From: nyarko@ee.ualberta.ca (David Nyarko)
Subject: Re: Faith in the Word (was: Drinking & christian living)
Organization: University Of Alberta, Edmonton Canada
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 14:34:15 GMT

hudson@athena.cs.uga.edu (Paul Hudson Jr) writes:

>In article <nyarko.711754515@ee.ualberta.ca> nyarko@ee.ualberta.ca (David Nyarko) writes:
>>no improvement. She said the youth pastor once said to her that
>>probably what was holding back her healing could be that someone had
>>spoken words over her (cursed her or a generation curse). She said she
>>thought nothing of it, but one Sunday morning during church service, she
>>felt the Holy Spirit asking her to go forward during the evening service,
>>and the Holy Spirit brought back thoughts from her childhood were she
>>remembered that she had a quarrel with a child and the child cursed her
>>saying she would have a terrible sickness. Because this serious diabetic
>>condition occured later in life, she could not relate it to that
>>incident. And it seemed odd to her how this could affect her. To cut
>>a long story short, that same night during the service, the Pastor
>>preached on curses and how any believer has the authority to have
>>them broken through the work of Jesus Christ at the cross. She
>>went forward, was prayed for, and since then, she has stopped using
>>the fast -acting medication (this was like a quick-boost), much to
>>the shock of her doctor who thought she would die if she went of it.


>I have been raised in Pentecostal and Charismatic churches.  I believe
>in God's power to heal, but I must admit that I am a bit wary of these
>curse doctrines.  I can understand how one could say that a curse that 
>invokes demonic power, perhaps like the curse Balaam was hired to give,
>could have some power.  What I do not know is why anyone would believe
>that a curse spoken by a child in the power of human flesh would have power

I have no idea of the age of the child when these words were spoken. 
Regarding children and the age at which they could be used by the Devil,
I have personally known an 11 year old girl and her 10 year old brother,
who were a witch and a wizard. The girl actually being the head (queen-
witch) of a gathering of witches and wizards far older that her. They
were obviously demonic possessed. In parts of the world where Fetish
worship and vodoo practices are very common, these are also common.
However, the power of God breaks all these.

>over another person.  I think maybe some Charismatic teaching overemphaises
>the power of human speech.  I could understand if the woman repented, or
>forgave the other girl, or just prayed and believed God that this would be the
>catalyst, so to speak, for a healing.  James writes that we are to confess
>our faults one to another and pray one for another that we may be healed.
>What I do not understand is the Scriptural justification for the idea that
>the power of the words of mere humans have this kind of power.  of course
>they can hurt others, and they can get us into trouble.  What is Scriptures
>are there to support this?

The few I can get hold of are: James 3:9-10, Noah cursing Canaan (Somewhere
in Genesis).

>Link
-- 
-------- David Nyarko   |  Internet: nyarko@bode.ee.ualberta.ca -----
"A result of GOD's love for mankind was the giving of his only Son
Jesus Christ so that anyone who believes in his Son would instead of
perishing as GOD's justice demands, rather have eternal life."