Most recent updates and my sermon. 07/07-07/19/26
Hi everyone, brothers and sisters of our LORD and to all who read this letter. May God bless and guide you always.
On the 7th of this month I was informed that my Homeconfinement date should be in January, 2028. That would mean I would do 2 years and change while incarcerated at home. Seeing my outdate is in 2030, this is no miracle and something God did extraordinary for us. This is part of what is supposed to be given to inmates in my situation. In reality, according to this system I should have gone home this year for Homeconfinement. But, through it all, this is positive for my family and I. For after 6 years and not knowing pretty much anything, just dates so far off, we are very grateful to God for finding favor in an evil system as the one I am in. God might not be getting us out of this trial of tribulation in a miraculous way, or bringing justice at this time,but He is seeing us through this. At times in our lives, we believers in Christ just might not see the “victory” as we would like to see it. God does use our suffering for many reasons, and I believe He has and is showing me a reason that I hadn’t thought of until the other day. Well, maybe I thought of it, but it hit me in a different way. Ill get to that in the next letter. For now I just wanted to touch up a bit on my most recent sermon just over a week ago. Over a month ago I preached on Eternal Salvation and had a lot of backlash, not even from most of the guys who attend church, but from the so called elders and leaders. You would think that a “mature believer” would understand the basics and beginning of our salvation. Surprise, surprise, the truth does dig up some hidden things. Well, I wrote about this already but wanted to remind you that I was mocked(and still am by a few), scoffed at and ridiculed. Yet the LORD led me to preach on the following subject: Are you like a Pharisee? I was thinking of not even preaching, just stepping away from it all for a bit. Especially since I am working on a book that hopefully will be available this year sometime.
You might not know this,but we already live in a place where it is 24/7 stressful in so many ways. Yea, we might be used to it and push it off, but if you were to step right now into my place, you would probably lose your mind. I tell you that just so you understand, that the stress level we are under is far higher than people on the outside could understand. Yea, I know there is stress out there and things need to be paid, etc. But this is different. Having to keep your eyes peeled all the time, on edge if anything were to pop off. My mom noticed it when she visited. As I talk I look around, as if I am not paying attention. No, I am paying attention, just not only to her, but my surroundings. Our guard is up at all times, as if we are in a war. And to be honest we are, in a spiritual war. So this keeps us ready physically, but those who learn, apply it spiritually.
So back to the story, God used a few circumstances and people to encourage me to preach. Just the week before my sermon, a brother was presiding and he touched on a subject, about the leaven of the Pharisees. I had already written that sermon up, so it was if God said, preach it Jonathan!!! And then I saw that same brother on the Rec, yard and told him and he encouraged me in the LORD to preach it. At times we just don’t care for the unnecessary stress, at least the ones we can control that is. So its like, why do I have to deal with these guys accusations and nonsense? When I have enough problems. Well, at times we just have to keep pressing on where we don’t really want to. Your telling me… Sorry, speaking to myself again. Kind of. O, did I mention I yell in my sleep also? Yea, the other day I scared my celly almost right out of his bed. The things that come with abuse and trauma, o my my my.
Well, lets get back again to the story of my sermon and how it affected not only me but other men also. So I will break it down a bit so you can get the jist of the sermon. Enjoy…
Are you like a Pharisee?
- First, what is a Pharisee? Basically it is a religious person in the sect of Judaism.
- The word Pharisee comes from an Aramaic word-Pera o Peres, that means “To separate, owing to a different manner of life from the general public. Basically the “separated ones”. They used the title Perushim at one time.
Their intentions were to be holy, separated from sin, worldliness, impurity, etc.. But when they focused on their own holiness they grew in their own righteousness and pride. Their godliness became of outer appearance,a substitute for what was not anymore in their hearts. - It says in John 4:23-24-“But the hour cometh,and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
- A question I asked everyone to think on. Who opposed Jesus more than any others? Yep, the Pharisees!!!
In the Pharisees zeal for the Law they almost deified it and their attitude became merely external, formal and mechanical. They laid stress, not upon the righteousness of an action, but upon its formal correctness. Consequently their opposition to Christ was inevitable; His manner of life and teaching was essentially a condemnation of theirs; hence His denunciation of them.
Galatians 2:16-” Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” - Now that we have seen who the Pharisees were and more or less what they believed. Lets see their interactions with Jesus Christ. And what Christ thought of them and their religion, doctrine and commandments of men.
“And for there to be no confusion and that you all do not think that I made this message up. Lets let the Bible speak for itself.” ( I said that so those who call me a false prophet and that I am preaching false doctrine will see that what I am preaching is directly from the Bible. Whether you like it or not.)
I wanted everyone to focus on the message instead of looking all the passages up, so I said” Everyone, here is the Bible I will be reading from, it is a Reina Valera, just listen to what I read and say. I don’t want you taking your attention away looking for passages as I have a few we will be going through and not a lot of time. So pay attention and just listen.
(And for you reading this Newsletter, pick up a Bible and read along, I cant write all the Biblical passages here, so it is on you to follow.)
- I read Matthew 9:10-13, then I asked. Do you need Christ? Or can you save yourself?
Isaiah 64:6 says-“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
Your own righteousness will never be sufficient to save you or maintain your salvation. That is why we needed and need Christ. - Matthew 15:1-9. With your mouth and not your heart. (And then I explained what Corbin was and how people tried to justify not honoring their father and mother by giving to the temple.)
Isaiah 29:13 says-“Wherefore the LORD said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:” - Luke 11:37-44,12:1-3. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.
- Matthew 16:6-12. Always when one is religious, he or she thinks of what is on the outside, not what is on the inside. Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, their doctrine and commandments of men.
- Now lets see a few characteristics of one who is religious/Pharisee.
Matthew 6:1-2,5,7,16
Luke 18:9-14. Do you despise others? Do you think you are better than other people?
Matthew 12:34-35. Have you spoken bad about your brother? Or even your enemies?
Did you know that even being saved, if you do that, it is still a sin? Do you judge your brother according to what you see? Because God sees the heart.
Then I told everyone( and I suggest the same to everyone reading this newsletters) to read Matthew chapter 23. And you will see what Jesus says to the religious/Pharisees.
Towards the end I said, everyone should examine themselves. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says-“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
And before I called anyone to come up to receive salvation, I finished with this.
John 5:24 says-“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
Do you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, truly and sincerely from your heart? Then thou hath everlasting life. That word “hath” means from that moment of salvation and for eternity!!!
John 3:16-“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
You cant lose everlasting life!!!
Of course there was so much more said in the sermon, but you would have to be there to get all of it. And I am guessing if you have the choice, you would rather just read this Newsletter and see what God reveals to you. Better than hearing the sermon in prison. Of course if you have the choice that is. Be honest with yourself, its alright. Heck I would rather preach it on the outside then be in prison. But, Thy will be done Father… Lets be honest and not hypocrites as the Pharisees.
Right after the sermon a few guys came to me and said they were very much encouraged and God spoke to them. I was thankful to hear that, as my sermon before really upset the enemy. Not that this one didn’t, it just was pointing out all the things religious people do, therefore basically saying” Guys, if you say you can lose your salvation if you sin, then you all did!!!, We all would everyday that is. So salvation is of God and only Him, to give it to us, to maintain it and for us to never lose it also. It is all about Jesus. Without Him, I am nothing, no one is anything. All the glory be to God…”
I felt the Holy Spirit move me and I preached my heart out. This Newsletter doesn’t compare to when it is in real time, live. Maybe one day I will be able to preach on the outside. Until then, may God be glorified through His servant, while in prison.
So many were encouraged, I see that days later when guys tell me that the sermon moved them. But here is a short testimony from a guy and how it touched him personally. As I was about to leave the chapel, Cesar, a Dominican brother of mine. Came to me and said I need to share something with you, but cant right now. He seemed a bit choked up.
So the next day while walking back from chow, I asked him what it was about. He said he was playing softball and got into an argument over a play. Nothing major, but words were said by both sides and he felt bad about it. He knew he shouldn’t have said what he did. Then he went to church right after that and the sermon I preached hit him directly. He said everything about it spoke to him, as if God was right beside him talking to him. He said it was so real he broke down in tears, couldn’t stop them. As he was telling me this he was choking up and I was too. I said Cesar, its alright. God loves you and you just need to ask for forgiveness and probably stay away from softball for now. And I told him thank you for telling me this because I didn’t want to preach at one point, as guys were talking things about me, hurtful things. And all I preached before was on eternal salvation(Even at that sermon Cesar said it was great because it is so true). Yet as I see you now Cesar and a few others encouraged by the message, I know I have done the will of our Father. Thank you brother for confirming that to me. After all the attacks, scoffing, and mocking at me. I could see that it was worth pushing on to reach those few people that were hurting, to comfort them. God uses us, my people. But do we want to be used? It takes loving through the suffering to show pure, true and genuine love. Thank you Jesus…
May God bless us all and may we serve Him everyday of our lives.
Jonathan David
The servant of the LORD
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