Posted by: pastorapbell | June 24, 2013

as we review the plans for restoration of order

When God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) started the creation process, everything was done in an orderly and succinct manner. From the dark formless Creationvoid, the beauty that we know as earth came into being. It was only when the created light was shone into the darkness, that the prevailing beauty became evident, although it was always there. From day one to five, the triune God created all the elements required to create an environment fit for human habitation. These included the temperate climate, a wide variety of fruit trees and other vegetation to support the final and most beautiful creation of humanity, on day six.

The creator replicated the created order in humanity and gave them two crucial instructions. Be fruitful and multiply, and have dominion over every living thing on the planet. All this occurred before humanity became a living soul, i.e. whilst he was still a spirit after the nature of his creator with the possibility to be either male or female. Physical humanity was created in the image of God at a later stage. That image was not a physical one, but one, which reflects the character displayed by Jesus during his time on the planet. Now the character of Jesus is the fruit of the spirit, which is encapsulated, underpinned and defined by love. The outflow from love is Joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

This image was totally transformed by rebellion. Rebellion is characterised by disbelief and disobedience. This act separated spiritual humanity from the creator of spirits. The only way to return to true relationship with the creator is through the atoning work of Jesus Christ for the sin of humanity.

Read Genesis 1:1-31.

Leave a Comment

Posted in God's Order | Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | June 15, 2013

How does the African enslavement, which ended in the British colonies 175 years ago, still impact and affect their descendant?

Let us look at some of the biblical texts, which were miss-interpreted to enslave the African person and to keep him in perpetual slavery. Today we will look at the curse of Ham and how this text was used to subjugate black people for many generations.

Broken ChainsGenesis 9:18-28

18 The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.) 19 These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the whole earth.

20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.

24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said, “Cursed be Canaan!  The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers.”

26 He also said, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem.
27 May God extend Japheth’s territory; may Japheth live in the tents of Shem, and may Canaan be the slave of Japheth.”

28 After the flood, Noah lived 350 years. 29 Noah lived a total of 950 years, and then he died.

As can be seen from the text, Noah curses the grandson of Ham, Canaan. Nowhere in the text does it ever state that Noah curses his son Ham, who theologians suggests represented people from the African continent.

However, during the 15th Century and latterly in the 20th century, this text was used to suggest that Black people were cursed and were only fit to be slaves or servants.

Now a curse is defined as: ‘A solemn utterance to invoke a supernatural power to inflict harm or punishment on someone or something.’

Once the nobility of Europe saw that forced labour could greatly enhance their wealth, they used this text to justify the enslavement of African people as chattel. Whereas, the descendants of Canaan are still fighting the Israelites, in the land that was once Canaan, today!

If Ham represents Black people, Noah never cursed Black people! God never cursed Black people. Today you have the power to revoke any negative utterance that was spoken over you or your ancestors in the name of Jesus.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Restoration | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | June 3, 2013

as we understand that restoration starts with recognising where we are in the chain of authority

Before any process can begin, the individual must realise and come to terms with where they are. All of us are located in a particular time and set within a chainsparticular context. This determines what we believe and consequently how we behave. Our norms and our values are set by what our community decides. We then act accordingly. Being led by the prevailing culture causes us to have a distorted set of values, that is, distorted from the biblical model. When this is the case, the culture, these are the local customs and practices, sets our norms and values, which may be a million miles away from what the creator ordained. The challenge that faces us is this; how do we get back to what God intended? The first thing that needs to done is to re-establish a sense of order in our own personal lives.  This only occurs when we make Jesus lord of every area of our lives. We do this by repeating and believing the ‘lordship prayer’ (search Google for lordship prayer) . We must then come under authority. We need people to whom we are accountable. As can be seen by Jesus’ example, he categorically tells us throughout scripture, that he did nothing without first being sent to do it by his father. Therefore, we can see from this that Jesus is under authority and was commissioned, i.e. sent to do his ministry. He is accountable to his father and reports back often to him about what he has done. We must understand who we are and whom it was that called us to work for him. As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to recognise the authority that we have in Christ, but must be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to teach us how to become more and more like Jesus. To do this we need to submit to his authority and ensure that we have been baptised/filled and anointed by the Holy Spirit. Thus, the process of restoration can begin and we start this process by developing the characteristics of Jesus. See Galatians 5:22 to see what these characteristics are. Do you want to break the slavery mindset? If yes then start the rebuilding project! Read Galatians 5, Matt 12:22-32.

Leave a Comment

Posted in God's Order, Restoration | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | May 8, 2013

as we un-apologetically call for reparation!

The abolition of slavery in 1833 was a decisive point in the history of African Caribbean people. However, the slaver (British planters including the Broken ChainsChurch of England and their clergy) received the equivalent of £17 billion in compensation while the 700,000 slaves in the British colonies received a yard of land to exist on. This set the scene for the way the vast majority of ex-slaves and their descendants would live; hand to mouth, just eeking out an existence with no plan for the future.  

At the beginning of the 21st century, many former colonial territories, such as Ghana (1957), Jamaica (1962), Sierra Leone (1961), Barbados (1966), Guyana (1966), Trinidad and Tobago (1962) and so on, are celebrating 50 years since gaining independence from Britain.

As African and Caribbean people and Christians, we need to call for reparation from the British Government for all these ex-colonies. The writer of Proverbs tells us that ‘when the thief is caught, he must repay back seven times what he has stolen’ (Prob. 6:31). We have caught the thief; the ex-colonies need to celebrate its jubilee.

The biblical model is for reparation, so that we can rebuild the ancient ruins (Isaiah 61:4). The most devastating ruin is the nuclear family. We can only rebuild this if we can start with our young boys; teaching and training them to take responsibility, to become priest of their homes and to uphold tenets of manners and respect that this materialistic society abhors.

Today let us put our faith in action and join the chorus for full reparation for the African and Caribbean peoples.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Restoration | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | April 29, 2013

as we break free from mental slavery

On Saturday 27th April 2013, H.D.R Ministries delivered the first of many conferences on “Breaking Free from Mental slavery”.  At the conference, Broken Chainswe outlined the many ways in which slavery still affects us and continues to limit so many of us from the African Caribbean Diaspora and those Europeans whose families were directly involved in the slave trade. What was very poignant was a quote from Harriet Tubman, which stuck in our minds: “I freed a thousand slaves. I would have freed a thousand more; if only they knew they were slaves.” This knowing is at the heart of what we do. Our mission is to enable those who don’t know about the continued effects to understand and bring about transformation so that we can position ourselves for the Blessing that father God wants to pour on us.

As Christians, we must take these symptoms on board and deal with them. We cannot remain silent. We must act and act now!!

I would argue that there was something fundamentally evil about African enslavement. It took men and women made in the image of God, and through religion, science and philosophy, sought to reduce them to the level of animals. Therefore, while Black folks have valiantly fought against slavery and a range of prejudice over the last 200 years, there is still something quite negative in the psyche of too many of us, which says we are not good enough. I believe, only deliverance can reverse what I would describe as the ‘curse’ of slavery.

Deliverance is about setting people free from the mindset that dictates short-termism, working against each other (the crab in the barrel mentality), and procreating without taking responsibility for our children. It is the means of getting people to understand their cultural, spiritual and economic heritage. If we believe that the truth (the gospel of Jesus Christ) sets us free, we need to engage with our history, reassess our cultural practices and prepare to leave a lasting legacy to our descendants.

If you would like a copy of my first book, “Breaking the chains of mental slavery- practical tools to bring freedom to you and your descendants” priced at £8 please email or call. (H.D.R stands for Healing, Deliverance and Restoration).

Leave a Comment

Posted in Restoration | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | April 12, 2013

as we put all our hope and trust in God!

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life (Proverbs. 13:12 NIV). Hope is defined as ‘a feeling of expectation and a desire hopefor a particular thing to happen’ (Oxford online dictionary). Hope is an expectation of something; it is closely related to and tied with faith, which is; ‘the complete trust or belief in something or someone’. It follows then, that faith and hope are not only closely related they must work together. The writer of Hebrews tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). And that those who come to God must trust and believe explicitly in him. As we saw from the Joseph story, Joseph trusted God and hoped for better day. For Joseph, the process was a long and arduous one, which took about twenty years to complete. His heart must have been sick as he went from being the favourite of twelve sons, to being sold as a slave and left in a God forsaken prison accused of raping his employers wife. This did not deter his faith in God though and after two years of living in that desperate gaol, his opportunity came and his gift brought him before the most powerful man on the earth at the time, Pharaoh the king of Egypt.

What would have happen if he had lost hope and gave in to the pride of life and the lust of the eyes that the world craves for? What would have happened to God’s people if Joseph had succumbed to the advances of Mrs Potipher and went into her bed?

Moses declared that it is better to be ill-treated with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season (Heb. 11:25).

Since hope deferred makes the heart sick, today make your heart glad by hoping and trusting in a God who fulfils his promises. Read Psalm 42:5.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Restoration | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | April 8, 2013

as we develop the virtue of waiting for the change to come!

The recent inclement weather has given us an insight into one of the virtues we need to extol. Here we are waiting for spring to manifest itself, and all we Hope waiting for a better dayget is more of the same, cold, damp and generally unpleasant weather. When will it end, when will spring finally arrive? Scripture reminds us, that it is during these times of waiting that our character is honed and developed. The ability to wait and not to succumb to taking shortcuts is a virtue that will yield myriad benefits in the future. The Joseph story of the bible reminds us that God has a plan for our lives and that this plan will not be executed until we have had all the rough edges knocked off us; we have been sanded down and are ready to be polished. As a seventeen year old, Joseph had the gift to see into the future, but he lacked the maturity and the wisdom to implement his destiny then. He had to learn to wait on God and it is in that waiting period that his character was developed.

During the years he spent faithfully serving Potipher, he learned to be loyal, forthright and diligent paying attention to detail in running his masters house. He could have circumvented his destiny had he succumbed to the advances of Mrs Potipher, however he chose to honour God which subsequently landed him in prison for two years on the charge of rape. The question we all need to ask now, is ‘how could a person imprisoned for alleged rape, end up becoming the second most powerful man in that country?

Answer, he learned to wait for God. Although the winter season seems to be prolonged, and snow is still falling in April, the ability to know that summer will come, gives us hope. In waiting for God, we may be tempted to take short cuts, but take a leaf out of Joseph’s book and learn to wait until your change comes. Job did and he prospered. Can you? Read his story in Genesis 38.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Restoration | Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | March 21, 2013

What is you heritage and what will you be remembered for when you are gone?

One of the ravages of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and the enslavement of Africans as chattel was, the destruction of the family unit and the severing of looking backthe links with the past. Neuroscientists have proven that memory and particularly the ability to recall and reflect on the past, make an individual human. The disconnect from the past dictates that life is lived on a ‘day to day’ hand to mouth basis. This form of existence has massive impact on the individual and on their offsprings. What do I mean by this? The Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:4-6) tells us that, ‘the sins of the fathers will visit the children to the third and fourth generation.’ Therefore, if the father fails to plan for the viability of his children, then the children will also fail to plan and so the cycle will continue ad infinitum.  

Today we have a generation of people, particularly those of Caribbean heritage, who live for the ‘now’ and worry about tomorrow when it comes. In this season of ‘lent’ when people give up certain things and ‘the passion’, when Jesus  suffered, bled and died for fallen humanity, let us reflect ion the fact that long before Jesus came, God had planned it. Long before his cruel death on the cross, God knew about the impact of Easter Sunday. And so, today let us research and remember our past and thereby plan for our future. Read Matt 26:1-30.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Restoration | Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | February 27, 2013

as we call for reparation to rebuild the Diaspora community, one family as a time!

In surveying the book of Nehemiah and gleaning the nuggets from it, one thing is blatantly apparent. If we are unaware of where we are presently, we will never be able to get to where we need to be. Nehemiah faced many obstacles in his quest to rebuild the wall of his beloved city and secure its gates.

Who am I?

Who am I?

He faced much opposition, but he knew his roots and his family lineage.

For me today, I see my quest as rebuilding the walls broken down by the debilitating effects of structural racism, institutional classism and continued self-hatred among the dispersed Africans. The rebuilding process must start with the family unit. This unit includes and starts with father and mother. Sadly, many from the African Caribbean diaspora, have never been fathered or were ‘brought’ up by a single mother or a grandmother. The destruction of the family unit was a deliberate ploy by the slaver during the 300 years that the slave trade flourished in the Americas. Listen to what Frederick Douglas, an ex-slave said about slavery and life on the sugar, cotton and coffee plantations in the Americas, in 1855.

“Slavery does away with fathers, as it does away with families. Slavery has no use for either fathers or families, and its laws do not recognise their existence in the social arrangements of the plantations.” (Frederick Douglas, My bondage My Freedom, 1855).

How do we start the rebuilding process? By being in Christ first, then by being delivered by having our minds renewed. In Christ, there is neither Jews nor Greek, slave or free, male or female (Galatians 3:28ff), but in Britain, there is still structural evil to fight and reparations to be made to the descendants of enslaved Africans. See ! http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/britains-colonial-shame-slaveowners-given-huge-payouts-after-abolition-8508358.html

You must attend this seminar to break the chains and start the rebuilding process.

HDR Final Draft 2 (Feb 13 red)

 

Leave a Comment

Posted in Restoration | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: pastorapbell | February 21, 2013

as we ask, ‘Will we allow ourselves to become oaks of righteousness’?

Before Jesus started his public ministry, he opened the scripture in his local synagogue and read from the book of the prophet Isaiah. This is what he oak of righteousnessdeclared: ‘The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour’ (Luke 4:18ff). These words are pregnant with possibilities. The declaration clearly states that it is the ‘spirit of the Lord’ that empowers the individual to act. This was Jesus’ manifesto, which clearly details what he would be doing at this point in his ministry.

His first task is to bring ‘good news to the poor’. The good news we will later learn from the apostle Paul, is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes, (Rom 1:17). This is the gospel. His next agenda item is to proclaim release to those who are in captivity. Sadly, many people go into captivity because of their inability to listen and follow what God has instructed them to do. Although the gospel touches the spirit of an individual, if their minds are not renewed, they will act and behave in the same manner as they did before becoming a believer.

This is where many from the African Caribbean Diaspora are currently located. They have heard the good news, accepted Jesus as their Lord, but have not had their minds renewed. Therefore, many still get involved in practices, which are alien to the teachings of Jesus. In effect, they are still captive to certain practices, and fail to enjoy the Lord’s favour. Although many have heard the good news, they are still be bound and remain blind. Read Nehemiah 8.

Leave a Comment

Posted in Restoration | Tags: , , , , , ,

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories