It's not a laughing matter

On April third 1900 and 68 Dr. Martin Luther King jr. gave his famous Mountaintop speech. In this final address he spoke of a longing to be free a cry for freedom. Surely its not a laughing matter to be oppressed to be the subject to unfair expectations unjust laws treated as second class citizens. Somewhere he wrote we had been scratching where we didnt itch and laughing when we hadnt been tickled, but those days were over. Somehow when I here the words of the April 3 1968 speech Ive been to the mountaintop and ive seen the promised land. Words like longevity has its place and I’d like to live a long life, but I’m not worried about that; they stand out to me as a man of God looking at prophecies that have come to pass about a Promise Keeper. The preacher in me couldn’t help but imagine being there as the scholar Dr. King channeled into the conviction of his deep rooted Christian beliefs and uttered those very words. I could see him looking down the portals of time and history: for some 1900 and 35 years prior as according to Joesphus, the jewish historian, chronicled about the cruxifixion of some man named Jesus. Standing in the crowd April 3, 33 a.d. on Golgotha’s hill when our Lord and Savior hung from an old rugged cross the protoevangelium live and in pay per view. I could picture Dr. King standing at the cross with a perfect picture of sacrifice; somewhere between those one thousand nine hundred and 35 years time and reality unchanged. Facts remaining the same if Christ suffered in the flesh arm yourself likewise with the same mind that was in Christ Jesus. Dr. King understanding that the burden of the many will sit on the backs of the few, and resounding statement “if a man hadn’t found something he is willing to die for then he isn’t fit to live” We all have sacrifices to make and obstacles to overcome; needless to say we are all works in progress, and just as Dr. King we are all a part of His perfect plan.

The Protoevangelium from the Greek words proto meaning “first” and evangelion meaning “good news” or “gospel” thus the first gospel message came in Gen 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Theologians call it the fall of man; some say it is the original sin which is believed to be what leads us to the inherited sin nature, or current fallen condition of man. Nevertheless we understand it as the forgiving nature of the one true God, that not only is He longsuffering, but He is patient and filled with grace, overflowing with mercy. Truly the God of another chance will do what’s right by those whom He has chosen. My brothers and sisters is it ok to say that your mistakes have not placed you outside the will of God. I read somewhere that God has already been where you’re trying to go. His yesterday is your tomorrow He stands in the past present and the future all at the same time. Surely if a full grasping of God speaking to the prophet in Isaiah 46:10 was understood and taken plainly God says He’s“Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:” I believe it is evident to say your free will still falls inside the the order of his perfect will, and only His Will will be done. My brothers and sisters picture this God chose you knowing exactly who you were. Let me say that again God chose you and He knew exactly who you were not who you would like to be. Just like Adam and Eve in our lowest moments when we would hide in shame God gives us mercy and still chooses us. The Protoevangelium stands as a promise that the good news is you can’t get God to walk out on you, and because He is full of grace it pleases Him to bless you. If He knew you before He formed you in your mothers womb, as He has stated, He has a plan and a purpose for you.

Yet in the face of the good news and walking in the blessings and promises of God we find doubt. Just like the believing man that had a problem with unbelief we suffer with the feeling that we should prepare for the worse and only hope for the best. I read somewhere that no temptation has taken you except such as common to man, and as the bible records Abraham believed God yet his belief alone did not remove all doubt that God would keep him from harm hurt or danger. Genesis the 18 chapter and the 12 verse records Sarah laughed; which in itself seems benign. Upon further evaluation we find she had expressed pessimism in the face of a prophetic guarantee. Pessimism is defined as a lack of hope or confidence in the future. Sarah like many of us merely looking at her situation and not seeing the how it could be done, spoke as to the impossible nature of events. The sovereign God heard and asked Abraham why did Sarah laugh? You may ask where was God when it clearly said three men stood by him when he looked up at the tent. This is what scholars call a Christophany or Theophany which is the appearance of God or Christ. Theophanies usually would be God visiting in a vision or a dream, and a Christophany is the preincarnate or post resurrection visitation of Jesus.

Abraham having already recieved the promise of a seed from the Almighty God believed and he moved as God ordered him to. He uprooted his family and left everything behind going unto a land which he knew not, and Sarah followed him willingly. When you as a man can impregnate your significant other with hope, and allow her to be a helpmate in your dreams she’ll follow you. I believe the comedian Martin Lawrence said when you got stuff women will tend to stay with you longer than when you ain’t got nothing . The evidence lies in Sarah dwelling inside the tent in the wilderness following Abraham and trusting in the dream he had let her be a part of. Abraham was given the promise and the vision from God, but Sarah did’t understand that it was her job to birth that vision. I have come to the understanding that God will give the vision unto the man and require his helpmate to help by birthing the vision. The first business partner of every man should be his wife I’m certain that God has ordained it as such. I read somewhere that man shall leave everything his mother and his father, but shall cling to his wife and the two shall be one. Abraham had his wife but he also too

Isaiah 46:10 KJV (WS)

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Genesis 3:15 (KJV (WS))

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.