Sid Roth

Sid: We want everyone to be red hot for the Messiah but something is stopping most people; the Bible calls them little foxes. And maybe I’ll call them big foxes and that’s why my guest Lori Strong has written a new book called “Take Up the Sword of the Spirit.” subtitle “Crushing Curses With the Word of God.” It’s practical; it’s a how to manual, it states the curses and states how to get free. And then shows you exactly now just the word of God but the word of God and a prayer that get’s free these generational curses. Lori in your heart of hearts in your own words why did you write this book?

Lori:   My heart is that people will be free and walk around..and believers in Jesus would walk around free so that they can be examples to others who doesn’t believe yet and want what they have. But if we walk around with bondage of curses not only does that grieve God and the Holy Spirit but it also stops us from being able to be an example to others so that they will come to know the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sid: A chapter that unfortunately affects so many believers is the generational curses that have to do with addictions of all kinds. We all know about drug addiction and alcohol addiction and gambling addiction but there are a few that we have been discussing. There’s an addiction in relationship; explain what you mean about that.

Lori: There’s many men and woman who and I can speak for woman especially that feel like they need to have a man in their life to make them feel complete. They are basically addicted to having a relationship with a person to fill up their time; to fill up the time of their day so they don’t have to deal with the fact that they don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. There’s a void that they’re trying to fill just like somebody’s whose addicted to drugs it’s just as dangerous maybe not physically although it can be. But emotionally; spiritually it’s just as dangerous or more so than drugs and alcohol but no one is stopping them because it’s not illegal and it’s not as obvious it’s easier to hide that addiction to people and to having to have a relationship in your life to make it complete.

Sid: But the whole issue is idolatry is anything that takes the place of what God is entitled to.

Lori: That’s exactly right; so no only does it grieve God but it stops you from having the relationship with God that He desires because you’ve placed like you said idolatry. You’ve placed something more important than Him in your life. So anything that you’re addicted to other than God is a god to you really; that’s what He’s saying. It’s an idol but it’s a god to you.

Sid: Okay, let’s talk about the acceptable Christian sin gluttony. Let’s talk about a food addiction, what does someone do with that?

Lori:   Well, first realizing that it’s the same root and cause as the food addiction as drugs is as your just filling a void. And it’s acceptable because you know people eat; everybody eats to survive. But a lot of times people have to hide that and mask that. I think the same way that you deal with the drug and the alcohol addiction is the same way that you can deal with gluttony and a food addiction.

Sid: Now, could it be generational?

Lori: Oh, no doubt it’s often generational but it might not seem like it. You might see that maybe your parents were thin and maybe you end up heavy. But a lot of time that curse is laid in even the fear of eating. So I’ve seen parents who have restricted their children from eating when they’re young because they’re worrying about them getting fat or heavy I should say. And then you’re also sowing a seed of that fear of food and that can turn around to be a curse because you’re so obsessed with the fear when you get older that you end up eating more because of that fear that’s laid inside of you. And you have an emotional deficit inside of you because you never thought you were good enough or any of those things that could lead to that and then you end up eating too much all of the time. And even that’s where eating disorders come in because you might eat and then binge and purge and you might end up with an eating disorder because the curse was laid while you were growing up by your Mom or Dad.

Sid: Again, there is no way that we can do justice to any of these areas that’s why you need the book, you need the prayers, you need the scriptures. And this is God’s method to set the captives free. Let’s talk about another big problem among believers; anger!

Lori: Yes, you know it’s a problem among many people and a lot of people you know they thing “You know I can’t be angry at all because I’m a believer” that’s not true. God’s word doesn’t say you can’t be angry it’s how you deal with anger is very important. And anger usually leads to arguing and is a distention in a lot of people’s lives. But you know the feeling of anger usually comes as a result of insecurity or something deeper than that. Anger is a mask; I’ve seen many you know working with people in prison and also just woman and men that have had a lot of incest and sexual abuse and a lot of issues in life. And they do end up becoming believers but they still have anger because they haven’t forgiven. Or they still have bitterness in them and it does move to a different area in the book that I’ve written about. But it’s very important because unforgiveness…

Sid: Move to that other area.

Lori: I will, thank you; unforgiveness and bitterness are serious issues in the Body of Christ. They’re serious issues all over but anybody who says that they’re a believer if they have unforgiveness in their heart they need to realize that the word of God says that God cannot forgive us if we haven’t forgiven others. Often times though unforgiveness has to start with ourselves because we have to look at have we forgiven ourselves for the things that we’ve done before we got saved. And even maybe after; are we sitting in unforgiveness towards ourselves. First you have to address that I believe to be completely delivered and then it’s easier to forgive others instantly when they do something wrong to you. And I believe again that lead again that unforgiveness again leads to what you just talked about the gluttony. Because if you’re over eating and you continue to over eat you feel like you’re not worthy, you have unforgiveness toward yourself. Listen to how many curses are associated with that that you need to break out of. So we need to look at what’s the root of this. And often times unforgiveness and bitterness are the root of anger, of over eating; of addictions, any kind of addiction. Oftentimes unforgiveness is the root of all of those; and if we would just get a hold of what God is saying about us forgiving not only ourselves but anybody who does wrong to us and turn the other cheek. But also say “Lord, just as you have forgiven me I forgive myself.” And any time we ask for forgiveness God throws in the sea of forgetfulness, it’s gone; why do we keep picking it backup. And so I just want to say to the listener quit picking back up the thing you’ve asked for forgiveness for; quit taking it back from God. He’s already…it’s gone! He’s taken it and He’s thrown it away, quit taking it back; let Him be God in your life. Let Him take that and let it be gone and don’t keep bring it back up. And move forward, move forward because that’s where your destiny is.

Sid: Lori, because a lot of this is covered in your book let’s move to…I was with a man this morning and he made this statement to me. “My parents were diabetic, I understand that it skips a generation I am so worried that my children will be diabetic.” What would you have said to him?

Lori: I would say “If you’re a believer then you are healed by the blood of Jesus and so are your children and your grandchildren and any body ahead of you. Sickness and just because the doctors say that it skips generations doesn’t mean that you have to believe that report. You believe the report of the Lord, the Lord says “That you’re healed by the blood of Jesus” so now let’s pray and receive healing from any future generations; and also worry is a curse.” So let’s break that worry, let’s trust that the Lord is in control of your life.” And I would just pray with him and not only pray the word of God about “By Jesus Strips we are healed” but also that any curse of illness is done with me. It’s done because I now proclaim health and healing in my family because that’s God’s promise to me. And He not only wants our bodies to be whole, He wants our souls to be whole, He wants our minds to be whole. And so let’s just receive that by faith; the same way that you receive Jesus as Lord by faith you have to receive healing by faith. And we don’t have to believe it has to skip generations it’s done; it’s gone because you as a believer are proclaiming that in your life.

Sid: Lori our time is slipping away again.