They were captured, taken against their will, shackled in chains and locked in the hulls of ships. I can't imagine the different ways slave traders forced them to submit. The physical pain was probably overcome by the emotional pain. I am just assuming this, because I have never been in that position.
The lives of some African men and women would be changed forever. Family trees would be severed. Traditional beliefs and cultures would be greatly challenged. Traveling, as a free people, from one continent to another, was a risk and some didn't make it. Think about making that same trip, but being in bondage. I wonder what the mortality rate was for the slaves.
I will let you decide the negatives and the positives of black people as a result of this. The cost was great. Families divided, not by choice but by force. Also, many lives were lost in the Civil war because of it. Please think on this for a few moments.
What if it was you? How would something like this affect you, your family, and your future generations? Would this produce a deeply engrained anger in your subconscious mind? How great would your hunger for freedom be? Would you have the courage to seek that freedom at any cost? Would your dream consist of making enough money to buy back yours and your family's freedom?
We still have slavery in America today, and it is destroying lives and families. This is morally and economically devastating. Many chose this slavery over freedom. No one captured them, beat them, or chained them. What is it? Who does it enslave? Is there a solution? Can we ever be free again? At what price can we be redeemed?
At this point let me continue from my last post. God created all of us with a freewill. Adam and Eve used their freewill and chose to disobey God, so they could be like God, having knowledge of good and evil. They ate fruit from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Evil could then be known by all humanity. Mankind could then choose good or evil.
Sometimes, evil was dressed up to look better than good. Satan dressed it up and is still dressing it up to be fun and pleasurable. Consequences of choosing evil over good are always hidden or explained away. We are all susceptible in choosing evil. When we do and have severe consequences in doing so, we usually do not own the accountability that comes with our bad choices. Most of the time we blame it on others or even God.
Satan deceives all of mankind into doing anything that God has commanded us not to do. When we choose what God calls evil over good, there is always a consequence. Let us look at one of these areas in our country today.
Sexual immorality has become a devastating giant in our country today. It is one of the three giants I write about in my book: The Heart Behind the Stone: Develop a Giant Slaying Heart. How has this risen to such giant sized destruction?
God's people are told in Galatians 5:16 to: Walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill fleshly desires. In listing the works of the flesh, fornication is the first one on the list. Read verse 19. Satan knew mankind had a problem with this. This still is a weakness that man has. This weakness initiates thoughts in the mind which seeks ways to manifest the strong sexual desires.
There is no discrimination in this destruction. Rich or poor, famous or unknown, black or white, Christian and Non-Christian, have all fallen to this enslavement of their bodies. Satan tempted them, and their uncontrolled thoughts chose to be enslaved by the runaway desire (lust) of the flesh.
This enslavement by the body and mind has caused families to be splintered, unborn babies to be murdered in the womb, same sex marriages, children molested by pedophiles, human sex trafficking, and men who call themselves transsexuals are being protected by the federal government so they can go pee in women's restrooms. Now add up all of the economical cost of welfare payments made to those who have illegitimate children and then the medical cost. I have not even mentioned the high cost of spiritual death.
I am going to have to continue this next week. I am going to give the solutions next time on how all of this, which began with a thought in the heart, can be changed with a pure heart from God. It hurts me to see young children without fathers to guide them and provide for them. It has really gotten out of control. It has become a big mess. I am tired of it. How about you? We keep living like the world, we will keep getting what the world gives us. What we have right now. If we live like God wants us to live, we will begin to see a change. I love God, my family, and my fellow man enough to do all I can.
Send me your comments by going to www.rhepler52@gmail.com. I address some of this in my book: The Heart Behind the Stone: Develop a Giant Slaying Heart. God can correct this problem if we seek His guidance. He has done the impossible for His people before, and He is ready and able to do it again. The question is are we ready to do what He says? David, before he killed Goliath, asked, "Is there not a cause?" I ask you the same question.
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Thanks for reading!
Rick
