On April 4th, 2014 I married my best friend David Nalette!
About two weeks later this meant:
A lovely trip to the Social Security Office, Department of Motor Vehicles, Sub-Court House, and the bank. I spent the whole day working to officially change my name to Shellby Celeste Nalette. After hours of sitting at one place or another, waiting for my number to be called I got bored. Facebook had been checked and refreshed, Instagram in the same fashion. My texts were all replied to, emails done, and I had played a game; but after all of that, I still found myself waiting and bored.
So, I started to observe around me. You see, up until this point my face had been in my phone the whole hour and a half that I had been sitting there, aside from the occasional glance to see if it was finally my number was on the screen.
When I looked around and this is what I saw….
People of all nationalities; A mother with her 5 kids tugging on her, many sick and elderly, and children who had disabilities.
As I watched more people file in and more go out I began to see sickness, disease, troubles all around me, and I saw that they are no respecter of persons. They don’t care if you’re young, old, fat, skinny or even the color of your skin.
I began to wonder, who of these people knew about Jesus? Who really knew Him and has a relationship with Him? I wanted to stand on my chair and start peaching to these people – the love I felt for them was a glimpse of what I know my Father feels for them.
All around us there are sick and hurting people in this world who are lost and in need of a savior. While these people were seeking some type of service, whether it be disability checks, unemployment benefits, or whatever the case may be, money alone won’t solve their ailment.
It reminded me of Peter and John heading to the temple for prayer. A man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.
It’s at this point in the story that Peter saw him in his situation and knew, just as I did when I saw these people, that a that any money given to him would not solve his problem.
Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, hey recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. Acts 3:4-10
Peter was bold here. He stepped right out and claimed what has been given to all of us if we only choose to receive. To tell you the truth, he put a demand on God.
When he told that man, “Look at us!” it was with purpose. The purpose was to draw expectation out of the man, and put him in a position where he was ready to receive. Peter was ready to give him something to meet his expectation, but he had something far better than money – He had a covenant relationship with God that he knew would provide this man with his healing.
It was with that knowledge that he told the man to WALK!
Peter then took him by the hand, expecting him to be made well, and he helped this man up, bringing him into to the new life he now had.
The Church desperately needs a restoration of the demanding boldness for the things of God that Peter displayed. Healing, health, and prosperity was not just to stay in the four walls of a church or at a special revival service! Although we need it there, we need it in our everyday walk too.
With a nation getting darker and more sick by the day, and a world filled with disease (seriously, it seems like there is a new disease every week!) I’m not going to go without that boldness in my life. In fact, I demand it be a part.
Do you remember the story of the little boy with a demon in him? Jesus’ disciples tried casting him out but they couldn’t, so the father then came to Jesus pleading for Him to help his little boy?
Jesus called his disciples an, “unbelieving and perverse generation!” and then proceeded to tell them “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20)
I think Peter was reminded of this time with Jesus at the very moment he saw that lame man. In that moment he had the opportunity to boldly demand healing of behalf of that lame man’s expectation. Jesus was now crucified – he didn’t have Him to look at or to do the commanding, but when he remembered Jesus’ words, “Nothing will be impossible for you,” he told that man walk!
Stir the boldness up on the inside of you that is ready to place a demand on the things of God.No matter what situation you face: your family or that homeless lame man on the side of the road on your way to work, the things of God such as health, healing, prosperity, peace, wholeness belong to those who believe and receive.
I don’t want Jesus to say about us, “You unbelieving and perverse generation!” Lets learn from the mistakes of those who have gone before us, because boldness founded on the Word of God will always get results.