you begin to break that chain, and you decide that you want everything of generational sin to be broken in your life; if you determine that you want to live your life faithfully before the Father – for many, many, more generations, people will be affected by your faithfulness.

 Isaiah 61:4

As we cooperate with God in His healing process, we can be part of going back and rebuilding ruins in our family lines that have been ruins for generations.

One of the most profound and influential generational strongholds is prejudice.

Exodus 1:6-14 – here is the beginning of prejudice in God’s Word. The more numerous and stronger they became, the more frightened the Egyptians became of the Israelites. Almost and always, prejudice stems from fear and ignorance (a pure lack of knowledge and understanding). Those who know their identity in Christ do not need to put others down, so that we can feel lifted up.

Two reasons why generational prejudice has such a strong hold:

• Too rarely acknowledged

Some people do not even recognize it; they see it as the way they are. We sugarcoat it with all sorts of things, and God says to us with His Holy Spirit “IT IS SIN.” The Holy Spirit despises it, and it quenches the Holy Spirit; and there will not be the abundant life that comes to those who chose to be free.

   • Too widely accepted

It is widely accepted in all sorts of things. It is more prevalent in the church than outside of the church. We still somehow have that exclusivity concept going in our denominations and all our churches that we just keep separate.

Ephesians 4:14-16 – we are going to have to get more vocal about the wrong and the sin of prejudice. To remain silent is to remain part of the problem. We need to come to a place of speaking the truth in love – in zero tolerance.

Acknowledgment: We admit that prejudice is a problem and those who are not part of the solution are part of the problem.

There is nothing harmless about prejudice – it is deadly. It is going to take a pro-active attack back in order to make the enemy back off some in pitting us against one another. If we sit there with our mouths closed, we are still helping to perpetuate the problem. We have got to begin to open our mouths, and speak the truth in love. Prejudice is to pre-judge.

Acceptance: Though prejudice may be natural, like other practices of our flesh nature, it is sin.

In our lives, prejudice has no place. It is a spiritual problem, and it is going to take the power of the Holy Spirit; and we are to live above that.

We have been given a super-nature in which prejudice has no place.

1. The obstacle in overcoming prejudice is fault (Jeremiah 32:17-19).

Prejudice may not have originated in our hands, but the problem is in our laps.

To say that “I didn’t do it” still perpetuates the problem. We can be part of the undoing of it. We have to do something about it. Where we can begin to do a little bit of healing to one another is just to say “I am so sorry this has happened.” It begins by saying “I am sorry.” God’s Word tells us to take responsibility. The chains will begin to break when we get down on our knees and take responsibility for a few things we did not even do, and say “God forgive us for our sins.” God honors that.

2. The origin of prejudice: (Genesis 11:1-9).

This was a very selfish people that determined to make a name for themselves, grouped together to be more powerful than God. He scatters them, but their hearts have not changed; so they take their selfishness into all their different pockets of people, and they start to make a name for themselves in their own races of people. The moment they became different in their human way of thinking; then someone has to be better. It becomes the competitive nature between men and women.

The overturning of prejudice will come to those who willfully unite to magnify His name.

Willfully – taking the step forward to do something about it; being pro-active against prejudice. What it takes is coming together, building up and magnifying the one and only name of Christ; and in that we find unity in the midst of all our differences, in the power of His name. It was the power of His name that scattered them, and it is the power of His name that can unite us once again.

3. The oppression in prejudice: Attitudes ultimately take action (Isaiah 58:6-12).

God is on the side of the oppressed. He has a heart for the oppressed.

4. The opportunist in prejudice: The enemy will continue to fuel prejudice among believers for two reasons.

• To keep the Kingdom divided (Matthew 12:25; 13:11).

We are the Kingdom of God. Satan knows that if he can keep us divided, he can take so much of the power and effectiveness out of the church.

The secrets of this generation and the Kingdom have been given to us.

• To thwart obvious authenticity (John 13:34-35).

For us to love one another, puts a stamp of authenticity upon us that is noticeable to the rest of the world.

5. The offer to overcome prejudice (Rom. 12:2). We need our minds to be totally renewed.

We need God to come in and help us rethink about one another; we need our minds to be totally renewed. Ditch the color-blindness and be color-blessed.

How We Can Respond

1. Ask God to change our hearts and renew our minds.

2. Accept opportunities to study, worship, and fellowship together.