Prison with a Purpose

2nd Corinthians 4:
8 We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. The familiar Scripture says that God is working all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose - that means that even though we may face adverse circumstances, that God has a purpose.   Even in a place that may be regarded as uncomfortable or uninspiring, we can know that God is still at work - in us, through us, and all around us!2nd Corinthians 6 says:4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God,
As we continue to remember Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship and "Breakpoint" speaker, I thought about how there are other great men of God who had prison in their life stories.

The apostle Paul was placed in prison - and, while he did nothing wrong, the Lord ordained for him to be there to essentially protect him from those who would want to take his life...he understood what it meant to be an "ambassador in chains".

John the Baptist was in prison for a time - and there was most certainly a purpose in that, even though it was not readily apparent.

Daniel was imprisoned - in a den of lions - and God was glorified as he was protected, winning the approval of the king!

And, Chuck Colson went to prison - do you know why?
Colson also became involved in the Committee to Re-elect the President (CRP or CREEP). At a CRP meeting on March 21, 1971, it was agreed to spend $250,000 on "intelligence gathering" on the Democratic Party. Colson and John Ehrlichman appointed E. Howard Hunt to the White House Special Operations Unit (the so-called "Plumbers") which had been organized to stop leaks in the Nixon administration. Hunt headed up the Plumbers' burglary of Pentagon Papers-leaker Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatrist's office in September 1971. The Pentagon Papers were military documents about the Vietnam War which helped increase opposition to the war. Colson hoped that revelations about Ellsberg could be used to discredit the anti-Vietnam War cause. Colson admitted to leaking information from Ellsberg's confidential FBI file to the press, but denied organizing Hunt's burglary of Ellsberg's office. He expressed regret for attempting to cover up this incident in his 2005 book, The Good Life.

This took place before he accepted Christ in 1973, and he plead guilty to leaking the information and spent a few months in Montgomery in the Maxwell Federal Prison...it was there that the plight of prisoners touched his heart - God used that prison experience in a powerful way that is flourishing today.   The Prison Fellowship website says that:

But Colson never really left prison. Haunted by the desperation and hopelessness he saw behind bars, Colson knew he had to do something to help the men he left behind. In fact, he had a promise to keep.

So, here we have a litany of great men who were placed in prison - sometimes God's purpose was not clear in the midst of it, other times, in hindsight, His hand could be plainly seen.   So, today, you may be in a circumstance that you regard as a prison - a place of misery, or perhaps just a place of being stationery or stuck - well, even in that apparent "prison", God is capable of bring glory - He set Chuck Colson free, but in his heart, he never left.   Paul spent productive years in captivity.   But, even though outwardly our lives may seem to be held captive, God can set us free in our hearts - free to serve Him no matter where we are.   And, if we don't understand the road to nowhere we're travelling on, we can can still hold to God's hand and know His peace and comfort.

Doves and Recognition

Unity is a powerful force - even though we all have our diverse charactertistics and background...if we belong to Christ, then we find great power as we seek to work together for the sake of the gospel:

From Galatians 3:
26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

1st Corinthians chapter 12 says:
4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.

Last night, I had a chance to observe the unity of the spirit of Christ in the midst of diversity.   There are varieties of musical styles represented in Christian music, and the 43rd Annual GMA Dove Awards recognized quality and acheivement in a wide range of categories - from Pop/Contemporary to Inspiration, Rap & Hip-Hop to Traditional Gospel, Southern Gospel to Bluegrass.   And, the way that the overall program came together - which will be broadcast on the Gospel Music Channel this Tuesday night at 7:00 and 9:00 - really demonstrated how, no matter what our musical preferences are, God can use all of them, and sometimes can bring a glorious result as we mix them together.   Consider the opening number by Crystal Lewis, Yolanda Adams, and Angie Stone, who sang a song about God's help being on the way, which segued into Dottie Rambo's classic "I Go to the Rock", led by Karen Peck.

Or maybe the tribute to Russ Taff, with Jason Crabb delivering the gospel classic, "Ain't No Grave", Donnie McClurkin with "Praise the Lord" and Wes Morgan's climactic "We Will Stand".

The Isaacs received a very enthusiastic reception with their bluegrass-oriented performance, but so did LeCrae's exuberant rap and hip-hop performance.   And, the piece of the show devoted to music inspired by "The Story" featuring Michael Tait of DCTalk and the Newsboys, Todd Smith of Selah, Blanca of Group1Crew, and hip-hop artist Eddy Puyol, also known as "Rawsrvnt"  was a spectacular demonstration of how a variety of musical styles and influences can be used of God to bring glory to Him.

I think that recognition can be powerful and encouraging - and awards shows, such as the Doves, can showcase some high-profile talent, but I think it's important to be mindful to recognize those with whom we personally come in contact.   Perhaps it can be for someone who waits on you at a restaurant or who helps you at a department store, maybe those who are in public service, such as law enforcement or the military.  Maybe it's those with whom you serve in a local volunteer organization or at your church.   We can be challenged to show appreciation to people - and as we do it, we demonstrate the love and character of Christ, as we seek to build others up.

The Living Among the Dead

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shows that His ways truly lead to life:
13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.   In John 14, Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life - the true way to the Father, the route to peace with God.   As we apply ourselves to seeking God, we minimize the distractions that would get us off track in our pursuit of righteousness, a life of internal peace, and fellowship with God.   If we place a priority on thoughts and activities that don't contribute to our relationship with Christ, the way that leads to life, then we will miss God's best for us.
In Luke 24, we read the account of post-resurrection events, as the women came to the tomb that morning and found the stone rolled away and the body of Jesus missing:4...it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. 5 Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen!  I was reminded of that statement as I read the account of a living baby found in a morgue in Argentina.   The infant was originally declared stillborn, but 12 hours after her birth, when the parents pried open the wooden coffin inside the refrigerated morgue to see her one more time, they found that the child was breathing and yawning and stretching her arms.
The couple named her Luz Milagros - her middle name meaning miracles in Spanish - because of her unlikely start to life. She is still clinging to life, and was reported in critical condition late last week - she was extremely premature and recently had some lung issues.   Apparently, at birth, doctors were unable to detect vital signs, so they made the declaration that the little girl was not alive.

I thought of what those women were asked at the tomb of Jesus - "why do you seek the living among the dead?"   In application to our lives, we realize that there is one way that leads to true life - and it's a life of surrender to Christ and allowing Him to live through us.   We live in a fallen world, full of temptations and distractions, which would get us off course in our walk with God.  The Scriptures encourage us to put aside the "dead works" of the flesh that pull us away from God and focus on His life, which we encounter through prayer, careful study and meditation of the Word of God, and maintaining a sense of abiding in Him daily - seeking to walk in the Spirit so that we may fellowship with Him.   We cannot find "the living" - the life of Christ - if our attention is turned toward things that do not glorify Him.

Tax Day Thankfulness

1 Thessalonians 5:
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.    This even includes giving thanks to God on the tax deadline day - so often we complain over situations over which we have no control; and the Lord gives us His word on that subject:  pray without ceasing AND in everything give thanks.   Gratitude will alter the state of our hearts...where there is gratitude, we can experience joy and peace, because we are accepting an attitude from the Father - not become disheartened about things that we humanly cannot change, and looking to Him to change circumstances, or change us in the midst of them.

On this Tax Day, let's focus on Mark chapter 12, where the Pharisees attempted to lay a trap for Jesus:
14 They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn't we?" But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?" "Caesar's," they replied. 17 Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him.   This was a blatant attempt to paint Jesus as some sort of anti-government rebel, and it didn't work.   In fact, we see in Romans 13 that government is an institution ordained by God - for specific purposes: to keep order and punish evil.  1st Timothy chapter 2 exhorts us to pray for our leaders - those who are in a authority in us.   So, just because we may not like some aspects of the tax code or the functions of our government doesn't give us an "out" on paying our taxes.   In following the principle of Scripture found in Colossians 3:17, I want to offer some things to be thankful for on Tax Day:- for me, I'm thankful that it's over; maybe tonight by midnight, we'll have significantly more thankful people;- I am thankful for tax preparation and electronic filing, keeping my OCD from kicking in nearly as much;- I like the thought that restaurants and other retailers are giving out free stuff and discounts today; - I appreciate those who serve in our government, whose salaries are paid by our taxes; the people who staff the various Federal and State agencies, who provide a variety of services and oversight to make our lives run smoother;- and, our troops who serve our country, who defend us and promote the cause of freedom around the world, deserve our appreciation;- as government is charged in Scripture to keep order and punish evil, I think about those who serve in law enforcement, who are also in harm's way, keeping us safe and enforcing the rule of law...
And while there is a significant debate about the size and scope of government and the enormous amount of spending that is taking place, especially on the Federal level, and while state government is attempting to meet the constitutional requirements of a balanced budget, we need to continue to be in pray for those who serve in governmental leadership, that they may exercise wisdom in dealing with the enormous moral and economic challenges our country faces.    We can easily begin to complain about the state of affairs, but I believe that we can be thankful, be prayerful, and maintain joy and contentment - some circumstances may change, and others we have to endure, and in those times, we can rely on the Lord to change us and to change our attitude.  And, perhaps God will use us as a catalyst for change, as we pray and be willing to be part of meaningful solutions for our tremendous challenges.

Sacrificing for What is Important

Jesus said in Luke 9:
(23b) "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self ?  I believe that God calls us to lay down certain things in order to preserve what is important.   If our relationship with the Lord is a priority, then we take steps minimize distractions to our spiritual growth and seek to maximize our time with Him and the disciplines that can help us improve in our walk.   The use of the word "cross" is significant - Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us, and He calls us to give of ourselves so that we might walk in His ways.

In Ephesians 5, we read:
1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

There is a new phenomenon that is being reported - the result of the decline in available jobs and the housing, as well as technological advantages.   It is the rise of the so-called "super-commuter".   A report out of New York University finds that significant numbers of people work within the boundaries of a metropolitan area, but live outside those boundaries, meaning that they may travel a 100 miles or more once or twice a week.

A quarter-of-a-million workers, or just over 13 percent of the workforce in Houston and Harris County, Texas, are in this category.   This represents a 98 percent increase from 2002 to 2009.    The percentage of the small workforce in the Dallas-Fort Worth area is the same as for Houston.   Phoenix, Atlanta, and Philadelphia round out the top 5 in percentage of the workforce who are super-commuters.   You are finding significant numbers of people commuting from Dallas to Houston and San Antonio to Houston, even Boston to Manhattan.   There are people that commute to Atlanta from cities such as Chattanooga, Macon, Augusta, Columbus, and even Savannah.   I wouldn't be surprised to find a few people from the Faith Radio broadcast area who commute to the ATL or to Birmingham or Mobile. 

People are doing this to hold on to jobs, or because they cannot sell their house in one locale, due to the less-than-optimal housing market.   Technology enables people to live in one city and only have to report into the office once or twice a week, if that much.    People are willing to make a sacrifice, because having a good job is important to them, and they will put up with the inconvenience to hold on to it.

Jesus spoke of making sacrifices, as well.   He challenged us to lay down our lives so that we might know Him and experience eternal life.   We can ask ourselves - what am I willing to sacrifice in order to preserve what is important?  This can apply to our own spiritual growth...what would it take for us to experience a deeper walk with Christ?   Or what do we need to sacrifice in order to have a more vibrant marriage or a better relationship with our children?    And, too much time on the job may be a factor, or a long commute may actually be a distraction, and we need to ask the Lord to order our steps and help us to preserve those meaningful relationships.    What we give up for the sake of Christ and doing His will can provide greater joy and satisfaction in our lives.  

Remember the words of the late Jim Eliot: 

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

Truths from the Titanic

We can look to God as our rescuer - the One who is with us, even in our times of deepest challenges or sorrows, even in difficult circumstances - we can run to Him and know His peace and presence.   Psalm 69 says:
13 But I pray to you, O LORD, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation. 14 Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters. 15 Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up or the pit close its mouth over me. 16 Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love; in your great mercy turn to me.

Sometimes we will experience deliverance from physical circumstances that bring trouble, but sometimes the internal work of the Lord will come in the midst of affliction, and we can experience the gift of a greater measure of God's Spirit and character.   We acknowledge that God's ways are best, and that He has provided the ultimate rescue in Christ!

2nd Corinthians 5 tells us:
20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Needless to say, there are many Americans who are fascinated with the Titanic story - and the 100th Anniversary is coming up this weekend.   The movie is #2 in all-time box office and has been re-released in 3D; ABC has a 4-hour miniseries coming up this weekend, and there are a number of books in the genre of Christian fiction that have been released.   John & Mindy Clark co-wrote, "Echoes of Titanic", and Tricia Goyer has "By the Light of the Silvery Moon".

In fact, in her blog today, Tricia offers some discussion questions based on the Titanic story, which are designed to be used by homeschool families, but can be applicable to each of our lives:

1. Many people assumed the Titanic couldn't sink. An assumption means “something taken for granted.” Why do you think they believed that assumption? Also, what have you taken for granted in your life? Your parents? Your faith?

2. Key people didn't heed warnings about the danger in the waters ahead of the Titanic. Wireless operators from other ships tried to get through to Captain Smith with warnings about the ice fields, but the operators on the Titanic were too busy with commercial transmissions. Why do you think the radio operators ignored the warnings? Are there warnings in your life that you're not heeding?

3. A steward on the Titanic is quoted at saying, “Madam, God himself could not sink this ship.” A familiar saying goes, “Pride goes before the fall.” How did pride in this man-made ship lead many to loose their lives? Can you share a time when you witnesses pride bringing a person down.

4. History states that Captain Smith went down with the ship. Traditionally the Captain was the ultimate servant to the passengers on his ship. Also the crew members were expected to continued to serve passengers in the event of the ship sinking. Their job was to put the passengers needs before their own. How do you think this is similar to Jesus' servant attitude?

There are plenty of lessons that we can take away from this tragedy, including the concept of rescue that Ron Hutchcraft brings out:

In those graves are some of the 327 people the Nova Scotia funeral ships found floating in the water, frozen to death. Lost because the people who were already saved did nothing about the dying people who were within their reach.

And, there's the lesson for us: we have been saved by Christ and we can reach out to those who are dying - living in sin, apart from God.   Ron relates the story of one man who was a light to those around him even before the ship was going down, the story of John Harper:

John was seen often, talking about Jesus with fellow passengers. He gently inquired, "Are you saved?" He cared deeply about whether folks had ever asked Jesus, God's Rescuer from heaven, to save them from the penalty of their sin. None of those passengers had any idea how close they were to eternity...John Harper quickly realized that Titanic was going down. He made sure his precious daughter was in her aunt's arms as he put her in Lifeboat 11 - and told her, "I will see you again someday." And then he turned to "rescuing."...

As the great ship went under, he ended up in the 28-degree water in a lifejacket. Witnesses reported that John swam feverishly from person to person, asking about their relationship with Christ. When one man told him he was not "saved," this man of God gave him his lifejacket -and swam to tell another man about Jesus.

At a Titanic survivors meeting a few years later, a young man stood up and said:

"I am a survivor of the Titanic. When I was drifting alone on a spar that awful night, the tide brought Mr. John Harper of Glasgow, also on a piece of wreck near me. He asked, 'Man are you saved?' I replied, 'No, I am not.' 'Then believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,' he said."

The story didn't end there. "The waves bore him away; but strange to say brought him back a little later, and he said, 'Are you saved now?' I said, 'No, I cannot honestly say I am.' Once more, John said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.' Shortly after, he went down. And there, alone in the night, and with two miles of water under me, I believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. I am John Harper's last convert."

As Ron points out, John Harper understood his assignment as a rescuer, an ambassador for Christ who was passionate about making sure those with whom he came in contact knew where they would spend eternity.

Ron Hutchcraft Ministries is offering a free e-book called, "Your Personal Titanic" - go to www.hutchcraft.com to learn more.

The Bible That Stopped a Bullet

God is our refuge and strength; He is near to us in trouble - here are the words of Psalm 31:
1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. 2 Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. 3 Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 4 Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.  We can rely on the Lord to protect us and sustain us - He has given us His Word as a tool so that we might not be led astray by Satan, and as we hide our lives in Him, we can know Him as our mighty fortress...we are in a spiritual battle, but we can be equipped with God's resources, so that we can experience His victory, regardless of the circumstances around us.

Ephesians 6 outlines the armor of God:
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions
I really like the imagery here...there's an exhibit in Columbia, South Carolina called "Through Fiery Trials: Religion in the Civil War" at the Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum, featuring a variety of artifacts from the Civil War period

"The more we read firsthand accounts, the more we learned how important religion was in sustaining people and reconciling them afterwards," said Museum Curator of Education Joe Long.

The exhibit includes Bibles belonging to Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, a Bible that is the first English translation of the Hebrew Bible, and one belonging to Walter Counts of the 13th South Carolina Infantry.  It has a bullet embedded in it.

Long tells WMBF News that "...this poor Lutheran fellow from Lexington (SC), was killed and we don't know if that bible saved his life on one occasion, or merely stopped one bullet from the volley that killed him,"


Well, we do know that literally one bullet was stopped by God's Word, and figuratively, we recognize the protect that the Word of God can give us.  In the list of the components of the armor of God in Ephesians 6, we think of the Sword of the Spirit as an offensive weapon against the schemes of the enemy, but the Word also plays a part in the construction of the defensive components of the army - the belt of truth, for instance:   His Word tells us what is truth and helps us to separate His truth from the fiction that the world would attempt to put in play.   The helmet of salvation represents the renewing of our minds, which is done by planting the Scriptures in our consciousness through study and meditation.   The breastplate of righteousness reminds us to guard our hearts and depend on God's Word to protect our hearts from the deception of the devil, who would seek to distract and destroy us.  And, the shield of faith will extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one - faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Walter Counts' Bible took a bullet for him during the Civil War; our Bible can take bullet after bullet shot by an unrelenting enemy and provide valuable protection as we seek to effectively live the Christian life.