tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47068161355799704502024-03-05T03:20:15.765-08:00The Encounter By Pastor Leo Dodd - Encountering God / Loving People Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-2155350437887550432020-06-12T12:54:00.002-07:002020-06-12T12:55:37.152-07:00MLK's Letter From the Birminham JailI took some time to read MLK letter from the Birmingham Jail. Very moving. It was in response to the following questions from local clergy: Why are you protesting? Why can't you wait for the courts? Why did you come from outside of Birmingham to protest? Why are you stirring things up?<br />
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Some thoughts:<br />
Time is neutral. It doesn't automatically take care of problems. People must act.<br />
Non-violent tension is healthy.<br />
Being extreme is a good thing, if you are extreme about the right things. Jesus was extreme in His love, Apostle Paul was extreme in preaching the gospel etc.<br />
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Here is the full transcript.<br />
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It is worth it to take some time to read this today.<br />
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*AUTHOR'S NOTE: This response to a published statement by eight fellow clergymen from Alabama (Bishop C. C. J. Carpenter, Bishop Joseph A. Durick, Rabbi Hilton L. Grafman, Bishop Paul Hardin, Bishop Holan B. Harmon, the Reverend George M. Murray. the Reverend Edward V. Ramage and the Reverend Earl Stallings) was composed under somewhat constricting circumstance. Begun on the margins of the newspaper in which the statement appeared while I was in jail, the letter was continued on scraps of writing paper supplied by a friendly Negro trusty, and concluded on a pad my attorneys were eventually permitted to leave me. Although the text remains in substance unaltered, I have indulged in the author's prerogative of polishing it for publication.<br />
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<h3>
LETTER FROM BIRMINGHAM JAIL<br />April 16, 1963</h3>
<span style="background-color: white;">MY DEAR FELLOW CLERGYMEN: </span><br />
While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling my present activities "unwise and untimely." Seldom do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would have little time for anything other than such correspondence in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statements in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.<br />
I think I should indicate why I am here In Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against "outsiders coming in." I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Frequently we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here I am here because I have organizational ties here.<br />
But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.<br />
Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.<br />
You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.<br />
In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action. We have gone through all of these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community. Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. These are the hard, brutal facts of the case. On the basis of these conditions, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. But the latter consistently refused to engage in good-faith negotiation.<br />
Then, last September, came the opportunity to talk with leaders of Birmingham's economic community. In the course of the negotiations, certain promises were made by the merchants --- for example, to remove the stores humiliating racial signs. On the basis of these promises, the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights agreed to a moratorium on all demonstrations. As the weeks and months went by, we realized that we were the victims of a broken promise. A few signs, briefly removed, returned; the others remained.<br />
As in so many past experiences, our hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep disappointment settled upon us. We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action, whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and the national community. Mindful of the difficulties involved, we decided to undertake a process of self-purification. We began a series of workshops on nonviolence, and we repeatedly asked ourselves : "Are you able to accept blows without retaliating?" "Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail?" We decided to schedule our direct-action program for the Easter season, realizing that except for Christmas, this is the main shopping period of the year. Knowing that a strong economic withdrawal program would be the by-product of direct action, we felt that this would be the best time to bring pressure to bear on the merchants for the needed change.<br />
Then it occurred to us that Birmingham's mayoralty election was coming up in March, and we speedily decided to postpone action until after election day. When we discovered that the Commissioner of Public Safety, Eugene "Bull" Connor, had piled up enough votes to be in the run-off we decided again to postpone action until the day after the run-off so that the demonstrations could not be used to cloud the issues. Like many others, we waited to see Mr. Connor defeated, and to this end we endured postponement after postponement. Having aided in this community need, we felt that our direct-action program could be delayed no longer.<br />
You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit-ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are quite right in calling, for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. It seeks to so dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent-resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension." I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood.<br />
The purpose of our direct-action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. I therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation. Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down in a tragic effort to live in monologue rather than dialogue.<br />
One of the basic points in your statement is that the action that I and my associates have taken .in Birmingham is untimely. Some have asked: "Why didn't you give the new city administration time to act?" The only answer that I can give to this query is that the new Birmingham administration must be prodded about as much as the outgoing one, before it will act. We are sadly mistaken if we feel that the election of Albert Boutwell as mayor. will bring the millennium to Birmingham. While Mr. Boutwell is a much more gentle person than Mr. Connor, they are both segregationists, dedicated to maintenance of the status quo. I have hope that Mr. Boutwell will be reasonable enough to see the futility of massive resistance to desegregation. But he will not see this without pressure from devotees of civil rights. My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single gain civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light and voluntarily give up their unjust posture; but, as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups tend to be more immoral than individuals.<br />
We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct-action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied."<br />
We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God-given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we stiff creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging dark of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored"; when your first name becomes "nigger," your middle name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs."; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you go forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness" then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.<br />
You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. This is certainly a legitimate concern. Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, at first glance it may seem rather paradoxical for us consciously to break laws. One may want to ask: "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?" The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all"<br />
Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority. Segregation, to use the terminology of the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, substitutes an "I-it" relationship for an "I-thou" relationship and ends up relegating persons to the status of things. Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and awful. Paul Tillich said that sin is separation. Is not segregation an existential expression 'of man's tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? Thus it is that I can urge men to obey the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court, for it is morally right; and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong.<br />
Let us consider a more concrete example of just and unjust laws. An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal. By the same token, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal.<br />
Let me give another explanation. A law is unjust if it is inflicted on a minority that, as a result of being denied the right to vote, had no part in enacting or devising the law. Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up that state's segregation laws was democratically elected? Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which, even though Negroes constitute a majority of the population, not a single Negro is registered. Can any law enacted under such circumstances be considered democratically structured?<br />
Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application. For instance, I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an ordinance which requires a permit for a parade. But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest.<br />
I hope you are able to ace the distinction I am trying to point out. In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. That would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.<br />
Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire. To a degree, academic freedom is a reality today because Socrates practiced civil disobedience. In our own nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience.<br />
We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal." It was "illegal" to aid and comfort a Jew in Hitler's Germany. Even so, I am sure that, had I lived in Germany at the time, I would have aided and comforted my Jewish brothers. If today I lived in a Communist country where certain principles dear to the Christian faith are suppressed, I would openly advocate disobeying that country's antireligious laws.<br />
I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.<br />
I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fan in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress. I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that the present tension in the South is a necessary phase of the transition from an obnoxious negative peace, in which the Negro passively accepted his unjust plight, to a substantive and positive peace, in which all men will respect the dignity and worth of human personality. Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with an its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.<br />
In your statement you assert that our actions, even though peaceful, must be condemned because they precipitate violence. But is this a logical assertion? Isn't this like condemning a robbed man because his possession of money precipitated the evil act of robbery? Isn't this like condemning Socrates because his unswerving commitment to truth and his philosophical inquiries precipitated the act by the misguided populace in which they made him drink hemlock? Isn't this like condemning Jesus because his unique God-consciousness and never-ceasing devotion to God's will precipitated the evil act of crucifixion? We must come to see that, as the federal courts have consistently affirmed, it is wrong to urge an individual to cease his efforts to gain his basic constitutional rights because the quest may precipitate violence. Society must protect the robbed and punish the robber.<br />
I had also hoped that the white moderate would reject the myth concerning time in relation to the struggle for freedom. I have just received a letter from a white brother in Texas. He writes: "All Christians know that the colored people will receive equal rights eventually, but it is possible that you are in too great a religious hurry. It has taken Christianity almost two thousand years to accomplish what it has. The teachings of Christ take time to come to earth." Such an attitude stems from a tragic misconception of time, from the strangely rational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills. Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this 'hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right. Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy and transform our pending national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity.<br />
You speak of our activity in Birmingham as extreme. At fist I was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist. I began thinking about the fact that stand in the middle of two opposing forces in the Negro community. One is a force of complacency, made up in part of Negroes who, as a result of long years of oppression, are so drained of self-respect and a sense of "somebodiness" that they have adjusted to segregation; and in part of a few middle class Negroes who, because of a degree of academic and economic security and because in some ways they profit by segregation, have become insensitive to the problems of the masses. The other force is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups that are springing up across the nation, the largest and best-known being Elijah Muhammad's Muslim movement. Nourished by the Negro's frustration over the continued existence of racial discrimination, this movement is made up of people who have lost faith in America, who have absolutely repudiated Christianity, and who have concluded that the white man is an incorrigible "devil."<br />
I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the "do-nothingism" of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. For there is the more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest. I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle.<br />
If this philosophy had not emerged, by now many streets of the South would, I am convinced, be flowing with blood. And I am further convinced that if our white brothers dismiss as "rabble-rousers" and "outside agitators" those of us who employ nonviolent direct action, and if they refuse to support our nonviolent efforts, millions of Negroes will, out of frustration and despair, seek solace and security in black-nationalist ideologies a development that would inevitably lead to a frightening racial nightmare.<br />
Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained. Consciously or unconsciously, he has been caught up by the Zeitgeist, and with his black brothers of Africa and his brown and yellow brothers of Asia, South America and the Caribbean, the United States Negro is moving with a sense of great urgency toward the promised land of racial justice. If one recognizes this vital urge that has engulfed the Negro community, one should readily understand why public demonstrations are taking place. The Negro has many pent-up resentments and latent frustrations, and he must release them. So let him march; let him make prayer pilgrimages to the city hall; let him go on freedom rides--and try to understand why he must do so. If his repressed emotions are not released in nonviolent ways, they will seek expression through violence; this is not a threat but a fact of history. So I have not said to my people: "Get rid of your discontent." Rather, I have tried to say that this normal and healthy discontent can be channeled into the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action. And now this approach is being termed extremist.<br />
But though I was initially disappointed at being categorized as an extremist, as I continued to think about the matter I gradually gained a measure of satisfaction from the label. Was not Jesus an extremist for love: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Was not Amos an extremist for justice: "Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream." Was not Paul an extremist for the Christian gospel: "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." Was not Martin Luther an extremist: "Here I stand; I cannot do otherwise, so help me God." And John Bunyan: "I will stay in jail to the end of my days before I make a butchery of my conscience." And Abraham Lincoln: "This nation cannot survive half slave and half free." And Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal ..." So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime---the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps the South, the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.<br />
I had hoped that the white moderate would see this need. Perhaps I was too optimistic; perhaps I expected too much. I suppose I should have realized that few members of the oppressor race can understand the deep groans and passionate yearnings of the oppressed race, and still fewer have the vision to see that injustice must be rooted out by strong, persistent and determined action. I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers in the South have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it. They are still too few in quantity, but they are big in quality. Some---such as Ralph McGill, Lillian Smith, Harry Golden, James McBride Dabbs, Ann Braden and Sarah Patton Boyle---have written about our struggle in eloquent and prophetic terms. Others have marched with us down nameless streets of the South. They have languished in filthy, roach-infested jails, suffering the abuse and brutality of policemen who view them as "dirty nigger lovers." Unlike so many of their moderate brothers and sisters, they have recognized the urgency of the moment and sensed the need for powerful "action" antidotes to combat the disease of segregation.<br />
Let me take note of my other major disappointment. I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership. Of course, there are some notable exceptions. I am not unmindful of the fact that each of you has taken some significant stands on this issue. I commend you, Reverend Stallings, for your Christian stand on this past Sunday, in welcoming Negroes to your worship service on a non segregated basis. I commend the Catholic leaders of this state for integrating Spring Hill College several years ago.<br />
But despite these notable exceptions, I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. I do not say this as one of those negative .critics who can always find. something wrong with the church. I say this as a minister of the gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of Rio shall lengthen.<br />
When I was suddenly catapulted into the leadership of the bus protest in Montgomery, Alabama, a few years ago, I felt we would be supported by the white church felt that the white ministers, priests and rabbis of the South would be among our strongest allies. Instead, some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leader era; an too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained-glass windows.<br />
In spite of my shattered dreams, I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause and, with deep moral concern, would serve as the channel through which our just grievances could reach the power structure. I had hoped that each of you would understand. But again I have been disappointed.<br />
I have heard numerous southern religious leaders admonish their worshipers to comply with a desegregation decision because it is the law, but I have longed to hear white ministers declare: "Follow this decree because integration is morally right and because the Negro is your brother." In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I have watched white churchmen stand on the sideline and mouth pious. irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and economic injustice, I have heard many ministers say: "Those are social issues, with which the gospel has no real concern." And I have watched many churches commit themselves to a completely other worldly religion which makes a strange, on Biblical distinction between body and soul, between the sacred and the secular.<br />
I have traveled the length and breadth of Alabama, Mississippi and all the other southern states. On sweltering summer days and crisp autumn mornings I have looked at the South's beautiful churches with their lofty spires pointing heavenward. I have beheld the impressive outlines of her massive religious-education buildings. Over and over I have found myself asking: "What kind of people worship here? Who is their God? Where were their voices when the lips of Governor Barnett dripped with words of interposition and nullification? Where were they when Governor Wallace gave a clarion call for defiance and hatred? Where were their voices of support when bruised and weary Negro men and women decided to rise from the dark dungeons of complacency to the bright hills of creative protest?"<br />
Yes, these questions are still in my mind. In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I do otherwise? l am in the rather unique position of being the son, the grandson and the great-grandson of preachers. Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists.<br />
There was a time when the church was very powerful in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators"' But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were "a colony of heaven," called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God intoxicated to be "astronomically intimidated." By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide. and gladiatorial contests.<br />
Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Par from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent and often even vocal sanction of things as they are.<br />
But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it vi lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust.<br />
Perhaps I have once again been too optimistic. Is organized religion too inextricably bound to the status quo to save our nation and the world? Perhaps I must turn my faith to the inner spiritual church, the church within the church, as the true ecclesia and the hope of the world. But again I am thankful to God that some noble souls from the ranks of organized religion have broken loose from the paralyzing chains of conformity and joined us as active partners in the struggle for freedom, They have left their secure congregations and walked the streets of Albany, Georgia, with us. They have gone down the highways of the South on tortuous rides for freedom. Yes, they have gone to jai with us. Some have been dismissed from their churches, have lost the support of their bishops and fellow ministers. But they have acted in the faith that right defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. Their witness has been the spiritual salt that has preserved the true meaning of the gospel in these troubled times. They have carved a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment.<br />
I hope the church as a whole will meet the challenge of this decisive hour. But even if the church does not come to the aid of justice, I have no despair about the future. I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in Birmingham, even if our motives are at present misunderstood. We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham, ham and all over the nation, because the goal of America k freedom. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with America's destiny. Before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson etched the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence across the pages of history, we were here. For more than two centuries our forebears labored in this country without wages; they made cotton king; they built the homes of their masters while suffering gross injustice and shameful humiliation-and yet out of a bottomless vitality they continued to thrive and develop. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands.<br />
Before closing I feel impelled to mention one other point in your statement that has troubled me profoundly. You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping "order" and "preventing violence." I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys; if you were to observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. I cannot join you in your praise of the Birmingham police department.<br />
It is true that the police have exercised a degree of discipline in handing the demonstrators. In this sense they have conducted themselves rather "nonviolently" in public. But for what purpose? To preserve the evil system of segregation. Over the past few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or perhaps even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends. Perhaps Mr. Connor and his policemen have been rather nonviolent in public, as was Chief Pritchett in Albany, Georgia but they have used the moral means of nonviolence to maintain the immoral end of racial injustice. As T. S. Eliot has said: "The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason."<br />
I wish you had commended the Negro sit-inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation. One day the South will recognize its real heroes. There will be the James Merediths, with the noble sense of purpose that enables them to face jeering and hostile mobs, and with the agonizing loneliness that characterizes the life of the pioneer. There will be the old, oppressed, battered Negro women, symbolized in a seventy-two-year-old woman in Montgomery, Alabama, who rose up with a sense of dignity and with her people decided not to ride segregated buses, and who responded with ungrammatical profundity to one who inquired about her weariness: "My feets is tired, but my soul is at rest." There will be the young high school and college students, the young ministers of the gospel and a host of their elders, courageously and nonviolently sitting in at lunch counters and willingly going to jail for conscience' sake. One day the South will know that when these disinherited children of God sat down at lunch counters, they were in reality standing up for what is best in the American dream and for the most sacred values in our Judaeo-Christian heritage, thereby bringing our nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in their formulation of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.<br />
Never before have I written so long a letter. I'm afraid it is much too long to take your precious time. I can assure you that it would have been much shorter if I had been writing from a comfortable desk, but what else can one do when he is alone in a narrow jail cell, other than write long letters, think long thoughts and pray long prayers?<br />
If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates my having a patience that allows me to settle for anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me.<br />
I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.<br />
Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood,<br />
Martin Luther King, Jr.<br />
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Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-73349282656733225792020-05-17T08:33:00.001-07:002020-05-17T08:33:32.687-07:00Recalculating Part 1 Walking in Humility<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bi-31b6KmFs" width="480"></iframe>Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-45609870913410008162020-04-29T12:49:00.001-07:002020-04-29T13:34:46.516-07:00Why I Don't Believe Quarantine is an Attack on the Church <div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 30px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 8px;">
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">We are living in strange times right now. This is an unprecedented situation that our generation has never found ourselves in. Tensions are getting high as people are quarantined in their homes. Some are afraid of contracting the COVID-19 virus, while others have economic and employment concerns. In times like these we are tempted to give into our fear, look for conspiracy theories, or just give into our anger. As a Christian, I believe there is a hope that we can hold on to in difficult times. At this point I reject some of the theories out there, but I could be proven wrong.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I don’t believe there is a left-winged conspiracy against churches.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">For starters, many are making the argument that Costco and liquors stores are essential but churches are not. I understand the frustration with this. Christians should feel like their church is essential and it is offensive to say that it isn’t. I personally don’t like the fact that liquor stores are open, since I am a non-drinker, they don’t seem that important to me. However comparing them to churches is a bad comparison. People don’t congregate in liquor stores, sing, and pray together - activities that can spread a virus. Additionally, I realize it is more likely to contact COVID19 at Costco then some churches, but Costco sells food. To the authorities, the food chain is essential. From a stand point of a pandemic, churches should be compared more to movie theaters and concerts, places where people gather in one place. To me, a church is far more essential than a movie or a concert. For a health official, the risk to spread a virus is the same. If they were to band churches form broadcasting our services online, there would be more validity to this argument. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I don’t believe the virus is fake or that it is not deadly.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">The numbers are proving that COVID19 is much deadlier than the flu. Numbers are not as high as projected so far, but that may be because we have been in quarantine. If these measures had not been taken, things could be much worse. Lifting them too soon may be a big mistake.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">I do have genuine concerns.</span></b></span></div>
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<li style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b>I struggle with the limits of government</b>. The United States is a unique country. Not only are we a Democratic-Republic, but we also have always struggled between the rights of states and the Federal Government. We are not used to seeing this much government control. It seems to me that many in political leadership are trying to navigate new waters. Governors are still free to open and close their states. It is important to me that we properly navigate and discuss the limits we want on our government. We should give as much grace and understanding as possible to secular leaders, while ensuring and protecting these limits</span></li>
<li style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>I wonder if this is the best plan.</b> There seems to be no real plan here. Some states are opening up, others are closing down. We need to drastically increase testing, Worse of all, COVID-19 has become a political issue (like everything now). Politics is about winning, this has to be about getting things right. People will die if the wrong decisions are made, not to mention the strain on the economy. </span></li>
<li style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px 0px 8px;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>I am concerned that we won’t care for the weakest among us</b>. — Sweden is a test case for the world right now. Currently in Sweden there are little restrictions. They are relying on herd immunity to combat the virus. They have tried to quarantine those who are high risk. In some ways this seems to be working, since the country’s over all numbers are in line with Ireland. There is a spike, however, of infected people in nursing homes. Even with their quarantine steps, the most vulnerable are still getting sick. Perhaps, to a secular culture this may seem ok. Quoting Spock from the “Wrath of Kahn”, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” The Christian worldview is different. The many should be willing to suffer inconvenience and hardship to protect the most vulnerable among us. If we are going to argue for a Christian worldview in society, we should be concerned first about protecting the weakest.</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-kerning: none;">James 1:27 New International Version (NIV)</span><span style="font-kerning: none;">27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.</span></b></blockquote>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The church is essential.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">As a pastor, I always struggle with this question: “If your church were to shut down today, who in your community would be upset?” Perhaps the church isn’t seen as essential because we haven’t been. We are called to be healers. Jesus was a healer first, then a teacher, then a preacher. Perhaps we have gotten that backwards. I can’t help but think that somehow the church should have been better prepared for this. Seems to me we have depended way too much on the Sunday event and not enough on our ministry. People in the pew may be crying out because they miss the church service, but if our communities aren’t upset, that may be our fault. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">There are three mistakes Christians commonly make with the culture around us: we hide from it, we fight it, or we conform to it. The church is always essential to society. We offer a conscience to the government, changed lives through the gospel, and a voice for the most vulnerable. This crisis challenges us to address our culture with love and truth. Everything has changed. We are essential. It is time for us to figure out how we are going to be. </span></div>
Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-64462481270237557422019-02-21T13:50:00.003-08:002019-02-21T13:50:38.357-08:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<b>15 Minutes Could Change Your Life </b></h2>
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There is a famous car insurance company that says “15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.” I’m not sure if that is always true but there is a way 15 minutes could change your life. How can this happen? Take the 15 minutes spiritual challenge. Take 15 minutes a day to invest in your spirit. This one small habit can make a huge difference. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A recent article on inc.com stats that successful people spend their mornings differently than others. Unlike most of us they do not get up just in time to go to work, rush to get their kids to school, and just barely make it to work. They do not start their day in stress, but rather on purpose. Successful people tend to do 4 things: They get up early, they get moving (usually committing time to exercise), They recharge themselves (usually through prayer or meditation), and they tackle their hardest task first. It is the third thing that I would like to talk about here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Many successful people start their day addressing their spirits through prayer or meditation. Isn’t it interesting that recharging their spirits is more important than getting an early jump on their work? This is a very different picture than what we see in popular movies, where the successful person is stressed, overworked, and ignores herself, her family, and her personal needs. In reality, many successful people look beyond themselves for focus and direction. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In our church, we challenge people to take the 15-minute challenge. We challenge people to spend 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week in prayer and scripture reading. For me personally, my prayer time can be meditative and reflective, or a celebration of praise and thanksgiving. I often go for walks and pray. That’s right. If you see me walking by the beach in the morning and my mouth is moving, I am not talking to myself nor am I crazy. I am praying! Prayer and Christian meditation change me and make a big difference in my life. Here is how: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Prayer and Christian meditation remind me that I am not alone</b>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We are a people who tend to be self-centered. It is not that we want to be, but life takes over. There is work, the children or the grandchildren, the chores, or the whatever. Life takes over. That is why we rush for here to there, thinking about our own need and wants. This can create lonely life, not to mention that is also exhausting. Focusing on ourselves or on our work only, creates a real sense of loneness. Prayer reminds us that we are not alone. Many times, I have encountered a real sense that God is with me. I become aware of His presence. It has been my experience, that God is not far from us. He is as close to us right now as we want Him to be.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Prayer and Christian meditation bring gratitude into my life. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Gratitude is powerful. It is sad that we only think of it once a year when we eat turkey. I have heard it said that it is impossible to feel a feeling of thankfulness and a feeling of anxiety at the same time. I found this to be true for me. When I center on myself, I am acutely aware of my limitations and fears. This creates anxiety in my life. I begin to worry, and most of what I worry about I cannot even control. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Gratefulness takes us out of the driver’s seat. We realize that we have things that we do not deserve, nor have we earned. All of us do. Being thankful puts us in a state of mind where we can receive more. We can also put the proper things into perspective. We might become more thankful for people we love, rather than being upset about the things we don’t have. God has blessed us more than we think. Prayer helps us see it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Prayer and Christian meditation focus me on the right things.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Real success is not measured by the car I drive or the size of my house. It is my relationship with God, my family, and my personal character. Starting my day with prayer and scripture reading focuses my mind on the things that are important. Prayer for me is more about being in God’s presence and being changed. Many have an idea that prayer is just about getting God to do the things they want him to do for them. No doubt, there is a time and place to ask God for things, but for me prayer is more about changing me. Prayer changes my focus, changes my desires, and changes my character. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When I pray now, I usually spend more than 15 minutes, but when I started 15 minutes was a long time. Now, it is a time I look forward to.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Successful people know the value of starting early and not procrastinating. More importantly, many know the value of having a healthy body, mind and spirit. God is not far from us. The Apostle Paul said He is as close as our mouths. One of the ancient prophets said that if we draw near to Him, He would draw near to us. This I also found to be true. Take the 15 min challenge today. Start by reading verses from the Gospel of John or go for a quiet walk. Just 15 minutes could change your life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-13801345951661336352019-02-05T14:14:00.003-08:002019-02-06T10:08:37.772-08:00Three Mistakes We Need to Stop Making When It Comes to Being Generous<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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During the latest government shut-down our church participated in supporting our local Coast Guard. Until then, many did not realize that the Coast Guard is under Homeland Security and does not get paid during the shut-downs. We contributed to the Coast Guard Spouses Assoc. food bank. We were amazed to see the outpouring of our local community towards our service men and women. Their food bank was full before we could get our gifts to them. The gifts our church gave were very small in comparison to the outpouring from the community. Gifts were sent to other Coast Guard bases around the country and extra food is still being sent out to local food banks. This was one those times I was so proud to be a part of the community in Cape May County. It was a picture of how powerful generosity could be. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Currently in our church we are doing a series on generosity called “The Blessed Life” based on a book by Robert Morris. I am challenging myself and the congregation to be more generous in 2019. Generosity is powerful. It not only changes the lives of those we help, but it has a profound effect our lives. There are three common mistakes we make that stop us from being generous.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>We Give Away our Power</b> <o:p></o:p></div>
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When it comes to finances, often feel out of control. We feel like we are slaves to our income, living paycheck to paycheck. When we come to the conclusion that we are not able to give to others, we are putting our circumstances in charge of us. Making a financial plan with a plan to be generous gives us back our power. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In our family we make giving a part of our financial planning. No matter how little we make, it is important that giving be a part of our plan. It helps us to realize that we are making a difference and we can help in the greater good. For us, the start of giving is the concept of the tithe. The scriptures speak of the tithe or the “First Fruits” offering. It meant that the first ten percent of your harvest (or money in today’s currency) went to God. In ancient Israel it was the Temple, for Christians today it is the local church. We have found that putting the tithe last in our plan never works. We have to make it the first priority. After that, we look for other ways and places we can give. We find that putting giving first, helps us to realize we are making a difference.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Putting giving into your financial planning, no matter what percentage you choose, starts to give you control. It is good at the end of the month to know you helped someone other than yourself. It empowers you to make better financial decisions and gives a sense of control even in the direst of circumstances. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>We Miss the Opportunity to Change </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Giving is a heart issue. Jesus wisely taught that “where your treasure is, your heart will be also”. We care about things in which we invest our money. Deciding to generous, changes the direction of our thoughts and emotions. It also changes our character. <o:p></o:p></div>
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People often make the mistake of thinking that only people with wealth can be generous. This is not true. The reality is, this best time to learn to be generous is when money is tight. Why? Because it is easier to learn how to give ten dollars than it is to give a thousand. Giving is not an issue of your financial situation, it is a heart issue. Being generous changes our character, and people can smell it on us. I believe givers are more likely to get job offers, promotions, and customers. No one wants to hire or work with a stingy person. If it is hard for you to give away money when you have a little, it will be harder when you have a lot. This little act of giving, can change our character and change the path of our lives.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>We Close Ourselves Off From Others </b><o:p></o:p></div>
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The final mistake we make is isolation. Human nature makes us prone to dwell mostly on our own problems, and to ignore the plight of others. Think about your thoughts during the day. What percentage of your time do you think is spent thinking about yourself and your problems? If you are like me, it’s probably about ninety percent, maybe ninety-nine. We are by nature selfish. Our selfishness hurts us in a deep way. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Think about the most memorable and meaningful times of your life. Are they when your were selfish and got exactly what you wanted, or were they times you spent spending time with others, giving to others, or helping someone else? Our best times in life are when we give to others in some way. Giving connects us with others. As stated above, Jesus taught us that our heart follows our treasure. We are connected to those we choose to bless, even in the smallest way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The next time someone asks you to help a church, charity or an important cause, take it for what it is – a blessing! The act of giving develops a life-changing attitude of generosity. It will do much more for you, than it will ever do for them. <o:p></o:p></div>
Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-42445183911954747092018-08-21T19:16:00.001-07:002018-08-21T19:16:21.477-07:00Podcast 08 20 2018<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T_8U4HkWPoQ" width="480"></iframe>Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-9948381788804194932016-07-27T15:28:00.001-07:002016-07-27T15:48:40.767-07:00Humility Over Politics <h1 class="passage-display" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px 0px 20px;">
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<span class="text 2Chr-7-14" id="en-NIV-11339" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">" </span>if my people, who are called by my name,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-11339A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-11339A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> will humble<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-11339B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-11339B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> themselves and pray and seek my face<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-11339C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-11339C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> and turn<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-11339D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-11339D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> from their wicked ways, then I will hear<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-11339E" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-11339E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> from heaven, and I will forgive<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-11339F" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-11339F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> their sin and will heal<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-11339G" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-11339G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> their land."</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="text 2Chr-7-14" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In my current sermon series we are talking about rising above politics. This scripture holds some principles for us in finding our healing. Political parties and our country are broken right now, and contrary to what many believe, there is no man or woman that has the power to heal our land. Sunday, I spent a lot of time speaking about humility. Since then I have begun to wonder about how Jesus dealt with politics. I always thought he avoided politics but in reality he had various political people around him. Politics was a daily reality for him, just like it is for us. Take a look at some of his disciples. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Simon the Zealot <span style="font-weight: normal;">- This is not Simon/Peter but another one of his disciples. If this Simon was the kind of Zealot we believe he was, he was one of the most radical of political people. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> The Zealots refused to pay taxes, and wanted war with Rome. His identity was so married to his political ideas that it was part of his name. Jesus definitely was not a war monger, but I wonder how long it took for Simon to let go of his political ideas?</span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Matthew the Tax Collector</b> - It is amazing to think that Matthew and Simon could be in the same room. Tax collectors worked for Rome. While the Zealots worked to defeat the system, tax collectors benefited from it. Often they would take extra money from the people, and Rome looked the other way. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The "Regular Joes" - Peter, James, John and Andrew - </b>These men were fisherman, blue collar, the regular guys. You would think that they were the least political, but we find that not to be true. It was these men who argued about who would be greatest in Christ's kingdom. They could have been thinking, "about time the average guy gets an opportunity". These would be the guys that were tired of the politicians (or rulers). They thought Jesus was going to bring change, and make things better. They misunderstood his mission. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All of these men were missing one of the most important ingredients for healing: humility. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jesus states that the greatest in his kingdom would be the servant of all. So here are my humility questions:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>1. Are we willing to relinquish control?</b> Simon wanted to fight for his rights but Jesus wanted him to lay down his life. Matthew had a nice life working for the state, but Christ called him to give it up. Maybe we will have more influence on people when we lay down our lives for them, instead of screaming at them about who to vote for. Can we trust that Christ can bring healing to our lives and our land, as we serve others?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>2. Are we willing to admit that our candidate is not the answer? </b>We all should vote and our vote should reflect who we are and what we believe. Candidates, however do not bring healing to our land - God does. God has chosen his primary vehicle of change on earth to be the church. My candidate did not win in the primaries, but if he did he would not be able to heal our land. Peter, James, John, and Andrew lost their political gamble when Christ died on the cross. They were discouraged and disillusioned. The resurrected Christ however, made them leaders in the church, not through political parties, but through supernatural power. This is where real change comes from. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="text Jas-4-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px;">What causes fights and quarrels<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30339A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30339A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30339B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30339B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> within you?</span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="text Jas-4-2" id="en-NIV-30340" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px;">You desire but do not have, so you kill.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30340C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30340C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.</span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">When you ask, you do not receive,</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30341D" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30341D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> because you ask with wrong motives,</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-30341E" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-30341E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.</span></h1>
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<span class="text Jas-4-3" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We once had a newly converted woman attend our church. Her family almost stopped her from coming to church because they though we would make her a Republican! May seem a little funny but I wonder how many people reject the gospel because we have been so affiliated with political parties. The early disciples had a diversity of political opinions and Jesus wasn't interested in changing their parties or their votes. All of them had to learn humility regardless of their political beliefs. Our churches need to have room for a variety of political beliefs. We do not need to unify around temporary political candidates or parties. We unify around Christ, His kingdom and His mission. </span></span></div>
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<span class="text Jas-4-3" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The next president will not heal our land, neither will gender bathroom issues, gay marriage, saying Merry Christmas, or Supreme Court Justices. While these issues are important, it will be our humility, our dependence upon Christ, and the laying down of our lives for the world, that will bring change and healing. I for one, am tired of looking for answers from the next politician when the answer is right in front of us.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Jas-4-3" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> 2 Chronicles 7:14</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Jas-4-3" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.Blessings!</span></span></div>
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Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-47187067540162040332016-07-23T18:23:00.006-07:002016-07-23T18:35:11.581-07:00Your Vote is Your Voice, Not Your Party's<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This blog was a response to someone who asked me about my response to Walker's and Cruz's speeches at the RNC convention is 2016. The person who asked me the question asked also about a Ross Perot situation. She implied that people voting for Ross Perot stole the election from George HW Bush. This is a difficult question. I believe however, that voting your conscience is more powerful in the long run than voting your party. Here are 3 illustrations that point to why.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><b>1. Socialist </b>– The socialist political party has been part of our sy</span></span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">stem for decades but no one took them seriously. They were faithful to their third party vote, while they worked their philosophy at the local level (a philosophy I do not believe in). The Democratic Party (DP) saw this and started moving toward this group of voters. Now the DP is pretty much a socialist party. So my first question is, what would have happened if socialist were not so committed to their cause? Would they have changed the DP?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b>2. African Americans</b> – Many African Americans are concerned over socialist policies from the DP that they feel have ripped apart the African American family. When they stand up against it what happens? They often get ostracized. Why? Because the DP has told the African American community that they have no other place to go. People on the right see this as a gross injustice. Yet the message the GOP is giving to Christians, Conservatives and other groups is the same – “You have nowhere else to go.” This is nothing short of manipulation.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b>3. Car Dealers</b> – The DP and GOP are private political parties selling a product. The conventions are 4 day infomercials. That is all they are. Would we accept this kind of marketing from a car dealership? If Red car company pointed out to us that while it is true that their cars have killed 10 people, the blue car company has killed a 100 people, would we buy their red car, or would we look for a car from a completely different company, neither the red or the blue? Would it matter how popular the red and the blue car companies were?<br /><br />While I really respect Walker and others who make statements like this, Walker is a reluctant salesman for a private political party. His best sales line was “We are bad but not as bad as or competition”. This decision however, is way more important than car. It is decision over who will be the leader over the free world. “We are not as bad as the other guys” is just not a good enough argument for me.<br /><br />Our vote is not always about winning and loosing, its about making our voice heard. When a private political party tells you they are your only choice, and you believe them; they have successfully silenced your voice. As far as Ross Perot, the "product" was seen as weak. People were not happy with George HW so they looked for an alternative. Perot could not have run against Reagan because he was seen as a stronger "product". The responsibility for loosing falls on George HW and GOP, not Ross Perot or the people who voted for him.<br /><br />I am trying to take my vote prayerfully and seriously. Some people are looking at the red car and saying “this is the best car I’ve ever seen”, others feel “this is the only car I can buy”. I understand both of these positions (the second more than the first). There is nothing in the constitution that stops me from looking for another alternative. Hillary does not get an extra vote if I vote third party. We only have two parties because WE have decided we only have two parties. The country, the GOP and the DP in my view are all broken. We didn’t get here over night, and things will not be solved in this election. The best we can do is pray for direction and vote our conscience. This is my little voice in a sea of voices. Its time for unity around principles, not parties. </span></span>Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-16688864285811000082015-04-14T08:59:00.001-07:002015-04-14T09:08:37.160-07:00<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVd26xOQDmLVDQPtJXJNfL5J7UXzKvs9E62zMjUGI9D2khGOmtwmb6v8JrxMjFCgQGYdXbUQXJKaxYFEMzQfPuW76klIlISY3P3EW8kwcZhfZNuyQ_8NWYq6j1e4sHLL1W3k9BshIjLruO/s1600/holy-spirit1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVd26xOQDmLVDQPtJXJNfL5J7UXzKvs9E62zMjUGI9D2khGOmtwmb6v8JrxMjFCgQGYdXbUQXJKaxYFEMzQfPuW76klIlISY3P3EW8kwcZhfZNuyQ_8NWYq6j1e4sHLL1W3k9BshIjLruO/s1600/holy-spirit1.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Spirit of Faith </span></b></div>
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Galatians 3:2New Living Translation (NLT)</div>
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2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ.</div>
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Paul is confronting the people of Galatians about observing the law instead of putting their faith in Christ. Here he ask them the question: Did they receive the Holy Spirit by faith or by observing the law?</div>
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Interesting here is the connection with the Holy Spirit and faith. For Paul to ask this question, the churches must have had real Holy Spirit experiences. I believed this included tongues, healing and supernatural power. The Holy Spirit was received by simple faith. Working for God’s favor and power is contrary to the Spirit’s work. We must simply receive what He has for us. The Spirit is a critical part of experiencing the cross and living the work of Christ. By faith the Spirit unfolds for us our daily walk with Christ. That is why living in the Spirit is the part of the normal Christian life. He does more than miracles and signs, He is the revealer of the living Christ.</div>
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Lord open up my eyes to with work of the Holy Spirit. Let Him be completely integrated in my life. Holy Spirit reveal Christ to me.</div>
Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-2058177009105418602015-01-06T08:40:00.000-08:002015-01-06T08:40:11.242-08:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px;">
<b>Where is God's Kingdom?</b></div>
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<b>Luke 17:20-21English Standard Version (ESV)</b></div>
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<b>The Coming of the Kingdom</b></div>
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20 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, 21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”[a]</div>
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Where is the evidence that there is a Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God is much different from an earthly kingdom that many were looking for. They were concern with signs and times when God will take over the world. Christ tells us that the Kingdom is not as concrete as that. God’s Kingdom is not like earthly kingdoms. It is a spiritual kingdom that is already among us. It is inside believers and is working in the mist of this world.</div>
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<b>Application</b></div>
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Sometimes we get too concerned about signs of the times, the end of days and signs for the return of Christ. While the Bible does say that we are to read the signs, we are not waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. The Kingdom of God is here now. It is working throughout this physical earth and the work of God is being accomplished. There are signs that is it exist, but we cannot always see it. Most important, it is within us, making us a critical part of God’s plan. We look forward to the return of Christ but we are not waiting for the Kingdom of God. We are to live breath and move in the Kingdom of God now. We proclaim now that Christ is present to change lives. God’s power is present to enable us to overcome. Things that are happening in the spiritual world now will reveal themselves in the physical world later. That does not mean that we have to wait to experience them. The work of Christ has brought God’s kingdom among us. </div>
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Lord reveal your Kingdom work. We wish to see changed lives by the power of the Holy Spirit and the work of Christ. Perform signs and wonders with healing. Reveal to us the power and the presence of Your Kingdom. Help us to be constantly engaged in Your kingdom work. Let the power of Your Kingdom move ahead of us and behind us. </div>
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Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-73975123432912642652014-12-18T10:19:00.000-08:002014-12-18T10:22:55.396-08:00Creating a Culture of Honor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Iowan Old Style';"><b>Creating A Culture of Honor</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Iowan Old Style';">Jour</span>nal Thursday, December 18, 2014</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">Scripture</span></b></div>
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Luke 13:6-9New King James Version (NKJV)</div>
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The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree</div>
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6 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7 Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that[<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(99, 30, 22); color: #631e16;">a</span>] you can cut it down.’</div>
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This tree represents the people of Israel who had been planted in a fertile vineyard. God cared for them for a long time but they bore not fruit. The keeper is Jesus who intercedes for the people of God. he interceded for more time so God’s people could bear fruit, giving them more fertilizer by planting Israel in the church. If they would respond to the care of the gardner and bear fruit they would receive the blessing of salvation. </div>
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God calls His people to respond to Him and bear fruit. It is not enough for us to be forgiven but to change our hearts and bear fruit for our Father. The fruit I am thinking about today is the fruit of honor. We think too much in terms of right and wrong. We ask “Is it ok for me to …?” The more important question is, “How can I honor my savior and my God?” The honor question is a much deeper question. The former is about what I can get away with, or what is the least expected of me. This is part of the reason why Israel did not bear fruit. They were more concerned with expectations then with honor. They had long discussions of expectations, but could not honor the savior who was sent to heal them. </div>
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The question I have today is, “How can I honor God”, and “how can I honor His people?” How do we create a culture of honor?</div>
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Lord - Help me to create an culture of honor, first in my heart, then in my relationships. Let my first concern be about honoring you and giving honor to whom honor is due. Create a culture of honor in my family and a culture of honor in our church. In Jesus Name! </div>
Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-63062140846877566052014-11-13T06:49:00.003-08:002014-11-13T06:49:59.808-08:00<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Iowan Old Style'; font-size: 18px;">
<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Iowan Old Style'; font-size: 18px;">Is it About Status or Service?</b></div>
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<b>Luke 9:46-48New King James Version (NKJV)</b></div>
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<b>Who Is the Greatest?</b></div>
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46 Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. 47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, 48 and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.”</div>
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<b>Observation</b></div>
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The disciples were worried about the organization and the administration of an earthly kingdom. They had yet to understand that the Kingdom of God is spiritual and its rules are very different from earth earthly rules. They were worried about their positions but Christ was concerned about the motivations of their hearts.</div>
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<b>Application</b></div>
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We are called to become like little children in the Kingdom of God</div>
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Iowan Old Style'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span>Children do not have status — The Kingdom of God is not about status but about service. We are not to seek positions in the church but places of service to the body.</li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Iowan Old Style'; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span>Children need to learn — We must be humble enough to be in a place of constant learning and growing. None of us ever arrive.</li>
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<b>Prayer</b></div>
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Lord save us from our arrogance and help us not be so worried about ourselves. Help us to see the value of serving over status. Help us to walk in the principles of the kingdom. </div>
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Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-32824736647548307052014-11-05T09:35:00.002-08:002014-11-05T14:43:44.757-08:00How much of our life is about preserving instead of trusting?<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Iowan Old Style'; font-size: 18px;">
<b>Prayer Journal Wednesday, November 5, 2014</b></div>
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<b>Scripture</b></div>
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<b>Mark 8:17-21New Living Translation (NLT)</b></div>
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17 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 18 ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’[a] Don’t you remember anything at all? 19 When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?”</div>
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“Twelve,” they said.</div>
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20 “And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?”</div>
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“Seven,” they said.</div>
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21 “Don’t you understand yet?” he asked them.</div>
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<b>Observation</b></div>
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Jesus told them to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod. The Pharisees were self-righteous and Herod was self-indulgent. Both were motivated by self-interest and self-preservation. Interestingly, the disciples of Christ reacted to his statement in a similar manner. They argued among themselves about bread, defending themselves and justifying themselves. Jesus asked four pointed questions:</div>
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He then reminded them of the feeding of the 5000 and the 4000.</div>
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<b>Application</b></div>
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Just as the Pharisees and Herod were worried about their own self-interest, the disciples fell into the same trap. Greed has two sides — What we want to have, and what we are afraid of loosing. The Pharisees had respected positions and honor from the people. Herod had a kingdom that he needed to protect. Both rejected to true way to God because of the greed that was in their hearts. </div>
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The disciples needed to learn that this “yeast” could spread to them as well. The very fact that they were defending themselves hardened their hearts and brought strife. They were in danger of being blinded by self-preservation, and unable to hear the message of Christ. They were also in danger of forgetting the works of Christ, and falling into despair. </div>
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Christ is the center of our salvation and everything we need. Because of His work, the need for self-preservation goes away. Look at the questions he asked the disciples: How many baskets were left over after 5000? Answer: twelve — a basket for each apostle. How many were left over after the feeding of the 4000? Answer: seven: the number of completion. The provision of Christ’s work is abundant, freeing us from the temptation of self-preservation and greed.</div>
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We need to watch out for the “yeast” that is motivated from self-reliance and not relying on the work of Christ. There is no need for us to give in to our insecurities and be self-defensive. Christ is our abundant provider and He can be trusted. </div>
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<b>Prayer</b></div>
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Lord help me to avoid the “yeast” of self-preservation and greed. Help me to see that You can be trusted and I don’t need to preserve my positions or my rights. You are an abundant provider and You freely provide all that I need, physically and spiritually. Help me to remember all You have already done. </div>
Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-75547056986990852252014-10-16T07:41:00.005-07:002014-10-16T10:11:33.825-07:00Life and Death are Truly in the Tongue<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Iowan Old Style'; font-size: 18px;">
<b>Journal Thursday, October 16, 2014</b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mark 6:23New King James Version (NKJV)</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">23 He also swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">John the Baptist warned Herod and his wife Herodias about their illegal marriage. She left her husband, Herod’s brother, to marry him. John warned them about their sin, but instead of taking heed, Herodias wanted to suppress the message. In this famous scene Herod, promises half of his kingdom to Herodias’ daughter because he was pleased with her dance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Herod spoke impulsively (a trait also attributed to King Saul in 1 Samuel). He was under Roman rule and was a figure head at best. He actually had no kingdom to offer. Herod was a man driven to impress people and here his words trapped him. Herodias’ daughter asked for the head of John the Baptist — a man he did not want to kill.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Application</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is an example where life and death is actually in the tongue. Herod trapped himself by being concerned about impressing his guest. To not concur with the request would have caused him to loose credibility and weaken his position as ruler. He could have repented and put his life in the hands of God, but the words he spoke made it too difficult for him. He felt forced to heap on another level of evil to his life because he was bound by the impulsive words that he spoke.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lord help me measure my words carefully. Please save me from the temptation of worrying about the opinions of others to the point that I make unwanted compromises. Help me to listen and follow your commands, not just be entertained by them. Amen</span></div>
Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-91140111111671958642014-10-14T11:33:00.001-07:002014-10-14T11:33:32.502-07:00Sometimes God is Late <div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: 'Iowan Old Style'; font-size: 18px;">
<b>Tuesday 10/14/2014</b></div>
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<b>Sometimes God is Late</b></div>
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<b>Scripture Luke 8:50 NLT </b></div>
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But when Jesus heard what had happened, he said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Just have faith, and she will be healed.”</div>
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Jairus was desperate for his daughter to be healed. There was a real sense of urgency when he asked Christ to come with him. He must have been very concerned and had mixed feelings when a woman touched Jesus’ robe and received her healing. We often separate these stories but they go very much together. As Jesus conversed with this woman Jairus must have been thinking, “Couldn’t this wait?” Panic must have been growing in him as Jesus stopped to look for the woman. Every precious second waisted could mean the end of his daughter's life. Suddenly his worse fears were realized — his daughter was dead. They were too late. I wonder if he screamed in agony at this horrible loss. I can only imagine the feeling of despair as he hears those words "don't bother the teacher any more ... " It was over now. Jesus was late and the situation was hopeless. </div>
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Suddenly Jesus spoke to him, "Don't be afraid..." At this point he had a moment of decision. Did Jesus let him down? Did He neglect his daughter or could he trust Him once more? Taking the huge step to trust in Christ, he received his daughter back form the dead!</div>
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God isn’t always on time, sometimes he is late. He has total control of life and of time. It appeared like one woman's healing would mean death for Jarius’ daughter but Jarius received a greater miracle then he could have imaged. What seemed like Jesus ignoring his need, provided an avenue for a greater blessing. We must be careful about being jealous of the blessings that others receive. They are not a deterrent to us receiving a blessing but are meant to be a faith builder for us. We need not fear the waiting but trust in Christ. </div>
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Can we trust God even when He is late?</div>
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Lord help us to be patient. We know a great healing and a blessings are coming. We choose to trust you one more time! <b style="font-size: 12px;"> </b></div>
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Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-35880874937208432302011-04-20T12:20:00.001-07:002011-04-20T12:20:48.334-07:00The Cross–Good Friday Thoughts<p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_b45z7JNx_-Y/Ta8yDXyk9PI/AAAAAAAAAE0/W1HlX6k6BCA/s1600-h/cross2%5B2%5D.jpg"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: left; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="cross2" border="0" alt="cross2" align="left" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_b45z7JNx_-Y/Ta8yDsrB1vI/AAAAAAAAAE4/LrnD7y_VNsE/cross2_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184"></a>I am currently at my desk working on my Good Friday sermon. I am once again amazed at the depth of the cross. It seems so simple to say that Jesus died for my sins, and yet that statement goes so deep. I think about what a helpless state that I am in. </p> <p>A good non-Christian friend once said to me “all religions are people climbing up different sides of the same mountain. They all end up in the same place.” This statement reminded me of the people of Israel in the dessert. At one point God was going to meet with Moses on a mountain. God told them “Don’t let them come near the mountain or they will die.” (paraphrase). That is how helpless we are. In our feeble attempt to create religions, so that we can climb a mountain and see God, we are not even able to come near the mountain! </p> <p>Today I admit my helplessness. I fall at the cross as one, who in myself, has fallen dramatically short of what God wants, and expects of me. At this place I also receive incredible forgiveness, grace, and strength. This place is the great equalizer of all humanity. The CEO on wall street, the factory worker, African, European, Asian, and American, men and women; all need to fall and admit their helpless need for God’s grace; here at the cross. I have not lived one day when I have impressed God with my goodness, but I feel His love and grace everyday. All because of the price my redeemer paid for me. So today I pray again the prayer I prayed so many years ago:</p> <p><em>Lord I am a sinner</em></p> <p><em>Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins</em></p> <p><em>I confess you as my Lord and Savior</em></p> <p><em>Thank you for forgiving me</em></p> <p><em>Amen</em></p> Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-76444997257442751992011-03-15T11:55:00.000-07:002011-03-15T11:55:05.310-07:00For God So Used a Stick of Wood.Francis Schaeffer in his book "No Little People" uses the illustration of the rod of Moses.<br />
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Moses was a shepherd for forty years. Every day he went to work and used his shepherd's rod to do his shepherd's stuff. This piece of wood was a stick form a tree and had been dead for at least forty years. When Moses met God at the burning bush; Moses objected to God's call by saying "How will they know you have sent me?". God answered with a very interesting question, a question I believe He asks us all. That question was this "What is in your hand?". All Moses had to offer God was a shepherds rod - a dead stick of wood. Throughout the ministry of Moses God used that dead stick of wood to defeat demonic powered magicians, bring the plagues on Egypt, cross the Red Sea, defeat the greatest army in the world, bring water from rock and much more. Almost everything God asked Moses to do was done through the dead stick of wood that was in his hand.<br />
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I love the thought that God only expects from me what I have to give. It reminds me of the boy with the loves and the fishes. Jesus used his little lunch to feed over 5000 people. God took a dead stick of wood consecrated to Him and did great and mighty things with it. What can He do with a person who is completely consecrated to Him? He doesn't ask us to climb a mountain, be better, or be something other than what we are. He never ask for what we do not have to give. He challenges us to live for Him and do His work. When we say "how?" , He asks us the same question He asked Moses: "What is in your hand?".Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4706816135579970450.post-73331455869051263472010-11-18T16:01:00.000-08:002010-11-18T16:01:34.814-08:00First BlogThis is a test more is coming.Pastor Leohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18084670811300627954noreply@blogger.com0