April 2010
It is so exciting to share
God's abounding love through the monthly
view. I'm so thankful for your response.
If you would like it placed on the website,
make the subject:
What People Are Saying. It is my prayer
that what you say will be a blessing to
others around the world.
Study Chart Booklet
I am happy to announce
that my "Illumination Bible Charts"
booklet is now available by requesting it
from the Valley Harvest Church, P.O. Box
1926, Santa Ynez, CA 93460.
This booklet goes into
circulation when those who receive it make
copies and distribute them to people who
will continue the chain. As more copies
are distributed, more people will receive
illumination. If you plan to participate
by making copies, ask for a "camera
ready" copy. For specific ways to participate
in this vision, click
here.
Along with the booklet,
you will receive their "Harvesting
Souls" newsletter, in case you are
led to support the Valley Harvest Church
prision ministry. They have filled approximately
4000 requests from prisoners for study Bibles
in the past three years. They turn away
many due to lack of funds, so you may know
of an individual, church or other Christian
organization who would be willing to adopt
a prison.
Praise Report
My name is Jeremiah,
and I'm a graduate student at Bob Jones
University in Greenville, S.C. I'm getting
my Masters in Performance Studies, and
I'm in the processing of preparing for
my graduate recital speech. I just wanted
to contact you and let you know that your
story greatly impacted my life so much
so that I'm going to share it as part
of my recital speech.
The recital is called
"Chief of Sinners," and it focuses
around the theme of redemption. It uses
stories of people in prison, and prison
images and metaphors with the goal of
helping people understand that we are
all equally sinners, no one is a "better"
or "worse" sinner, and that
Christ's blood covers ALL our sins.
The other story I'm using
is a true story of another person serving
life in prison for murder, yet his quest
for redemption is through himself, through
emotional catharsis and attempted self-forgiveness.
He never seems to truly acknowledge the
horror of what he did, and his attempts
to do it seems to fall short. He acknowledges
that he messed up his life, but in the
end, it seems like he continues to blame-shift
for what he did. He has no real knowledge
of the One who could save him.
On the other hand, your
story is so amazing because despite what
you did, you have found full forgiveness
in Christ. I rejoice so much as I read
it and commit it to memory as though you
are telling the audience about it.
I wanted to contact you
to let you know how God is using your
story, and I pray that He will be glorified
in the recital. I'd love to have a message
from you somehow to give to the audience,
perhaps in the recital program, so if
you're able to reply soon, I would love
to hear from you. Thank you for your testimony,
and may God bless you with a day of rejoicing
to Him, no matter the circumstances. --
Jeremiah
My Response
It was so wonderful to
hear from you. I find it a privilege and
honor for you to share what Jesus has done
and is doing in my life.
I take no pride as if it
is my testimony, since I only responded
to the love that God initiated, but I do
boast in the testimony of Jesus Christ,
which is the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10).
The point of your speech
seems to cry out for others to "...perceive
that God is no respecter of persons"
(Acts 10:34). Jesus did it all for all of
us. He took the sin of the whole world upon
Himself, shed His cleansing blood, gave
us His righteousness, and resurrected us
into newness of life (Rom. 6:4).
"Oh that men would
praise the LORD for His goodness, and
for His wonderful works to the children
of men!" (Psa. 107:8).
Let us all commit to pray
for the "other" prisoner, who
has yet to surrender his life to Jesus.
This happens as it did with Lydia, "...whose
heart the Lord opened, as she attended to
the things which Paul spoke" (Acts
16:14). Let us pray for his heart to be
softened, so that he receives seed in good
ground as he hears the word, and understands
it, so that he will bear fruit too, and
brings forth, thirty, sixty, and hundred
fold (Matt. 13:23).
In 1975, as I sat in the
back of a prison chapel, I heard and understood
the Good News of Jesus Christ, and I went
forward to receive Him into my heart. That
night, I returned to my room feeling something
different about myself. I looked into the
mirror and saw my face glowing. I said to
myself, "This is ten times better than
drugs, and it's free!" As I reflected,
I began to understand the awesome price
that Jesus had endured for my sin.
"For God, who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness, has
shined into our hearts, to give the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God in
the face of Jesus Christ. But we have
this treasure in earthen vessels, that
the excellency of the power may be of
God, and not of us" (2 Cor. 4:6,7).
One last word: "The
light forgives all sin. The light melts
aways all shadows. And no human being is
in control of the light. The light is not
on because I have done something or spoken
the magic words. The light is on because
that is what the light does. All I have
to do is stay in the light. It really is
that
simple." -- Anonymous
A Prayer For You ...
Heavenly Father, Your grace
that brings salvation has appeared to all
men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness
and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly in the present age,
looking for the blessed hope and glorious
appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus
Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He
might redeem us from every lawless deed
and purify for Himself His own special people,
zealous for good works.1
Help me Father, to live according to Your
word. Amen.
Scripture References:
Acknowledgement: A special thanks
to Sherry for transcribing this months view!
|
