| Kenneth Williams was serving a life sentence for killing a cheerleader. He escaped in 1999 and was involved in a traffic wreck which killed a man named Michael Greenwood. Williams then killed another man, Cecil Boren, while on the run. He was executed last night by the state of Arkansas for murdering Boren.Michael Greenwood’s daughter, Kayla Greenwood, learned a few days ago that Williams had a twenty-one-year-old daughter he had not seen for seventeen years and a three-year-old granddaughter he had never met. Kayla’s mother then bought plane tickets so Williams’s daughter and granddaughter could fly from Washington state to Arkansas to see him a day before his execution.
Kayla Greenwood sent a message to Williams through his attorney: “I told him we forgive him and where I stood on it.” When Williams found out what they were doing, “he was crying to the attorney.”
Here’s the rest of the story.
Williams told an interviewer that he has been “stabilized and sustained by the inner peace and forgiveness I’ve received through a relationship with Jesus Christ.” He chose to appear before a prison review board, not because he expected to receive clemency but “so I could show them I was no longer the person I once was. God has transformed me, and even the worst of us can be reformed and renewed. Revealing these truths meant more to me than being granted clemency. I’m still going to eventually die someday, but to stand up for God in front of man, that’s my victory.”
No one is beyond the reach of God’s forgiveness: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, my emphasis). Do you see any loopholes or ambiguity here? If “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15), are any sinners exempt from his grace?
However, the body of Christ is often the means by which we experience the grace of Christ. We are called to pardon those who sin against us because we have been pardoned and to demonstrate such grace to the world. It’s harder to believe that Christ forgives us if Christians won’t forgive us. It’s easier to believe that the Father loves us if his children love us.
In a graceless culture that measures us by what we do and how we look, agape love is a powerful and lasting witness. Our benevolence and unity point others to the One we love and serve (John 13:35).
St. Gaudentius of Brescia (died AD 410) explained that the bread of the Lord’s Supper is an appropriate connection to his body “because, as there are many grains of wheat in the flour from which bread is made by mixing it with water and baking it with fire, so also we know that many members make up the one body of Christ which is brought to maturity by the fire of the Holy Spirit.” Gaudentius extended the metaphor to the cup as well: “Similarly, the wine of Christ’s blood, drawn from the many grapes of the vineyard that he had planted, is extracted in the wine-press of the cross.”
Our broken culture measures Christ by Christians. Who is your Kenneth Williams?
I asked Pastor Richard Mansfield of New Beginnings Church in Albuquerque to pray over Elkhart County Indiana, as firefighters are battling a massive landfill fire. Thank you so very much Pastor Richard, we love you!
Lord, we come to You with thanksgiving and praise for being the mighty God that You are. You have been so incredibly wonderful and good to us. You have brought us into Your family through Your son Jesus Christ. You provide everything for us and for that we are incredibly and eternally grateful. We know that nothing is impossible for You and because of that, we come asking on behalf of our brothers and sisters and the community in Elkhart County in Indiana. Place your guardian angels over all of them as they battle this horrible fire. Give strength, stamina and wisdom to every firefighter and first responder that is working hard to bring an end to this fire and devastation in their community. Stop the winds and bring heavy rains to help them bring this fire not only under control but to an end. Protect everyone’s breathing from the toxic waste that is been burned in the landfill. Help the community to work together and draw strength from one another as they go through this horrific ordeal. We pray Your peace, power and presence over the leadership, community and families been affected by this. We pray with great hope and assurance of your mighty presence in Jesus name, amen!
Psalms 91:11 For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. Psalms 91:4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.As many of you know I am working with my dear friends in ElKhart, Indiana at WFRN Radio. WFRN is where I started my years in Christian radio in 1986, I started in radio in 1978 at the Minnesota State Radio News Network. The Moore family, owners of WFRN and all the staff are so very special to me and Sharon. The station is just down the road from this massive landfill fire, please be in prayer. Everyone is being sent home today from the station because of all the smoke! Please pray for safety from the smoke and any toxins. Please pray for all the firefighters! Across the way is the Elkhart County Jail, pray for all the guards and the 500 inmates, safety from the smoke. The wind changed it’s direction today and is blowing right into WFRN. The station and other homes and buildings are not in any fire danger, it is the smoke now that is the problem. More Here
2 hrs ·Press Release Update: April 27, 2017
Day 2 of operations begins for emergency responders battling the fire that was spotted by an officer early yesterday morning at 3:42am at Waste Management’s Earth Mover’s Landfill site located at 26488 CR 26. Throughout last night and early this morning, crews continued battling the blaze and are reporting that approximately 40% of the fire has been contained. Officials from Elkhart County’s Emergency Management, Concord Township Fire Department, Elkhart City Fire Department, Waste Management, IDEM, EPA, and many local and regional fire departments are continuing to utilize their resources to address the situation. Assistance is requested from motorists to avoid the area as CR 26 between CR 7 and CR 11 remain closed for emergency responders and equipment. Safety warnings for the public still remain in effect to shelter in place for areas affected by smoke that is being blown from the fire west of the site.
Until next time, Dewey and Sharon in the love of Jesus! |
