jazzlover
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Post by jazzlover on Jun 18, 2006 5:41:20 GMT -5
Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul.
Acts 13:1
Following the Christian persecution that began with the martyrdom of Stephen, many of the disciples fled to Antioch of Syria (Acts 11:19-27). Antioch was the third greatest city of the Roman Empire and was 300 miles north of Jerusalem. It was called “Antioch the Beautiful” and “Queen of the East”. It was a wealthy, luxurious city (Halley’s Bible Handbook). The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch (Acts 11:26). This city became the cradle of gentile Christianity and Apostle Paul’s headquarters for his missionary campaigns. The church at Antioch was a wonderful example of unity among racially diverse Christians. It was in Antioch that prophets and teachers gathered to fellowship, worship, and seek the guidance of the Lord for spreading the gospel. Simeon Niger was a prophet or teacher among the leaders in the Antioch church. Niger (Latin for Black) may indicate his dark complexion in addition to his African ancestry (NIV Study Bible p. 2166). Simeon Niger along with Lucius of Cyrene (An African of Libya), and Manaen (Herod’s foster brother) laid hands on Paul and Barnabas after they had fasted, prayed, and received guidance from the Holy Spirit. Paul and Barnabas went on to spread the gospel throughout much of the gentile world in fulfillment of Christ’s command to go into the entire world to preach the gospel to every creature.
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jazzlover
B.E. Sergeant First Class
It Takes Pressure to Make a Diamond
Posts: 3,912
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Post by jazzlover on Jun 18, 2006 5:42:43 GMT -5
“And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the Mount of God.”
Exodus 18:5
Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro (priest of Midian), became Moses’ wife after Moses heroically rescued Jethro’s seven daughters from bullying shepherds (Exodus 2:16-21). She was probably a Midianite, a descendant from Abraham through Ishmael and Midian, a Hamite and Semitic lineage. Ishmaelites (descendants of the Egyptians) and Midianites (descendants of Abraham through Keturah) became synonymous tribes as reflected in the story of Joseph who was sold to Ishmaelites/Midianites by his jealous brothers (Genesis 27:25-28). Numbers 12:1 tells us, “And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married and Ethiopian woman.” If this verse refers to Zipporah, it confirms her black ancestry and if it does not, it refers to Tharbis the Princess of Ethiopia whom Josephus refers to in The Antiquities of the Jews (Book I: Chapter X). In either case, the race of Zipporah is of little dispute for she either had Ethiopian or Egyptian roots. Herodotus described Egyptians as having black skin and wooly hair (Herodotus the Histories: Book Two p. 167)
Zipporah bore Moses two sons, Gershom and Eliezar. She as daughter of the priest of the land may not have agreed with Moses regarding the rite of circumcision because Moses for some reason neglected to circumcise his son. Circumcision was the seal of God’s covenant with Abraham, which taught the Israelites not to trust in the “flesh”, but to trust in the Lord. Because of Moses’ disobedience, the Lord sought to kill him (Exodus 4:24) on his way to Egypt. According to Genesis 17:14, an uncircumcised male child would be cut off from his people since he had broken God’s covenant. God held Moses responsible for disobeying his commandment even though he had chosen Moses as the emancipator of the Israelites. Zipporah somehow sensing Moses’ dilemma performed the rite of circumcision on their son and consequently saved Moses’ life. Apparently repulsed by the sight of blood, she referred to Moses as her bloody husband.
The New Testament emphasizes the role of blood in relation to reconciliation to God. Hebrews 9:22b states, “And without shedding of blood is no remission”. Apostle Paul declared the spiritual significance of the rite of circumcision when he wrote, “. . . and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not of the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God” (Romans 2:29b). Therefore, Zipporah’s reluctant obedience reflected our natural resistance to crucifying our flesh (Romans 6:6) and circumcising our hearts. The question then arises; whose life or more importantly, whose soul shall be lost if we do not circumcise the foreskin of our hearts? Although Zipporah’s act was reluctant, her obedience to God’s will saved a life, a nation, and eventually a world, for the man she saved was more than her husband; he was the savior of Israel, a type of Christ. This made Zipporah a type of bride of Christ; the church, which throughout the ages has and must declare to all men the power of the blood of Christ which can save the souls of all humankind.
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jazzlover
B.E. Sergeant First Class
It Takes Pressure to Make a Diamond
Posts: 3,912
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Post by jazzlover on Jun 18, 2006 5:43:46 GMT -5
And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim.” “And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.”
Genesis 10:13-14
Mizraim was the second son of Ham and father of the ancient Egyptians. The Egyptians commonly referred to their country as Kemyt meaning black. They probably named their nation for their ancestor Ham (Egyptian—Kem) for in Psalm 105:23, Egypt is called “The land of Ham.”
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jazzlover
B.E. Sergeant First Class
It Takes Pressure to Make a Diamond
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Post by jazzlover on Jun 18, 2006 5:45:08 GMT -5
And Noah Begat Three Sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth
Genesis 6:10
Most scholars agree that of the three sons of Noah, Ham (or Cham Septuagint Version) was the father of the indigenous African people. J. W. C. Pennington wrote in the 1900's that, ". . . There is no dispute about the fact that we (Black Americans) came from Noah through Ham . . . "W. E. B. Dubois in his book The Negro wrote, "Ham is probably Egyptian for "Khem" (Black), the native name of Egypt." Dubois' assertion agrees with the Biblical record because in Psalm 105:23 and 27 Egypt is referred to as "The Land of Ham." It is interesting to note that the Ancient Greek Historian, Herodotus, in an incontrovertible passage alluded to the Egyptians of his day as "Black and Curly Haired."
Ham fathered four sons, Cush, Mizriam, Phut, and Canaan. From his sons descended Africans including Ethiopians, Egyptians, and Libyans as well Asians including Canaanites, Philistines, Babylonians, and some Arabian tribes. Based upon the book of Genesis chapters 6 through 10, Ham and his wife were among the family members of Noah who by God's grace escaped the judgment of the earth through the flood. Ham was apparently the younger son of Noah who after the flood was involved in an incident after which Noah cursed Ham's son Canaan.
The curse states that Canaan would be a servant to Shem and Japheth. Josephus, the Jewish historian, wrote that, "He (Noah) did not curse him (Ham) by reason of his nearness in blood, but cursed his posterity. And when the rest of them escaped that curse, God inflicted it upon the children of Canaa." However, J. W. C. Pennington observed in 1841 that: 1.) There was no evidence that Noah's curse was intended to extend to the posterity of Canaan. 2.) There was no intent to curse Ham nor his other sons personally, and 3.) There was no evidence that the words of Noah contained a divine malediction on Canaan himself. In further admonition Pennington warned, "I infer that men should be well advised what they are about ere they make God contradict himself.
"The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son." (Ezekiel 18:20b)
Further research of the Bible showed that the Canaanites were eventually displaced from the land of Canaan because of the apparently low levels of sin to which the Canaanites sunk as a nation. A list of the most common sins of the Canaanites included homosexuality, beastiality, idolatry, child sacrifice, incest, magic, spellbinding, and spiritism. It was because of these sins that they became a curse to themselves and according to King Solomon, "righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." (Proverbs 14:34) The Lord admonished the Israelites not to emulate the sins of the Canaanites because the iniquity of the people was the reason God in judgment evicted them from the land (Leviticus 18:24, 25).
Based on this information the old notion that the black race was cursed to live in slavery was of course both erroneous and detrimental to the black psyche. To the contrary the black race was blessed by God himself as recorded in Genesis 9:1-7 and the Lord sealed his blessing with the sign of the rainbow. And today history is finally revealing that the black race was the progenitor of achievement and civilization. For those who trust in Jesus Christ, God has given not only the Black race, but to all people the greatest blessing for, He (Jesus), who knew no sin, became sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
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jazzlover
B.E. Sergeant First Class
It Takes Pressure to Make a Diamond
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Post by jazzlover on Jun 18, 2006 5:46:39 GMT -5
"And they compel one Simon A Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander And Rufus, to Bear His Cross."
Mark 15:21
In three of the four gospels of Jesus Christ (Mathew 27:32, Mark 15:21, and Luke 23:26) Simon of Cyrene is presented as the African who was compelled to bear the cross of Jesus. Cyrene was a city in North Africa in Libya. Simon was probably a convert to Judaism who was in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover when he happened upon the scene of Christ's crucifixion.
As an African he perhaps stood out in the crowd that followed Jesus to Golgotha, the place of the skull. The Roman soldiers seized him and ordered him as if he were a slave to carry the cross of Jesus since Jesus weakened by torture was unable to bear it. It is probably that as a result of his service for Christ, Simon inquired about the reason Jesus was crucified. If he stayed to watch the proceedings he witnessed the mocking of priests, the thieves on the crosses beside Jesus, the darkness over the whole land for 3 hours, the earthquake, and the gracious words of Christ as he forgave his enemies. Simon may have remained among those spoken of in Mathew 27:54 "Now When the Centurion, and they that were with him, Watching Jesus, Saw the Earthquake, and those things that were Done, they Feared Greatly, saying, Truly This Was the Son of God."
It was very likely that in any case Simon later heard the Gospel of Christ and became of follower of Jesus and his disciples. Mark mentions Simon's two sons Alexander and Rufus suggesting that these two men were familiar Christian believers. This further confirms the likelihood that Simon of Cyrene became a believer. If he remained in Jerusalem for 3 days or more, he may have spoken to disciples ho witnessed the resurrected Lord! At Pentecost, the birth of the church, the diverse multitude included those "In the Parts of Libya About Cyrene. . ." (Acts 2:106) Simon's homeland. Simon's act has become symbolic of the unearned suffering of Africans and Blacks throughout the world that have born crosses of unwarranted persecution, physical slavery, racial prejudice, and some oppression. But none have carried a heaver burden than that which Jesus Christ bore for every soul when he gave his life for the sin of the world on the cross at Golgotha. The scripture confirms, "Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs, And Carried Our Sorrows: Yet We Did Esteem Him Stricken, Smitten of God, and Afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peach was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:4-5)
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jazzlover
B.E. Sergeant First Class
It Takes Pressure to Make a Diamond
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Post by jazzlover on Jun 18, 2006 5:55:10 GMT -5
Habari gani? The Bible is an often overlooked source of spirituality, pride, and historical information for people of African descent. Here is a non-exhaustive look at what the Bible says about one African culture that still exists today--Ethiopia:
Genesis 2:13 Ethiopia is one of the first countries mentioned in the Bible.
Genesis 10:6-20 Description of the kingdoms founded by the families of the founders of Ethiopia.
Numbers 12:1 Moses marries an Ethiopian woman, Zipporah. Moses was sheltered and counseled by her Ethiopian father, Jethro (Exodus 3:1, 4:18,18:1-12)
2 Kings 19:9 Ethiopian king (or general, Tirhakah) was ruling Egypt at the time and sent an army to invade Assyria.
2 Chronicles 14:9 Ethiopian general, Zerah, led an army of thousands upon thousands with 300 chariots.
Esther 1:1, 8:9 Ethiopia is used as a border to measure an empire.
Job 28:19 Ethiopia's topaz used as a measure of value.
Psalms 68:31 Prophecy concerning Ethiopia's future.
Jeremiah 38:7,10,12 Ethiopian royal official rescues prophet Jeremiah.
Amos 9:7 "Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel?"
Nahum 3:9 "Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite."
Acts 8:27 Ethiopian government official goes to Jerusalem to worship, accepts Christianity and brings it back to Ethiopia which was ruled by Ethiopian Queen Kandake (Candace).
Ethiopia holds a special place in West African history because of the many immigrant/founders of West African cultures who came from Nubia and brought many Ethiopian influences. I didn't mention many important references to Ethiopian Judaism, nor other facts. I call upon others to complete this work.
Long live the Lion of Judah! K. Bandele 4/95
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AFRICA IS THE GARDEN OF EDEN
The name of the first is Pison: that which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where ther is gold. [[[ Genesis 2:11 ]]]
Havilah is one of the sons of Cush -Ethiopia, African people. [[[ Genesis 10:7 ]]]
And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is that compasseth the whole land of ETHIOPIA. [[[ Genesis 2:13 ]]]
AFRICAN ARE THE TRUE ISRAELITES
Are ye not as children of the ETHIOPIAN unto me, O children of Israel ? Saith the Lord. [[[ Amos 9:7 ]]]
Princes shall come out of EGYPT; ETHIOPIA shall soon stretch out her hands unto GOD. [[[ Psalm 68:31 ]]]
With ETHIOPIA this man was born there. [[[ Psalm 87:4 ]]]
For I am the Lord thy God, the holy one of Israel, thy Savior: I gave EGYPT for thy ransom, ETHIOPIA and Sheba for thee. [[[ Isaiah 43:3 ]]]
Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went throug thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. [[[ Isaiah 60:15 ]]]
The Lord also will be a refuge for the opressed, a refuge in times of trouble. [[[ Psalm 9:9 ]]]
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