Guest post from Linda Settles of Edict House

Therefore, since we are surrounded…what shall we do?

 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1

 

     How does it feel to be “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses?” The answer to that question may depend on our past experiences. Someone who has been convicted of a crime because of the testimony of witnesses, may re-experience guilt and shame at the memory of having their actions brought before a judge by angry, hostile, or contemptuous witnesses. Others who have been unjustly accused and convinced by the testimony of deceitful witnesses may feel angry or even enraged.

     I know of such a case. Many years ago an innocent man was arrested, charged, tried, and convicted based on the testimony of corrupted witnesses whose stories didn’t match up. He was given the death sentence which was served almost immediately. The injustice of this story agitates us. The tragedy of his untimely death saddens us. You have probably heard his story before, and you will certainly recognize his name, for the innocent man was Jesus Christ.He knows what it feels like to face his accusers. He understands the response of the human spirit in the face of injustice. And he cares about the criminal who is convicted of crimes he or she undeniably committed.

      The last person to experience the compassion of Jesus Christ before his death on the cross was a convicted thief. A man who had, indeed, committed crimes worthy of his penalty. “Today,” Jesus said, “you will be with me in paradise.” Imagine the outrage of the ‘holier than thou’ religious officials who instigated the crucifixion of Christ. Here he was, hanging on a cross, bleeding from multiple wounds, in the process of dying, and yet he reached out to a man who clearly deserved to die. That man may be among the ‘witnesses’ who witness the way we live our lives. He knows what it is like to be justly accused and suffer for the crimes we’ve committed. He also knows what it is like to be forgiven, justified, and restored to the heart of God. If you share this man’s experiences, you can take heart because he may be one of the many witnesses among that ‘great cloud of witnesses’ who cheers you on in your walk of faith and empathizes with your sorrows. The Christ of Calvary, who suffered, though innocent of the crimes charged against him, is most certainly one of the witnesses who stands at the right hand of God advocating for you on a daily basis. (Hebrews 7:25)

        But remember, the writer tells us we are surrounded by a “cloud of witnesses.”

      I don’t know if I have grasped the full theological significance of this verse, but I picture heavenly beings, perhaps spirits of departed loved ones and heroes of our faith, watching us run the course of our lives, cheering us on toward victory, rejoicing in our accomplishments. If this is true, what should our response be? The writer of Hebrews gives us direction here, too. “Let us throw off everything that hinders…” In other words, let’s get rid of our baggage. You know, the old ‘stuff’ that weighs us down—unforgiveness, bitterness toward those who have harmed us, guilt over our own bad behaviors, selfish ambitions, greed, and the list goes on. Get rid of it. “Throw it off.”

     And, finally, he says, “(throw off) the sin which so easily entangles us.” What is that sin? Some of us may think of lying, stealing, physical violence, etc. But at the core the sin that entangles every one of us is the same—it is unbelief. Failing to believe that God is big enough, good enough, faithful enough to take care of us. When we put our trust in him and pursue His good will, we find that our load is lightened and our path is straight –or as the writer of this passage says, it is “marked out for us.” What more do we need? Well, there is one other thing—perseverance. Endurance. The grit to get up and go on even when everything seems to be falling apart.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1 Let us run the race with perseverance so that we will hear the words of Christ, the Divine Witness who went before us and marked out our path, who advocates our cause before the Heavenly Father, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter you into the joy of your Lord.” Matthew 25:23b

www.lindasettles.com
www.RedeemingOurTreasures.com
www.Edicthouse.com
 

Inmate Testimony

 We receive letters like this quite often and they always encourage us. We thought we would share one with you. This is the original letter in it's unedited form just as we received it. We changed the gentleman's name and certain geographical data to protect his identity but all other details are as he wrote them to us. It's a wonderful testimony of the power of Jesus Christ to set the captives free.

                                                                                   TESTIMONY

     My name is John Doe. I am 25 years old and I was born in Birmingham, Alabama. When I was five years old, my mother moved to Virginia Beach, VA. My real father died when I was three years old. My mother and step-father were drug addicts. When I was eight years old, my step-dad asked me if I thought I was a man yet. Me being young and seeking his attention, I said, "Yes Daddy." He got out a pill bottle and put a pill on a plate. He crushed the pill, snorted it and then handed it to me. I was doing drugs with him every day after that.

    
     My aunt and grandmother were Christians. My aunt took me to church almost every Sunday. I believed in God, but it was hard for me because I felt even if I did get saved, my step-father would still want me to do drugs with him and I couldn't tell anyone about it or I would be considered a snitch.

     I've always had a relationship with God. I will always remember one experience I had with Him. All the way up until I was twelve years old, I had really bad ear problems. They hurt and leaked. If any water got in them, it would become worse. One day I was at church with my aunt and they were having a healing service. My aunt told me to go up to the altar. I went and the preacher asked me, "Do you believe that Jesus can heal you?" I said "Yes, I believe." I haven't  even had an ear ache since!!! God is so amazing!!!

     I was also a cutter. Although I did drugs and cut myself to get happiness, I still felt an emptiness... a void that only God could fill. When I turned 17 years old, my mother and step-father split up. With him gone, I had to get the drugs on my own. I cheated people, I robbed and stole from people, I would do whatever I had to do to get my drugs. 

     After turning 18, I went crazy on a crime spree, robbing and stealing until I was caught by law enforcement and given twenty years in prison. In prison, I went to church services, but continued to use drugs and live the same old life. 

     On November 9, 2009, I went to a church service and felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I said to myself, "okay, I'm tired of playing." I asked the Lord Jesus Christ into my heart and gave him my all. 

     I've had so much joy since I gave the Lord my all... a joy no drug or cut could even start to give me. It's like I tell my grandmother, "I'm in prison but I'm freer than I've ever been." Thank you, Lord!!!

     To anyone who may read this testimony, and you're looking for peace, comfort, and joy. There is no greater joy than that which the Lord Jesus Christ gives. Thank You, and God bless you.



Friends, this is what Hope Aglow is all about!  " But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?" Romans 10:14 NLT

Would you pray with us?

 

We know the Holy Spirit is very much involved in what we do, and we want to continually tap into our source of power. Would join with us?  It would mean so much. All we want is a way to communicate with you, lay our requests before righteous men and women who will pray for us and the needs of  prison ministries. 

Would you be willing to sign up to pray with us by email? We are trying to increase our prayer partners and feel one way to connect with you would be to send you a monthly email from our ministry. We have many prayer requests from inmates, from volunteers, the Department of Corrections and leaders of our government.

Send us your email address- Email hopeaglow@earthlink.net put PRAYER PARTNER in the subject line and we will add you to our Monthly Prayer Partner List. Thanks so much. I know it pleases our Lord when we pray. 

It will be a short email, once a month to request prayer for needs we are aware of specific to the prison ministry as it relates to sharing the gospel. We will never share, sell or giveaway your email address.You can unsubscribe at any time.

In case you haven't heard on Monday ( May 23, 2011 ) "a sharply divided Supreme Court affirmed a controversial prisoner reduction plan forced on California prison administrators that requires the state to reduce its inmate population by tens-of-thousands to ease overcrowding." Fox News

"Critics of California's prison system contend the cells are so overrun with inmates that proper care has been obliterated."  When our director heard this news he replied, " State law makers want the courts to do this. They [prisons] have no money and no back bone to handle their problems with over crowding so the law makers force it into the courts. Then they blame it on the courts because they did not have the spine to handle the problem before it became so bad. This is coming to Virginia and other states soon also. We must transform the whole system. It is a system designed for failure. We must bring all corrections back to the local community. This is the only place it can be carried out in a meaningful way. "



Garry has written an excellent article entitled,  How To Turn Inmates Away From A Life of Crime
Everyone should read it.


While crime is America's fastest "growth industry," our penal system is our least efficient industry. America's prison system has a failure rate of more than 75 percent, that is, more than 75 percent of the people released today will return to prison within three to four years. More than 50 percent will return for crimes committed within the first few months of freedom. It does not seem to matter how long a sentence a person serves, the return rate is the same. 

Any business with a product return rate that high would face stockholders demanding a change. As the "stockholders" in this "business," why have we not demanded a change? 

I believe the prison system suffers from a basic design flaw, in that it almost always removes an inmate from the local community where he is most likely to be returned upon release. This results in increased family breakdown as family members are unable to regularly travel great distances to visit. This also prevents local organizations, such as the local church, from working with the inmate to prepare him to return to society.


Projects in several states where inmates were matched up with a free "world mentor" who became his friend in prison and continued to help him upon release have shown incredible reductions in the return rates, reversing them in some cases. 

Unless a positive support system exists, both studies and experience have demonstrated that many men released from prison with nothing but good intentions, including men who have come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior while in prison, return at the same rate as the general population. There are several reasons for this, all of which could be dealt with if we were to adopt a system of community prisons. 
While in prison, an inmate loses the ability to make decision, as all decisions of any importance are made for him. I have known of men getting out after long terms who were unable to even choose what to eat from a restaurant menu. When released into a community where no one trusts them to start with, and no one is there to help with making decisions and adjustments, they soon find themselves in trouble again.
 
If we were to replace the current prison system with community prisons, that is, local prisons in easy reach of every community, many of the problems that lead to recidivism could be dealt with.
 
With local prisons, family could visit on a regular basis, keeping that support system intact. The local church would be able to invest its time and effort in the local prison, knowing that these inmates are from their community and upon release would be living in that same community. Local civic groups that already volunteer in prisons would be working with inmates who would be living in their own neighborhoods when released. 

Two Mothers

Mary with the man who murdered her son




Long time ago, so I have been told,

Two angels once met on streets paved with gold.

“By the stars in your crown,” said the one to the other

“I see that on earth, you too, were a mother.


And by, the blue-tinted halo you wear

“You, too, have known sorrow and deepest despair...”

“Ah yes,” she replied, “I once had a son,

A sweet little lad, full of laughter and fun.”


“But tell of your child.” “Oh, I knew I was blessed

From the moment I first held him close to my breast,

And my heart almost burst with the joy of that day.”

“Ah, yes,” said the other, “I felt the same way.”


The former continued: “The first steps he took-

So eager and breathless; the sweet startled look

Which came over his face – he trusted me so.”

“Ah, yes,” said the other, “How well do I know”


“But soon he had grown to a tall handsome boy,

So stalwart and kind – and it gave me so much joy

To have him just walk down the street by my side”

“Ah yes, “ said the other mother,

“I felt the same pride.”


“How often I shielded and spared him from pain

And when he for others was so cruelly slain.

When they crucified him – and they spat in his face

How gladly would I have hung there in his place!”


A moment of silence - “Oh then you are she -

The mother of Christ”; and she fell on one knee.

But the Blessed one raised her up, drawing her near,

And kissed from the cheek of the woman, a tear.


“Tell me the name of the son you love so,

That I may share with your grief and your woe.

She lifted her eyes, looking straight at the other,

“He was Judas Iscariot: I am his mother.”


Author Unknown

The poem “Two Mothers” was the inspiration for the healing groups that Mary Johnson initiated for parents whose lives have been impacted by homicide. On Friday, August 27, 2010, she and Carolyn Green, the mother of the young man who took her son’s life, met and reconciled...17 1/2 years after harsh words were exchanged in the courtroom. At the time, each mother was under an enormous amount of stress...one having lost her only son to homicide, and the other about to lose her only son to prison. In the end, LOVE won out.

http://www.bewhoyouare.info/fromdeathtolife/healing_groups.html  < Read more

Judgment

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. John 3 : 16-18

Standing before a judge with the realization that he or she has the power make a decision that will effect your life must be frightening, whether you are innocent or guilty. Any visit to a jail to minister to those incarcerated there will usually involve a conversation about trials, sentencing, lawyers and judges. Every inmate knows all about the judge they will stand before. They speak with fear about some of them, and relief about others.

The legal process is a frequent topic of conversation and most inmates want to share their story. Not the story of what they did wrong, rather the hopeful details of the best outcome for them. They don't seek your opinion, they want you to pray. It's always the first prayer request. " My court date is___________ and I hope Judge so and so will ________. This blank usually involves release. We counsel them to place their hope in the Lord Jesus, not in a judge or a date.

The mission of Hope Aglow is to share the good news that with God, judgment ended at Calvary. Jesus Christ has justified us, our debt is paid. Removing the fear of judgment is powerful, life changing and redemptive.

Inmates train horses

We lost so many good Bibles today.

Garry Sims, the Director of Hope Aglow shows us all how to have a great attitude even when the roof falls in and your feet get wet.

If the Lord lays it on your heart to donate to the "replace a wet Bible fund", by all means- listen. Thanks.

Hope Aglow Ministries
P.O. Box 10157
Lynchburg, VA 24506

Drug addiction, prostitution and motherhood



Poor crack cocaine user neglecting even her child for her addiction

     During my most recent visit to the jail, I met three women who admitted to drug addiction. This is something incarcerated women usually have no trouble acknowledging. How can you blame an addict for the crazy things they do?  Addiction is a ferocious task master. It drives girls who swear, " they will never"... to do things that they hang their heads and whisper about.  Things like 'selling their body" for drug money, and stealing from their family members, and begging from strangers on the street using lies to get a dollar.

    One woman admitted to being so sick she could not lift her head off the pillow for days at the crack house where she was holed up. A friend called 911 to help her. When she was released from the ER after getting help and money to buy the medicine she needed to get well, she used the money to buy more drugs. Drugs that are eating away the lining of her stomach.

    She is in jail now, but she is thankful. She will tell you she is glad to be alive and realizes that without being arrested, nothing would have stopped her. Her name is Ann* and she is 38. She learned to read and write in jail. She found God in jail, She was given her first Bible in jail. She has been arrested six times, and has a sister and a brother in prison. 

    She is looking forward to getting out. She told me on Sunday, "I am getting too old for this. I can't keep coming back in here. " She is the mother of  twin girls and one son.  She knows she has let them down and chosen crack over them. They let her know she has let them down too. Admitting this, is what makes her cry.

   Her story breaks my heart. Everyone has a story. The poet Longfellow wrote,

"If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility." 

  Each of these women has enough sorrow and suffering for ten women.


  This video clip is about Magdalene House. They are helping women in Nashville.

*names and details changed to protect identity
Photo source- journal.davidhempenstall.com

Happy Resurrection Day

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Romans 6:8-11

 

Prison ministry started by a girl, a former attorney and judge-

Andrea Shelton's older brother Mark was convicted of a hit and run and sentenced to fifteen years in the state prison. Her love for Jesus Christ, and her brother changed her life...

The Power of Forgiveness - the victim's side of the story

This article is reprinted from Prison Fellowship's Blog- Inside Out


Seized in a dark parking lot by two men, Kelly Putty, then 16, was taken to a field and brutally sexually assaulted. In a bizarre twist, her attackers stopped to pick up one of their wives from work. Kelly pled with the woman to let her out of the car. The woman let her go and Kelly immediately ran to police. Her attackers were arrested.

The Road to Healing

As long as that night of horror lasted, Kelly’s road to healing was longer. She did her best to pretend that her life had gone back to normal. Like many survivors of sexual assault, she had a pain inside that wouldn’t go away. But her healing started when she encountered Jesus Christ.
At 17, Kelly married her boyfriend, Shane, a believer in Christ.

Her newly minted faith allowed her to relinquish the crushing emotional weight of her experience.

“I turned that whole mess over to God and started letting him carry that burden for me.”

But another hurdle waited: learning to forgive the men who had ended her innocence with their cruel and selfish choices.

Kelly read in Scripture that God tells her to forgive her enemies. She meditated on Jesus’ words on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” But she didn’t feel like she could do the same. So she started praying simply for the ability to forgive those who had wounded her. It didn’t happen overnight, but—day by day and prayer by prayer—she felt the bitterness and pain draining away.

She believed that she had forgiven her attackers, but in the back of her mind, she sometimes wondered whether she really had.

Kelly’s decision to forgive was put to the test during a church service. The pastor asked each congregant to put their hand on the shoulder of someone nearby. Kelly reached forward, and then realized that the woman whose shoulder she now touched was the mother of one of her attackers. Should Kelly pray for this woman, who had appeared in court day after day in support of her rapist?

“I just found God’s strength there in that moment, and continued on and prayed for her,” remembers Kelly. “God did a work in that moment and showed me the power of forgiveness. When I made that decision, I saw her in a different light. She wasn’t the person who had sat in the courtroom supporting my attacker. I saw her heart broken over what had happened just as mine was.”

A New Perspective on Pain

Today, over 20 years after the attack, Kelly lives outside Nashville, Tennessee, with Shane. They have six children: five biological and one adopted from Ethiopia.

In 2009, the Puttys founded Ordinary Hero, a child advocacy organization whose mission, according to Kelly, “is to inspire and empower ordinary people to make an extraordinary difference in the life of a child in need.”

Kelly also speaks out about the power of forgiveness for victims. In addition to appearing on a panel at Prison Fellowship, she has shared her remarkable story on The 700 Club.

Kelly emphasizes that forgiveness does not excuse a crime, but it does release the survivor from the burden of pain and resentment.

“It’s just very freeing,” she says. “I believe that you have to come to the place of forgiveness in order to move on to God’s purpose for your life, and He can continue the work of turning that which was meant to destroy you into His good work for you.”

Though the memory of her attack still holds some pain, Kelly believes that her subsequent healing has helped make her who she is today—a confident wife, mother, photographer, and children’s advocate. She also helps other victims to see how their pain can be redeemed for God’s purposes. “I encourage everyone, especially victims, to not discount themselves because they have been through something that has scarred them, but to look deep inside themselves and see how God will use that very vulnerable moment in their life to help them relate to other victims and give them hope for their pain.”

Her experiences also help her deal with life’s smaller grievances.

“When you have to overlook someone’s huge, life-altering fault, it helps you let other things go,” she says. “I still lose patience in traffic, but God is always there to remind me of the big things.”

Prison Fellowship is a 501(c)(3) organization, gifts to which may be deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes

Copyright © 2011 Prison Fellowship. All Rights Reserved

 

Hope Aglow supports the mission and message of Prison Fellowship.

Guest Post from Linda Settles of Edict House

Beloved Enemy


Nothing stirs the heart to hatred more than this—loving our enemy without the power to protect ourselves from his or her assaults. Hatred rarely exists without the precondition of love—love corrupted, love abandoned, love denied. Some say that the opposite of love is not hatred—but selfishness. I believe this is true. Therefore, some have made themselves our enemies not because they hate us, but because they are selfish. They may even love us, in a self-centered, narcissistic sort of way; all the while they abuse us, misuse us, and/or neglect our deepest needs.

How, then, do we protect our heart from harboring hatred, from nurturing seeds of bitterness, from the deep, dark, sorrow of despair when the one we love is the very person who abuses or neglects us?

How do we fulfill the command of Christ to “love our enemy”? This is a difficult question, however, it must be answered in our heart and mind, because true freedom, sweet release from our angst and hopelessness, will be found only in absolute obedience to the known will of God through His Word.

 Take the time to read the passage in Matthew 5:43-48 where Jesus instructs us to love our enemies, and you will find the pathway to peace, victory over your resentments, and joy in the one true relationship that will never use you, abuse you, or abandon you. Let’s consider this passage together. In verse 43 Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,’ but I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…’”.

You may say, that’s all great and good, but I can’t do it. How can I love the father who abandoned me or the mother who misused me to get her drug deal? You can do it when you understand what Jesus is really asking you to do—and you realize that His command is ultimately for your best good, because He knows what will free to you live above your pain. He guides you toward His perfect peace.

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover it was you.

 The last verse in this passage (verse 48) says, “Therefore you shall be perfect even as your father in heaven is perfect.”

I believe you will discover truths that will provide profound relief to your troubled heart if you take the time to follow with me as I explore the deeper meanings conveyed through the words of the command to love our enemies. We will look at three words: perfect, love, and bless. They may not mean what you think.


 Are you ready? Then let’s go:


1. Jesus said in verse 48 that if we do as he commands we will be ‘perfect.’ If you’re like me, your eyebrows are raised, and you are about to protest, “Me...perfect?” Just wait until you understand the deeper meaning of the word as Jesus used it in this verse. The word implies reaching maturity, as in growing up. It refers to developing virtue and integrity, you might say strength of character. Isn’t that what we all want to do? Well, the pathway to that kind of development goes straight through obedience to Jesus’ command to love our enemies.


So, it seems important then to understand exactly what it means to ‘love our enemies.’ Does it mean we give them access to our vulnerable heart, the opportunity to crush our already wounded spirit?


2. Let me ask you, does what you know of Jesus indicate to you that He would command this of you-- make you a doormat for others who want to advance their own selfish desires at your expense in the name of love? I don’t think so! I believe the kind of love Jesus requires involves respecting ourselves and others, setting appropriate boundaries (you can come this close but no closer), and refusing to be the object of another person’s sin. We love people by re-directing their behaviors, attitudes, and assumptions to the feet of Jesus Christ on the cross. He died for them and He will deal with them according to His will. Let go and let God—let Him do as He will with others and you will be free to mature into the person He designed you to be.
Finally, how can God ask us to bless our enemies? Outrageous! And yet, He does. Does this command stir up angst in your troubled soul? What are you talking about, God? How can you ask me to bless the person who falsely accused me, seduced me, abused me, or simply turned the other way while others misused me?

He can ask because He asks only for our good. He suffered all those things, and yet He gave his life for us. If we are really honest, we’ll admit that we are guilty of some of some of the very things that we hate in others. The first person this command benefits then, is ourselves, for we are often our own worst enemy.

 As we bless others who may be undeserving of blessing, God also blesses us. He blesses us because of His glorious nature—and not because we are deserving of His wonderful gifts. The command to bless those who curse us and pray for those who persecute us is, in effect, a roadmap on the pathway to peace. Did you ever notice that when you are lost the wrong way always seems right and the right way seems wrong? We need a roadmap to get us to where we really want to go.


3. What does ‘bless those who curse you,’ look like in everyday life? Consider the following:
a) Someone says, “You’ll never make anything of yourself.” We may bless the person who curses us by praying that God will deal with the core issue driving the curse (jealousy, bitterness, resentment, a mean spirit, etc. etc.) and refusing to interact on that level.

b) When we discern that someone does not have our best good at heart, we can bless them by setting boundaries that limit their power to do harm (therefore limiting the consequences they will suffer for their sin against us). If you think perpetrators of harm against God’s children get away with it, just read Matthew 18:6-7. Jesus tells us it is better to have a millstone hung about one’s neck and cast into the depths of the sea than to harm one of God’s little ones.
If we really take God at His word, that His wrath is stored up against unrepentant sinners, we might find it easier to bless our enemies in this world, knowing the agony they will experience (if they do not repent) in the world to come. (Romans 2:5)


The great revivalist, Jonathan Edwards, penned the famous sermon titled, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God;” a sermon that sent grown men crawling under the pews in fear of God’s wrath. Let’s bless others by living above the dysfunction that motivates their curses and praying that God will save them from the wrath that awaits unrepentant sinners before it is too late. Let’s follow the example of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who took up his cross and carried it all the way to Calvary for you and me—his beloved enemies.

Colossians 1:21-22 “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation…”

 

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.







Guest blogger, Linda Settles



Ministry Update from the Voice of Victory in Delaware

These last two weeks

 have been like a whirlwind. We have traveled from Baltimore, MD, over to Philadelphia PA, down  to Lynchburg VA, then back up to Richmond, VA, and finally down to Rocky Mount, NC. WOW!

     God has met every need, paid for every drop of gas, blessed those hamburgers, chicken sandwiches at the fast food places and even sleeping in the car one night. Is God good or what? We witnessed 23 men giving their hearts to Christ and a host of others recommitting their life to the Lord. We also had the privilege of presenting two Bachelor of Biblical Studies Degrees to two men in Nash County Prison in NC.

     Also, the Lord provided the printer copier that we have been praying for. We had a technician come in and service the machine and it is working great. We thank God for Colonial Baptist Church in Charlottesville, VA,  Chaplain Larry Lilly and SCI Georgetown, DE,  Pleasant Plains Baptist Church in Apex, NC and others that asked we not share their names. God uses people like you and me to meet the needs of His ministry.

Chaplain Henry Gregory, Russ Kessler Jr., Russ Kessler Sr. and Jack Matthews

 

     Russ, pictured above, received his Bachelor of Biblical Studies Degree. My wife and I and our ministry are SO PROUD of Russ Jr. Russ will enter the prison ministry (with Dad & Mom) upon being released from prison. This young man is being greatly used by the Lord on the inside. Please pray with us for his soon release.

Chaplain Henry Gregory, Joseph Bromfield, Russ Sr. and Jack Matthews

Joe,  pictured above, received his Bachelor of Biblical Studies Degree. Joe is from New Hampshire and has done a great job preparing himself to serve the Lord in a full time capacity one day. We are so proud of Joe reaching this mile stone in his life.

Voice of Victory
 PO Box 186 Harrington De 19952

 VOVRUSS@GMAIL.COM

 302-222-4596



 

 Pray for the Kesslers, they do a great work in Delaware.

 Russ handles many of the Bible courses for Hope Aglow. 

Bean Soup, sound equipment and REVOLUTION!

Harold, Charles, Anna, Dave and Lee Ann
Hope Aglow Volunteers

     Once upon a time, Garry Sims and Harold Knowles went on a road trip to Reidsville, North Carolina. This isn't unusual for them since both are involved in ministry with Hope Aglow. Garry is the Director of Hope Aglow and Harold is a volunteer along with his wife Anna. Garry preaches and Harold sings regularly at the Sunday services held at prisons in Virginia and North Carolina. 

     Recently, Harold received a phone call from a lady named Mrs. Carter who wanted to donate some sound equipment to the ministry and this was the reason for the road trip. Garry and Harold took a van to pick up the equipment. They didn't know what they were going to find when they got there, but a gift to the ministry is a gift from God.
    
     When they arrived in Reidsville they were pleasantly surprised and very appreciative. There were three sets of very large speakers, a twenty four channel sound board and microphones, more than they could fit into the van in one trip. Mrs. Carter was so pleased to find a useful home for her husband's equipment, and Garry and Harold thanked her and set off for home with all they managed to squeeze into their vehicle.

     The equipment turned out to be first quality, but much too large for the needs of the ministry. For the purposes of getting in and out of prisons, and traveling in a mini van, the equipment has to be smaller and more portable. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth however, the men figured if God had given it to them, then He had a use for it.

     They weren't on the road long before Harold decided it was time for dinner. He knew of a little restaurant in Reidsville that served delicious bean soup, but Garry wanted to get home. He thought the best thing was to grab some fast food and stay on the road, but Harold convinced him that he must try this soup at Mayberry's Restaurant.

Garry Sims, Hope Aglow

     Once they were inside and waiting for their dinner, Garry noticed a young man wearing a Liberty University baseball cap sitting nearby. He asked if he had attended school there. The young man introduced himself and told Garry yes, he had attended Liberty. Garry told him about Hope Aglow and their affiliation with Liberty University and Thomas Road Baptist Church. He then asked the young man what he was doing now that he had graduated.

     As it turns out, the young man is Hunter Pegram and he has been busy. He is married, the father of twins, a fireman in Greensboro, and the Pastor of a new church he has just planted called Revolution Church in Reidsville, NC. They are meeting in the local high school gym. Garry asked them if they needed any sound equipment...


Here is Hunter's tweet >

RevolutionChNC Revolution Church

God just handed us about 7 thousand dollars worth of sound equipment! #ourGodisfaithful

 

Here is a video of Hunter, talking about Revolution Church.



Revolution Church - 1 from David Duncan on Vimeo.


Thanks to Mrs Carter for giving, thanks to Harold Knowles for loving prison ministry and soup, and thanks to Garry for never meeting a stranger... Hope Aglow was able to reach out and help the kingdom come.
Amen.

Jesus was in jail, did you visit him?

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
   ³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
   ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
   ⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
   ⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
   ⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ Matthew 25:34-35

We all agree deeds done in service of the Master are done for him. Often we do things for others that go unnoticed and unrewarded by earthly standards, but we have the promise of God that he sees everything and he knows the attitude of our heart, so we need not fear any labor going unpaid.
Have you wondered why, in the passage in Matthew, Jesus mentions those in prison specifically? Some have proposed he means only those disciples imprisoned for sharing the gospel, others take the position that Jesus is speaking very broadly of the nation Israel. All are up for discussion, but for matters of this conversation the point is, Jesus mentions visiting "prisoners" as a good deed and speaks of it in his parable as a way to describe love for him.

An inmate gets a visit from his daughter- photo courtesy, Children of Inmates

In  Hebrews 13,  the author writes,

"Remember those in prison, as if you were there yourself. Remember also those being mistreated, as if you felt their pain in your own bodies."

It is difficult to remember those in prison if you never hear their stories, never pray for them, and never visit.
     It's been said that the only people with a concern for the prisoner are those that have been behind bars themselves or who have a family member or loved one there. While that may be true, it hardly excuses us.
When I was called by the chaplain of the local jail and asked if I was interested in helping with a Bible study for the women there, I thought of the verses in Matthew and Hebrews. I knew there were great needs, and equally great blessings to be had, yet I was reticent.
I felt like I had no way to connect with the women there. I have never been in jail, or even arrested. I have committed crimes and not gotten caught, that's true. Images of angry, crazy women sitting in their cells waiting to throw something awful at me as I walked by in my clothes that "stink of freedom" played in my head.

     It took me months to send in my background check and then I agreed only after the chaplain said they had no one else to do it, that the woman doing it now was moving to North Carolina in a month.... so,
I went.
  
 It was amazing, not at all what I expected or feared.  They were in a room where we all met together, they were there because they wanted to be, and they were all very sweet. So far, it's the best church I have been to.

     Yes, they are on the edge of tears all the time, and they have so many problems, but they are so hungry for the words of hope and mercy and forgiveness and a clean start. You have no idea how good it is to hear,  "I will put your sins as far from me as the east is from the west" when you have majorly blown it. They love much because they have been forgiven much, and that's something I can relate to. They don't need to feel connected to you, they are happy to see a new smiling face, so eager to pray and have you pray for their family. They know why you are there and they expect you to talk about God to them. It's like opening  the front door on Halloween with a giant bowl of candy. They want what you have to offer.

      I know everyone isn't called to this kind of ministry, it probably takes someone who understands broken people and who wants to do one thing, and that is share the grace and mercy of Jesus.  We aren't called to fix the justice system, we have one purpose- share the message of hope found in Jesus Christ.
They are very needy, but we have what they need most- the beautiful One with the scarred hands, who loves us all and came to set us free.

Michael Vick says he wouldn't do anything differently...

"If you could do it all over again," said the inmate, his eyes meeting Vick's, "what's the one thing you'd do different?"

The answer was stunning. "Nothing," Vick said. "I mean, make some better choices. But I needed time to change. Everything happens for a reason."


Nothing? Vick would clarify his thoughts on the 94-mile bus ride back to Tampa. He'd come on the trip with his adviser, Tony Dungy, and volunteers from Abe Brown Ministries, the prison-ministry group with which Dungy has worked for the past 15 years. "As crazy as this sounds," Vick would say as the bus rolled past endless orange groves, "if I was standing outside a prison two years ago with what I know now, and you gave me the choice of going in and changing my life or staying out and continuing to live the life I was living, I'd go in. I'd change some things. The dogs, obviously. And maybe six months, not 17. But I needed to change. God gave me a timeout."

When Vick spoke to some 300 inmates in the courtyard at Avon Park, even the hangers-on in the back of the crowd, men who'd heard messages of hope before, stood in silent attention.

Vick told them that as a teenager he sometimes

slept with the Bible under his pillow, but 

when he became a football star he

veered from the religious life. 

He thought he could make up his own rules, and it cost him. "Going into prison was tough," he said. "You know that. There were days I wanted to lay down in my bunk, pull the covers over my head and cry. But I realized I wanted to live the right way. I wanted to be an instrument of change. That's what you have to do at the end of the day. No matter why you're in here, own up to your actions. Hold yourself accountable. Have a plan, so when you get outside those gates you're going to have a chance. This is not the end for you. This is not it! You control your destiny."*



Michael Vick served 17 months at a federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas in 2007, for his role in a dog-fighting operation. He recently returned to Avon park Correctional Institute to talk to the inmates there.
The article above is from a Sports Illustrated interview with Peter King.*

Vick attended college at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. He was drafted as a sophomore by the Atlanta Falcons and led them to the play offs twice. He ranks second among quarterbacks in career rushing yards.

After his arrest and subsequent incarceration, he lost his position with the Falcons, and was forced to file bankruptcy. He was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009. After his release from prison, Vick was mentored by former Colts coach, Tony Dungy.

Dungy set a new NFL record for consecutive playoff appearances by a head coach. He is also  an evangelical Christian and at one point in his coaching career considered leaving football for the prison ministry. Throughout his career, he has remained involved with community service organizations.



 At  Hope Aglow Ministries, we see the effects of incarceration for good or ill.  Prison time can be a powerful change agent in the lives of men and women. Not everyone who comes out of prison has the  resources of Michael Vick, but everyone who comes out of prison is just as important to our God.  With the right tools and support, incarceration can be a catalyst for  positive life change.  It is difficult, but that's why we are here. We see the hopelessness and fear in the eyes of men and women in prison, they desperately need to believe they can make it on the outside. They need mentors and support systems like the kind Mr. Dungy provides.

Please consider supporting us as we deliver the good news that prison can be a new beginning, not the final chapter.

hopeaglow.com

*Back To Prison With Michael Vick
Meeting Florida inmates, the Eagles' QB pushed a message of hope and responsibilitySports Illustrated, Mar 2011

You Are Not Alone in Your Pain

When we go through trauma, it often feels like we are alone, or at least, alone in our pain.  We may know other people have experienced similar hurts, but it doesn’t feel like anyone understands, or worse yet, like no one cares.
Feeling alone, invalidated, or even ashamed, is common for people who go through deep hurts, especially when that pain is perpetrated by someone we love.  Deliberate hurt is called ‘abuse’, and failure to nurture, validate, and take care of a vulnerable person is ‘neglect.’  Some of us want to pretend abuse and/or neglect never happened, hope we can ‘outgrow’ it or ‘move past’ it.  The truth is: abuse and neglect exact a painful toll on their victims. It is only by facing the pain of our past and processing through it that we will be able to rise above it.


Thousands of men and women have done just that—they have paused in their flight from hurt and shame long enough to acknowledge it, and gone on to work through it.  I challenge you, today, to allow yourself to face the truth about your past, not only about what you have done to others, but what has been done to you.  There may be a reason (though not an excuse) that you have raced down the path to destruction, if that has been your course.  The only way to get on the right road is to re-trace your steps and stand once more at the ‘parting of the ways.’

 To accept responsibility for the wrongs you have done, and learn to hold others accountable for their wrongs against you.  Please hear me when I say, abuse in any form is never the fault of the victim.  No matter what you may have done or said, you are not to blame for being abused or neglected. What if you’ve experienced abuse and/or neglect, but you say, “That had nothing to do with my choices?”  Perhaps you’ll want to consider the following facts:
Children who experience child abuse & neglect are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30% more likely to commit violent crime.  (2009 Childhelp Info Center)

 You are not alone in your pain, or in your efforts to cope with a life that may have shattered by it.  Don’t you think it’s about time that you acknowledge the disappointments of your past and step bravely into a future filled with hope and a new beginning?



Today's post is by guest blogger, Linda Settles
Visit her website.
http://www.redeemingourtreasures.com/

Linda is an author and a friend of Hope Aglow Ministries. We are thankful for her wisdom and her desire to share with others the freedom she has found in Christ.

"I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts."  Psalm 119:45  NIV

I went to jail

"In jail, everyone cries at night."

I always cry when I go.  It's wrenching- listening to the stories of these women. They are so humbled by their circumstances. They sit with me at a few tables pushed together in a small, echoey, cinder block room. They all wear baggy, bright orange canvas jumpsuits. They have no makeup, no fancy hairstyles, they aren't allowed a hairdryer, just a comb. One lady Melissa, who is about 35 and the  mother of a high school age daughter, tells us all, "Your life is pretty much at a bad place if you are sitting in here."  She says, "We all know everything we have tried isn't working."

They have no pretenses, they can wear no masks. They are citizens of a new country, one called Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority. It's in large block letters on the back of their jumpsuits; a constant reminder that this is no hotel or summer camp.  Although, not even your worst summer camp experience can begin to touch the awfulness that is incarceration.

I ask them how they cope? Every woman in there looks at their Bible, and two of them pick theirs up. They all say "God."

,

Their only view of outside. The height from the floor to ceiling is about 30'

 I see them for about an hour and a half on Sunday afternoons. We always chat a little, then we sing. The last two times I have been, a dear sister incarcerated there named Dee has sung for us. She has a beautiful voice. The first time I heard her I just cried! I couldn't help myself.  Her soulful voice reverberated all around us and straight into my heart. I have learned that no instruments are necessary when you are desperate for the Holy Spirit to be there. He brings his own accompaniment.

Dee is a beautiful canary in an ugly cage and God is using her in a mighty way. She is reaching out to the other women there in the jail.  She is a strong believer, our sister, who made one very bad decision. She understands what brought her to this place and she never wants to come back.  Pray for her. She is hoping to be released very soon.

All the windows are bricked up. There is a very small slit at the top.

Our sisters in jail need your prayers. It's so difficult to be there. They are cut off from their family, helpless to comfort their children who miss them, voiceless to explain to their teens how sorry they are, and unable to soothe them when they are angry because Mama wasn't there for Christmas, or their birthday, or high school graduation.

For the most part their life is a wreck. They can't pay their bills, they can't help their parents or husband in any way. They can't go to the funeral of their own mother without wearing handcuffs and shackles and the orange jail clothes. They are escorted by a policeman and that's if they let you out. You can't have broken any rules to be allowed out of jail even for the funeral of your own mother.

They have broken the law and they have hurt people, but they are hurting too. They are crying out to God. Jesus tells us to remember them, to care for them as if we were there. I have been there, it's not a place where you feel cared for. I get to leave, they have to stay for years.

Time is no friend.

Letter from a prisoner

I've done so many things that counted for nothing.I always rebelled against my father, who was a preacher, and grew up believing nothing could touch me.

I started by forging checks. Checks led to credit card crimes. The Feds got me on forgery and possession of marijuana.

But that didn't teach me anything.I still didn't believe anything really bad could happen to me. I got out of prison and decided 9 to 5 work wasn't going to earn me the kind of money I was used to. I was in so much pain, and had so much hurt. I picked up where I left off and got arrested again.

The cycle continued. Out of jail, then back in. And always the same feeling of not being able to forgive myself for shaming my family. I was so tired of my life.

I hit bottom after getting arrested yet again. I wanted to die so badly. I said to God, "You've got to give me something to hold onto because I can't go on."

I opened my Bible after that to Isaiah 54:7-8, and read words that burned into my heart.

 “For a brief moment I abandoned you,
   but with deep compassion I will bring you back.
In a surge of anger
   I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
   I will have compassion on you,”
   says the LORD your Redeemer. 

 

That was the beginning. There were more ups and downs. I had messed up my life from age 24 to38. It was time to stop testing God and to trust him with every part of my life.

 

I'm looking forward to starting over. I really believe my life up until now was orchestrated by God to bring me to him.

 

 

I'm going to serve him after I leave here. There are a lot of young people out there living like I did. God can do the same thing for them that he did for me.

 

I did so many things in my life that counted for nothing. Now my life is filled with joy following him.

 

-Morris Galliard

*Free On The Inside

 

More victory in Angola-

  This is a terrific video from Haven Today. Charles Morris interviews the Lousiana State Penitentiary radio DJ ( an inmate). It's very inspiring.

Warden Burl Cain has made unbelievable improvements there. It is a testimony to what faith in God can do. In my opinion Angola is a model that every prison should follow. Our own  Director, Garry Sims was an inmate there when he first heard the gospel message from Ed Martin, founder of Hope Aglow many, many years ago.


 Pray for Garry, his brother is suffering so much with terminal cancer. He needs our support. Send him an email, let him know you care.
garrysims@earthlink.net

Thanks for reading!