A Pilgrim Prisoner’s Journal 9-30-24

“God’s Grace Amidst Injustice: A Prayer Request for Josh”

Hi everyone, May God bless you all.

I was gonna write a bit of what is going on in the church here.  Some of the leaders are leaning into legalism and the LORD is using me to stand and show the the way of God’s great love.  I will only ask that you pray for us here, that God’s will be done and that He gives me strength and wisdom to stand for what is right.  

But I believe God wants me to write the following. 

Today while standing and watching the news on the devastation done by the hurricane Helene, I felt a sadness for those suffering and for those who lost their lives and their families who are suffering the hurt of losing their loved ones.  While standing there, an inmate named Josh comes up and says wow, that looks like a biblical kind of destruction.  So we get talking for a bit and I am telling him about my mission experiences and how God has led me here for serving Him and how I have continued to do it here. He then tells me a dream he had recently, and he was awake in the dream, it was like he was there. Walking up the stairs it seems of the Capitol building or something and seeing in the sky a bright red color and seeing missiles being shot off everywhere.  And also people jumping to their deaths from the top of towers.  It was horrific. So I said the LORD is coming brother, He is calling you back to Him, you need to turn to Jesus Christ. He then confesses that he is a believer in Jesus as his Lord and Saviour.  But has been away from Him for years.  He then goes on to explain the horrible experience he has had in the past 21 years in prison.  How they gave him 30 years and some of the charges he was convicted of, he never did.  He actually beat those charges in the State, but the the Feds came and made sure he got it.  I’m telling you that what is going on in the Federal system is of the devil and will be destroyed, and those involved will be judged by the Almighty God. 

Well, I don’t want to go into details, God will reveal the truth in His time and we will rejoice in true Justice!!!

But Josh goes on to tell me that since he has been locked up, his dad, mom, grandparents, brother, and so more family members have died.  He doesn’t have a good relationship with any of his children.  Can you imagine the pain and suffering?  Sit down and close your eyes and think about that, imagine what he has gone through, besides all of the suffering in prison.  All because they gave him extra charges that allowed this evil demonic system to give him many more years.  He tells me he has been bitter and sees himself in a way as Job.  Only difference is that Job never stopped trusting the LORD, although he questioned the LORD.  Josh tells me he felt abandoned and turned from the LORD and tried to cope in so many other ways.

I said Josh, you need to repent and give your burdens to the LORD.  Josh then says but what about justice?   They did me wrong.  He then tells me that one of the assistants or someone involved in doing this to him, wrote him some time back and apologized for doing this to him and said that Josh was like the Apostle Paul and how he also suffered wrongly. Josh said then that he forgave this man and would even hug him now if he saw him. (It brings tears to my eyes right now, what grace to be able to do that, that is the LORD in Josh, a sign that the LORD lives in Him)   I said Josh, it is beginning to come out, just surrender it to Jesus.  So after talking a bit, I said Josh lets go to my cell and pray and so we did.  I prayed for God to have mercy and grace on Him and to show him favor.  To help him and well whatever the LORD put on my heart to pray.   Then I told him why I went on when they told me to stop.  To serve my LORD and my fellow man.  I could have stopped, but the LORD spoke to my heart when my dad sent me a video of a child who was healed of autism due to what we were a part of.  It touched my heart to see this little boy not being able to communicate with his mom and then at the end saying something like I love you and talking normal and going to school.  Through that the LORD said to me, Jonathan, your children are healthy and taken care of, why would you stop when others are being helped that need it?  To be honest, to see that child’s testimony helped me go on and to stand against this evil system and I believe my LORD will destroy this evil giant and I will be the David of the day…  We can all be the David’s of the day.  

Well Josh told me that he needed to hear that and I gave him a King of kings magazine to read.  He thanked me and I could see the relief in his face.  Some people just need someone to talk to.  There are so many people hurting, go and pour out the love of Christ to them.  It will fulfill your life with Joy…

I love you all in Christ Jesus, please pray for Josh, he needs it…

David

A Pilgrim prisoner