The Capacity to Forgive

In Mark chapter 11, Jesus discussed the importance of praying with faith and also highlighted a deterrent to faith and answered prayer:
24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
25 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.
26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

This just shows to each of us how important that the act of forgiveness is to God.  First of all, He forgave us, and continues to forgive us when we sin against Him.  Because of His great love, He does not count those sins against us.   But, He also expects us to forgive others and grants us the capacity to do so.  If we hold on to unforgiveness in our hearts, it has a profound negative effect on our relationship with God.

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In Matthew chapter 18, Jesus told a parable about the importance of forgiveness:
23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.
24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made.
26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'
27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
28 But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'
29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.'
30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

Jesus illustrated the high value of forgiveness and drove the point home in verses 34 and 35:
34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
35 So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."

What was described as a worldwide prayer effort spread recently for a North Carolina worship pastor and his wife who lost both of their children in a car accident.

ChristianHeadlines.com quoted Christian News Network, which reported that Pastor Gentry Eddings and his wife Hadley of Forest Hill Church in Ballantyne were following one another in separate cars when a box truck rear-ended Gentry Eddings’ vehicle, which was pushed into Hadley’s.

She was eight months pregnant at the time, and was rushed to the hospital where doctors performed an emergency C-section. The baby, who the couple named Reed, died two days later. The Eddings’ two-year-old son, Dobbs, died en route to the hospital.  Gentry and Hadley sustained minor injuries. The driver of the box truck was charged with misdemeanor death by a vehicle, and said his brakes were not working.

At the children's funeral, Gentry expressed forgiveness to the truck driver. ChristianHeadlines.com published this quote from The Christian Post: "We have, in our hearts, forgiven the man who did this. It was not the easiest thing to do, but in some ways it was because we know — Hadley and I — that Jesus Christ has forgiven us our debt... So in some ways, it was very easy to forgive a man who made an accident."

The Post article also noted that in order to show the Eddings how much they are loved and supported by their local community, the church's senior pastor David Chadwick, who presided over the funeral, asked the Eddings to come to the altar and face the crowd to see just how many people showed up to support them, which reportedly sparked a huge crowd ovation.

The Bible speaks about the topic of forgiveness and relates it to our relationship with God.  If we truly appreciate the forgiveness that has been granted to us by Christ, we can have the capacity to forgive those who have wronged us.  

There are 4 words that can be associated with this story:

"We will stand with you," Chadwick told the Eddings. "We will lift you up in our prayers. We will hug you when we see you. We will walk with you through the grief."

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/pastor-who-lost-both-his-baby-sons-in-car-accident-forgives-driver-who-caused-fatal-wreck-139906/#8C4JGytCSA4z8V4M.99

We have been commanded to forgive.  God is very serious about the act of forgiveness.  Out of a compassionate and forgiving heart, Jesus gave His very life.  Because He has extended that forgiveness to us and placed His Spirit in our hearts, He expects us to walk with a forgiving spirit.

We can be compelled to forgive.  Recognizing that forgiveness is serious business with God, that can motivate us to not fight back, but to extend forgiveness, not harboring bitterness in our hearts that can ensnare us and render us unproductive in the Christian life, producing oppression.  He desires for us to experience freedom that we gain from releasing ill feelings toward another person.

We can choose to forgive.  There is great power in our choices.  And, God is calling us to make that choice - to appropriate His love and His resources in order to walk in His freedom and perhaps to enable others to be set free by our own act of forgiveness.  The act of forgiveness is a matter of choice.

We have the capacity to forgive.  The good news is that we have the nature of Christ dwelling within us.  Because we have taken God's commandment seriously and responded to His compelling us to forgive and making the choice, we can experience the wonderful capacity to forgive someone, not counting what they have done to us against them, but regarding them in love and seeing them through the eyes of Jesus, who died so that all might be forgiven.

Faith, Awards, and Art

We have been entrusted with the light of the Lord and called to walk in His Spirit, so that we reflect His character. 1st John 1 reminds us of this obligation to walk in truth:
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

God's light has shone in our hearts, and in the way we interact with others, we have the unique opportunity to bring His light into every situation.  Because Christ is in us, we can depend on Him to express His nature through us.  We can be confident of His light, and we burn brighter and shine more intensely as our relationship with Christ grows, as we reflect who He is in us.  In a world where so many are intent in walking in darkness, we can allow Him to express Himself through how we live.

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God is calling us to share His light, to be instruments of truth in a culture that needs to hear His message. 2nd Corinthians 4 reminds us:
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.

Another awards ceremony could be found on network television last night...the presentation of the annual Tony Awards, which recognizes excellence on the Broadway stage.  It does seem rather odd that a prime-time program on CBS would be devoted to stage shows that many have never seen, or perhaps even heard of.  But, with plenty of staged excerpts and a star-studded list of presenters and performers, you could say that it has the potential to make for compelling TV.

The Hollywood Reporter described it as "Broadway's biggest infomercial," and noted:

This might be an honors ceremony but it’s also an infomercial, designed to keep the upward-trending audience numbers on that path. (The 2014-15 season totals hit a new high of 13.1 million tickets sold, yielding a record $1.3 billion in grosses.)

But, there was certainly another agenda that was at play, almost from the very start, when co-host Alan Cumming greeted the crowd gathered at Radio City Music Hall with, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and those of you who don’t identify as either," according to the New York Daily News report, which included a cross-dressing instance by Cumming as another of its key moments. Of course, the selection of the co-hosts was consistent with the LGBT agenda - Cumming is bisexual and is married to a man, co-host Kristin Chenoweth is an outspoken advocate for gay rights and received a special award from GLAAD recently.

Even though the Tonys continued to present male and female winners, it did cause me to wonder if this blurring of the lines concerning gender identity might make its way into some awards ceremony and bring an homogenization of the categories.

Sounds like Broadway could use a little more...faith.  And truth!

And, that's what a new musical opening later this month could provide.  It's called Amazing Grace, and yes, it is based on the life of the writer of the hymn.  As Jonathan Merritt writes on The Week website:

The song is religious. And the Broadway show seeks to capture audiences with both a religious message and a religious mission. Christopher Smith, the show's creator (and a former police officer and volunteer youth minister), is very clear about this: "My desire was that God would be an unseen character in Amazing Grace, moving behind and in every scene and song," he said.

Merritt traces the presence of faith themes in a variety Broadway plays, including what I would term a "big 3" of sorts: Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  And there have been some explorations of spirituality on Broadway over the past 5 years, as Merritt points out:

In 2011, Sister Act opened on Broadway, telling the story of singing nuns made famous by the film starring Whoopi Goldberg. Book of Mormon, which manages to both skewer and celebrate the Mormon faith in a way that is both brutal and sweet, arrived to critical acclaim the same year. In 2012, Leap of Faith, the story of a con-man preacher, opened and scored a Tony nomination for Best Musical. In 2013, The Testament of Mary sought to tell audiences the story of Jesus' crucifixion from his mother's perspective. Earlier this year, Hand to God made a Broadway splash with an irreverent show about a Christian puppet ministry.

Mark Robinson writes for the Playbill.com website:

There must be a place on Broadway for serious-minded, religious-themed musicals. In recent years, it has been a struggle for musicals of this genre to find an audience, and, despite some exciting possibilities in creations such as Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson and Leap of Faith, interest has been slow to ignite. In fact, when it comes to religion, many recent Broadway musicals (new and revived), have poked fun at these themes.

Robinson quotes one of the producers of Amazing Grace, Carolyn Rossi Copeland about the prospects of success for her musical:

Amazing Grace is poised to tell a compelling, true story. That story just happens to have some religious implications to the narrative. This hasn't shied theatregoers away from Carousel or The King and I. When posed with questions about how Amazing Grace faces similar challenges as (and comparisons to) musicals like Scandalous, Copeland carefully refocuses our impressions. "Scandalous had an unfortunate title that didn't convey the story being told. Amazing Grace is about a man who wrote an iconic song. That song title is also the show's title."  

There are certainly some thoughts I have in response here:

First of all, it's important that people of faith support artists, authors, and musicians who are dealing with faith themes.  This weekend, the movie, Beyond the Mask, had an impressive nationwide rollout.  According to Box Office Mojo, the movie was estimated to have grossed $250,000 over the weekend, at an impressive $2252 per screen. It's per-screen average exceeded that of Aloha and Poltergeist, and was comparable to Pitch Perfect 2.  It opened on 111 screens.  In terms of gross sales, it placed #2 among movies on less than 200 screens.  

And, we can always be challenged to recognize that the God of creativity, who has crafted the most wonderful story ever told, the story of redemption for humanity, is accessible to us. Perhaps God is calling you to use a creative gift for His glory.  Or, perhaps you know someone whom you can encourage to use those gifts in order to glorify God.

There are agendas that counter the truth of the Bible, and unfortunately, we know those agendas will always be with us, and are considered to be in vogue by influential people who write, produce, and distribute programming that do not reflect a Christian worldview perspective.  We can be discouraged by this, but also seek for ways in which we can counter these influences with the truth of the gospel, shining light into the dark places of our culture and showing hope in Christ to people who hold to philosophies that do not reflect the truth of Scripture.

This "Charlie" Is No Angel

Ephesians 4 lists a number of practices that are not pleasing to the Lord:
25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor," for we are members of one another.
26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath,
27 nor give place to the devil.
28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

The passage tells us that sinful anger left unconfessed and unresolved gives "place to the devil." These and other practices that are spoken of in this passage and the following verses constitute forms of behavior that are not pleasing to the Lord.  The enemy will tempt us to veer off the course God has set for us, seeking to lure us with promises of a better way if we would just choose to yield.  We have to be strong against temptation and rely on God's strength to overcome.

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The Bible offers us great principles that we can apply in the practice of spiritual warfare, reminding us of the tools available to us to walk in victory.  Ephesians 6 says:
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

One of the latest Internet sensations is a game with a very simple setup and a dangerous premise. Participants draw two lines on a sheet of paper - one horizontal, one vertical, crossing in the middle. That leaves 4 sections.  Then, the squares are alternately filled in with the words, "yes" or "no."  Two pencils are then placed on the paper on top of each other.

Here's where it gets creepy.  According to the Christian Today website, in what is called the "Charlie Charlie Challenge," participants then invoke the Mexican demon known as Charlie asking questions such as, "Charlie, are you here?" or "Can we play?" And if the apparatus mysteriously moves, then the challenge worked.

Dr. Robert Jeffress, Pastor of First Baptist Dallas, has called the game "detestable," and cannot stress enough that Christians should not be taking part in it.  The article refers to this statement to Christian Post: "The Bible is clear that Christians should run — not walk — away from any attempt to contact or harness demonic powers through games like Charlie, Charlie."  He cited Deuterlnomy 18:10, which says "whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord." He added, "Any parent who takes the Word of God seriously will do whatever is necessary to keep his or her child away from games like these, which God has strictly forbidden."

Pastor Jeffress says that, "If a child shows an interest in games like this, parents — instead of panicking — should use this natural interest in the spiritual world to calmly share what God has said about the reality of the spirit world and how to make contact with God rather than Satan and his demons."  Pastor Carl Gallups of Hickory Hollow Baptist outside Pensacola is also quoted in the article - he told WPTF news radio that a lot of people are actually being fooled by the game since it is so easy to blow the two pencils on top of one another and make it move. People automatically assume that spirits are communicating with them when in fact the movement was just caused by air.

Christian Today columnist Martin Saunders of Youthscape says:

The Bible talks about demonic forces often: Jesus casts them out of people; Paul warns not to 'participate' with them (1 Corinthians 10:20); and James says they believe in God – and shudder (James 2:19). In the Old Testament, God and his prophets are frequently warning Israel not to get involved with those who practice the occult, from Deuteronomy 18's list of 'abominable practices' to the grisly description of demonic sacrifice in Psalm 106.

That's not why young people are interested however. They're intrigued because they've seen one of those pencils move on a YouTube video, or heard a story about a demon who might be real, and can prove his existence. When they 'play' however, they're entering the world described in all those verses.

There are all sorts of implications for each of us.  If parents know that their children are taking part in this seemingly harmless, Ouija-board-type activity, it's important to take the appropriate action to curtail it, and as Pastor Jeffress suggests, take advantage of that teachable moment to discuss the spiritual realm.

Yes, there is a supernatural realm - it is where demonic forces operate.  And, the good news is that God and His forces are there, as well.  We cannot deny this - there is more than what is detected by our five physical senses.  As we acknowledge Christ and His power, we can also recognize that there is an enemy whom Jesus Himself taught comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

There is much that transpires in this world that can be attributed to these destructive forces.  And, Satan also desires to bring humans under his control.  If he cannot keep us out of a relationship with Christ, he can certainly make us more unproductive in the Christian life.  Through the realm of our minds, he can plant thoughts to seduce us into sin and lure us into error.  We have to use spiritual resources in order to defeat him, but the good news is that God has given us the tools in the Spirit.

Finally, we have to be sure that we are not giving a place to the enemy by dabbling in activities that are more in line with his ways, his plan for your life, rather than God's ways and His plan for you. Something, even like the "Charlie Charlie Challenge," can seem rather harmless, but opens the door to spiritual activity that does not please God.

Worn Out? Used Up?

In Romans 15:13, we see a verse that can remind us of our source of peace:
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In a world that can produce discouragement and even despair in our lives, it is great to know that we have a source of unmatched hope, producing joy and peace in the Holy Spirit.  When we are feeling worn out or our strength is used up, God can give us the inner fortitude that can build us up and give us encouragement to face the challenges of this life.  He has the resources we need - spiritual, emotional, even physical - in order to enable us to walk in the abundant life about which Jesus teaches.

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At the conclusion of a section of teaching dealing with the future, documented in John 16, we read this:
31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?
32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

And verse 33 offers hope when we feel the world is closing in on us:

33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

There's an aspect of the General Social Survey that indicates, among many other things, how evangelical Christians view their work and their household income.  According to a piece in the Gleanings section of the Christianity Today website, that piece of the survey indicates that almost half of all evangelicals say their income is not enough to pay the bills, one-third say it's hard to take time off from work to care for their family, and many feel “used up” at the end of the day.

In fact, 50.4 percent of all Americans told the survey their income is insufficient, and evangelicals as a whole fall right in line.  But, feeling cash-strapped doesn’t stop evangelicals from working hard. About four in 10 say that at no point in the past week did they not work hard enough, according to the GSS. Fewer than one in 10 say they did not work hard enough during half or more of the week. The responses are essentially identical to Americans overall.

And by the end of the day, 4 out of 10 evangelicals say that they often felt "used up." 3 out of 10 said their mental health was not good for at least one day out of the past 30, with one-fifth indicating it was not good for 15 or more days out of the last 30.

There was also a section dealing with how evangelicals relate to science.  Even though 8 in 10 say science and technology make our lives better, 55% agree that science makes our way of life change "too fast."  This is comparable to Americans as a whole.

Regarding origins, 69% of evangelicals say the universe did not begin with a huge explosion, such as the Big Bang, while 3 out of 4 say human beings did not "develop from earlier species of animals." 53% of Americans believe the universe began with an explosions and that humans developed from earlier species of animals.

The headline on the Christianity Today piece says, "Overworked, Underpaid, and Cautious About Science."  There seems to be a feeling of money being spent and human energy being spent, as well, among evangelical Christians, and a sense of despair may have set in for many on certain days during the month.

The survey paints a sobering picture and can provide us with an opportunity to see that as believers, we can have hope, even in the midst of challenges.

For one thing, we can look to God as our provider.  The Bible teaches that, as stewards of the resources that He owns and allows us to use, He desires for us to be in a state where the bills are paid and that we are abiding in or working toward a state of generosity.  There are many families struggling today under the burden of financial debt, and the Lord can be depended upon to help bring victory in this important area - it may involve a more sufficient job, or there could be a spending issue at play, which the Lord can help to correct.

Also, we can recognize that our God calls us to develop a sound mind.  The survey indicates that Christians are working hard, and you can expect that there is a need for rest and sleep at the end of the day, according to our biological cycle.  But to feel worn out and used up, dealing with issues that negatively impact our thought processes, to me, indicates that we need to get a greater realization of the abundant life.  Mental illness is an important area that the church needs to address, and to direct believers into ways to experience the peace of God and release His power in the mind are important - He wants each of us to be whole in Christ.

Finally, while we enjoy science and technology, it seems that many think those elements can drastically affect our lives to a greater degree than they should.   If life is moving too fast or if we are feeling overloaded or overstimulated due to the amount of information that we are absorbing due to technological connectivity, then perhaps we need to unplug from the technical, at least temporarily, and allow ourselves to experience the rest that we are promised in the Lord.  The Holy Spirit wants to drive our lives; He does not desire that we are driven by the influence of this world's priorities.

Acts of Forgiveness

We have been forgiven by the Lord Jesus Christ.  By His blood, we can experience the forgiveness of sins and the capacity to forgive those who have wronged us. Jesus taught in Luke chapter 17:
3 Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.
4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."

In our hearts, according to our new nature in Christ, we can embrace an attitude of forgiveness. People will do things that will upset us, that will make us feel violated, that will hurt our feelings. But, because of the presence of the indwelling Christ, we can experience the positive emotions of walking in the Spirit; we can know the freedom that He offers.  He calls us and empowers us to exercise forgiveness - think of how He has forgiven us; that provides powerful motivation to extend forgiveness to others.

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The Bible instructs us in Hebrews 12 to not carry the weight of bitterness in our hearts, recognizing that it not only hurts us but the people around us. Forgiveness can have the reverse effect:
12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled...

In a courtroom in Detroit recently, crime victim Brittany Guerriero demonstrated an incredible attitude that surprised the experienced county prosecutor involved in her case.

Here's the back story, from the Detroit Free Press:  Eight months ago, outside her apartment, the 33-year-old business and public relations strategist was carjacked Sept. 3 while unloading some housewares from her Ford Fusion in the valet line.

On May 12, the gunman, 24-year-old Kendall Kelly was sentenced to 9-20 years in prison for Guerrerio's carjacking, and to 25-50 years for fatally shooting a man in the face two days after he stole Guerriero's car.

The man who boxed her in and stood by, another 24-year-old, Demarcus Catlin, received 9-20 years in prison at his April 1 sentencing.

The alleged getaway driver still awaits trial.

In Catlin's sentencing hearing, when the judge called on Brittany to speak, she exhibited a spirit of forgiveness. She told Catlin: "Demarcus, your mother obviously loves you. I have seen her at many of these hearings and just the fact that she is here with us today, I know she raised you to know better," Guerriero continued, "My hope for you, Demarcus, is that you, too, come to realize you owe it to yourself to hold yourself to a higher standard."

Guerriero told the newspaper, "The defendant's mom came up and hugged me. Choking back tears, she apologized for her son's actions," adding. "I told her — it is simply not her fault. I pray for her each day."

The article says that the courtroom embrace was a first for Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Tom Beadle, who has handled more than 100 homicides and 50 carjacking cases over two decades, who said, "She hugged the defendant's mother. I had not seen that before...I have heard (victims) say, 'I can forgive.' But I had never seen that extra step … I was impressed."

Six weeks later, Brittany would show the same mercy for the actual gunman. She told Kelly that she also had hopes for him that he "come to realize" that he owed it to himself to have higher standards.
She also reminded the gunman that he had no power over her.  She is quoted as saying: "In that moment Kendall, when you guys threatened to shoot me if I looked at you or tried to run, you got to decide what you take. After that, it is my choice," adding, "I've decided that you get nothing."

Beadle liked that line, and added, "All it takes for evil to succeed is for enough people to be silent."

As for Brittany Guerriero, despite falling victim to a crime that targeted some 500 victims in Detroit in 2014, she remains passionate about living in the city and helping rebuild Detroit, as the justice system takes its course.

This story can help us to think that for the Christian, an act of forgiveness is a tangible expression of a force that can not only free the person who feels victimized, but also communicate the love of Christ to those around us.   

And, unforgiveness can be a trigger a host of negative emotions and even cause physical manifestations.  Take the case of Jayne Valseca, whose husband was kidnapped, tortured, then released after 8 months, according to CBNNews.com.  She contracted breast cancer.  She added "forgiveness therapy" to her cancer treatment with Dr. Michael Barry, a pastor and author of the book The Forgiveness Project.

Barry's research on cancer patients revealed about 61 percent had trouble forgiving. More than half had a severe problem. Valseca said she had been consumed with revenge against her husband's kidnappers.

Forgiveness therapy begins with putting to rest three myths -- forgiveness is not reconciliation, forgiveness doesn't condone bad behavior, and forgiveness doesn't stop the pursuit of justice.

Valseca's path to forgiveness included writing a letter to her enemies, praying for them, and finding empathy for them.

Barry explained that, "Harboring these negative emotions, this anger and hatred, creates a state of chronic anxiety."  He continued, "Chronic anxiety very predictably produces excess adrenaline and cortisol, which deplete the production of natural killer cells which is your body's foot soldier in the fight against cancer."

So remember, forgiveness can result in freedom; unforgiveness can result in spiritual, emotional, and even physical expressions.  The Bible teaches principles consistent with forgiveness, and God calls us to exhibit compassion for those who have wronged us.  If we carry around bitterness in our hearts, we are not punishing the other person, we are punishing ourselves.  Jesus wants to work in our souls in order to release us from that burden that would weigh us down.

Emergency

We read a compelling story in Acts chapter 3, as Peter and John have prayed for a lame man, who was healed by the power of God.  Peter responded to those who looked on:

11 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed.
12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?

In verse 16, he said:
16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Through faith - in the name of Jesus - Peter and John prayed and God answered.  They were confident in their God's ability to bring glory to His name and they stood in faith calling on this mighty and majestic Lord.  We can be challenged in our own lives to measure our level of confidence when we pray, and boldly approach the throne.  The, we boldly call upon Him when we stand or kneel there, placing ourselves in agreement with His Word and accessing His unlimited power.

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In Psalm 4, the Psalmist highlights the faithfulness of God:
(1) Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

Later, in verse 3, we read:
3 But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The Lord will hear when I call to Him.

Probably very few people outside of the Birmingham area had heard of tiny Clay, Alabama.  I have because I used to live there during my final year working in radio in the Magic City.  It's a beautiful place in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains.  And, that area is on more people's radar now because of a young man, a high school senior named Christian Crawford.

With all the controversy that we see year after year about graduation prayers, it's interesting that Christian actually had the chance to present two prayers at the commencement for Clay-Chalkville High School.  According to a report on FoxNews.com, Crawford had opened the ceremony with a prepared prayer, but later in the program he "took to the microphone to address the crowd, delivering a second, unscripted prayer with the poise and maturity of someone much older."

In a recent interview on Fox & Friends, Crawford said, “The graduation started off normal – pledge of allegiance, then speeches,” and he said that the graduates began to receive their diplomas when they heard calls of “medic, medic, medic” in the audience.  He related that about 5 minutes later, school librarian Shannon Petty asked Crawford to pray.

The report continued:

“I said, 'Lord, let your will be done.'” Crawford told “Fox & Friends.” “I opened up my mouth and God began to speak through me.”

The Holy Spirit began to speak and he said, through me, “God is a fixer,” the teen recalled.

Crawford looked out at those in attendance and began: "Let's pray."

"We know that prayer is power and that God is able," Crawford continued.

The Fox News story stated that Crawford told the Trussville Tribune: “After I finished praying, that was it, I knew God was going to do his job,” adding, "We had 1,000-plus people there, so I know he heard our prayer, and I got an update on the [victim] and she’s doing fine.”

Crawford, who worships at the New Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church in Birmingham, said he cannot take credit for the prayer he spoke.

AL.com has transcribed the text of the prayer:

"Everybody can I have your attention real quick?" Crawford said. "We don't know what's going on, but we will pray. We know that prayer is power, and that God is able. Let's pray. Father God, we thank you for this day, Lord. We pray right now that whatever is going on, you will fix it, God. We pray that you will heal it, God. We pray that you will redeem it, God. We pray that you will deliver it, God. Because we know that you are a God who knows how to make a way. And in the name of Jesus we declare and decree in the name of Jesus that whatever is going on shall be fixed, because you are a God who is a fixer. You are a God who is a healer. Jehovah God, Jehovah-jireh, Jehovah-nissi, Jehovah-shiloh. [sic] Fix it, Jesus. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Constitutional and...compelling!   This young man demonstrated his faith, and chose prayer as an antidote to panic in the face of a medical emergency.  This can inspire our own responses to the tense situations we face.  In a bit of "prayer-nalysis" today, here are some thoughts that come to mind.

First of all, he said, "We don't know what's going on, but we will pray."  We don't have to have a needs assessment before we go to the Lord in prayer.  We can be confident that He does know and that He is available when we call on Him.  Prayer doesn't come as the result of having everything figured out, rather we can approach God with confidence in His power and wisdom.

He also called on God to "fix it."  I think this speaks to the restorative nature of our God.  We can depend on Him for solutions, for the interjection of His mighty power into a situation.  He is all-powerful, and we can recognize that He can do incredible things as we stand in faith, calling out to Him in the name of Jesus.   And, there's another thing - he prayed in Jesus' name.  Yes, that is the name above all names, the name through which we are saved and the name that we can speak boldly in prayer.

And, speaking of names, Christian Crawford spoke several names of God:  Jehovah-jireh, which means "God our provider;"  Jehovah-nissi, or "the Lord our banner;" and Jehovah-shiloh (or -shalom), the "God of peace." We can gain a greater sense of God's authority as we speak out His names.

Overall, we can be challenged to prayer in response to the emergencies we face - physical, emotional, or spiritual - recognizing God's healing hand in times of struggle.

God Conducts His Masterpiece

It is amazing to look back on our lives and see how God has orchestrated various events in our lives, and it can be helpful to reflect on those times in which we have seen Him operate in profound ways. It may not have even occurred to us that He was at work, but in retrospect, we can see how He was working, and that can help us to trust Him for our future. Here are some words from Psalm 37:
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday.

Yes, it may take a little hindsight in order to give us understanding of the hand of God in our lives. And, even in the present, we can trust that He is working, even though it may not be recognizable.  If we are trusting in Him, we can be assured that He is operating, bringing His plan into reality in our lives.  He is arranging occurrences for His glory.   He has appointments for you - assignments for you to do and activities through which you can learn.   We can be convinced of His loving watchcare over our lives.

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We can trust the Lord, even in the middle of our adversity - He is working His will and producing fruit in and through us, drawing us closer to Himself. Here are some words from 1st Peter 1:
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.

We are called to walk expectantly with our Savior, knowing He is teaching us, doing an internal work and producing external fruit as we abide in Him.  There will be trials that come, and we can know that in those difficult times, sometimes even as the result of bad decisions that we have made, that our Savior walks with us and that He is working His plan, orchestrating His will as a master conductor, who is expressing a beautiful work in and through us.
 

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In Isaiah 55, we read about how God is at work, even when we don't understand it.
8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Brady Toops is a 33-year-old Christian singer-songwriter, who will be seen on some upcoming dates with the David Crowder Band.  He is also a former draft pick for the St. Louis Cardinals.   And, a short-term suitor on the TV series, The Bachelorette.  

Breathecast.com has the rather unique story of Brady's short time on the reality show.   Seems that Brady was one of the male contestants, and the group of men were asked to vote on one of two young ladies whom they would want to have continue on the show.  The voting results showed the majority of men would be in favor of Kaitlyn Bristowe, so the other young lady, Britt Nilsson, was sent home.

Brady was not happy with the outcome of the voting, because it seems he had developed a fondness for Britt.  In fact, in the opening episode, the two of them are seen having a conversation about how they both sponsor a child overseas. The report states:

"My faith is the number one thing to me," Toops says. An excited Nilsson replies, "Me too! The only thing! The number one thing!" Toops adds, "That's all my songs are really about. My faith. My spirituality."

So, after Britt was sent home, the show depicted Brady telling Kaitlyn, "My heart belongs to the lady that just left us," and he exited in a limousine to go "find" Nilsson.  He did, and Breathecast.com reports that the two are still apparently dating. It says that, "Although not often highlighted on the show, Nilsson's social media accounts indicate that she is a practicing Christian. She often shares verses and gives thanks via her Instagram account.

Now, I am not a fan of either of the Bachelor programs - the premise is a bit of a stretch for me, and what I do know about the program indicates that the producers are setting up tantalizing scenarios that might appeal to the audience's baser instincts.  Even, this season, there are tabloid rumors swirling around Kaitlyn that the network may in fact be milking for more ratings - such is the nature of reality television, and it's not necessarily a pretty world.

But, emerging from it all, you have two individuals that are devoted to Christ who apparently found commonality centered around their faith.  It's certainly not the path I would choose.  But, I think the main takeaway from this story is that I think that most of us have situations in our lives that defy logic - sometimes the ways of God may defy our logic, but keep in mind that His ways are higher than our own.  

Now, someone might take Brady and Britt to task for even consenting to go on the show.  Let's go with that - you might consider that decision ill-informed.  I think we can be reminded that God can take even errant decisions, turn them around, and use them for a greater purpose.   He can send a message even out of our messes.  And, suppose each of them felt "led" to do the show, for some reason - maybe even to be a light in a dark place.  You can't judge their hearts, but you can judge the fruit, and maybe even God has granted to these two individuals an opportunity to speak and live truth and to enter into a God-honoring relationship.  God can give us a platform consistent with His purpose.

Finally, we can acknowledge that He is working in our lives.   When we miss it, He will direct us by His Spirit to get back on course and perhaps even use those times to teach us.  When we get it and walk in obedience, we demonstrate our growth in Him.   We can trust Him, knowing that He is teaching us more about His nature and confirming His Word.