WE’VE COME THIS FAR BY FAITH.
The one thing that couldn’t be enslaved - when Africans were brought over to America, and were separated from their families, homelands, culture, and past - was their FAITH. “...God’s word [which is “spirit” and dwelled within some of them]... was un]chained...” (1 Timothy 2:9 NIV). “…THE WORDS THAT I SPEAK unto you, they ARE SPIRIT…” (John 6:63 KJV) “…God is Spirit …” (John 4:24 KJV). “...[SOME of the Africans slave, themselves].... like fragile clay jars contain[ed] this great treasure [within them].... This makes it clear that [their]... great power is from God, not from [them]selves…” (2 Corinthians 4:5-7 NLT). Thus, “... the word of God (dwelling within some of the African slaves) [was un]bound...” (1 Timothy 2:9 KJV).
The white slave master had not SIMPLY bought to their country a SLAVE, but they had ALSO bought the SPIRIT of GOD that already DWELLED within some of them! God’s KINGDOM had come to AMERICA through the AFRICAN SLAVE. “...Thy kingdom come...” (Matthew 6:10 KJV).
A KINGDOM is a REALM or COMMUNITY of people in which a SOVEREIGNTY “RULES. The white slave master RULED the African body, but God, the Holy Spirit RULED the AFRICAN SOULS! Thus, “...the kingdom of God is within you (the KINGDOM of God dwelled within some of the African slaves)...” (Luke 17:21 KJV). “...his kingdom rules over all...” (Psalm 103:19 NLT). “...Thy kingdom come...” (Matthew 6:10 KJV). “...The Kingdom of God is near!...” (Mark 1:14-15 NLT). “...if I (Jesus, his powerful Word) with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you...” (Luke 11:20 KJV).
The African’s indwelling Spirit which had the power to produced spiritual FAITH could NOT be enslaved. The bible says: “...speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and SPIRITUAL SONGS, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord...” (Ephesians 5:19 NASB). Thus, it (“spiritual” FAITH produced by the indwelling Holy Spirit) EMPOWERED them to create thousands and thousands of spiritual songs UNIQUE to the AFRICAN AMERICAN, it provided a SECRET language for them to speak to each other in the way the bible said without the slave master’s understanding, and it “IS” and was an ORAL TRADITION they were able to PASS on to their descendants like a PRICELESS HEIRLOOM. “…God who does the [CONFIRMING] work IN and THROUGH all of us who are his. The HOLY SPIRIT [still] DISPLAYS God’s power THROUGH each of us … It is the …Holy Spirit who gives all these …. POWERS… (1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NLT). “…It is God who works in you…” (Philippians 2:13 NIV). “…The God of peace … that great Shepherd of the sheep … work[s] in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ…” (Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV). “…The God of peace … that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip[s] you with everything good for doing his will…” (Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV). INHERENT in God’s HOLY SPIRIT (in whomever that SPIRIT dwells) is power, authority, faith, and other [spiritual]... fruit. “… The fruit of the Spirit [produces] … love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance…” (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV). “…the Spirit of God dwell[s] in you [and dwelt in the African slave]…” (Romans 8:9 KJV).
BY FAITH some AFRICAN slaves produced spiritual songs UNIQUE to them. “...speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and SPIRITUAL SONGS, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord...” (Ephesians 5:19 NASB). BY FAITH they created a language UNIQUE to them. BY FAITH they passed on a PRICELESS HEIRLOOM, to their descendants, that was UNIQUE to the AFRICAN AMERICAN child of God. GOD’S SUPPLY OF FAITH is witnessed IN HEBREWS and PROVES what is can EMPOWER people to DO. People endowed with God’s SUPPLY OF FAITH, produced by the indwelling Holy Spirit, will DISPLAY HIS “working” POWER AND AUTHORITY through their UNIQUE ACTIONS. “..THE STORIES OF FAITH (PEOPLE WHO WERE EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT that produces the fruit of FAITH witnessed IN) ...Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. BY FAITH these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death….” (Hebrews 11:1-35 NLT).
NONEtheLESS and unfortunately, when slavery was ABOLISHED in 1865 many AFRICAN AMERICANS began to ABOLISHED their UNIQUE FAITH distancing themselves from it to the point it has become a MEMORY, or part of the ARCHIVES of slavery, or simply activities from past HISTORICAL EVENTS.
For instance, the SPIRITUALS SONGS (also called negro folksongs, plantation songs, slave songs, etc.,) derived from the African American, with its UNIQUE quality. It COULD NOT be adequately WRITTEN DOWN, reproduced, or stolen, because the SPIRITUAL SONGS’ un-duplicable intonations, special rhythms, call and response styles, soulful movements, and improvisations COULD NOT be easily copied, written, stolen, or performed in the SAME UNIQUE way by others who were NOT a part of that EXPERIENCE, even to this day.
They were CALLED “Christians” because they WITNESSED that Jesus Christ was their LEADER or the ONE they followed. The songs of the AFRICAN SLAVES were CALLED “spirituals” because it WITNESSED that God’s SPIRIT dwelled with them and it was HIS SPIRIT that was being DISPLAYED “through” them.“...And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers of people; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch...” (Acts 11:25-26).
SPIRITUALS were and are the EVIDENCE that AFRICAN AMERICANS developed their OWN national, “distinguished” MUSIC, which MANY have readily FORSAKENED and ABANDONED simply because of their ORIGINS. “...speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and SPIRITUAL SONGS, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord...” (Ephesians 5:19 NASB).
The SAME with the AFRICAN FAITH they bought with them to America and inspired them to ADOPT and BRIDGE biblical TRUTHS that began to FUEL, EMPOWER, and STRENGTHEN their TRUST, DEPENDENCY, HOPE, and BELIEVE in the God, the Holy Spirit again, who they ALREADY knew, in deeply PERSONAL and LIFE-CHANGING WAYS.
The SAME bible the slave masters attempted to USE to enslave and KEEP enslaved the African people, was the same bible that “amazingly” revealed biblical TRUTHS that SET THEM FREE!
Thus, THEIR FAITH, produced and empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, HELPED them DEAL with the oppression of SLAVERY, THEIR FAITH was an ANCHOR for the African American protestor during the civil rights era, THEIR FAITH was the UNIFYING call to ALL DEMONSTRATORS who STOOD against the laws and policies that intended on KEEPING them from equal rights, and THEIR FAITH HELPED them tap into God, the Holy Spirit again, whom they ALREADY knew as their SOURCE, their HEALER, their DELIVERER, and their SOVEREIGN ruler of EVERYTHING!
The AFRICAN AMERICAN example of FAITH and SPIRITUAL SONGS reveals, to their descendants even in the 21st century, what it was that INSPIRED them to HOPE and FIGHT regardless of their situations and circumstances. They said, in word and song, NUMEROUS times: WE’VE COME THIS FAR BY FAITH!
African Americans are QUICK to throw AWAY their HEIRLOOMS and TREASURES, such as FAITH and SPIRITUAL songs as if they do NOT express or demonstrate a RICH heritage like any other cultural group. Standing upon the SHOULDERS of the ancestors means their EFFORTS, whatever they were; whether you agree with them or not; whether you believe in them are not, WERE nonetheless, the STEPPING STONES in which, their descendants, have been ABLE to GO FARTHER toward FREEDOM and SUCCESS than they DID. Their descendants, whether they acknowledge it or not, have come THIS FAR, by THEIR ANCESTORS’ FAITH!
I can HEAR an UNIFYING CALL, from the ancestors PAST, telling their descendants, STAND against unjust LAWS and POLICIES by STANDING by FAITH too and with SPIRIUAL SONGS that will strengthen you as YOU, like they did THEM. They are telling their descendants to continue to trust and depend upon God to bring about equal rights for ALL PEOPLE! We have MORE SPIRITUAL knowledge and resources than THEY DID, but the SAME GOD that HELPED them will HELP protestors NOW. God does NOT CHANGE. He is the SAME GOD yesterday, today, and ALWAYS!
This is NOT just an AFRICAN AMERICAN heritage, but it is the HERITAGE of the whole CHRISTIAN NATION. God’s people are NOT overcome by EVIL, but are TOLD, through God’s Word, to OVERCOME evil with GOOD. God is GOOD, which means they OVERCOME ALL this EVIL through God, the Holy Spirit.
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