“Oh. Oh . . . well, you could change at my place, if you want.”
“Come back to your place? What would Pastor Gentry say about that?”
Lynn felt herself blush. “Oh . . . I didn’t mean anything by that . . . I just . . . well, I thought that since you hadn’t booked a—”
“Relax, Lynn,” he cut in, smiling. “I was joking.”
“Oh. Well, warn me the next time you’re going to tell a joke, okay? I’m still getting used to the idea of you having a sense of humor.”
THEY ARRIVED AT Faith Community Church at ten minutes to six. The parking lot was already filling with cars, as people from all over the area were coming to intercede for the healing crusade.
“This is amazing,” Chance remarked, looking at the scores of people heading into the church. “And they’re all here, believing to see the miracle-working power of God.”
“What God is doing here is incredible,” Lynn agreed. “Church attendance throughout eight counties is up twenty-two percent. People are stopping the handicapped out in public, praying the Word of God over them. We’ve bought over two pages of advertising space in the State, inviting the sick to come out and be prayed over. The response, as you can see, has been overwhelming.”
“This is how it must have been in the days of the early church, in the book of Acts. At least on a small scale, anyway.”
“It won’t be on a small scale for much longer. We’re hearing from churches all up and down the East Coast and as far away as California. The gospel is spreading and affecting even the staunchest of atheists. It’s kind of hard to doubt when cancerous tumors are disappearing and blinded eyes are being opened.”
They got out of the car and started to walk inside.
“Wait,” Chance said, stopping. “I’d like to walk around outside for a while.”
“You really do have a thing for the outdoors, huh?”
“I just like to pray surrounded by nature. There’s something about looking up at the sky and . . . I don’t know. I just prefer praying outdoors.”
“That’s fine. But at six-forty, come inside and ask to be taken to Pastor Gentry’s office. I’ll inform Brother Roger—he’ll be the Secret Service-looking brother in the front foyer—to take you there.”
“Pastor Gentry’s office?”
“With your healing gift, I think you’d be best utilized in the altar workers ministry tonight. But I won’t be able to get you there without Pastor Gentry personally knowing about it beforehand.” She patted him on the shoulder. “Highly gifted or not, we conduct our healing crusades decently and in order. We can’t have just anyone at the altar, laying hands on people and praying for them. They have to be checked out, you know.”
“Even me?”
She started to walk away, but turned back around and winked. “Especially you. But don’t worry—I know an awesome man of God when I see one. And you are one awesome man of God, Brother Word.”
Chance watched her walk inside before turning and walking the outer perimeter of the church.
Faith Community Church encompassed forty thousand square feet, with the main sanctuary housed at the center of the property. The surrounding area had been built on a tract of farmland on the outskirts of West Columbia, with trees and shrubbery lining the property to the south. It was an awesome structure, Chance thought, as he began meditating on the tenth chapter of Luke, the passage of scripture where Jesus sent His disciples out as laborers into the harvest.
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you . . .
As Chance turned the northwest corner of the building, he looked up and saw that the sun was setting in the eastern sky.
He paused, taking a deep breath before slowly exhaling. A calmness flowed within him then, a peace that let him know everything from now on would be alright. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was six-thirty-five, so he started back toward the front of the church.
Wait . . .
He paused as the voice of the Lord spoke clearly to his spirit, prompting him not only to wait but to look to his left and right. People were flocking to the church’s front doors in droves, some praying loudly, others pushing others in wheelchairs, but all seeming to have a spirit of expectancy. Chance began walking back toward the parking lot, against the rush of the crowd, sensing the leading of the Holy Spirit.
What, Lord?
No stranger to the leading of the Spirit, Chance had been instructed by God many times before, during all those times he’d prayed for someone’s healing. As a result, his sensitivity to the Spirit had heightened dramatically.
As he approached a light pole in the center of the parking lot, Chance stopped, sensing he had come to the place.
There was a lone car idling off to his right, which struck him as strange since it was the only car amidst the sea of vehicles with its engine still running. The person in the driver’s seat seemed to be slumped forward, head resting against the steering wheel.
Is that guy just sleeping? Is he dead?
Chance began walking toward the car, quickening his gait since he didn’t want to be late for his meeting with Pastor Gentry. Ten yards away, he noticed that whoever was behind the wheel was wearing a white baseball cap with an orange splotch in the middle of its front.
Five yards away, Chance saw that the orange splotch was a . . . paw. It was a Clemson Tigers baseball cap.
Chapter Fifty-eight
CHANCE CAUTIOUSLY APPROACHED The sedan from the rear. As he neared the passenger-side door, he could tell that the man inside was indeed . . . Travis Everett. But why would the reporter be here?
Chance looked at his watch. Six-thirty-eight.
He rapped on the window, hard, causing Travis to slowly raise his head and look to the right. A look of surprise came over him when he saw Chance standing there. A second later, the window rolled down.
“You getting the scoop on some story I should know about?” Chance asked, crouching down to see Travis better. He noticed Travis’s eyes were red and puffy, with severe bags underneath. The reporter’s clothes had two-day-old wrinkles in them.
Travis shook his head. “No story here. I’m just . . . well, I just . . .” He looked away from Chance. “I really don’t know why I’m here . . .”
“How long have you been here?”
“I came here around three. Service was over by then, though.”
“Another service is about to start in fifteen minutes, though.”
Travis rubbed at his eyes. “Yeah, but that’s strictly for the healing stuff. Lames and cripples—people like that. I was just tryin’ to come to the regular worship service.”
Chance knew there was nothing regular about Faith Community’s services, but he kept that comment to himself.
“Why were you coming to the morning service?” he asked instead.
Travis shrugged. “Curious, I guess. Eddie, he told me . . .” He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter, anyway. You wouldn’t understand.”
Chance looked at his watch again. Six-forty-five. Pastor Gentry would just have to wait. “I wouldn’t understand what?”
“Nothing,” Travis mumbled, though loud enough for Chance to hear. “You don’t even know who Eddie is.”
“I know who Eddie is,” Chance spoke up. “He’s your nephew. I prayed for him at Five Points Diner two months ago to receive hearing in his ears and strength in his ankles.”
Travis gave Chance an incredulous look. “Y-you remember?”
“Of course I remember. I never forget the ones God heals using my hands, especially the children.”
“Yeah, but how do you know it was God? What if Eddie’s healing was just one of those unexplainable medical mysteries?”
“And what if it wasn’t? What if God healed your nephew because of his parents’ faith? What if that faith was the key that unlocked God’s healing power?”
Travis began shaking his head. “I can’t
accept that . . . you can’t prove it to me . . . nobody has ever proved that to me.”
“Nobody needs to,” Chance gently responded.
“What?”
Now faith is . . . the evidence of things not seen . . . “You proved it to yourself by showing up here this afternoon. Why would you be here, of all places, in a parking lot by yourself?”
Travis remained quiet.
“I believe God has been tugging at your heart. I believe the same way you pursued your mystery-man story is the same way God has been pursuing your heart. No man comes to Jesus unless the Father draws him, Travis. Are you telling me that you can’t feel the Father drawing you to His love?”
There was no answer from Travis, and Chance sensed the moment of decision had arrived—the moment in every person’s life when a decision about the gospel of Jesus Christ must be made. One either rejected the gospel or accepted it—neutral was not an option.
“Travis, there is one way I can show you how real all of these healings are, but you can only see it by faith.”
“Faith . . .” Travis whispered, now breathing heavily.
“Faith,” Chance repeated. “That’s the key.”
An eternity seemed to pass before Travis finally lifted his head. “Alright. I’m willing to try.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Alright then, come on,” Chance said, standing back up to full height.
“Where are we going?”
“Inside. You can receive Jesus by faith anywhere, but since we’re here we might as well do it among the company of believers.”
Travis got out of the car and walked around to where Chance stood. “Inside? But like I said, that service is for people who need to be healed.”
Chance put his arm around Travis. “That’s exactly right. But it took me two years to learn a truth of God’s love. You see, you do need to be healed. And so do I. And do you know where the greatest healings take place?”
Travis shook his head.
Chance touched a finger to Travis’s chest, and then his own. “In the heart.”
Chance took one last look at the sunset as they walked across the parking lot to the front doors of the church. The heavens had never looked more magnificent.
Reading Group Guide
1. “Strong faith in the area of healing or not, his present chest pains were real. Painfully real.” How does your faith coexist with a painful reality? Does living or speaking in faith mean denying a physical experience? Why or why not?
2. “Ministry and emotional burnout mixed together like oil and water.” How do you guard yourself against burnout in ministry—or in life in general? How have you made time and space in your life for Sabbaths such as vacation, recreation, and a day of rest?
3. What do you think—what is the “fine line between anger and stupidity in questioning the Almighty”?
4. Many people share Travis’s awkwardness around people with disabilities. What experience do you have relating to children or adults who have special needs? How do you handle interactions with people who have some kind of handicap?
5. What is the worst possible handicap that you can imagine for yourself? What physical (or mental) capacity would be most difficult for you to lose (e.g., sight, hearing, voice, ability to walk or use hands, etc.)? How do you think your faith would respond to such a loss?
6. “It’s one thing to believe for someone else’s healing,” Lynn realized. Why is it different—more difficult—to believe for your own healing?
7. What knowledge or experience do you have of divine healing? What do you think or believe about such miracles?
8. How would you minister to someone in Lynn’s situation after the accident? Would you exhort her to greater faith, comfort her in her mental and physical anguish, encourage her to trust, bear her company in silence, or serve her needs in practical ways? Why?
9. Prayer, familiar scriptures, and recollections of her own faith history—how God had worked in and through her in the past—were an encouragement to Lynn in her darkest hours. What encourages you in such times—and how?
10. Would you allow a stranger to pray over you or someone you loved? Why or why not—or in what circumstances?
11. After the accident, Lynn asked, “Why me, God?” At the healing service, she wondered, “Why not me?” When have you asked one of those questions? Did you feel like God answered you, and if so, how? How did you ultimately handle the question (and answer)?
12. Many of us acknowledge a belief in healing and other miracles—and then we are amazed when we see one take place. Why is that? What does it suggest about the nature of faith and belief?
13. What role do divine miracles have in God’s work on earth today? What purpose did they serve in Jesus’s ministry?
14. Rev. Gentry regards the newspaper article as “spiritual warfare 101.” What does he mean by that?
15. Chance tells Lynn that his healing ministry is “more a principle of obedience than faith.” What does he mean by that? What does that idea mean to you?
16. Salvation is free, Chance notes, but everything else God gives has a price. Our anointing is proportionate to our sacrifice. Do you agree? Why or why not? What has your own experience taught you about this aspect of God’s empowerment?
17. Nina had thought it would show a lack of faith to go to a doctor to have her healing confirmed. Do you agree? Why or why not?
18. Nina was convinced she would be healed at the conference; Floyd Waters said Nina was healed; Nina herself experienced what she believed was healing. Then she died—and an autopsy revealed the cancer had killed her. How do you deal with such situations where you seem to hear God say one thing—and time seems to prove you (or God) wrong?
19. Chance experienced his calling and anointing as a burden. How have you experienced the call of God on your life or the gifts of God to be a burden? How have you responded to that experience?
20. Have you ever met someone like Chance—someone with great gifts who also had great needs? How can you—and the church at large—minister to such a person?
21. Most of us have a family member, friend, or coworker who is a bit like Travis. How do you relate to that kind of “stubborn agnostic”? What strategies have you employed to share God’s love and power with him or her?
22. What do you think about the follow-up strategies of Faith Community Church—the prayer calls, the emphasis on continuing in divine health, and on developing healthy living alternatives? Have you ever encountered a church that balanced belief in divine healing with such practical or “earthly” follow-up? What is the value—and biblical foundation—for such a holistic approach?
23. Chance had never felt led to lay hands on his own father to pray for divine healing. Why might a family member not be the best candidate for your ministry? What other reason(s) might Chance have for not sharing his gift with Pop?
24. What gift(s) has God given to you? How is it developing? What are you doing to cultivate it? In what ways has that gift ever made you feel like “some weird traveling sideshow”?
25. Lynn reflects that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had a faith that would believe even if God did not deliver them. Many people would think this foolish. Do you? Why or why not? What is significant about that kind of faith?
26. What do you think: Is it God’s will for all people to be healed and live in divine health? Why or why not?
27. As he sinks into the water, Chance figures he’s probably dying—and he wonders, “This is my life?” If you were dying today, how would you sum up your life? How would you feel about its conclusion at this point in time?
28. By virtue of being alive, Lynn asserts, we can assume we have some unfinished Kingdom business. What is your part in God’s unfinished business? What treasure is God unveiling in you?
29. Chance is startled when Lynn talks about his ministry. He doesn’t really think of his itinerant healings as ministry. What gifts are you operating in that might be organize
d into a ministry?
30. Family, love, money . . . What would it take to make you happy?
31. Pastor Gentry’s Bible study (see chapter 53) deals with a lot of issues related to healing. Which insights or arguments stood out for you? Why?
32. Compose your own litany of God’s goodness, based on your own life. Allow that realization of God’s grace to bring you to your knees in worship!
33. What do you think Chance meant when he told Travis the greatest healings are those in the heart?
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A Man Inspired,by Derek Jackson Jermaine, a motivational speaker guilty of failing to practice what he preaches, comes to realize that faith and a personal relationship with God were the missing pieces in his puzzling life.
Heaven Sent, by Montré Bible This moving and compelling debut novel details a young Christian man’s discovery of the previously hidden truth of his heritage and his decision to use his life for good.
What a Sista Should Do, by Tiffany L. Warren A spiritually satisfying novel about three courageous women who must confront the harsh realities of their lives through faith and prayer.
Soul Matters, by Yolonda Tonette Sanders Infidelity and deceit threaten a Christian family when its members are forced to face the secrets and lies that are creating mistrust, disorder, and tension in their lives.
Good to Me, by LaTonya Mason This novel is full of unforgettable characters struggling with questions about romantic relationships with prison inmates, single parenthood, and domestic abuse.
Boaz Brown, by Michelle Stimpson In this bold novel, an African American Christian woman finds her own racist attitudes, as well as those of her family, friends, and church, challenged when she is drawn to a man of a different race.
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