Two Young Men Sell Themselves Into Slavery to Win the Lost!

Two Young Moravians Sell Selves Into Slavery to Win the Lost!!

Two young Moravian men in their early twenties became heavily burdened for the souls of Africans being sold into slavery. After approaching a West Indies plantation owner for permission to set up a mission outreach at his plantation, they were sorely disappointed.  The plantation owner wanted nothing to do with Christianity and he strictly forbade any attempt to evangelize his slaves.  So determined were they to reach the lost, the two young Moravians sold themselves into slavery and went to the dock to be shipped with new slaves to the planation.  What a passion for lost souls that they were willing to pay the ultimate price!  They counted their lives as nothing for the sake of the Master.  What price are we willing to pay to reach lost humanity?

A Prophetic Word for the African American Believer

A Prophetic Word for the African American Believer

by Michael Edds

A few years ago while living near the beautiful mountain village of Summersville, West Virginia, I had a most extraordinary dream. The dream was divided into four parts. In the first part, I was leaving my position as the Headmaster of a private school. Secondly, one of my teachers was elevated to my former position. Thirdly, the board chairman who had lived in the community all of her life was moving away. In the fourth part of the dream, I was preaching to a large African American church on the subject, "You Have Settled on the Other Side of the Jordan." 

In the dream, this great Black church had accomplished much and possessed a great national ministry. However, the Lord said that they had not reached the fulfillment of their divine destiny. As I preached, the powerful presence of the Lord descended in that mighty church. He began to give revelation and direction concerning the immense destiny that He had planned for them. The church exploded in worship and praise. I awakened from the dream.

The first three parts of the dream happened within a few months. I resigned from my position, the teacher I saw in the dream became the interim Head of School, and the board chairman and her husband sold their family business and left town. However, the fourth part of the dream did not immediately happen. In fact, I did not understand this portion of the dream. Five years passed as I continually pondered the dream in my heart.

Not long ago, I was invited to conduct a grant writing workshop and preach at a large African American church in Chicago. I still did not understand the meaning of the message, "You Have Settled On the Other Side of the Jordan" but the Lord directed me to preach this message. As I studied the Word, the incredible prophetic meaning of the message in the dream was revealed.

Two and a half tribes of the Israelites found the rich farm and grazing lands to the east of the Jordan River to their liking. The tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of the large tribe of Manasseh decided to settle on the "other side" of the Jordan and thus not cross over into the promised land. Moses and Joshua had given them permission to do so but with one major requirement, their warriors must led the battle in taking the Promised Land. Joshua chapter 3 records the miraculous parting of the flooded Jordan. The priests led the procession on a dry, divine path made through the flood waters. True to their agreement, 40,000 warriors of the two and a half tribes took the lead in the battle. Their divine destiny was to assume the reigns of leadership in battle and bring the rest of the tribes into their promised destinies and lands. What a great mantle of ministry was laid upon Gad, Reuben and half of Manasseh!

The Lord began to reveal the divine destiny that He has for HIS African American people. I was given an article written by Susan Castell which stunned me. The prophetic word given to her concerning African American believers was identical to what the Lord was revealing to me. She wrote: " You have come to this land for such a time as this. It is now time to lay aside the weight of racial hatred and the sin of unforgiveness which so readily clings to and entangles you. It is now time to forget what lies behind and to reach forth to what lies ahead. It is now time to arise and seek Me for the fulfillment of your divine destiny.

Just as the survival of ancient Egypt and Israel rested on the shoulders of Joseph (a man sold into slavery by his brothers and carried away to a foreign land), so does the very survival of this great nation of America rest upon you. It is now time to embrace My plan and to allow Me to birth within you the heart and the attitude of Joseph who was able to forgive his brothers and those who had enslaved and imprisoned him. It is now time to embrace the cross of My Son and become a great blessing in the land of your captivity.

Even as man has seemingly succeeded in humbling you to the very lowest of places, so will I exalt you to the very highest place, even to the very throne of My Glory. As you humble yourselves under My mighty hand and allow the mind and heart of Christ to be formed in you, you will experience supernatural healing and deliverance from the many and deep wounds inflicted by those who have degraded, despised and humiliated you. As you identify with My Son and you begin to cry out: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do", you will enter into a new dimension of My Grace and Glory, and you will receive the revelation of Jesus Christ and His Resurrection power which your hearts have been hungering for.

It is now time to understand that all history, including Black History, is HIS STORY. It is now time to lift up your eyes above man's agenda and catch the vision of My agenda. It is now time to declare with Joseph: "As for you, you thought evil against me, but G-d meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive..." (Gen. 50:20)

Arise my people, my Joseph company, whom I have brought from afar and planted in this land for such a time as this. Look unto Me and I will unveil the meaning of your history. Look unto Me and I will reveal the mystery of your many and long sufferings. I am the L-rd your G-d, and besides Me, there is no other. Look unto Me and be healed of the wounds of your captivity. Look unto Me and I will make you free to be my instruments of healing and deliverance in this land of your divine destiny."

The fullness of the prophetic meaning of the message, "Settling on the Other Side of the Jordan," came into full focus. The Great Awakening that is soon to burst upon this world as a final witness will be led by a "Joseph Company" that God has been preparing for a long time. This Awakening will bring God's holy remnant together as a Bride without spot or wrinkle. Divisions, separations, and walls will collapse as the Church comes together to fulfill her final destiny. Each tribe that composes the Church has a promised destiny, a specific divine mission to fulfill. Leading the way to bring all tribes of believers into that fulfillment will be the African American believer. Just like Gad, Reuben and Manasseh, a mantle of leadership will rest upon them. God is an excellent bookkeeper. All of the weary years and long generations of blood, sweat, tears, unpaid slave wages and rejection WILL BE PAID IN FULL! It will not come from the White House, the Supreme Court or from Congress. It will come from the hand of the mighty God! Just like Joseph, they will be suddenly ushered from obscurity to the fullness of divinely appointed leadership. What man meant for evil, God will turn into good for the saving of many lives. The mantle of leadership will be laid upon them by a divine Hand. They will lead the rest of us into our appointed destinies. I believe that the Holy Spirit is stirring within them now. Divine gifts within that have been given for this prophetic hour are now being activated and released. Understanding of the long night of their suffering is being revealed to them. The heart of Joseph is reaching perfection within them. God calls them to fulfill their destiny. The Jordan has parted before them. They lead the way for the rest of the Body of Christ to follow. Pay day has finally come!

The final part of the dream came to pass as I preached that message that Sunday morning in Chicago. Walking behind the pulpit that morning, the anointing of the Lord fell and the message thundered out.  The audience heard God's prophetic word spoken that day.  The Holy Spirit rained down!

Isn't it incredibly ironic that God would reveal and speak this message through a white man, a descendant of slave owners from the South? Isaiah 60:10 states, "The sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you. All who despised you will bow at your feet." God fulfilled the words of the prophet on the day I preached the message, "You Have Settled on the Other Side of the Jordan." May God soon fulfill His prophetic word to these divinely called leaders of the Coming Great Awakening.

"O Africa, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not plead thy cause, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth." - Lyman Beecher

The Josephs Will Arise

 

"Enrolled in the School of Dung"

by Michael Edds 

There is a special remnant of believers whom I call the "Joseph Generation." They are a divinely appointed people that God has been preparing for a specific time of ministry. Like Joseph, God has placed within them a "life plan" or specific destiny or calling to fulfill in life. They have divine gifting within them to fulfill that life plan. Paraphrasing Psalms 139:1, the Scripture states: "All the days planned for me were written in Your book before any came to be." Ephesians 4:8 records these words, "When He ascended on high He gave gifts (His abilities) to men and women." The heart of God is recorded in the words of Matthew 9:36, "When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them because they were weary, scattered like sheep having no shepherd." GOD CARES ABOUT PEOPLE. That is His nature. His compassion always leads to action.

JOSEPH....

God looked down through the ages of time and saw a day and time that would bring starvation on the world and upon His people. In His compassion, God prepared a plan and a man in advance to meet that critical situation. He placed that plan along with the divine abilities to fulfill that plan in the soul and life of a man called Joseph. Jeremiah 1:5 states, "Before you were born, I knew you and set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. You must go everywhere I send you and say whatsoever I command you."

Joseph, like the Joseph Generation today was born by the will of God, not by the will of the flesh. Joseph was born with a life plan and abilities from God. Did he know the fullness of that life plan? No, he did not. He knew that he had administrative abilities, gifts and special insights. His destiny and life plan called to him through dreams, an inward sense of purpose and through circumstances. Did Joseph immediately step into his life plan and destiny? NO, he did not. He was enrolled in the "SCHOOL OF DUNG." Psalms 105: 16-22 describes that schooling. He was rejected and hated by his own brothers, sold into slavery, he was laid in irons and chains, his feet were hurt with fetters, he was falsely accused, innocently sent to prison, and the word of the Lord tried him severely. His destiny which called to him and life's situations were horribly in conflict. Life had gone to "hell in a handbasket." Thoughts raged through Joseph's mind and soul: "God, you promised me wonderful things. What I am going through is the total opposite of what You revealed to me long ago. Why am I suffering rejection, false accusation, hatred and abuse? Where are You in all of this, Lord? Have you forsaken me? Were all those things just a mere dream, a fantasy of my mind? Why does this inward sense of destiny still call me when it looks impossible for any good to come to me?" THE WORD OF THE LORD TRIED Joseph!

When creating a vessel for special purpose or honor, a wise potter follows a certain procedure. There is a plan and destiny for the lump of clay in the potter's hands. The clay is pounded, pressed and pressure placed upon it to make it pliable. It is placed upon the potter's wheel and pressure applied to start molding it into shape. When the desired shape is achieved, the potter places his creation into the kiln for intense heat to be applied to harden it.

After cooling, stain is applied to this hardened pot. It is fired again to make sure the stain and colors are permanent. The pot is beautiful and ready for use, right? NO! The wise potter wants his creation to be completely ready for its intended purpose. He places it on a shelf in a dark, lonely place to age. When the time is right, he takes the pot out of the darkness and brings it into the light for use. Otherwise, an unprepared vessel could break and spoil the contents it carries.

The Word of the Lord tried Joseph. "Has God forgotten me? Has He abandoned me? Have I missed it somewhere?" Like the potter, God allowed Joseph to go through the "dung of life," the pressures, the heat, the staining and the lonely darkness in order to prepare him for the destiny which had called to him all of his life. God had not forgotten nor abandoned him. God heard Joseph's many prayers, laments, and cries of desperation. He felt the hurts and anguish of this man of destiny. Many times He would have wanted to and could have intervened to deliver Joseph. However, He tied His own Hands and refused to deliver Joseph out of ultimate love for him. He knew that if He took Joseph out of the "school of dung," that intervention would destroy the divine destiny God had prepared for him. It would destroy the process of making Joseph into a vessel of honor and use. The Word of the Lord tried Joseph until the day that His word came to pass. That word was, "the king has need of thee." Joseph's prison door was opened, his garments changed, and he was ushered into the presence of Pharaoh. He went from prison to position in ONE HOUR!

His destiny had arrived! All of the dung and hardships that Joseph had gone through suddenly made sense. People had meant those things for evil BUT GOD HAD MEANT IT FOR GOOD, FOR THE SAVING OF MANY LIVES. Joseph was completely ready and prepared for the destiny for which he was created. He never failed nor dropped the ball. He successfully fulfilled the plan of God.

A special generation now exists that has felt throughout their lives an inward sense of destiny and purpose. That destiny has called to them every day of their lives. That divine destiny has called to them through dreams, visions, an inward desire or passion, and through circumstances. However, like Joseph, they have been enrolled in the "school of dung." They have unjustly suffered rejection, jealousy, hatred, been forgotten, falsely accused, and have been misunderstood. Their pure motives have been suspect. Their love has been not been reciprocated. They have felt imprisoned on an island of loneliness and rejection. Life has not been kind nor gentle to them. The Word of the Lord has severely tried them. Their divine destiny or life plan has been in conflict with the situations in which they find themselves. Their prayers seem to bounce off a heaven made of brass. They feel that they have been placed on a dark, lonely, dusty shelf. Purpose has evaporated. They have even cried out to God to "just take me on home." Where is God in all of this?

Out of infinite love, God has allowed this generation, this Joseph Generation, to endure this school of dung. He has refused to intervene until they had been prepared and perfected for the destiny to which He has called them. He is creating a generation that will be "selfless" rather than "selfish." Like Joseph, they will graduate from the school of dung as vessels of honor. They will not fail nor drop the ball. They will be totally prepared to fulfill the destiny to which God has called them. They have been prepared for a day and an hour of great ministry. They will be ushered from prison to position suddenly. The time has come for the "Master Potter" to walk into that dark lonely room. He will stretch forth His Hand onto that dusty shelf and pick up the vessel that has endured the long night of solitary isolation. Gently, His Hand will wipe away the dust and bring forth that special vessel. The words will be spoken, "The King has need of thee." The time of preparation will have ended. Destiny will have come! The long endured hardships will suddenly make sense. Joy will overtake them. The life plan and gifting will be activated.

The Joseph Generation is a secret weapon that God has prepared in the school of dung, in the darkness, in the isolation for such a time as this. They are about to be suddenly unleashed upon the kingdom of darkness. God has prepared them to meet the great needs of this present generation. They will have the Master Potter's image upon them. They will have the forgiving heart of Joseph who said, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good to the saving of many lives." They will be a selfless people who will give the glory to God. They will not fail. So, Joseph Generation, take heart. Your bitter night is about to end. It is sunrise not sunset. Joy comes in the morning! Even now, the door is being unlocked and opened. Listen for the words, "the King has need of thee." God has not forgotten you! Yes, He has seen your tears and heard your cries. He is opening a door which NO MAN can open or shut. ... Josephs take courage! THE KING HAS NEED OF THEE!

Amanda Berry Smith, God's Image in Ebony

Many heroes and heroines of the Christian Faith have been forgotten by the church today. Amanda Berry Smith, one of those heroines, rose above slavery, poverty, prejudice, loss and impossibilities to mightily impact three continents for God. 

Amanda Berry Smith was born as a slave in Long Green, Maryland near Baltimore in 1837. She was the oldest of thirteen children. To save her from being sold away from her family, her father worked many long late hours to buy her freedom. Amanda's life was marked by loss and tragedy. Amanda's first husband died during the Civil War, while serving in an African American military unit. She lost her second husband and all of her children except one to death. To survive, Amanda worked long hours into the night washing and ironing clothes. She had a passion to truly know God. She locked herself in her basement and told those close to her to not open the door. She was determined to know God or die. She came out of that basement shouting and with her heart's desire. Amanda had little education, however God blessed her with an incredible singing voice and a powerfully anointed preaching ability. She became well known in camp meetings throughout the nation. They called her "the Singing Pilgrim" and "God's Image Carved in Ebony." During her early thirties, Amanda began in preaching in the New York City area, receiving inspiration at a local African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. She became a charter member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union in 1875, and was associated with the African American Women's Clubs. Before 1880, Amanda embarked on a twelve-year missionary trip through Europe, Asia, and Africa. Her faith was incredible. She went to the port in New York with her bags packed to leave for England as God had directed her. However, she had no money for the fare. As she stood there, a white Christian brother recognized her. He walked up to her and told her that God had directed him to give her something. He placed into her hands the exact amount needed for the passage to England! She had told no one but God of her need!! She spent eight years in Liberia and West Africa, establishing churches and temperance societies. She awed the nobility and populace of Great Britain with her incredible singing and powerful preaching. In India, she stopped a vicious mob attack by Hindus on Christian missionaries by dropping to her knees in the midst of the riot, lifting up her hands toward heaven and praying. The mob instantly became silent, dropped their clubs and weapons and left. She moved to Chicago in the late 1890's. Amanda raised a large amount of funds to open one of the first orphan homes for African American children in America. During this time, Harvey, Illinois, was being developed and marketed by business friends of Dwight L. Moody as a community with high moral, religious, and temperance character. Smith's purchased property there in 1895. Her orphan's home opened in Harvey in 1899 and has the great honor of being Illinois' first orphanage for African American children. Her ability to raise the necessary finances permitted the school and home to operate without government funding. Amanda died in Florida in 1915. Christian businessmen and leaders had her body transported by train back to Chicago. One of the largest gatherings for a funeral in Chicago's history was when the masses gathered to meet the arrival of her body back to Chicago. What an incredible life she lived!! She rose from slavery, poverty, rejection, loss, sorrow, hunger and loneliness to shake America, Great Britain, Liberia, and India for God. She was buried in Harvey, Illinois. The great mantle of ministry that she carried was not buried with her. It was only placed on hold until a generation would be born that could relate to and pick up that mantle of ministry. That generation now exists today. That mantle is about to be picked up and placed upon chosen servants of God today to finish what Amanda started long ago!!!