Hello friends! In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. please listen to one of his speech. I heard these two speeches in my online class where we study his life and messages.
This speech was delivered to a junior high school in Philadelphia in 1967. It was so inspiring.
This speech was given in his parents’ church in the same year. Few months later he was assassinated. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you’ll be asked by God to do certain things. You don’t have to take the assignment if you don’t want to. MLK Jr. and his family members suffered greatly because of his leadership in the civil rights movement. He could have stopped at anytime and chosen an easier path for himself and his family. This sermon helped me to understand why he did not choose the easier and safer path.
This is the book that my class is reading from if you want to get a copy.
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/53360.A_Testament_of_Hope
Here are 10 things about MLK Jr. (It’s a short article.)
https://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-martin-luther-king-jr
Monday, 1/20/25 is not only MLK Jr day but it is also Inauguration Day for the new President in our country. No matter how you feel about President Trump and the new administration, it is our duty to pray for the leaders. I thought this prayer guide was very helpful. Please look through the prayers and pray 🙏.
I also thought this post and prayer for our elected leaders were very good too.
https://www.cuamerica.org/flying_blind_i_think_not_post
Here is a chart of all of Trump’s cabinet nominees.
Pete Hegseth is a new baby Christian. I learned that from hearing him in this Christian news report. He’ll need lots of prayers.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-world-and-everything-in-it/id454755642?i=1000684055419
For the past few months, I have been pondering on what is “biblical forgiveness”. I guess the forgiveness that I’ve seen didn’t satisfy my inquiring. Simply severing relationships didn’t seem right, and modern therapy seems to advise their clients that way. After reflecting upon MLK Jr writings and speeches, and then listening to this old sermon by Pastor Tim Keller, it made me realize that biblical forgiveness requires someone to suffer to forgive. It’s a superhuman ability to do “biblical forgiveness”. MLK Jr. tapped into the power of God within him to do that over and over and over again. This is how he had no bitterness and violence in his heart when he was giving these two speeches after about ten years into his activism. He was assassinated in April 4, 1948.
Jesus Christ is the perfect example of biblical forgiveness. No one suffered as much as Jesus did to forgive us, the children of wrath – the descendants of Adam and Eve. Pastor Tim Keller explained so well in this sermon on the requirement of a blood sacrifice to make us, mortals presentable to a Holy God. Please make time to hear his sermon from 2005. There are great theological doctrines in this sermon that can help you understand the need for blood sacrifice and what this gives us through Jesus Christ.
If you have time, please listen to this interview of a Korean-American pastor, Kenneth Bae who was led by God to go into North Korea and to bring in Christians as tourists to pray for North Korea. Talk about a very dangerous assignment by God! North Korea has the worst record of persecution against Christians. On his 18th trip to North Korea, he was caught by the authorities. He spent two years in their hard labor camp before he was released by the work of the Obama administration. His stories and revelations received while in prison were amazing. I also learned more about the history of Korea and about the Kim family who rule in the north. This pastor believes that reunification will happen soon. I just subscribed to his newsletters to be inspired to believe and pray for this day. One more thing – he was allowed to receive one letter from his mom while in the hard labor camp. What she wrote to him was truly remarkable and God-inspired. Her letter helped him, and confirmed what he heard in the spirit from God.
It made me think about Psalm 23, the line that says, “you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023&version=AMP
His food wasn’t tangible food but spiritual in nature. A Word from God is food that satisfies the soul, spirit and body completely; and leaves you at peace and rest no matter what your earthly circumstances are.
On days when earthly life is hard and unpleasant, I daydream about heaven. Here are 7 things that we will not do in heaven. Yup – one thing that we will not do is pray. I’ll be out of my primary job on earth…and getting a new job in heaven. 🙂
https://www.biblestudytools.com/slideshows/7-things-we-will-not-do-in-heaven.html
Jennifer Rothschild is a very good Bible teacher. In this interview she speaks a lot about heaven. She became blind at age 15. Being physically blind in this world has given her great spiritual sight at an early age about heaven and eternity.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-proverbs-31-ministries-podcast/id757953988?i=1000683900397
Speaking of blindness, Jack Chen and his family used to attend my church. Here’s a great article about him who is also blind. I had no idea that he was also incredibly athletic and adventurous.
https://abilitymagazine.com/jack-chen-his-vision-of-adventure/
If you want to see a short video on how he navigates in Penn Station, the streets and subways in NYC and how quickly he can listen and understand audio documents, please watch the video link in this article. It’s a truly amazing and superhuman ability!
Pastor Rick Warren gave this sermon about heaven in 2017. I thought it was excellent and adhered closely to the Bible. His churches are throughout Southern California. Let’s pray that Saddleback churches will be a source of light and comfort for the people there. 🙏
Please read this short interview article with Rick Warren about his son’s death by suicide. I remember the shock of hearing this news at that time, and praying for him and his family.
May these resources and articles help and encourage your faith!
One thing I have asked of the Lord, and that I will seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life,
To gaze upon the beauty [the delightful loveliness and majestic grandeur] of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple. – Psalm 27:4 (AMP)
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2027&version=AMP
Journal of Faith 