Today slavery is a very hot topic amongst the BLM (Black Lives Matter). The BLM is protesting slavery and anything or anybody connected with owning slaves. In the United States slavery was abolished in 1862.
“The Emancipation Proclamation, or Proclamation 95, was a presidential proclamation and executive order issued by United States President Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862, during the Civil War.” Wikipedia
The first time slavery is mentioned in the Bible the whole nation of Israel were slaves of Egypt. (Leviticus 26:13)There are still all kinds of slaves in the world today. Human trafficking is the worst of the lot!
Even in the true Churches of God today there is slavery!
What does Jesus have to say about this slavery? First we must realize how slavery in the Church came about. Jesus first teaches us that we are baptized into the body of Christ (the Church)!
Romans 6:3-5 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.
When Jesus died on the cross He conquered death and death does not have power over the body of Christ (the Church). Jesus shed His blood so that all the worlds’ sins are forgiven past present and future. Those who have repented and surrendered to Christ and confessed that they are sinners and receive the free gift of grace from Him are no longer under bondage or shackled in slavery to sin but have eternal life.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9-10 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.
22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.
God created man for a very high calling to be His children forever. Wouldn’t you rather want to receive the free gift of Jesus Christ than to be burned in Hell? Get on your knees now and ask Jesus to come into our life and if you are really sincere He will give you the gift of eternal life!
This is an intense bible study and will require prayer and much study to understand all of the spiritual content however it is a condensed version of this incredible study. Most church people I ask about the covenants don’t really know much about them and how important they are to our spiritual lives and the impact it has on Christian teachings especially the Lords Supper where it was all changed by Jesus on that fateful night of the last Passover.
Ephesians 3:16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
Wow! What a statement! His Spirit is in my inner man, in me? What does this mean? Am I two people? What is God saying?
This is a reminder that we must understand the two covenants. This is the least understood subject in the Church today and it is imperative that we take a brief study of the covenants to learn how the change came about.
About the Covenants
Hebrews 9:8 the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle (A shadow of our corruptible body) was still standing.
11 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (The inner man, 1 Cor.12:27), that is, not of this creation.
15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant (Forgiveness of our sins), that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 10:9 then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God.” He takes away the first that He may establish the second.
We are not under the Law of Moses, not even the Ten Commandments! We are under the Spiritual New Covenant Laws of Jesus Christ as He explains in the Sermon on the Mount.Matthew 5:21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.
Matthew5: 27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Under the Old Law you literally had to commit the offense to be guilty, but under the New Covenant Laws of Christ if you harbor the offense in the heart you are guilty.
10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”
The Spiritual laws of Jesus Christ as referenced in the Sermon on the Mount.
17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
Jesus shed His blood for the remission of all sins, past, present, and future. Jesus took all sins to the grave and buried them there forever.
18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.
This is where the covenants changed from the Levitical priesthood of the tribe of Levi to the Judean priesthood of the tribe of Judah with Christ as the High Priest.
Hebrews 7:11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron?
12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.
13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.
15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest
16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.
17 For He testifies: ” You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”
Jesus who is our high priest today rebuilds us into a holy spiritual body.
Once we have received Christ into our lives and have eternal life, we have entered into the body of Christ. There was never anything like this ever mentioned by Moses in the Law. They would think it blasphemous to say we have a holy body like God. That’s why it is necessary to know about the two covenants. Now we can return to learning how we are spiritual
1 Corinthians12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
It is staggering to learn that we are of such importance to God that He would make us Holy as He is holy. The Apostle Paul says he labors in birth until Christ is formed in us.(Gal.4:19)The Apostle Peter said that we are living stones used to build a spiritual house and holy priesthood.(1Peter 2:5) The Apostle Paul tells us to accept to being conformed to the new body the perfect man formed in us by God.
Ephesians 1:24 and that you put on the new man(The inner man) which was created according to God,
We are a spiritual construction job built on an everlasting foundation powerfully anchored by Christ and built of perfect building blocks of eternal strength fitted together to form a Spiritual structure for the holy habitation of our God and Father. We are the building blocks and Christ is the builder and we will be the dwelling of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. In the Kingdom of God there is no temple, for God and the Lamb are the temple and we are the body of the Lamb.(Rev. 21:22)
Ephesians 2:19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in theSpirit.
I pray that god blesses the understanding of those who read this important covenant study as it may be the most important study in these times that make it more clear what happened the night that Jesus kept the last passover and changed the elements and instituted the Lord’s Supper. Luke 22:20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.In Christ’s name, amen!
I try to follow Christ and not put myself in front of Him and ask Him to bless everything I want to do. I pray that Jesus shows me the plan He has for me to follow for it is sure that I can do nothing without Him. (John 15:5) So far I have spent 68 years with Jesus and it is almost a lifetime. The years of my life are getting very short and I hope and pray that I helped people to know Christ. I believe that that is the highest level of service I can achieve in the plan that God has for me while I am still in this corruptible body. God tells me in the bible that I will see Jesus as He is and I will be as He is. (1 John 3:2) What a wonderful hope that is. Many people become broken and mourn for their loved ones who die and that is OK. (Ecclesiastes 3:4) But I have a promise from God that I have eternal life in me and my citizenship is already in heaven and this old corruptible body will return to the dust of the ground but my inward body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit will remain for eternity. (2 Corinthians 4:16) To leave this temporary physical life and be with Christ is the greatest hope of all. I look forward to it! What a blessing and what a great day that will be. I look forward to meeting all of you in that tomorrow world!
Have you become petrified or, are you a living, building stone for Christ?
Christians are all part of the body of Christ and have an important role to play in God’s plan. Ask Jesus everyday what He wants you to do? Seek His guidance in everything. Be a useful stone in the building of the Church. Even in the wilderness the Israelites relied on a Spiritual Rock.
1 Cor. 10:3-5 All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. FOR THEY DRANK OF THAT SPIRITUAL ROCK THAT FOLLOWED THEM, AND THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST!
When Christ started His ministry and began building His Church, He selected twelve apostles to train in building His Church. Jesus chose Peter as the chief apostle and rock of the Church to start His building!
Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church.
The Church has grown in two thousand years to about two billion Christians on the earth. It is still growing as you the building stones of the Church are spreading the gospel of salvation to reach the lost of the world.
Again I ask are you petrified or are you a living stone for Christ? Are you using your life to reach others who are lost? Are you planting and watering so God can give the increase? That is what He commands!
1 Corinthians 3:6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
Ephesians 2:20 Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF BEING THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE. Thess. 1: 6 You became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, WITH JOY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Be moved by the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit dwells in you! Let Him use you as a fruitful building stone for Christ.
• During 2010–2014, an estimated 56 million induced abortions occurred each year worldwide. This number represents an increase from 50 million annually during 1990–1994, mainly because of population growth.
Based on this staggering informaton, worldwide genoside of the numbers aborted snce 2010 – through 2018 totals 400,000,000. IS ANYONE PAYING ATTENTION? THIS IS THE WORST TRAGEDY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
HOW LONG IS GOD GOING TO PUT UP WITH THIS?
Luke 21:36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
There have been surveys taken asking people if they were Christians. There were many who said no but of the many who said yes there were discrepancies. For example, there were some who felt they were Christians simply because they believed in God. So, is the issue about who believes in God?
80% of Americans Believe in God. Pew Found Out What They Mean.
KATE SHELLNUTT
APRIL 25, 2018 9:22 AM
In the shifting spiritual landscape of the United States, Christians too can no longer assume that their friends and neighbors believe in the God of the Bible, if they believe in God at all.
Though God regularly gets evoked in prayer, platitudes, and phrases like “God bless America” and “in God we trust,” Americans—even within Christianity—have different conceptions of who God is and how he operates.
A Pew survey released today found that how people view God—and how they believe God interacts with them—shifts by religious affiliation, gender, and political party.
Even in an era where more of the nation doesn’t ascribe to a higher power at all (10%) or believes in some sort of higher power or spiritual force (33%), a slim majority of Americans (56%) still believe in God “as described in the Bible,” according to the Pew report.
According to Pew’s report, only 32 % of white Democrats believe in God as described in the Bible as compared to 72% of white republicans who believe in God as described in the Bible. That is very eye opening assuming the accuracy of the pole!
Understand that there is no mention of the Holy Spirit and without the Spirit nothing is understood or known.
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
God’s pole is more accurate, believe God! Man’s pole talks about God but leaves out Christ when talking about Christians. They don’t understand the spiritual and that Jesus Christ is God.
Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
Jesus and the Holy Spirit actually dwell in Christians waiting the time they will also be joined to the Father! Therefore, two members of the Trinity dwell in the incorruptible inner man.
Romans 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin.
Jesus is everything to a Christian! We must surrender our lives to Him and follow Him!
John 15: He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
If you are not a Christian and want to be then confess that you are a sinner and that Jesus is the Son of God and surrender your life to Him right now in prayer and you will be saved!
Dear heavenly Father, Please reach into the hearts of those who will read this blog and convict them into believing in Jesus as their Savior, in Jesus name, amen!
I was reading an article by Billy Graham where he said that our nation had become so evil that we need a great revival. Billy Graham quote, “I am convinced that unless we have a great spiritual revival, we cannot endure much longer.” He goes on to say, “We must return to Christ, He is the only answer”! Yes, we need to have faith in Jesus, so let our faith do its spiritual work. The bible says in:Matthew 17:20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. Therefore, faith the size of a grain of mustard seed is strong enough to move a nation back to God. This nation is in moral crises. We as a nation need to get on our knees and submit to Jesus Christ. Pray that the faith of Jesus in us will turn the tide of lawlessness, corruption, greed, and hate that is so prevalent to“love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law”. Galations 5:22-23
Now is the time for Christians to glow with the very body of Jesus Christ in them in every aspect of their lives. Show forgiveness when abused, turn the other cheek when confronted, pray for those who persecute you and mistreat you, never returning hate for hate but let the unsurpassed love of God triumph.
Jesus I pray that you will strengthen your Church, the body of Christ, and through the body by the grace and power of the Holy Spirit bring a powerful spiritual awakening and revival to this nation, the United States of America. I pray all to Your glory in Your holy name, Amen.
The bible says that the way the world is today is the way it was in the days of Noah. Things will probably get much worse as the end has not yet come upon the world as described in Matthew 24. In Matthew 24 Jesus Himself answers the question of when the end shall come and what it would be like. If you believe the Word of God is true and that Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1); then, the world in Noah’s day was as technologically equal to or more so than the world today.They had about two thousand years to develop technology and lived to be about eight or nine hundred years old, just think what Einstein could have accomplished in nine hundred years. These are what I like to refer to as provoking thoughts.
Mark 16:15 Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Why these provoking thoughts now? Because so many things mentioned in Matthew 24have already happened and are happening as I write and there are billions of people in this world who are unsaved and God clearly states in Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. We have a God given command to make sure everyone on earth has an opportunity to know about the saving grace and gospel of Jesus Christ so they can share in the glory God has waiting for them. God promises eternal life, a new perfect body, a new name, a new residence, a new city, a new world, a great reward, you will be a king and a priest and share His glory and His throne.
Jesus came to this earth and became human flesh to establish His Church and shed His blood on the cross for the remission of all sins while all mankind was still in their sins. Jesus died on that cross in your place so you could live forever and receive the promises mentioned above.
Unsaved people are having the gospel shared with them by radio, TV, in the church pulpit, missionaries and by personal witnessing. But the fact remains that there are not enough unsaved people being reached by these means. But when God made the internet available, for the first time in history every household in the world can be reached directly or indirectly as never before.
If you are one of those that is being reached by the internet for the first time and are hearing about salvation through Jesus Christ right now, then praise be to God because you have the blessing of hearing about the God who created the heavens and the earth. Who loves you so much, that His Son Jesus willingly died on the cross, as the supreme atonement sacrifice for all mankind, so you could be saved and live in heaven with Him forever.
I pray that God open your heart to His Truth, now, as you read this and receive Christ as your savior. Pray for this salvation and you will receive it. In Jesus name, amen!
Let’s look at a brief definition of these two Christian virtues. The key word here is “brief” as the complete Holy bible is about faith and righteousness.
Faith is a secure and unquestioning belief in God, a trusting acceptance of God’s will and truth.
Righteousness is being spiritually and morally upright; without guilt or sin.
We receive salvation and hope of eternal life by the grace and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
We become a new creation different from all others in the world. We are unique as we have eternal life in us now. We will go on living even after this corruptible body we are entombed in returns to the dust of the ground. We need the righteousness of Christ in us as our righteousness is described by God as a filthy rag. Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.But through the grace of Christ we are made Holy, sanctified, and a temple of the Holy Spirit. The perfect, sinless body of Christ resides in us NOW. We need to be reminded of this that we are Holy, belonging to Jesus Christ, bought and paid for with the high price of His blood. We are no longer of this world. We are citizens of heaven.
Galatians 3:7-9, 14 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Romans 4:5, 11 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness
As I said earlier we need to be reminded and how are we reminded? God’s Word says by preaching!
Romans 10:14-15 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ” How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
The preaching of faith and righteousness is for all men whether they are lost or saved. We are to grow in the grace and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Those of us who are saved are all preachers of righteousness we are called to be priests of God. Spread the truth of faith and righteousness for all the earth to hear.
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
The fields are ripe for the harvest and needs many workers!
Have you ever read the story about how butterflies go through a life cycle known as complete metamorphosis. The life cycle stages that they go through include: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The butterfly lays a very tiny fragile egg on the leaf of the milkweed plant. The egg then begins to grow and change into the larvae (caterpillar). After a short while the caterpillar excretes a substance that covers its whole body. This substance protects its body as it goes through a miraculous change. Then a most beautiful creation appears in the form of a fabulous butterfly.
We humans are very much like that caterpillar worm until God attracts our attention and we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ. He sends His Holy Spirit to spin a protective cocoon over us and we begin to be transformed into a new creation that will burst forth into a glorious new body into the Kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? Philippians 3:21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, 1 Corinthians 15: 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
We shall see Him as He is and be as He is, we will share all His glory in the Kingdom of God.
John 17:22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 1 Peter 3:4… with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
We become a beautiful, gentle and quiet spirit in the family of God.
"He brought me to his banquet hall and raised the banner of love over me. Restore my strength with raisins and refresh me with apples! I am weak from passion... His left hand is under my head and his right hand caresses me" - Song of Solomon 2:4-6
WORLDWIDE INTERNET EVANGELISM 