Showing posts with label slavery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label slavery. Show all posts

Thursday, April 6, 2023

SEARCHING

I believe that every single person who has a working mind and is old enough to understand that they are a human being here on planet earth, will ask either themselves or others why they were born.  At one point in time they will seek an answer as to why they are here, why they are alive and breathing, and what is the reason for being them being here.  Some will search many years for the answer year after year, sometimes until they die.  Some will find the answer.  Some will hear.  Some will not.  Some will quit asking.  Some will lead others by their own truth of this question.  Some answers will be the correct answer and some will not.

 

Human beings are very strange beings.  Most of want their needs met.  They want what they want and they will kill others to get it.  Some humans are more passive souls and will not hurt others to get what they want.  They might lie and cheat and steal but they will not intentionally harm another human being.  Some will find their answers in a substance that will numb their mind so they do not have to think about life especially the terrible parts of life caused by other human beings or the elements of this globe spinning in the universe that can bring about natural destruction. 

 

Today we live in a world where a majority of the people think they have the right to anything and everything they want.  Whether is be a need, a right, or an opinion it is theirs and no one can tell them otherwise.  If you do not agree with this than you are the one in the wrong.  They will tell you that you have no right to judge them.  You have no right to speak anything other than what they believe.  They will rise up against anyone and everyone who tries to deny them of their beliefs and their morals.  They will not bend or admit there could be another way or that others even matter. They will fight for every single thing in their life.  Fighting in life is not what any of us should want to do.

 

I am a believer that Jesus of Nazareth was God in human form who came to earth to save people from themselves.  I believe he walked the earth for approximately 33 years and told of a way to live life on earth in a peaceful, hope filled way.  I believe he was the Christ, the Messiah spoken of in the books of the Old Testament.  I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God for a world that is evil and sinful.  A world that does not show the peace, love and hope of a Creator that made human beings in the likeness of him.  I believe the books of the New Testament fully show that Jesus was God and that his followers were, and still are, inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit of God.  At this point in my life I have no doubt of who Jesus is and he is who he said he was.

Monday, February 20, 2023

I Am Free

Here in the United States of America we value our freedom.  This nation was formed by people who were under the rule of the king of England who would not let the people choose in many areas of their lives.  They were under a huge burden of taxation and were not allowed to worship freely.  The king decided how the common people would live their lives and if they did not follow his commands they were imprisoned or killed.  There was not a choice for the people.  They were slaves to the king.

 

Slavery in one form or another has been the plight of mankind from early on.  Early on even Adam and Eve and their children were slaves to the earth.  After their fall in the garden nothing was easy and they had to produce the food they would eat to live.  In the times of Noah there was great wickedness on earth so we should only assume that the strong used the weak as their slaves.  After the flood the same happened again.  Noah's son, Ham, sinned against his father Noah and his linage was cursed. A grandson of Ham, Nimrod declared himself king and decided to take his cousins (children of Shem and Japheth) as slaves for the city and tower (Babel) he was building in honor of his gods. He had forsaken the One True God. The stories of slavery continue until this day.

 

In our day owning a slave is detestable yet many workers in many industries will tell you they are a slave to their job.  Today people are slaves to their possessions.  They are slaves to their family.  They are slaves to their friends.  They are slaves to their sins.  Slavery is bondage to something or someone.  All who are held in some kind of bondage (slavery) know it yet somehow are unable or unwilling to break the chains.  They live in it for their entire lives and many die in it.

 

But there is hope for all of mankind held in any kind of slavery.  That hope is Jesus Christ who saves us from the trials, tribulations, and sins of this life.  He promises us an eternal life free from sin and slavery. He offers this free gift of forgiveness and salvation for eternity in a new world without sin and slavery.  He came to earth specifically to pay the price for us to be free from this worldly life filled with fear, wickedness, and bondage.  He promised to never leave us and to always be with us if we come to him and accept his saving gift of  forgiveness and to honor his commands to love one another and be gentle in spirit, words and deeds. 

 

We will still have to live in this fallen world even when we have come to the saving grace of Jesus.  We will still feel many time that we are not free from the wickedness of this world and the bondages it places on us as humans.  We still have to find a way to bring food to the table for our family.  We still have to live in a world where people choose other gods and idols.  As long as we are in this human body on this fallen earth we will have to deal with it's sinful ways.  The evil ruler of this earth is still going to try to place the people in bondage and slavery. He is still going to try to place chains of conviction on all of God's chosen people.  He is still going to try to place God's people in some kind of prison to keep them from the freedom that God gives to those who call upon His name.  He is still going to place doubts of our freedom from sin.  He will never give up trying to convince us we are not worthy enough to be free.

 

There are promises on promises throughout the Bible telling us that the Lord God Almighty will set us free from this world and all of the chains that bind us.  All we have to do is believe His word and His promises.

 

Galatians 5:1 (NKJV) - Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

 

John 8:31-32 (NIV) - To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

 

John 8:36 (NIV) - So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.