I wanted to give a post that is encouraging to me.
Well, before this weekends lockdown. (About 2 weeks ago.) Due to more stupid fights. I truly hate to be continually punished in my life for the wrongs of others. Man, I can little by little relate to our LORD Jesus, of course no comparison, but when you continually are punished for others wrongs, it gets old. I truly hate it.
Before this lockdown for about a few weeks, I was speaking to the LORD and saying to Him how much I will enjoy it when I get out and will be able to have times when I can be with Him alone. To worship Him in silence, to pray to Him in silence, to read the Word in silence. In prison pretty much the only time you can be alone for a bit is in the shower, although no silence, or complete privacy. Good crying times in the shower for sure. But in the room, someone is always in and out, so the only time you might be able to pray alone is in your bed in the early morning hours and even then the CO’s walk around every hour and shine your room, especially your face with a flashlight. What I am trying to say is that I miss those days when I did spend time alone with the LORD. I think about going to a mountain or even the land on the outside to just plant a tree and hear the sounds of nature and talk out loud with the LORD.
So about a week ago, the LORD showed me something that made me realize that I am not only spending time with Him, but I am living completely for Him. That my whole life is spending time with the LORD. At all times I am living and walking with the LORD, as in the days when Adam walked with God. Yes, there are those times we need to separate ourselves to be in prayer with the LORD. But what if you cant very often? What do you do? You serve Him, that is what you do. You say LORD, take my life and do Your Wonderful work through this man. And O boy He will.
I have for probably around a year now, when I get up in the morning. I go and get some coffee and take my Bible and sit out in the common area to study. It seems that no matter where I sit someone comes to me and just begins to talk. Of course I take the time to hear them and even witness to them. At times I thought great LORD, I am serving even when I don’t “want” to. The other times I am like,” If only I could have more time with the LORD alone. I am hungry for His Word and time spent with Him. But why am I hungry? Its because I am always pouring out what I take in from the LORD. Hunger for the Word of God means you are pouring out what the LORD is giving you. So ask your self. Are you hungry for the Word of God? If not, then you aint pouring His Word out to others, you just might not be doing enough. Get to work people…
While sitting down last week in my “alone Bible studies”, the main orderly comes and sits down at a table I never sit at so that I could be alone. I was praying and in tears while trying to read, also trying to hide my tears so people wont come up and ask, are you ok? These aren’t tears of sadness, I was just loving the LORD with my tears. Praising Him.
So this guy said that he has been wanting to talk with me for sometime now. He said that he had been watching me for months now and saw that I was always reading the Bible and that it didn’t seem like a game to me, but genuine. Boom, in my mind and spirit I felt the LORD say; ” Do you see that Jonathan? All that time you spend with me, even if you don’t think you are, more is being done than you can imagine.” And it made me feel good to share with this guy and hear his story and I encouraged him, as he did to me. And I gave him the Alberto series of the Chick Publications magazines, which will help him understand what is going on a bit more. Also I have invited him to the Bible study on Friday’s. He grew up in the church and I can tell he is wanting to return to the LORD. He seems happier since we spoke.
Now I would like to share a bit about my brother Eddie. He just left to a half way house after being in prison for 13 and a half years. (This system does not forgive or have mercy and does not rehabilitate at all. This evil system is made to break man, not build him up.) But he did give a message to the guys in the Bible study last Friday and I can say that when I hear from someone, such as an inmate speak the Word. It really resonates more to me than hearing from hired people to preach or teach the Bible. When you serve the LORD, not as a job but because you love Him, there is a difference in how you speak. Eddie spoke about coming out of your tomb and used the Gadara possessed man in Mark as an example. And how in life we “imprison ourselves in a tomb” by giving into the devil and our flesh, but when we come to Jesus, He not only saves us, but frees us from that lifestyle by sanctifying us. Of course Eddie used examples, and so much more was said. But at one point he pointed out how when he and I came here on the same bus, we first worked together in the softball fields. Basically as slaves. But we did it unto the LORD and did a good job. And as he was led to support and help the English service and I was to the Spanish service. He said the LORD has truly used us to affect many lives. But why? Its because we decided to serve as Jesus did. He said” You all should see our unit. Everyone sits together, there is unity and harmony. Most of the time. ” When you see a white man(me) serving his fellow black, brown,yellow, red and white brothers and any color for that matter and you see a black man(Eddie) serving his fellow white, brown and black and any color brother, you get the point. People see that and that is contagious. Goodness is contagious. We as sons of God stand out when we do the opposite of what the world is doing. And there will be results, because the Word of God doesn’t return void. But you must serve the LORD with all your heart, it must be true and genuine. Pray for Eddie as he embarks on another journey…
Here are a few more testimonies.
- Jose,(my celly for months now and prayer and Bible study brother since I got here) has left. Out of the blue they had him pack out last week and left on Monday night. They had designated him to another prison, without him even requesting it. Seeing he only had 9 months left, he was hoping to finish his time here. It was a weird move, farther away from where he would be deported from and also he hadn’t been here for 18 months. So it was random. But he said and always had said that he is Christ’s prisoner and if he is moved in such a strange way, then he said that it is more of a sign that God is doing it. Through the enemy or not, the enemy will fall in his own trap. I praise the LORD for Jose, he was so comforting to me during our time together and I have seen him grow spiritually in this past year and some. He wouldn’t pray or talk much when I started to go to prayer and Bible with him and Palacios. Now I saw him sharing with others and telling everyone of the LORD and always reading the Bible, helping others and more. I hope to work with him in the work of our Father when I get out. He will be in Mexico Lord willing. I love you Jose, brother. There will be a day when the burdens of this place will be no more, we will see Jesus face to face, but until that day, we will hold onto You always!!! Our suffering ends!!!
- Tony the Filipino, is a brother I met in the English Bible studies. We saw each other the other day out at Rec. He told me his story and how he was lost in sin and was begging the LORD to get him out of it. And the LORD allowed him to be taken to prison, to save and transform him to the man he is becoming. He said he used to cry always for 6 months,for his children and family. Worrying about them. But after 6 months, the LORD spoke to Him and said:”Why do you worry Tony? Isn’t everything alright? Is your family ok? Are you ok? Just trust Me. And Tony began to trust the LORD and peace and joy came into his life as he requested of the LORD. The LORD is good my brothers and sisters. He knows what is best, so pray and ask Him to bring you out of what ever is keeping you from living your life freely for Him. You will never feel better, even in the hardest of circumstances, you will be free again!!! Back to your first Love!!!
- There are not excuses not to share your testimony of how the LORD came into your life. We make excuses because we fear what people might say to us or what could happen. But if you are living your life for the LORD, you will have joy and wont be able to contain it. You will share even in a 2 minute conversation. Plant the seeds of Truth people. Christian, a guy who sells prison made yogurt(not to bad if I say so myself). Well, he was selling me some the other day and I told him my testimony and how Jesus changed my life and how He healed me. And how telling others of the LORD and healing them also, I am in prison. He said that’s crazy. I said yes it is, but it is real. So pray for Christian, I will continue to tell him. I also am witnessing to an Ecuadorian guy, pray for him, was raised catholic and doesn’t really even care for it either. But wants to live his life for himself, so pray God breaks his hard heart. I could go on and on, I try to reach new people all the time. Maybe that is why the devil doesn’t wat me on the outside, because I will do so much more than I even did before. The devil is scared of the sons of God, because he knows the Power within us. That Power is the Spirit of the living God and the devil bows down to Him. But it is backfiring on the devil his stupid plan and also backfiring on all these evil people who have done this to me and my family. God is working people, join in if you aren’t already!!! And watch the miracles. Lives are being saved!!! Praise the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
- Evelio, the Guajira man, is my celly now. I read the Bible to him and pray with him. Seeing he cant read. His dad died when he was 12 and he had to take care of his family, being the man of the family. So he never was in school. He believes in God and has seen Him take care of him this whole time, and his wife and 2 small boys. I am reading the Gospel of John to him and telling him that he must be born again. Pray that he receives Jesus, I know he believes, he just needs to be led to confess with his mouth, I am showing him the Way!!! So that he can take the Gospel to his indigenous people in Guajira, to the Wayuu people… More to be saved!!! I also want to go there someday, to preach the Gospel. If the LORD allows me to go to all the places of the men I met in prison, well, what a mission ahead. It is what I would like to do, but lets see what the LORD does. For now I try to send them ready, that’s my job now.
PS. Thank you for the Bibles everyone sends. I give them away and more guys are reading the Word here!!! Praise the LORD. I can see that the devil is upset, he is attacking us. he is stirring up men here to cause trouble and it is getting us locked down more. Pray for us as we suffer. Getting punished for a few evil ones, the story of my life. Its hard, but it shows me the devil is upset and he cant do nothing about it. We will not stop!!!
Thank you for all your prayers and support. God is working in the lives of men, woman and children through out the world.
I love you all in Christ Jesus our LORD.
A Pilgrim prisoner
David