Spring 2020 Newsletter

(Excerpt from the newsletter)

Greetings dear Brother,

With everything that is going on in the world now because of this novel corona virus pandemic and the widespread disruption to everyday life I don’t know where to begin.  My thoughts and prayers are with you and the others incarcerated in jails and prisons in Michigan, America and around the world.  The spread of infectious diseases in prison have been a fact of life since the very first prison.  Conditions involving confinement with limited access to hygiene products, personal protective equipment and medical care never have a positive outcome.   In modern America no one ever intended that being sentenced to incarceration for a finite time in prison would result in significant damage to health or loss of life.  It was not included in your sentence guidelines; it is an unintended consequence that comes about due to negligence or willful behavior on the part of those tasked with the responsibility of overseeing corrections. 

There is a strong prison reform movement all across the country seeking to rescind or revise the laws, policies and procedures in the criminal justice system that have led to mass incarcerations at the highest level of any country in the world.  There have even been a few cases where reform minded prosecutors have been elected to office.  With the advancement of the internet, information is widely available and easily disseminated to large numbers of people who are in the grass roots movement for change.  The reason I am telling you this is to let you know that many people know of your dire situation.  While you may be experiencing feelings of isolation, desperation, and fear; I want you to know many people are working tirelessly to address the current situation in order to stop further harm or loss of life to one of our most vulnerable segments of society.

In addition to CCP Ministries I am also working with Freedom Dreamers Chapel, a new ministry that is in the process of launching monthly worship services, small accountability groups, and mentors in a variety of life areas including: personal finance, job skills/placement, and addiction.  While not specifically targeted at parolees, providing a judgement free place to help returning citizens to worship and fellowship is a priority.  As you can imagine, with the quarantine and social distancing measures enacted across the country we have had to postpone our upcoming events.  However, the current world-wide pandemic is only a temporary phenomenon, not the zombie apocalypse.  We continue to plan for the future even if we don’t know exactly what the future will look like.  I tell you this to say that you also need to look to the future by planning and taking measured steps forward.

One of the best scriptural analogies that I can think of is from Matthew 14:22-33. The disciples are in a boat traveling across the Sea of Galilee and a storm comes up.  In the midst of the storm they see Jesus walking on the water.  Peter calls out and says, “Lord, if that’s really you call me to get out of the boat and walk to you on the water.”  Jesus does call him, and Peter gets out of the boat. “But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and began to sink.”  Jesus rescues Peter and asks him a simple question, “Why did you doubt?”  Then Jesus helps Peter get back into the boat and immediately the wind died down. 

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Matthew 14:22-33

Scripture says that Peter saw the wind.  As I am sitting here writing this newsletter the wind has been gusting over 30 mph.  I can see the tree branches sway and debris blowing across the ground.  I hear the wind whistling thru the trees and causing the windows to shudder, but I don’t see the wind.  On a body of water when the wind blows hard it pushes the surface of the water and creates waves.  In a storm the waves can get whipped up and water can get blown off the top of the wave providing a visual indicator of wind direction and speed.  I don’t believe that scripture is in error or that the translation is questionable.  I think that Peter was so overwhelmed by his surroundings that his fear caused him to see things that weren’t there.  After all Peter’s challenge to Jesus started with “if it is you” because the disciples thought they saw a ghost.  When things really start to get crazy and your senses begin to get overwhelmed by all the information coming at you, it is possible for the mind to miss-assign information.  This is known as Synesthesia and is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.  The result could have been that Peter who was a fisherman by trade and used to being caught out on a lake during a storm was facing a situation where he was unable to process the information correctly in his mind.

In a similar fashion, you have plenty of experience with prison during “normal” times.  Sure, a norovirus outbreak that results in a quarantine is bad, but a pandemic with an invisible killer like COVID-19 is not at all within your experience.  The last major pandemic was the Spanish Influenza of 1918, and none of us is old enough to remember what that was like. 

I really wish that Matthew had recorded Peter’s answer to Jesus’ question “Why did you doubt?”  That is a million-dollar question and the answer would have been priceless.   Why did Peter doubt?  He was walking on water!  A fisherman has a lot of experience when it comes to water, however no one in their wildest dreams would have thought it possible to walk on water, but he was doing it.   He saw Jesus walking on water and then asked for an invitation to join him.  I wonder if it is a bit like teaching your child to ride a bike.  You hold the handlebar while they first learn to peddle, then when you think they are ready you let go and run along side of them.  With your presence the child will continue to peddle and balance the bike, but when they sense you aren’t right beside them…into the ditch they go. 

There are definitely times in my life when I feel I have the confidence of sensing the presence of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the task set before me and I go out and get it done.  There are also times when I don’t have that confidence and the task looks like a burden too heavy to bear, so I shy away from even attempting it.  The third situation is the one where I start out confident in the Holy Spirit’s presence, and at some point in the process, I feel like I am going it alone.  I get really scared and begin to make a mess of things or freeze up and find myself unable to go forward.  This is when I can most relate to Peter.  I must cry out to Jesus to save me because I’m in over my head.

If you feel like you are in over your head, then I encourage you to cry out to Jesus.  Notice that he didn’t calm the waves before helping Peter back into the boat.  But Jesus saved Peter from drowning.  So right now, offer up your prayer asking for help.  Tell Jesus what you are afraid of, ask him to lift you up out of the water so you no longer feel like you are drowning.  The storm may be raging around you, but you will be safe in the Savior’s arms.  Seek his guidance to find your way back into the boat and trust Him to calm the storm.

You are not forgotten; I and many others are praying for your health and safety during these difficult times.  The only advice I can give you is to wash your hands, keep your area of control clean, use a mask to protect your lungs if you can, and if at all possible stay away from anyone who is sick. 

Your Brother in Christ

Anti-Social Distancing

It has been widely reported in the news recently about the fears of what could happen with the COVID-19 pandemic spreading inside of jails and prisons.  There has been much talk but little action nation wide to reduce the population density by releasing non-violent offenders and those with high risk factors such as the elderly or those with sever chronic health issues.  Defense attorneys and prisoner advocates along with some District Attorneys have petitioned the courts and the various state correction agencies to act on humanitarian grounds to little effect so far.

In Michigan, the MDOC itself can do little to reduce prison population due to Truth in Sentencing.  This policy was enacted by a vote of the people and would require a super-majority in both houses of the legislature to overturn.  Michigan is about the only state in the country which enacted this draconian punishment back in the 1980s that still persists in this failed deterrence strategy.  It was part of the Tough on Crime policing laws, where inmates would not be considered for parole until they had reached their Earliest Release Date (ERD).  Combined with harsh sentencing guidelines Truth in Sentencing caused an explosion in the incarceration rate which lead to the current over crowing situation. 

Now Michigan prisons are full of inmates serving long indeterminate sentences.  While your Earliest Release Date (ERD) might be 7 years, your maximum release date could be 15 years.  The result is that there is no guarantee that you will qualify for parole after serving 7 years.  There is no good time or disciplinary credit unless you were sentenced before Truth in Sentencing.  Longer sentences and harsher policies like the 3-Strike law mean that the number of older prisoners has increased significantly as a percentage of the total inmate population.  This runs counter to the evidence that people typically age out of crime and the fact that the number of older convicts going to prison for the first time is significantly lower than for those in their teens, twenties or thirties. 

Inmates in general tend to be in poorer health than the general population.  This is due in part to the large number of older inmates, but also to the number of inmates with underlying medical conditions, mental conditions, and/or addictions.  Combine this with poor health care which has been the subject of oversight by a federal judge, the result is that even in good times there are needless deaths due to inadequate treatment, medication and therapy. 

It’s been known for many years that jails and prisons are a breeding ground for disease.  Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, HIV, MERSA, Norovirus, and Influenza, just to name a few, have been of significant concern.  In the MDOC, Hepatitis and Influenza vaccinations are available.  TB skin tests are performed routinely.  Prior to release all parolees are tested for HIV.  Every year there are individual prisons quarantined due to an epidemic of one sort or another.

It’s been well documented that prisons are severely overcrowded.  Even with falling rates of incarceration in Michigan, the MDOC closes prisons rather than reduce population density because of the cost savings.  Housing units that were originally designed to hold 80 men now contain 160.  Single beds were replaced with bunk beds.  Desks were removed to make room for additional lockers.  This effectively reduced the square footage allotted per inmate by 50%.  Infrastructure could not be updated so toilets, sinks and showers have double the utilization.  This happened all across the MDOC.

In prison, access to cleaning chemicals is limited.  The cleaning chemicals available are highly diluted because concentrated chemicals can be weaponized.  Heavy bathroom utilization combined with unsanitary conditions due to inadequate custodial maintenance and poor personal hygiene by many inmates, leads to a breeding ground for germs, bacteria and mold.  Add in outdated, inoperative ventilation and old plumbing subject to frequent backups, you have a recipe for disaster. 

While I was incarcerated, I experienced a norovirus quarantine.  It was the only time when dilute bleach was made available for the inmates to clean their areas of control.  5-gallon buckets of bleach water were put out with a few rags and was moved from cube to cube down the hall.  The problem was that not everyone participated in the housekeeping and I’m not sure how well the common areas of the units were cleaned.

Like most of the epidemics in prison, personal hygiene plays a big part in transmission.  Hand washing isn’t widely practiced and there are lots of places where there is no access to soap.  Places like the school building bathroom frequently did not have soap, let alone toilet paper.  Hand sanitizer is not available because it contains alcohol.  The mouthwash doesn’t contain alcohol either.  Alcohol pads from medical used by the insulin dependent diabetics are contraband.  The basic tools used to combat the spread of infectious disease are either not practiced adequately by inmates, poorly implemented and executed by staff,  or prevented by policy as security risks.

Policy says that soap made by MSI will be supplied to inmates as needed.  That didn’t mean that soap was always available.  Housing units generally only order a certain amount based on their budget as determined by the unit counselor.   State soap didn’t have the best reputation, so if you had the funds in your trust account, you would order soap from the commissary. 

Recent news from the MDOC website reports that Michigan State Industries (MSI) is making masks and other PPE for officers and inmates.  Like the recommendation from the CDC that the general population should be wearing cloth masks when going out in public, the MDOC has begun distributing masks to inmates in prisons with confirmed cases of COVID-19.  This fails to take the rest of the CDC guidelines into account.  Inmates can’t separate themselves from others who might be showing the initial symptoms of the virus.  Instead staff must make the determination to quarantine the inmate pending the result of a confirmation test.

Masks without the proper way to clean your hands before and after handling them or being able to properly clean and sanitize them, can lead to contamination.  If anything, they will provide a sense of false security.  When doctors, nurses and first responders who have been trained in proper PPE handling techniques are getting sick with the virus, what chance do inmates have?  In an article I read recently the author concluded that wearing a cloth mask was better than wearing nothing.  Hardly a strong recommendation, but still better than simply pulling up your tee-shirt over your nose which has been shown to provide almost no protection.

At the time of writing this article the number of inmates in the MDOC with confirmed COVID-19 cases was 338 with 2 deaths.  Thirteen of 29 prisons had confirmed cases.  Thirteen other prisons in the MDOC had tested at least one inmate with negative results.  These numbers have doubled in a week and appear to be following the same trends experienced in the general population.  Changes such as suspending visits, stopping outside volunteers or tours from entering the prisons did not prevent the virus from entering prison.  One prisoner in the upper peninsula contracted the virus while he was in the local hospital where COVID-19 positive patients were being treated.  Inmates arriving from county jail may have also brought in the virus.  However, the most likely avenue for the virus to get into prison was through the staff. 

Staff entering prisons must undergo a daily temperature check and answer a series of questions about possible exposure as they enter for work.  If this is anything as thorough as their inspections for drugs, cellphones or other contraband, then it won’t be long before the virus is in every prison.  This is serious and in addition to 142 staff members testing positive there have been two staff deaths reported.  COVID-19 is a silent killer that is often contagious before any symptoms become apparent.

There have been a number of unusual facts about this Corona virus that are particularly troubling.  First there the observation that the virus kills more men than women.  Then there is the issue around how the virus is affecting brown and black communities and individuals at alarmingly higher rates than in the general population.  Also, the elderly and those with underlying health issues are specifically vulnerable.  Finally, there is the issue of access to health care.  The percentage of men significantly out numbers the number of female prisoners.  There are a much higher percentage of brown and black ethnicities incarcerated than in the general population.  There are a large number of inmates who are either elderly or in very poor health.  Finally is the problem of prison health care even in the best of times. This will combine into a perfect storm that the MDOC and all other jails and prisons, either state or federal are not capable of handling.

When this pandemic is brought under control and life resumes its new normal, my concern is that the successful measures taken to combat the spread of this disease will be eased or rescinded altogether.  That the more onerous measures such as restricting visits and access by volunteers, lock downs and restricted movement by inmates will continue.  And that the lessons learned will be quickly forgotten or ignored by administrators and legislators.  When it comes to corrections there is more than a tendency to cling to the failed, outdated, outmoded policies and procedures of the past.  There is a conscious effort to maintain the status quo, resist change even in the face of significant pressure, and a lack of real accountability in a critical branch of government.

If you have loved ones or friends currently incarcerated- pray about them; reach out to them; speak out for them. 

For information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and how it is affecting those in jail or prison I recommend the coverage being provided by the Marshall Project website.  It is the best source on the internet for daily updates of news being reported across the country the affects our loved ones and friends serving time behind bars.

For specific updates regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in the MDOC, information can be found on their website at: https://medium.com/@MichiganDOC/mdoc-takes-steps-to-prevent-spread-of-coronavirus-covid-19-250f43144337

Reflections on Praying Scripture

While I was incarcerated, I spent a lot of time in prayer.  I studied prayers in the Bible and what scripture had to say about prayer.  I read many books on prayer by both classic and contemporary authors.  All for the purpose of understanding how to pray better.  I was in a dark place and needed to learn how to prayer rightly.  I needed to learn how to not just make my requests before God, but how to talk with Him. 

In prison I memorized several hundred verses from Genesis to Revelations.  As I power-walked around the track on the back forty I would recite the scriptures adding one upon another until I could speak scripture non-stop for over an hour.  I would meditate upon the scripture to understand its meaning and application in my life.  I often needed to pray about the scripture because it convicted me of my sinfulness, my failure to be obedient in this or that area of my life.

My Bible became a coloring book as I underlined and highlighted verse after verse.  Re-reading scripture gave me new insight and understanding as I connected more and more scriptures together.  I wore out several Bibles in the 8 years I was behind bars, but the tattered and worn pages spoke volumes about how I spent my time.  In a place where Satan rules God reigned over me.  My time in prison wasn’t a cake walk and it certainly had its moments of pain and heartache.  Even though I walked through the shadow of the valley of death on a few occasions, God was with me and in me.  His Word comforted me, encouraged me, guided me and sustained me.

Every year I read the entire Bible through from cover to cover.  I read different translations like the NKJ, NIV, RSV, The Message and several others.  Each time I would learn something new as I gained deeper understand about the text I was studying.  Even though the translations might use different words to say the same thing, each one I read helped to bring out a more complete understanding of scripture then I had before.  I filled journals with notes on my studies of the Word, the commentaries, and the libraries of Christian books that I consumed. 

All my education, my enlightenment, my revelations led me to one over-riding conclusion: the Christian faith is about a personal relationship with God Almighty.  The only way to have a relationship is to communicate and the only way to communicate is to talk.  But what do you say to the one who knows you better than you know yourself?  If you do have something to say, how do you say it?  What is the right way to talk to God?  While I can write well enough, I do not consider myself a public speaker by any stretch of the imagination.  I had no idea, so I turned to what other’s had to say in order to figure it out. 

There is the model of the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus taught his disciples.  There is the Book of Psalms, the original prayer book.  There are acrostics like ACTS; Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication that organize prayers.  There are the traditional prayers of the Daily Office, some of which date back hundreds or even thousands of years.  There are simple popcorn prayers that are spontaneous, short, and to the point.  There are earnest cries for help when all hope is gone, and words fail us.  There are songs of praise and worship that are prayers set to music. 

The Bible is full of examples of both right and wrong ways to pray.  Abraham, Moses, King David, King Solomon, Jabez, Job, Elijah, Peter, Paul, and Cornelius to name a few prayed in a way that was pleasing to God.  All saw God working in their lives as a result of their prayers.  Cain, Nadab and Abihu, King Saul, the Pharisees didn’t pray in an acceptable way and it had disastrous consequences. 

One of the most important concepts that I learned was the power of praying scripture.  When we speak to God using his own words in the correct context there is power.  The power of praise, especially in the midst of battle.  The power of repentance in the face of sin.  The power of Truth in a world of lies.  The power of forgiveness instead of retribution.  The power of God’s unmerited grace and mercy to redeem lives.  The power of hope in the face of overwhelming odds.  The power of certainty in a chaotic situation.

Praying scripture fills us with the Holy Spirit so that we can have the power of love in response to hate.  The power of joy in a time of sorrow.  The power of peace in the middle of the storm.  The power of patience in a moment of haste.  The power of kindness in a cruel world.  The power of goodness in a heartless situation.  The power of faithfulness in a faithless generation.  The power of gentleness in a brutal environment.  The power of self-control in an impulsive society.

Praying scripture gives us the power to change lives, especially our own.  The power to defeat the devil, because he can’t stand against God’s word.  The power to heal physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.  The power to alter the future through divine intervention in the lives and situations of man and nature.  The power to forgive, including ourselves.  The power to overcome fear, doubt, and the lies that have been spoken at us by others.  The power to grow deeper and stronger in our faith.  The power to influence others for good.  The power to overcome addiction when all other methods have failed.  The power to obey God in opposition of man.  The power to save the lost. 

Praying scripture brought the Word to life in me.  Praying scripture taught me the ways of the ancient church.  Praying scripture connected me with millions of other people around the world.  Praying scripture awoke in me a desire to learn more scripture.  Praying scripture changed my way of thinking.  Praying scripture set my mind on things above.  Praying scripture gave me the answers to life’s questions.  Praying scripture taught me whose I am. 

Praying scripture is poetry in motion.  Praying scripture is faith in action.  Praying scripture allows no room for self.  Praying scripture leaves our souls bare before the Almighty.  Praying scripture is claiming the promises of God.  Praying scripture is a child speaking to his Father.  Praying scripture is humble obedience to our Creator.  Praying scripture is the most honest thing we can say to God.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me. Cast me not away from your presence, take not your Holy Spirit from me, restore to me the joy of my Salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. 

You have told me through your word to pick up my cross and follow you daily, to crucify my flesh with its passions and desires, to flee youthful lusts and sexual immorality.  To put off the old man that grows corrupt and put on the new man made by God in true righteousness and holiness.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart the acceptable in your sight.  You have called me to walk by faith and not by sight.  To forget what is behind and press on toward the goal that you have called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Lord I submit to you, resist the devil, draw near to you and humble myself before you.  You are the potter and I am the clay I cannot tell you what to make me into.  However, I would humbly ask that you would make me into a vessel fit for your service whether of noble or common use.

Surround me with your angels.  Put a strong hedge of protection around me.  Shelter me in the shadow of your wings.  Protect me from spiritual attack.  Protect me physically.  Guard my character and my reputation.

May your love and faithfulness never leave me that I will have favor and goodwill with both God and man.

Spirit of the living God fall fresh on me.  I thank you for your unconditional love and generosity.  For providing for me according to your riches and glory.  I knowledge that all I have comes from you.  You have blessed me beyond what I could have ever asked for or even imagined.  Thank you! Now to him who is able to keep me safe until the day of Christ’s return, I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ.

 Amen.

I have included an example of one of my scripture prayers that became like breathing for me.  I would not just recite my prayers, but rather let my prayers ascend to heaven as an incense offering filling the air like a sweet perfume.  Sometimes spoken out loud, other times whispered in my heart but always with the space for God to respond with his still, small voice.  I have observed that we often are in such a rush to pray to the extent that we don’t allow God to get a word in edgewise.  How can we have a conversation if we don’t take time to listen?

For me prayer has become a special time that I cherish and savor.  Like a fine meal, each course brings its own sensation, its own unique flavor and when I’m done, I know that I have been in the presence of Almighty God.  He satisfies my hunger and thirst.  He gives me more than I dare to ask for.  He fills me with anticipation for the next time.  His infinite variety means that it never gets old, stale or routine.  It is always a balanced meal in which I receive exactly what I need at the time I need it.

Even though I had the support of my family, a prison church fellowship, and a few men I would dare call friends it was prayer that got me through my time.  Despite the overcrowded conditions of the housing unit, most inmates experience a deep sense of isolation and loneliness.  While the drone of everyday life there made it difficult to sleep and hard to concentrate at times, I was assured that God heard my prayers and that his abiding presence would never leave me nor forsake me.  He was closer than a brother and always just a heartbeat away.  I trusted Him with my life, I still trust Him, and I will always trust Him because He is faithful. 

Diamonds – The Untold Story

There is an analogy that compares the Christian life to the formation of diamonds, where a lump of coal undergoes a transformation by exposure to tremendous heat and pressure.  But as Paul Harvey used to say, “and now for the rest of the story.”

Where does coal come from originally? Coal is the remains of organic organisms, both plant and animal that have died and been buried.  To become a Christian our old natures must die and be buried. (Romans 6:4)

That organic material decomposes, losing its original shape and structure.  But not all coal becomes diamonds.  It takes a special set of circumstances for coal to be exposed to the right combination of heat and pressure for the diamond to form.  Likewise, the Christian having put off the old man must now put on the new man made in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:24) God uses the circumstances and situations that we go through in life to make us into a new creation. (Romans 8:28)

For a diamond to form, the impurities must be eliminated from the carbon.  Then the carbon itself must undergo a transformation where the atoms themselves must be aligned into a specific crystalline structure.  The Holy Spirit working in our lives purifies us from sin, sanctifying us. (Hebrews 9:13-14) As our thought processes and actions become aligned with the Word of God, we become humble, selfless, and ready to listen for the still small voice of God. (Colossians 3:12-17)

But this isn’t the end of the process, only the beginning.  The diamond is now trapped in the rock deep underground and isn’t in any position to do anything.  It takes a seismic upheaval to bring the diamond to the surface.  This upheaval can either be a natural or man-made event.  In either case the diamond must be separated from the rock before it can be collected.  In obedience to the will of God the Christian must be separated from the world.  We must leave behind anything that could come before God. (Matthew 8:18-22)

Diamonds in the rough are not all that attractive and have little value.  Only when the rough diamond is examined by a master jeweler, who can see its potential and can chip away the rough edges to reveal the beauty that lies within, will the diamond take on value.  In Jeremiah 18 God directs the prophet to go to the potter’s house to receive his message.  There Jeremiah watched as the potter took a lump of clay and with skillful hands formed it into a useful pot.  God then proceeds to compare himself with the potter and the clay to the nations and individuals whom God can shape as he sees fit.  In several different verses the prophet Isaiah also cautioned that it is the potter who decides, the clay has no choice in the matter. (Isaiah 24:16, 45:0, 64:8) The diamond also has no say in what will become of it.  God sees our potential when no one else does. (Psalms 139:13-16) He knows his plan for us, to prosper us not to harm us, to give us hope and a future. (Jerimiah 29:11) We just need to submit in obedience to his will for our life. (1 Samuel 15:22-23)

Diamonds are one of the hardest substances on earth.  Only a diamond can cut another diamond.  Diamonds are very useful both as jewelry and in industrial applications, so nothing goes to waste.  Every chip that is removed will be used in some fashion.  Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”  God uses other Christians that are serving the purpose that he created for them to shape us.  Nothing that happens in a Christian’s life goes to waste.  Romans 8:28 says, “all things work to the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose.”

Flawless diamonds are of greater worth than flawed diamonds, which may contain impurities or imperfections in their structure.  Flawless diamonds refract light in a beautiful rainbow of color.  Flawed diamonds may crack under pressure.  They may look good at a distance, but they don’t stand up to scrutiny or hard use.  Christians may also be flawless or flawed.  Christians that most clearly let the light of God shine through them can be used by God for great effect. (Matthew 5:16) Flawed Christians have little value because they can’t be trusted in difficult situations. (1 Corinthians 3:1-4) A jeweler will often break a diamond down into small pieces in order to remove the flaw.  Likewise, God will continue to refine an imperfect Christian until he becomes flawless. (Romans 5:1-5)

Diamonds are measured in carats; large diamonds are much rarer than small diamonds.  Large diamonds will become the center piece of a royal treasure, while small diamonds find life as a wedding ring and even smaller diamonds become accent pieces.  God has called some Christians to do great things before the rich and powerful of this world, while he has called others to serve the common man.  But each of us has a place assigned to him by God, that will bring glory to God. (Ephesians 4:11-12)

Diamonds often become family heirlooms passed down from generation to generation, increasing in both monetary and sentimental value over time.  God is shaping us not just for use in this life but in the eternity to come. (1 John 2:24-25) Christians can also pass on a legacy of faith and service to their spiritual children, those who come to faith in Christ because of their obedience and testimony. (Galatians 4:19)

No analogy is perfect when you carry it out to the nth degree, but the comparison of the Christian and a diamond holds together pretty well.  2 Corinthians 4:7-11 says:

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our body.  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.”

2 Corinthians 4:7-11

As Paul Harvey said in conclusion of his radio broadcast, “And now you know the rest of the story.”

While I was in prison, I had time to read, study, and meditate on scripture.  Articles like this one came from those times of quiet reflection on God’s Word and from discussions with my brothers in Christ.  For my brothers and I, prison was a time of significant growth in our walk with Christ.  We were in the fiery furnace and the impurities of our former lives were being burned away.  God was working in each of us and using each of us to support, encourage and challenge one another to grow stronger and deeper in our spiritual journey. 

My time in prison was by far the most productive time as a writer that I have ever experienced in my life.  Not because I had lots of time on my hand, but because I was in tune with the Holy Spirit.  God had my undivided attention and was able to work through me.  For many, prison is a waste of time because they fail to learn anything from the experience.  I have learned a great deal from my prison experience and tried to share it with the readers of this blog.  I have written about my experience in prison in The Warehouse of Lost Souls and I would encourage you check out those older postings.

Discipline ≠ Punishment

(A Tuesday night Bible study meditation that I did not get a chance to present while I was in prison)

For the majority of my life I failed to distinguish between discipline and punishment.  This may in part have been due to my upbringing.  Not that I suffered from abusive treatment, but rather the lack of guidance from parents more focused on careers than their children’s lives.  Not long ago I was out jogging on a track and noticed the dedicated athletes exercising around me.  In my Bible reading that morning I had read Proverbs 3:11. “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”

As I was moving around the track and meditating on this verse God spoke to my heart.  He said, “You see all these people around you exercising?  Are they being punished or are they training their bodies?”  Discipline is training.  While you are out on the track, huffing and puffing, sweating and straining, it is not pleasant.  However, later after you have recovered, you are stronger and feel so much better.

Athletes understand discipline.  Football players study the playbook, eat at the training table and the coach has them run drills until their technique is perfect.  Sports physiologists speak of muscle memory, training the body until the response becomes automatic not requiring conscious control by the mind.  When a player fails to execute a play properly the coach may have the player out running wind sprints after practice, or during the game may bench him.  Odds are the player will not make the same mistake again.  The coach has his undivided attention and in the future the player will perform as he was trained to do.

Dieters understand discipline too, when they choose the apple for desert instead of the giant piece of chocolate fudge triple layer cake.  The reward is a swimsuit body.

Parents usually do not require their children to make their beds or pick up their clothes as a form of punishment.  They are seeking to instill discipline.  Punishment is reserved for willful disobedience- when you know the right thing to do and do not do it and choose to do the thing you know is wrong instead.

Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not turn from it.”  Discipline instructs, while punishment corrects.  Both are necessary however they serve very different functions.

For the Christian, God’s discipline brings the body, mind, emotions and spirit under the control of the Lord Jesus Christ.  When we are born again, we are infants in Christ and must grow in our faith.  As children we must be educated and trained.  In Hebrews 12:11 it says that, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Discipline results in wisdom.  Our Heavenly Father loves us and like a concerned parent wants the best for us.  He loves us too much to leave us the way we are.  He knows that in our fallen nature when left to our own devices, nothing good happens.  As willful creatures we often think, in our limited understanding, that we know best.  But God in his infinite love and wisdom patiently instructs us.

Punishment is the result of foolishness, which is defined as moral corruption in the Old Testament.  Proverbs 22:15 says, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, the rod of correction will drive it from him.”  You do not punish a baby because it has never been trained to know right from wrong.  However, after a child has been trained it is appropriate to punish them for disobedience.  Punishment servers as a reminder of the consequences for misbehavior and is intended to reinforce training.

When punishment is not timely or linked to a specific deed then it does not have the intended effect.  Proverbs 13:24 says, “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.”  Good parent know that you should not punish your children in anger and that it must be appropriate and proportional to the offense.  A parent takes no pleasure in meeting out punishment.  It should be a true statement when they say, ‘this hurts me more than it does you.’ 

Parents punish out of love because they care about us and our behavior.  Proverbs 23:13-14 says, “Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.  You shall beat him with a rod and deliver his soul from hell.”  Corporal punishment is not intended to inflict damage to the body, rather is uses pain as a tool that will serve as a reminder to discourage future bad behavior.

It is important that the child understand the reason for the punishment and that while the parent loves the child, it is the behavior that is unacceptable.  It is no different with our Heavenly Father.  Hebrews 12:7-11 goes straight to the heart of the matter.

“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons.  For what son is not disciplined by his father?  If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.  Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us, and we respect them for it.  How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!  Or fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.”

Discipline and punishment are like the two sides of a coin.  You cannot have one without the other.  Discipline provides the context within which punishment may be used.

And finally, discipline and punishment must be consistent.  Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”  Nothing is more frustrating than failing to grasp the rhyme and reason for what you are going through.  As human beings we have a strong desire to know the answers to the question: Who? What? Where? When? How? and Why?  For older children it is possible to reason with them.  Answering their question will help, but there is also an element of trust.  Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”  God has a plan for our lives, and we must be obedient and trust Him.  Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.”

The Lord spoke to me a second time and gave me the key to understanding discipline.

“You exercise to discipline your body. You study the Word of God to discipline your soul (mind and emotions). You pray to discipline your spirit. You meditate to unite the three.”

Spiritual discipline is the key to the Christian life.  In John 10:10 Jesus said that the reason that he came was so that we could experience a more abundant life.  The way we experience this abundant life is through Prayer, Fasting, Reading and Studying the Word, and Meditating on it.

The Apostle Paul compared spiritual discipline to a race in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?  Run in such a way as to get the prize.  Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last, be we do it to get a crown that will last forever.  Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly, I do not fight like a man beating the air.  No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

Which brings me back full circle to my jogging on a track.  I choose to exercise because I know it is good for me.  It burns calories, helps me control my blood sugar, lowers my blood pressure, strengthens my heart and reduces stress, all of which improves my quality of life.  Likewise, I chose spiritual discipline because I want the abundant life that Jesus promised.  To  accomplish this I must live intentionally every day, submitting myself in obedience, accepting the Lord’s discipline and His punishment for my disobedience.

Called to Be A Blessing

(Adapted from a presentation that I gave at a Protestant All-faith Tuesday night Bible study in March 2015)

For those of you who don’t know me my name is Tim.  In the world I called myself a Christian, but since I came to prison, I’ve learned what it means to be called as a Christian, to be a disciple of Christ.  Tonight, I want to speak to you about one of the things I’ve learned. 

As Christians we are called to be a blessing.

Psalms 103:1-5 is a Psalm of King David where he describes God’s blessings.

1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Verse one in the King James says, “Bless the Lord.”  In the Hebrew there are several different words for bless.  When we bless God that means we praise Him, kneeling in humble adoration.  Praise is our response for what God has done for us.  Verse two through five go on to describe how God blesses us.

  • Forgiveness of sin
  • Healing from sickness
  • Redemption from a life of destruction
  • Love
  • Compassion
  • Satisfaction
  • Renewed strength

What are the conditions under which we are blessed?  In Deuteronomy 28:1-2 Moses says, “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.  All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.”  And then Moses goes on to list the blessings.  You see, under the Old Covenant God blessed man in response to obedience in keeping the law.  But we aren’t under the Old Covenant, we are under the New Covenant.  Hebrews chapters 8-10 describe the differences between the old and new covenants.  I would encourage everyone to take the time to read them.

Hebrews 9:14 says, “How much more then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God. Cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”  Under the New Covenant obedience is our response to blessing not the means of obtaining it.

I hear the phrase “Bless you brother” all the time.  What does this really mean?  According to Jewish understanding a blessing between people is something promoting or contributing to the happiness, well-being or prosperity of another.  Not just wishing somebody well, but more like a prayer on their behalf.  It is a sacred promise, an obligation you are committing yourself to aid that person.

1 John 3:16-18 says, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.  If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person.  Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”  I believe that Christian love and blessings are related.  Love is the motivation and blessings are the works.

James 2:14-17 says, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save him?  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes or daily food.  If one of you says to him.  “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”  No empty words or worthless platitudes, but actions from the heart.  God never gives his blessings to us simply to be hoarded.  He gives his blessings to us so we can share them.  So how many of you have truly blessed someone else today?

I want to take this a step further.  Matthew 10:5-8 says, “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.”

“Freely you have received; freely give.”  Besides looking out for our brothers in Christ what is the #1 thing we as Christians are supposed to do?  As we just read Jesus empowered the 12 disciples and sent them on a missionary trip to preach the gospel, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who had leprosy and drive out demons.  Christ does the same for us today, empowering us for service, so we can bless others the way we ourselves were blessed.

So how can we do this?

  1. Preach the gospel– St. Francis of Assisi said, “Wherever you go preach the gospel, and if necessary, use words.”  When the opportunity arises, all we have to do it tell others what God has done for us.  Remember Psalms 103, we all have a testimony.
  2. Heal the sick– When someone asks you for an aspirin give it to them and pray for them. We know what James 5:13-16 says about the prayers of a righteous man.
  3. Raise the dead– We are surrounded by the walking dead. People who are dead on the inside.  They are spiritually dead with seared consciences, who need life breathed back into them.  God told the prophet in Ezekiel 37 to prophesy to the dry bones and so should we.
  4. Cleanse the leapers– Modern day leapers are the social pariahs, outcasts from society. In prison these are the outcasts of the outcasts.  We know who they are.   Lonely, friendless people who need to see a smiling friendly face and hear words of encouragement.
  5. Drive out demons– Demons are things that keep people from knowing peace. Alcohol and drug addicts and those with mental disorders have demons.  We need to be their support group.

The lost, sick, dead, leapers, and demon possessed surround us and we choose to interact with them or avoid them on a daily basis.  It takes a conscious effort on our part to not shy away, but rather to bless those who are most in need of our blessing.

I encourage you to bless someone today and every day.

  • Give a kind word to those who are lonely or discouraged.
  • Perform simple acts of kindness such as holding the door for the guy with the cane or in a wheelchair.
  • If you’re not going to eat a meal, give it to someone who is hungry.
  • Count the cost for befriending the social outcast.

Then those who are around us will know that we are Christians by our love.  Actions speak louder than words.  Love them until they ask why.  Paul told the Ephesians in Acts 2:35, “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

John Wesley, the 18th century evangelist said:

Who has tried to do good and been taken advantage of?

Who has tried to do good to someone who was ungrateful?

Who has tried to do good and had it rebuffed?

1 Peter 3:8-9,14 says, “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.  Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”   “But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. ‘Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.’”

  • We need to value the welfare of others more highly than our own self-interest.
  • Give without expectation of return or reciprocation.
  • Give because it is the right thing to do.
  • Have compassion.

Compassion is one of the blessings we received listed in Psalms 103.  According to Webster, “compassion is the deep awareness of the suffering of others, coupled with the wish to relieve it.”  I’m not talking about sympathy, and compassion is more than empathy.  God through Christ has given us the means, but until we have compassion for those around us, we won’t be able to win this prison compound for Christ.  So, who are you blessing?  Just your Christian brothers? Close associates?  The lost and truly needy?

I would like to close with a prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi:

Creed and Community

Apostles Creed

(A word of encouragement presented at an All-faith Protestant service in August 2016)

“I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.  And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven. And sitteth at the at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy Christian church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.  Amen”

How many of you recognize these words as the Apostles’ Creed?  This is a statement of the main Christian beliefs whose earliest versions can be traced back to the A.D. 100’s.  It is likely that the creed grew out of the life of the church.  It was probably derived from an earlier creed, which was a baptismal confession.

Rich Mullins, the Christian singer/songwriter once said about the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe what I believe.  It’s what makes me who I am.  I did not make it.  No, it is making me.  It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man.”  He was echoing the words of the Apostle Paul recorded in Galatians 1:11-12.   “But I make known to you, brothers, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.  For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The Creed touches on the central issues of the Christian faith, but there is much it passes over.  It says nothing about Satan, angles, demons, predestination, baptism, church government, or the details of Christ’s future Second Coming.  It gives us the big picture of what Christians believe.  We may believe more than what the Creed says, be we don’t believe less than that.

At its heart, the church is a community of believers who are joined by their shared faith in Jesus Christ.  That’s why the church for 2000 years has affirmed the Apostles’ Creed.  It expresses our common faith in Christ.

Dorothy L. Sayers in her essay ‘Creed or Chaos’ wrote in the 1930’s that “the Creed – that precisely formulated and clearly defined set of Christian beliefs – is our only defense against chaos.”  The Creed reminds us that Christianity has a doctrinal basis.  Although we talk a lot about a personal relationship with Jesus, that more than a feeling or personal experience.  It’s a relationship based on the truth revealed in the Bible.

In this room we represent a wide range of denominational backgrounds: Catholics, Lutherans, Calvinists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Mennonites, Pentecostals, Evangelicals, Adventists and Fundamentalists.  A real all-faith worship service.  We come together in Christian unity where we focus on what we have in common rather than what makes us different, an Ecumenical Movement.  Psalms 133:1 says, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity.” And verse 3 goes on, “for there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.”

The oneness of the church is the basis for true Christian unity.  Paul explains the basis of our unity in Christ by using the word “one” seven times in Ephesians 4:4-6.  “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

When Jesus prayed in John 17:21 that “they may be one,” he was asking the Father to help believers demonstrate on earth the perfect unity that exists in heaven between the Father and the Son.  We are never told to create unity; God has already done that in Christ.  We come together from different backgrounds, different levels of education, different places in our spiritual walks; we bring with us different preferences in worship style and different understanding of the spiritual gifts.  But we are all members of one body with Christ as the head.  And as a result, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

“For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many are one body, so also in Christ.  For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.  For in fact the body is not one member but many.  If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not the hand I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body?  If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling?  But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as he pleased.  And if they were all one member, where would the body be?  But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.  And the eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you.’  Nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’  No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.  And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need.  But God composed the body having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but rather that the members should have the same care for one another.  And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it, or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”

-1 Corinthians 12:12-26

According to C.S. Lewis, “We as Christians are not called to individualism but to membership in the mystical body.  By ‘members’ St. Paul meant what in the Greek are called ‘organs’ – things essentially different from and yet complementary to one another.  In modern usage, such as in logic, you find the expression ‘members of a class’ where the items or particulars are homogenous.  We would call members of a club merely units.  A row of identically dressed and identically trained soldiers set side-by-side.  So, when we describe a man as a ‘member of a church’ we usually mean something different from the Apostle Paul.  How true membership in a body differs from inclusion in a collective may be seen in the structure of a family.  The grandfather, the parents, the grown-up son, the child, the dog and the cat are true members precisely because they are not members or units of a homogenous class.  They are not interchangeable.  If you subtract any one member, you have not simply reduced the family in number you have inflicted an injury on its structure.  Its unity is a unity of unlikes.”

CS Lewis worship quote

We come together with our rich diversity of religious backgrounds to form something that is both unique and organic in nature.  That’s why no two prison chapels are the same and why if you are here long enough, you’ll see changes in the style of our worship.  For example, forms of music come from the gifted musicians and singers.  These are not permanent groups but simply the amalgamation of the individuals presently participating.  We are blessed to have who we have and should rejoice that they are willing to share their gifts with us.  It may not be your personal preference for worship style, but it gives glory to God and lifts the spirits of others in the group.  There is no place for criticism simply because that is not how you worshipped at your home church.  If you want a say in the worship style, get involved with the worship team.  Then we will all be able to benefit from your background and perspective.

The volunteers who bring us a message come to us from a number of different denominational and non-denominational churches and sometimes they speak on areas of belief that are outside of the Apostles’ Creed and that’s okay.  In order to grow we need to progress from spiritual milk to meat and meat requires chewing.  Bring your Bible, pen, and paper.  Take notes.  Take them home and study them carefully.  You may not agree with everything you hear in the service but don’t discount everything a speaker has to say.  It may be a matter of understanding the translation utilized, scriptural context, and/or theological perspective.  We only grow stronger when we exercise our muscles and the same is true of our Christian walk.  The Bible contains no inconsistences, no errors, but it is full of mysteries that can not be fully understood from our finite human perspective.

Rich Mullin quote on scripture

The word of God is Truth that towers over our personal experience and stands in judgment over our personal opinions.  So, let the Holy Spirit be your guide.  The Bible is full of statements on the importance of and power in reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on the scripture:

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” -Psalms 119:11

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” -Psalms 119:105

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart.” -Hebrews 4:12

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” -2 Timothy 3:16

“Be diligent to present yourself approved of God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” -2 Timothy 2:15

“We also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” -2 Peter 1:19

After all this you may still not agree with everything you hear.  However, Paul warns in Titus 3:9, “Avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and useless.”   Just let it go.  It’s not good for us to be arguing amongst ourselves over a theological point.  One day it will be revealed.  Better minds than ours have wrestled with some points of Scripture from the time they were first written down without reaching consensus on the exact meaning.  It is just a trick of the devil to separate us.  We should simply agree to disagree and then move on without diminishing our love or respect for one another.

Don’t forsake the fellowship of the body even when it rubs you the wrong way.  We must look past the messenger to receive the message God has for us.  A mature person should be able to do this.  Rick Warren in his book “The Purpose Driven Life” says that we must passionately love the church in spite of its imperfections.  Longing for the ideal while criticizing the real is evidence of immaturity.  On the other hand. Settling for the real without striving for the ideal is complacency.  Maturity is living with the tension.

Other believers will disappoint you and let you down, but that’s no excuse to stop fellowshipping with them.  They are your family, even when they don’t act like it, and you can’t walk out on them.  Instead Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:2, “Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.”  Not only should we remain in fellowship for the sake of our brothers, but also remember that the world is watching.

“They’ll Know We Are Christians” (also known as “They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love” or “We Are One in the Spirit”) is a Christian hymn written in the 1960s by Fr. Peter Scholtes.  It was inspired by John 13:35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  The title of the hymn originates in a phrase that non-believers used to describe Christians believers of early Church: “Behold, how they love one another.”

People become disillusioned with the church for many understandable reasons.  The list could be quit long: conflict, hurt, hypocrisy, neglect, pettiness, legalism, and other sins.  Rather than being shocked and surprised, we must remember that the church is made up of real sinners, including ourselves.  Because we are sinners, we hurt each other, sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally.  But instead of leaving the church, we need to stay and work it out, if at all possible.  Reconciliation, not running away, is the road to stronger character and deeper fellowship.

Bonhoeffer Community quote

Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his book “Life Together” had a lot to say about how we should live together in Christian community.  I would like to bring out a few points from the book that are especially true for us here in prison.

First, we should not take for granted the privilege we have of openly living among other Christians.  Visible fellowship is a blessing that not all of our brothers and sisters around the world get to enjoy.  The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer.

Second, we need to recognize that as Christians we need our brothers when we become uncertain and discouraged to speak God’s word into us to provide certainty and courage.  God puts the word into the mouths of men in order that it may be communicated to other men.

Third, our community with one another consists solely in what Christ has done for us.  The more genuine and the deeper our community becomes, the more will everything else between us recede, the more clearly and purely will Jesus Christ and his work become the one and only thing that is vital between us.

Forth, we must realize that in a Christian community each individual is an indispensable link in the chain.  Not only do the weak need the strong, but also the strong cannot exist without the weak.  As a body we are only as strong as our weakest members.  Therefore, we must do all that we can to strengthen all our members.  Romans 15:1-2 says, “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not please ourselves.  Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.”

Christian community involves service to one another and that starts with listening to one another.  Listening is by far a greater service than speaking.  Once we begin listening only then can we be truly helpful in performing service.  The greatest service we can perform is to bear one another’s burdens.

Fifth, Christian community requires forgiveness.  We must forgive one another on a daily basis, and it occurs without words as we pray in intercession for one another.  C.S. Lewis once said that “to believe in the forgiveness of sin is not so easy as I thought.  Real belief in it is the sort of thing that very easily slips away if we don’t keep polishing up on it.”

And finally, in the Christian community thankfulness is just what it is anywhere else in the Christian life.  Only he who gives thanks for little things receives the big things.  We prevent God from giving us the great spiritual gifts He has in store for us, because we do not give thanks for daily gifts.  We think we dare not be satisfied with the small measure of spiritual knowledge, experience and love that has been given to us, and that we must constantly be looking forward eagerly for the highest good.  Then we deplore the fact that we lack the deep certainty, the strong faith, and the rich experience that God has given to others, and we consider this lament to be pious.  We pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary small gifts.  How can God entrust great things to one who will not thankfully receive from Him the little things?

If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian fellowship in which we have been placed, even where there is no great experience, no discoverable riches, but much weakness, small faith, and difficulty; if on the contrary, we only keep complaining to God that everything is so paltry and petty, so far from what we expected, then we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow according to the measures and riches which are there for us all in Christ Jesus.

Christian community is like the Christian’s sanctification.  It is a gift of God which we cannot claim.  Only God knows the real state of our fellowship, of our sanctification.  What may appear weak and trifling to us may be great and glorious to God.  Just as a Christian should not be constantly feeling his spiritual pulse, so too, the Christian community has not been given to us by God for us to be constantly taking its temperature.  The more thankfully we daily receive what is given to us, the more surely and steadily will fellowship increase and grow from day to day as God pleases.

Treasures In Heaven

(A word of encouragement presented at a Protestant All-Faith Church service in October 2015)

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?”

After thinking for a few minutes, the answer to the first question seemed obvious.  I would like to think that every time I:

  • Pick up my cross, crucify my flesh and deny myself;
  • Love my family, neighbors, and enemies as I love myself;
  • Visit the sick, orphans, widows, and prisoners;
  • Bless my family, friends, strangers, and those who curse me;
  • Give my time, talents and gifts to benefit others;
  • Give out of my riches and my poverty – tithes, freewill offerings, and monetary gifts without conditions;
  • Serve others by giving a cup of water, washing their feet, and seating them in a place of honor ahead of myself;
  • Humble myself, turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, give both my cloak and tunic;
  • Walk by faith and not by sight;
  • Pray, praise, and give thanks to God, and;
  • Trust and obey rather than having to ask forgiveness, I was storing up treasures in heaven.

I thought that every self-sacrifice I made, every good deed I did, every act of devotion was like the old S&H Green Stamps I earned and could trade them in for crowns or a bigger mansion in heaven.  It was the answer to the second question that showed how shallow my thinking was.

How might I change or grow in this area of my life?  What more could I possibly do!  As I began to meditate on this question the Holy Spirit reminded me about the Rich Young Ruler from Mark 10:17-31.  Could it be that I was being proud of my works?  Jesus told the young man to “‘sell whatever you have, give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow Me.’ At this, the man’s face fell.  He went away sad, because he had great wealth.”  To be a disciple of Christ we cannot put any conditions on our service, the only way is complete obedience.

Then it became clear to me.  As I live my life in true righteousness and holiness my every time must become all the time.  As I mature in my faith- my eyes, ears and heart must become more sensitive to both the heavenly call on my life and the pitiful conditions surrounding me.  I must come to the realization that my righteous acts are like filthy rags.  How could my works hope to buy anything in heaven, which is a city paved with streets of gold?

2 Corinthians 4:7 tells us that we are treasures housed in earthly vessels, and John 3:16-17 says that Jesus came than none might perish.  The truth is that the treasures we store up in heaven are people, those who come to know Jesus because we were salt and light, the hands and feet of Jesus, a living testimony to the reality of our God.

Shortly after I presented this word of encouragement to the church one of our regular preachers, Jim Jones from Rock of Ages came and preached a sermon that confirmed my conclusion that the treasures we store up in heaven are the people that we reach for Christ.  Over and over my insights into prison life and spiritual life have been confirmed by a variety of sources.  Some of these confirmations have been of a more universal nature showing that some things never change over time and distance like books, newspaper articles or television documentaries from all over the country and around the world.  Others have been very specific such as this instance where Rev. Jones’ language was almost verbatim of my own. 

Since I am neither an expert in criminal justice nor theology, I tend to be widely read to better understand the subjects.  However, in prison there is no access to the internet and unless someone sends you a book from out in the free world all you have to read are books in the General Library or Chaplin’s library. Until preparing this blog post for publication I had never heard “The way you store up treasure in heaven is by investing in getting people there” quote by Rick Warren.

That being said, most of my blog posts are essays written to help me process and share information based on my own experience, perceptions and insights.  Meditation features prominently since to me the leading of the Holy Spirit is a crucial component to how I gain understanding and wisdom.  My friend Daniel once called me a ‘wise man’ and my response was to say that I was only a ‘wise guy.’  I humbly acknowledge that I am free and forgiven only by the grace of God, that all my words are from Him, and are intended to give Him praise and glory.    

Winter 2019 Newsletter

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” – Luke 2:11-12

(Excerpt from the newsletter)

Season’s Greetings Brother,

Another year is coming to a close and it feels like there is so much left to do and so little time left to do it in.  I’ve been so busy working, shopping, decorating and baking cookies that I find myself up against a firm deadline to publish this newsletter and I haven’t begun to think about what I’m going to write.  I had to stop another project completely because I just don’t have enough hours in the day to spare.   Life at times like this can get overwhelming, but I’ve learned that I’m not a superman.  I can’t do it all.  I’m not a machine.  I must accept that not everything will get done.  While I don’t have to be okay with the idea, I still need to acknowledge my limitations.  I shouldn’t beat myself up or complain about my procrastination or lack of organizational skills.  When I get to the heart of the matter, I know that I did my best and that things don’t always go according to plan.

I once read a quote that said, “If you don’t have the time to do it right, you certainly don’t have the time to do it over.”   In the long run doing things right the first time makes more sense than hurrying through and making lots of little mistakes.  But the world we live in doesn’t tend to see it this was.  The pressure is on to be ‘good enough’ not perfect.  Why is it then that in our walk with Christ we often strive for perfection and then beat ourselves up when we fail?  In Romans 3:23 it says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Even born-again Christians sin.  When we are saved, we don’t automatically become perfect, just forgiven of our past mistakes.  Instead with the help of the Holy Spirit we become conscious of our failings so that we can with His help address them in a continual process of improvement. Philippians 2:12 says that we are to “work out our salvation.”  We won’t be perfected until we get to heaven and have exchanged the corruptible for the incorruptible (1Corinthians 15:53-55).

Busyness, multitasking, schedules, deadlines in themselves are not bad things but how they use us is.  We become distracted, our focus is divided, keeping on track and finishing on time become an obsession.  We lose sight of the things that are truly important.  Christmas time more so than any other time of year has a reputation for this type of insanity.  We can’t enjoy the holidays because we rush around trying to get things done.

“Silent Night” (“Stille Nacht” in its original German) is one of the most well-known traditional Christmas carols sung around the world. 

The song is about an event that is described as peaceful, calm, and tranquil, yet majestic, other worldly and glorious.  Having been in the delivery room for the birth of my daughter I can tell you that giving birth would never be described that way.  If a modern birth is at best described as stressful, chaotic, and exhausting, what would it have been like to give birth to your first child far from home in a barn 2000 years ago without the assistance of anyone other than a local midwife?

The song was originally a poem written by pastor Joseph Franz Mohr and composed by his friend Franz Xaver Gruber in early 19th century Austria. Pastor Mohr desperately needed a carol for the Christmas Eve midnight mass that was only hours away, and he hoped Gruber – a school teacher as well as the church’s choir master and organist – could set his poem to music; he composed the melody in just a few hours on that Christmas Eve.  This sounds more like the world we live in.

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. 

Please forgive me for not sending my newsletter sooner.  You are important to me and at this time of year more than most others I know how isolated and alone it can feel being in prison.  That is why I pray for you.  That is why I write to you.  That is why I want you to have a word of encouragement.  While your daily routine may not be as crazy as mine gets at times, I know you can still fall into the same traps.  Don’t be distracted from practicing and perfecting your faith, but don’t beat yourself up when you fail.  Remember that no man is perfect except for Jesus.

Your Brother in Christ.

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.  He had been an upstanding member of his community, an active church goer, and after retirement he made one poor decision that resulted in him being sent to prison for the first time in his life.

In prison he was active in the Protestant All-faith service, chaplain programs, Keryx, and led a Bible study almost every day in the housing unit dayroom.  He was not shy about sharing his faith with those he came in contract with.  He was a mentor to me in my own Christian walk.  It was Pops who gave me the title “Warehouse of Lost Souls” from the poem on the front page of my blog as a way of describing prison.

Prison was not easy for him.  Being a senior citizen meant that he was a frequent target by those looking for an easy victim.  He regularly showed the Christian characteristics of turning the other cheek, forgiveness, and loving his enemies.  He sought to live in peace with all men, including the young kids who showed no respect for their elders.

Pops wasn’t in bad health for a person his age, but he did have the usual aches and pains.  Prison medical being what it is didn’t do much for him.  He was deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other, so after years of waiting the MDOC gave him one hearing aide.  Then he found out he could have had hearing aids sent to him from an outside source.  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.

When I started my ministry of writing letters of encouragement to prisoners, Pops was on the top of my list.  Even though he said he wasn’t much of writer we did correspond back and forth.  After he paroled, I continued to write to him.  I was able to talk with him on the phone a number of times and even managed to spend a day with him.  It was good to see someone who came out of prison with a thankful heart instead of bitterness.  He fully intended to live his remaining years as a free man walking by faith.

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 not just save him but transform him into a new creation.  In prison his life was a light shinning in the darkness.  Pops was well educated and well spoken, and he could talk to anyone.  He boldly proclaimed the Gospel of Christ in both words and deeds. 

Pops truly enjoyed mentoring young believers by opening up Scriptures using an inductive bible study style that encouraged them to read the Word for themselves in order to grow in their faith.  He prayed boldly but spoke gently.  He modeled Christian character and lived a lifestyle that was beyond reproach.  He did his time by helping others use theirs wisely. 

He touched many lives including mine and we are all the better for it.  He is gone but not forgotten.  I know that Pops is in heaven singing with the heavenly choir.  While I grieve for the loss of my friend, I know that some day I will see him again and will rejoice in that meeting.

Sharing a meal with my friend Pops. It was the last time I saw him.