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Isaiah 50:4- “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary…”
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    • The Curse of Ham?

      Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 26, 2021

      Genesis 9:22,24-25 – And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. Then he said: “Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren.” NKJV

      When my husband was in the Navy, he was a pilot. This elite group of young men were mostly white. My husband shared with me of a time that he and a young white pilot were out having dinner. During the course of the meal, slavery and marriage came up. The young man, feeling free to express himself with my husband, declared that Black people were enslaved because of the curse of Ham, and it basically their destiny. He also believed that it was wrong to mix the races. Interestingly enough to note, my husband felt he was quite sincere in what he believed; but for the record, he was sincerely wrong! It was his upbringing; and he was brought up with a distorted view of the word of God and the reasons behind slavery.

      The flood waters had receded, the ark had landed, and Noah and his family was living on land again. The Bible doesn’t tell us why Noah got stinking drunk, just that he did. Ham, his son, went into the tent, saw his father naked, and went back and told his brothers. His brothers went into the tent backwards, and covered their father. When Noah got up the next day, he knew what his sons had done. Now whether he was half alert, or God had shown him this, we don’t know. But what we do know is that the Bible tells us that Noah knew what had happened as he lay in his drunken stupor.

      When he saw his sons he cursed Canaan. Not Ham, but Canaan, Ham’s son! Ham was never cursed! He told Ham that Canaan would be a servant to his brothers. Let’s investigate this curse for the record. The first thing to note is that Noah said that the Canaanites would serve his brothers. Noah doesn’t say it will be in the form of slavery, but for the sake of argument, we will assume it as such. Those who teach the curse of Ham also state that instantly, upon being cursed, Ham turned black. I know for a fact that if you or I witnessed someone turn from white to black, we’re going to react to that, and especially if it’s our kindred. I believe it would have been noted in some way in the text, if that had been the case, much like Miriam turning leprous in front of her brothers were noted.

      If you take a look at the location of the land of Canaan, you will notice that it is not in the land of Africa. You will also notice that the land of Canaan became God’s promised land to His people.

      Exodus 6:2-4 – And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name Lord I was not known to them. I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. NKJV

      As the children of Israel took possession of the promised land, most of the inhabitants were destroyed, but many of the inhabitants became their slaves.

      Joshua 16:10 – And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers. NKJV

      So, if there were a people who were to be slaves, because they were marked, it would have been those who lived in the land of Canaan; and there is no mention of them being black people.

      But for the sake of argument, let’s say some of those Canaanites were black. Did Noah say that this curse would be upon Canaan’s children’s children, for thousands of generations? He did not! So how did we get Canaan’s descendants being black and doomed to being slaves? This line of thinking was nothing more than another form of justification for having slaves. In the 1980’s this ideology was still being peddled to white people, because this young man felt justified in his opinion, as if it was the gospel truth!

      I wish I could say that was the last and only time I heard of the curse of Ham being a part of the reason Blacks were slaves, but it is not! Recently, a friend called me asking me to explain my understanding of the curse of Ham. I shared what I knew; but tonight I did a little more research, and I can’t even go into all of that in this blog. It’s really sad what people will do and say to justify their behavior. And even sadder, is when we involve God in our mess!

      If you have followed me for any length of time, I hope you have sensed my love for God and for His people. I can truly say that I am not writing to incite hate, but to silence lies that have been propagated in the Name of of our Lord!

      Here’s my very last point on the curse of Ham. Even if all of that had been true against Black people from the mouth of Noah, Paul had this say about being cursed:

      Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” ), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13-14 -NKJV

      If Jesus’ blood was capable of redeeming of us from the curse of the Law, you can best believe that it was more than capable of redeeming the descendants of Ham, whomever they are, from Noah’s curse. This redemption came before the Atlantic slave trade ever happened!

      My hope is that if someone you know bring this foolishness up to you, that you now have answer for them. I also hope that if you have believed this, in regards to yourself or another human being, that you have seen the light of God’s word and has been set free from it. You may need to do some soul searching and repentance, but that’s okay, God has great forgiveness in His heart for even this!

      This concludes my look at our heritage, as February ends! Again, these blogs have been for information and inspiration, not for agitation or accusations. I’m a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and I am Black. I am thankful for who I am because I was fearfully and wonderfully made. It’s unfortunate that we have to have a month to celebrate our heritage, when we’ve spent a lifetime trying to overcome our past! I have a dream that one day there will be no need for Black History month because we will all realize that Black history is all of our histories! Be encouraged in His love for you! Wonderful Jesus!

      Posted in Black History, God, Jesus, racism | 3 Comments | Tagged Canaan, curse, curse of Ham, drunkenness, Forgiveness, freedom, Ham, Noah, racism, redeemed, slavery
    • A Heritage of Faith!

      Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 24, 2021

      Proverbs 13:22 – A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children… NKJV

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      Solomon wrote that a good man will leave his children, and his children’s children an inheritance. Some may read this and feel as if they are obviously not good enough because they have nothing to leave their family. Well, here’s some good news for you! If you leave them a heritage of faith, you leave them so much more than money!

      When our ancestors were in slavery, they had it pretty bad. Some believe that when the slaves were brought to America, it was a good thing because they found Christ. Others believe that some were brought here knowing Him already. I believe they are both probably true. I don’t think God needed slavery and all the harsh things slaves endured to get Black people introduced to the wonders of His love. But He is a God that wastes nothing! And through the harshness of slavery, faith was anchored where hope was trying to be destroyed. A people who had no voice, learned to pray to the God who heard their cry. Songs of despair gave way to songs of faith! And the rest as they say, is history!

      Many slaves learned to have a deep, abiding faith in the Lord. Harriet Tubman, SoJourner Truth, Frederick Douglas, and others speak of their intense love for God. They speak of His leading them, of His comfort, of His love. These great men and women, who acquired their freedom, also acquired a rich heritage of faith that helped them to accomplish greater things than they had even imagined. This faith was passed on to the next generation.

      Faith that inspired men like George Washington Carver, who spoke of his quiet time with the Lord being the place where his many creations were downloaded to him by the Spirit of God. Faith that inspired a Black man to start a college for the sole purpose of educating black people. Faith that caused Black people to see themselves as something other than laborers for someone else’s benefit.

      Dreaming the impossible dream, led to Blacks like Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughn who became scientists in NASA; who may have been hidden, but who couldn’t stay hidden. Whether it was their faith, or the faith of their parents, faith moved the barriers of racism for them to go to another level in a world that was previously closed to Black people.

      In the Civil Rights movement, faith was prevalent in the lives of those who were at the forefront of activism. In neither slavery, nor the civil rights movement, were Black people alone in their journey. God used many people who were white to assist and propel their causes to the forefront of humanity. So I understand that! But as Black people, those in the movement relied heavily on their faith!

      The Black church was a symbol of freedom, a podium of hope for a brighter day. As men like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stood and preached God’s word about the kingdom of God, a desire and a strong faith was birthed to possess the kingdom, on earth! Many believed in the need for social justice, and they faced governmental authorities, mobs, and violence in their quest. But their trust, their great strength, their unyielding passion came out of their relationship with the God who created the ends of the earth!

      I was born into such a family. A family with great financial struggles, but deep ties to the things of God. We were a family that went to church without fail. We were taught to pray. We were encouraged to trust God. And today, many of us still embrace our faith-filled heritage as we sojourn through this world!

      Today, as I blog, I am grateful for the inheritance of faith that has come down to me through our people, through my family. Nothing could hold us back, and nothing could hold us down, once we came to know Jesus! Today we are doing amazing things. I have seen God take our people from segregated schools to running the schools, the cities, the states, and the nation! Look at God!

      Not only that! I have seen God use Blacks in spreading the gospel of the kingdom. From William Seymour at Azusa Street to the many men and women of God who are yet preaching the gospel from the pulpit, our heritage continues. Faith and love are key to breaking down the walls that yet divide us, but those walls will not stop us! We will continue to trust God to do what only He can do in us and through us, for His glory!

      My parents left this world early, and I wasn’t a recipient of anything material either. But they taught me about Jesus! I learned to pray and trust God. I learned to open my mouth and give Him praise. In teaching me about Jesus they gave me a hope and a future. I am so thankful that I tapped into my heritage of faith! I married a man whose family is also tapped into their heritage of faith! As I see siblings, in-laws, our children, nieces and nephews, and other family members serve the Lord, I know they will continue enjoying the blessings of our faith filled heritage and will pass it on! Why? Because they have been given a legacy of faith, that shouts loudly, with God, all things are possible! Wonderful Jesus!

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      Posted in Black History, Faith, Family, Heroes of Faith, Jesus | 4 Comments | Tagged civil rights movement, Faith, Family, freedom, George Washington Carver, God, hard times, Harriet Tubman, heritage, slavery, Sojourner Truth, trust in God
    • Lord, Did You Forget Us?

      Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 22, 2021

      Acts 8:27 – So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship…NKJV

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      Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that people of different colors are mentioned in the word? Or do you think all people in the word ofGod are of one ethnic background? Maybe you’ve been taught that the Bible is the white man’s Bible, and have felt no connection to it, or to the God in whom it boast. Well, I have some great news for you today, Black people are mentioned favorably in the Bible and they are people you should know.

      In America, we are celebrating Black History Month, and so this week, I want to highlight my culture, my people, and the richness of our heritage. Starting with the word! The Lord immediately brought the Ethiopian in the book of Acts to my mind.

      Ethiopia, in Biblical times, from what I have learned, is the land of Cush. Cush, according to ancient maps, included present day Sudan and Ethiopia. It appears that in the Old Testament, its citizens were of Cush, and in the New Testament, they were of Ethiopia. Whether this is accurate or not, we know that these individuals were Black people.

      In the book of Acts, we have this Ethiopian, riding in his chariot towards home from Jerusalem. Scripture lets us know that he had come to worship. In this chapter, we also learn some other things about this eunuch. He was a man of great authority. He served in the court of the queen, who was believed to be one of the mightiest queens of Ethiopia. He was in charge of all of her treasury, obviously a very intelligent man, and he had a hunger for God.

      As he was traveling home, reading the scriptures, the Holy Ghost sent Philip to share the gospel with him. He believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, was baptized and went home a new believer in Christ. The area of ancient Cush is being excavated and many churches are being found in the land. I can infer from this, that the eunuch went home and shared the gospel in his country, resulting in many coming to Christ.

      Another person of Ethiopian descent was Moses’ wife. Some scholars believe that Moses had taken a second wife, and this is not Zipporah. There is no further reference to suggest that she is Zipporah, nor is there any to refute that she isn’t. But what is clear, is that she is a Black woman, and she is married to Moses, the leader of the Israelites.

      What is also apparent is that Aaron and Miriam have a problem with her, possibly because of her skin color. This was such a problem for them, that it caused them to question Moses’ spiritual authority over them. Isn’t it interesting to note that racism against Black people could have been recorded so early? God ended up dealing with the situation by calling a meeting. At the conclusion of the meeting, Miriam was punished with leprosy. I’ve often wondered why God didn’t punish Aaron, because he was angry with both of them, but it is believed that Miriam was the instigator. Not certain of that accuracy.

      In the book of 2 Chronicles we learn more about the Ethiopians. They were a people with a strong army which boasted of many chariots and horsemen. As a matter of fact, you can say that they had the first “Million Man March” in the Bible, for that is how many men, Zerah, the Ethiopian, led against Israel. They didn’t win the war, but they were a mighty people, an advanced people, demonstrated by their horses and the number of chariots. Job spoke of the topaz, that came from Ethiopia which was apparently, a beautiful stone, and part of the treasures of Ethiopia.

      Black people, world-wide are often looked upon as if we are second class citizens. When you look at Africa today, which has been raided and exploited for its diamonds, people, and exotic animals, you may walk away with a distorted view of its people and their descendants. Many parts of Africa were, and are, glorious regions full of history, culture, treasures and beauty. Africa was created by God, blessed by God, and used by God for His glory. The people of Africa and her descendants world-wide are not forgotten by God. Black people are not forgotten by God. We have not been cursed by God, and we are not under the curse of Ham. (A blog for another day.)

      The Bible isn’t European in nature. People didn’t begin as white Europeans. Civilization began in the land of the Fertile Crescent, not Europe. Yet, somehow, we read the Bible through European eyes, thus making it seem like God has forgotten the other nations of the world.

      Jesus made it quite clear that the gospel is for us all and to us all when He said:

      For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17 – NKJV

      To answer my question, whether or not we are a forgotten people, I can prove without a doubt, that He hasn’t forgotten any of us. If we look closer at the word of God, we will see ourselves in scripture as we identify people who looked like us, all of us. Now be encouraged for this Bible doesn’t belong to any one group of people, it belongs to us all! Wonderful Jesus!

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      Posted in Black History, encouragement, Heroes of Faith | 0 Comments | Tagged Baptism, Believer, Blacks in the Bible, encouragemnt, Ethiopia, Moses, Philip the evangelist, the eunuch, witnessing, word of God, Zipporah
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      • Getting It Right!
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      • The Curse of Ham?
      • A Heritage of Faith!
      • Lord, Did You Forget Us?
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