22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.
23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.
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."
It was Pew Number 7 in the Free Welcome Holiness Church in Sellerstown, North Carolina, where a man named Mr. Watts sat. A CBN.com article described him as "well off and well connected."
But, when a new pastor came to town, Robert Nichols, he was not welcomed by the man in Pew #7, who was intent to run the new preacher off."This man was every pastor’s nightmare - he would point at his watch if he thought my Dad had been preaching too long. He would get up and walk out and slam the door. They had the doors replaced so he couldn't slam than anymore which made him even madder."
But this was only the beginning...
“He worked his way up from harassing phone calls and threatening letters to the drive by shootings. Then when he realized all of those things weren't going to work then he began with the dynamite explosions. We had 10 explosions in 2½ years around our church and our home.”
The story continues:
Mr. Watts knew that that Nichols were taking care of a woman who was seeking shelter from her abusive husband. He talked the husband, William Harris, into “taking care" of the Nichols.
“My Dad, when he was shot, fell to the floor because one of the bullets went into his hip and he was unable to move. This big guy, my hero, our protector was just slammed to the floor with that bullet.”
Although Rebecca’s father survived the shooting, her mother didn't make it. Rebecca says the years of torment and anxiety and the loss of his beloved wife, took a severe toll on her father; not just physically but mentally as well.
Pastor Nichols later died. Rebecca had a hard time with forgiveness, but came to a conclusion; she said:
"I got pretty mad at God. I said, ‘Lord, when mother was killed, a man took her life, but when Daddy died, You took Him.’ So, after 2 years of wrestling with God over that I realized I needed God more than I needed to be mad at Him.”
Both Watts and Harris went to jail. At a later time, Watts called Rebecca and told her he had come to know the Lord and apologized for what he had done. She was able to tell him that she and her brother had already forgiven him.
Rebecca Nichols Alonzo is the author of the book, The Devil in Pew Number 7, co-written with Focus on the Family's Bob DeMoss.
You really never know how God is working in someone's heart! Horry Watts was consumed with a spirit of bitterness that ultimately led to murder. But, while in prison, God got a hold of his life and he came into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. It's a reminder that no one is beyond the long arm of God's love, and the entrance of His love can set a sinner free.
That's a story that all of us, as born-again believers, have experienced to some degree. We can rejoice in His mercy and the grace that He has extended to us.
We also have to recognize that we are called to love even our enemies. Rebecca learned how to forgive those who had harmed her family. It's an admonition we all share. And, we have to learn that the ultimate enemy of our souls, who is out to steal, kill, and destroy, will attempt to influence individuals to manifest his destruction in the lives of others.
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