"If the Son of God sets you free, you will be free indeed."
John 8:36
One never knows what to expect when he enters the prison's chapel...
John 8:36
One never knows what to expect when he enters the prison's chapel...
So seeing Pedro walk through the doors was a big surprise. Known as a hardcore drug addict with a history of overdoses, many of us, both staff and inmates, had already written him off as a hopeless case.
But there was one person who never gave up on him, and that was Jesus. Born addicted, as both his parents were heroin addicts, the deck was already stacked against him. Pedro was a poster child for the walking dead. Dirty and disheveled, and always moving in slow motion, no one thought he would ever change for the better.
But here he was. Pedro had signed up to attend our studies. So we welcomed him as he sat with us, while one of the men went and got him a Gideon Bible from off the bookshelf.
Pedro quietly listened and followed along as best he could while on either side of him sat two of our members, each taking turns helping him locate the Scriptures that were being read. And after maybe an hour had passed, Pedro hung his head down and began to cry.
Taking the cue that Pedro needed to hear the Gospel, the brother who was leading the study said, "Hey everyone, lets pray for Pedro right now." So we did. We quickly formed a circle around him, and joined in with our teacher, as we prayed.
Then, moments later, Pedro began to cry intensely. So much so that his chest was heaving. He was, I knew from experience, in the process of being set free. The invisible but very real chains that had him bound with addiction, were being broken. Inside that worn out body a new man was being born.
And after a while, a sweat soaked Pedro sat up in his seat. Although exhausted, he began to smile from ear to ear as the men took turns bending over him, and showering him with words of comfort and encouragement.
Although Pedro was yet to fully understand all that was happening to him on this cold February evening, in a warm and friendly chapel, he was being set free from the power of sin and Satan. The grip of addiction to lethal narcotics was being broken. For the first time Pedro was experiencing real freedom.
And as the class came to a close, we told him that the best is yet to come. For Pedro, a new life has begun. In time, he will see this for himself. Chains of cruel bondage had been cut. A life of failure and misery has come to its end. Hallelujah!
D.B.
But there was one person who never gave up on him, and that was Jesus. Born addicted, as both his parents were heroin addicts, the deck was already stacked against him. Pedro was a poster child for the walking dead. Dirty and disheveled, and always moving in slow motion, no one thought he would ever change for the better.
But here he was. Pedro had signed up to attend our studies. So we welcomed him as he sat with us, while one of the men went and got him a Gideon Bible from off the bookshelf.
Pedro quietly listened and followed along as best he could while on either side of him sat two of our members, each taking turns helping him locate the Scriptures that were being read. And after maybe an hour had passed, Pedro hung his head down and began to cry.
Taking the cue that Pedro needed to hear the Gospel, the brother who was leading the study said, "Hey everyone, lets pray for Pedro right now." So we did. We quickly formed a circle around him, and joined in with our teacher, as we prayed.
Then, moments later, Pedro began to cry intensely. So much so that his chest was heaving. He was, I knew from experience, in the process of being set free. The invisible but very real chains that had him bound with addiction, were being broken. Inside that worn out body a new man was being born.
And after a while, a sweat soaked Pedro sat up in his seat. Although exhausted, he began to smile from ear to ear as the men took turns bending over him, and showering him with words of comfort and encouragement.
Although Pedro was yet to fully understand all that was happening to him on this cold February evening, in a warm and friendly chapel, he was being set free from the power of sin and Satan. The grip of addiction to lethal narcotics was being broken. For the first time Pedro was experiencing real freedom.
And as the class came to a close, we told him that the best is yet to come. For Pedro, a new life has begun. In time, he will see this for himself. Chains of cruel bondage had been cut. A life of failure and misery has come to its end. Hallelujah!
D.B.