I say that because when I preach, share the Word, comfort others, read the Bible, sing, listen to music, pray, write newsletters and while doing more in my life; I cry. So this newsletter is for you, the one who cries out to the LORD, who sheds tears to our LORD Jesus Christ. And this newsletter is for you also, the ones who think that crying is for the weak. You can learn something here, so read and weep. Let it out, it will help your hurt or hardened heart. But you must cry out and weep to Him, the only One who can heal and restore you. Our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ.
In the past few weeks I have shed tears of joy, sadness, pain, and just tears of and for others. Sometimes people are so hardened that they dont know how to cry anymore and God has me show them how. A courageous man will show his true emotions in front of people. This doesnt mean I go crying everywhere, No. There is a time for everything. Ecc. 3:4 says-” A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”
It seems when it is time to laugh and dance, we sure do that. But when it is time to weep and mourn, well thats embarrassing. So we dont let it out completely, adding layers of stone over our hearts.
We need to learn to cry out and weep to our LORD, He alone can help heal and restore our broken and hardened hearts. In the shortest verse of the Bible, John 11:35 is says-” Jesus wept.” In the Greek, the word used here is dakruo which means to shed tears. So here we see that Jesus shed tears, but in Luke 19:41 it says-” And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it.” In this passage the Greek word used is klaio and its meaning is “to sob, wail aloud, bewail. To weep audibly, cry as a child. As you can see, our LORD Jesus expressed His grief and pain by crying. Sometimes just in tears and other times wailing aloud. If He, God Almighty, cries and weeps. Why do us humans think it is a weak thing to cry?
Here in prison crying is seen as weak and you can be picked on and abused if you are seen as weak. Out there we are told crying wont help you, so get over it. Why dont we just let our kids cry and comfort them? Yes, I know there is also people that cry to manipulate and to try and get their own way. Also those who are spoiled and so many more reasons. I am not discussing that, I am saying when it is a good time to cry and express ourselves, we sometimes shy away from it, or are told to grow up and get over it.
Have you ever cried or sobbed at the right time and for the right reason? Just let is out and didnt hold back,whether alone, in a crowd, or with someone? Well, I want to tell you all about a few times I cried in the past few weeks. Why and how it not only helped me, but many others also. So if you ever need someone to cry with,(Seeing I am not available at this time, Just Kidding, no but really)cry out to Jesus, He is always available.
Before I go on to tell you what happened in the past few weeks, let me mention something. The “original weeping prophet” Jeremiah, the writer of Lamentations, was the prophet to Israel during one of her darkest periods of rebellion. They called him the weeping prophet because he was maligned, ignored, marginalized, and rejected, all because he obeyed the LORD. And so at one of the lowest points in his ministry, he wrote Lamentations. And confessed he was down as he could be.
Until…he considered the work of God. He brought to mind the truths of who God is and how He works. Maybe he read the Scriptures. Perhaps he had memorized something from the Law of Moses. Whatever he did to remind him of the LORD’s character turned him from despair to hope. Lamentations 3:21-26 says-“This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The LORD’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ” The LORD is my portion,”says my soul. ” Therefore I have hope in Him”. The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the LORD.”
In the middle of adversity, learn to think about the work of God- to consider and reflect on His Word, to acknowledge He is at work. To remember that He has a plan. To trust that He is worth waiting on and pursuing, especially in the wilderness.
When was the last time you fell on your face and called on the LORD, asking Him to give you faith to trust His purpose and plan, to seek wisdom and gain a perspective on your circumstances that only He could provide? Thats what is means to wait on Him. Thats what it means to consider the work of God.
When Jeremiah did that, though in absolute despair, he went wallowing in sadness to feeling a sense of genuine hope. In the wilderness of despair, I need fresh truth. When I start thinking correctly, Im going to get my hope back. Jeremiah reflected on the lovingkindness and mercies of the LORD, and it brought him hope. God knows the pressure you’re under. In fact, in Lamentations 3:37, Jeremiah declared the LORD has actually ordained it for you: “Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the LORD has commanded it?”
Whatever you are facing in the wilderness, it could not be in your life unless God was in charge. You dont know what God has planned. All you and I see is the storm. But you can remember that God has a plan and He is in complete charge.
What I wrote about Jeremiah was taken out of a book I read, well mostly. So that we will remember that God has control over everything, so to Him we must call, cry, weep, etc. Take everything to the One who can handle all. AMEN.
Now for a short update of the past 2 weeks or so and why I cried at different times. There is always more going on and I see God working in people’s lives pretty much daily, but I cant get all of that in the newsletters at this time.
Around 2 weeks ago, after working out. I went to the cell to get something to drink or to do soemthign else, I cant remember what exactly. And when I walked in, the lights were off but my celly was sitting there wide eyed and I knew that soemthing was wrong, I could feel it. So I asked him, whats up, is soemthing wrong? He said yes (Now you must know, this is a very strong man, I could even say hardened). He then said those very sad words no one wants to hear in here. “My youngest daughter just died.” It hit me like a ton of bricks, I couldnt imagine what he was feeling. (She was only 30 soemthing, it was unexpected). So I said, I am so sorry to hear that. Then I just sat there, all I tried to do was be present in that moment. Soemtimes we just want someone to not say anything, just to be there with us.
When you are in jail or prison, if someone dies, a loved one. You cant do anything. Maybe get the chaplain to let you have a phone call. Most of the time, they are not around or too busy. And forget giving family any comfort. One feels so useless. You know I truly understand why the LORD always mentions the prisioners and has a special place in His heart for them. They suffer very much. Well, not to get off of the topic.
So then this pain and hurt came over me and I just cried while sitting there with him. He, trying to be strong, said its fine. I said, no, no it isnt. It is so very sad. I felt like I was crying the tears that he couldnt at the moment. We become so hardened in this life that we dont even know how to truly express ourselves. Doesnt it say that we should worship the LORD in spirit and in truth? Sometimes that means crying out to Him.
Then today 08/05 a brother in Christ came to me and I could see that he had been crying. He told me his older sister, who practically raised him, passed away. So he came to me and asked me to pray for him and his family. So before I did, I comforted him by reminding him, since his sister believed in the LORD. She was with the LORD. One day he will be with her and the LORD forever. No one will separate them ever again. We have this blessed hope, we will be with the LORD and the saved forever and ever. So I prayed and had a few tears, but because I could see he was alright, we smiled and were thankful to Jesus for saving us. What a wonderful feeling, to know you have eternal life, Praise our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Now for what happened two Saturdays ago in the Spanish service. It was my turn to open up the service in prayer and present the singing group, preachers and then close the service. Believe me when I say, I am not a structured person, just look how I write. So I did things a bit different than the usual and let the Holy Spirit move me. I saw the LORD lead me to say somethings and prepare the hearts of the people to hear the message. After the sermon, the preacher made the call for anyone who wanted to be saved. A Dominican guy I know well, who was in the chapel for the 1st time, came up. He was in tears, so I went up with another brother(who happened to be in FDC Miami with me in the services there, he had been working on this Dominican brother who is in the same unit as him)and we hugged, cried and prayed with him while the preacher was making the call and praying. I waited until the preacher ended his prayer and then in front of the whole chapel, led him to the LORD Jesus Christ.
Then in tears I had to close the service in prayer. So I said LORD, if You want somethign heart felt,here goes. So in tears I cried out to all and told them how my celly’s daughter passed away and that we never know when we, our loved ones, or anyone for that matter will pass away. If you were to die today, were would you go? I asked them. I looked around in tears and saw men also in tears and proceeded to ask them. “With what eyes are you looking at people? Like when you are sitting around in the unit. When you are working out on the yard. When you are at chow/food. Do you ever take time to look at them with the eyes of the LORD? Because when I do, I break down and begin to shed tears. You can only see with His eyes if you are moved by the Holy Spirit. And for that you have to be selfless, you have to put the LORD and people before you. We tend to only get in the way. Time is running out people, tell others and all of Jesus Christ our LORD and Saviour.” Before praying to close the service, I looked around and I saw hardened hearts breaking. And when I prayed, I said soemthing that came to me in the moment, that I havent been able to say the whole time in prison. I have said that I hope I can say and believe it but never really truly said it from my heart. “Lord if You brought me to prison just for this one soul to be saved today. It is worth it!!! Then I continued saying and if all these men had to fail in their lives to come to know You, LORD. It is worth it!!! To be rescued from eternal damnation, it is worth it!!!
The following day in the elders meeting, they were saying how the LORD moved mightly. I told them, we tend to hold back, but we must let it flow. People will see how we are genuine and true. They will see Jesus in us.
I felt compelled to tell you all these short stories and how crying and weeping will prepare men and women’s hearts to receive the Gospel. If real, it shows we care.
Psalm 40:1-3 says-” I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.”
It is not weak to cry to the LORD, whether it be for joy, sadness, grief, pain, anger, happiness, or anything for that matter. Go and cry to the LORD, He does listen… Also comfort those who need it, cry with and for them. May God bless you all, I love you with the love of Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour.
Jonathan David
The servant of the LORD
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Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;