The Sweet Slave Trade

THE SWEET SLAVE TRADE!
View Video Version
Imagine someone stole you from your home in the middle of the night, carried you off to the shores of your homeland, traded you for goods to foreigners, and then you were sailed off to a strange place. Upon arrival to a foreign land, you’re taken to the nearest town market to be sold into slavery. As you stand at the end of a line, shackled alongside other citizens of your country, one by one you hear your fellow person being sold for what is basically pennies in today's economy.

When a purchaser finally approaches you and asks the seller, "How much for this one?” the response is..."This one is gonna cost you more than you probably want to pay. This one is worth $144 million!” Though you're in unfamiliar territory and your situation very dark, you can't help but be moved by the fact that such a high value has been placed on your worth. You begin to wonder what is so special about you. Your spirit is actually lifted a bit and you feel a smirk coming on your face. Then, to your absolute shock, the buyer pays the seller’s hefty asking price!

Upon obtaining a receipt for your purchase, the buyer makes arrangements for you to be put on the first flight back to his homeland. Paperwork has already been drafted which will establish you as a free citizen of his country. All you have to do is trust this sponsor and sign the paperwork he had prepared in advance. In a sense, you simply will have been traded from one slave master to another. Nonetheless, in the new land that awaits you, you will definitely be free. You find out later that this buyer is enormously wealthy and spends most of his time doing this very thing, at his and his father’s expense.

Photo by Nic Bothma/EPA

If you didn't know, the life and blood of the Son of God was worth far more than $144 million and that was the price paid to purchase you from the town market of the dark prince of this world. And the fact that such a price was paid should give you some insight into the unsurpassable worth ascribed to you by YHVH Himself. Pondering on this concept, the great King David wrote:

"What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels and You have crowned him with glory & honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet…”
– Psalm 8:4-6 (NKJV)
This dominion was given to us by our Heavenly Father at creation in the Garden of Eden. However, in our human forefather Adam, we were stolen from our homeland and sold into slavery. We became slaves to sin and our cunning adversary, the devil (John 8:34; 2 Timothy 2:26).

Foreseeing our enemy’s craftiness, our “enormously wealthy” sponsor made travel arrangements for His Son to come to this foreign land while simultaneously drafting agreements (covenants) which will ensure our citizenship in His homeland. He then sends His Son to this world’s town market and purchases us from the slave traders (Satan & demons). What is asked of us is that we trust our new Master, sign His paperwork and then wholeheartedly follow His Son Yeshua (Jesus) to the airport to catch our flight to a new land of freedom and abundant life.

While there may be bumps along the road to get to the "airport" itself (e.g. 2 Timothy 2:1-13), this all sounds like an amazingly sweet slave trade to me!


"...I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me."
- Acts 26:17b-18 (NKJV)

Additional References: Romans 6:16-18; 1 Corinthians 6:19&20

DECEMBER 2015 IP2RR WINNER!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE DECEMBER IP2RR $100 WINNER:


Shameka C. - Roanoke, VA

Next month's challenge question will be posted (LORD allowing) on Thursday, January 7th, 2016, no later than 6:50 p.m. CST (7:50 p.m. Eastern). Be sure to FOLLOW me on this blog, Facebook or Twitter and BE READY FOR THE IP2RR CHALLENGE!


Reminder/Hint: January's Challenge Question will be based on Chapter 5 of Rescuca: Savior of the Realm. Chapter 5 is entitled Secret Things: Critical Mass.

Listen to Rescuca: Savior of the Realm Audiobook Preview

DECEMBER IP2RR QUESTION - CHAPTER FOUR!

December IP2RR Challenge Question!
CHAPTER 4 - COMPLETED

QUESTION:

~ Chapter 4 of Rescuca contains an "axiom" which actually represents a verse from the Book of Romans (Chapter 6) in the Bible. Which numbered verse below (15-19) is the one in mention?:


15 - What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

16 - Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

17 - But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

18 - And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

19 - I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.


To submit your answer: Use this post's comment option, the ip2rr.com Contact Form, or the contact form at the bottom of this blog.

Through a God-Lens ~ Movie Review

TRANSCENDENCE

I have seen the movie Transcendence a few times now. I've watched interviews featuring its director Wally Pfister and cast members Johnny Depp & Morgan Freeman. I've also read and watched movie reviews where people wail on the film for being things like "boring and bland" (see video below). All said and done, many viewers have said there is nothing terribly impressive about this $100 million budget film with a megastar cast.


However, viewed through what I call a "God-Lens," I think this movie is phenomenal! And the fact that it gets such terrible reviews by the general population is fantastically fitting as well. Here's what I mean:

Yeshua/Jesus...the very Son of God, was born in Bethlehem to a lowly carpenter rather than in a king's castle. He came serving rather than being served. Though rich, He became poor for our sake. Rather than overthrowing Roman occupiers who were oppressing His Jewish brethren, He preached that we should love our enemies. And instead of ruling and reigning from an earthly throne, He was crucified and killed.

Eliminate Your Enemy by Converting Your Enemy by Loving Your Enemy

Loving and serving is the warfare of Yeshua and NONE of this was what the Jewish world around Him expected. Instead, they awaited a conquering king who would finally put Rome in its place. This very disappointment probably contributed to Jesus being betrayed by one of his own followers (Judas). He was later denied by his right-hand man Peter. Before this, He was hated by the leaders of His people as they were envious and feared the control He might acquire (Matthew 27:18). This was all despite the many wonderful things Christ did for everyone, making this world a better place. All of this is SO applicable in the movie Transcendence!

Click HERE to visit Plugged In Movie Review Website!
[Spoiler Warning] In this movie, Will Caster (Johnny Depp's character) is easily a type of Christ and the concept of Transcendence itself can easily represent the Kingdom of God through the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. It took Christ dying for the Holy Spirit to become available to all mankind and the same thing happens in this film. Disclaimer: By no means am I endorsing certain actors, "Hollywood" itself or what can come out of it. I'm also NOT saying this symbolism was the movie writer’s intent. I'm merely stepping back & seeing the DNA of Yehovah, The One True God, in all of His creation; including themes that filmmakers put in their films inadvertently.

Back to the story:

The friends closest to Will don't believe he will come back from death. They lose hope and begin to give up until Will makes contact. Eventually, Will appears in bodily form to his followers. As the transcendent "god" of this movie, Will chooses a very humble and unassuming place to begin building his kingdom (Name: Brightwood). Instantly you see a poor and rejected population here. These people are later healed and transformed and then used to help recruit others to receive the same. This is the very nature of the Kingdom of God!

CONCLUSION

I could go on and on with the parallels one could draw from this film but don't want to spoil it for anyone else more than I already have. My recommendation for anyone watching Transcendence is this:

Rather than looking to be highly entertained by thrills (e.g. the great battle scenes of a conquering king), look to gain insight into how God actually operates. Look for Jesus and His love for His church.

Some main God-themes to take away from this film are that Yehovah is good, He is for us and not against us. His motives are pure and He desires that we humans be a part of His process of bringing health & healing to this world and its people. Yehovah desires to transcend and transform us all by giving us supernatural strengths and abilities that go far beyond our own imaginations.

Movie Quote:

Conference Attendee: "So you want to create a god?"
Will Caster: "That's a good question. Isn't that what man has always done?"

Bible Quote:

Temple Attendees: “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”
Yeshua: "Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’?"

Rescuca: Tale of the Two Hundred (T200)

Rescuca: Tale of the Two Hundred (Volume 2)

Description:

Abigail, beloved of her father, is engaged to marry a man she has never met. She has been raised to honor and respect all of her father’s wishes; including what man she ought to marry.

As his reward for taking part in a revolution, James is one of twenty captains who has found himself exiled to a remote system, imprisoned on Thrae. Bored out of his mind and with no war to fight, James begins practicing secret arts taught to him by Rescuca, his brilliant and fearless commander.

Time and chance would have this disenfranchised soldier happen upon Abigail…a beautiful and very impressionable Numah maiden. Once disgusted by what he called “Numah scum,” James now finds himself captivated by Abigail as she innocently confides in him her struggle to obey her father.

And so begins the Tale of the Two Hundred as this Nomed captain and beloved Numah daughter blaze an entirely new trail, against all odds and all social norms. But how will Commander Rescuca respond to one of his elite mingling with one of his enemy’s favorite creations? What impact will this love affair have on Abigail’s father and family? Lastly, what action will Emperor Epaga take to safeguard his agenda for Planet Thrae?

----------------


Digital copy of Rescuca: T200 (Volume 2) will be available at all locations where SOTR (Volume 1) is currently sold:


Amazon.com*


Barnes & Noble


iTunes Store (iBooks)


Kobo


*Amazon digital copy only $0.99 after purchase of paperback

Two Sides of the Same Coin

Yehovah...the One True God, seeks worshipers who will "worship Him in Spirit and in Truth" (John 4:24). When it comes to God's Spirit and His Truth, it's not a case of there being one OR the other but rather "two sides of the same coin."

OIL = HOLY SPIRIT | LAMP = TRUTH [OF GOD’S WORD]
In Matthew Chapter 25, we are told a sobering story about five bridesmaids who fail to keep oil in their lamps while waiting for the bridegroom to arrive. Oil in Scripture often represents the Holy Spirit of God (e.g. 1 Samuel 16:13). Earlier in Chapter 7, we are told about people who will have done amazing [spiritual] things on God's behalf (i.e. spoken for God, performed exorcisms & miracles etc.), but nonetheless…when face to face with their Lord, they are rebuked and told to depart from Him. They are reprimanded for being “lawless” or in other words...disobeying God’s Torah (Instructions).

Question: What is the connection being made here between these two sections in the Gospel of Matthew?

Answer: It’s by God’s Truth (the lamp) that we know right from wrong and it’s by His Spirit (the oil) that we understand and are empowered to walk in obedience to those very commands (Psalm 119:105; Romans 8:1-8). When this process is carried out in beautiful balance, the light of Yehovah shines into this dark world. But in terms of shining light, what good is a lamp without oil or oil without a lamp. In either case, one will walk in darkness or without enlightenment. The enemies of Yehovah know this and I believe this is why saints are baited to cling to one side and condemn the other.

In conclusion, let us not fall for the bait of Satan which is accusation and condemnation. Let’s not look at our brother or sister comparatively to see how we are somehow better because we either live a life that looks more holy or on the other hand, seems more spiritual. Yehovah desires that His children be both! We should be spiritually minded and empowered AND also holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). Again, these attributes are just "two sides of the same coin."


Additional References:
Matthew 7:21-23; 25: 1-13; John 8:12; 18:37; Ephesians 6:12; James 2:14-26; 4:11&12

NOVEMBER IP2RR WINNERS!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NOVEMBER IP2RR $100 WINNERS:


Shameka C. - Roanoke, VA

D'Carlo B. - Ava, MO

Everyone who responded to this month's Challenge Question had the correct response but only 2 readers replied before the designated cutoff of 7:00 p.m. CST.

To those who did not make it in time, I wish you the best of blessings with next month's challenge question which will be posted (LORD allowing) on Monday, December 7th, no later than 6:50 p.m. CST (7:50 p.m. Eastern). Be sure to FOLLOW me on this blog, Facebook or Twitter and BE READY FOR THE IP2RR CHALLENGE!


Reminder/Hint: December's Challenge Question will be based on Chapter 4 of Rescuca: Savior of the Realm. Chapter 4 is entitled The Axiom and the Exodus.

Listen to Rescuca: Savior of the Realm Audiobook Preview

NOVEMBER IP2RR CHALLENGE QUESTION!

November IP2RR Challenge Question!

CHAPTER 3 - COMPLETED

QUESTION:

Fill in the 2 blanks in the sentence below:


"Caring for the countless creatures and having no other purpose would be thousands of __________, now lulled into a stupor by __________'s Beacon."


To submit your answer: Use this post's comment option, the ip2rr.com Contact Form, or the contact form at the bottom of this blog.


[Spiritual] Food for Thought:
Hebrews 1: 10-14


"'You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

They will perish, but You remain;
And they will all grow old like a garment;

Like a cloak You will fold them up,
And they will be changed.
But You are the same,
And Your years will not fail.”

But to which of the angels has He ever said:

'Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.'

Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?"

Hebrews 13: 1&2

"Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers,
for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels."

October's IP2RR Challenge Winners!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE OCTOBER IP2RR $100 WINNERS:


Hannah R. - Springfield, MO

D'Carlo B. - Ava, MO

Shameka C. - Roanoke, VA

There was no IP2RR Top Recruiter this month to claim the $300 bonus prize which is to be awarded to the first IP2RR participant with 30 or more referrals to this blog, Facebook and/or Twitter. Additionally, there was $400 in unclaimed rewards for the Challenge Question.

Be sure to FOLLOW and "tune in" for next month's question on November 7th and BE READY FOR THE IP2RR CHALLENGE!!


Reminder/Hint: November's Challenge Question will be based on Chapter 3 of Rescuca: Savior of the Realm. Chapter 3 is entitled Chronicle of the Clan: History and Origins.

October IP2RR Challenge Question!! - CHAPTER TWO

October IP2RR Challenge Question!

Chapter 2 - COMPLETED


"For just as in connection with Adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive. But each in his own order: the Messiah is the firstfruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming; then the culmination, when he hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, after having put an end to every rulership, yes, to every authority and power. For he has to rule until he puts all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be done away with will be... _______" - 1st Corinthians 15:23-26 CJB

~ QUESTION: Coded or decoded, who or what is the "Beast" from the Beyond? ~


To submit your answer: Use this post's comment option, the ip2rr.com Contact Form, or the contact form at the bottom of this blog.

Listen to Rescuca: Savior of the Realm Audiobook Preview

Double Jeopardy

DOUBLE JEOPARDY
View Video Version
dou·ble jeop·ard·y
noun:

1. a procedural defense that forbids a defendant from being tried again on the same charges following a legitimate acquittal or conviction

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

Most of us are familiar with the legal concept of “double jeopardy”. One cannot be found guilty and condemned for the same crime twice. In a number of countries, this is a constitutional right. You are guaranteed against being “twice put in jeopardy.” (see Double jeopardy)

Because of the sin of mankind’s greatest granddad Adam, death comes to us all. Because of his sin [and our own], we're all given the death penalty. Ten out of ten people are in “jeopardy” of dying both physically and figuratively. By the word “figuratively,” I mean lack of life in our own souls as well as our relationships with others. Our global society is weighed down heavily by a number of afflictions such as fear, hatred, anger, anxiety, hopelessness, bitterness and depression. And these emotional ills have their negative impact on our physical bodies as well.

God’s Word, however, is the greatest constitution there is and tells us about the greatest guarantee of all…the seal and sign of His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:14). We are told that God gives His Spirit to those who ask, believe, and obey Him. We are also warned that anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:8-11)


It is VITAL that you are marked by the Holy Spirit of God. If you belong to Christ and have His Spirit, you can no longer be found guilty of sin and condemned to death because Christ has already done this. Jesus was condemned, died and later rose from death and now makes His Spirit available to us. And it is by the mark of this very Spirit that death will “pass over” you as death passed over God’s [marked] people in Egypt in the day of Moses. It’s by the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Yeshua the Messiah) that you will be “raised to life at the last day!” (John 6:40)

In addition to being raised to [everlasting] life in the age to come, Spirit-stamped believers in God are promised the fruit of the Holy Spirit here and now! God is love and the result of Him living inside someone is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22&23). A saint willingly gives God rule and reign over his or her heart and the miraculous takes place; both now and at the resurrection. This IS the Kingdom of God. (Mark 1:15)

If you have not done so already, change your mind (repent) about all the things you entertain that you know to be against the ways of God. Turn from them and call upon the LORD. Be filled with His Spirit and be saved; from your past wrongs, your present state of heart, and the final death that all humanity has been in jeopardy of since The Fall of mankind.


"Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies." - Romans 8:33

Additional References: Luke 11:9-13; John 7:39; Acts 5:32; Romans 5:12; 8:31-39; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23; 1 John 4:8; Ephesians 5:18

SEPTEMBER IP2RR WINNERS!

Congratulations to this month's challenge winners!

SEPTEMBER IP2RR $100 WINNERS:

D'Carlo B. - Ava, MO

Nicholas R. - Lititz, PA

There were only 2 readers this month who correctly responded to the challenge question within the prescribed amount of time (i.e. by 7:00p.m. CST). Additionally, there was no IP2RR Top Recruiter this month to claim the $300 bonus prize which is to be awarded to the first IP2RR participant with 30 or more referrals to this blog, Facebook and/or Twitter.

So...in closing, if you were busy this Labor Day and missed out on this month's challenge question, be sure to FOLLOW and "tune in" next month on October 7th and BE READY FOR THE IP2RR CHALLENGE!!

Reminder/Hint: October's Challenge Question will be based on Chapter 2 of Rescuca: Savior of the Realm.


Listen to Rescuca: Savior of the Realm Audiobook Sample

September IP2RR Challenge Question! - CHAPTER ONE

September IP2RR Challenge Question

Chapter 1 - COMPLETED

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance." - Luke 15:4-7 NKJV

~ QUESTION: Coded or decoded, what is the 100th world or planet where most of this story takes place? ~


To submit your answer: Use this post's comment option, the ip2rr.com Contact Form, or the contact form at the bottom of this blog (web version view).

IP2RR Challenge (Public)

GET YOUR COPY OF RESCUCA & BE READY FOR IP2RR!

Beginning September 7th, 2015 and ending March 7, 2016, challenge questions are posted to this website once a month between 6:00p.m. and 7:00p.m., CST (i.e. 7-8pm EST). Those following this blog (type in email below), DL Dunnaville on Facebook, or @DLDunnaville on Twitter should receive periodic updates regarding IP2RR challenge questions.

Questions will be posted no later than 6:50p.m. and readers will have until 7:00pm to submit responses. No responses will be accepted beyond 7:00pm CST! Once winners are selected, winner names (including top IP2RR Recruiters) will be listed here on this blog site.

Challenge Question Dates:

Chapter 1 - Monday, September 7, 2015 - COMPLETED
Chapter 2 - Wednesday, October 7, 2015 - COMPLETED
Chapter 3 - Saturday, November 7, 2015 - COMPLETED
Chapter 4 - Monday, December 7, 2015 - COMPLETED
Chapter 5 - Thursday, January 7, 2016 - COMPLETED
Chapter 6 - Sunday, February 7, 2016 - COMPLETED
Chapter 7 - Monday, March 7, 2016 - COMPLETED

(Click on "Chapter" above to view previously posted questions & "COMPLETED" to view their results)


SPOILER WARNING!!

Notice to Winners:

By default, prizes will be in the form of $100 direct deposits. However, a $100 Amazon gift card may be awarded in lieu of "cash". All winners must be 18 years or older or have a supervising adult involved.

Additionally, all users of Amazon's services must be 18 or have a parent involved.
Note: Recruiter bonuses are awarded based on confirmed IP2RR referrals. All followers (blog, Twitter & Facebook) should be sure to mention how they heard about IP2RR.

Security and Privacy > Conditions of Use (from Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=508088)

“If you use any Amazon Service, you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account and password and for restricting access to your computer, and you agree to accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account or password. Amazon does sell products for children, but it sells them to adults, who can purchase with a credit card or other permitted payment method. If you are under 18, you may use the Amazon Services only with involvement of a parent or guardian.”

Young BUCKS Club (YBC) of D/FW, Texas

B.U.C.K.S. stands for Building Up Christ's Kingdom as Saints. The YBC is a Christian discipleship program geared toward young men in the Dallas/Fort Worth area community. Its mission is to shape & instill godly character in young men who will then model God’s Kingdom on Earth, as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10).

Club members (Young BUCKS) meet once a week for Bible Academy during the school year. During the summer, the YBC meets up for Kingdom and community service, followed by incentive trips called Fun & Fellowship. Club members must be committed & abide by an agreed upon Christian Code of Conduct.

The YBC is currently in an offseason. The Kingdom endeavors of the YBC are not only aimed at the Dallas-Fort Worth area but also the areas of the world affected as a result of their global awareness and outreach initiatives.

To view the YBC's past events, click on older posts.