No outside minister came today...
Therefore, being without a chaplain, we were allowed to conduct the entire 90-minute chapel service by ourselves, but under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, of course.
And it was decided that for the main part of the service, various individuals from the congregation would be called to the pulpit, one at a time, to give his testimony of how he came to faith in Christ. It was as well not only an opportunity for each man to glorify the Lord, but to get some hands-on experience at public speaking, as well as how to share one's story of redemption in a clear and concise way, too.
The first prisoner to speak was John. Before becoming a Christian, he had been a practitioner of Wicca (a common form of witchcraft). He's been a believer in the Lord for seven years now.
Next was Saul, a young and very muscular Hispanic man who along with his brother had been a member of the notorious and vicious "MS-13" gang, a gang which originated in Central America and has since spread throughout the United States. Saul and his brother dealt in drugs and violence, where they were highly respected soldiers within the gang, and feared enforcers. But Saul left all this behind to follow Jesus, and his prayer is that his brother will one day do the same.
Then came Sancho, who first read a few verses from Psalm 51 before telling us about his salvation experience. While next, was Tony. He shared about his addiction to narcotics and how drugs led him to lake the life of someone he loved.
And Tony was followed by brother Ortiz, who came to prison at the age of eighteen. Brother Ortiz is doing a sentence of 25-years to life for shooting another drug dealer. Ortiz is now thirty-five years old, and he is grieving because his children are growing up without him. Ortiz, however, boldly declared his victory over Satan and proclaimed his new life in Christ, as well.
Each man spoke for approximately ten minutes. Some spoke loudly and forcefully, while others told their stories in quiet tones. Either way, each one gave a powerful tale of deliverance and redemption through our Lord Jesus Christ. These, I am pleased to say, are some of Sullivan Correctional Facility's soldiers of the cross.
D.B.
And it was decided that for the main part of the service, various individuals from the congregation would be called to the pulpit, one at a time, to give his testimony of how he came to faith in Christ. It was as well not only an opportunity for each man to glorify the Lord, but to get some hands-on experience at public speaking, as well as how to share one's story of redemption in a clear and concise way, too.
The first prisoner to speak was John. Before becoming a Christian, he had been a practitioner of Wicca (a common form of witchcraft). He's been a believer in the Lord for seven years now.
Next was Saul, a young and very muscular Hispanic man who along with his brother had been a member of the notorious and vicious "MS-13" gang, a gang which originated in Central America and has since spread throughout the United States. Saul and his brother dealt in drugs and violence, where they were highly respected soldiers within the gang, and feared enforcers. But Saul left all this behind to follow Jesus, and his prayer is that his brother will one day do the same.
Then came Sancho, who first read a few verses from Psalm 51 before telling us about his salvation experience. While next, was Tony. He shared about his addiction to narcotics and how drugs led him to lake the life of someone he loved.
And Tony was followed by brother Ortiz, who came to prison at the age of eighteen. Brother Ortiz is doing a sentence of 25-years to life for shooting another drug dealer. Ortiz is now thirty-five years old, and he is grieving because his children are growing up without him. Ortiz, however, boldly declared his victory over Satan and proclaimed his new life in Christ, as well.
Each man spoke for approximately ten minutes. Some spoke loudly and forcefully, while others told their stories in quiet tones. Either way, each one gave a powerful tale of deliverance and redemption through our Lord Jesus Christ. These, I am pleased to say, are some of Sullivan Correctional Facility's soldiers of the cross.
D.B.
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