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Acts 10:38 ‘How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’
DAILY READING; •Hebrews 11:1-22; Exodus 13:1-14:31; Proverbs 5
Dr. David Livingstone made some of the most prodigious, and most dangerous, explorations of the African continent, travelling through lands which no white men had ever set foot on.
During his explorations he witnessed the evil of the slave trade. His book, ‘Narrative of an Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries’ (1865) is full of pathetic stories of Africans being captured by Arab and Portuguese slave traders and driven in chains to be sold in the slave market.
Dr. David Livingstone was appalled by these atrocities. He fought hard against the slave trade as he pursued his aim to open a missionary Road or ‘God’s Highway,’ through which the Gospel could gain access to the African hinterlands.
During his expeditions, he often saw the bodies of slaves floating in the river, as many of the slaves perished on the way from floggings, starvation, and broken-heartedness.
He wrote “Wherever we walk, human skeletons are seen in every direction.’
Villages which were once full of people, living vibrant lives, were turned by slave traders into deserts literally strewn with human bones.
The Zanzibar slave market was where slaves were brought from different regions and sold in great numbers.
One day Dr. David Livingstone suddenly came upon a long line of men, women, and children, chained to one another, with cruel slave-sticks fastened around the necks of the men. Slave drivers, carrying muskets, swaggered along beating the captives with whips to make them go faster. But when the slave traders saw Livingstone, a white man, they became afraid and fled into the forest. With great rejoicing, he cut the bonds of these men, women and children. These people, who were eighty-four in number were not only freed from physical slavery, David Livingstone, also led them to Christ, freeing them from spiritual slavery. These people became the first-fruits of a great harvest for Christianity in that section of Africa.
Livingstone’s fight against the slave trade, eventually led to the abolition of slavery on 5 June 1883. Not many years after his death, a beautiful Church would be erected on the very site of the Zanzibar slave market.
Dr. Livingstone’s life and great accomplishments remains a wonder even to the present generation. However, the secret of his success was drawing strength from Jesus’ promise in Mathew 28 ‘Lo I am with you until the end of time.’
The assurance of God’s Presence made him to see the invisible and do the impossible.
In the same way, it was the Presence of God that made Moses to do the impossible by daring Pharaoh and leading the Israelites out of bondage.
Speaking of Moses, Hebrews 11:27 said ‘ for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.’
Awareness of God’s invisible Presence is our greatest asset as we obey the great commission to go into the world and preach the Gospel, setting captives free.
While we may be appalled by the evil of the transatlantic slave trade, spiritually, many people are bound in slavery by the enemy in all sorts of bondages, afflictions and oppressions.
As believers, we were once held in this spiritual slavery, until through His Blood, Christ delivered us and ordained us unto a glorious new life!
It is unimaginable what life would have been like, if Jesus has not paid the price to redeem us.
Having been set free, Christ has called us today into the ministry of reconciliation to go and tell the world the Good News of redemption.
To succeed in this assignment, we certainly need God’s Presence to be with us.
It was God’s Presence with Jesus that led to the mighty signs and wonders in His earthly ministry.
Acts 10:38, said ‘Jesus went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.’.
Likewise, when we carry God’s Presence, our lives will be a wonder to many as we continually manifest amazing miracles, signs and wonders.
However, for God to be with us, we have to do the things that please Him.
In John 8:29, Jesus said ‘And He that sent Me, is with Me, The Father had not left Me alone, for I do always those things that please Him.’
One of the key things that please God is when we walk in fear and reverence of His Word. As we live a life that pleases Him, God delights in turning us into living examples of His goodness and a wonder to our generation.
PRAYER: Lord, By the Blood of Jesus, I receive the grace to always do those things that please You. As I do, I thank You for causing me to experience the blessings of greatness You have ordained for me in Jesus Name.
QUOTE :
You will never need more than God to experience the impossible in life. WORDBITE 222.