Today is the Jewish holiday known as Purim. Many Jews throughout the world celebrate this holiday by exchanging gifts with family and friends as a reminder of their deliverance from the destructive plot of a man by the name of Haman...
And He (Jesus) said unto them,
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15 A short while ago I finished writing a letter to my friend, Hayato. He is a young man who lives in Midori-City, Japan. Until recently he was of the Buddhist faith... Right now the sun is brightly shining after yesterday's tremendous blizzard. The prison's grounds are covered with piles of snow. And if not for this being a maximum security correctional facility, it would make the perfect scene for one of those classic Norman Rockwell paintings...
It's mid-morning, and I am watching from the window of my prison cell, staring wide-eyed at what looks like a wall of falling snow...
And they brake down the image of Baal,
and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day. II Kings 10:27 The Old Testament is filled with stories of those who worshipped and served pagan deities, and how these gods of the nations tried to compete with the God of Israel. But, as the above Scripture from Second Kings reveals, all the idols of the heathen are as nothing... It was a busy morning once again. Normally I get up every Sunday at five o'clock, although as I get older it takes me longer to roll off my bunk to begin the day...
That at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow... Philippians 2:10 Earlier today a fairly new Christian and I were discussing the ways to grow in one's faith, and how to mature in the grace and knowledge of God... Yesterday I expressed my desire to make some much needed changes in my life. And one of the advantages of passing on the torch of leadership to a fellow prisoner is that I will have more energy for helping the men who have emotional problems, and are in need of special care...
God willing, February 28th is going to be my last and final day as an inmate pastor and worship leader. I will still be active in church, always eager to assist where needed. But all the responsibilities associated with these titles will be over (I hope!)...
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AuthorDavid Berkowitz |