“They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” Revelation 12:11
Day one of our Weekend of Champions began on Friday morning. My husband, a brother in the Lord/partner in ministry, and I were assigned to TGK Jail in Miami. They went off to minister to the men and I went with the women.
The platform speaker in our dorm shared how she was a former prostitute who had been in and out of jail and prison. She shared how her heart had been full of hurt and pain for many years. The love of her life was crack cocaine. Many of the girls in the dorm could relate to her story and intently listened. She told of how the Lord delivered her from her addiction and of the wonderful works that He is presently doing in her life. She had an amazing story. Once she was done sharing it she asked the ladies if they were tired of being a mess and who wanted to have the same freedom that God had given her. They raised their hands and each volunteer found a group of girls. We began reaping a harvest for the Kingdom of Heaven.
In my group there were six women. We started going over the booklet together and asking the questions on the front. Their answers varied. We went over the scriptures and discussed them. Some of them had been reading the Word and this was just the confirmation and reassurance they needed. Then there were a couple whose faces seemed unsure. They seemed to almost be sizing me up. Not in a bad way, with a look that kind let me know that they needed more proof that this was true. I knew it was time to share my testimony.
I explained to them that God has a wonderful plan for their life and that jail does not have to be the end of them, but the beginning of a new life in Christ Jesus. I shared that I knew from personal experience that our Lord often times allows us to be in situation where all we have left to do is cry out to Him. We have wanted our own way and have followed our own evil hearts for so long. Ending up addicted to drugs, committing a crime, and landing a jail or prison sentence is proof of how following our selfish and evil desires leads to destruction. I assured them that I knew the pain and loneliness they feel. I know that they feel like failures, scared, and unsure of their future. I know because I too wore those same uniforms and slept on those hard bunks. They were surprised when I confessed that I too had been in jail and sentenced to prison.
I encouraged them and told them that our God is no respecter of persons and that what He has done for me, He will also do for them. Our God heard my cry and picked me up out of a mess. He has set my feet on the Rock. Now many will hear of the glorious things he did for me, and stand in awe before the Lord, and put their trust in Him. That’s exactly what these ladies did. They put their trust in Jesus Christ. I had the privilege of leading them to our Savior. To God be the glory! Praise Jesus! (Psalm 40:1-3)
All of us have our own story. Maybe you have not been to jail or prison but you ARE also an EX-OFFENDER, because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Someone needs to hear your story of deliverance. Don’t allow the enemy or the religious church people to make you feel ashamed of your past. Allow our Lord to heal you and use your past to glorify Him. It is by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony that we defeat the enemy and win souls for the Kingdom of Heaven. (Romans 3:23, Revelations 12:11)
Part 2 of Day 1 to be continued…
The platform speaker in our dorm shared how she was a former prostitute who had been in and out of jail and prison. She shared how her heart had been full of hurt and pain for many years. The love of her life was crack cocaine. Many of the girls in the dorm could relate to her story and intently listened. She told of how the Lord delivered her from her addiction and of the wonderful works that He is presently doing in her life. She had an amazing story. Once she was done sharing it she asked the ladies if they were tired of being a mess and who wanted to have the same freedom that God had given her. They raised their hands and each volunteer found a group of girls. We began reaping a harvest for the Kingdom of Heaven.
In my group there were six women. We started going over the booklet together and asking the questions on the front. Their answers varied. We went over the scriptures and discussed them. Some of them had been reading the Word and this was just the confirmation and reassurance they needed. Then there were a couple whose faces seemed unsure. They seemed to almost be sizing me up. Not in a bad way, with a look that kind let me know that they needed more proof that this was true. I knew it was time to share my testimony.
I explained to them that God has a wonderful plan for their life and that jail does not have to be the end of them, but the beginning of a new life in Christ Jesus. I shared that I knew from personal experience that our Lord often times allows us to be in situation where all we have left to do is cry out to Him. We have wanted our own way and have followed our own evil hearts for so long. Ending up addicted to drugs, committing a crime, and landing a jail or prison sentence is proof of how following our selfish and evil desires leads to destruction. I assured them that I knew the pain and loneliness they feel. I know that they feel like failures, scared, and unsure of their future. I know because I too wore those same uniforms and slept on those hard bunks. They were surprised when I confessed that I too had been in jail and sentenced to prison.
I encouraged them and told them that our God is no respecter of persons and that what He has done for me, He will also do for them. Our God heard my cry and picked me up out of a mess. He has set my feet on the Rock. Now many will hear of the glorious things he did for me, and stand in awe before the Lord, and put their trust in Him. That’s exactly what these ladies did. They put their trust in Jesus Christ. I had the privilege of leading them to our Savior. To God be the glory! Praise Jesus! (Psalm 40:1-3)
All of us have our own story. Maybe you have not been to jail or prison but you ARE also an EX-OFFENDER, because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Someone needs to hear your story of deliverance. Don’t allow the enemy or the religious church people to make you feel ashamed of your past. Allow our Lord to heal you and use your past to glorify Him. It is by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony that we defeat the enemy and win souls for the Kingdom of Heaven. (Romans 3:23, Revelations 12:11)
Part 2 of Day 1 to be continued…
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1 comment:
I found this posting to be very inspiring. We all have things in our lives that we are not proud of. Our past do not have to dictate our futures. I oftan say "it is not the mistakes we make. It's how we try to fix our mistakes." I happen to work on the other side of the criminal justice system. The mentality that once a crimianl always a criminal seems to be a trend. I do not feel that is true. If we put a dog in a cage to punish them they may learn the lesson of the moment however if we put a dog in a cage and leave them in there the lesson gets lost and anger builds. Now I know that people are not dogs however, if you lock someone up with out trying to find the root of there problem and don't give them the tools to be sucessful so they do not return to their old life styles the lessons get lost. I think that bring the word to those in jail is great encouragement to get them started in the right direction. The best medicine for the soul is that of the lord.
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