Modern Day Slavery

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr, today we are going to discuss modern day slavery.  There are many forms of slavery these days.  There is the traditional slavery that we associate with the USA before the Civil War.  This still exists around the world.  People have been enslaving each other since the fall of man in Eden.  There is also the sex slave trade that exists in all parts of the world including our very own.  We saw this brought to the mainstream in the movie Taken.  Slavery is horrible and involves kidnapping, selling, and torture.  More than 26 million people all over the world are slaves in some sort or fashion.  The enditmovement is seeking to shed light on this horrific atrocity.  Please, visit the website and pledge to join it.

Another form of slavery that exists today is debt.  The US is currently a slave to our debt of more than $16 trillion.  But, scale that down, over 50% of Americans(excluding minors) carrying some form of personal debt other than home or car.  If home and cars loans are added, then the # is 80%.  Either way, this is a HUGE number.  We ourselves are slaves.  My husband lost his full time job officially in 2008.  He collected a bit of unemployment and has since been working part time and 2-3 jobs.  We have accrued too much debt!  I am working part time as well as teaching my kids at home but we have had some months in which survival and our home has been threatened. 

This hit home, recently, when I wanted to accompany our youth group on a mission trip.   I didn't feel like I could because we are trying to pay off this debt.  We are in bondage to our $$$$ problems.  We cannot serve our Lord properly because of it.  Our hands are chained and thus the Spirit is limited by what we are able to financially do.  Sadly, this affects as many Christians as it does non-Christians.  Our churches and our members act so much like the world where spending is concerned.  Why?  Because, we must have the nicest facilities.  No one should be uncomfortable.  We need to have the best clothes and fanciest cars and have all the things that commercials tell us we need.  I fall into that pit, too.

What to do?  This year I am trying to learn to live within my means.  Not to spend more than we make.  Pay off debt as quickly as possible.  I paid off some last year but there is more to do.  I will learn to like the free stuff and not just the most expensive.  I am getting my budget under control and cutting out the frivolous.  I will be urging my congressmen and other politicians to do the same.  We have to get ourselves back in control of our own future instead of letting the ones who own our debts be in control.  But, the most important thing I will do is PRAY!  Pray for the Lord to give us wisdom and discernment in regards to our finances.

Please, Lord, forgive us!  Forgive us for willingly going back to Egypt and back to our slave masters instead of experiencing the freedom that comes from You!  Amen!

More Than Conquerors

In school today, we were learning about conquistadores coming to America and marching through the land with their weapons and diseases.  They either killed or enslaved and entire race of people.  But when that wasn't enough, they bought slaves from Muslim traders.  But the Muslims couldn't keep pace, so the Spaniards went to West Africa and began tromping through villages there enslaving men, women, and children.  These innocent people were then shipped over the Atlantic and put to work until they died.  They went unwillingly.
This got me thinking about Paul saying that we are slaves to sin.  Were we forced into going across the ocean or did we go willingly?  I think that we go.  Not just go but we jump on board the ship, go below decks, and put the shackles on our own legs.  We think it is going to be this great adventure but like slaves prior to us, we find out that there is not enough food, water, or sunlight.  The slave master is harsh and unforgiving and the pain we experience is unrelenting.  The few minutes of pleasure we get doesn't even compensate for the time we spend chained up and toiling away at the earth.
Why do we do it?  The African and Native American slaves had no choice.  But we do.  We willingly go and sometimes we go with great excitement and glee.  Why?  Because, we are children of the Father of lies!  Yep, you read that correctly!  Our base nature comes from the 1st sin of pride.  We inherit that.  The slaves from long ago inherited their skin color from their ancestors.  That made them a target to the white man.  Our base nature makes a target for sin.  We can't help it.  Until....
Until Jesus knocks at the door.  Some people open the door quickly and let Him in immediately.  Others(like myself) open the door after many years of Him standing out there knocking repeatedly.  Christ is a gentleman and will not go where He is not wanted.  But He wants you and me.  So He is willing to take the rejection and neglect because He loves us.  When we finally let Him in and ask Him for forgiveness, He lovingly and gently removes the manacles.  He massages and heals our wounds and He begins to heal our hearts.  You see, Christ's loves is not the slave master.  Sin is!  Christ is the emancipator.  Freeing us from our bondage and paying the price that we owed!  He changes us!  What, then, does that make us?

Children of the King!  No longer slaves but we have moved straight to the castle and donned the royal robes of splendor.  We have a new Father!  An Abba father.  He loves us!

Mis Conquistadores!

Won't you open your heart to the freedom that is offered to you?  Jesus is standing at the door and He wants to come in.  Won't you let Him?