Because You Loved Me!!! 6/26/22
James 1:21-25 (KJV)
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
I spent ANOTHER sleepless night lying beside little Amanda as she-ONCE AGAIN-struggled to sleep.
At 1:43 AM I received a phone call on my wrist/AKA Dick Tracey cell phone from my sister Gail Williams.
Half asleep, I knew at the sound of her familiar voice the news...............................
My spiritual mother, Lelia Williams had gone before us to Heaven.
I have now spent the better part of day is shock and mourning. My natural mother has been gone for for the last 47 years and dear Lelial became my surrogate mother, both natural and spiritual.
I was SAVED in her home 51 years ago this very month which also is my natural birth month-51 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There was scarcely a week gone by when we did not speak on the phone, she read every word of every sermon I ever posted and FAITHFULLY financially supported me and this ministry all these years................
To say I am sad and she will be GREATLY mourned and missed is a vast understatement.
I struggled all day with should I try to post my sermon today. I have every excuse not to.
As I SADLY tried to lay down on my sofa and just mourn, a song I had stumbled across the other long night popped into my soul. As many of you well know, God speaks to me often in SONG.
Here is what God spoke to me in song:
"Because You Loved Me"
For all those times you stood by me
For all the truth that you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you
I'll be forever thankful baby
You're the one who held me up
Never let me fall
You're the one who saw me through through it all
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
Ooh, baby
You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand, I could touch the sky
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love, I had it all
I'm grateful for each day you gave me
Maybe I don't know that much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because I was loved by you
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
You were always there for me
The tender wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into my life
You've been my inspiration
Through the lies you were the truth
My world is a better place because of you
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
(My voice.)
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
I add to this a beautiful rendition of this song by Celine Dion
That is what was and IS that Lelia Williams IS and was to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
James 1:23-24 (KJV)
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
WE ALL struggle with self awareness and self appreciation and LOVE for our OWN selves-ALL OF US!!!
On the same day last week I received two different “evaluations” of ME.
One a crushing insult and blow to my physique and one a complement as to how “good” I looked-which one do you think I took and take to heart even today???????????
I behold “my natural face in a glass” and DO NOT FORGET what manner of man I AM!!!!!!!!!!!!
I/WE are are our greatest critic.
I/WE easily overlook and forget others looks and faults but not mine/ours!!!!!!!!! AMEN!!??
Too often, I/WE do not like the image projected back in our faces of ourselves.
BUT, in the end beloved, does it really matter????
On this sad day of reflection for me, I close with this mighty thought from Jaroslav Pelikan, who wrote on his own death bed:
“IF CHRIST IS RISEN-NOTHING ELSE MATTERS!!
IF CHRIST IS NOT RISEN-NOTHING ELSE MATTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
AMEN AND AMEN!!!
Pastor Doug
404-295-5644 or
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McDonough, GA. 30253
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Thank You and God Bless You!!!
