Putting God first

From: Bruce
Date: 04/01/06 07:42 AM (& 09:09 AM)

This was the piece I mentioned the other night.

If you're like me you have heard Martin Luther King Junior's words "I have been to the mountaintop."

I had assumed he gave that speech and was then assassinated. I have recently read the full final stanza (well actually I now see there is something left out in my source) of that speech, which was the last one he gave, the night before he was assassinated. It is powerful, but mostly because of what it says about his faith in God and His plan. It was clearly a deliberate invocation of Moses and what he had done for his people. And like Moses, having seen the promised land he didn't enter it.

"And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers?

"I don't know what will happen to me now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter to me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. I won't mind. Like anybody else, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over and I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. So I'm happy tonight ....I'm not fearing any man. 'Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord'".

Clearly he died happy.

If we're looking for a really hard question then it might be around making God first in our lives. If I were honest I'd have to say He is a high priority, but I don't think I'm there yet. Trust and obey still doesn't mean "First".

(I know I fall short of even King's obedience as "Trust and Obey" is still not necessarily being where Abraham was with Isaac.)

And here is a weblink to the whole address.

www.afscme.org/about/kingspch.htm

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From: Nina
Date: 04/01/06 09:16 AM

Bruce said
> Now a really difficult question that we touched on Monday would be putting God first.< ... and one that is not unrelated to the church question. Let's put that one on 'the list'. I really enjoyed the discussion on Monday night. Thanks everyone

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From: Wanda
Date: 04/01/06 5:27 PM

Thanks Bruce for sending on the extremely inspirational words of Martin Luther King Jnr. It does seem that we are compelled to make sacrifices for our faith but the question I guess we are asking is, how far are we prepared to go? In other words, how seriously do we really take it?

I think I still have a long way to go in regards to this & am willing to be challenged on it.