SLAVERY

When we think of the word “slavery” many thoughts and images come to mind. Most often today we in America think of the brutal treatment Africans endured during their journey coming from Africa to America on slave ships and once in America some of their lives were not much better. Yes this sordid and very sad period of American history was not one of America’s finest moments. Did you know the Bible has much to say about slavery, but please understand the slaves in Biblical times were treated much better (most often) than those of the Africans and please understand the Bible never has condoned any form of indentured servitude where one man owned another. Many today in America would push this lie wanting payback, but if they do they do it at their peril of distorting the truth of God’s word and will receive just compensation for the discord they sow among the Brethren. In Ephesians Paul encourages the servants (slaves) to be obedient to their masters, with fear and trembling, “Servants (Strong’s #1401, a slave, bondman, man of servile condition) be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; 6Not with eye service, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;” (Ephesians 6:5-6) and in Titus Paul encouraged the Church (who at that time was mainly made up of slaves and bond servants) to encourage the slaves to be obedient to their masters. “Exhort servants (Strong’s #1401) to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again; 10Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.” (Titus 2:9-10) Slavery at all levels has been around for millions of years and make no mistake my friend, slavery is alive and well in the world today. I have seen all kinds of slavery in Africa, Asia, and even Eastern Europe. My friend within man’s heart (especially one not dealt with by God) runs a great selfish desire to enslave the lives of people for their own personal use and gain and I am convinced and I know this will be the case and outcome for mankind until Jesus comes back and runs the show on the earth. We see this slavery concept in everyday life; everything we watch on TV or read in the newspapers or magazines is directed at enslaving our body, mind, and spirit. Most of the people (Christians included) in the world today are slaves to fashion, social habits, and customs. We look at the movie stars in Hollywood and on TV and all the “beautiful people” who dictate what the norm is for society: tattooing, face piercing, music, movie, dress all against what God says is the norm, but still we continue (Christians included) in slavery to what the world says is important and not what God says is important. We continue (Christians included) in what our law- givers say is the law of the land (same sex marriage and abortion), in spite of it being openly rebellious to God’s word and not giving it a second thought and still call ourselves Christians. Yes my friend slavery is a very powerful device in our lives and unless we repent of our waywardness and return back to God’s word America will continue to be enslaved to ungodly thinking which will cause us to slip further and further into greater moral decay and even more spiritual darkness. Wake up America before it is too late God is waiting, but He will not wait forever.

I really like how Paul starts out most if not all of his Epistles; “Paul a servant (Strong’s #1401, slave) of God” or “Paul a bond servant (like a slave, but one who has earned their freedom) of God.” Now there is another form of slavery the Bible talks about that most Christians never learn about, maybe this is why most Christians today never live a victorious life in Christ. It is a place of victory in our lives God desires for us. And we must see that only being obedient to God’s word can we come into this place of victory for our lives. Only God and God alone can enable us (through our submission, allowing God to deal and judge in our lives) to come to this place of victory, we must see this in our lives if we are going to walk with the LORD the way He intends. Sadly many Christians live their lives wrapped up in the world’s form of religion and experience none of the life that God has for us; they are wrapped up in contemporary Christian music and a self seeking or self exalting form of working for God, but never ever BECOMING the work (Ephesians 2:10) of God. They are wrapped up in the ways and doctrines of the apostate church of today and wonder why they have no (not even a little) victory over the world, sin, and their self (in that order) and keep falling way, this is not God’s intention my friend. This other form of slavery I speak of is one of heart submission. We see Jesus working this concept into the disciples after He fed 5,000 men and probably more than 5,000 women and children. In Luke (I like Luke’s writing he was a doctor a man of details) we read, “But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people. 14For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. 15And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.” (Luke 9:13-17) Now to really understand what is really going on here we must review a critical attribute of God’s word; God never does anything by accident. Words in the Bible are not just written down, but there is an order (a characteristic of God) to the words in the Bible. Always study the order of things and words in the Bible, if so the Bible will open up new revelations of truth. But, I have always wondered what happened to the 12 baskets of leftovers and why was there 12 baskets and not 10 or 13? I knew there was a meaning here to the 12 baskets so I held it before the LORD and recently God opened up my understanding to why 12 baskets. Notice Jesus gave the food to the disciples and the disciples gave the food to the people and they did eat sounds good, but when did the disciples eat? Well, they ate when the slaves ate. I do not know about you, but when I imagine this story and I see 12 big baskets, I see huge baskets that maybe two people would carry after all they just fed 5,000 men, women, and children, but in reality the baskets they used were about the size of a small lunch pail enough for one person. Hungry people do not leave a lot of scraps and fragments around. Jesus knew of the Jewish custom and tradition of after a feast to gather up the fragments and leftover food to give to the slaves. In Jewish society nothing was wasted especially food. Jesus was teaching the disciples, through these 12 baskets of leftover food, a fundamental concept of the Kingdom of God, “whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant (Strong’s #1401) of all,” but that is not what we (I include myself here at times) find today in the Church, oh no my friend most evangelists, pastors, teachers, preachers, or most Christians do not want to be a slave to all, most (if not all) want to be served and most want to be patted on the back and told just how wonderful they are, well not so in the Kingdom of God my friend.

In Mark Jesus took this slavery lesson a little deeper and right to the point we read, “Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: 34And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. 35And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. 36And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? 37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.” (Mark 10:33-37) Here Jesus is telling the disciples what is going to happen to Him, how He would be killed, but the disciples were only thinking of themselves, “Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.” Does this sound familiar? Does this sound like the most popular message (the prosperity doctrines) of the Church today? How selfish and self-seeking of them and us. But Jesus said unto them, “Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 39And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, "Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized: 40But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared. 41And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John. 42But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. 43But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: 44And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant (Strong’s 1401) of all. 45For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:38-45) Jesus said you do not know what you are talking about. How gleeful and quickly the disciples answered “we can.” This just exposed their lack of the dealings and judgment of God in their lives. This just exposed their lack of knowledge and willingness of commitment to the cost of walking with the LORD at any degree. Quick replies means no thought. You see the disciples wanted to know who was going to be the greatest, but they failed to learn to have this great honor they first must be “prepared” they must qualify or be approved for this honor. They have not learned the lesson the way up in God is down. They have failed to learn what J - O - Y means: Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last. They have failed to understand to be the greatest among the Brethren we must be a slave to all, now not some it says all. For us to be able to do this we must be dead to our self and to our desires and alive to what God wants in every given situation and circumstance of our lives. For this to happen we must be dead. Did you know a dead man does not do a lot of talking or much work?

One of God’s goals in our lives is to be able to bring us into total slavery not like we see in the world, but in the Spirit and in our heart condition before God and man; an open willingness and desire to be a servant not at the works level, but at the heart level and in the Spirit. You know it is easy to be a servant working for God we see it every week as the choir marches in or as the offering plate is passed back and forth and as the grass is cut to make the church grounds beautiful, but it is very difficult to be a servant at the Spirit and heart level, because at the center of this level is obedience to God the greatest requirement to be a servant. How foolish we are to think we are greater than what we really are. We all are just one breath from eternity. We all are saved by God’s grace and His good pleasure. How foolish to think we can manipulate God for our own interest and exalt ourselves above our brothers and sisters. How foolish to think we are in-charge when Jesus said of Himself He has no power and can do nothing. We strut around on stage in a $500 suit, diamond rings on our fingers, and gold necklaces around our necks and think we are someone special, while Jesus (on earth) did not have a change of underwear. Who do we think we are? Is the servant (slave) greater than the Master? Oh LORD have mercy on us! Written by David Stahl