<![CDATA[AriseandShine.org - November 2011]]>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 20:14:44 -0600Weebly<![CDATA[Preparing for Retirement]]>Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:06:54 GMThttps://www.ariseandshine.org/november-2011/preparing-for-retirementBeing that I have been in prison for thirty-four years, I think it is both wise and practical that I begin to prepare for my retirement...
After this long a time working at various prison jobs, if any citizen on the outside had been working for someone for this length of time, he'd probably be retired by now.

At present, I have two different jobs that I do. In the morning, I work as a porter/janitor. The job provides me with some exercise, which is a plus. But I only make two dollars per week doing it. While, for my afternoon work assignment, which I actually love doing, I am employed as a "program guide" for the men who suffer from various mental health issues, and are considered to have developmental disabilities as well. And for this specialty job, I receive top pay, which is $3.87 per week. This comes to $5.87 per week for both jobs combined.

So the way I figure it, at this rate I should be able to retire in about 2,500 years. I'll be very old by then. But, hopefully, Social Security will still be around in a couple of millenniums from now. If not, then what am I going to live on?

D.B.
]]><![CDATA[They that Wait Upon the Lord]]>Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:04:01 GMThttps://www.ariseandshine.org/november-2011/they-that-wait-upon-the-lordBut they that wait upon the Lord
​shall renew their strength... 
Isaiah 40:31a

As November comes to a close, I am still undergoing a period of physical tiredness...
I know this has occurred because of my tendency to take on too much, and the difficulty I often have when it comes to saying no. But this is changing. I've been getting better at discerning what God wants me to do, as opposed to what well-meaning people want. It's a learning process, and Christ has been a patient teacher.

And with this said, I continue to wait upon the Lord to renew my strength as well as rekindle the Holy Ghost's inner fire, which until only a few years ago, burned much hotter than it does today. But this too is changing. And for the better!

D.B.
]]><![CDATA[Yard Time]]>Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:00:07 GMThttps://www.ariseandshine.org/november-2011/yard-timeCome and see what our God has
done, what awesome miracles
​He does for His people. 
Psalm 66:5 NLT

Because we're on what is called a "limited program schedule" due to the long Thanksgiving weekend... 
I walked around the yard's perimeter for a while with a friend from church. Then I got chosen into a basketball game with five other men. We played three against three, and I didn't do very well. I got winded quickly, as it has been a long time since I played any fast-moving sports games.

Several of these same guys would occasionally attend chapel services. But I cannot say if any of them are truly born again, in that none have ever shown much interest in Christ. Nevertheless, it was fun playing with five younger men, and trying to keep up with them, which I could not do!

On a serious note, however, my heart aches when I come into contact with fellow inmates who either express no interest or only a casual interest in wanting to know God. In spite of the often told untruth that "Everyone finds religion in prison." the reality is that few do. Yet for those who become followers of the Lord, miracles happen for them. I see it all the time. God cares for those who love Him.

D.B.
]]><![CDATA[Thanksgiving]]>Thu, 24 Nov 2011 23:57:50 GMThttps://www.ariseandshine.org/november-2011/thanksgivingIn every thing give thanks:
for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you. 
1 Thessalonians 5:18

I have been reminded by the Lord Himself to be thankful for all things...
Being that today is the Thanksgiving holiday, my friends and I had our own special meal. It was simple fare, but it was good. We chipped in with various items we purchased from the prison's commissary. The best part, however, was the fellowship - four men sitting down to eat a quiet meal together. While we didn't have fresh turkey, as New York State's prison officials stopped giving special holiday meals to the inmates long ago, what my friends and I prepared for ourselves was just fine.

Besides, I have been seeing articles in the local newspapers about the big increase in the number of those now going hungry. The local food pantries and soup kitchens, as various reports declare, cannot keep up with the demand as more people lose their jobs. Or for those who are still employed, the rising prices of many food items are making it difficult to provide one's family with a balanced meal that's affordable.

Some of the articles also mentioned that these days the soup kitchens and feeding stations in Sullivan County have had to turn people away when the food runs out. Knowing this has caused me to be humbled, and to become more thankful for what I have. While prison food is not the best, at least I have food to put in my stomach.

D.B.
]]><![CDATA[Communion Sunday]]>Sun, 20 Nov 2011 23:55:47 GMThttps://www.ariseandshine.org/november-2011/communion-sundayToday's chapel service went smoothly. My assistant, brother Philip, helped me to do the Communion... 
He and I served the bread (matzo) and wine (grape juice), the elements which for us represented the Lord's broken body, and His shed Blood. Then, one of the elders of our congregation, brother Richard, gave the sermon. In addition, our choir sang an array of praise and worship songs.

But before all these things occurred, I had to open the service by leading the congregation in prayer. And among the many needs we brought before God's throne of grace was a request for healing for one of our members who'd recently been diagnosed with lung cancer. We also prayed for our brothers and sisters in Christ, who are at present suffering persecution in His Name.

Then, as our service came to a close, an altar call brought about 20 to 25 men forward to the front of the chapel where we provided prayers for salvation for those who wanted to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, as well as prayers for anyone who had another need. It was a good day.

D.B.
]]><![CDATA[Acts of Kindness]]>Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:53:55 GMThttps://www.ariseandshine.org/november-2011/acts-of-kindnessThere's no shortage of people in prison who need words of hope and encouragement...
This is a very oppressive atmosphere that's often times charged with lots of negative vibes. The holidays don't help the overall mood of the men, either. With Thanksgiving approaching, I am seeing more faces showing signs of despondency than usual. Seasons that usually bring joy and excitement to those on the outside, mean enhanced feelings of loneliness and isolation for the incarcerated.

This is to be expected, however. After all, prisons are meant to be places of punishment. Being isolated from one's family is one form of punishment a man must endure. And I am not exempt from experiencing the same feelings, as I miss loved ones just like everyone else.

Nevertheless, I am thankful for the assurance from the Scriptures that the Lord Jesus Christ will never leave nor forsake me. And I have the Holy Spirit to comfort me as well.

Yet, the holidays also mean more opportunities for me to show kindness and compassion to my fellow inmates. This could be giving someone a kind word, a smile, a postage stamp, so he could write a letter to his family, or offering to pray for his loved ones.

In this environment, doing acts of kindness in the name of the Lord can go a long way.

D.B.
]]><![CDATA[Tea Time]]>Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:52:10 GMThttps://www.ariseandshine.org/november-2011/tea-timeI just spent several hours sitting at my little table-top writing letters to several friends in Australia, and also to friends in Turkey and Great Britain...
I've been trying to catch up on my correspondence and get all my overseas letters into the mail, so they will, hopefully, arrive before Christmas.

And one of these letters was to my friend, Grace. She's been writing to me regularly - at least several times per year - since she and her late husband, Alfred, first saw me being interviewed by Larry King when he was with CNN. Devout and loving Christians, Grace and Alfred always brought many words of encouragement in their letters.

Presently, Grace lives in a nursing home, which in Australia are referred to as "aged care facilities." I think this term is more appropriate; I do not care for the term nursing home.

And one thing Australians love, as do the British, is their time for "tea and biscuits." A hot cup of strong tea is their standard mid-afternoon tonic. In many of her letters, Grace would invite me for tea. I would have to pass, of course. She would also tell me which of her friends showed up for tea, and what they talked about. Not very interesting. But I was very fortunate to have such kind and decent friends who love me, and who best of all love God.

D.B.
]]><![CDATA[Jerusalem]]>Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:50:27 GMThttps://www.ariseandshine.org/november-2011/jerusalemPray for the peace of Jerusalem:
​they shall prosper that love thee. 
Psalm 122:6

Jerusalem is the city of peace. But war could be near...
With the United States preparing to withdraw our troops from Iraq - sadly to perhaps leave the job half done, as we did in Vietnam - Iran will now be open to carrying out some kind of assault against Iraq; both nations have long been enemies. With the United States military and NATO forces gone, whatever buffer zone their presence created will be gone, too. Bent on making nuclear weapons, and eventually using them against Israel, which the Iranian government has brazenly threatened to do many times, a major war between Israel and Iran may become a reality. And other nations may join in as well.

Therefore, if anything is needed now, it is prayer for Israel and the Arab nations. War may be inevitable because Bible prophesy must be fulfilled. But in spite of this, God still wants to save souls. Amen!

D.B.
]]><![CDATA[A Terror to the Devil]]>Fri, 04 Nov 2011 22:48:37 GMThttps://www.ariseandshine.org/november-2011/a-terror-to-the-devilFirst, I thank my God through Jesus
Christ for you all, that ​your faith is
​spoken of throughout the whole world. 
Romans 1:8

Yesterday, I wrote about the media and a new wave of recent articles and television programs that treat me with disdain and contempt...
And I gave two general reasons why this is so. Some hate me for my past, while still others despise me for being a disciple of Jesus Christ today. But there is, I believe, yet another reason for such hatred, and one would need some knowledge of how things work in the spiritual realm to fully grasp where such animosity comes from.

My gut feeling tells me that a big breakthrough is about to happen for me. The Lord knows how, in my 24 years of serving Him, how much I love to share my story, of redemption and hope through faith in Jesus Christ, with everyone. Satan hates this. He fumes whenever Christ is lifted up before mankind. He gripes and complains to his demon cohorts whenever Jesus chooses to use a man like myself, who was once a miserable wretch of a human being.

Frankly, I am a terror to the devil, as is any Christian who wants to win souls. Well, too bad for him. Satan should have killed me when he had the chance. God, however, did not allow this to happen.

D.B.
]]><![CDATA[Something is Coming]]>Thu, 03 Nov 2011 22:46:29 GMThttps://www.ariseandshine.org/november-2011/something-is-comingIn a recent letter from a friend, I was reminded that my writing needs to be primary now... It so happens, as well, that lately I have been taking a lot of hits (attacks) from the media.
It so happens, as well, that lately I have been taking a lot of hits (attacks) from the media. I find it surprising that such is the case, as I have been locked up for almost thirty-five years. One would think the media would be tired of chasing me. But the Bible says, "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hates you" (1 John 3:13). I could say amen to this! I am hated as a result of my criminal past, and because I love and serve Jesus Christ.

Yet in spite of whatever daily hardships I encounter, the Lord continues to fill my heart with His joy, peace, power and love. In addition, He keeps pruning me so that I can bear spiritual fruit. And as my friend also reminded me, along with the pruning process comes much pain. You cannot separate one from the other. Besides, I believe the Lord is preparing me for a task still ahead.

D.B.
]]><![CDATA[Sound the Alarm]]>Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:44:42 GMThttps://www.ariseandshine.org/november-2011/sound-the-alarmBlow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my
holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
​for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand. 
Joel 2:1

This year is soon coming to its end. I hope that, in whatever time I have left on this earth... 
I can become a more spiritually productive Christian than I am now. For this is a very crucial time in history. I believe that, as far as the church is concerned, our cry should be "All hands on deck!" Every disciple of Christ should be engaged in some form of godly work, and in some aspect of service to the Lord, especially with regard to prayer. It is not a time for idleness or indifference because God wants to use His people as part of His divine plan.

As the prophet Joel declares, "Sound the alarm in God's holy mountain." Yes, there is an alarm to sound. It is an alarm to awaken a sleeping church, and to call us to arm ourselves with the Word of God (the Bible), and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. It is also an alarm for a holy people to rise up and to live in such a way so as to bring glory to our God, and not shame.

There is an alarm to sound, as well, to announce that judgment is coming upon the world, and it is to begin in the church itself. "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:17)

Indeed, there is an alarm to sound so that the world might be warned, in spite of the open mockery it tries to make of this truth; that Jesus Christ is coming again. He is coming not only to judge the world in holy righteousness, but to rule it with a "rod of iron" (Psalm 2:8-12 and Revelation 19:15).

Sound the alarm, therefore. Sound it loudly and clearly. Alert the church that our time left on this earth is precious, and it is limited. It is not a time to waste on religious frivolities. It is an exceedingly dangerous time for the church because many false doctrines abound now which seek to shipwreck many in the body of Christ. Likewise, it is a perilous time for the United States of America, too, as greed, corruption, and the threat of economic collapse may cause social unrest and anarchy, and the same is true for the entire world.

Yes, sound the alarm. Sound it to remind the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ not to grow weary in well doing, but to pick up our crosses daily, grab our Bibles, and determine within our hearts to follow the Lamb of God to the very end. Sound the alarm. "All hands on deck!" Amen

D.B.
]]><![CDATA[My Hope]]>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:42:05 GMThttps://www.ariseandshine.org/november-2011/my-hopeRedeeming the time,
​because the days are evil. 
Ephesians 5:16

My hope and prayer is that, somehow, my testimony will help point a young person away from drugs, gangs, and crime...
Ever since the Lord first touched my heart some twenty-four years ago, I have a burning desire to share my story of forgiveness and redemption, through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, with as many as I can, thereby keeping them from going down the same path I had been on. This was a path of pain and much grief.

D.B.

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