MY FAMILY TREE?

John 3:1-6 

1There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

   2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

   3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

   4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

   5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

   6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

   7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

BORN AGAIN!

You were born to your natural family as someone who is brand new! No one had seen you before! You just now came into being!

So when you heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ and you received Him as your Lord and Savior, you were Born Again! (In your spirit! The real you!)

2 Corinthians 5:17   17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

New! Not just forgiven!

Just as you were brand new when you were born naturally, now that you have been born again, you are just as brand new in your spirit man as you were when you were born in the natural!! Praise God! Your past is gone, everything you ever did concerning sin is gone! Old things are "Passed Away"!(Dead!) 

Now! When something is dead you bury it! God cast your sins as far away as "the East is from the West"! He buried them in the "depths of the ocean"! The deepest sea!

The best thing you can do is leave them there! Do not go and dig them up!

Or as the Apostle Paul put it in : 

Phillipians 3:13

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

You must remember that Paul was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Christians!

This new birth was so real to Paul that He makes this statement in: 

2 Corinthians 7:2
"Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man."

He could not say that about his "old man" because he did defraud them! But speaking as a new creature in Christ, as a born again man, he could make that statement of absolute truth!

So, it would do you well to do the same thing Paul did! Forget your past! It no longer exixts in Gods mind!

ANOTHER TRUTH! 

Now there is another truth that needs to be seen here in the new birth!

There are certain things, or traits,  that occur in a family tree such as a certain illness, or fear, or anxiety, or depression, or poverty, that seem to be passed down from generation to generation! These are called "generational curses" by many. These things are reiterated, and told to you over a lifetime, by many well intentioned folks until they are believed by you and eventually brought to pass. (Unless you put a stop to them)

Let me give you an example!

Let's say a certain family is plagued with heart trouble, and grandfather, and dad died early in life because of this. You have been told all your life by relatives that you must take it easy because your grandfather died at 48, and your dad died at 43, so you must be on the look out for high blood pressure, and heart trouble!

So how do most people respond? The first think is fear, or anxiety, that you will probably have this also! Satan backs up those fears with small symptoms from time to time, and the fear increases. Jesus said that in the last days mens hearts will fail them "because of fear"! So one of the very things that causes heart trouble is set into motion! And if paid heed to, and feared, and believed  long enough it can cause to come to pass what never would have occurred if you knew the truth!

WHAT IS THE TRUTH?

John 8:31-32  30As he spake these words, many believed on him.

   31Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Make His Word your final authority!

   32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

So! What is the truth about your family tree, according to God's Word?

You are a "Born again" person, and so you have a new family tree!!!

God is now your Father, Jesus is now your brother, and neither one of them has heart trouble, or cancer, or anxiety, or depression, and they are not broke, so YOU DON'T HAVE TO RECEIVE THESE THINGS EITHER!

You have a new "birth right" to be healthy, at peace, and blessed financially!

Stand up for your rights and shout at the devil "I am not having this devil"! It is all under the curse according to Deuteronomy 28! Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law according to Galatians 3:13!

Now! You have found out the truth!

Now! What will you do with it?

Hint! James 4: 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. (Believe His Word and it will set you free!)

(then) Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. RISE UP! DO IT!

Rick McKnight