If you honestly believed you were under a generational family curse–an actual pronounced or written, intentional curse–what would you do to put an end to it?

As Christians, we claim to believe in the supernatural realm. Our very faith rests on a confession of belief that Jesus Christ of Nazareth suffered in the spiritual realms to reconcile us to God. We confess belief that the physical, manifested symbol of that spiritual work was evidenced in His bodily resurrection, and that event in human history confirmed previous prophetic words given over hundreds and hundreds of years to a long line of generational patriarchs and promises.

Moreover, we confess belief that when we physically die, we will enter the eternal, heavenly kingdom of God, and have a bodily resurrection of some sort. We confess that those who do not put their faith in Christ will not experience this eternal joy, peace and wholeness upon their physical death.

Many a Christian has gone to their premature death based upon these confessions of things in the unseen realms.

We sing hymns and songs and read biblical accounts of all sorts that essentially are about matters that exist in the unseen realms.

In parts of our world and in the United States, in 2023, there are people who do not follow Jesus (or do not follow the Jesus of the Bible) who wholeheartedly believe in these unseen realms. These are practitioners of witchcraft, voodoo, and all sorts of pagan worship with its own beliefs, prayers and pronouncements into this realms—intended for a variety of material and spiritual harms toward the recipients, seen or unseen.

Yet, if a Christian speaks too much about their belief in their own prophetic dreams, their own discernments and observational-discoveries of perceived actual curses–with the subjective sensings of knowledge and connection to manifested things in the natural realm–they run the risk of being dismissed as over-religious, or otherwise named as offbase or “crazy.”

In the thinking of many (even Christians) , it is OK to go to church, shrouded in the safety of singing a deeply confessing ideological hymn such as “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”, so long as we leave the belief in these deep realities in the sanctuary. So long as we and our families go out for brunch afterward in our Sunday best, turning our attention back to “reality.” Relaxing the rest of the Sunday with leisure and walks and movies and books and sunshine and lollipops…so that we can live our clear-cut, successful, orderly, controlled lives Monday-Friday, 9-5…and then do our “Christian” Saturday and Sunday.

We may think this kind of life represents that of what it means to be a Christian. And if someone dare suggest the idea of literal time spent waging some battle against unseen, deeply demonic, destructive forces that are robbing us of these type of worldly blessings, it is more than we might risk believing. In fact, it probably makes many a Christian uncomfortable. Life itself in the seen realms can seem like too much — let alone some need to explore and deal with the unseen realms.

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So again, what would you do if you came to a conviction that you were under an actual family, generational curse?

How would you know for certain what would break it, if you are struggling to know for certain that it even exists and find it somewhat hard to articulate to others? It is certainly not prove-able — just as any other matter of faith is not prove-able, per se.

Would you pray aloud a certain way? Would you confess sin and renounce the curse? Would you write about it and make it known for posterity? Is there some power in somehow announcing to the world that these things have been seen, identified and renounced? Would they keep coming back? Should we be specific or general…or just trust Jesus that He is/will take care of these things somehow and not give them any further thought?

I don’t know for certain. I’ve done all of these things, and today, here, I am completing the announcement (even though I have but a small handful of readers, that is not the point of this spiritual act) part of it. There are biblical references I will generally mention that speak of putting the spiritual, demonic entities “on notice” that they have been defeated in the ultimate sense, and that their time is short.

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I just know that I am tired of all of this, and I need breakthroughs. I need deliverance from enemies too great for me. I need Jesus–I need Him in every possible way. And He is fully available to me, in every possible way.

I am tired of not even having the capacity to articulate the many, little details of all the perceived spiritual assaults, weights and fly-like vessels (that is a metaphor) that seem to be a never-ending plague upon so many aspects of my material and spiritual life and livelihood. God be my judge, but I do not believe that I have sown the seeds in my life that should reap such devastation, nor that there is any particular purpose that the fruits of my lifetime of labors and works should continually be thieved by various confluences of destructive things. Sure, there are some natural, logical elements and pieces of this, yet, I discern from my vantage point a number of seemingly in-communicable plethora of witnessed details.

I believe God gave me two specific dreams (Pear Tree Dream and God, Flies and European Hornets) that are spiritual dreams, of a personal, prophetic nature. While the interpretation of these dreams still puzzles, engages and otherwise continues to take clearer form in my mind…I now believe them to be like the “companion dreams” (that is what I name them) of the cupbearer and the baker in the story of Joseph in Genesis. I note several things in the pattern of these dreams that seem to resonate and have some application to my own interpretation of my dreams (and, interpretation too is revealed, even slowly over years, by God). One thing I note today as I watched that video (linked in this paragraph) is that the cupbearer’s dream seems possibly to also represent plenty as well as restoration, while the baker’s dream represents theft (by birds) and being cut off from blessing (and death). Of course, there’s a lot behind that idea/statement in a number of ways, just as there are hard to understand things in the biblical statement, “Jacob I loved, but Essau I hated.” I don’t feel I can articulate further my observation so noted concerning blessing and cursing in the two competing dreams (but related dreams) of the cupbearer and the baker.

Recently I had another dream regarding something very dear to my heart, and I shared with two spiritual friends for interpretation and prayer. I will not be writing publicly of that dream, but I will say that one of the friends had some specific interpretation of the symbols that I can confirm within me as being relevant. Furthermore, she told me the next day before she fully read of my dream details, that she had gone to bed praying for me and had a dream during the night where she was “raising her cupped hands in supplication” in her dream (while praying in the dream for me).

She could not have possibly known how much positive impact her words “cupped hands” would have upon me, because I had not conveyed to her my recent ponderings of the two companion dreams that were spoken to Joseph in Genesis in terms of “cupbearer.” While I had shared both of my other dreams with her weeks before, I had not shared my musing upon a “cup” per se.

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It has been months that I’ve wanted to complete a blog piece intended to outline this identified family curse. It is so unwieldy, I’m not sure I can easily perfect it any time soon. But I feel I should link to what I have written so far over the past months, with the caveat that some day I will fine tune it, perhaps. And that there are likely typos and things needing editing within the piece, currently.

Here’s the summary:
My great-great grandfather, Thomas Kennedy, came to the United States from Ireland. He was a staunch Catholic and married a devout Methodist. Written, extensive family genealogy produced by a relative in the 1970’s, that include first-hand stories/testimonials from his daughter, Margaret Jane, when view through a biblical, spiritual understanding of generational curses, reveal to me that he intentionally crafted what I would call a “codified” deathbed curse. In the scriptures, blessing and cursings from the deathbed is recorded in the Old Testament. These were verbal accounts/storytelling that was eventually passed into written record. In modern times, what is more powerful that crafting your blessings and cursings in a legal will? A will is a legal document intended to be enforced. I have tried to get further information through various records of some specific things I think are of interest, family-wise, but this full process will require another trip to West Virginia. Some day I hope to do that, but I think I should go ahead an “blow the metaphorical trumpet” now, rather than later when my research is fully perfected. I see what was done. I read of the immense discord between Thomas and his wife Sarah concerning Catholicism. I have researched the nature of Irish Cursing, and other writings concerning the practice/forms of generational curses. The will of Thomas Kennedy, crafted shortly before his death, reveals that he intentionally left two of his children a very small amount ($5) while others received property generally worth around $200. And, he totally omitted one of his sons. The basis for this gesture of financial ill-will and cursing rather than blessing was based upon these three offspring’s Protestant faith. The son that was not even mentioned, according to Margaret Jane, was a Protestant minister. Whether he was a young circuit Methodist minister or otherwise, I have not yet been able to discover. Margaret Jane speaks as though he was alive at the time of their father’s death (why else would she mention he was omitted if he was in fact, already deceased?) but when I was online months back I made a potentially unique discovery. If the “John Kennedy” who tombstone/legend is the the Saint Bernard’s Catholic Church near Weston, he either died of suicide at 18 (as is the folklore surrounding the odd marker) or, perhaps, if it is the same family member, perhaps his father stated “you are dead to me if you be a Protestant minister and I will erect a stone in the Catholic cemetery far from the others as a sign and symbol of your eternal curse.” Now I don’t know if this is the case or not. But surely, if one pieces together from a variety of biblically-grounded understandings of many things including the pure, true gospel of Christ and the nature of spiritual rift (especially in those days) between the Catholic Church and Protestantism, I don’t think my speculations are necessarily offbase.

There’s a lot of mystery in this world, and I suppose my spiritual insights (informed by my Christian faith and acknowledgement of our sacred scriptures which serve as the primal basis of conceptual and specific thought and experience) are just as possible as those of the billions of other humans that have walked this planet.

There was a man, Thomas Kennedy, who walked this earth. That is certain. As is my direct bloodline relationship with him, and that flows down toward my children. While I don’t reject Catholic siblings in Christ, I do reject (some) of the institutional theology as being either extra-biblical or un-biblical.

“So yes, ‘Thomas Kennedy’ my great-great-grandfather, I too am Protestant. I have professed faith alone in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and I have been buried with Him in baptism, and I am heir of all the full blessing and shalom that my heavenly Father wills for me. In my life, and in the lives of my sons…in the lives of my grandchildren…and forward into the lives of any and all of my future descendants. I belong to Jesus–not to you, your will, or your cursing therein, be it was intentional or not. How much more ill will can one convey than to withhold blessing and inflict financial harm to one’s children? It doesn’t matter the wealth in question or wealth in reality–it is the IDEA of it. My children and all generations forward belong to Jesus, and all that I possess spiritually and materially, are intended for not only my thriving and blessing in this life, but for my descendants. Period. I and my descendants belong to the devout heritage of your Protestant wife, Sarah, and to the generational heritage of that family line, and to the gospel of Jesus that exists beyond any earthly doctrinal divides. I curse your WILL, in the name of Jesus.”

BLESSING, CURSING AND THE IRISH (MAY 12, 2023)

Let this written statement stand for posterity, and may any other family members who have experienced the “Linger Luck” as my cousins have named it, recognize it as an actual spiritual, generational curse. A generational curse that has led to much evil and family havoc and discord–even suicides and freak, tragic deaths and premature loss of parents. Seek the Lord, in spirit and in truth, while He may be found. Let the wicked forsake his way…we are are sinful and we all are need of salvation and deliverance through the blood and truth of Jesus Christ. To Him be glory and honor, faithfulness and allegiance, devotion and trust. Come quickly, my Lord Jesus–rescue, save and deliver me and every generation forward. Amen.

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A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing

Author: Martin Luther (1529); Translator: Frederick H. Hedge (1852)
Tune: EIN FESTE BURG

1 A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he, amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
does seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

2 Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right Man on our side,
the Man of God’s own choosing.
You ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth his name,
from age to age the same;
and he must win the battle.

3 And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God has willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo! his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

4 That Word above all earthly powers
no thanks to them abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours
through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever!