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Generational Bonds

from the book

Turn back Finland! Nations, Look and Hark! I

“And God spoke all these words, saying:

I am the Lord your God,

who brought you out of the land of Egypt,

out of the house of bondage.

You shall have no other gods before Me.

You shall not make for yourself a carved image,

or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above,

or that is in the earth beneath,

or that is in the water under the earth;

you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.

For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,

visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children

to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

but showing mercy to thousands,

to those who love Me and

keep My commandments.”

Exodus 20:3-6 (NKJV)

Generational curses, passed down through bloodlines according to the Holy Word, should sound familiar to those who have attended confirmation classes, especially in relation to the teachings on the Ten Commandments. The Holy Word clearly describes, in the prohibition against idol worship, how God responds to unfaithfulness toward Him by visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation. According to the Holy Word, these consequences manifest in the lives of future generations in various ways, some of which are referred to as curses. Equally familiar to those who have attended confirmation classes should be the understanding that repentance and turning from sin are key to breaking these curses over individuals and entire families. Additionally, it is vital to know, as one embarks on an independent life, that through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, one can seek the Lord's guidance regarding the causes of curses (for example, through loving words of knowledge received in pastoral care sessions, revealing which ancestral sins to ask forgiveness for, in order to break associated curses).

In the previous chapter, we quoted verses from the Book of Romans related to God's grace and the sins that lead to separation from salvation (when there is no genuine desire in the heart to repent of these matters). The verses described how, in the case of homosexuality, there is the fact revealed by the Almighty that God allows people to continue practicing desires that go against the Holy Word without intervening if those individuals have clearly exchanged their God for the worship of various desires, often practically involving idolatry. So, it's people's choices that give rise to generational phenomena separating them from God, and one such category is sexual relationships that are deemed unnatural in God's eyes. Generational ties, passed down through bloodlines, can also result in overbearing tendencies toward bitterness, malice, and hostility. Often, these tendencies intensify as they are passed down from generation to generation. It is worth mentioning that this phenomenon does not automatically exclude scientific observations (such as in education and psychology) of generational issues and the scientific methods of addressing them.

Even in a nation that enjoys God's favor, idols are always worshiped, and practices that God defines as sins are carried out. After all, God Himself has given people the free will to choose, or not to choose, to fulfill His holy will, as guided by the example of His Son. Once again, it is worth emphasizing that despite the sinful practices God has defined in the Holy Word, including those that have occurred in the nation whose independence He made possible, all people are equal throughout the age of grace, possessing the same human dignity and human rights.

The diverse consequences of idol worship become a serious problem for a nation when practices such as homosexuality are elevated above the boundaries set by the Almighty in a nation dedicated to His name. The absolute limit, as shown by the ancient fate of Ephraim, is when the altars of God and His name are desecrated by bringing things contrary to His will onto His altars in His name.

If the teaching in recent years within Finland's homes, schools, and churches had been at the level of God's instructions, far more people would see the connection described in the Holy Word between the nation's condition and the cause-and-effect relationships written in the Scriptures. As steps have been taken further away from honoring and teaching the holy will of God, who granted the nation its independence, there has been a corresponding increase in citizens' mental distress and general unrest, including the explosive growth of various forms of crime. The New Covenant, brought through Jesus, did not abolish the spiritual laws set by the Father. On the contrary, through Jesus came a new opportunity to be freed, by the power of the Holy Spirit, from these generational and spiritual phenomena that ultimately affect the existence of nations.

This matter is not insignificant for the well-being and economy of a Christian nation. How much strain is placed on the legal system and the national economy due to the mental and physical illnesses, along with sick leaves, caused by acts of violence, various forms of persecution, blatant dishonesty, and other arbitrary actions?

In the section "When Justice is Turned to Poison" from the message Turn Back, Finland!, one of the topics discussed is the development of a healthy conscience from the perspective of the Holy Word. It should be noted here that, ultimately, a person has only a limited ability to control their actions and make the right choices through human strength and willpower alone. Upbringing can influence many things, but it cannot replace the effect of a healthy fear of God, which begins to take root with the seed of faith, especially in the most challenging situations in life. For example, when people caught in cycles of bitterness and hatred relentlessly target their victims (sometimes for years), the only hope for the victims may sometimes be a supernatural intervention by the Almighty through the influence of the Holy Spirit.

Unfortunately, one of the signs of a nation living in apostasy is the nightmarish state of democracy, which already prevails in Finland, where the processes of secular government become incapable of passing on the teaching of righteousness from one generation to the next and of delivering judgments based on truth and justice. The Holy Word does not describe in vain how wickedness gains even more ground in society under such conditions, ultimately leading to the Almighty's intervention through the outstretched hand of His power.

For those who may be inclined to judge those who have ended up in prison, I offer this small challenge: consider the situation a step deeper in light of Jesus’ teachings. Those who end up in prison are often the ones whose souls, hearts, and minds have been brought to the breaking point by someone or some group, and eventually broken. Often, the background reveals years of emotional or physical violence, abuse, severe injustices, or a lack of safety during childhood or adolescence, which has shattered their resilience. Before allowing yourself to harbor contempt or judgment toward any inmate instead of compassion, it’s worth visiting them and asking for their story. After hearing it, ask yourself whether you, too, might have broken under the same circumstances or taken justice into your own hands—especially without the power of the Holy Spirit to help you through it.

Although every act of taking another person’s life is a condemnable deed, and the earthly punishment must be served, in God’s eyes, many who have committed murder or other similar serious crimes may be more pleasing to Him in terms of their heart’s attitude than many who attend church services with their lips but without the proper heart posture (sometimes even people who, in their pride, provoke God’s anger and secretly practice serious sins, whose prayers are no longer heard by God, no matter how elegantly they sit in Advent and Christmas services). In God’s eyes, judging those who commit crimes is not as straightforward as it is in earthly courts of law.

While in the earthly justice system, the full weight of punishment is often placed on the perpetrators of increasingly frequent school shootings, accompanied by a relentless media flogging, God in reality views many of these perpetrators of brutal violent crimes with more mercy than He does the instruments of wrath—those who, through perhaps years of "torment," have broken the minds of the individuals who ultimately end up behind bars. In the earthly justice system, those who break minds rarely face any accountability for the consequences of their actions. In the Kingdom of Heaven, brought near to us through Jesus, the situation is different. God's love is especially focused on the shattered soul sitting behind bars, driven to the point of collapse. On the other hand, those who sow wicked and cruel deeds into the world without the repentance of a healthy conscience have either already fallen outside of God’s saving grace or, in the worst case, are already under God's judgment and avenging hand. God sees the truth—that in many cases, these atrocities would not have been committed without the final words or actions of people or institutions that extinguished the last hope of something better.

The truth is that even the most resilient person has a breaking point, and the enemy of souls eagerly uses heartless and empathy-lacking instruments to sow maximum destruction among nations. While the broken victim of injustice and cruelty is locked behind bars after their mind has shattered, the mind-breakers, who remain unpunished, likely continue their work as instruments of wrath elsewhere, driving new individuals to desperate and reckless actions through their cruelty in various forms. God sees and knows every detail better than any earthly courtroom, including those details that, for one reason or another, never come to light in earthly courts. Understanding all of this is one of the dimensions referred to in the Book of Hebrews:

“Remember the prisoners

as if chained with them

--those who are mistreated—

since you yourselves are

in the body also..”

Hebrews 13:3 (NKJV)

In practice, following Jesus also means learning to view matters from the perspective of the spiritual laws at work in the world. If, in the early years of one’s journey of faith, there is sufficient teaching about the Holy Spirit and its opposing force (the spirit of lies, the spirit of anger, and so on, referring to the personal evil and its followers), one can understand why God may view a person weeping in a prison cell—perhaps guilty of taking many lives—with more mercy than those mind-breakers with filthy consciences, who drove that individual to the act by first wearing them down over years to the point of emotional collapse.

Every horrific act that makes headlines is a sign of a nation's failure to restrain the work of the enemy of souls within its borders. In a nation that has turned away from God, solutions are sought only through earthly processes, where humans, as the weakest link, operate with limited abilities. Sometimes the true solution can only come from teaching in accordance with the Holy Word, where a loving church community that utilizes the gifts of the Holy Spirit provides protection for people's lives. No earthly process can offer the spiritual armor described in the Holy Word, which is needed to stand firm in the face of the destructive forces at work in the world. It is no coincidence that the Book of Ephesians refers to the spiritual armor that every person needs during the age of grace, which began with Jesus, while the enemy of souls does everything possible to drive as many souls as possible into despair and ruin.

“Put on the whole armor of God,

that you may be able

to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,

but against principalities,

against powers,

against the rulers of the darkness of this age,

against spiritual hosts of wickedness

in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the whole armor of God,

that you may be able to withstand in the evil day,

and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore,

having girded your waist with truth,

having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

and having shod your feet

with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

above all, taking the shield of faith

with which you will be able to

quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

And take the helmet of salvation,

and the sword of the Spirit,

which is the word of God;

praying always with all prayer

and supplication in the Spirit,

being watchful to this end

with all perseverance and supplication

for all the saints”

Ephesians 6:11-18 (NKJV)

The ability to reflect on various crimes in the light of the spiritual laws of the unseen world, as described above, could be called a kind of "prison test," which tests the things one has learned on their faith journey, similar to receiving a final report card in elementary school. If one has grasped an understanding of the ways the forces at work in this world operate, and how people act as their instruments, it becomes easier to grow in behavior that is pleasing to God and to test things to protect oneself and one’s loved ones. And although not all attacks can be prevented or avoided, it becomes easier, with the encouragement and presence of the Holy Spirit, to endure the hatred, bitterness, manipulation, and scheming of people with hardened consciences who have drifted away from God. Those who have partaken of the Holy Spirit know that they can view even years of ongoing acts of injustice not with hatred, but with pity from a place of God’s love, while still, according to the instructions of the Holy Word, setting boundaries against wrongdoing and standing up for justice.

The Holy Spirit gives the shield of faith, which is like a Teflon coating, from which not a single flaming arrow of evil can penetrate to break the mind, soul, or body. It is also important to remember that nothing happens without God allowing it to happen. God has not promised long life to everyone in His Word, but instead has commanded that we teach the next generations the faith that enables them not to fear even death. Those who are more familiar with the ways of the Kingdom of Heaven understand that sometimes, in His love, God takes His own home early. If you find yourself asking why God does not prevent all evil, even from happening to believers, there are still some important basics of faith left to learn, and it would be wise to dive deeply into the Holy Word through a church that acknowledges the work of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, especially for this new era.

It is important to emphasize here that even believers get angry, struggle with bitterness, and continue to sin in various ways. However, the difference from the anger, bitterness, and wrongdoings that lead to separation from God is that a born-again believer understands to stop sooner, feels remorse, seeks reconciliation, wants to make amends, and knows how to both ask for and offer forgiveness. A healthy conscience, shaped by a reverent fear of God, does not allow peace until an attempt has been made to reconcile. If the other party does not accept the reconciliation, God does not hold it against the one who attempted it. A healthy conscience ensures that a person can see their own mistakes in situations without the need for legal processes and is willing to acknowledge and confess them on their own initiative. For a born-again believer, maintaining a healthy conscience in order to remain in saving faith is more important than the loss of reputation or material things due to human errors. Surrounded by God’s love, a born-again believer does not fear admitting their mistakes. They have personally experienced God’s grace and often the selfless love reflected in a church community.

The above is more important than many realize. God did not establish a specific, eternal time each year for repentance and reconciliation without reason, nor did He emphasize in vain that God will not forgive a person their sins at the gates of heaven if they have not been able to forgive others for their sins during their lifetime (Matt. 6:14). As part of the annual appointed times set in His Word, God wanted people to take at least one time each year to stop and reflect carefully on the state of their conscience and whether they should ask someone for forgiveness. The previous mention of annual appointed times refers to the special annual festivals, ordained by the Lord as eternal statutes for believers, each with its own significant meaning related to the Almighty’s plan of salvation. We have the joy of living in a time when, in fulfillment of ancient biblical prophecies, Christians are returning to observe these Levitical festivals together with their Jewish brothers. As was discussed in YHWH Is Calling at the request of the Almighty, it is also part of the fulfillment of these ancient prophecies that Christians are now experiencing the reality that in the 4th century, Emperor Constantine, through his earthly power, removed the Sabbath and many of these annual festivals from Christian observance (due to reasons including the antisemitism present in the Roman Empire and the desire to make the new religion easier to integrate into society, while retaining certain pagan practices of idolatry). This led to Easter and Pentecost being among the few festivals transferred into the Catholic and Orthodox traditions from those meant to be eternal. Our generation not only has the joy but also the great honor of living in a time when, in accordance with the Lord’s plans, Christians are step by step rediscovering their true apostolic roots through following the example of Jesus, including the annual festivals ordained as eternal statutes for His followers, which bring many blessings to individuals.

From experience, I can say that one essential part of the struggle of faith is that the Lord often asks a person to forgive others for the deepest wounds they have suffered. This is one of the most difficult steps in the journey of faith for many, but after taking that step, it often leads to a leap in faith that the person could never have imagined possible. Only through a clean conscience and by forgiving others can one receive the full supernatural freedom that the Holy Word speaks of. Thankfully, this challenging part of the faith struggle does not have to be faced with human effort alone.

Forgiveness is a process that often requires the guidance of a more experienced believer to walk alongside, offering teaching on how to engage in the battle of prayer to overcome the pain in the heart, both alone and within the church community, in order to gain victory—victory over the anger and bitterness that prevent forgiveness and reconciliation, and ultimately eternal life. Fortunately, few are called to such a severe test of faith as the mother described in the Supernatural series, who, at the Lord’s prompting, took in the boy who had murdered her daughter as if he were her own son and was eventually able to love him with genuine love (Markowitz & Roth 2020, Supernatural, guest Linda Markowitz).

Dear Finns and those living among you, is there a satanic culture of accusation prevailing in the Finnish nation, even turning lies into truth in violation of the constitution? Or are you still able, in accordance with the call of the God who granted you independence, to show love and forgiveness to one another while upholding the realization of justice?

Dear Finns and those living among you, it is pointless to stand at the gates of heaven and complain to God about the injustices you experienced in life. To attain eternal life, all your pains must be poured out to God during this life by learning to forgive and leaving the wrongs you have suffered at the foot of the cross of the Almighty’s Son. The program mentioned earlier about the mother, who, through the power of the love of the Lord’s Holy Spirit, was able to take in the boy who murdered her daughter as if he were her own son, encapsulates many of the points touched upon in this chapter. Even if you belong to a church and have been baptized, without a personal relationship with God—which manifests in you, among other things, as a loving ability to forgive—you will not be able to see your loved ones who have already passed into eternity.

Every Finnish citizen who desires eternal life according to the instructions of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob should, as part of examining their personal faith, reflect on the state of their own conscience and whether it needs to be cleansed by confessing and seeking forgiveness from both fellow humans and God. Those who begin the process of genuinely seeking God will ultimately find their way and, according to the Holy Word, will have their garments washed white before the approaching return of the Lord.

Strive to complete your journey!

THE CHEEK TURNING DID NOT REFER TO THE CONTINUOUS SILENT ACCEPTANCE OF INJUSTICE

In a nation living in apostasy, heresies often arise that further the rise of injustice and the nation’s departure from God. One such heresy is the common teaching that a believer is obligated to turn the other cheek when facing injustice. This teaching on the duty to turn the cheek to wrongdoing has, in many cases, led those who live in the fear of God to hesitate in bringing injustices to light or defending themselves, thinking that the only right option is to wait for the matter to be addressed by God at the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven. That silent acceptance of injustice is certainly not God's way, as it would, in practice, lead to the accelerated decay of the nation.

God never supports the covering up of injustice or allowing wrongdoings to remain hidden in society! Nurturing justice in a nation holds great significance. In the Holy Word, turning the other cheek was not meant as an instruction to avoid fighting for the realization of truth and justice, nor to silently accept all forms of wrongdoing. Such a misconception has caused many unnecessary tears and only creates fertile ground for evil to thrive in society, which is not in line with God's will.

It’s not just about the victims of injustice!

The revelation of truth is often the only way for those who have committed wrongs to have one more chance to repent, turn from their ways, and save their souls. And it’s not just about individuals. As already mentioned in this message, the pursuit of truth and justice plays a crucial role in maintaining a society’s independence and peace in the way that God requires.

By teaching about turning the other cheek, the Lord intended to instill an attitude of standing firm, clothed in the spiritual armor described in Ephesians, when facing and fighting against injustice. When someone attacks a believer as an instrument of the enemy, a more mature believer in faith knows how to stand in peace, like an unshakable soldier, simply turning the other cheek. Turning the other cheek calls for the ability not to respond to evil with evil, while still honoring the pursuit of truth and justice, without giving ground to wrongdoing. In other words, turning the other cheek refers to the fearless warrior-like attitude of standing firm in the face of attacks, knowing that one stands as securely as young David did, even in seemingly impossible situations, with the Lord of Hosts by their side.

Someone who has experienced the regenerative miracle of the Holy Spirit has likely been freed from attachment to worldly things and understands that even if someone, in their desperation, takes something wrongfully for their own need, God has the ability to restore what was lost. It is more important to be able to see the possible desperation of the wrongdoer when wronged. This should not be interpreted to mean that the wrongdoer should not be held accountable according to the requirements of the earthly legal system for thefts or other crimes. However, initiating legal proceedings is not always necessary, even according to the Holy Word. The difference lies in whether the wrongdoer has repented and already sought reconciliation. There are many wonderful testimonies where born-again believers, by showing loving mercy to the wrongdoer, have been able to share God's grace and love instead of deepening the person's desperation through unnecessary legal processes. (Which helps a troubled youth more: a criminal record that takes away many life opportunities, or the sight of their suffering met with loving mercy?)

As we live in a time when anti-Christian forces will continue to rise and more teachings that tickle the ears will be proclaimed instead of the Truths of the Holy Word, it is important to remember the descriptions of Jesus in the Holy Word—both as the loving shepherd of lost sheep and as the roaring Lion of Judah, who carries out His Father’s judgments on the nations. Even though Jesus brought grace, it did not change the nature of the Almighty Father, who is both a loving God and, when necessary, a God who sets boundaries and administers punishment according to His holiness.

In our time, it is crucial to preach Jesus as the embodiment of love, who in His love is able to free those burdened by the yoke of generational bonds and equip them for a completely new beginning while there is still time to repent. On the other hand, that same love of the Heavenly Father sometimes manifests as the expression of the Father’s wrath against idolatry and wrongdoers. After all, Jesus did not go to the temple, which had been turned into a marketplace for money changers, to gently pat them on the head and explain the need for change to their hardened hearts. Out of love for the purity of the temple and His Father’s holy will, Jesus, in righteous anger, drove the money changers out with their tables, cleansing His Father’s temple of wrongdoing.

I experienced that same loving anger of cleansing the temple through the Holy Spirit while writing the continuation of the Easter 2021 message to the churches (part of the message YHWH Is Calling). As I felt the Holy Spirit’s love and joyful encouragement for the good news to be shared with the churches, along with the coming outpouring of the Spirit, I also felt that same sorrowful anger with which the Lord viewed the desecration of many church altars by bringing actions and words contrary to His Word onto His altars. If churches, in the hope of filling the coffers with more money, are willing to make compromises that please people rather than proclaiming God’s holy will as it is written, they are guilty of the same offense as those who turned God’s holy temple into a marketplace in Jesus’ time. It is no wonder, then, that the Almighty, through His messengers, delivers His stern rebukes to the churches in these messages as well.

For many who have just begun their journey of faith, the first loving rebuke from the Holy Spirit can immediately become a stumbling block, no matter how gently it is expressed. For those with hardened consciences and stony hearts, God sometimes directs more severe correction or clear warnings that cut deep into the heart. If even that doesn’t work, in His mercy, God may still use other, more difficult means in His hand to save the person before cutting off the branch that is withering into worthlessness (allowing challenges in life that open spiritual eyes). The branch analogy refers to the parable in the Holy Word, found in the Book of Romans, describing those who have entered into salvation as branches in God’s noble olive tree (explained in more detail in the message YHWH Is Calling).

Often, the beginning of the journey of faith is the most difficult part. If one has not yet experienced the miracles and presence of the Holy Spirit or heard testimonies of God’s power at work even in modern times, hearing the call to repentance and becoming aware of the need for it from the Word or through teaching can lead to the decision to abandon the journey at the very start. On the other hand, it is often during this initial phase that the attitude of the heart with which the prayer of faith was spoken is revealed. If, after saying the prayer of faith, a person has no desire to humble themselves before God’s Word to learn what the requirements for salvation are, their heart is not yet ready to receive the gift of faith from God.

This relates to the often-mentioned principle in the Holy Word that God turns His face toward the humble. On the journey of faith, humility is inevitably required to place one’s own desires and will in a secondary position to God’s will. Those who persevere on their path until they witness the first miracles and signs of the Holy Spirit often no longer wish to turn back from the journey but continue forward, even if they stumble along the way.

For every person, the journey of faith inevitably involves many stumbles, through which one learns to be more merciful toward others as well. As long as the focus remains on the genuine effort to follow Jesus’ example, the grace for even countless stumbles is, thankfully, endless according to the promise of the Holy Word.

For example, when those who advocate for the practice of homosexuality and other sexual minorities walk through the doors of the church without experiencing the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit and demand that God's definition of sin be changed to better suit the current age, it reflects anything but a humble heart attitude that is pleasing to God. This applies both to the representatives of sexual minorities entering the church with such demands and to the church leaders who might receive them with the same attitude.

In many nations, the desecration of altars, leading to the outpouring of God’s wrath, has already reached its final stage, just as it did in ancient Bethel. To the nation of Finland, which the Almighty granted over a hundred years ago as a most unique and beautiful land, the Lord now asks: “Are you, dear Finns and those living among you, truly ready to take the final step? As a token of gratitude for the homeland I gave you, with the answers to prayers needed on the battlefields, are you really prepared to bring all kinds of abominations that horrify Me onto My holy altars, desecrating My name? Is nothing truly enough for you either? I have decreed freedom for mankind to choose their desires and to practice them, but the condition was to keep My altars and the teaching of My Word pure in order to maintain sufficient righteousness in your nation. Is this your love for Me and your homeland? Even the shepherds of the church, who work in My name, are ready to bring such desecration to My holy altars in Finland. What have you done to the land I gave you? Do you not understand how many souls you are leading into perdition with your teachings that are not from Me?”.

Unfortunately, in accordance with the call of the God who granted us our independence, and to defend our independence and peace as well as to save the souls still being called by the Lord, I must continue to deliver the Lord's loving but serious rebukes from the Kingdom of Heaven.

From the various generational bonds increasingly affecting individuals and families in our time, we now turn to a more detailed discussion of the sorrowful state of Finland’s national church in God's eyes.

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Scriptures taken from the New King James Version:

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