Grace and Courage

The hope for our world is the gospel of Christ, which is demonstrated by His people - as we demonstrate courage and love to walk in His grace, He will do amazing things through His people, which can result in the change of a heart from darkness to light. 2nd Corinthians 4 says:
5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake.
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

We have been entrusted with the light of Christ and called to share and stand on His truth. During these days leading up to Independence Day, we can reflect on the dependence of our Founding Fathers, expressed in the Declaration of Independence, which expressed a "firm reliance" on the hand of God. In our country today, we need to recapture a sense of that reliance on Almighty God - we need to know the power and presence of God, which brings people into a saving knowledge of Christ, the changing of a heart, which transforms thinking and behavior for a more God-honoring society.

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In 2nd Thessalonians 2, Paul gives an admonition to continue to walk in faith, exhibiting grace in the Lord. He writes:
15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace,
17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

The dedication to Christ that has been shown by former Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron has certainly been inspiring, and Kirk is continuing to make an impact on our culture, calling for our great nation to seek God and to experience revival.

There is an actress who was not impressed with his being outspoken for Christ, though. Christianity Daily reports on Adrienne Curry, who competed on the reality show, America's Next Top Model. The article mentioned a recent Facebook post:

"I sneered at the mention of his name because my agnostic beliefs set me above all others in my infinite godless greatness," she wrote on her post. "When I really ask myself why I did so, my only truthful answer is that I was surrounded by godless people who fancied themselves better than anyone and everyone who had faith in anything besides their own selfish selves."

The article goes on to say:

After seeing an interview of Cameron, the actress' attitude changed, CBN's Faithwire noted.

"Recently, I watched an interview with the guy. He came off as very humble and incredibly likable. I watched a few more. Loyal to his wife, a family man, a former atheist who found some meaning in life. He just comes off as a good dude," she explained.

Curry wrote: "Sorry, dude. I walked with the flock of sheep who told me what to hate and what to like without question..."

Cameron had been told about Curry's apology and responded in the comments section of the post; the article says:

The 50-year-old Christian superstar expressed his gratitude to her kind words, saying he is "genuinely grateful." He said he was also inspired by Curry's "honesty and transparency and humble admission."

He went on to share some of his personal testimony and she later made another post and "thanked Cameron for showing grace in the face of someone who had misjudged him."

And, on this Friday prior to the Fourth of July, it's appropriate to note that Kirk has a heart for seeing revival in our nation.  He embarked on a 100-day "American Campfire Revival," earlier this year, and CBN.com said, "Cameron's campaign incorporated Biblical discussions about truth that focused on restoration within the country and how we can become a more unified America."

Kirk is quoted as saying:

"We need to be fearless and full of faith right now. This is the moment that God has placed us on the stage of the world. The stakes are very high. I like freedom and comfort. I like when I'm not scared but there is so much at stake right now that we've got to let our love for people and our love for God swallow our fears and do what needs to be done in this moment. And that takes courage. Courage is not the absence of fear, it's the overcoming of it. We need men and women of courage right now."

The American Campfire Revival is continuing with a new chapter, the Love Dare series, which is based on the movie in which Kirk starred, Fireproof. 

245 years ago, men of faith and courage set out on a risky journey that resulted in the independence of the American colonies.  We stand on their shoulders.  Their beliefs that "all men are created equal" and that everyone has rights that are given to us by God have provided the basis for a country that has sustained the test of time, overcome obstacles, and has been a beacon of freedom throughout the world. We celebrate that this weekend, and as Christians, the celebration is sweeter, because we recognize that our nation is built on, as the Declaration says, "a firm reliance on divine Providence."

But, godlessness is a threat to the very fabric of our society - actress Adrienne Curry admitted that her association with people who possessed "godless beliefs."  That's not to say that she has necessarily embraced Christianity, but she saw something in Kirk Cameron that broke through her hardened beliefs. That can be an inspiration to each of us - that our lives so reflect Christ that the Holy Spirit will use our witness in order to break down barriers.  The counter to the secularization of our culture is the infusion of Biblical faith, in order that Christ may be seen in us.