Category: General

Fast Facts about the Bible

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/cwn/2022/february/bible-gateway-pulls-the-passion-translation-amid-criticism-is-it-a-paraphrase-or-translation

 

3 Minutes 57 Second Read | Author: Jeff Briner

We are going over five places in scripture where slavery came into the picture. The five types of slavery are female, debt, religious, governmental, and finally, sin. Today we are dealing with religious slavery.

February is Black History Month. We know that religious slavery was used to keep black folks inline with the idea slavery is morally acceptable before God. When the entire counsel of God in the Bible couldn’t be used to enslave, large parts were removed. Look up the slave bible for more information.  But thanks to God that He is more than a book He inspired and was able to set black folks free by His spirit; even before they were set free from the bondage of man.

Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.” – Exodus 19:5-6 NASU

God’s desire was always to have a personal relationship with every individual, not a holy man. But we will soon find out that man himself, not God, chose to have an intermediate. God did call Moses to bring the law; that was Moses’ gift to Israel. And Jesus brought grace and truth and is our intermediate forever. In the following few scriptures, we will see that God wanted everyone to come to Him.

So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. – Exodus 19:16-17 NASU

All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.” So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was. – Exodus 20:18-21 NASU

Moses wasn’t a dictator. Instead, Moses told people not to fear but to come and trust God. But the people wouldn’t have it and appointed Moses to be their spokesperson.

When we reject a personal invitation to go into the glory of God’s kingdom, we enter religious slavery. We don’t get to know Him and His resurrection power, and we make ourselves open for religious slavery.

Do you see how we as a people make room for misinformation, control, and eventually bondage in slavery? How many people are in religious slavery because they haven’t approached God Himself for the truth? We are to try the spirit. We are to seek God with a whole heart, and we will find Him. The written word of God is available for many of us. There is no reason for us to place someone in-between God and ourselves.

We have teachers today, but the ultimate teacher is the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth. Today, we have pastors who watch over our soul to give us a tap on the shoulder or a rebuke if needed if we stray from the truth. We have prophets today who give a word of correction and direction. But if we are to prosper, we need to go the way of Jesus into the Father.

Why are people still putting flesh and blood in-between God and themselves? Because many people are afraid of God. They don’t fear the Lord in an awe and reverence way but a fear that God doesn’t hold their heart in their best interest. So, they give themselves to the many false doctrines and religions. The ideas of men do not represent the one true God who loves us so much that He gave His only Son to redeem us from sin and death.

Some people go into religious slavery because a codependent relationship works for them. I need something that I don’t want to get myself; you do it for me. Let the preacher seek God and tell us what to do. Let the preacher make the sacrifice.

Some people go into religious slavery because it works for them like a codependent relationship. I need something that I don’t want to get myself; you do it for me. Let the preacher seek God and tell us what to do. Let the preacher make the sacrifice.

Religious slavery is made worse because we don’t know our hearts. So when someone judges the outside as specifically sinful, we fall into bondage as if it is true without trying the heart and its motives. So, we get caught up in works and giving sacrificially not out of love and repentance but fear and penitence. Man judges the outside, but God judges the heart.

Many false world religions and cults are ready to enslave the simple-minded and unmotivated soul. And there are legalistic Christian ministries that use shame and blame to control our actions.

In the name of Jesus, be set free today by going to the one true God who paid all there is with His son Jesus to have a personal relationship with you and me.

To learn about the types of slavery in our world today, check out the following link. Slavery Today

3 Minutes 12 Second Read | Author: Jeff Briner

We are going over five places in scripture where slavery came into the picture. The five types of slavery are female, debt, religious, governmental, and finally, sin. Today we are dealing with debt slavery.

February is Black History Month, where we remember the horrendous past of the slave trade in hopes not to repeat. Debt slavery is a real thing, as we will find out. But let us remember, the enslaved Black people brought to North America were not debt enslaved people as they had no choice. They were kidnapped and brought over as items to be sold and bought like animals.

Debt Slavery

When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom. But Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” And Jacob said, “First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright. – Genesis 25:27-34 NASU

Many people despise their birthright and undervalue themselves to God and people. As a result, their God-given talents and skills go underdeveloped.

How many of us undervalue ourselves and sell our future to the first job we can get? Of course, there is nothing wrong with being an employee. We need to start somewhere. But most people I know don’t like their job because it is not in their skillset. So, they learn to do an acceptable job to avoid dismissal or go from job to job while going into debt.

If self-under-value is not the problem, it is lacking a God-given vision for your life. When you don’t know what to do with your life, many other people are quite willing to tell you what you ought to do. And I guarantee it would benefit them more than you!

And if you are a hard worker, there is always someone waiting to take advantage of that as well. There is always that trickster ready to swindle you out of your hard-earned money. I have learned that we cannot be conned when we don’t covet. When we follow scripture and look out for the other guy and ourselves, we can’t be duped. So please think twice before someone offers you to take advantage of their situation.

Even with a legitimate sale, wait. If we count the cost of purchases by the hours worked rather than the dollar amount, impulsive buying would be less of a problem. Don’t accept the lie of buying now. The deal will return another day if legitimate.

Debt slavery entered our world when we took advantage of one another like Jacob took advantage of his brother Esau. So don’t sell yourself short! And don’t allow current circumstances to cause you to sell short. Know your value and wait on the Lord for the best offer.

Some in this world truly are slaves until they pay off their debt. There is violence waiting for the debtor if they don’t make their payments. For example, some illegal immigrants desperately trying to pay off the coyotes to live free, even in the United States. In other places in the world, some families have sold their children to pay off their debts. We have Unions because back in the day, employees would get into debt to their employers and couldn’t find a place of financial freedom to go.

Then there is the lesser form of slavery, the self-imposed slavery. If I may: credit card debt, student debt, or anything else, we are willing to take the financial risk. And there is medical debt partly brought on by big pharma.

The Bible tells us that it is better to be the lender and not the borrower. It is not a sin to borrow as some in the least insinuate. It is more expensive to live poor than to have financial freedom.

Unfortunately, some are underpaid, over-committed, and in debt to credit cards with no option of being debt-free anytime soon. Every purchase has a markup, a profit margin, including bank loans and credit cards, up to 30% here in the land of the free.

To learn about the types of slavery in our world today, including forced and bonded labor, check out the following link. Slavery Today

3 Minutes 16 Second Read | Author: Jeff Briner

We are going over five places in scripture where slavery came into the picture. The five types of slavery are female, debt, religious, governmental, and finally, sin.

February is Black History Month. The only slavery that is worse than the Atlantic slave trade and others of that type in the past; is slavery to sin. I don’t say this lightly because I can’t imagine living a life where I am not seen as human. But I know we got many spiritual hymns from those considered subhuman in which they had the freedom of spirit that only Jesus could give.

God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. –  Genesis 1:27 NASU

God created both males and females in His image. Both were created as godly as the other in the image of God. Equal in the image of God.

The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. – Genesis 2:20 NASU

Here we find Adam working but finding no satisfaction because there was no equal among the animals he named. Adam needed someone who could connect with his spirit, soul, and body.

The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. – Genesis 2:22-23 NASU

From what part of the body did God take to fashion the woman? It was from man’s rib, which is significant as neither was superior or subservient over the other, but they should walk together through life. If God had made the woman from the foot, the woman would always serve the male. If God had made the woman from the shoulder, the woman would be leading the male. God planned that they walk together.

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. – Genesis 2:24-25 NASU

God separated the male and female in the garden and then commanded them to come back together in one flesh. The male was the firstborn, so he was given the additional command to leave his birth family and begin a new one with his wife. There was no division between males and females before God separated them. And there should be an elimination of division now when the two come together.

The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate. – Genesis 3:12 NASU

Now the division begins. Adam blames Eve for his rebellion, lack of self-control, or some superior power over him. This blame game goes on today! Eve didn’t blame Adam but another force in the garden. Not sure why women always look to save their man from the consequences of his own decisions.

To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.” Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” – Genesis 3:16-19 NASU

Now misogynism enters the world. Equality was lost that day when women became treated as a second class as if men were superior at every level of humankind. Male and females are not created the same in all aspects of the human race. Yet, women have exceptional qualities over men and men over women. I wish I had time to show through the scripture the many differences, but another time.

Equality doesn’t come from being the same but from honoring the differences. Simply altering a few hormones and surgeries can’t change these differences.

Ever since that day, the curse has caused the female to identify with what the male says about her other than what God says about her. And the male gets his identification from the hard work he does and the women interested in him rather than in God alone.

In May, we will address the role of women in the family and the church but for now, let’s go to the second place where slavery came into this world.

To learn about the types of slavery going on in our world today that includes forced marriage, check out the following link. Slavery Today