A TimeFor Repentance 73

with sin when he reports, "Our fathers have sinned, and are not;and we have bornetheir iniquities" (Lamentations 5:7). We actuallycarrythe resultsofour parent's iniquities in such a way that we areseriously influenced by them. Sometimes I have wondered why Ibehaved just like others in my family, when I knew I disapprovedof the very thing I saw in them. The weight of family iniquity isheavy upon us, and it is strongto influenceus to sin.

One of the most holy men in the Bible was a repentingintercessor. He poured out his life praying for his people. He spenthis years confessingthe sins ofthe stubborn andthe rebellious, theunbelievers, and the idolaters. Daniel identified himself with thesinful people of his day as he confessed their disobedience to God.In identificational repentance Daniel would repent for them andconfess one area of their sin and then another. He cried out to God:

And now, O Lord our God, Who brought Your peopleforth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand andsecured Yourself renown and a name as at this day, wehave sinned, we have done wickedly. (Daniel 9:15, AMP)

Daniel did not point his finger at others for their failures. Hetook up their fallen state as his own, and he humbly repented forthem. He acknowledged not only their sins, but also the sins andiniquity of their forefathers. Daniel provides us with a picture ofGod's solution for family iniquity. He was willing to repent for thetransgressors and do all that it took to resolve the problem, and seecaptives set free. Daniel confessed,

O Lord, according to all Your Tightness and justice, Ibeseech You, let Your anger and Your wrath be turnedaway from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain.Because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers,Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach anda byword to all who are around about us.(Daniel 9:16, AMP)

Daniel made his appeal to God based on God's reputation. Hedid not offer excuses. He boldly went to the throne of grace and

74 A Time For Repentance

spoke the truth. Daniel knew that apart from God, they werewithout hope. He knew the character andthe promises of God andhe appealed to the Heavenly Father on that basis. Daniel prayed:

For we do not present our supplications before You forour own righteousness and justice, but for Your greatmercy and loving-kindness. (Daniel 9:18b, AMP)

Daniel continued to plead with God, seeking forgiveness andmercy for his people. He claimed no personal rights, but prayed onthe basis ofGod's character and reputation for mercy. Danielknewthe ways ofGod. This prayer is an excellent example for us to useas we approach the Father and repent for our family iniquity.Daniel prayed on:

O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, give heed andact! Do not delay, for Your own sake, O my God,because Your city and Your people are called by Yourname. (Daniel 9:19, AMP)

Believers are instructedto repentjust as Danieldid. He provideda model for us to follow. Our families need the same repentancework that Daniel prayed for God's people.

We can review events in the New Testament when Jesus spokeand ministered healing to the afflicted. In the gospel of John, wecan observe that it was common knowledge among the people toquestion sin inthe ancestral lines whentheywere seeking the sourceof suffering. When Jesus noticed the blind man; "His disciplesasked Him, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that heshould be born blind?" (John 9:2, AMP) They believed there had tobe a cause and effect reason for this blind man's affliction.

We serve a merciful God who does not just put suffering on uswithout reason. The vast majority of the suffering in my own lifehas come as the result of the unconfessed and unrepented sin,transgression, and iniquity of my forefathers. Many of myancestors were wicked people. They were God haters, and theconsequences oftheir sins have come down upon me. Our lives areaffected by the sins of others, and we need a solution for thisproblem.

A Time For Repentance 75

In this book, you will find there are two different ways for you toapproach repentance and the confession of generational sins. I wantto recommend that the first time you repent through the BreakingOriginal Ground Sin List that you repent according to Dr.Matthew's directions given with the list. You will be breaking up theoriginal groundthe enemy holds against you and your forefathers inyour ancestral lines. You will be repenting for the iniquity andgenerational sins ofall your ancestors as you work through this list.

It was helpful to me to work throughthis list more than one time.The second time I repented through the Breaking Original GroundSin List, I used the Twelve Step Repentance Plan. When you workthrough the list using this planyou will be repenting for yourselfandyour forefathers. I suggest that you do both plans so that youthoroughly cover these areas of sin with repentance. I regard thisfirst sin list a category list. You will discover that some ofthe othersin lists that follow give a more detaileddescription of sins.

I recognize that you may be having a problem with what I havewritten about generational sin and the consequences in our lives.Many peopleresist this information when I talk about this problem.Perhaps it would be wise foryou to stop andwork through the Bibleverses given in Section Three, Scriptures Defining GenerationalSin, before you start your generational repentance work. It can bevery helpful to take your notebook and a pen and copy these versesso that they will go into your spirit and your heart. When I investedsome time studying each of these Scriptures, I learned thatgenerational sin is very influential and powerful. It was then that Iknew I must thoroughly repent for myself and my forefathers. I hadsearched for so long looking for the causes ofmany family problemsthat I refused to turn my back on family iniquity and walk away. Foryears I begged God for real spiritualhelp and the repentance of thesins ofmy forefathers is where He lead me to find it.

It is my desire for you to have a clear understanding of why youare confessing the sin and iniquity of your ancestors so that thisrepentance work can have its full impact in your life. This sin listfrom Dr. Victor Matthews was a wonderful help to me and I knowthat it can make a difference for you, too.

76 A Time For Repentance

Breaking "Original Ground"In Your Personal Ancestral Lines

1. You will need to firmly stand against the sin or evil deedson this list and rebuke them as you speak. We do not knowthe sin history of all of our ancestors. Those who livedonly afew generations ago can be guilty before God, and we aretargets for the consequences. Evenif you know the genealogyof many generations of your forefathers, you do not know thecondition of their heart before Almighty God; therefore, itwould be wise for you to humble yourself and repent foreverything on the list.

2. Make the following statement over and over as you confessand speakaloud five or sue sins and evildeeds at a time. Thisis very powerful and is for your own good. Somepeoplehaveseen immediate results fromjust working through this list thefirst time.

3. State your father's full name and mother's full maidennameand the full nameofyour spouse's father and the mother's fullmaiden name each time to fill the blank at the end of the

statement. People who have never married need to fill theblanks with the names of their parents. Divorcedor widowedpersons should include the names of all of the parents of all oftheir spouses. Repeat theirnames over and overas you breakand cancel the ground the enemy has held in your life. Thisshould stop the transference of iniquity to yourself and yourchildren.

Make this statement with firm, sincere conviction:

I break down the ground and revoke any and allpermission given to Satan and wicked spirits through(name the sins/deeds) , in the family lines of(state all four names in full) .

A TimeFor Repentance 11

4. Every so often as you are repenting, ask the Lord to take backthe ground given to Satan by you and your ancestors becauseof these sins and ask Him to close the doors in your life toenemy activity because of family iniquity.

5. Apologize to God and work through the list, repenting one lineat a time. This is serious business before the throne ofAlmightyGod. Take your time and work through this list. You will beblessed by the results.

Note: The Bible makes a distinction between effects ofgenerationalsins and personal guilt. See Ezekiel 18:19,20. If a person isforgiven, as in salvation, that does not automatically wipe out alleffects of generational sins. See the times in the Scripture list givenin Section Three, Scriptures Defining Generational Sin, in whichGodly people like Nehemiah and Daniel confessed the sins of theirforefathers. Consider how often believers in the Bible were affected

by the sins of others. Note the evidence of demonic control in thelives of young children who evidently were too young to havecommitted some serious sin (Mark 7 and 9).

Dr. Victor Matthews

^-*$.\

&&iW\

78 A TimeFor Repentance ~*

Repent The Breaking Original Ground Sin List £S#\

Sins/Evil Deeds: Cheating DivinationtfjEV%

Abandonment Child sacrifice Divorce *•*

Abortions Communication Doubt

Abusing prisoners with the dead Dowsing *~*w\

Accusations Conceit Dread A&'A,

Adultery Condemnation Dreaming fantasyAll Abuse: Sexual, Condoning and Drivenness

^t^

Mental, Child, encouraging sin in Duplicity, iC^

Physical, Emotional, others double-dealing

Spiritual Conflict Eating human flesh iSBS\

Angel worship Contempt Eating rituals »N

Anger Control Elitism

Anorexia nervosa Cooperation with Enjoying sin4SSy

Anxiety sinners Enjoying pain A»^

Apathy Corruption Enjoying inflictingArrogance Coarse jesting pain

0E&\

Astrology Covens Envy ^STfy

Baptism (Blood, Cover-ups Evil

Urine, Feces) Covering sin Evil speaking4=*\

Bestiality Covetousness Exaggeration az»\

Beating Critical spirit Exploitation

Belief in error Crystals Extortion4w™?\

Betrayal Cursing False testimony Ai*iy\

Bitterness Debauchery False guiltBlaming Deception False worship

*-*¥\

Blood letting Defrauding Fantasizing 4St$\

Boasting Demonic healing FearjBfffiX

Bolemia Depression Flattery

Bondage Deprivation Foolishness £2R>\

Bribes Destruction Fortune tellingBurning people in Discord Giving control ofeffigy Disdain self to the enemy for ^S$\

Burning bodies Dishonesty bargains

Buying and selling Dishonoring God Giving control of n

people Dishonoring self to addictions «=\

Carnality parents sex, drugs, alcohol,Causing social Dismemberment nicotine, gluttony,problems Disobedience drunkenness *°^

Causing family Disrespect Gloating*=>\

problems Dissensions Gossip

Greed

Guided imageryGuile

Hard-heartedness

Hatred

HaughtinessHolding grudgesHomosexualityHoroscopesHypnotismIcons

Idoltry, worshipingfalse gods/idolsImagination

/1* Impatiencerms Incest

IngratitudeInsmcenty

*m IntimidationIrresponsibilityJealousy

.*»> KidnappingLesbianism

Love ofmoney/m Love ofpleasure

Lust

Lyingf^\ Magic

Malice

Manipulation"•* Masturbation

Materialism

Mental murders

/rt*> Mingling blood^ Misuse of money to

support sm habits"*> Mocking^ Molestation

Murder

'^ Neglect^_ Occult symbols

Occultism

A Time For Repentance 79

OppressionOrgiesOut ofbodyexperiencesPacts with the

devil

Palm readingPanic

Perversion

PoisoningPornographyPoutingPracticingsuperstitionPraying formiscarriages toGod or the enemyPraying to theenemy forprotectionPraying to theenemy for healingPride

PromiscuityProstitution

Psychic predictionsQuarrelsomenessQuija boardsRageRapeRebellion

Reincarnation

RejectionResentment

Resistance

Ritualization

Sadomasochism

Satanic prayersSatanic curses

Satanic marriageSatanism

Scorn

Seances

Self-centeredness

Self-mutilation

Self-pitySelf-Protection

Self-righteousnessSelfish ambition

SkepticismSlander

SlaverySlothfulness

(Laziness)SluggardlySocial murders

SodomySorcerySpirit channelingSpirit mediumsSpirit writingSpiritistsSpiritual blindnessSpiritual murdersStarvation

Status

StealingStiff-necked

behavior

Strife

Stubbornness

Suicide

Swamp KbO-wartsSwearingTransendential

Meditation

Tarot Cards

Tattoos, marking orcutting the bodyTea readingTimidityTorturingTransvestite

Unbelief

80 A TimeFor Repentance

UnforgivenessUngratefulnessUnholiness

Unloving attitudeUse ofevil eyeUsing snares and luresVain imaginationsViolence

VisioningVoyeurismWar

Warlocks

Water witchingWhoremongeringWickedness

Witchcraft

Witches

Withholding justiceWithholding kindnessWorkaholism

WorryWorship ofmoon, sun, starsWorshipping idolsWriting in blood

Participation in Institutions andReligionsAdopting their beliefs:FreemasonryMormonism, LDSHinduism - YogaIslam-Muslims

All False Religions-CultsRosicrucism

Exclusion ofGod and His Word

from the public school systemAtheism

AgnosticismAnimism

Evolution

Feminism

Rock music

Shamanism

SpiritismVoodooism

Environmentalism, Animal rights,Media, Books, Videos, TV, MoviesThe wickedness ofgovernments

Consequences:Accidents

ADD/ADHD

AneurysmArthritis

Blood diseases

Cancer

Diseases

Dissociation

DyslexiaFever

Heart diseases

InfertilityInflammations

Learning disabilityMental illness

Multiple-personalityNatural remedies

Pain

PlaguesRespiratorydiseasesRetardation

Schizoid behavior

Strokes

SufferingTrauma

Problems:

Financial

Mental

PhysicalSoulish

Spiritual

A Time For Repentance 81

Reclaiming Surrendered Ground

Confession:

In Jesus name, I break down the ground and revoke any and allpermission given to Satan and wicked spirits through the followingsins. Heavenly Father, I confess our willful disobedience, rebellion,and iniquity with the commitment of the sins of 1 , 2 ,

3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 , on the part of myself and

my ancestors in the family linesof ffather's full name] and

{mother's maiden name! and of TfuU name spouse's father! and

fmaiden name spouse's mother! and all their ancestors before them.

Lord, I confess that as a family we walked contrary to You and asa result You walked contrary to us because ofour iniquity, and thatYou allowed us to be brought into the land ofthe enemy.

Lord, I confess that throughout the ages we have been prideful,stubborn, and lived in opposition to You. As a family we deserveall the punishment that Jesus enduredon the cross for our iniquity,and I claim the cleansing power of Jesus' blood shed on the crossfor us.

Lord, I ask You to take back all the ground given over to Satan andwicked spirits by these sins and iniquity; and I ask You to close alldoors opened to Satan that gave him a chance to target me and myfamily. I ask You, Lord, to seal those doors shut with the blood ofthe Lord Jesus Christ.

I am grateful to You, Lord Jesus, for making the provision ofYourblood available for me that I can be forgiven of all my sins andSatan's power in my ancestral line neutralized for my family.Thank You, Heavenly Father, for Your wonderful help.

82 A Time For Repentance

Courage To Finish

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will exult in the victoriousGod of my salvation! The Lord God is my strength, mypersonal bravery and my invincible army; He makes my feetlike hinds' feet, and will make me to walk not to stand still interror, but to walk, and make spiritual progress upon myhigh places of trouble, suffering, or responsibility.(Habakkuk 3:18-19, AMP)

When we fail to confess our sins and repent, our forwardprogress in the Christian life appears to be neutralized. As long aswe get along socially in the church with others who claim the nameChristian, regularly participate in church activities, and keep quietabout our sins, troubles, and suffering, we will usually be foundacceptableto the group. If we fit in, followthe status quo, and keepour spiritual problems to ourselves, then we will be classified asacceptable. Repentance will upset this relationship because whenyou are serious about getting more of God into your life and youdesire to know Him better, you will not be able to maintain your oldways of living.

Repentance is meant for every believer, but repenting is not aneasy task. It stirs us up and it stirs up the devil. When God beginsto pour more of Himself into your life, you will look different andbehavedifferently, too. Such changes often rockthe boat andshakethe status quo in an uncomfortable way. When the conviction oftheHoly Spirit is manifested in our lives, then our mere presencewithother people will bring convictionto them. Then, when the spiritualwind around you changes direction, you will wonder what you havegotten yourself into, and think that perhaps you have become atarget for persecution. Remember, the devil hatesrepenting people.

Repentance is a sifting device. It separates the shallow and thedeep, the brave and the fearful, the sinner who is self-satisfied andcomfortable in his sin, and the dear soul who is hungry for God andwilling to press on at the height of a storm. Repentance divides. Itis spiritual surgery. The more deeply you cut, the more radical theconsequences. Just like cleaningout a serious flesh wound, you willbe removing all of the "proud flesh."