Dreams of Glory

Dreams of Glory

“Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?” James 4: 10-12 NASB

I pray that you have been drawing nearer to God in the beginning days of 2020 – in prayer and in the reading and living of the Word of God. As we shared earlier, 2020 is the “Year of the Bible” and we are encouraging you to not only read through the Bible this year, but to study, share and obey it in new and deeper ways every day. It is not too late to begin. You can start in Genesis, Matthew, Psalms, John or wherever the Lord leads you, but bring a pen and paper and write down the information and inspiration that grabs your attention as you read. Pray and ask the Spirit to show you how to apply what you read to bring transformation in your life and others, and to bring glory to God. As followers of Jesus we are not perfect, but thankfully we are being perfected day-by-day. With each step of faith, unity, love, and obedience we get to bring glory to God.

This week turns our attention to the life of Reverend Martin Luther King. As we celebrate and honor his life; his words and actions should continue to ring truth and conviction into our lives. Rev. King’s life is an example of not only speaking truth but being willing to stand and even suffer for it with the hope that the world would walk in the love and light – of not just justice, but Jesus. Often our first thought when we hear the name of Martin Luther King is his famous, “I Have a Dream” speech. I want to encourage you to read the transcript of this speech in its entirety sometime this week with the understanding that while Reverend King said his dream was “deeply rooted in the American dream,” you can clearly see it was also rooted in Scripture and the heart of Jesus.

Here are just a few examples to get you started as you read and pray through Rev. King’s speech:

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’.”

What makes us equal? The fact that we are all made by our Creator in His image. We did not do a single thing to cause our life; but the Author of our days knit each of us together. We are wonderfully made in a specific uniqueness and placed in a specific place and time for His purpose. The Perfecter of our faith sent His Son for all people to know Him and live an abundant and eternal life in His glory, and for His glory.

Rev. King also said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” I would have never imagined 30 years ago that our nation would still be suffering with the ignorance and pride of racism. Jesus said in John 12:47 that He did not come to judge the world but to save it. If Jesus was not sent here to judge, then who am I to think I can judge another? I am not God and I certainly do not have all the information nor the wisdom to do so even if I spend time watching the content, words, or actions of one’s character. We simply don’t know what we don’t know. God alone created us, knows us, and judges us. I am only called to look at my own life and prayerfully submit so that the fruit of the Spirit is noticeably connected to the content of my character.

Rev. King also said, “I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.” When we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and love our neighbor; then God exalts, smooths, straightens and strengthens, so that His glory shines and fills our hearts and covers the earth.

We invite you to pray with us now. Heavenly Father, thank you for life; for ordaining and ordering our days and giving us daily opportunities to give you glory. Search me and know my attitudes, affections, and actions, and show me anything that is not according to Your Word and will. Cause my life to give You glory. Let me love all people as You love me; recognizing the glory that resides in Your image, message, and sacrifice for every person. May the character content of Your followers reflect and represent Your character and commands.

Serving Him with Gladness,

Kathy Branzell

President

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