In the October 16th 2015 Daily Bread devotional written by Lawrence Darmani, the key verse for the devotional was Matthew 6:20 NKJV, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” I’ve probably read that verse a hundred times and understand that earthly treasures and heavenly treasures are not the same. But at the end of the devotional were two thought provoking questions that stopped me dead in my tracks. The first question was, “In what ways are you storing up your treasures in heaven?” and second, “How might you change and grow in this area of your life?”
Category: Psalms for Prisoners
Winter 2019 Newsletter
Jesus came into this world as a baby in the humblest circumstances imaginable. But while the birth of most children receives little notice, he received a royal welcome. A heavenly choir announced his coming, heralds spread the word of his birth, his earthly parents were presented with kingly gifts by foreign dignitaries, both prophets and a prophetess saw his future and a tyrant feared him. God who created man became man in order to redeem His creation. This act of love, sacrifice, and salvation in a few short years would turn the world upside down. But for one night there was quiet expectation with hope, faith, joy and peace abounding. This is why we celebrate. This is why we take time to remember the birth of our Savior. This is why we need to cut through the distractions and focus on the true meaning of Christmas.
Eulogy for Pops
I recently learned of the passing of an old friend. His name was “Pops” to those of us who knew him in prison. Pops and I lived in the same housing unit for the last year and a half I was incarcerated. When we met he was in his late 70s. His greatest fear was of dying while in prison. Fortunately, he did make parole. He was received into the home of a friend where he lived until the time of his untimely death. He was not one to minimize his crime, but fully accepted responsibility for it. In his testimony he spoke of how God worked through his situation to no just save him but transform him into a new creation. In prison his life was a light shinning in the darkness.
The Prayer For Joy
e as Christians are known as peculiar people. I believe this is in part because of our response to adversity. (Titus 2:11-14) James tells us "to consider it pure joy whenever we face trials," not because we are masochists who enjoy pain but because we know that "the testing of our faith develops perseverance." (James 1:2)
November 2019 Letter
This week we celebrate Thanksgiving. A day of remembrance for an intrepid group who fled religious persecution in Europe to start a new life in the new world. As Christians we are called to be the modern-day Pilgrims living a lifestyle that distinguishes us from the society around us. We are to be strangers living in a strange land. In Psalms 106:1 it says, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, and his love endures forever.” This is what the Pilgrims did that first Thanksgiving. They declared a day to acknowledge what God had done for them, giving thanks for the harvest, their religious freedom, and their lives. Here we are 378 years later commemorating that first Thanksgiving and adding our voices to theirs, praising God for what He has done for us.
January 2015 Testimony
They say that people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. I tutor for the GED program and on several occasions my students have introduced me to their people in the visiting room as "the guy who's helping them get their GED." Now I'm proud of that because they recognize that I want them to succeed, but that is nothing compared to what happened to me recently.
Farewell Address to the Church
God is faithful, He "will never leave you or forsake you" (James 1:5). I have learned this lesson well during the last 8 years. I have been in some tough spots and have been roughed up a couple of times, but I was protected from any lasting harm. From these experiences I have also learned that "In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). In every case I have grown closer to God, stronger both spiritually and emotionally, so I can say that "I consider it pure joy when I face trials of different kinds, because I know that the testing of my faith has developed perseverance" (James 1:3). And God will do the same for you.
Restoration and Renewal Testimony
Through a series of bad life choices I found myself in a dark place, cut off from everything and everyone I knew. But God was faithful and found me in my cell at the county jail. He reminded me how much He loved me and I renewed my vow and earnestly repented. For the first time in years tears flowed as I poured my heart out to God, surrendering every area of my life, confessing every sinful habit and committing for faithfully serve Him.
Christian Community
Keryx provides us with a uniqu opportunity to live life in Christian community. To be the hands and feet of Jesus, ministering to one another and witnessing to the lost and wounded souls on this compound. Individually our lights may not seem like much shinning into the darkness that surrounds us, however, when we come together we are like a city on a hill that can not and will not be hidden.
The Sherpa’s Perspective
I have previously described the Keryx weekend as a mountain top experience, and having worked as a member of the Inside team I now have a sherpa's perspective.