In today’s episode, we’re talking about a tough, yet important, topic – generational sin. What is generational sin? “Generational sins are weaknesses or tendencies that are handed down to us through the generations from parents or members of our family. These sins can involve behavioral patterns and ways of thinking that keep us trapped in the past.” (Crosswalk.com) If you go to my book, Theosynthesis – LIV2DAY, you’ll find that I mention this topic briefly. The Bible teaches on the principle of generational sin, but it is hardly discussed in the church. Generational sin can cause great suffering, for individuals, families and generations of families. If this sounds familiar, jump into this episode with Dr. Paula McDonald to learn more about what forms it can take and most importantly, the path to freedom from it which God has in store for you.

To learn more about Dr. Paula McDonald, to connect with her and/or to get a copy of her best-selling book, visit drpaulamcdonald.com.

For just one additional resource on Generation Sin, visit Crosswalk.com.

Transcript
Speaker:

Hi there.

Speaker:

I'm Dr.

Speaker:

Paula McDonald, and I welcome you to my podcast live today.

Speaker:

It's here that together we'll explore the concept of balance as God designed to be for us, his children, balance of the mind, the body, and the spirit.

Speaker:

And it's what I've named Theosynthesis.

Speaker:

And it's here waiting for you.

Speaker:

Hello, everyone.

Speaker:

We're talking about generational sin, and I bet this topic got your attention.

Speaker:

It may look a bit different, but I think once we really get into this, you're going to see that this indeed follows my whole Live Today theosynthesis thesis.

Speaker:

And if you go to my book, I do briefly talk about this topic.

Speaker:

It's just a topic that's fascinating, and I've really been convicted of it lately.

Speaker:

And the Bible does teach us about the principle of generational sins, but it isn't discussed much in our churches today.

Speaker:

Therefore, many people really don't spend much time on this topic.

Speaker:

I want to tell you why I'm fascinated by this for many reasons.

Speaker:

For one, going back into our ancestral history can certainly help us to understand behavior patterns that tend to flow from one generation to another.

Speaker:

And a good example of this is alcoholism.

Speaker:

I hear all the time, well, my dad or my grandmother or somebody in my family line was an alcoholic, so therefore I am one, two, or I'm at high risk for alcoholism because it runs in my family.

Speaker:

And another reason is the understanding that physical choices in our lives, such as the food that we eat, drugs that we take, alcohol, tobacco, all of these things certainly affect the next generation big time.

Speaker:

And so just because you did those things in your early years but stopped prior to conceiving a child, does not mean that those genetic markers were not altered and passed along via the egg or the sperm.

Speaker:

What we put into our bodies absolutely affects the next generation, and therefore, it is each of our responsibility to be aware of our actions, even in our teenage and young adult years prior to the childbearing years.

Speaker:

So all of those teenagers who convince themselves, it's my body and I can do whatever I want, it doesn't affect anybody else, that is not true.

Speaker:

Let's discuss this a little bit more.

Speaker:

And I have discussed this study, which is called epigenetics before on this podcast.

Speaker:

And if you want to go back to episode 39, you can really dig into what Epigenetics is.

Speaker:

But it's basically a study that confirms that what the Bible has already taught us, that generations are affected by personal actions.

Speaker:

And it's a fairly new field of study and genetics, but it's gaining more and more traction every single day.

Speaker:

And before we get into the supporting Bible verses, it's also important to understand that generational sins can also be transmitted via thought words and actions.

Speaker:

And so you might be thinking, okay, Paula, now how on earth is this possible? Well, allow me to dive into what we've learned from Einstein in that everything has a vibrational frequency.

Speaker:

All of matter, sound waves, motion, etc.

Speaker:

Carries a frequency and therefore words and thoughts do carry their own frequencies.

Speaker:

I'm carrying a frequency right now into this microphone which is coming through your device in a frequency level.

Speaker:

And in my book Live Today, I do have an entire chapter on this very topic.

Speaker:

And as I was doing my research for this book, I stumbled upon the great work by Dr.

Speaker:

Masaro Imoto.

Speaker:

His work proved that even water is greatly affected by the type of sound, music and words that were imposed upon it.

Speaker:

In his book The Hidden Messages in Water, which can be found on Amazon, illustrates through experimentation with the freezing of water the effects that different sounds and words had on the formation of these freezing water crystals.

Speaker:

Harsh, ugly words of hate created these awful distorted forms.

Speaker:

Flip side of that is speaking words of love and gratitude and positive affirmations resulted in beautiful crystal shapes.

Speaker:

And he went on to expose freezing water with awful clanging music that carries negative messages against calm, beautiful music.

Speaker:

And the results were the same.

Speaker:

The horrible fractured music created fractured crystals.

Speaker:

The beautiful music created beautiful crystals.

Speaker:

Therefore think about it.

Speaker:

Since our bodies are made up mostly of water, doesn't it make sense that we too are affected physiologically by words of hate, terrible, awful fractured music, screaming and yelling versus a calm soothing word or sound? I find this absolutely fascinating.

Speaker:

And it makes complete sense because sound travels via sound waves.

Speaker:

These waves carry a frequency that affect each of us down to a cellular level.

Speaker:

And we know that at the core of our cells lies the all important DNA or genetic code.

Speaker:

And remember, water carries sound very efficiently.

Speaker:

So that baby in that womb is definitely going to be affected by vibrational frequency in the fluid because that baby is in a sack of fluid.

Speaker:

What that baby is experiencing while it's growing fetus absolutely affects its little life.

Speaker:

And even when we are born, the DNA is affected and altered by many things.

Speaker:

And this includes what we're hearing in our homes, the music that's being listened to, and the choice of things that are being put into the adult's bodies around us.

Speaker:

So back to this generational sin, the topic here at hand.

Speaker:

I love this topic, so it gets me a bit fired up.

Speaker:

But I wanted to take a look at some of the Bible verses regarding generational sin.

Speaker:

Takes us all the way back into Exodus, chapter 20, verse five.

Speaker:

You shall not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.

Speaker:

Exodus 34 seven.

Speaker:

Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.

Speaker:

He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.

Speaker:

Numbers 1418 the Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion, yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.

Speaker:

He punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.

Speaker:

Will these verses tell us that due to behavior? And they're talking about serious infractions because back then these people were bowing down and doing child sacrificing and they were worshiping other gods and idols, and therefore they were passing down generational curses to a third and fourth generation.

Speaker:

It wasn't God saying, I'm going to just punish you.

Speaker:

He's saying that there are consequences to sin.

Speaker:

He can certainly forgive us of our sins, but the consequences of our behavior are still there, you guys.

Speaker:

So he's not trying to be an all powerful punishing God, but he's telling us, you guys, if you do these things, you will have to live with the consequences.

Speaker:

And as we know in science that with every action there is a reaction.

Speaker:

The same principle goes for sin.

Speaker:

For each sin we commit, there will be a reaction in the form of some sort of consequence.

Speaker:

So therefore, some sins have smaller consequences and some have major consequences.

Speaker:

And now that we are learning more and more about the complexities and the wonders of DNA, we understand these tiny threads of genetic material are greatly affected by outside influences.

Speaker:

And Epigenetics coined this phrase called epigenetic inheritance, stating that stressful environments, illnesses, trauma, does affect generations.

Speaker:

Guess what? To a third and fourth generation.

Speaker:

Wow.

Speaker:

How amazing is that? Our instruction manual, the Bible, already taught us this well before we knew anything about DNA.

Speaker:

And now here we have science telling us and showing us that this is true.

Speaker:

And we know the Creator of DNA, and we know that the more we understand how complex life is and how incredibly wonderful we are all made, all of this makes perfect sense.

Speaker:

So now that we have a better understanding of what generational sin is, what can we do about it? And can these sins, or curses as some call them, be reversed? Well, first of all, we must also discuss generational blessings.

Speaker:

And just like the study of Dr.

Speaker:

Emoto's water crystals, we understand the effects of kind and loving words on the water crystals.

Speaker:

By looking at that, it's easy to grasp the importance of passing along generational blessings.

Speaker:

And as believers, we have a huge responsibility in what we say, how we treat others, and what we pass down to our children and grandchildren.

Speaker:

Just think about it.

Speaker:

If you are dealing with an issue because of the sins of your great great grandparents, shouldn't this give you great pause as you live out your own life? And I've shared this personal story before about my paternal grandmother, Ruth Annie.

Speaker:

And I didn't know about my biological father until I was 18.

Speaker:

And when I learned of him, he had unfortunately passed two years earlier when I was 16, so I never got to know him.

Speaker:

And of course, this was difficult news to digest at the age of 18.

Speaker:

And I asked them about my grandparents and was told that my father's mother was still alive.

Speaker:

And it's a whole wonderful, great story, but I don't have time to share all of that.

Speaker:

I'll share that on another podcast.

Speaker:

But I was able to travel and meet her, and I was able to sit with her and share all the things about learning about my family.

Speaker:

And guess what she told me? She said, Paula, I have been praying for you for 18 years.

Speaker:

And although she couldn't be physically personally in my life, she provided me with the most valuable gift of all, the covering of my life in prayer.

Speaker:

She, in essence, was providing me with the generational blessings.

Speaker:

And let me tell you, my life has been radically different because of her prayers.

Speaker:

You guys, even as a young girl in the third grade, I was, I guess nine years old, I felt the pull of God, and I walked to the church behind our house by myself.

Speaker:

And at the time, I couldn't understand why I needed to be in church.

Speaker:

I just knew that I was supposed to be there.

Speaker:

And then in high school, this pool continued to guide me.

Speaker:

And it was at a fellowship of Christian athletes camp where I came to christ.

Speaker:

Oh my goodness, you guys.

Speaker:

So how fortunate I was to have a prayer intercessor in my life.

Speaker:

And I will always be so grateful for Ruth Annie, the prayer warrior in my life.

Speaker:

And perhaps there is someone that God has placed in your own life that is your sole responsibility to be their prayer champion.

Speaker:

If so, get busy and take on this role with eagerness, because prayers are never, ever wasted efforts.

Speaker:

And just like sound has its own vibrational frequency, prayer also has a unique frequency.

Speaker:

Our God designed us so perfectly, and doesn't it make sense that he would provide us with this special language that only his children would understand? And we know that there is power in prayer.

Speaker:

The Scriptures remind us of this fact over and over.

Speaker:

And I'm going to leave you with a verse from Romans twelve two do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind.

Speaker:

Then you will be able to know the will of God, what is good and is pleasing to Him, and is perfect.

Speaker:

And did you catch that word transform? Well, when we pray, God indeed transforms us inwardly.

Speaker:

This is like a spiritual surgery that can only be achieved in this special love language between God and his believers.

Speaker:

So if you are caught in a web of generational sin, you, my friend, can be the change.

Speaker:

Begin right now with your prayers, your words and your actions to break whatever generational sins, affect and afflict you and your loved ones will.

Speaker:

You guys, I would love to hear from all of you.

Speaker:

Head over to my website, Drpalamcdonald.com and introduce yourself to me through the Connect tab.

Speaker:

There are so many resources and Bible studies and more for you to dig into on this site.

Speaker:

And also join me in my other podcast, Exhale Bible Discovery, which is an in depth, chapter by chapter study of the Word of God.

Speaker:

I would be honored to study His Word with you.

Speaker:

So God created you to live in abundance with Him.

Speaker:

Let's break those generational sins right now and let's really dig into prayer and let's make a change.

Speaker:

And may you fully live today.

Speaker:

Thank you for joining me, friend.