LET FREEDOM RING!!
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We recognize the birthdate of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the most visible and noted leader of the American Civil Rights Movement. Around the USA, and in many other places, memorial activities are held to pay witness to what his leadership and that movement has meant for all Americans and for all people worldwide.
Dr. King’s most famous discussion about the Civil Rights effort was captured in his 1963 speech in Washington, D. C. entitled “I have a Dream.” Most people cannot recall much of the speech except his central theme of the dream of justice and righteousness coming to reality in America, a very important “take-away” from the speech, the Civil Rights movement, and the March that took place that day. For those who write checks to pay debts, or at one time wrote checks, have you ever written or heard of someone who did write, a check that “bounced?” That is, the check was returned because there was not enough money in the bank account to cover the amount that was written. It was returned marked “INSF,” or “Insufficient Funds.” This can and does happen in civil society for many different “becauses,” but the result or “bottomline” is still the same! Dr. King wrote about bad checks;When the architects of our Republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men...would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” |
I will not attempt to recreate his speech in this small space, but I will take a few moments to highlight several passages from his speech that are rooted in God’s word. The speech has several other roots; the American Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and Emancipation Proclamation; the banking institution; voting rights; and police brutality.
These are all civil or “secular” ideas. His call for mankind to live in harmony was a repeated call from the Creator, a Spiritual Call. When one peels back just a few of the layers of his speech, one finds that there are several portions of his speech that are also Spiritual Calls, some directly from God’s word.
Following are several scriptural references from the speech and the scriptures they come from. Be bold enough to find and read his speech, it is in many places online and in libraries. Someone you know probably has a copy right now!
Be also bold enough to look up these scriptures in a bible. For some, it will be just the reason you need to actually read the whole chapter, or book, of scripture it is found in, for context and understanding. Understanding context helps put the given scripture in focus. It also helps to compare different translations to reveal greater clarity.
One man has said, when you read or are given scripture out of context, you’ve left out the “text,” and are stuck with a “con!” For example, Job of the bible did say the “Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.” But, that statement is not true! The Lord gave to Job, but Satan took away. Read the bible. The next time you hear that uttered at a funeral, memorial, or anywhere, remember, you’re being conned!
These are all civil or “secular” ideas. His call for mankind to live in harmony was a repeated call from the Creator, a Spiritual Call. When one peels back just a few of the layers of his speech, one finds that there are several portions of his speech that are also Spiritual Calls, some directly from God’s word.
Following are several scriptural references from the speech and the scriptures they come from. Be bold enough to find and read his speech, it is in many places online and in libraries. Someone you know probably has a copy right now!
Be also bold enough to look up these scriptures in a bible. For some, it will be just the reason you need to actually read the whole chapter, or book, of scripture it is found in, for context and understanding. Understanding context helps put the given scripture in focus. It also helps to compare different translations to reveal greater clarity.
One man has said, when you read or are given scripture out of context, you’ve left out the “text,” and are stuck with a “con!” For example, Job of the bible did say the “Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.” But, that statement is not true! The Lord gave to Job, but Satan took away. Read the bible. The next time you hear that uttered at a funeral, memorial, or anywhere, remember, you’re being conned!
All scripture from King James Version
Amos 5
: 24 “But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.”
This passage uses the term “judgement” which is often used interchangeably with “justice.” Other translations of the bible use “justice,” as did Dr. King. In the use of the term judgement, God is indicating to the prophet Amos that something is wrong and God will fix it.
Dr. King wrote;
No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
Matthew 5
: 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
: 12 Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
These are from a sermon Jesus gave, often called “The Beatitudes.” For those who have faith in Jesus, the Christ, Savior and Messiah, any suffering you endure because of him will be redeemed with everlasting life.
Dr. King wrote;
Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive
Isaiah 40
: 3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
:4Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
: 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall sit together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
This passage and chapter of Isaiah serves a two-fold purpose. It is an exhortation to the people of God that He will take care of them and reveal His glory to them as they maintain faith in Him. It also is part of a prophesy that “strong...hand...and his arm shall rule before him.” (v.11)
“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are young.” (v.12)
In later times, John the Baptist clarifies those passages when asked who he was he said;
...the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” (Isaiah) John 1:23 He is the “him” in Isaiah 40: 3, Jesus is the form of God/Lord in those scriptures. John 1: 23
Dr. King wrote;
I have a dream today...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. This is our hope.
Luke 4
: 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sigh to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, …
Isaiah 61
: 1 The Spirit of the LORD God is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound...
These passages refer to what Jesus preached about himself in a synagogue as he began his ministry (Luke,) and the prophesy made about him by Isaiah centuries beforehand. He specifically talks of liberty, spiritually, physically and for the soul/mind.
Dr. King, throughout his speech speaks in the same manner. Here are two references;
There are those who are asking..., “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as...the unspeakable horrors of police brutality...
Dr. King covers all the bases of what is to satisfy/happen for the meek, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prison-bound, the blind, the poor, and the blind when he wrote;
“Free at last, Free at last, Great God a-mighty, “We are free at last.”
In this Babylon system on which our current world is based, the secular/do it without God system, checks can be promised and written without ever having “sufficient funds” to cover them. Promises are made and broken before the ink is dry. Civil and human rights are all violated for the sake of profit and power.
In the Kingdom of God, THE Spiritual system, promises made were kept before the foundation of the world. In Genesis 3 (in the beginning,) after mankind broke the only “rule” that God set forth and fell from grace, God prophesied that he would send One to redeem mankind from the clutches of Satan and sin.
He told us continually that all who maintained faith in His word (his heirs/joint-heirs with Jesus Christ,) that He will fight our battles.
He promised that we would find His peace, His rest, His prosperity and His salvation. He has not broken any promises of those and the thousands/millions more made to mankind since the beginning.
My prayer is always that each and every one of us in mankind, fully and wholly turn and return onto Him through His beloved Son, Rebbi Melech Yehoshua HaMoshicah Adoni (Our High Priest, King, Savior, Messiah and Lord.)
AMEN!
“He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
Matthew 11:15, Revelation 2: 7, 3: 6, 22
📖
Minister Ronnie Stricklin
Childrens Bread Ministries Inc
A version of this article is also available in the January 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Special Commemorative edition of the
JUST GOOD NEWS Christian Newspaper, justgoodnews@yahoo.com
YouTube--"Freedom Dub (featuring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr")
from the Gospel Reggae Album "Black Sheep" by Zema
: 24 “But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.”
This passage uses the term “judgement” which is often used interchangeably with “justice.” Other translations of the bible use “justice,” as did Dr. King. In the use of the term judgement, God is indicating to the prophet Amos that something is wrong and God will fix it.
Dr. King wrote;
No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
Matthew 5
: 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
: 12 Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
These are from a sermon Jesus gave, often called “The Beatitudes.” For those who have faith in Jesus, the Christ, Savior and Messiah, any suffering you endure because of him will be redeemed with everlasting life.
Dr. King wrote;
Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive
Isaiah 40
: 3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
:4Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
: 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall sit together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
This passage and chapter of Isaiah serves a two-fold purpose. It is an exhortation to the people of God that He will take care of them and reveal His glory to them as they maintain faith in Him. It also is part of a prophesy that “strong...hand...and his arm shall rule before him.” (v.11)
“He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are young.” (v.12)
In later times, John the Baptist clarifies those passages when asked who he was he said;
...the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.” (Isaiah) John 1:23 He is the “him” in Isaiah 40: 3, Jesus is the form of God/Lord in those scriptures. John 1: 23
Dr. King wrote;
I have a dream today...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. This is our hope.
Luke 4
: 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sigh to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, …
Isaiah 61
: 1 The Spirit of the LORD God is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound...
These passages refer to what Jesus preached about himself in a synagogue as he began his ministry (Luke,) and the prophesy made about him by Isaiah centuries beforehand. He specifically talks of liberty, spiritually, physically and for the soul/mind.
Dr. King, throughout his speech speaks in the same manner. Here are two references;
There are those who are asking..., “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as...the unspeakable horrors of police brutality...
Dr. King covers all the bases of what is to satisfy/happen for the meek, the brokenhearted, the captives, the prison-bound, the blind, the poor, and the blind when he wrote;
“Free at last, Free at last, Great God a-mighty, “We are free at last.”
In this Babylon system on which our current world is based, the secular/do it without God system, checks can be promised and written without ever having “sufficient funds” to cover them. Promises are made and broken before the ink is dry. Civil and human rights are all violated for the sake of profit and power.
In the Kingdom of God, THE Spiritual system, promises made were kept before the foundation of the world. In Genesis 3 (in the beginning,) after mankind broke the only “rule” that God set forth and fell from grace, God prophesied that he would send One to redeem mankind from the clutches of Satan and sin.
He told us continually that all who maintained faith in His word (his heirs/joint-heirs with Jesus Christ,) that He will fight our battles.
He promised that we would find His peace, His rest, His prosperity and His salvation. He has not broken any promises of those and the thousands/millions more made to mankind since the beginning.
My prayer is always that each and every one of us in mankind, fully and wholly turn and return onto Him through His beloved Son, Rebbi Melech Yehoshua HaMoshicah Adoni (Our High Priest, King, Savior, Messiah and Lord.)
AMEN!
“He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
Matthew 11:15, Revelation 2: 7, 3: 6, 22
📖
Minister Ronnie Stricklin
Childrens Bread Ministries Inc
A version of this article is also available in the January 2019 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Special Commemorative edition of the
JUST GOOD NEWS Christian Newspaper, justgoodnews@yahoo.com
YouTube--"Freedom Dub (featuring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr")
from the Gospel Reggae Album "Black Sheep" by Zema