James D. Sanderson's Blog
January 21, 2019
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. NONVIOLENT WARRIOR
“The minute you conquer the fear of death, at that moment you are free. I submit to you that if a man hasn’t discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.”
- Martin Luther King Jr.
As a young pastor stepping into the pulpit of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery Alabama, it is unlikely that Dr. King had any idea that soon he would be thrust into the role of leader of the black community in a year-long bus boycott. It was unlikely that he could have predicted he would soon be leading the Civil Rights Movement. But he had one quality that many others lack: willingness. He was willing to put into action the words of Jesus Christ as they are found in the Bible. He was willing to place himself in the low position in order to prevail in the battle for basic human rights. He was willing to be struck without striking back, but to turn the other cheek to his attacker. He was willing to serve.
I can’t say how many times I have been corrected about the teachings of Jesus Christ called the Sermon on the Mount which seems to call us to live by impossible standards. “Oh no,” I am told, “That was for the time of Christ and not for this time. And besides, He is the Son of God. He may have been able to live up to such a standard, but He never would have expected us to live that way.” But I would like to call that thinking into question today.
You see, Nancy and I have tried to put into practice some of the impossible teachings of Jesus Christ, and in doing so we have seen some incredible miracles. That’s right. We have found that if you turn the other cheek to your attacker, something of the fear and hatred in them is reduced, and the courage in you increases. We have seen what happens when you call upon God to heal someone, even on their death bed. We have seen what happens when you stand with the poor in spirit, and those who mourn, and the meek who shall inherit the earth. Oh yes. We have seen what happens when you show mercy to those who don’t deserve mercy. We have experienced the blessings that flow over the peacemakers. We have seen what happens when you ask, seek, and knock.
Miracles happen! That’s what happens. And what I mean by a miracle is this: when we pray and a solution to a problem is presented to us that we would never have thought of on our own, never in a million years, and when we put that solution into practice and the outcome is so outrageously at odds with anything we might have anticipated, why, that is a miracle. That is an answer to prayer and answers to prayers are by definition going to be miraculous.
The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. saw miracles in his lifetime. We have seen miracles in our lifetime. And the key ingredient to participating in miracles in your life is this; willingness. If you are willing, I promise you, God will use you mightily. Do you want to be used mightily by God? Then say yes the next time He asks you something. It’s just that simple. Just say yes.
‘Sacred Are The Brave’ is available now on Amazon Kindle for $.99.
Sacred Are The Brave
Available on Smashwords for all your devices for free for a limited time: FREE
Like and Follow the author’s Facebook Book Page.
The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. speaks about The Drum Major Instinct. 38:42 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBiFn...
- Martin Luther King Jr.
As a young pastor stepping into the pulpit of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery Alabama, it is unlikely that Dr. King had any idea that soon he would be thrust into the role of leader of the black community in a year-long bus boycott. It was unlikely that he could have predicted he would soon be leading the Civil Rights Movement. But he had one quality that many others lack: willingness. He was willing to put into action the words of Jesus Christ as they are found in the Bible. He was willing to place himself in the low position in order to prevail in the battle for basic human rights. He was willing to be struck without striking back, but to turn the other cheek to his attacker. He was willing to serve.
I can’t say how many times I have been corrected about the teachings of Jesus Christ called the Sermon on the Mount which seems to call us to live by impossible standards. “Oh no,” I am told, “That was for the time of Christ and not for this time. And besides, He is the Son of God. He may have been able to live up to such a standard, but He never would have expected us to live that way.” But I would like to call that thinking into question today.
You see, Nancy and I have tried to put into practice some of the impossible teachings of Jesus Christ, and in doing so we have seen some incredible miracles. That’s right. We have found that if you turn the other cheek to your attacker, something of the fear and hatred in them is reduced, and the courage in you increases. We have seen what happens when you call upon God to heal someone, even on their death bed. We have seen what happens when you stand with the poor in spirit, and those who mourn, and the meek who shall inherit the earth. Oh yes. We have seen what happens when you show mercy to those who don’t deserve mercy. We have experienced the blessings that flow over the peacemakers. We have seen what happens when you ask, seek, and knock.
Miracles happen! That’s what happens. And what I mean by a miracle is this: when we pray and a solution to a problem is presented to us that we would never have thought of on our own, never in a million years, and when we put that solution into practice and the outcome is so outrageously at odds with anything we might have anticipated, why, that is a miracle. That is an answer to prayer and answers to prayers are by definition going to be miraculous.
The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. saw miracles in his lifetime. We have seen miracles in our lifetime. And the key ingredient to participating in miracles in your life is this; willingness. If you are willing, I promise you, God will use you mightily. Do you want to be used mightily by God? Then say yes the next time He asks you something. It’s just that simple. Just say yes.
‘Sacred Are The Brave’ is available now on Amazon Kindle for $.99.
Sacred Are The Brave
Available on Smashwords for all your devices for free for a limited time: FREE
Like and Follow the author’s Facebook Book Page.
The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. speaks about The Drum Major Instinct. 38:42 minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBiFn...
