One Person Can Make a Difference---We Can Too!...David Wilkerson...Martin Luther King, Jr.

Many people like to watch movies and read stories about action heroes and Cinderella stories.  The Spiderman movies made a huge profit in the box office.  There are two quotes that I like in those movies.  “With great power, comes great responsibility.” The other one is when the Comic book author Stan Lee of Spiderman, makes a cameo appearance and he looks at Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) who plays Spiderman saving a woman from falling out of a high story building when a crane smashed into it, and he says to Peter, “One Person Can Make A Difference.”

Fireman and rescue workers made a difference on the tragic events during 9/11...one chad/vote made a difference in having a president of the United Stated from an election that took place in Florida…we too can make a difference!   

Dave Wilkerson made a difference to my generation with his book, “Cross and the Switchblade.”  Many of us became Christians in the 1970’s out of the Jesus Movement, and were involved in street evangelism under the inspiration of his ministry. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. made a difference in a generation and a movement of change.  I love a quote he made.  "If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward."  He spiraled change.  Some change that was not fully made during his life.  He reminds me some of Samson in the Bible.  Samson killed more Philistines in his death than in his life.   Martin Luther King, Jr. has killed more Philistines of discrimination in his death than in his life. Martin Luther King’s Jr. dream is being fulfilled in my life that I could come out of a racial prejudice home, and I attend inter-racial churches, the New Testament Church that has a black pastor and wife and the Blended Church.  God loves for races of people to work together and he will honor such a work.  God does not look at the color of man’s skin, God looks at the heart.  Man looks at skin.  Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.  

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

Elijah in the Bible went to one widow woman to save her and her son from starving when there was no rain, Elisha healed one person from leprosy Naaman…one harlot woman was saved in Jericho when it was destroyed, Rahab who later became the mother of Boaz who was in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.   It shows that one/each person matters to God.  Jesus gave us the story of the good shepherd leaving 99 sheep to find the one lost sheep and the woman looking all through her house for the one lost coin.

"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? Matthew 18:12

And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Luke 15:9-10

There is a story of several thousands of star fish that were washed up on the beach, and a boy who threw one star fish in the ocean at a time to save them.  It was a tremendous task, but he focused on saving one at a time, although there were thousands dying.

Our Heart Makes a Difference

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Romans 12:11

A Cinderella story I love is the race horse story of Seabiscuit.   I like the quote in the movie from Shakespeare, “And though he be little, he is fierce.”   It’s actually a quote from Helena for a woman, “And though she be but little, she is fierce."  I believe it applies to my life as a woman of God.

How do I consider I am fierce?  One way is as Seabiscuit ran the race from his heart. I run the race of life from my heart.  This was a theme over and over in the movie.  We can’t follow the dictates of our flesh or of the mind.  If we are lead and controlled by the Spirit of God in our spirit, than we will reap the benefits of life everlasting.   It was the same theme in Secretariat in that the woman owner of the horse did not listen to the negativity of her husband or brother, but she followed her heart.  There is an intensity in serving the Lord when we serve the Lord with our whole heart.  

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"  Luke 10:27

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 & So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Galatians 5:16

Sometimes distractions come up in life that take away from giving 100% to God.  It’s more of a determination in not letting distractions pull us away in getting too busy.  Too much work, activity, or other things.   Mary in the Bible was determined to sit at Jesus feet and listen to his word, although Martha even asked Jesus to get Mary to come help her in serving.

Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:42

When I wake up in the morning besides saying I am blessed and loved of God, now I’m saying, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philip 4:13).  I start my day with my focus on Jesus Christ in my life.   David said: In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall. Psalm 18:29

being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully. Colossians 1:11 

When David stood up against Goliath, it was God who defeated Goliath not David.  David was a small shepherd boy, but David was fierce.  David was fierce, because he had God’s word in his heart and his mouth.  One person can make a difference with God’s word in their heart and in their mouth.

David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.  All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands."  1 Samuel 17:45 -47

Prayer Makes a Difference

To get my inner center and mind on Jesus --- my celestrial fix like the Navy or older ships did with the stars to plot their courses, I like to close my eyes and sing that song that was written by a blind woman:

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace."

If I’m focusing on needs, the high gas prices, myself in self-pity, circumstances, other Christians, than I don’t have my focus or eyes on Jesus.  I’m focusing on other things.  

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess Hebrews 3:1

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  Philip 3:13 

After getting my mind focused on Jesus, than I find that I can ask the Lord if there is anything in my life that is unpleasing, an evil way, any bad attitude, bad thought, to cleanse me and heal me.  Getting on my face before God in prayer to intercede for others, and what is going on in this world.  David said to cleanse him from secret sins (Psalm 19:12).  God is our wing man and can see those blind spots, we don't see in our lives.  We don't want the enemy to attack us, because we are not aware of some way or attitude we have sinned.

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Before David Wilkerson passed away in a car accident  at 79-years old, he had this blog:

To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights — and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, ‘I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain.’ Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail — his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world.

I appreciate David's blog, because of the emotional devastation I experienced in losing my husband early in life.  Most people won't understand the devasation of a sudden death unless they have been through it, and had an intense love relationship with a husband or wife.  

I had a dream when I first was saved that I was walking down an evil road.  I know the evil road was life.  I was scared walking down that evil road and then I heard a voice and it said, “Mary” when the voice said Mary, I  had a sense of overwhelming safety, peace and comfort.  Now, when I wake up every morning in this valley of the shadow of death, I say to the Lord, “Speak Lord for your servant heareth.”  Like little Samuel said when he first heard the voice of God.  It’s because everything in the Bible is written for our example and our admonition.  I want to hear the voice of my master like I heard in my dream that brought safety every morning and during my day.  I don't want to harden my heart against the voice of God in my life.    "Open the eyes of my heart Lord, open the eyes of my heart, that I may know thee, hear thee and see thee."

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,  Ephesians 1:18

Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, Psalm 13:3