Tag: Slavery

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The life I now live: flaws of religion

In Paul’s letter to friends in Galatia, he was stirred to make this profound statement:

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 1But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

(Galatians 2:15-21 NRSV)

In light of recent debates with regards to Jihad and the Islamic agenda, it is fitting to have a quick look at Christianity’s recent history.

For instance: Protestants, Jews, and non-conformists were humiliated, persecuted, and tortured in utterly gruesome showcase events by church authorities in medieval times.

Believers were: killed, brutalised or imprisoned for meeting privately, or even trying to make the scriptures accessible to the common man.

Puritans who left the shores of Europe in search of spiritual freedom in America, became oppressors themselves, with record of genocide against the Indian population, not to mention slavery, and the most inhumane torture Africans suffered. The awful treatment and brutality against women and children also needs mentioning.

Sadly, these were all done based on the world view and legalistic interpretation of scriptures by ‘Christians’ not dissimilar to what we see in ‘radical Islam’ today. Therefore I submit to you dear friends that religion is the problem – hence Christ!

May the just truly live by faith and trust in Jesus’ finished work at Calvary. May we hold back from casting stones at people that do not agree with our view point. May we express love to all, regardless of faith, gender, background, sexual orientation, race, beliefs, or non-beliefs…

Amen.

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Spiritual Intelligence: What Hinders Me From Being Baptised?

So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”

Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”

And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

Good morning friends. Everything in the bible serves a purpose, and are as relevant today as when they were inscribed. If this is not the case with you; then, like the Ethiopian Eunuch in our opening verses, I pray that you encounter a Philip to help aid your understanding. The bible also provides us with snippets and behind the scene footages of God’s big picture. I don’t know about you; but, every time I unveil or bump into these nuggets, I’m left in awe of His beauty and splendour.

By way of background, let us uncover some uncomfortable truths about this story. First stop, let’s checkout the definition of a eunuch. A eunuch can be defined as a man who has been castrated, especially (in the past) one employed to guard the women’s living areas at an oriental court. Eunuch’s were mostly slaves dedicated for service in the royal courts. In order to prevent the possibility of slave ancestry within royal lineage, they had to be made ineffective to procreate. These people were mostly prepared, educated and trained for this purpose from a very early age. And because slaves were properties of their owners, they had no rights; so, the surgery was carried out against their will. I hasten to add here that this practice was not condoned by God who’s instruction to humankind after creation was to be fruitful and multiply, not even animals were to be castrated under His laws. In the spirit of brevity we won’t explore this any further.

So, who is a eunuch today? I think a eunuch is anyone that has been shaped by situations beyond their control. For instance: someone abused as a child, modern day slaves, people affected by re-engineering of human hormones, through the effects of poisonous chemicals within our food chain and the environment…

In these passages, God demonstrates His love for all regardless of race, sexual orientation or none, background, or gender by breaking cultural convention to reach out to this fellow who was genuinely in a quest for the truth.

The Eunuch had made the effort to travel to Jerusalem on pilgrimage, even though he had limited understanding of his new found faith. In the same vain dear friends, God is no respecter of persons. He is still in the business of revealing Himself to anyone who truly desires to know Him today, even as He did then.

In the words of the Ethiopian Eunuch, “What hinders me from being baptised?”, and I hear God say, “Nothing. Just believe with all your heart”.

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~ Sabali

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Spiritual Intelligence: Appointment With Destiny

An Appointment With Destiny…

Most times destiny springs-up upon us in ways we least expect. Its almost like the bait of The Adversary creates a platform for our lifting. With Rosa Parks for instance, it was the seating arrangements on the bus on that faithful day that led to the Tipping Point!

With that thought in mind, lets invite King Saul to the stage. In his quest to seek, save and return his father’s donkeys – he encountered the prophet Samuel. This meeting led to Saul being anointed king over Israel.

They can also be more dramatic like in the case of Joseph, who was stripped of his favourite coat and sold into slavery by his siblings. That exchange however led to Joseph being the Prime Minister of Egypt, and the mastermind behind humanity’s survival in a season of famine, hunger, displacement and hyperinflation.

Friends whatever shape or form it visits you on your journeys, do make sure you; recognise, embrace and guard it with all that you have. For in it you will find inner peace, purpose and fulfilment.

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~ Sabali