Good morning ladies-
I just got done reading one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s sermons to his congregation. It was devastating, provocative and packed full of holy fire water! To be honest, I have never read anything more compelling in my life. It was a time when a black man was scared to walk the streets. King's time was full of violence and hate. It is not a misconception that color mattered and that people believed they were better for the color of their skin. On top of that,war was at the fringes and the atomic bomb had everyone shaking. It was a time of color and of darkness. It was a time of fear and of triumph. It was a time of courage and of dreams. It was vision cast along the sea that would free seventeen million people. What was that vision? A man woke up with a dream. He believed his God was more powerful than the dollar, wealth or possessions. He believed in acceptance for who someone was and even further, he believed that each one of us had tools to change the world.
It was a powerful sermon, one that every young African-American should read. In the face of great adversity, one man stood with the faith that moved a mountain. King changed the course of men and women and he did it all with only one thing in mind, the power of Jesus Christ. He did it believing that his God was bigger than all the other gods people collected. He said that people needed Religion because Religion changed us. He also said that we must accept ourselves for who God made us and use the tools He gave us to change things that were not seen. Are you heavy laden? Do you look in the mirror and wish you were someone else? Are you tired of the roller coaster of life? Well then sit back and pray the prayer millions of people prayed. Ask the Lord to help you accept the tools that you have been given and to show you how to use them for such a time as this.
Our times are not much different than the 50's. We have fear, war and religious tensions. We have young men doing horrific things. We watch as the world wonders what ISIS and Al Queda will do next. We see with our eyes hate, darkness and destruction. The US alone is running away from Religious freedoms. We are becoming apathetic in a time we should be screaming, "I Have A Dream!" Well, I don't know about you but I know that God is inspiring us to take up His cross and even though I have some fear; I'm inspired. Why you might ask? Because God has given me tools. I have a computer, a phone, an iPad and a mouth that can spread the word of God to every women in every nation and all I have to do is write and believe. He will do the rest. I know that King believed that because he believed in peace, not earthly peace but God breathed peace. He believed in change and in Jesus Christ and today that dream is reality. Men and women of color all over the world enjoy freedoms to work together, eat together and worship together. All because one man took up the cross and said yes to Jesus.
So as I sit here and write, I am more convicted than ever to do the same thing. Do I have fear? Sure I do but I have a peace about my path and that peace and this vision are all I need. God will do the rest and when I'm weary; He's right beside me. I challenge all of us to be praying about the tools we have been given. Let's build a tapestry more beautiful than Martin Luther King Jr.'s. Let's pray for a world where our sons and daughters know the power of the cross and that every country hears the call to our Father. Every knee shall bow the scripture says, so let's spread the word with Holy Fire Water! Are you with me and the heavens proclaimed YES to Jesus!
Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, Lord! (Joel 3:11 NIV)
But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. (Luke 18:16 NIV)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28 NIV)
My prayer today:
O, Lord our God, help us to accept ourselves for who we are and to ask you to build us up with the tools you have provided. Only You can show us how to use those tools for the Kingdom. So as we stand in this time and in this moment bring forth Your will upon our lives, help us to accept our mission and if it is in Your will, move mountains. I am inspired today not by the man King was but by the cross that he took up. In ten years, You used him to start a movement that stands today. It was a God inspired dream starting with Abraham Lincoln moving to King and now in the hearts of men and women everywhere. Once again, You are calling Your earthly soldiers to believe in something bigger than themselves, please stand in the gap, give us our tools and lead us to the cross! May Your spirit capture the hearts of men and women all over the world. In Jesus name we pray. AMEN
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