Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is well known for his "I have a Dream Speech", but Dr. King also wrote a famous letter from jail called, "Letter from Birmingham Jail". This letter is in response to white religious leaders criticism of his nonviolent objection to the segregation in Birmingham. After reading the letter, a person of common understanding and common sense would have to agree that even though Dr. King was in jail, jail was not in Dr. King.
Imagine that you are entering an air-conditioned restaurant after being outside on one of the hottest days of the summer, and the first thing you reach for is a glass of ice cold water. Do you feel that water satisfying your thirst? Water quenches our thirst better than any other liquid could. Now imagine you are in the desert without the wonderful substance known as water. You are feeling the intense heat of the sun with no shade to be seen. At some point you will not be able to continue without water. Why am I talking about water? It might be because my family wants me to start drinking more of it! Water is necessary in the natural realm, but the "living water" Jesus spoke about is necessary in the spiritual realm. When we are experiencing this thing called life, sometimes it feels too much for us and we become stressed, depressed, disgusted, and downcast.
Paul was serious about his race. Are we as serious about our race? You might tell me that you have too many things in your life to be serious about anything. You might tell me you are just too busy. Well, let me tell you what Jesus said when summarizing life on this planet Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.”(The Message) Jesus was very clear that nothing should take precedence over your relationship with God the Father.
It is easy to start a project, to start a diet, to start a new job, to start a new marriage. However, it is another matter to finish any of those things. It takes a decision to stay the course when the honeymoon is over and reality sets in that marriage is not always easy. Marriage is not always easy but it is always wonderful if you decide it will be wonderful. There is a story of a family in the old west coming to a new town and seeing an older man sitting at the entrance to the town. They ask him about the town and what the people are like. He in turn asks them how the people were of the town they left and they indicated the people were bitter and hard to get along with, so the man tells them it is about the same here. Another couple comes up and asks the man the same question. He asks them the same question he asked the first couple. This couple says the people were great, so the man tells them the people were great here.
What is the greatest fear of most people? Death. What if I told you that you no longer have to fear death? Does it sound to good to be true? What else do I have to sell you maybe some desert land and call it ocean front. I tell you truly that you do not have to fear death or anything else. Jesus through death destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. Jesus delivered them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. The Bible tells us, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God". The Bible continues, "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father"
Jesus encountered a woman of Samaria to draw water from Jacob's well. Jesus said to her, "give me drink". The woman found that an unusual request because Jesus was a Jew and Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans. As the conversation unfolded, Jesus began to tell the woman her life story. Jesus knew of her ex husbands and that she was currently living with a man. The conversation turned "religious" and the woman brought up where different people worshiped. Jesus revealed Himself, as Messiah, and let the woman know that His Father was a Spirit and in the future true believers would worship Him in Spirit and Truth.
How God must be exasperated with us, His creation. We, being Christians, sometimes act with disrespect for God and His word. Sometimes, when watching us in our daily lives, it might be hard to differentiate us from the heathens. Paul, the Apostle, asked, "who will deliver me from this bondage"? When Paul wanted to do right, he would do wrong. If you fit this description, then take courage because you serve the God of second chances. God not only wants us to have eternal life with Him but to walk on this earth with Him.
Is your walk with Jesus vital? Were you more excited about Him and His word in the past? Perhaps you have grown weary in well doing? Perhaps the business of life has captured your attention and you have departed from the "better part"? Martha was caught up in doing good things that needed to be done. People need to eat and the day Jesus visited there was certainly a crowd to feed. Martha saw Mary as wasting her time instead of helping. Mary was at the feet of Jesus listening intently to every word he uttered. Mary knew that life was in Jesus words. In fact, everything was in His words.
Imagine you are alive in 1941 and Japan attacks your nation. Imagine the different emotions you must be feeling: anxiety, doubt and most certainly fear. At that time the war had been proceeding in Europe and America was watching. Many people did not want to join the war: they were called isolationists. After the attack on Pearl Harbor we were drawn into the battle. President Roosevelt gave a speech to the American public and told them that we have nothing to fear but fear itself. How true those words were and are today. We are blinded with a media assault of nothing but fear. We have certain church leaders whose central message is fear. Hollywood likes to join in as well as professors claiming destruction is at our doorstep.
Finish Strong Never Quit 
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