Just a few days ago, I was engaged in a Christian training group session of young black youth, 18 to 22 when one young brother with sagging pants said these words that sent chills all throughout me and sparked me to share this thought with you here on The Black Preaching Network.. The young brother said: “Why should I learn about God and Christianity because it's a White Man's Religion!”

This thinking, opened my eyes and started me to consider, this may well be one good reason why some of our children, our youth are acting the way they do, turning it up with defiling their bodies with degrading tattoo’s, speeding in cars, drinking, drugging, robbing, killing, and disrespecting our women and the older folks like there’s no tomorrow. The lost children of Israel truly came to mind when he said that.

We as Preachers, Deacons, Deaconess, Trustees, Teachers, Mothers, Ushers and saved members of the church have fell to tell this, our story, share our great black history as a people because too many of us have decided that it makes no difference what color the people in the Bible are. Our children are shouting out at us that we have no accurate knowledge of our black history, we are looking for our black Identity in the church but don’t see it here. The young brother went on to say: “Why else would we pattern ourselves after a jail house sissy?” He also said that we are in protest and felt that he have been lied to and has no place when it comes to my Grandmother’s religion.

I stood up to thank him for his honesty and I also said to him: “Christianity by no means is a white man’s religion,” this is not the truth because we are children of God and part of “The Greatest Story That Was Ever Told” and we can, we must put an end to this myth. So, I directed him to follow me and together we went to the King James Version of the Bible and we focused on The Book of Genesis 10.

 

Before we go to Genesis 10, I would like to also share this thought with you. I have also found some of us God fearing men and women in my long walk to Jesus Christ have said to me: that it makes no difference what color the main characters of the Bible are and I say to them, that it made a difference to someone! They have spent tens of billions of dollars over many years so, this image of his kind can be seen by millions of people around the world, year in and year out for ever. Just last week there was a controversy on FOX News about the color of Santa Clause and Jesus Christ Saying Jesus is a white men too.  Click Here to View Controversy.   

Many of our people today get their main images of the leading figures of the Bible from Hollywood, TV, magazines and from pictures which depicts them as the real people of the Bible. Now! Whose image is in your, mind?


Let us break out our swords and go to (The King James Version of the Bible KJV) and read with me as we focus our attention on The Book of Genesis, Chapter 10

King James Version (KJV)

1 Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.

# now at this point, everyone here on this planet belongs to one of these bloodlines.

The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.

And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.

By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

#What! “By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands.”  All this time I have been reading this, and now I find this here in plain sight as I read it again with understanding!  Noah’s third son "Japheth" is the Father of the Caucasian race who is the GENTILES. Let’s read on.

 

And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.

#Ham is the Father of The Black Race. Let’s go head and read together.

And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtechah: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.

And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.

He was a mighty hunter before the Lord: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the Lord.

10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

#The Tower of Babel is a powerful story.

11 Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,

12 And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.

13 And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,

14 And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.

# I remember the story of David and Goliath, the story about giants from the philistines and David was a smaller framed and younger man from Israel that slew the giant, did I get this right? What image popped in your mind of these two people?

 Now there is good evidence from the scriptures we just read that the giant came from a Black nation and also David coming from a Black nation, The giant came from Philistine and David came from Israel all of which was settled and was the homeland of the children of Ham, Cush.

15 And Canaan begat Sidon his first born, and Heth,

16 And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,

17 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,

18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.

19 And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.

#Canaanites are from the land of Canaan which today is Israel and the Gaza strip is a city in Israel as well.  I believe this is the first time that Sodom and Gomorrah was mentioned in the Bible and the people in these two cities did not listen to God and was destroyed by God much later in the timeline.  But these two people were also the children of Ham.

20 These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations

 

#Now, I’m in the full reading mode, I cross referenced the Book of Genesis Chapter 10 with the New International Version of the Bible and here’s what I discovered. Let’s go to the New International Version (NIV) for more understanding.

 

The Table of Nations

This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.

The Japhethites

The sons[a] of Japheth:

Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshek and Tiras.

The sons of Gomer:

Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.

The sons of Javan:

Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittites and the Rodanites.[b] (From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.)

The Hamites

The sons of Ham: Cush, Egypt, Put and Canaan.

# It’s all coming into focus about who is Egypt.

The sons of Cush: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabteka. The sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan.

 Cush was the father[c] of Nimrod, who became a mighty warrior on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; that is why it is said, “Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord.” 10 The first centers of his kingdom were Babylon, Uruk, Akkad and Kalneh, in[d] Shinar.[e] 11 From that land he went to Assyria, where he built Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir,[f] Calah 12 and Resen, which is between Nineveh and Calah—which is the great city.

13 Egypt was the father of

the Ludites, Anamites, Lehabites, Naphtuhites, 14 Pathrusites, Kasluhites (from whom the Philistines came) and Caphtorites.

15 Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn,[g] and of the Hittites,

16 Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, 17 Hivites, Arkites, Sinites, 18 Arvadites, Zemarites and Hamathites.

Later the Canaanite clans scattered 19 and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, as far as Lasha.

20 These are the sons of Ham by their clans and languages, in their territories and nations.

#Remember when I made reference to Egypt, according to scripture, these are the children’s of Ham, these are the people who mapped the stars in the sky, who taught geometry in universities before the Romans and the Greeks came to be a nation, who built the Great pyramid’s, who notice the seasons in the year, year after year as a result, who made the 365 day calendar and mapped out what is true north, and recognized that the world was round way before Columbus was even born. These are, our people who believed in one God and the resurrection before the whitewashing of who we are as a people.

As part of Black History Month, we tend to focus our attention as a people on slavery as a starting point in our nation’s public schools but seldom explore the practicalities of the power of Gods promise to his people. That’s where the Black church comes in. We as leaders in our communities, can broaden our education and the education of our children and by doing this we can make sure that our children’s, children and beyond can know  of the Great history we have in the Bible and not be ashamed that God was talking to us as a people. Just this point alone speaks volumes to who’s we are as a people and if that’s not enough evidence for you, the bible is full of such passages that are waiting to reveal its secrets unto you.  

I’m weary of the great ignorance our youth and many adults who call Christianity a white man’s religion, simply because they have been blinded from the truth by-way of Hollywood, TV, Pictures when the story is sitting right in front of you in the Bible. Those of us who know the truth, should come together to help the loss to pick up that Bible and read it so, together we can deliver the many passages with a greater understanding. I know for a fact those words would not come out of the mouth of the lost again. Together we will seek out and tell others about the truth of whose stories, who’s religion we as a people belong too.  

The promises made to the Israelites the children of Ham by God is this, And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.

 Some of us just might find these words offensive but we got this reading from the Bible that was inspired by God. If you do fine these words offensive, then walk with me through some more scriptures of the Bible. The truth cannot be hidden, the main characters of the Bible, is backed up by scripture which is the strongest evidence of their Blackness. I cannot stress the point hard enough that it does matter that we tell about the “Greatest Story Ever Told” and tell whose story it is.

Later on, I can show you in the Bible about the similarities of Moses and Jesus Christ in response to Egypt the Land of The Black.

Whose image is in your, mind?

 

Deacon Ron Gray

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Deacon Gray,

"Black" and "White" are fairly modern cultural conceits. I don't know if it makes much sense talking about how the Israelites were "Black" or "White"... or if we can even talk of the biblical Egyptians in those terms. However, I think there is every reason to believe that the people of the Middle East were always of a dark, swarthy coloration. For instance, when ancient Greek artists graphically portrayed the Egyptians, they did so as dark-skinned people. 

But I am a little perplexed by one part of your argument: you seem to identify the Israelites as Ham's progeny. Genesis 11 clearly indicates that Abram/Abraham is of the lineage of Shem, not Ham. If the Caucasian descendants of Japheth cannot claim the Israelites, neither can we African descendants of Ham. 

Greetings Brother Joseph Gill,

Thank you for your reply. I just want to highlight for a moment to the 6 verse of the Book of Genesis Chapter 10   j

And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.

Let’s take a look at Wikipedia as one resource and it reads:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canaan_(Bible)

According to the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 (verses 15-19), Canaan was the ancestor of the tribes who originally occupied the ancient Land of Canaan: all the territory from Sidon or Hamath in the north to Gaza in the southwest and Lasha in the southeast. This territory is roughly the areas of modern day Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Lebanon, western Jordan, and western Syria. Canaan's firstborn son was Sidon, who shares his name with the Phoenician city of Sidon in present-day Lebanon.[1] His second son was Heth. Canaan's descendants, according to the Hebrew Bible, include:

  1. Hittites, children of Heth

According to traditional Ethiopian histories, Canaan's son Arwadi (lit. "the Arvadite") and his wife Entela crossed from Asia into Ethiopia in 2101 BC, and the Qemant tribe were said to be descended from their son, Anayer. There is further an Ethiopian tradition that two other Canaanite tribes, viz. the Sinites and Zemarites, also entered Ethiopia at the time it was ruled by the Kingdom of Kush, and became the Shanqella and Weyto peoples, respectively.[4]

Now when it comes to Abram I like to lift 31 of The Book of Genesis Chapter 11

31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. 32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.   

Abram moved to Canaan and was not a native of a country that was already settled by Ham’s descendants. Far as Japheth and his  children, they were maritime people, people of the sea who dwelled in areas like Germany and in Eastern Europe which out of the way in which the people and Bible refers to, the Ashkenaz comes to mind.

Deacon Gray,

If your point was that the indigenous races of the Middle East were descendants of Ham, then I wholly agree. But, of course, these sons of Canaan were in no way the forebearers of the Yahwistic faith. These people were not the "Israelites" (who were named after Jacob, renamed "Israel" in Genesis 32:28, a descendant of Shem). Descendants of Shem supplanted the descendants of Ham in the so-called "promised land." God indicated it was a judgment against these Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, Girgashites, Hivites, etc. ("And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants," Lev. 18:25). 

Yes, Christianity--derived as it was of the Yawhistic tradition--did not have its origin with the descendants of Japheth, the progenitor of the modern Europeans. If origin is decisive, we should not call Christianity a "white" religion.  

However, we cannot credit the descendants of Ham with the tradition either: in fact, many Hamitic races were enemies of the early Yawhists. Again, if origin is decisive, we should not call Christianity a "black" religion either.

Agreed. I believe my goal was to point out that, if anyone still hold to the one drop of black blood standard then you are black then the main characters is not the people depicted in Cecil B Deville’s version  of  the Ten Commandments and other Hollywood films, TV, and pictures. When I was growing up and the all throughout my Christian walk, that all I saw was those Images. Now the truth is being slowly revealed that Joseph was given the Pharaoh’s daughter an Egyptian for a wife, and after Jacob died, Joseph returned back to Egypt with about seventy souls. Which open The Book of Exodus where the new Pharaoh sister fished baby Moses out of the river and the only thing that distinguished him  from Hebrews slave was the colors he was rap in as a baby.  Moses had a black wife from the sheep herder when God made away for him to free Gods people. There are more evidence of people of color that played important roles in Christianity both the Old Testament and the new.  

I will agree with you, Christianity is not just a white man’s religion nor an all-black man’s religion neither. With that said our children are seeking the truth so, they  won't grow up to believe the myth that  Christianity is a white man’s religion and they we are part of The Greatest Story Ever Told .

Excellent points, Deacon. I would also point to the implicit physical similarities of the Israelites and the Egyptians to explain why a shaved Joseph could easily pass as an Egyptian native (even his own brethren didn't discern that he was a Hebrew).

And your observations about the wives of Joseph and Moses strike me as perfectly valid. It suddenly occurs to me that Ismael, father of the Arabs, could be considered a descendant of Ham (by way of his Egyptian mother) as much as he is a descendant of Shem (by his father Abraham). These categories became quite fluid as the people groups intermixed and intermarried.

I 'am sorry for the long delay but Yes, Brother Gill that link is very, very strong.  

According to both the Holy Bible and The Holy Quran, shows how the three prophets are directly descended from the two sons of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac. Muhammad is a descendant of the eldest son, Ishmael. Moses and Jesus descended from Isaac. Abraham established a settlement, which today is the city of Makkah and built the Ka'abah towards which all Muslims turn when they pray.

 

In my research of the Islamic religion, I find further evidence that your deductions are justified in The Holy Quran:

Say: We believe in God, and in that which has been sent
down on us, and that sent down on Abraham, Ishmael,
Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants, and that which was
given to Moses and Jesus, and was given to all the prophets,
from their Lord; we make no distinction between any of
them; and we surrender ourselves to God alone.
(Qur'an 2:136)

So, far I have don't found anyone of my younger Brothers  that  support the claim that Christianity is a white mans religion  but yet I here the claim, all over.  

 

I think before we as a people of God begin to throw scriptures at our youth, we need to be human first and find out who they are.  The word of God state, in 1 Corinthians 2:11 For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

In other words, how can a person know scripture except the Holy Spirit reveals revelation unto them.

The word also says, owe no man anything but love. I believe when we open up as a people who love them, show them love and who believes in them as a people, their hearts will open up and the Lord will open a door to minister to them.

When we throw scriptures at them, it's not the love of God but religion. And God is not in religion.

Just my thoughts.

Sister Johnson,

 

You have brought to the floor a great point. Now if we can remember back to when we was on the journey in taking our first steps towards the Most High, we probably asked ourselves this question: “Is this all that I am, is there anything greater than ourselves?” So, we stopped and put down what we was doing. We stopped going to those places where we thought that we was having the most fun, living for the weekend. We dropped some of our friends who was not in search of and took the moment to think about how good the Lord was to us. Well, these are the children both young and old are what we as elders in the word of God are searching for.

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:27

 Also, as we took a few more steps, we started looking for saints that could interpret these words out of love for us until we could understand The Words of God for ourselves..  

It is our mandate to TEACH the word of God, to teach the good news.

  5 These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; 6 but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Now, we as a people must understand who the Hebrew Israelite are. We must TEACH our children who the Gentile are because we a elders must dispel the myth of Christianity is a white man’s religion, as Black History Month continues.

Who's Image is in your mind: Is "Christianity a White Man's Religion?"

Are we failing to reach our youth with the "GOOD NEWS of who we are?" 

As Black History continues.  

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