Family Foundations International is a ministry committed to restoring timeless family values to God’s people. My own heart was deeply stirred years ago upon reading Gary Smalley and John Trent’s Book, "The Blessing". I realized upon reading this book that we in western culture had inadvertently, over time, departed far from many of God’s basic life principles. Many of the biblical foundations of families, including the practice of imparting the blessing from one generation to the next, have been ripped right out from under us in our culture. Consequently, many people are often frustrated in their attempts to deal with the symptoms and consequences of long-term (multi-generational) destructive sowing and reaping patterns in their lives and the lives of their families. (For more information on this topic see my book, entitled, The Ancient Paths.)

Around the same time as I had read The Blessing, the Lord quickened to me an obscure passage of scripture from Jeremiah 6.

"Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you shall find rest for your souls.’ But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’"     Jeremiah 6:16

As I began meditating on this verse, I wondered what the Lord meant by "the ancient paths". Here we are directed to ask for the "ancient paths". The first thing I did in my investigation of the passage was to look up the Hebrew word for "ancient" to discover its mean found that the Hebrew word is "OLAM". Some of the meanings of this Hebrew word are: old, concealed, hidden, perpetual, eternal, timeless, from eternity.

When I read the words "from eternity", something inside me jumped, and I remembered reading in the Bible how everything on the earth is patterned after things in heaven. The things on the earth are really just types and shadows of the things in heaven. God's ways are heavenly, eternal, and timeless. Before God created man or the earth, His ways were established, and He walked in them. When God created Adam and Eve, He made them in His own image and established within them His ways: supernatural, timeless, from eternity. These were ways of thinking, ways of speaking, ways of behaving and relating to one another. Since man chose sin, he has departed farther and farther from these ways. Today we don’t even recognize what "these ways" are any more, so we couldn't return to them if we wanted to do so.

Nevertheless, God instructs us through the prophet Jeremiah to see and ask for the "ancient paths" again. He tells us that they are the "good way." The Hebrew word for "GOOD" used in this passage is the word "TOV." Some of the meanings of this word are: pleasant, agreeable, happy, well-off, prosperous, great, excellent, cheerful, merry, distinguished. Such characteristics are the result of walking in the ancient paths of God. This scripture passage further says that when you walk in these paths, you will find rest for your soul. So many Christians today have very little rest or peace on the inside. Life is a constant struggle, and there is a continual torment on the inside of many. I believe that God never intended for us to have to live this way. Such a state is not walking in "the ancient paths."

As I correlated what I had read in The Blessing with that which I was understanding from this Scripture passage, I began to see that the practice of imparting parental blessing from one generation to the next is indeed one of God’s ancient paths. It is not just a good idea, but rather is a basic life principle. I have come to understand that impartation of blessing is the primary method God uses for building a correct image in the heart, of identity and destiny (Who am I? And Why am I here?) When parents don’t know how to bless their children, or inadvertently impart the devil’s message of cursing to their children, these children often carry with them into adulthood an image on the inside of worthlessness and failure.

We have found that the primary reason that many parents don’t bless their children is simply that they, themselves, were never blessed by their parents. Thus, we find a two-fold need in the lives of most adults: 1 a) To bring healing to the internal false identity and destiny images established through parental cursing or lack of blessing, 1 b) To facilitate the impartation of true identity and destiny from the Lord, and 2) To re-establish the vision for and implementation of parental blessing in the family for the next generation.

Let me now give a little more definition to the concepts of blessing and cursing as we use them. Blessing is simply to receive, accept, ascribe high value to, and consider a person as a success. In the Hebrew language, the verb to bless is "BARUCH." One of the primary meanings of this word is, "TO EMPOWER TO PROSPER." A good definition, then, of cursing would be "TO DISEMPOWER FROM PROSPERING." What does it mean to prosper? In our western culture, we primarily think of prosperity in terms of money. However, economic prosperity is not all that this word entails. We could better define this verb "to prosper" as to thrive, succeed, or do well. In the Hebrew language, this word primarily means "TO HAVE A PLEASANT FULFILLING JOURNEY." Thus, to prosper would mean to have a pleasant journey through your life.

So, in combining these definitions, to bless, (BARUCH), would mean to empower the one being blessed to thrive, succeed, do well, and to have a pleasant, fulfilling journey through life. On the other hand, to curse would mean to dis-empower or to disable the one being cursed from thriving, succeeding, or having a pleasant or fulfilling journey through life.

One of the best pictures of this came to me one day as I watched my wife, Jan, watering her house plants. Jan is an expert at growing house plants. As she cares for them, they thrive and grow exceedingly large and healthy. When people come to visit, they frequently comment on Jan’s marvelous ability to grow house plants.

When it is time to water the plants, Jan mixes a blue powder containing plant nutrient of some sort with water and pours just the right amount on each plant. I noticed that after each application of this "blue water," the plants seem to perk up and really be full of life. Suppose, however, that one day Jan decided to pour hydrochloric acid on her plants instead of the nutrient-laden water. How might they respond? Instead of thriving, opening up their pores and craving more, the plants would close all their little pores, and attempt to repel as much of the acid as possible.

This example above is a good picture of the power of blessing and cursing. Parents with their words, attitudes, and actions possess the ability to bless or curse the identities of their children. Blessing is like pouring nutrient-laden, blue water over the child’s inner being, while cursing is like pouring hydrochloric acid over the inner being. One empowers the child to prosper, while the other cripples and disables. Blessing imparts God’s message of identity and destiny, while cursing imparts Satan’s message of the same. Parents can be the agents of either in the lives of their children.

Through Family Foundations International (FFI), the Lord has given us two clear objectives in ministering to couples and individuals. We have found that there is first of all a need for remedial healing from the damage done through lack of blessing in families. Secondly there is a need for helping families re-establish this ancient path of blessing for the next generation. The primary tool we use to accomplish these purposes is a weekend seminar entitled, The Ancient Paths Seminar.

In this seminar, we identify seven critical times in life at which I believe that God intended for each of us to receive a powerful impartation of identity and destiny from God through the blessing of parents. Throughout the course of the seminar, participants alternate between video teaching in a large group and personal prayer and ministry in a small group context. Each session builds on the last, and each ministry time grows in depth and intensity. Participants frequently tell us that the ministry that they experienced in the small groups at the Ancient Paths Seminar goes far deeper, far more quickly than anything they had previously experienced in regular one on one counseling, altar ministry at the conclusion of a church service, or in weekly courses that are spread out over a period of time.

The Ancient Paths Seminar is hosted by local churches and conducted by an experienced team of small group ministers whom we have trained. It is our goal in each church in which we conduct a seminar to train several people from that local congregation as future small group ministers, so that the seminar can ultimately become a tool in the hands of that local congregation to utilize on a regular basis, within the context of their own vision. In addition to the Ancient Paths Seminar, FFI has also produced a weekend seminar on Biblical Principles of Finance, an eight-week evangelistic small group course on marriage, an evangelistic seminar on Overcoming Anger, and many other family-oriented courses and materials. For a list of material, to order a copy of the book, The Ancient Paths, or to schedule an Ancient Paths Seminar in your church, you may contact FFI at info@familyfoundations.com

Ek het Junie 2008 die Ancient Paths 1 kursus en die naweek van 19 September 2008 die Ancient Paths 2 kursus op Beulah bygewoon. Ek en my man het albei ondervind, sonder dat ons geweet het waaroor dit werklik gaan, dat die Here sê dit is wat ons moet doen.

Die Ancient Paths 1 het my voete onder my uitgeslaan met die teaching. Ek het nog nooit so 'n "powerful" tool wat plein Bybelse beginsels is, in my hand gehad nie. Ek het besef hoeveel dit vir mense daarbuite kan beteken, selfs nie-Christene. As ek, wat gedink het ek is heel okay, soveel daaruit kon put....

Die Heilige Gees het vir my dinge uitgewys waarvan ek nie eers bewus was nie. Ek het ’n deurbraak beleef rondom dinge uit my verlede en in besonder wat verhoudinge betref. Ek kan nou met nuwe oë na my ouers asook my eie kinders kyk. Dit is makliker om te identifiseer waar ek verkeerd optree en my en my man se kommunikasie het heelwat verbeter. Dit was bevrydend om dinge net te kan neerlê, hardop belei en weet dat dit vir altyd klaar is en dat daar getuies is. Ek het so heerlik nuut gevoel toe ek daar weg is.

Ek moet byvoeg dat die feit dat ons die kursus op Beulah gedoen het, vir my persoonlik 'n baie belangrike deel van die bediening was. Ek sukkel om af te skakel as ek moet heen en weer jaag of 'n tydslimiet het. Dat ek dus kon weg wees van huis, kinders, kos maak en geen tydslimiete gehad het nie, het my gehelp om te fokus op dit wat Vader vir my wil sê.

Die Ancient Paths 2 waar om te begin? Ek dra ’n "covenant ring" met Jes.58:12 daarop gegrafeer in Hebreeus. 'n Belofte wat God vir my gegee het en 3 keer bevestig het tydens 'n Skeppingsdoelkursus op Beulah kort na my bekering. Ons kry ons werksboeke vir die kursus Vrydagaand voor ons begin en agterop is dieselfde skrif gedruk. Ek weet ek is op die regte plek!

Ek dra die ring aan my middelvinger, regterhand. Tydens die eerste "teaching" van die aand begin hierdie vinger seer raak, veral as ek hom buig. Daar was 'n skaafplekkie op my kneukel en dit blyk dat daar skielik infeksie in is. My vinger raak rooi en vuurwarm en begin swel. Rondom die skaafplekkie vorm 'n harde rooi kring en geel etter kom uit as mens daarop druk. My man is bietjie bekommerd en sês ons sal moet laat kyk na die vinger. My ring begin druk agv die swelling en ek moet dit afhaal. Ek dink egter nie verder daaroor nie en ons gaan aan met die kursus.

Die hele kursus lank voel ek regtig hoe die Heilige Gees besig is om met my te werk. Ek huil saam met almal en die trane vloei sommer 'n paar keer tydens die "teachings" ook. Daar is net soveel dinge wat skielik sinmaak en soveel waarhede.....Dit raak my so diep dat ek nie eers weet waar nie. Ek voel daar is iets wat pla en sien selfs 'n beeld van hoe ek voorberei word vir die operasietafel waar Jesus die dokter is met die skalpel. Ek is bang daarvoor, maar vertrou Hom. Ek weet daar gaan pyn wees, maar dat ek na die operasie gesond gaan word en dat daardie siekte my nie weer gaan teister nie. Ek kan egter niks spesifieks uitwys wat my pla nie. Ek dink deur al die insidente in my lewe, maar niks voel vir my asof dit die oorsaak van my probleem is nie.

Die probleem is dat ek 2 keer die jaar geestelik net gevou het a.g.v. iets wat iemand gesê het. Beide kere was dit mense naby my en goed wat ek moes kon hanteer. Dit was asof sekere goed wat mense sê 'n "trigger" in my lewe is.

Tydens die laaste sessie deel ek my beeld met die groep en sê dat die Here besig is om met my te werk en dat ek operasietafel toe sal gaan sodra die tyd gereed is. Jacques voel dat die tyd nou is en al probeer ek hom anders oortuig weet hy wat hy weet. Hy vra dat ek my oë toemaak en sê wat ek sien. Onmiddelik sien ek 'n hoë baksteen muur om my gebou. Die muur is egter nie om myself te beskerm nie, maar om ander mense teen my te beskerm. Jacques vra 'n "weird" vraag nl. wat staan op die muur? Duidelik sien ek die woord "Destroyer" - net so, met 'n hoofletter gespel. Tydens die eerste AP kursus het ons 'n "print out" gekry met ons name, die betekenis daarvan en skrif daar rondom. My naam beteken Warrior en die woord Destroyer kom dus direk teen my naam. Ons delf bietjie verder om te sien waar dit vandaan kom en die grootste leuen in my lewe word ontbloot.

Daar was al die tyd 'n leuen van die vyand in my lewe, wat ek geglo het en ek was nie eers bewus daarvan nie. As gevolg van die feit dat ek die leuen geglo het, het ek dit myne gemaak en dit begin leef. Die leuen het direk teenoor my naam en my roeping gestaan. Die Heilige Gees is so getrou en wys 'n spesifieke insident uit waar die leuen sy houvas gekry het. Binne 5 minute en sonder enige drama word die leuen vir altyd beeindig en die waarheid ingebid. Mens kan eenvoudig nie vir iemand verduidelik hoe 'n groot verskil iets so simpel aan 'n mens se lewe kan maak nie.

Ek is daar weg met 'n nuwe selfvertroue, wete van my identiteit in Christus en wat my outoriteit in Hom is. Ek wens ek het genoeg geld gehad om almal rondom my op die kursus te stuur. Elkgeval, Saterdagaand oppad terug, ontdek ek dat my vinger gesond is, die infeksie is weg binne 1 dag (sonder enige salf of pleister) en ek kan my ring terugsit. Toevallig???

Ek het besluit om die AP2 kursus te doen na die groot inpak wat AP1 op my denkwyse teenoor my kinders, my vrou, my ouers en my-self totaal verander het. Vir die eerste keer kon ek sien waarom daar sekere Kultuur groepe is wat sukses behaal en ander nie. Daar is sekere groepe waarvan daar ’n hegter band is en waar die mense, buite gesins en in gesins verband, saam staan. Dit lyk asof daardie groepe se mense baie geseënd is.

AP1 in kort
In kort het AP1 vir my die opgroei proses en die rol van die ouers in die proses baie mooi uiteengesit. Van voor geboorte waar die moeder met die baba geseën is die baba was reeds deel van die gesin tot met geboorte. Die peuter jare van die kind tot kleuter en die rol wat die ma in die proses speel. Die oorgee van die jong seun ef dogter aan die vader. En die rol wat die pa speel.

Die verantwoordelikheid wat die pa het om sy kinders te beskerm en veral hulle harte te beskerm vir hulle self en die toekomstige eggenoot waarvoor daar van baie jongtyd gebid word. Die seën wat weeklikse oor kinders uitgespreek word.

Die hele proses van verhoudinge tussen mekaar. Wat seerkry aan jou doen en die emosionele littekens wat jou huweliks verhouding later beinvloed.

Waarom dit so belangrik is dat ouers hul kinders seen voordat hulle die groot mens lewe ingaan en die huis verlaat. Die losmaak van jou gesin as jy begin met jou eie.

My belewing in AP2

Vloeke en seëninge jou keuse. Ek het die outoriteit om te besluit.

Waar lê ons outoriteits mag in die wêreld. Wat is my verantwoordelikheid teenoor die wêreld. Die beginsel ’n kontrak wat aan Adam en Eva gegee is om oor die aarde te heers, die weggee van die "kontrak" aan satan in die sonde val wat veroorsaak het dat ons baie outoriteit verloor het.

Die groot fout wat satan gemaak het om Christus te laat sterf en die "kontrak" terug te vat met die opstanding en die mag van lewe en dood wat in God se hand is. Jesus wat weer die mag om oor die aarde te regeer aan ons terug gegee het.

Die oorlog tussen Satan en ons wat verskuif het met die leun wat satan vir ons voorhou van wie en wat God werklik is. Die beeld van ’n skietlood wat gebruik is met die magnet en hoe ons skietlood skeef hang en ons dit as loodreg sien.

Ons moet onder die leun van Satan uitkom. Ons outoriteit teen hom opneem. Ons moet ons muur weer loodreg opbou en vir God vra om te help met die keuses wat ons maak sodat ons die regte beeld kan sien van God. Ons moet die vloeke kan omswaai in seëninge deur ons keuse.

Ek voel die aanbieding is uiters goed gedoen. Dit is ’n baie goeie deurdenkte kursus en elke standpunt word goed ondersteun deur die Bybel en ’n goeie uitleg.

Die bediening in die kleingroepe en die geleentheid om in die proses jou-self skoon te maak is baie goed.

Ek het op meer as een geleentheid getwyvel oor ’n beeld wat in my gedagtes opgekom het en het elke keer bevestiging gekry in die kleingroepe deur dit wat iemand sê, dit wat ek uit die Bybel kort daarna gelees het of die volgende lesing waar die antwoord op die vra wat in my gemoed was beantwoord was. Daarom weet ek die Heilige Gees was die heeltyd daar by ons.

Daar het baie vrae vroeër in die week by my opgekom en sonder om te weet waaroor die AP2 kursus se inhoud gaan, is hulle almal beantwoord.

• Die kursus draai nie doekies om nie.
• Die Heilige Gees hanteer mens met baie liefde.
• Die Here het hard met my gepraat deur die kursus.
• Daar is genoeg tissues.
• Dit is ’n kursus wat my taamlik uit my gemak sone gegooi het.

Die kursus was baie nodig in my lewe. Ek is ook baie seker dat die ’n groot rol in ons gemeente, gemeentskap en ons land kan speel. Ek gaan AP3 doen.