Prison Ministry - Day one

This past weekend I went on a prison ministry trip to KY.  For anyone that doesn't know what I do, I go with a team of men from Sevier Heights Baptist Church into prisons in TN, KY, AL, and FL.  We play softball against the inmates and tell them about Jesus.  We get to spend time with them and build relationships.  I know that there are people out there that believe we should be doing other types of ministry because criminals "shouldn't get extra privaleges".  The fact is that in Matt 25 Jesus is pretty clear regarding prison ministry.  

Saturday, we saw several men saved.  I was a little disappointed because as of the last 1/3 of the day, I hadn't made a difference in anyone's life.  We were at Little Sandy prison and we had gone in for dinner at 3:30.  After dinner we had another 90 minutes before we could go back out to the yard where the softball field is so this gave us more time to spend with the prison softball players.  Our team and theres did different things to pass the time.  Some played basketball, some played corn-hole and some just hung out and talked.  

I was tired so all I felt like doing was sitting so I found an inmate to talk to.  I sat down with a guy named "Blue".  Blue and I talked for about 30 minutes about softball.  Then the Holy Spirit began to move on both of us.  Blue is from a town just outside of Memphis so I asked him what brought him to Kentucky.  He said "well, running dope and murder".  Thats when Blue opened up.  Blue is 41 and has been in prison for 19 years for murder.  He was saved in October of 2011 and for the last 6 months there has been strange things happening in his life.  He has found himself to be more compassionate to people and he is able to forgive when just a few years ago, there is no way he would forgive.   With all of this, there was still something wrong.  He said that he wanted to be closer to God but something wasn't right.

The Holy Spirit immediately revealed to me that He is working on Blue and that's why he has saw the recent changes.  He also showed me that the reason Blue is unsettled is because he hasn't forgiven himself.  I didn't beat around the bush.  When I brought it up, we spoke for a second and then he started crying.  He said "look at me!  what's wrong with me, I've never cried before".  Blue acknowledged that he had so much remorse for his crime that he doesn't think it is possible for him to forgive himself.  I explained to him that if he got saved God has forgiven him and he agreed.  I told him that by not forgiving himself, he is exalting himself above God and we talked about that for a while.  

When it was time to go back to the field I knew that God had worked through me and through Blue.  God was so good to us this weekend.  If God can provide hope to an inmate that is facing 7 more years to life in prison, imagine what he can do for you if you let him.

I love you and God does too!

John

I HATE....

The old man, ugh!  I hate him.  I try to never think about him….EVER!!!  Why?  The old man was so displeasing to God.  The old man would act like he tried to please God so that others could see but in reality, he was a fake and a liar.  Sin was OK to him.  The old man was not me, I hate the old man. 

Yes, the old man dies every day (1 Cor15:31) but that doesn’t mean that I truly have to face him.  He dies everyday because Christ Jesus lives in me.  Not only does Jesus live in me, His spirit flows through me.  This makes sin the farthest thing from my mind.  When faced with sin, I’m not faced with the old man.  No, rather I’m presented an opportunity to “…resist the devil and he’ll flee from me” (James 4:7).  Any temptation of sin does not make me think about the old man nor my old life.  It simply reminds me how I’ve been redeemed, forgiven, and Jesus is my strength. 

But every now and then, I mean once in a blue moon, something or someone reminds me of that old man and his sinful ways.  It makes me sick to think about how I didn’t care to displease God.  I hate sin!  I hate EVERY part of that old man and old life before I was reconciled to God.  I thank God for his forgiveness and for his divine protection.  We learn from our mistakes so that we NEVER repeat them so I guess it is good to sometimes remember who we used to be so that we can always HATE that person and hate the sin. 

I know what I’ve said sounds harsh but we must remember that God hates sin too.  If we commit just one sin we have earned hell’s fire.  That is why it was necessary for Jesus to die for our sins…His death is our eternal sacrifice for sin.  Each and every time that we sin, we are killing Jesus all over again so that we can accept his forgiveness.

If your old-man hasn’t died to Christ, today can be your day of salvation.

I love you and god does too!

We can be like David

I've been reading the old testament this year, slowly.  I've thoroughly enjoyed it.  Right now, I'm on 1st Samuel.  Saul has been annointed king but he has disobeyed God so God has removed His annointing.  Now the Israelites are at war with the Philistines.  They are camped across from each other and every day Goliath comes out and taunts the army or Israel.  He dares them to send a champion to fight against him but the Israelites are afraid of him.

Now enters David.  He is there to bring food to his brothers but he is intrigued by the war.  He heads to the front line to hear what is going on.  Thats when he hears Goliath taunting the army.  David, although he is just a boy, is angered by Goliath's taunting.  He asks who is going to fight Goliath but no one steps forward.  David doesn't hesitate and he volunteers.  Here is where the story gets good.  I'm going to leave out a lot of the details and cut straight to the chase.  David tells Saul what he is going to do and Saul basically tells him he can't do it.  

Here is my favorite part.  It isn't when David kills Goliath, it's what he says to Saul.  David says "Your servant was tending his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued  it  from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized  him  by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God." And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." (1 Samuel 17:34-37 NASB).  

How soon many of us forget how God has delivered us from a situation.   Can one of you that is reading this say that God has never bailed you out or given you the strength and ability to bail yourself out?  I can't.  God has bailed me out so many times.  In the last trial that I was going through I read this verse about a dozen times.  I said to the devil, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from you too".  And He did.

Trust in God during your trials and don't doubt Him.  Remember 1 Samuel 17:37 and remind the devil who your deliver is.

I love you and God does too!

Thank you God!!

If you are close to my family, you will know that the last few months have been VERY hard for us.  We have been presented with situations that we never dreamed we would be in.    We have been scared.  I know that we aren't supposed to be but the fact is that as God closed doors and opened others, we were scared.   We questioned God along the way, not much but we did.  

We saw God close a door in May and we knew it but we kept pressing until we thought it was opening again.  In June, we tried to open it again and it seemed like it was opening but once again, God closed it.  At the end of July, we tried once again to open it and much to our dismay, God closed it.  We knew what God wanted us to do based on this door staying closed but going through the open door was going to be hard, so hard.  As we were going through the open door, we tried one last time this past Saturday to open the closed door.  We did EVERYTHING we could to get this door open because it was the easy way out but for the last time, God closed it.

As we continue down this new path that God has set before us, we have to walk by faith.  We have to lean on God that he will always provide.  The thing that keeps us going is God's face and not His hand.  We do our best to have the attitude of Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednigo "Our God will deliver us, but even if He doesn't, we will not bow".  We trust in God to provide for our needs, but even if he doesn't, we will continue to serve Him.  

Thank you God for loving my family so much that you guide us to where you want us to be.  Thank you for not giving in to our selfish wants and providing us with what we need.  Thank you for giving me the most awesome wife in the world who trusts me as the spiritual leader in our house.  Thank you God for giving me children that trust their parents with future changing decisions.  Thank you God for sending your son Jesus to die on the cross as the eternal sacrifice for my sins.  Lead us God and we will follow.

We so often confuse God's voice with the voice in our head.  Sometimes God's voice isn't a voice at all, it's biblical truths, it's honesty, it's integrity.  I challenge you this week to hear God's voice.

I love you and God does too!

Good for you Chic-fil-a

Have you heard the latest controversy regarding Chic-fil-a?  Seems that their CEO, Dan Cathy, said in a recent interview that he tries to run Chick-fil-a based on biblical principles.  When asked if that means they have taken a stand against gay marriage Cathy responded "guilty as charged".  I suggest you do your own research to get the details.  Now there is a big public outcry against CFA.  Chicago and Boston have both said that they do not want any new CFA restaurants.  The "Muppet's" brand has severed their ties with CFA.

The funny and ridiculous thing in all of this is that the general public believes that if you are against gay-marriage then you are also against the ethical treatment of people.  CFA says they stand for biblical principles, not only does that mean that they are against same sex marriage, it also means that they are against adultery, using the Lords name in vain, lying, and murder.  It means that they love their neighbor and and they are going to treat people humanely; gay or straight.

The world misinterprets Jesus' statement that your are either "for me or against me" (Matt 12:30), they think that if we are against something then we are against the people.  In reality, Christians are against the sin but they love the person.  I'm against my kids lying but I forgive them and love them anyway, I don't disown them.  God hates sin and we should to.  I hate it when I sin and I hate it when you sin.  Sin is sin.  The good news is that God is "faithful and just to forgive us of our sins" (John 1:9).

I'm happy that there is a company that will say "we stand for biblical principles".  What a great place this world would be if the "world" wouldn't try to attack anyone who stands for something.  Thank you Mr. Cathy for providing as much of a Christian atmosphere in a public place that you can.  I will do my best to have my family at CFA this weekend.  I encourage you do do the same.