CSN - LightWing Messages - Reflections on the Real MLK, Jr.
1/26/2025
This is what the Lord says to Israel:
“Seek me and live;
do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba.
For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.”
Seek the Lord and live, or he will sweep through the tribes of Joseph like a fire;
it will devour them, and Bethel will have no one to quench it.
There are those who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground.
He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns midnight into dawn
and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out over the face of the land— the Lord is his name.
With a blinding flash he destroys the stronghold and brings the fortified city to ruin.
There are those who hate the one who upholds justice in court and detest the one who tells the truth.
You levy a straw tax on the poor and impose a tax on their grain.
Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them;
though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine.
For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins.
There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes
and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times, for the times are evil.
Seek good, not evil, that you may live.
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you, just as you say he is.
Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts.
Perhaps the Lord God Almighty will have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.
Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord God Almighty, says:
“There will be wailing in all the streets and cries of anguish in every public square.
The farmers will be summoned to weep and the mourners to wail.
There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass through your midst,”
says the Lord.
The Day of the Lord
Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord!
Why do you long for the day of the Lord? That day will be darkness, not light.
It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear,
as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall
only to have a snake bite him.
Will not the day of the Lord be darkness, not light—
pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?
“I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me.
Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them.
Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.
But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
“Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
You have lifted up the shrine of your king, the pedestal of your idols,
the star of your god — which you made for yourselves.
Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Damascus,”
says the Lord, whose name is God Almighty. Amos 5:4-27
FOUNDER’S MESSAGE:
Continue to Pray for God’s Justice and His Righteousness to Triumph!
Last week, our LightWing Messages featured a message from Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. that challenged us to love one’s enemies. While it focused on primary excerpts from a much longer sermon, it contained the essence of what MLK was trying to convey. King was primarily saying what Jesus had shared with his disciples. Then, why would it be so hard for Christians to have the same mindset? Why so hard to practice? For those who can easily dismiss such a message from this Black preacher, what does it say about their capacity to practice what Jesus asked of all those who identify as his followers?
We could actually run an opinion poll about anyone who self-identifies as being a Christian by asking those who live with them, or live around them, or know them from work relationships, and we could ask those acquaintances whether they saw “Christian qualities of character” in the one who is the focus of the poll. In the eyes of God, what does He see when He looks at us? Are we truly capable of loving our enemies? Did Christians love President Biden who claimed to be a Catholic, but supported abortion for political capital? Do Christians on the Left love Trump and all that he represents? When this framework is the measurement, does it affect one’s deeper appreciation for the efforts of Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement?
As the week may have swept past us quite rapidly, it may be good to take a few moments to reflect today on significant events that have rushed past. Last Monday was a combined event of the Inauguration of President-elect Trump, as well as the day America celebrates the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. There was a similar conjunction of events in 2013 when the birthday honoring the icon of the Civil Rights Movement and the inauguration of the nation’s first black president occurred on the same day.
Such historic significance was not lost on Barack Obama’s inauguration team. Although scaled down quite a bit from his 2009 inaugural ceremonies, the events were substantial and designed to maximize the significance of the two events and Obama’s team masterfully choreographed the events. They were quite dramatic. A main point of that year’s celebration seemed to be designed to make the most of a connection between Obama and the civil rights era. The linkage appeared to be mutually beneficial to Obama and to the memory of Rev. King.
But that was appearances – reality television for mass consumption. The Rev. Lorenzo Sewell of Detroit did a much more significant job of channeling MLK during President Donald made for Trump’s second inauguration on Monday than Obama did in all his years as a puppet POTUS. Would Sewell love his enemies? Unless, the event was only a “made for television consumers,”
It is likely that Sewell would represent a more accurate respect, reverence, and adherence to the values of MLK, than would Obama - either when he was POTUS or now.
On a more significant level, sometimes love, of the kind that Jesus represented, is apparent in the actions of sacrifice much more than in the behavior of narcissists. There are people in world history that the world respects and reveres, and then there are people in history that the saints and angels of God, even God himself, would respect and revere. Martin Luther King, Jr. would be considered such a man, in my humble opinion. This perception goes beyond racist, divisive considerations of the man, and it measures KIng by his willingness to risk his life for the sake of others, and for the sake of righteousness, and for the sake of advancing God’s Kingdom.
Sometimes, to practice honesty, one needs to be around honest people – strong individuals who expect those in their midst to be honest. Sometimes, love manifests in the form of strength to hold to the standards of goodness and the “right-thing-to-do-it-ness” (righteousness) as best as humanly possible. When one lives in a culture of corruption and lies, the tendency to cheat and lie and oppress others becomes common practice. MLK went against the grain of the corruption and oppression of the Solid South and risked his life every day for standing up and speaking out against it, yet he kept pointing to a higher standard, a higher set of ideals. This is one of the very reasons he deserves the respect of all Americans as we move onward into this new year.
This Sunday’s edition of LightWing Messages first features a message I wrote about Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the beginning of 2019. It is titled: "Reflecting on Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Faith in the American Dream.” In my humble opinion, King was a man of God – a man striving to live for the sake of others and one who truly wrestled with following Jesus’ commands. Are we all practicing our faith in such a way. Can you imagine what we could do, if all of us could practice putting our faith into action in such a way? As I have mentioned in previous Sunday newsletters, I believe in doing as much as we can to advance His Kingdom and His righteousness, and I believe we all have been born to assist in God’s Providential endeavors, if only we could accept such a notion.
We offer this edition in honor of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. We hope our readers could view Martin Luther King with a bit deeper respect as we realize the Deep State was also marshalled against him as he was considered a “threat to democracy” during his time. That still translates into “a threat to the Democrat Party” as it did in King’s day. It is important to take more than a brief moment to reflect on what drove King to stand up and speak out in a Deep South culturally and politically dominated by a white political power structure. As it was mentioned in last week’s edition: “It is long overdue that we cease playing the game of “identity politics,” and we cease the race-based judgement of one another. It is long past time to see each other via the content of our character rather than the color of our skin – no matter what the source of racist views.”
Editor’s note: Previously, several readers have responded to our request rewarding readers’ responses to get more information about “True U.S. History” classes that were taught before in the COVID time. REaders suggested that these sessions be offered again. We have assembled a team of advisors to look into the possibilities, and based upon positive feedback, the classes may resume, but they would be even better. We continue to ask those readers who have not put forth an opinion, to respond by requesting more information if there is a desire to literally ‘see’ a return of those ½ hour sessions. Below is a link to one of the sessions (the pilot program) -- https://wcntv.net/w/hWvcYzf7UZv4tFToo1GNqh On that channel you can go to their in house search box and enter Citizen Voice or my name (Dennis Jamison) and you'll be able to pull up other episodes. Please know this is a work in progress; if it's to be done again, I want to do it right the third time around. More to follow…
We are truly interested to know if readers are willing to tune in to a weekly podcast of ½ hour sessions.to get a post-education (most of our readers are graduates from some educational system in their home nations). The sessions would provide factual information (as opposed to political hyperventilating, fake news or click bait) and offer an education on God’s Providence moving beyond biblical narratives into the present. We are asking for a reply again.
If you need to make a new year’s resolution to arm yourselves with a unique understanding of U.S. history, consider it as taking one step closer toward arming oneself with a toxin-free history of America that is not currently taught in the educational system in the United States. Just type “yes, let me know more” and hit ‘reply’ and send your response back to us via the email from whom you received this newsletter. Or comment in Substack. We’ll send updated information on what this U.S. History course would cover. Based on the information provided, readers can decide if they are willing to take advantage of the opportunity.
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Our genuine hope is that you enjoy this edition and take in as many of the intelligent features and perspectives that may be of interest. Don’t get greedy! Only absorb what you can easily digest! Read, enjoy, absorb and as always, if readers believe the perceptions of our writers or links to articles are worthy of others’ attention, please share with those whom you hope would benefit from the Citizen Sentinels Network. Or simply, invite them to go to Substack and get a free subscription – Citizen Voice on Substack
These words are being freely offered to you – intended to shine light unto our paths, as written: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18 - KJV
May God bless our readers and all of their loved ones. May God bless All His Children!
May we truly humble ourselves, sincerely seek His face and His spirit, honestly repent - especially to repent for not tending to Your vineyard according to Your Will! May we truly turn from our wicked ways. May we offer praise and prayers of gratitude and joy for your continued Grace for America’s return to His standards of goodness. May we continue to move onward into 2025 with love rooted in truth under the standards of God – not men!
Those who fan the flames of divisiveness and disunity within this nation, do not rest on the foundation of Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy
Reflecting on Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Faith in the American Dream
Dennis Jamison ——Bio and Archives--January 22, 2019
In the wake of the day designated to honor the contributions of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., intelligent Americans can wonder about the legacy of this incredible man of God. And, the embattled political spheres demonstrated they are not prepared to see the same vision as Dr. King. Even if only the “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial is used as a measuring stick, one can understand the words and intent that this crusader once shared with all Americans has been distorted and trivialized.
When King spoke the words of his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, he shared that his dream was rooted in the American Dream:
I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American Dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with… With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. Dr. King’s words are not that difficult to interpret. They express a positive vision of hope and brotherhood that was not just a vision but the initiation of action to push forward into his time the dream of the Founding Fathers. King’s efforts and struggles were neither superficial attempts at grafting on to something much greater nor an insidious attempt at using a legacy for his own personal or political benefit. The man, the minister was intensely focused upon helping all Americans – black as well as white. King was not so petty as to place his personal or political advancement over that of others.
Political operatives still try to control the narrative, or to play politics with such a vision of hope - one that was trampled upon while he was still alive
Political operatives still try to control the narrative, or to play politics with such a vision of hope - one that was trampled upon while he was still alive. His dream was for all the people of the United States, but it has been very much distorted since - by all kinds of individuals, from Al Sharpton, to Barack Obama, to the GOP.
Yet, despite what the leftists and progressive–revisionists would want people to remember, King was more than just a political and social reformer; King was a man of God, who loved God and the fundamental principles woven into the fabric of the United States, and that is why he shared his Dream. It was rooted into the American dream. He even said as much. What has been lost about King is that he was more than just a leader of a secular movement for black Americans’ civil rights. Dr. King was genuinely a man of God, and it was his relationship with God that gave him the strength and courage to transform from the humble preacher to the modern prophet and the social activist many remember him to be. But, it is his rootedness in his relationship with God, and his love for America that spurred King to strongly proclaim: “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’”
He still believed. The key component in King’s speech is the American dream of living in freedom. For “four score and seven years,” as Abraham Lincoln pointed out, the ideal the Founders hoped would be the beginning of a noble human endeavor. To provide a foundation, or to plant the seeds for a land Of freedom. Lincoln was aware that ideal had been denied black Americans as they suffered in slavery. Then, after slavery was abolished through the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the point of “all men” being entitled to the rights of all citizens expressed within the Declaration of Independence and in the Bill of Rights, was finally established in this nation.
King brought a positive change based upon his faith and the faith of hundreds of thousands of black souls
Unfortunately, the second part of the creed King refers to in his speech is that notion of “equality,” and that remained to be clarified King took the same kind of stand that Lincoln took in his day. Lincoln was helping Americans return to the original foundation established under the Declaration of Independence: all men being equal under the law. In his day King was helping Americans return to the same foundation: the Declaration of Independence. But, King’s focus was on the uncompleted aspect: all men being equal. Certainly, one of the primary points that King made in his time was that freedom was a dream for all people: not just for white people, but for all people.
The component of the American Dream that had not been fulfilled was the part about “equality.” Because of this, Lincoln and King are linked to each other, and to the Founding Fathers forever. In all honesty, to address this incomplete part successfully, it required a black man to rise to the occasion because white people could only imagine or intellectualize the depths of the pain of their suffering. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for freedom, not from the slavery of the Deep South that had long been abolished by the blood of hundreds of thousands of white men fighting for the rights of the black population; he was fighting against a residual white power structure left over from well before the days of the Confederacy. It was such a white political elite that had legalized discrimination, prejudice and racism; a power structure left over from the old white aristocracy that had ruled a part of the U.S. since the founding and had maintained rule over the South for 160 years prior to that.
King fought for the rights of his people to be seen as equal under the law, but the inequality was deeply entrenched in North America since before the U.S. was even born. King brought a positive change based upon his faith and the faith of hundreds of thousands of black souls. He had faith in the American Dream, and with that faith he believed that “we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together…” Sadly, this is truly the opposite of what some of the political operatives in all quarters of our country seek due to the struggle for power in America.
Those who fan the flames of divisiveness and disunity within this nation, do not rest on the foundation of Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy
Those who fan the flames of divisiveness and disunity within this nation, do not rest on the foundation of Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy. He has risen upon the legacy of the other powerful forces that were active in the black community in this nation: the nation of Islam, the Black Panthers, Black Liberation Theology and the teachings of Saul Alinsky. These forces lead people away from the American Dream and the ideals espoused in the Declaration of Independence. For the most part, these forces deny one of the most important parts of this esteemed document: the existence of God, and the concept that the rights of the people originate from the Creator. Without believing in God, rights only originate from the governments of men, and men can often be tyrants.
If one sincerely considers it, this aspect of the Declaration of Independence, is the current battlefield in the development of the Land of the Free: that all men “are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Only a relative few truly believe this declaration in this day and age. In this time, Americans will be confronted with this real challenge of faith. Americans still face the challenge to decide whether the nation is to be “one nation under God,” or a nation under the dominion of a network of faithless and divisive “leaders” who pursue their own self-centered, personal and political power. This is truly a time for genuine leaders to appreciate and emulate the faith of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Additional Faith & Spirit-filled links…
From Kingsland Baptist Church: "Praise You In This Storm" Central Special Music – 7/19/20
From World Outreach Church with Allen Jackson: Are You Reclining or Standing? | Allen Jackson Ministries – 1/25/25
From the UNited States Air Force Television: The Man in the Arena – 10/3/2019
From Rabbi Jonathan Cahn: The Secret Law Of New Beginnings – 1/25/25
From Enni Francis: Goodness of God (Cover) | Enni and Kanaan. - 1/18/22
Discovering the Jewish Jesus: Bishop Blasts Trump's Agenda: Rabbi Schneider Responds – 1/22/25
From Audrey Assad: Be Thou My Vision by Audrey Assad — Official Music Video - 6/7/2016
From The Victory Channel - FlashPoint: Victory News: President Trump's Inauguration Day & Top News – 1/20/25
From Trump's Pre-Inauguration: The Battle Hymn Of The Republic - Trump's Pre-Inauguration Jan 19th 2017
From USA Today News (w/ video): The Rev. Lorenzo Sewell of Detroit delivers rousing prayer at Trump inauguration – 1/20/25
Podcast - From Dutch Sheets Ministries: Celebrating the Inaugural Weekend | Give Him 15: Daily Prayer with Dutch | January 23, 2025
Podcast - From The Lance Wallnau: 2025 A Great Year to be ALIVE! Just returned from D.C. and want to share something unusual with you. – 1/23/25
Podcast - From The Victor Davis Hanson via the Daily Signal: Victor Davis Hanson: The Left’s Post-Election Come to Jesus Moment – 1/22/25
From Think Biblically Course via My Faith Votes: Module 4: Think Biblically about Sexuality and Gender Lesson 3: Think and Live Biblically – (w/ Dr. Christopher Yuan)
Short clips - From Dr. Preston Moon: Authors of History #youtube shorts – 12/29/2021
