Yah's way or our way V

[Brother Paul]

Yak's way or our way V

One of the things we see that Jesus and the apostles were involved in was setting the captives free. Now in History we were also seen to be getting involved in this process. Though many who claimed to be Christians bought, sold, and owned slaves, it was also mainly the movement of Christians who fought and gave their lives to free them. So on the one hand we had these bound peoples who were enslaved or enfentured before us with a harsh and opporessive burden that needed our help but many more, even many close to God, were bound by evil forces from within and without. They were and are bound by wordly philosophies of vain deciet, by human/animal lusts, the appeal to vanity, and spirits and rulers of wickedness in high places.


Most definitions of oppression speak of how one group or even an individual asserts real or illusary power or control over a different group or individual who does not have this power (economically. sociologically, and so on). Perhaps this group or person is being treated unusually unjust or cruel. Oxford's Dictionary defines it as “cruel and unfair treatment of people, especially by not giving them the same freedom, rights, etc. as other people.” This can even be mental stress or distress caused to people by others striving to have power over them.


But the scriptures are clear that “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”. (2 Corinthians 10:4,5)


Our battle is not against flesh and blood with weapons and guns, but our battle is against ideas of reality and how we are to treat one another. We use the concepts of equality, love (the verb not the noun), righteousness (His through faith), and truth, not as hammers to pound on people different from ourselves, but as examples and a way to guide these others to a higher level of awareness and personal liberty.

The Spirit in us is called the paraklete because He comes alongside to help. It is our duty, however we can (by relief, prayer, missions, even writing our officials), is to help lift the burdens of others and help them bear their yoke. We are to become as parakletes to our family, neighbors, and even to those apart from us.

Remember what Jesus claimed in the synagogue from Isaiah 61? He read, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners” Now before He returns this duty falls on us, We are His BODY and He is our head. Are we following what our head is telling us?


One of the great honors I have been bequeathed with was the ability to help guide and counsel others and share the light of many things the Lord has provided to help people reason FOR God and against the ideas of the world. Though I was a vehement agnostic for nearly 30 years (and understood why they thought as they do, and knew all the arguments they pose against us), our Father ended up using all that to develop me for an apologetics ministry among just such people. I live in one of the most intellectual rationalist cities in America which is the home of some major Universities. Now I am not saying this as some sort of boast, but to show that the Lord can and will take what you have, where you are at, and how you have developed, and He will use that for His kingdom. He can and does actually work together all things for our good.


So maybe you are the feet of a missionary, or the hands that help others out, or the eyes like the watchman on the wall that sees what is coming and warns the rest of us, or perhaps a mouth that teaches or preaches, or perhaps all you can do is pray (a most powerful tool in His hands). But wherever you are with the Lord, and whatever talents or gifts He has given you, do not bury them in the earth but set them on a hill so others may value from them.


We have done much in history to free the oppressed and those less fortunate but it need not stop for this generation, for even a child can be changed forever with a simple word of encouragement.


Please, please, please, do not forget to work on any stronghold you may have and do what you can to set the captives free, help those who are oppressed by life or others. It is His will. Ephesians 2:10 tells us “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

​

 

[Jonathan_Gale]

Slavery has a modern day name called HUMAN TRAFFICKING, which America has been aiding and abetting. Other than that, there're slaves to addiction, debt, cult and beyond. All these are symptoms, the root thereof is slavery to SIN. It might have been legally abolished, but from this perspective, it's more prevailing than ever before.

 

[Brother Paul]

Slavery has a modern day name called HUMAN TRAFFICKING, which America has been aiding and abetting. Other than that, there're slaves to addiction, debt, cult and beyond. All these are symptoms, the root thereof is slavery to SIN. It might have been legally abolished, but from this perspective, it's more prevailing than ever before.

I agree and this is an excellent example of areas we could help in. James tells us how we conceive much of this on our own lusts which lead to sin and that to death, Sometimes our own and at other times because of others and their influence. Much of this can be avoided as we educate children (it is harder with adults) and as far as Sex Trafficking you are also correct. Slavery also does exist in other cultures. Prayer helps and any opportunities we have to counsel those in cults or in debt. Unfortunately all we can do to fight the trafficking is make a lot of noise. Continually write our reps, the law enforcement agencies, and more but then we find the wealthy and powerful as party buddies and customers of people like Jeff Epstein.

Now you rightly mention how slavery's root is also sin so let me share with you something the Lord has shown me. This all is the result of actual fruit of the Tree which is Genesis 3:5. The desire of every person to be as a god! When one is their own lord they decide good and evil for themselves and strive to rule over their own destiny and the lives of others. Men try to rule over women, clan over clan, ethnicity over ethnicity, nation over nation, and so on. When we can get people to really realize that God MUST BE number one, even above spouse or self, then all falls into place. So long as WE choose, we will always choose what ultimately is our will.

The lifestyle of any of the above leads ultimately to Jail, the Hospital, or the Grave (sin, sickness, and death) and we know who the author of that is. All we can do is keep pointing them to Jesus and helping but not enable, and live Him in front of them. We took in an Indian lady my wife knew who had been beaten (as a Prostitute) was addicted to drugs and alcohol. We have her a safe place to sleep, food, etc. and unfettered acceptance. After a year or so we got her connected with resources, housing, and more. She stopped being a Pro and dropped the drugs, and read the word, praised God daily, got baptized, but never could cancel the alcohol. She has since passed and now it is up to the Lord. She made great progress and had contrition in her heart so I believe He will give her grace (due to the finished work of Christ) for that sin that so easily beset her as there is only one sin that cannot be forgiven and she did not commit that. So I know we can only do what we can do and then leave the rest to our Father (trusting in the Lord). Maybe it is a drink to the thirsty or a short conversation or inviting one of them to Church.

 

[Jonathan_Gale]

Hallelujah, bless that woman, praise be to God! It's so rare in these days to hear such an uplifting testimony like that. All things are possible in Christ. He is our only living hope.

As for the fall of humanity in Gen. 3, though, Adam WAS like God originnaly, he was made in God's image, he was the steward - or trustee - of the world, he was given authority to dominate the earth and rule over all the animals. In Luke's genealogy he was actually called son of God, and Yeshua was called the second or last Adam. Also, the Tree of Knowledge by and of itslef was not evil as most people thought, on the contrary it was essential to know good and evil. We're living in a COVID-1984 plus Grave New World because people don't know good and evil, therefore black is white, weakness is strength, freedom is slavery, exactly as Isaiah said, "woe to those who call good evil and evil good!"

The problem was that this Tree of Knowledge was PREMATURELY consumed before Adam and Eve were ready. With great power comes great responsibility. Adam and Eve were not mature enough to take that level of responsibility, we can see that in their excuses later. When Satan tempted Yeshua, he offered all the kingdoms on earth - which Yeshua was entitled to, it was a shortcut that would've spared him from all the pain and anguish of the crucifxion, but Yeshua refused, because the timing was not right, that was not God's plan. And what was God's plan? "On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not overcome it!"

Adam and Eve were given the same task, the very first mitzvah from God in human history in Gen. 1:28 - "go forth, fill the earth and MULTIPLY." They should've done that first, but they gave in to Satan's temptation and ate the forbidden fruit prematurely, as a result they were spiritually dead and physically DYING from there on. God kicked them out not just for punishment, but out of MERCY, because had they eaten the Tree of Life also, they would be living forever - in the cursed ground of which the authority was handed over to Satan, thus spiritually dead forever, there would be no possibility of salvation. While they were outside living a mortal life with no access to the garden anymore, God can redeem humanity through messianic bloodline that went all the way down from Adam to Abraham and to Yeshua.

 

[Brother Paul]

Hallelujah, bless that woman, praise be to God! It's so rare in these days to hear such an uplifting testimony like that. All things are possible in Christ. He is our only living hope.

As for the fall of humanity in Gen. 3, though, Adam WAS like God originnaly, he was made in God's image, he was the steward - or trustee - of the world, he was given authority to dominate the earth and rule over all the animals. In Luke's genealogy he was actually called son of God, and Yeshua was called the second or last Adam. Also, the Tree of Knowledge by and of itslef was not evil as most people thought, on the contrary it was essential to know good and evil. We're living in a COVID-1984 plus Grave New World because people don't know good and evil, therefore black is white, weakness is strength, freedom is slavery, exactly as Isaiah said, "woe to those who call good evil and evil good!"

The problem was that this Tree of Knowledge was PREMATURELY consumed before Adam and Eve were ready. With great power comes great responsibility. Adam and Eve were not mature enough to take that level of responsibility, we can see that in their excuses later. When Satan tempted Yeshua, he offered all the kingdoms on earth - which Yeshua was entitled to, it was a shortcut that would've spared him from all the pain and anguish of the crucifxion, but Yeshua refused, because the timing was not right, that was not God's plan. And what was God's plan? "On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not overcome it!"

Adam and Eve were given the same task, the very first mitzvah from God in human history in Gen. 1:28 - "go forth, fill the earth and MULTIPLY." They should've done that first, but they gave in to Satan's temptation and ate the forbidden fruit prematurely, as a result they were spiritually dead and physically DYING from there on. God kicked them out not just for punishment, but out of MERCY, because had they eaten the Tree of Life also, they would be living forever - in the cursed ground of which the authority was handed over to Satan, thus spiritually dead forever, there would be no possibility of salvation. While they were outside living a mortal life with no access to the garden anymore, God can redeem humanity through messianic bloodline that went all the way down from Adam to Abraham and to Yeshua.

Yes..."woe to those who call good evil and evil good!" May the Lord's grace and peace be upon us all. Amen