Prayer - Does It Really Work?

I saw an article in my local paper, the Cincinnati Enquirer, today called "Can prayer have healing power?" My answer is absolutely, but as I began to research I discovered that so many religions don't believe in the power of prayer or that there is a God who can heal and make people whole.

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Here is what the Bible has to say about this...

Mark 16:17-18 "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name . . . they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

Psalm 34:19 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all."

Jeremiah 30:17 "For I will restore health unto you, and I will heal you of your wounds, saith the Lord."

Psalm 103:2-3 "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who heals all thy diseases."

Isaiah 53:5 "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

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I believe that there is great power in prayer when there is FAITH behind the prayer. I believe that Jesus Christ has great power to heal and make people whole. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. In the comment section, take the time to share testimony of healing or let us know if you don't believe in healing.

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My Brother's Healing

My brother Adam (sitting at the far left in the picture) was born with hemophilia. Hemophilia is a blood disease that effects one's blood's ability to clot. People with hemophilia could bleed to death from a small cut or lost tooth or even worse could bleed to death internally and it wouldn't be recognized until the person was dead.

What was even worse about my brother was he was a very hyper and active child. So my parents had the worst of times telling him he couldn't run around or play sports. And playing sports was what our family did (unless you were like me and you could sing).

I remember playing knothole baseball when I was like 6 or 7 and watching my little brother at age 3 cling to the fence wanting so desperately to get out on the field and play. It was just in him to play baseball, but once again with hemophilia that wasn't an option. Soon after that Adam began to get really sick and he desperately needed surgery to make it through the rest of his life, but the surgeons at Children's Hospital would never clear him for surgery because of his blood.

Adam began to lose a lot of weight because he wouldn't eat, and if you knew our family you would know that something was wrong.

Here is where the story gets good. My family is a Christian family and we began to rally the troops (the prayer warriors we knew from churches everywhere) and they went to war. People were praying without ceasing for this little boy until they got results. And that's exactly what they and we got.

One day my mom got a call from Children's Hospital and a nurse told her that Adam had been cleared for surgery. My mom said, "What do you mean". It wasn't that she didn't believe it was that she was worried they had made a mistake because they didn't let her know that his blood was different or anything like that, they just said he was cleared for surgery.

So mom talked to the doctor and he said that he couldn't explain it, but his blood was NORMAL and he could have the surgery. Well I feel the power of God all over me. Adam had the surgery and is completely fine. Right after the surgery Adam ate like three peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

The best part of this story (so far) just happened recently. Adam is now 19 and graduated from high school in June. He has played select baseball all over the country since the age of 5. He has a great talent and I believe he is only going to get better. Since March Adam has been receiving call after call from coaches at universities and colleges all across the United States. In June Adam signed his National Letter of Intent to attend Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Illinois of a full baseball scholarship!!!

You see this could never had been possible if God had not healed Adam when he was younger. I believe that God has great things in store for this kid. I believe that God has destined him for the major leagues so that he can share his testimony of God's power with the world.

So... Who is this Katy Perry Girl?

Well, it's really late and I'm very tired, so if some of this isn't grammatically perfect, please don't sue me! I think I have enough life in me to get this blog out... I just stumbled upon some interesting information I'd like to share about this Katy Perry.

The first time I heard the song "I kissed a Girl" was her performance on So You Think You Can Dance. The "watching/listening" that happened here lasted a total of about 30 seconds as my mother and I looked at each other and she then asked, "Uh, can we fast-forward through this?" Responding with no words, I x3'd it all the way through the commercial break and thought nothing more of it.

A few days later, I was doing some cleaning and a little rocking out and the song came on the XM Satellite radio. Although the song has an awesome catchy tune, I couldn't help but get a strange feeling about it. I felt to change the channel. I haven't listened to the song in it's entirety, but I get the point.

I read on some online news that gay activists are angry with the song pinning it as "homophobic" I'm not sure where it has been pinned "homophobic" I guess I haven't listened that far into the song, but "I kissed a girl, and I liked it, the taste of her cherry chapstic" personally sounds pro-gay to me.

Anyway, Katy Perry is known as this new "provocative" break out artist with her catchy tunage on pop radio stations, but is this really her story? I was surprised to see my "weird feelings" become unveiled when I came upon an article about her previous recording history.

Katy Perry Is a sell out... and one of the most disheartening kind. Seven years ago, At age 16, she released a self-titled Album, under her real name which is Katy Hudson. (She has since changed her stage name to Perry because of the close similar name to Kate Hudson, the actress. Perry is her mother's maiden name.) This Album "Katy Hudson" was one her Pastor-father and Preacher-mother I'm sure were very proud of. The songs were originals, written at only 15 and 16 years old in praise to our Lord... but as for today's album, I'm not so sure about the parents loving this one.

In an interview I read online she says they are proud of her and support her in all she does as long as she "doesn't get naked in public or do drugs" and answers the next question with an F-Bomb. Parents will be proud of you in all your successes and support your decisions as an adult because they are your parents, but I must say, I'm sure the Hudsons are carrying a heavy burden for their daughter.

Now, say what you will about me or my views, "She sings a song you don't agree with, get over it." or Just because she's a pop singer now doesn't mean she doesn't still believe." The song itself or her "being a pop singer" is not the issue. Nor is even "Believing" I am a strong believer that you must accept Jesus into your life and continue to live a righteous life to be a true Christian and have true Salvation. I was a "believer" before I was actually saved, and I believe that I was mislead in a way and that if I had not actually accepted him and began to live my life for him I would have never actually been a Christian or gone to Heaven when I passed on. My point here is making comments about an urge to smooch Miley Cyrus, dropping F-Bombs, and performing in the Warped tour seems very different from Katy Hudson vs. Katy Perry.

She has also been referred to as: "Lez for pay" on a popular celebrity gossip page.

A review for her album on ChristianityToday [ChristianMUSICtoday] says:
"Katy Hudson's debut easily could have been just another teen songwriter mimicking mainstream music trends with Christian lyrics. Instead, I hear a remarkable young talent emerging, a gifted songwriter in her own right who will almost certainly go far in this business. That name again is Katy Hudson. Trust me, you'll be hearing it more and more in the next year."
[See the album review in its entirety here]

How ironic, is that the word I'm searching for?

It seems that Katy has lost sight of the importance of God in her life and decided to throw out a "struggling" Gospel career for some cold, hard, Cash.
Another person comes to mind right away for me here, and that's Judas. Judas was a sell-out.
Jesus, or 30 pieces of Silver?
It seems to me that Katy Perry has opted for the Silver.

I pray that Katy Hudson/Perry will find her roots and get back to a life that may not bring in as much dough, but she'll have tons of treasures in Heaven.

What do you think?
Katy Hudson vs. Katy Perry
... sold out for the 30 pieces of Silver
or not?

-Crystal

Father and Son Enlist and Mom Turns to Faith

I found this story on the LA Times Website by Jia-Rui Chong and thought it was great. You can check out the full story by clicking here!

Devie Olivas was having trouble focusing on the pastor's sermon. Her thoughts kept coming back to her son Joseph M. Rankins. "God, I have so much faith in you," she prayed silently. "Why do I feel like my son is not coming back?"

She knew that the next day her 19-year-old boy would stand next to his 40-year-old father -- her former husband -- and swear into the U.S. Army.Devie had asked her former husband, Gary J. Rankins, to talk to their son about the Army. Gary had been in the Army before and was reenlisting now after growing frustrated with his work with a delivery company.It was a story the news media, and the public, couldn't resist: father and son enlisting together. But behind the scenes were a mother's hopes and worries, and a newfound relationship between a father and son.

That Sunday at the International Pentecostal Church in Bellflower, Devie reached for the Bible next to her. She found the heading "God's Promises" and a verse from Genesis.The verse told of God stopping Abraham's hand as he was about to sacrifice his son Isaac: "I swear by myself," declares the Lord, "that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you."An ocean of relief washed over her.

Please go here for the full story.