November 2008
 This
month’s view is another one from prison.
Prisoners have a similar view of the world
as you do. This month, we have a new president,
the economy is plummeting, and it’s
time to celebrate Thanksgiving. For many,
it is a time of pain and fear, but with
God in our hearts, we can be thankful for
many things. Today, a letter arrived that
read: “Looking forward to your November
view. I love to read your views!”
I am thankful.
Thankful in prison…
Prisoners are locked away from their families,
placed in a small cell with a stranger and
watched by guards twenty-four hours a day.
It would be a nightmare for many of you
to be in prison, so you may ask, “How
could a person be thankful in prison?”
This is not a recommendation for the prison
life, but there are many things to be thankful
for in prison when you know that God is
merciful. He is to be thanked for our food,
our warm bed though it is very firm, and
for our friends and family who have not
given up on us. “O Give thanks to
the LORD; for He is good: For His mercy
endures forever.”
All of us are bound in our sin until we
receive freedom through the finished work
of Jesus Christ. It is the Lord that prisoners
have to thank for their salvation. As the
chorus goes: “Thank you Lord for saving
our soul, thank you Lord for making us whole,
thank you Lord for giving to me, Thy great
salvation so rich and free.”
Difficult times…
These are definitely difficult times unlike
most of us have ever seen. Some say we are
headed for a depression similar to the ‘30s.
It is not the time to give up hope because
you have a God who loves and cares for you.
He knows your every need. He promises to
provide when you turn to Him. Jesus says,
“Your heavenly Father already knows
all your needs, and He will give you all
you need from day to day if you live for
Him and make the Kingdom of God your primary
concern.”
The problem is that many of us don’t
make the Kingdom of God our primary concern.
The Scriptures tell us what the kingdom
of this world will be like during difficult
times: “For people will love only
themselves and their money. They will be
boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient
to their parents, and ungrateful. They will
consider nothing sacred.
They will be unloving and unforgiving;
they will slander others and have no self-control;
they will be cruel and have no interest
in what is good. They will betray their
friends, be reckless, be puffed up with
pride, and love pleasure rather than God.
They will act as if they are religious,
but they will reject the power that could
make them godly.”
Is there any question why many are defeated
today?
God is faithful…
It could be your children that are in need.
The above Scriptures describe the first
three decades of my life. You know the lingering
pain that my old life causes so many, but
the Lord never gave up on me. He brought
me to my knees in a prison chapel, where
He showed me that I believed a lie and walked
in deception for all those years.
There was nothing anyone could do for me
but pray and share the testimony of Jesus
Christ. How He bled on the cross to forgive
my sin, and rose from the dead to give me
eternal life. As a result, I became a new
man in Christ. “What this means is
that those who become Christians become
new persons. They are not the same anymore,
for the old life is gone. A new life has
begun!”
If the Lord did it for me, He did it for
you and your family too! “For if you
confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved. For
it is by believing in your heart that you
are made right with God, and it is by confessing
with your mouth that you are saved. As the
Scriptures tell us, ‘Anyone who believes
in Him will not be disappointed.’
Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect.
They all have the same Lord, who generously
gives His riches to all who ask for them.
For ‘Anyone who calls on the name
of the Lord will be saved.’
The Best Thanksgiving ever…
This can be the best Thanksgiving of your
life in the midst of these difficult times.
It is time to trust God by stepping out
in faith. Salvation means deliverance, liberation
and wholeness. “No matter what happens,
always be thankful for this is God’s
will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
The Hebrew word, “Shalom” is
usually translated “Peace.”
This word conveys a deeper meaning of healing
and reconciliation. It can sometimes be
better translated: “Wholeness.”
This word is used to greet and to depart.
It is what we all seek, to be at peace,
made whole, with God and with each other.
We can be thankful for the “Shalom”
we receive through Jesus Christ.
As a Christian, you belong to God. “Or
don’t you know that your body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in
you and was given to you by God? You do
not belong to yourself, for God bought you
with a high price. So you must honor God
with your body.”
Our lives are in God’s hands. Though
we may be physically in prison, our lives
are free. These times are in God’s
control, even the number of our days before
we meet Jesus face to face. We can trust
the living God who lives in our hearts and
directs our paths. “Trust in the Lord
with all your heart, do not depend on your
own understanding. Seek His will in all
you do, and He will direct your paths.”
A Prayer For You ...
Heavenly Father, You know
our beginning and our end. It is You Who
formed us in the womb. It is You Who has
numbered our days. We call on You ,Who created
us, to bring peace which exceeds all understanding.
Jesus said He gives us peace, but He does
not give as the world gives. We want that
peace to complete us, to make us whole.
We seek You Father with all that we possess.
Please give us strength to endure, wisdom
to react and make us whole through the love
of Your Son, Jesus. As You have forgiven
us, may we be empowered to forgive others.
May we overcome this world as Jesus overcame
in love. Thank You, Father, for the perfect
love which You give to us; and for the salvation
from this dark world, which only comes through
Jesus Christ, in Whose name we say…Amen.
Scripture References:
Acknowledgement: A special thanks
to Sherry for transcribing this months view!
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