Be Careful What You Pray For...

 

1 Samuel 12-13

"You said to me, ‘No, we want a king to rule over us’ – even though the Lord your God was your king. … the Lord has set a king over you.”
… “We have added to all our sins the evil of asking a king for ourselves.” (12:12,13,19)

God reigns over His people, regardless of whether a judge or a king is there. Election after election, it seems we have a choice of “the lesser of two evils” or as one stated it, “the evil of two ‘lessers’.” In a good and godly society, a democracy will elect good and godly leaders. However, societies are rarely, if ever, good and godly.

The solution? 

Samuel’s solution is found in 1 Samuel 12:23, “…far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and right way. Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.”

A pattern emerges in the lives of believers who seek the Lord.

1.       1. Recognize the sin. The people had asked for a king, contrary to what the Lord said. We must remember that sometimes God will answer our prayers even if they are contrary to His perfect will. We must confess what we have done wrong. The Greek word for confess is “homo-logeo” which means “same words” or “same profession”. If you prayed for something and actually received your request from the Lord to your own regret, first of all recognize your sin. One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said in John 16:8, was to "convict the world of sin". 

2.       2. Remorse. Truly grieve over what grieves the Lord. Worldly sorrow produces death. Godly sorrow leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). Learn from your mistakes. If God allows something to happen, like the anointing of a king, against His perfect will, it is part of His permissive will. Learn from what has happened, then pray that God will still be glorified in what has occurred. Peter was grieved when Jesus asked him three times "do you love Me", the same number of times Peter had denied his Lord (John 21:17). 

3.       3. Repent. For sins of commission, stop doing what is wrong; for sins of omission, start doing what is right. Proverbs 28:13 says we must confess and forsake our sins. Even if there are sins which have led you down the broken road, God always accomplishes His purposeful will. In the case of Israel, they needed to repent, but their sins did not thwart God's sovereignty. God's purpose is to reveal His glory, regardless of our actions. When we spot the error of our ways or even our prayers, admit it to God (recognize), express your sorry (remorse) and resolve to not do it again, or to not omit doing it again (repent). Jesus used the word "repent" eight times to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3.  

4.       4. Restore. Sins can never be undone. Only Jesus is the “Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets” (Isaiah 58:12). In some cases, though, we can make restitution. The sons of Israel could not undo the damage of selling Joseph to slavery, but they were given an opportunity to restore themselves in the eyes of Joseph (see Genesis 41-50). This is God's prescribed will. Zacchaeus restored fourfold what he had wrongfully taken (Luke 19:8, prescribed in 2 Samuel 12:6).

5.       5. Reconcile. When we practice all five “R”s, we are exemplifying Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). We were enemies of God, but Christ brings us together; we are to do the same (Romans 5:10-12).Through Christ, we are reconciled with God, despite our sins. After wrongfully asking for a king and God grudgingly granting them a king, Israel needed to reconcile with God. When we and God are on the same side of obedience, we will discern God's perceived will. Proverbs 1:2 says that through prayerful study of His wisdom, instruction, and understanding, His Holy Spirit will allow us to perceive his will. "To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding." That is why it is important to be reconciled to God, so that He can grant us a perception of what He is up to.  "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove (ESV, CSB="discern", NIV="test and approve") what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." The woman at the well perceived Jesus was a prophet (John 4:19).

Seek God’s guidance today to follow this pattern.

Making connections with the Resurrection

     If today's final devotional after 50 days left you a little hanging, here is a little reflection based on John 21, modified and expanded from my "Gospel of John, One Day at a Time". (see https://johnoneday.blogspot.com/p/john-chapter-21-memory-verse-and-there.html )

 After the resurrection, the angels as well as Jesus told the women that He would appear to the disciples at Galilee (see Matthew 28:7–8; Mark 16:7).

 So why didn't they go to Galilee?

 Perhaps the disciples were too afraid due to Jesus's brutal death and stayed behind locked doors in Jerusalem, even after hearing about the empty tomb and His appearing to the women. Jesus even appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus on the day of His resurrection (see Luke 24:13–32). The Bible also indicates that Peter ran back to the tomb AGAIN, this time without John (see Luke 24:12), and Peter apparently saw Jesus then (Luke 24:34). When the two return from their aborted trip to Emmaus, Jesus had already appeared to Peter but not to the rest. Then Jesus, who always "meets us where we are" then appears to them all (except Thomas) in Jerusalem Sunday evening after the Resurrection.

 After this, they went to Galilee, taking “Doubting Thomas” along with them. John 21:1 says that “Jesus showed Himself AGAIN to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias,” indicating that the appearance to Thomas found in John 20:26 was also in Galilee.

 Jesus went to Galilee because He had been so well received there. People would have been most anxious to see Him alive. Therefore, today's reading found in John 21 is the third appearance of Jesus to the disciples, but not the last.

 But didn’t Jesus also tell them to remain in Jerusalem? So, which was it, Jerusalem or Galilee?

 There appears to be a 40-day gap between Luke 24:43 and 44, explained by Dr. Luke in his sequel, commonly called "The Acts of the Apostles". Acts 1:3-4 explains, "Jesus showed Himself alive to His apostles after His sufferings by many infallible proofs, appearing to them during forty days and talking about the kingdom of God. And while He was with them, He told them not to leave from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise— 'of which you have heard Me speak,' He said."

 Mark 16:9 says that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene. I think it is interesting that she appears in all four of the gospels but then never in the rest of the New Testament, including Acts 1:14, where Luke specifically mentions Jesus’s mother and brothers. 1 Corinthians 15:5–7 says he was then "seen by Cephas [Simon Peter], then by the twelve [this must have meant to include Matthias, see Acts 1:26, since Judas was already dead, and of course Thomas, a week later].

"After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.

"After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles."

 Why James?

 After He appeared to the 500, He went to His own brother, James, who would later become a strong leader in the church. Although the Bible never tells us specifically, He surely appeared to His own mother, Mary, and the rest of His brothers, who are next seen in Jerusalem with the 120 disciples in Acts 1:14 after Jesus ascended to heaven.

 Who are "all the apostles"?

 In Luke 10:1, Jesus sent out 70 "sent out ones".  “After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also and sent them two by two … where He Himself was about to go.” The verb “sent them out” in Luke 10:1 is “apostello” from which we derive the noun “apostle.”

 Wouldn't you like to have seen the resurrected Lord? Read Hebrews 9:28 about how Jesus will appear to those who look for Him: “Christ…will appear a second time for salvation…to those who eagerly await Him.” Hebrews 11:6 says, “He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” James, the Lord's brother, wrote, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (see James 4:8).

 If you want to see the Lord spiritually, you must seek Him, and He will come to you.

 Pray this prayer to God:

“Father, I want to draw nearer to You, and have You come nearer to Me. Reveal Yourself to me today as I seek You. Thank You for rewarding those who seek You. Amen.”

 /For all of the Fifty Days of Devotionals by FBC Killeen, go to https://fbckilleen.com/march2res/  

Hold on Tight To Your Dreams

I am on track for what I posted a year ago .

(This is modified and updated from what I posted March 1, 2021.)

Challenge # 1: Today, write your own "I have a dream" speech. Where do you see God's will for you in 4 years (March, 2026)?

Challenge #2: What must you do TODAY to begin / continue the path to achieve #1?

What needs to happen by...

...One month from now?

...Six months from now?

...One year from now?

Write it down, then go toward your dream. The journey to a dream makes the dream become reality.

Every step of your journey will be one step closer to perhaps even MORE and even BETTER than your dream now. Each step will be your reality.

Stay on the journey.

Don't expect everyone to be excited for your dream: "Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more," Genesis 35:7.

It is not their dream, it is yours. Do not be discouraged.

Stay on the path.

Don't expect it to be easy: Joseph's dream led him to rejection, slavery, and prison. Even after all of that, Joseph went through seven years of plenty before his brothers and eventually his entire family would fulfill his dreams. Joseph stayed on the path on which God was leading. You may even have to go alone. But every hard step is one step closer.

Stay on the map.

Don't expect others to remember. "Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him," Genesis 40:23. You need to remember and rehearse it in your heart and remind others who are on the journey with you. Make sure your dream lines up with the Word of God and the Will of God. Years later, Joseph could see that his brothers meant it for evil, but God's Will was for Joseph to stay on the map.

Stay in the moment.

Don't expect it right away. "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay," Habakkuk 2:3. While Joseph was in Egypt, he married and had children, both would ascend to be tribes of Israel (Ephraim and Manasseh)!

Sometimes God's will happens while you are waiting for God's will to happen. Life is a journey and God will walk with you along the path, not just at the destination. We don't live in the past. We don't live in the future. We live in the moment. Enjoy the scenery along the way.

Stay until the end.

Don't say, "It's too late for me!" God saves the best to last! Remember when Jesus turned the water turning to wine? The master said, "You have saved the best for last!" So does God. " 'And it shall come to pass in the last days,' says God, 'I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh...Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions," Joel 2:28 with Acts 2:17.

For Joseph, he could have given up or worse, given in to bitterness. When his brothers arrived, there was some understandable testing from Joseph, to see if his brothers had changed. But it was not vengeful, as seen in his weeping (Genesis 45:2) and forgiveness (45:5). Joseph stayed to the end to see that God indeed meant it for Good (Genesis 50:20).

Stay the course.

Remember God has put eternity on your heart, and God knows no age nor limitations of time. "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end," Ecclesiastes 3:11.

Had Joseph not stayed the course, he might not have seen his father again or even his little brother Benjamin. What's more, Joseph's father would have gone down to the grave mourning (Genesis 44:29, 31). What joy there is when we stay the course.

Stay with the dream until it is reality.

Don't doubt God may have placed it on your heart. God speaks through dreams. Who do you THINK put that desire in your heart?? If you walk with the Lord, God put it there! Psalm 34:7 says, "Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." Sometimes God tells you to reach for the sky, just to stretch you. No journey is "as the crow flies"... sometimes the road will head east, west, and sometimes south, so that it can go eventually go north.

Joseph stayed with the dream, even in death. He had his descendants to carry his bones back to the Promised Land, a dream for his children's children and beyond for more than 400 years. Your dream is the future's legacy. Don't let doubt destroy what faith has founded. This verse, Habakkuk 2:3, bears repeating:

       For the vision is yet for an appointed time;

​​But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.

​​Though it tarries, wait for it;

​​Because it will surely come,

​​It will not tarry.

It is never a failure to follow the Lord God. Prepare, expect, and even count on course adjustments.

You don't need to see the destination to arrive there...

...You...

...just ...

...must ...

...trust...

Stay in the faith.

Finally, look to Jesus for your dreams. "For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ," Galatians 1:12.

Jesus not only knows the way; He is THE Way.

Jesus not only knows what is true; He is THE Truth.

Jesus is not just alive, lively, and living; He is THE Life.

If the journey seems dark, just follow your headlights.

Stay with the Lord.

What Is Teaching?

 

Teaching

“Teaching Them”
TEACHING MINISTER'S DESCRIPTION
“GROWTH THROUGH TEACHING AND DISCIPLESHIP”

 

     1. Develop teaching skills through training opportunities, teaching and discipling others in the class. 

     2. Substitute teach in other classes or in Bible studies elsewhere. 

     3. Encourage others in the class to serve as substitutes and permanent teachers in preschool, children, youth and adult classes. 

     4. Help the teacher in preparation: make copies, set up the class room, obtain teaching aids, and give special reports during class. 

     5. Spend time with a teacher to learn teaching methods in order to be better equipped to teach. If you are an experienced teacher, help someone else become a teacher by training them. 

     6. Pray daily for the class teacher and the other teachers in the church. 

     7. Be available to disciple another Christian, especially those new to the Christian faith. 

     As a Teaching Minister, you cultivate class members to serve as teachers, in your class and other classes. “T” Ministers will have the following responsibilities: 

1. Teaching -- Doing the work of a teacher, including the preparation and implementation. 

2. Training -- For those who have not taught, this means participating in a training opportunity offered to help prepare you to serve as a teacher. For those who are teaching already, attend and also encourage prospective teachers to attend these training times. 

3. helping -- Be willing to assist the teacher in various needs, such as making copies, not just for your adult class, but perhaps in preschool, children and/or youth classes. 

4. Discipling -- Take someone who would like a small discipleship group and encourage him or her in their faith. This could be a home Bible study, video ministry, or Discipleship Training at church.

GREEN REPRESENTS THE GROWTH IN OUR TEACHING.

What Is NeedMeeting?

Need-meeting

“Obey everything I have commanded”

Need-Meeting Minister’s Description

“Meeting Needs and Encouraging Missions”

     1. Be on the lookout for ministry activities in which the class may participate. Your goal is to meet the needs of those in and beyond your class. The “N” ministers in times of funerals, sicknesses, pregnancies, or other crises.

      2. To organize and equip the entire class membership for special class projects in meeting needs within and outside the church. 

     3. To identify the various spiritual gifts, personalities, abilities, desires and experiences of class members and match those to meet the various needs. 

     4. To coordinate with other “N” Ministers from other classes in meeting the needs of class members. This will be important when certain needs of your class members are beyond the ability of your class members to meet.

     5. Pray for teacher and other members of the “N” Ministers daily. Pray for all class members, both active and inactive, at least once a week. 

     6. Inform the church office and class teacher of hospitalization or other major crisis among any member of your Sunday School Class. 

     7. Look for and encourage mission opportunities. 

     Look for others to serve with you. “N” ministers are specifically tasked to match members with all POINT ministries. We always want to minister to those in our classes and church, but we also want to meet the needs beyond ourselves and our church to be a blessing to those outside. “N” Ministers have the following responsibilities: 

1. Matching  -- Getting those with a ministry need with those who are able to meet that need. 

2. Ministering -- Ensuring that the needs of those in our church and class have been met. 

3. Missions -- Looking for class activities which would bring the class together for a common goal of nurture and ministry.

RED REPRESENTS CHRIST’S BLOOD IN OUR NEED-MEETING.

What is InReach?

InReach

“Make Disciples Of All Nations”

INREACH MINISTER’S DESCRIPTION

“REACHING ENROLLED CLASS MEMBERS”

     1. Actively participate in class -- an interesting and exciting class makes a good class great and a great class even better!

     2. Greet and welcome members to class. Encourage a warm atmosphere in the class and encourage interaction among all the members. Help make everyone feel comfortable, relaxed, at home and among friends by providing name tags, refreshments, etc.

     3. Work with the teacher to plan a fellowship at least once a quarter.

     4. Contact absent or inactive members, with phone call and/or a card. Tell them something positive...give a scripture, a word of appreciation, and ask for prayer requests. 

     5. With the help of other “I” Ministers, contact all members every week. Visit in the home of each member at least once a year. Let every member know that someone cares for them. 

     6. Inform the church office and class teacher of hospitalization or other major crisis among any member of your Sunday School class. 

     7. Encourage others to work toward being a fellowship of love and concern towards one another. 

     As the InReach Minister, your responsibilities are:             

 1. Cultivate -- foster growth, make friends, encourage others. 

 2. Contact -- get in touch with members via cards, calls, visits. 

 3. Care -- take care of, pay attention to, look after, keep an eye on, be watchful, protect. 

Recognize special days (birthdays, anniversaries) and events in each person’s life through a card, personal note, phone call, or visit. Receiving a note, telephone call, or some other kind of contact can be an important way of involving...or re-involving...a class member. 

Whatever your opportunity for meeting the needs of adults, consider that what you are doing for others you are doing “as unto Christ.” 

OLIVE REPRESENTS BROTHERLY LOVE IN OUR INREACH.

What is OutReach?

OutReach

“Baptizing them in the name …”

OUTREACH Minister’s Description

“Evangelize To The Lost, Enroll the Saved”

    So, after prayer and worship, the first "Point" of ministries in small groups, what is next? Many would think Teaching would be next but actually, reaching out and growing a small group should actually being a big factor and purpose of small groups. 

    And what should an OutReach minister do? The following is the beginning of a check list that those who feel "outreach and evangelism" is their primary function in the group.

    Just as Prayer is a good thing, shown with a thumbs up" sign, the OutReach ministry is reminded to us when we use our index finger to point beyond our church, outside. 

    1. Greet and welcome Sunday School guests, introducing them to the class and teacher. Be sure the guest card is completely filled out, including phone number and your class’ name on the form. Go the extra mile to make the guest feel welcome. 

    2. Make a goal that no guest goes more than a week without a contact.

    3. Send guests a card the first week. Check to see they have an in-home visit within two weeks. Cookie deliverers contact guests on Sunday afternoons. If not, be sure an “O” Minister visits or calls them within the first week.

     4. Lead the class to participate in visitation at least once a month.

     5. On a periodic basis, have someone give a report to the class encouraging members to go through evangelism training.

     6. Lead class members to visit, cultivate, and enroll lost or unchurched prospects assigned to the class.

     7. Invite people to Sunday School during the worship service. It's simple. Just introduce yourself, remember their name, and jot down their phone number. Then call them and invite them to class.

     As an OutReach Minister, enroll people to be in your class and evangelize those who are not. “O” Ministers will:

  1.  Know -- Know the spiritual condition and salvation experience of your fellow class members.

  2.  Show -- Share your salvation testimony with the class.

  3.  Go -- Be ready to share the plan of salvation at any time. Use a marked New Testament, a witnessing tract, a napkin to draw on.

  4.  Grow -- Take an evangelism course, be willing to lead an evangelism course and encourage others to learn how to share their faith.

  5.  Sow -- Announce upcoming opportunities and needs for evangelism and outreach such as evangelism classes or remind about the importance of reaching out to others.

GOLD REPRESENTS ETERNAL LIFE IN OUR OUTREACH.

So, What is Prayer in the POINT Education Ministry

  I know it says somewhere on this page that I am new to blogging, but this has been going on for nearly ten years now. This is not your typical blog, because I (so far) don't make any money off of it and I hope you don't see any pop-up advertising. 

  But after all these years, I have never apparently written an in-depth article or series of articles on what is my magnus opus in education ministry, and that is the P.O.I.N.T. ministry. 

  So, at long last, in part because of my article in the FBC Killeen newsletter, this is how I believe every Adult Sunday School (or LifeGroup, or Small Group, whatever you may call it) should be structured for ministry. 

What Is The Point?

 POINT stands for PRAYER, OUTREACH, INREACH, NEED-MEETING, and TEACHING. Every adult class member is requested to be a part of the POINT ministry, under the direction of the POINT Coordinators.   

 Read carefully the description of each ministry and ask God to lead you into one area in which you can serve. Remember, each ministry opportunity is what Christ commanded us to do.

 The “point” ministry strategy is found repeatedly in the New Testament, including the Great Commission: Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV). 

  It is also found in the early church, specifically in Acts 2:42, 44-47

⁴²And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine ^(Teaching) and fellowship ^(Inreach), in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. ^{(Prayer) 
44}Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 
⁴⁵and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. ^{(Need-meeting) 
46}So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 
⁴⁷praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. ^(OUTREACH)

 Acts 2:42,44-47

Prayer

“All authority has been given to me…and I am with you always.”
Prayer Minister’s Description
“INTERCEDING TO GOD FOR YOUR CLASS”

     1. Offer up prayers for various needs of the Sunday School class members.

     2. Keep a prayer journal, remembering to write down class prayer requests and to pray for them throughout the week.

     3. Recruit others to serve with you as Prayer Ministers.

     4. Have each member of the “P” Team to be available for some class members to call with prayer requests, updates, and answers. 

     5. Pray for teacher and the other “P” Team Ministers of the class daily and all members, both active and inactive, at least once a week.

     6. Inform the church office and class teacher of hospitalization or other major crisis of any member of your Sunday School Class. 

     7. Have activities which encourage prayer in class and throughout the week. Activities could be come to prayer times, bring devotionals or book excerpts on prayer, or have selected Scriptures to be read or prayed during class. Have class to sing worship songs. 

     As a Prayer Team Member, help your fellow class members to make prayer a natural part of their Christian lives. The “P” Team will encourage the following:

     1. Personal Prayer -- encouraging the class to have personal times of prayer throughout the week.

     2. Corporate Prayer -- encouraging the class to pray as a group through innovative activities.

     3. Personal Worship -- prompting the class to worship God in spirit and in truth on their own.

     4. Corporate Worship -- prompting members to worship God publicly, such as in worship service, class times and fellowships.

     The ultimate goal of a Prayer Minister is to glorify God, not the prayers or even the answers to those prayers, and certainly not to glorify the prayer ministers. This delicate balance can be achieved through true humility which comes from the ACTS of Prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Seeking (for self and others).

BLUE REPRESENTS HEAVEN IN OUR PRAYERS.

93 years ago, MLK

 Today we mark the birth of Martin Luther King Jr., born January 15, 1929.

This speech reminds us MLK believed in God, Jesus Christ, Love, justice, and the freedoms we have as Americans, founded in our Constitution, embodied in democracy, and enshrined in our laws.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Address to First Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) Mass Meeting, at Holt Street Baptist Church 

5 December 1955
Montgomery, Alabama

 

My friends, we are certainly very happy to see each of you out this evening. We are here this evening for serious business. [Audience:] (Yes) We are here in a general sense because first and foremost we are American citizens (That's right), and we are determined to apply our citizenship to the fullness of its meaning. (Yeah. That's right) We are here also because of our love for democracy (Yes), because of our deep-seated belief that democracy transformed from thin paper to thick action (Yes) is the greatest form of government on earth. (That's right)

 

But we are here in a specific sense because of the bus situation in Montgomery. (Yes) We are here because we are determined to get the situation corrected. This situation is not at all new. The problem has existed over endless years. (That's right) For many years now, Negroes in Montgomery and so many other areas have been inflicted with the paralysis of crippling fear (Yes) on buses in our community. (That's right) On so many occasions, Negroes have been intimidated and humiliated and oppressed because of the sheer fact that they were Negroes. (That's right) I don't have time this evening to go into the history of these numerous cases. Many of them now are lost in the thick fog of oblivion (Yes), but at least one stands before us now with glaring dimensions. (yes)

Just the other day, just last Thursday to be exact, one of the finest citizens in Montgomery--(Amen) not one of the finest Negro citizens (That's right), but one of the finest citizens in Montgomery--was taken from a bus (Yes) and carried to jail and arrested (Yes) because she refused to get up to give her seat to a white person. (yes, that's right) Now the press would have us believe that she refused to leave a reserved section for Negroes (Yes), but I want you to know this evening that there is no reserved section. (All right) The law has never been clarified at that point. (Hell no) Now I think I speak with legal authority--not that I have any legal authority, but I think I speak with legal authority behind me--(All right) that the law, the ordinance, the city ordinance has never been totally clarified. (That's right)

 

Mrs. Rosa Parks is a fine person. (Well,) And, since it had to happen, I'm happy that it happened to a person like Mrs. Parks, (Yes) for nobody can doubt the boundless outreach of her integrity. (Sure enough) Nobody can doubt the height of her character (Yes), nobody can doubt the depth of her Christian commitment and devotion to the teachings of Jesus. (All right) And I'm happy, since it had to happen, it happened to a person that nobody can call a disturbing factor in the community. (All right) Mrs. Parks is a fine Christian person, unassuming, and yet there is integrity and character there. And just because she refused to get up, she was arrested. 

 

And you know, my friends, there comes a time when people get tired of being trampled over by the iron feet of oppression. [sustained applause] There comes a time, my friends, when people get tired of being plunged across the abyss of humiliation, where they experience the bleakness of nagging despair. (Keep talking) There comes a time when people get tired of being pushed out of the glittering sunlight of life's July and left standing amid the piercing chill of an alpine November. (that's right) [applause] There comes a time. (Yes sir teach) [applause continues]

 

We are here, we are here this evening because we are tired now. (Yes) [applause] And I want to say that we are not here advocating violence. (No) We have never done that. (Repeat that, repeat that) [applause] I want it to be known throughout Montgomery and throughout this nation (Well) that we are Christian people. (Yes) [applause] We believe in the Christian religion. We believe in the teachings of Jesus. (Well) The only weapon that we have in our hands this evening is the weapon of protest. (Yes) [applause] That's all. 

 

And certainly, certainly, this is the glory of America, with all of its faults. (Yeah) This is the glory of our democracy. If we were incarcerated behind the iron curtains of a Communistic nation, we couldn't do this. If we were dropped in the dungeon of a totalitarian regime, we couldn't do this. (All right) But the great glory of American democracy is the right to protest for right. (That's right) [applause] My friends, don't let anybody make us feel that we are to be compared in our actions with the Ku Klux Klan or with the White Citizens Council. [applause] There will be no crosses burned at any bus stops in Montgomery. (Well, that's right) There will be no white persons pulled out of their homes and taken out on some distant road and lynched for not cooperating. [applause] There will be nobody among us who will stand up and defy the Constitution of this nation. [applause] We only assemble here because of our desire to see right exist. [applause] My friends, I want it to be known that we're going to work with grim and bold determination to gain justice on the buses in this city. [applause]

And we are not wrong; we are not wrong in what we are doing. (Well) If we are wrong, the Supreme Court of this nation is wrong. (Yes sir) [applause] If we are wrong, the Constitution of the United States is wrong. (Yes) [applause] If we are wrong, God Almighty is wrong. (That's right) [applause] If we are wrong, Jesus of Nazareth was merely a utopian dreamer that never came down to Earth. (Yes) [applause] If we are wrong, justice is a lie (Yes), love has no meaning. [applause] And we are determined here in Montgomery to work and fight until justice runs down like water (Yes), [applause] and righteousness like a mighty stream. (Keep talking) [Applause]

 

I want to say that in all of our actions, we must stick together. (That's right) [applause] Unity is the great need of the hour (Well, that's right), and if we are united we can get many of the things that we not only desire but which we justly deserve. (Yeah) And don't let anybody frighten you. (Yeah) We are not afraid of what we are doing (Oh no), because we are doing it within the law. (All right) There is never a time in our American democracy that we must ever think we are wrong when we protest. (Yes, sir) We reserve that right. When labor all over this nation came to see that it would be trampled over by capitalistic power, it was nothing wrong with labor getting together and organizing and protesting for its rights. (That's right) We, the disinherited of this land, we who have been oppressed so long, are tired of going through the long night of captivity. And now we are reaching out for the daybreak of freedom and justice and equality. [applause]

 

May I say to you, my friends, as I come to a close, and just giving some idea of why we are assembled here, that we must keep--and I want to stress this, in all of our doings, in all of our deliberations here this evening and all of the week and while, --whatever we do--, we must keep God in the forefront. (Yeah) Let us be Christian in all of our actions. (That's right) But I want to tell you this evening that it is not enough for us to talk about love, love is one of the pivotal points of the Christian faith. There is another side called justice. And justice is really love in calculation. (All right) Justice is love correcting that which revolts against love. (Well) 

 

The Almighty God himself is not only, not the God just standing out saying through Hosea, "I love you, Israel." He's also the God that stands up before the nations and said: "Be still and know that I'm God (Yeah), that if you don't obey me I will break the backbone of your power (Yeah) and slap you out of the orbits of your international and national relationships." (That's right) Standing beside love is always justice, and we are only using the tools of justice. Not only are we using the tools of persuasion, but we've come to see that we've got to use the tools of coercion. Not only is this thing a process of education, but it is also a process of legislation. (Yeah) [applause]

 

And as we stand and sit here this evening and as we prepare ourselves for what lies ahead, let us go out with the grim and bold determination that we are going to stick together. [applause] We are going to work together. [applause] Right here in Montgomery, when the history books are written in the future (Yes), somebody will have to say, "There lived a race of people (Well), a black people (Yes sir), 'fleecy locks and black complexion' (Yes), a people who had the moral courage to stand up for their rights. [applause] And thereby they injected a new meaning into the veins of history and of civilization." And we're going to do that. God grant that we will do it before it is too late. (Oh yeah) As we proceed with our program, let us think of these things. (Yes) [applause]