Slave Trade

Slave Trade

White men have ruled over black men, buying and selling them as slaves. This has finally been banned. Likewise there is also something that is called white slave trade. Young girls are deceived, ensnared, and sent to Utah. The authorities are also working against this shameful traffic.

There is also a third kind of slave trade which can fittingly be called religious slave trade.

Godliness is considered a means of gain. 1 Tim. 6:5. Paul and Timothy say, “For we are not, as so many, peddling [perverting] the word of God . . . .” 2 Cor. 2:17. In the Danish Bible translation it is written, “Those who do business with the word of God.”

The merchandise is the Word of God. They pervert it. They sell it at a lower price, at a sales price, at a bargain. Or if you will, they sell salvation. They get many customers by selling it at bargain prices. Then the result is what every businessman says and understands: volume is what counts.

Many years ago, one of the leaders of God’s people so characteristically said: “Yes, this is certainly true, but you won’t gather many people in that way.” True enough. There will be fewer people, and in that way it will be (humanly speaking but not spiritually speaking) bad business. This is how the many acted in Paul’s days, and this is how the many act in these days. It is this business attitude, which the Scriptures so disdainfully call dishonest gain, which they have in mind, and not the salvation of souls.

The growth of this business stands and falls on the number of customers and their ability to pay. Therefore it is vital for such shepherds, leaders, and evangelists to capture the rich together with the large masses, for many small streams make a large river. And once you have captured them it is important to bind them so carefully that you have good reason to hope that you will keep them for life.

They are engaged in a religious slave trade. Directly contradicting the words of Scripture, they are registered with pen and ink. 2 Cor. 3:1-3. They say that it is absolutely necessary (to break God’s Word) for the sake of order. But this is simply (even utterly) nonsense! And then of course you are not to forsake your own assembly, which is a completely misleading interpretation of “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” Heb. 10:25. The one thing that this word absolutely cannot mean is that you should not cancel your membership in the State Church or in a sect in which you are registered, because there weren’t any of them when these words were written!

They say you should be faithful and remain where your home is. Of course! They like to have customers! Your home is definitely not in any such faction, dear soul! You belong together with all the upright, with all those who do not make a business out of God’s Word.

If you leave the “church” in which you are registered, to them it is as if you had forsaken God! If members go to another place and hear God’s Word in truth, the truth that benefits them and is a joy to them, it often happens that such people are threatened with expulsion. People have become so enslaved to other people (1 Cor. 7:23), sold, gagged, and bound, that they are intimidated and give in! This is a great shame and a disgrace! This is an old practice among enemies of the truth, among bad shepherds. See 3 John 9 and 10.

They even require people who are on their knees praying to God to promise that they will never set foot in certain meetings, meetings in which they were strengthened in faith. I wonder if this might even punishable according to the Civil Penal code! Even it safeguards people’s personal liberty! And how much more does God’s Word?

“You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.” 1 Cor. 7:23. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” 2 Cor. 3:17.

In such assemblies, which resemble bird cages more than they resemble the churches of the living God, there is absolutely no liberty. In the beginning, the Pentecostal Movement founded free assemblies, but they went over to being “churches” long ago, and they continue to do that more and more. They are like State churches even if their rituals are somewhat different. How unspeakably far away they are from this: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” And from this: “Whenever you come together, each of you has [something with which to serve] . . . .” 1 Cor. 14:26. On the contrary, whenever you come together, you are going to hear a speech by this or that pastor, or from among these or those pastors, and then you are permitted to shout “Amen” and “Hallelujah” and put something in the collection.

Recently such a member looked into a new book which he thought looked alright and which he might like to read. But he did not dare to; imagine if the leader saw it! Wretched slaves! Wretched birds that have been caught! And there are so many of them! But we have a joyful message to proclaim to them: “Say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it [the wall] will fall!” Ezek. 13:11. The walls of factions will soon fall! Even if they remain standing for all those who are not upright, they will fall in truth and in spirit for all those who are upright. And they are the ones in whom God and we are interested.

“Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I am against your magic charms by which you hunt souls there like birds. I will tear them from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds. I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezek. 13:20-21. What a blessed message that is! Proclaim it everywhere, brothers! By God’s true grace we will soon be gathered with all our true fellow brothers, those who are currently caught and bound in the various factions; those who have been caught, who have been deceived so that they do not know us who are their true and upright fellow brethren!

This has gone on long enough! The time of redemption is near! Hallelujah! The Lord Himself will open the cages for all the upright. This will not be the first time that He has opened the prison doors!

You who are an upright soul behind all those prison bars and walls; get ready, write a farewell song, and you will be welcomed among the flock of disciples here outside the camp!

When you come, we will sing #256 in Ways of the Lord. When you have come out of the cage, you can sit wherever you want and sing your song of praise. If you want to sit at the top of a high tree, you can do that, and if you want to sit on top of the cage and sing, you can do that! If only you are not so used to being imprisoned that you long to return to the cage! Sincere greetings to you behind the wall from one of the blessed ones outside the denominational walls.