No more tribute

A tribute is a payment made by a person or group of persons to another, as a form of submission or admission for protection. It is an excessive charge or due imposed by a dominant power on a weaker one.

Tribute can be paid in kind or cash. A lot of problems people are going through today is, in payment of tributes incurred by their fathers.

The story in our Bible passage tells us about Abiathar the priest. He was a nice and Godly man from the lineage of Eli, the priest in the book of Second Samuel. Eli honoured his children more than God and so a curse was placed on him that the priesthood shall be taken out of his lineage.

At the time of David’s reign as king, Abiathar was the high priest and he was with David through his time of sorrow and pain when his children rebelled against him. Somewhere along the line, the evil powers of his father’s house pushed him to make a mistake that cost him the loss of his priesthood.

In the time of Solomon’s reign as king, Abiathar was cast out, as priest in fulfilment of what was spoken to his father Eli. Exodus 20:5, says God can bring the sins of the fathers upon the fourth generation of children. One single act of mistake can put your children in a life-time of tribute.

Many years ago, a man stole and ate a chicken belonging to a chief priestess. A town cry was made for three days in search of the chicken yet nobody responded. In great pain, she declared that none of the generations of whoever stole her chicken would live beyond 40 years of age and so it was. Every male member of his family died mysteriously at age 40 until the cause was revealed some years later to one of them who sought the face of God in prayers. The law of death in that family was terminated by a better law of Christ Jesus.

There is a restaurant in France with the inscription “Foods and Drinks for free.” ‘’Your father has paid for it but please pay for your children.’’ This is called the grandfather’s bills.

A lot of people are paying tributes today for acts committed by their fathers. Ezekiel 18:2, says the fathers have eaten soured grapes but it is the children who have rotten teeth. Apart from untimely death, there are so many ways to tell that you are under tribute. Some pay with their wealth, they work so hard but have nothing to show for it because someone is collecting the bills spiritually. Some others pay with their health, as they fall in and out of sickness. Others pay tribute with unstable marriage, late or no marriage at all.

• Rev. John Okene, Divine Touch Int’l Ministries, Warri, Delta State. dtimchurch@gmail.com Prayer line: +2348135952623

They often suffer series of disappointments in their relationship, as a result of an agreement entered by their parents in the past.

Whenever you are about to take a decision in life, think about the consequence on your generations unborn.

At the crucifixion of Jesus, when Pilate washed his hands off the case, the crowd said let the blood be on their heads and also on their children. May God deliver you today from the payment of the bills of your fathers in Jesus name. Surrender your life to Christ now and ask God to reveal the generational iniquity in your family, pray earnestly for total deliverance.

• Rev. John Okene, Divine Touch Int’l Ministries, Warri, Delta State. dtimchurch@gmail.com Prayer line: +2348135952623