Monday, May 14, 2018

Jail

When you hear the word "jail" many negative thoughts come to mind for good reason. Jails have very bad smells, questionable food, uncomfortable bunks, and poor living conditions. Jails are not on the top ten list of places you want to visit. And yet there is great need for Jesus to be proclaimed in jails.

I'm sure that most inmates are guilty of some crime for which they are incarcerated. Others may truly be innocent but just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still others may be there waiting on a court date for their verdict to be read. But one thing is for sure, they are people created by God just like you and me. God doesn't create junk. We take His creation and and mess it up with our sin nature. The Bible reminds us that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. There is no one righteous. It is in our sin that we find the Savior.

I had the awesome privilege to help baptize 14 inmates in our county jail tonight. I got to look in their eyes and witness the sincerity of their faith in front of other inmates. While some question "jail salvations," I believe many are very real. For those who have gone and witnessed in the jails, you know when it is sincere and when it is not. These men have many challenges ahead of them but they have the same Savior, the same God, the same Holy Spirit walking with them and inside them through the rest of their lives. They will need much prayer to handle the pressures of life in jail and the life after jail. Temptations are very strong all around them.

I am so privileged by God to carry the great message of salvation wherever I go. The wealthy and the "down and out" need the same Jesus for the same reason: we are sinners bound for eternity in hell. While we may have many different preferences and opinions, one thing is true of all of us: without Jesus as our Lord and Savior we will burn in hell forever. It really comes down to that one simple truth. In jail or in church, you need Jesus. We can fuss over so many things when Jesus just wants us to obey Him and share the gospel. Do you witness? Do you serve in the church? Do you tithe? Do you attend church faithfully? When is the last time you prayed with someone to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? I know these are not popular questions to ask but they are Biblical questions we must answer.

As I stood in the jail among my new brothers in Christ I realized once again what is most important in the Kingdom of God. Let's be about the Lord's business and fulfill the Great Commission through the Great Commandment in our lifetime. Let's be all about Jesus!

From the Heart,
Pastor BR

No comments:

Post a Comment

UPDATED TRAINING

 Recently I attended a training seminar sharpening my skills as a chaplain and minister. The training was centered around working with group...