Posted on 06/24/2013 9:57:24 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
High wire artist Nik Wallenda constantly prayed to Jesus as he walked without a harness on a 1,400-foot long high-wire across a 1,500-foot tall gorge near the Grand Canyon on Sunday, successfully completing the death-defying feat that was broadcast live on the Discovery Channel.
"Thank you Lord. Thank you for calming that cable, God," The Associated Press quoted Wallenda as saying as he had reached halfway through the tightrope. He had no safety tether attaching him to his line at a height taller than the Empire State Building, and was facing sudden wind gusts of over 20 mph.
Discovery chose to broadcast the event with a 10-second delay, not wanting to take a chance as even one wrong step could have proven fatal for Wallenda.
Wallenda murmured prayers to Jesus almost constantly along the way, and completed the walk in 22 minutes and 54 seconds.
"It took every bit of me to stay focused that entire time," Wallenda, 34, said, according to Reuters. "My arms are aching like you wouldn't believe."
He had to stop and crouch down twice due to the wind for the first time, and later the cable picked up an unsettling rhythm. But it "was a dream come true," he said. "This is what my family has done for 200 years, so it's part of my legacy."
The "#Skywire" hashtag received more than 700,000 tweets on Twitter.
Pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, tweeted just before the feat, saying, "Here at the Grand Canyon with my friend @NikWallenda. Praying for his success!" After the event, he tweeted again. "Congrats to @NikWallenda for making history. Your courage and faith is inspiring."
Pop music singer Keith Urban also tweeted, "GO NIK WALLENDA!!! Absolutely astounding feat AND faith!!!! We were with you every single step!!!! –KU."
Golfer Paul Azinger said on Twitter, "@NikWallenda Wow! You are physically smart and a mental giant." National Football League player JJ Watt said, "Really didn't think I would be this locked in. It's captivating."
The U.S. government did not allow the use of the Grand Canyon proper for the event. Therefore, Wallenda walked above a stretch of the Little Colorado River Gorge on Navajo Nation land, which was equally dangerous.
Wallenda, a married father of three, last summer became the first man in history to walk 1,800 feet on a tightrope across the roaring Niagara Falls from the U.S. to the Canadian side of the falls. Soon thereafter he announced his desire to cross the Grand Canyon.
He is the seventh generation of the legendary Great Wallendas and began walking the wire at age 4. His great-grandfather Karl Wallenda fell off a wire to his death in 1978.
In his memoir, Balance: A Story of Faith, Family, and Life on the Line, the high wire artist writes, "I believe that God gives us the power to transform any story from darkness to light."
Wallenda had earlier told The Christian Post, "I visualize myself crossing the Canyon over and over again. I visualize myself making that first step, quarter of a way, half way, three quarters of a way and then finishing that walk. That's really a lot of the mental prep."
He said he often talks to God while he is on the wire. "I find that peaceful and relaxing and He's the only one up there listening to me." He added that his faith plays a crucial role in what he does. "My life is based on my faith. I guess the biggest role that it plays is that if I do fall and die I know where I'm going."
Jim Jones carried a Bible, even preached out of it and prayed for the sick. In the end he murdered nearly a thousand of them. Satan knows the Scripture, as well as his messengers. Paul said he “disguises himself as an angel of light.”
2. Did he wait for the answer?
3. Did he obey?
Me too. I smell a potential agent provocateur.
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
“Preach Christ,” (the true Christ that is). There are many false christ being preached today who ARE NOT the Christ of hte Bible. Jesus warned us about those who would be false prophets who would present a false christ. Paul warned us in Galatians about “another gospel.” Those presenting false christs and other gospels are NOT PREACHING CHRIST. When false doctrine and teacings are being presented, the true Christ is not being preached.
Joel Olsteen is a motivational speaker and IS NOT PREACHING CHRIST, at least not the BIBLICAL CHRIST — this is my point. And a false christ leads people to hell, not heaven. You will never hear Joel Olsteen preaching the cross in its proper context.
RE: 2. Did he wait for the answer?
How’s Jesus going to give him the answer?
Ask the NSA.
I don’t remember referring to Joel in my posts.
>> “How’s Jesus going to give him the answer?” <<
.
How do you get your answers?
Do you have any spirit life at all?
I agree with your statements except I don’t see the relevance to this article. No man is claiming credit for stopping the winds. Also - it is quite natural for someone facing death to pray to God.
Several members of this Wallenda’s family have died, during such performances.
I am reminded of the pastor who recently died of snake bite, having engaged in the high-risk activity of snake handling. His father, also, had died of the same cause!
I look at it this way, while some may think what he does is “foolish”, he was born into the family business. As you said the Wallenda family has a long history of being daring acrobats and high wire performers, it is their family business, their trade, how they make a living. That’s not to say Nik couldn’t have said, “No thanks, I’m afraid of heights, I think I’ll be a stock broker instead” but I would imagine that growing up in that family, it’s the odd exception for someone like him not to follow into the family business. It is entertainment and while yes it is very risky, I’m sure it’s pretty lucrative as well.
Look at other “risky” professions such as NASCAR drivers; there are quite a few who have followed their father’s and in some cases their grandfathers into auto racing or the families that for generations have follow into being cops, airline pilots, serving in the military, high steel work or coal mining and fishing and coal mining and fishing on a per capita and daily risk level basis are perhaps more dangerous than what the Wallenda’s do – excepting for the occasional big “stunt”.
Personally I came across it yesterday while channel surfing and quickly changed the channel but then I’m terrified of heights, just looking at the still photographs make me dizzy and nauseated. I’m also terrified of small tight spaces so coal mining is out for me too : )
I actually come from a family with a long line of construction workers and while for a chick, I must say I’m pretty handy at doing small repairs and jobs around the house (I’ve installed some light fixtures and a dimmer switch, installed a programmable thermostat, a ceiling fan, replaced a flush valve on a toilet, tiled a bathroom and installed laminate flooring all by myself and I’m a pretty good house painter too) but even as I learned and inherited some of my father’s skills I had no desire to become a construction worker. Neither did my brother but darn, he’s a great cook like our mother. Me? I can cook but now days I’d rather order out ;)
RE: How do you get your answers?
Do you have any spirit life at all?
______________________
If by “answer” you mean some voice ( external or internal ) speaks to me, NO, I don’t get that kind of an answer.
The only answer I have and trust is the objective truth of God’s word.
I suggest you read Ron Chernow’s biography, “Titan.” Many years ago , I read Nevins’s go at his life. But Chernow makes the man come to life. Consider how huge an enterprise Standard Oil became, They used to speak of Captains of Industry. Men like him, and Vanderbilt, Jay Gould, Tom Scott , and Carnegie deserve that description, because what they were doing was empire building..literally.
When you form the question in your mind, the answer doesn’t just occur to you the next moment? (like “why didn’t I think of that...”)
RE: When you form the question in your mind, the answer doesn’t just occur to you the next moment?
Depends on the question. Sometimes I know the answer immediately ( e.g., should I get myself into a situation like this? Should I associate with such company?). Sometimes, I don’t know the answer and I really have to reflect on it.
Nik was rebuking the wind and commanding it to calm down in the name of Jesus. That is an indication he has received poor, unbiblical teaching from someone. Only God has the authority to command the wind! I mentioned Joel Olsteen in my beginning post and suggested this is where he is receiving such teaching from. Olsteen’s father was John Olsteen who was a prominent word of faith teacher who mentored his son Joel.
Nik was speaking to the wind in the name of Jesus. I have a trained ear and quickly notice these things because I was once involved in word of faith, believing that I was a little god and that God have given me such authority. God has reserved such authority for Himself. Only God can command the winds! Asking God to calm the winds is one thing (and valid); commanding them to calm yourself with the understanding that you have such authority is not Scriptual. That’s my only point here. Many are caught up in such teaching. Does that mean they do not love God? No! It simply means they have bought into some spurious teaching.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.