December 2007
It is always a pleasure
to give you my view each month. Yes, this
is Charles Watson writing from his prison
cell going around the world with the Good
News of Jesus Christ by satellite. As my
faithful readers know, I try to share something
past, present and future in order to keep
your interest and so you will keep coming
back to the site.
Something Past ...
This will be my thirty-ninth
Christmas in prison – Merry Christmas!
At first, celebrating Christmas in prison
was not too merry, but it too on an entirely
meaning in 1975, when Christ came into my
heart. As the angel said: “I bring
you good news and great joy for everyone!
The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the
Lord – has been born [almost 2000
years ago] in Bethlehem, the city of David!”1
Jesus brought joy into the world, causing
us to celebrate His birth this time of year.
My childhood memories are numerous of Christmas
with my family. We would decorate the tree
together shortly after Thanksgiving and
fill gifts beneath it. On Christmas morning
Mom would hand out gifts, until we learned
the truth about Santa Claus, and then we
switched to Christmas Eve. My parents loved
Jesus, but for me, Christmas was all about
me, not Him. I didn’t realize that
it was because of Jesus that we were receiving
the gifts. I knew nothing about the gift
of salvation.
As a youngster, I needed to know the love
of God through the presence of the Holy
Spirit. I missed out on a true relationship
with Jesus Christ because of my own rebellion.
Instead of surrendering to the presence
of God, I chose the gods of this world for
a quick fix, not willing to wait on the
Lord. I medicated my emotional pain with
wine, women and song. I moved to California,
dropped out of society and met up with Manson.
I’ve wrote about those days in the
book “Will You Die for Me?”,
and I drew a map of Spahn’s
ranch in 1977 which you can see here
as a surprise. It will help you envision
the area as you read the book.
Something Present ...
It is impossible for us
to get our conscience and thoughts into
right thinking without God’s help.
Jesus was asked: “Who then can be
saved?” He replied: “With men
it is impossible, but not with God: for
with God all things are possible.”2
Only God can save us from sin, that is,
our rebellious spirit and thoughts. We must
put on the mind of Christ. The Lord says:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways. For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are
my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts
than your thoughts.”3
The Apostle wrote: “God is ready
to help you right now. Today is the day
of salvation.”4
You must receive the Holy Spirit before
you can get you thoughts right. “Those
who are dominated by the sinful nature thing
about sinful things, but those who are controlled
by the Holy Spirit think about things that
please the Spirit. If your sinful nature
controls your mind, there is death. But
if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there
is life and peace.”5
If you have not received Christ, click
here. This is the first step to spiritual
and mental healing.
Several years after Christ came into my
life, the Lord gave me a way to evaluate
my thought life. I created a worksheet called
Spiritual Soul Analysis. Click here. I think
you’ll be able to figure it our on
your own. In short – you write down
a trying event, and the negative thoughts
and emotions. Key questions are then suggested
to encourage you to challenge your thoughts
and emotions during the event. The point
is to discover positive alternatives, resulting
in better mental and emotional health. The
thought and emotional process is slowed
down using the worksheet, and with practice,
you can quickly make positive choices during
a difficult time. With the help of the Holy
Spirit, you’ll be more conscious of
your thoughts and emotions, causing improved
relationships.
Something Future ...
In the past two Monthly
Views, I’ve wrote about things concerning
the last days from the prophet Daniel and
the book of the Revelation. The
Seventy-Weeks Prophecy from Daniel chapter
8 will be hard for many of you to understand.
The 70th week represents the seven year
tribulation that is to come upon the world
after the church is caught up to be with
Jesus.6 This can be
confusing for the novice, so for this reason
I’ve offered the chart Those
in The Revelation of Jesus Christ as
well.
It is very important that you locate yourself
in the book of Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For those of you new to this last book of
the Bible, the church of Jesus Christ is
seen in the first 3 chapters until chapter
4:2 when John is removed to heaven, like
the church, which is in heaven in chapters
4 then 5. From chapters 6 though 18 is the
great tribulation where the church is not
mentioned as being on earth as the seven
seals, trumpets and the vials are opened
up. Jesus said: “For then share the
great tribulation, such as was not since
the beginning of the world to this time,
no, nor ever shall be.”7
I have a new chart offered this month named
The
Great Tribulation in The Revelation of Jesus
Christ. It will be something new for
prophecy students to consider, although
I am not the only one who teaches this insight.
Instead of the usual teaching that all the
seals open, then the trumpets and the vials,
this chart suggest that after the first
seal opens, the first trumpet blows and
then the first vial comes forth. The second
seal opens with the red horse, war and bloodshed
followed by the second trumpet when the
sea becomes blood and the second vial when
the sea turns to blood, and so forth. You’ll
have to print off the chart to see them
fully.
Something Beautiful ...
As the chorus goes: Something
beautiful, something good, all my confusion,
he understood. All I had to offer Him –
was the brokenness and strife, but He made
something, beautiful – out of my life.”
I learned this chorus thirty years ago when
the ministry New Life for Girls founded
by Cookie Rodriquez visited the prison chapel.
The girls, who used to be prostitutes and
heroin addicts, sung of their new life in
Christ as a testimony of what God could
do for us as well.
The condition of your life at this present
time is not a problem to God, because He
is bigger than any problem. Before the foundation
of this world, the blood of Jesus was poured
out on Calvary’s cross for the sins
of all mankind."8
In His mind: “He will have all men
to be saved, and to come to the knowledge
of the truth.”9
There is no sin that His blood does not
cleanse and forgive, if you will confess
Him as Savior and Lord.10
“For God sent Jesus to take the punishment
for our sins and to satisfy God’s
wrath against us. We are made right with
God when we believe that Jesus shed His
blood, sacrificing His life for us. God
was being entirely fair and just when He
did not punish those who sinned in former
times.”11
Over the years, I have had many say to
me – “If God can forgive you,
He can forgive me too!” Others have
said, “I know God has forgiven me,
but I am having a hard time forgiving myself.”
I understand this problem! We are exhorted
to “…grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”12
As we grow in grace, we come to know God’s
love and forgiveness more and more –
the God of the second chance. Eventually,
we’ll say to ourselves: “It’s
God’s love and forgiveness that matters,
not mine.” The Apostle John wrote:
“It is not that we loved God, but
that He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice
to take away our sins.”13
He’s made something out of your life
– believe it!
A Prayer for You …
Heavenly Father, I pray
that from You glorious, unlimited resources,
You will give me mighty inner strength through
the Holy Spirit living in me. I pray that
Christ will be more and more at home in
my heart through trust in You. May my roots
go down deep into the soil of Your marvelous
love. And I permit the Spirit of understanding
to reveal how wide, how long, how high,
and how deep Your love really is. I desire
to experience more of the love of Christ,
through it is so great I will never fully
understand it. I pray to be overflowing
with the fullness of the life and power
that comes from You. And that Your life
through me may touch those who live around
me. Amen!14
Scripture References:
1 Luke 2:11
2 Mark 10:27
3 Isa. 55:8,9
4 2Cor. 6:2b
5 Rom. 8:5,6
6 Dan. 9:27
7 Matt. 24:21
8 Rev. 13:8
9 1Tim. 2:4
10 1John 1:9
11 Rom. 3:25
12 2Pet. 3:18
13 1John 4:10
14 Eph. 3:14-19
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