The History of Slavery

   Today, there are quite a few people complaining about America being a former slave country. As I listen to what these people say, their argument sounds plausible, at least in the beginning. But their argument does not take into consideration the whole part of History. When did slavery begin? Is it specific to America? Why was there slavery in America, when America was known as the 'Land of the Free'?

   In a Nutshell, slavery began not too long after the fall of the human race. Wherever there was conquest, slavery came as a result.

  Although the sins that brought about the wrath of God, which caused Him to send a world-wide flood to destroy the world, are not named, there is little doubt that people who lived at that time were owning slaves in some kind of format.

 Throughout Bible History, you can see nations at war with one another, and slavery was installed in many societies. In the Bible, God actually talks about slavery, but it is a different kind of slavery than the ones we are familiar with. It would be similar to what could happen if we took homeless people into our homes and gave them jobs to work for. Basically, slavery in the Old Testament, was used to prevent a person from having to live on the streets. In a sense, it was a type of protection, although it would definitely never be one's first choice of remedy for being out of work. Also, there was what was called, a 'Day of Jubilee' where the slaves that chose to leave, could leave the families they served. God has specific rules for how slaves were to be treated in the early days of Israel.

   American History was very cruel, at least for many. I will say here though, that there were people who did own slaves and who treated their slaves like family. People by nature are cruel, and given a situation where they can oppress another, they will take advantage of that. I have seen people torture animals. Why would they do that? It is a form of bullying and also a form of control. People feel strong when they can overpower something or someone else. But what does the Bible say about this?

 There is a verse that says  A righteous care for the needs of his animals but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel (Proverbs 12:10 NIV).

     I remember reading a book on Johnny Appleseed, the guy who planted appleseeds everywhere hoping to grow a bunch of apple trees, and in this book, it gave a story of a cruel slave owner, whose slave ran away and was in danger of being caught and penalized. I think the slave owner found the slave and cut his tongue out. What a cruel person that was. That shows us how evil people can be, left without God's mercy on them. We could be in the same boat if we are left to ourselves as well.

   There are different forms of slavery. Slavery can be as basic as a parent overpowering their child. It could be a man holding his wife hostage. We are aware of the sex slave trade where women are brought in and cannot escape. They will be abused by men, primarily, as sex objects. There are cults who hold their members hostage by not allowing them to leave the group. Islamic women have very little rights. Even kidnapping is a form of slavery, if the victim is not killed, but held in hostage.

   Whatever the format for slavery was, slavery has been in operation for thousands of years. It is not an early American invention as some would like for you to believe. It takes places because sinful people take power and use it over other people who will be subject to them.

  During the Middle Ages, slavery was going strong throughout Europe. That is part of the reason why early Americans had slaves. They were brought over here with their owners. There were also indentured slaves, which were a little different. They were a step above the average slave because they were more or less hired to work for the family who owned them.

  Today in America, we don't have black people sweeping our floors and cleaning cotton bales, but, we still have people who bully others around. Bullying is big in public and private schools, and probably always will be as long as we have children who are troubled and are using control to try to make their world work for them. Bullying also takes place in the work place, many times. The heart of bullying is arrogance. Everyone wants control. Some people want it so much, that they will hurt other people in order to get it.

   Bullies come in many shapes and sizes. They have various methods too. Some use bribery to get what they want. Most use threats. What does God say about this?

   Throughout God's word, we are told to love one another. We are told to support those who are weak. We are told to stand in the gap for those who can't speak. We are told to be kind and to honor others above ourselves. God never instructs anyone to bully people around. We will give account of our lives before God, and bullying, even in a small degree is not acceptable to Him.

   But did you know that we are all slaves? The Bible says that whoever sins is a slave to sin. The Bible also offers deliverance and salvation through God's Son, Jesus Christ. By default, because we are all sinners, we are all slaves to sin. But Jesus said, "Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:34, 35 ESV

      So there it is. We are either slaves to sin, or slaves to God. When the devil hijacked the human race, we became subject to him instead of God. See also The Day The Devil Hijacked Planet Earth .

For more information on the Gospel, please go to http://thegospelconversation.blogspot.com

For those interested, here is a link to an article on the History of slavery: Historyworld.net - History of Slavery

The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

America According to D'Souza

Occasionally, I find a product I highly recommend and will post about it. Here is a book, video, audiobook that I highly recommend for my readers. I always find it interesting that when something that is true, yet something that exposes the works of darkness, becomes available, there is opposition. This movie/book has had much opposition, and not without reason. Read for yourself and see what you think. America: Imagine a World without Her

Today in History - May 20, 325 - The Council of Nicea

   Today in History, the Council of Nicea took place. As I write this, I realize that today is the 21st, so I am a day late in my writing, but bear with me. I don't want to miss writing about an important article such as this one.
   Throughout church History, there were heretics who rose up here and there, teaching  dangerous doctrines to the people. God always provided someone who would stand up for the truth. In this event, the Council of Nicea, Arius, a presbyter and a heretic who believed that Jesus was not God in the flesh, began teaching his poisonous doctrine to the people. I believe he even had songs to sing which depicted his doctrine.
   The defender who God raised up was none other than Athanasius. Athanasius was a contender for the faith during this time period. Alexander was the bishop of Alexandria, and Athanasius was his secretary. They walked into the court room together, while Athanasius was responsible for handling the notes. Athanasius and Alexander conferred together during the session.
  Not much is known about Athanasius. He may have come from a well to do family. He was the main one who defended the faith against Arianism during this time. It is important to note that Constantine won a battle a year prior to this event, and was the emperor now. He had been made aware of the conflict between Arius and Alexander. Constantine tried to reconcile Arius and Alexander, and had hoped to bring about a world-wide council that would bring peace in the church*1.
   There were 312 gathered together this day, to decide if Arius was correct, or, if Alexander of Alexandria was the one who had the truth concerning the deity of Christ. Arius believed that Jesus Christ was a created being, and was not always in existence. Alexander was horrified at this belief, along with many others who held his view. Alexander believed that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh. Alexander contended that if Jesus Christ were not God in the flesh, mankind could not be saved from their sins. During the process of this heated debate which had been going on for some time now, Alexander deposed Arius, and Arius did not leave on a friendly note *2. He collected followers who would support him in his heretical beliefs.
   After Arius was deposed and he build his own group of supporters, they began to riot. The unity of the empire was now being threatened and Constantine decided to call together a council as a result of the rioting and fighting.
  One of the attendees in the conference was a man named Nicholas, who was a bishop of Myra. He sided with Alexander and Athanasius concerning the deity of Christ, and it has been said that Nicholas of Myra became angry with Arius during this heated session and slapped him on the face! It is interesting to note that Nicholas of Myra is the man who was the original 'Santa Claus'. At least we know that Santa Claus believed in the deity of Christ, even if he reacted out of his anger toward Arius!
  As the Council continued, the debate went on concerning the deity of Christ and as a result, a creed was drawn up, which is known to us today as 'The Nicene Creed'.
  This event was not the last controversial event for the church, for throughout the following years, opponents to the Gospel rose up, and those who defended the faith also rose up to oppose them. Other councils came about throughout History, which defended other serious doctrines of the faith. As long as we are on this planet, there will always be someone who will oppose the Gospel message, and, at the same time, there will be someone who will stand up for and contend for the faith.

Some common myths that are popular today:

1. Constantine wrote the Bible

2. The Gospels were not written until the 4th Century

3. There are other 'gospels' that were not included in the Bible that should have been, such as the Gospel of Thomas.

4 There have been discrepancies found in the New Testament when new fragments have been found in comparing these with the old.

   Constantine did not write the Bible. During the years following the ascension of Christ (when Jesus went back up into the heavens in bodily form), the church was begun. The original Apostles and many disciples wrote letters to others and to local churches. There was enough information in these letters to put together the whole New Testament. These letters were written not too long after the church was begun and some of them were actually used to make up part of the New Testament. Some of the church fathers, such as Ignatius and Polycarp either knew Jesus or His family personally, or knew one or more of the original disciples, and they also wrote personal letters and journals that have been preserved (but are not included in the Bible). Polycarp was a disciple of John the Apostle, and Polycarp, in turn, discipled Iranaeus. Ignatius was a friend of Jesus' family and wrote letters to people which inferred his relationship to them. Despite the myths that came about from movies like, 'The DaVinci Code', the truth still stands. 

   Fragments of the New Testament letters/Gospels have been found and preserved. Some are very old and as they are found, they are brought together and compared to other matching documents which have been found. Some of the Bible had been preserved by the monks down through the centuries. It is amazing to note that the fragments which have been found are very similar to what we have today as the New Testament. Minor differences involved are things like how words are arranged differently, and some spelling differences. But the meanings of the passages are basically the same. (Note: I am aware of John 8 and Mark 16 as not being found in the originals, or at least in the places in the Bible where we find them today. It is beyond the scope of this blog to write about this at this moment, but, suffice it to say that there are a lot of possibilities for this occurrence. Do not let this kind of thing cause doubt about the authenticity of the Scriptures. Skeptics will jump at this without researching the subject and will throw it out to destroy the faith of the faithful. Perhaps in another blog I can cover this more adequately at another time.)

1. http://www.churchhistory101.com/century4-p7.php
2. http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/301-600/god-or-man-asks-nicea-council-11629650.html

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth, of things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the begotten of God the Father, the Only-begotten, that is of the essence of the Father.

God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten and not made; of the very same nature of the Father, by Whom all things came into being, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.

Who for us humanity and for our salvation came down from heaven, was incarnate, was made human, was born perfectly of the holy virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit.

By whom He took body, soul, and mind, and everything that is in man, truly and not in semblance.

He suffered, was crucified, was buried, rose again on the third day, ascended into heaven with the same body, [and] sat at the right hand of the Father.

He is to come with the same body and with the glory of the Father, to judge the living and the dead; of His kingdom there is no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, in the uncreated and the perfect; Who spoke through the Law, prophets, and Gospels; Who came down upon the Jordan, preached through the apostles, and lived in the saints.

We believe also in only One, Universal, Apostolic, and [Holy] Church; in one baptism in repentance, for the remission, and forgiveness of sins; and in the resurrection of the dead, in the everlasting judgement of souls and bodies, and the Kingdom of Heaven and in the everlasting life. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Nicene_Creeds_of_325_and_381#Comparison_between_Creed_of_325_and_Creed_of_381

True History - Saint Patrick's Day March 17, 460

    Every year I like to write an article on well known people in the past, if I get the chance to do so. St. Patrick will be celebrated in a couple of days, so I will focus on him at this moment.
  The article I am looking at comes from History.com, and is a basic story about St. Patrick. Some details are vague because of the distance of the time of the event, but a few things are clear still.
  The article comes from a secular perspective, so some of the terminology is different that we would use. For example, when the word 'religion' is used, it really implies a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, but, the word is used because that is best word known for a relationship with God, by the world, so when we read the article, keep that in mind.
  Patrick's family may have truly been believers in Jesus Christ, we don't know, but Patrick, like many people, wanted to explore the world for himself and did not respond to the Gospel message while he was living with his family. Obviously, he learned enough about the Gospel that when he was in trouble, and far away from home, he remembered what he had been taught, and God used knowledge to work in Patrick's heart to reconcile Patrick to Himself. Also, he could have learned the Gospel while in Ireland, after being kidnapped. Whatever truly happened, God was at work in Patrick's heart, and Patrick did indeed respond to the Gospel.
  After being held captive for six years, God made a way for Patrick to go back to Britain and soon after that God impressed on his heart to go back to Ireland to serve the Christians there and to bring the Gospel message to the Irish people. It is not known how much the Gospel was already extended to in Ireland, or if it were even there at all in any degree, but St. Patrick took the Gospel message to Ireland where he spent the rest of his life. '
   Like all moves of God in groups of people, the Gospel message that St. Patrick brought to Ireland became faded as the years went on. Eventually, superstition set in and the stories of St. Patrick had evolved into messages of shamrocks, good luck, and the wearing of green clothing. But his message lives on forever in the hearts of those who belong to God. St. Patrick's life should be an incentive and challenge to us to bring the Gospel message to those around us, wherever we live. God's word remains forever and people will be eternally changed by the Gospel message being activated in their own hearts.
http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/who-was-saint-patrick
  Think about this: St. Patrick was probably alive at the same time St. Augustine was, although St. Augustine was older.

www.bellaterreno.com/art/irish/irish_map.aspx

Today in History - Back from Captivity, Jews Completed New Temple - March 12, 515 B.C.

Back from Captivity, Jews Completed New Temple

   I am not going to write on this article, but will post it because of the event happening in History many, many years ago. The article is written by Dan Graves, and I will just post excerpts from it here.

The story can be found at this link: http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/6000-1-bc/back-from-captivity-jews-completed-new-temple-11629548.html

   It would be good to have some background information on this article, and at the end of the article, some references are listed. If you know your Old Testament, you will understand what happened. From the time of the fall of Adam and Eve, mankind has been experiencing numerous problems because of living in a fallen world (a world under God's curse) and the door was opened for the Enemy of our souls to gain access. When Adam and Eve fell, they were distant from God and were now under His curse. In spite of that, God promised to send someone who would deliver us from sin. He would crush the head of the Serpent, although the Serpent would bruise His heal. This promise from God would overcome darkness and oppression ultimately. 

   Since it was the devil that entered the Serpent, and God promised that the Serpent would be defeated, the devil has been attacking mankind viciously ever since. As time went on, God gave more and more clues on what this promise would look like. It would be a person, and He would come from the the Jewish nation, formed under Abraham. He would be a descendent of Judah. Some of the Old Testament prophets prophesied about Him. During the whole time leading up to God's promise being fulfilled (which it was when He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth), Satan had been tripping up mankind and doing everything possible to keep people from turning to, and trusting in God. 

  The group of people God chose to bring about His promise, were the Israelites. They were Abraham's descendants and God was continually giving them instruction and provision throughout the Old Testament. However, because they were people who were fallen, they continually strayed and turned away from God, and became autonomous. God would punish them, and they would repent, and come back to Him. This cycle continued throughout the Old Testament. 

   The time came for God to punish them by allowing the Israelites to be taken away to other countries. One group, the Israelites, were taken to Assyria, while the other group (Judah) was taken to Babylon. They were away from their land. Conditions were very harsh for them. Eventually, God made the way for them to come back to their home land. 

   God put it on the heart of the people of Judah to rebuild the Temple. So, as they were being re-established in their land, they began working on the Temple. On March 12, 515 B.C., the Temple was finished. Years later, Herod the Great rebuilt the Temple, and in A.D. 70, the Temple was destroyed by the Romans. Today, a mosque stands in the place where the Temple once stood.

 "In 539 BC, Babylon fell to a coalition of Medes and Persians. The new rulers of the Mid East made it their policy to restore captive nations to their respective homelands. Among those captives were the Jews. They returned to Judah with authority to rebuild their temple. Seventeen years later, construction still languished, and God raised up the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to rebuke the neglect of his house....." Read more at: http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/timeline/6000-1-bc/back-from-captivity-jews-completed-new-temple-11629548.html

Clipart courtesy FCIT

Today in History - Roe vs. Wade - January 22, 1973

   Today is the 41st anniversary of an event that took place right here in America. It was a tragic event with horrible ramifications that will continue for decades to come. The event was the Roe vs. Wade decision which opened the door legally for doctors to perform abortions on women who do not want to carry their babies and give birth to their children, but would seek to remove the baby from the womb as a form of birth control.
   Here is the link to an informative web site on Roe vs. Wade: Roe vs. Wade Decision 1973 . I would like to highlight a couple of things from this article. It always amazes me how people get away with twisting things around and presenting them as fact. Keep in mind also, that people today, abort their babies for every reason under the sun.
  According the the article, there is nowhere in the Constitution that warrants the rights of women to have an abortion. But where the legal system got in, is in the 14th Amendment, which prohibits a state from unreasonably interfering with life, liberty, and property. Now get this; the court expanded the meaning of the word, 'liberty' to guarantee a woman's right to privacy in choosing an abortion. I don't know about you, but this sounds like a stretch to me. How we take an amendment which prohibits a state from unreasonably interfering with life, liberty, and property to mean that a woman has a right to an abortion? It looks like, to me, there were some scheming in the background. And understandably so. You see, greedy doctors can now expand their practice and make more money. The Bible is so true when it talks about the love of money being the root of all evil. Money itself is not bad. It is loving money and wanting more of it continually, that brings us problems.
   In the Bible, we learn how to treat people. We treat them the way we would want to be treated. This decision in 1973 has brought more horror to this country than anything else. What started off as a 'woman's right' to an abortion in certain cases has now escalated to women being legally allowed to have an abortion, for any reason, through the last trimester. In some places, they are even considering allowing a potentially unwanted baby to be born, with the option of ending the baby's life after a period of time (like three days). The decision to allow abortions to be legalized will lead to more and more degradation as time goes on. It will not only affect the unborn, but eventually it will involve killing those with Down's Syndrome, the handicapped, and the elderly. Ironically, those who will be the elderly who will be extinguished are those who are now supporting and fighting for women's rights.
   So, if we take this concept of 'women's rights' to become legal, what about my 'rights'? What if I don't like Black people? (I am using this as an analogy. I love Black people). How about handicapped people? They cost us too much money. That interferes with my happiness. Should we get rid of them? I hope you see my point in what I am saying (I don't want to get rid of Black  or handicapped people! I am glad they are here!) We could take any group of people and that group will violate someone's wish for happiness. How far are we going to take this theory? How far will the legal system stretch the concept of our 'rights' based upon the 14th Amendment?
   According to the article (link above) deception was used by the originator of this decision (Norma McCorvey) as well as the Supreme Court. If our 'rights' are based on the 14th Amendment, then it didn't take into consideration the rights of the unborn. Roe vs. Wade permitted abortion to prevent the woman from future mental or physical distress in caring for the child. What they did not take into account though is the guilt that would haunt many women after the went through an abortion. They ignored the spiritual side of things and pretended that it really wasn't there or that it didn't matter. Women do suffer mentally, after they have an abortion, and there is a good reason for that. This is a serious sin before a holy God. Women also have the option to put their unwanted child up for adoption. There are many families wanting to adopt a child that are waiting to have an open door for the child they are hoping to take in. But the abortionists know that they will lose the opportunity to make a lot of money if they don't encourage the woman to abort her baby.
     So, today we remember the decision that was made 41 years ago. We wonder how so many people who are in authority can be so calloused. What will become of this decision? How will it affect us and our children and grandchildren? And more importantly, what does God think?

The Black Plague - Black Death

I was talking about the Gospel with someone yesterday, and was describing sin and how we, so often, do not see our own sin. Somehow, in my mind, I was making a connection to the wordless book, which is a book that tells the Gospel using colors. If you want to learn more about this, go to http://thecolorfulstory.blogspot.com One of the colors is black. In talking about the wordless book color, the colors black and white do not pertain to skin color or nationalities, so keep that in mind. The color black reminds us of sin, because sin is dark and harmful. I was making a connection between the Black death and our own sinful hearts which are darkened by sin. Just as the black plague brought physical death to multitudes, sin brings spiritual death to all of us. Anyway, the Black Plague struck Europe in the year 1347. !2 ships came into a port at Messina, and those waiting for the arrival of these ships were in for a big surprise, for when they arrived and were opened, many sailors were dead. Those who were still alive were very ill. They were delirious with fever and pain. They also had black boils all over their bodies which were oozing pus and blood. Immediately the Silician authorities sent the ships away, but it was too late for the disease had already entered Europe and over the next five years, 1/3 of Europe would be wiped out by this 'Black Plague'. http://www.history.com/topics/black-death