I was asked by a friend, Reverend Don DeYoung, who is a pastor of a church and is also active in prison ministry, to write a message of encouragement to inmates in the state of Michigan. Therefore, anyone who is now reading this short inspirational message is welcome to print it, share it, and pass it on...
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Don't Give Up!
Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things
are become new.
II Corinthians 5:17
To you who are incarcerated, and to anyone who is reading this message, I greet you in Jesus' wonderful name. Thank you for the opportunity to give a shout out for the Lord. Like you, I am in prison. I've been locked up for 32 years. It hasn't been an easy road, not even as a Christian. I've been a believer in Christ for twenty-two years. And while I have my day-to-day challenges, facing these giants with Jesus on my side assures me the victory. For as the Bible boldly proclaims, I am "more than a conqueror" through Jesus Christ who loves me (Romans 8:37).
In fact, after all these years, I am now beginning to better comprehend the truth of this Scripture verse. As it is one thing to simply quote a particular passage from the Bible, but it is something altogether different when a man believes it without any doubt.
And with this said, I want to encourage you to keep your eyes on Jesus. In my years of imprisonment I have seen both the good and the bad. I've witnessed lots of evil. It's all around me. But I have also seen God doing many good and amazing things in the lives of my brothers in Christ, many of whom are "lifers."
I am seeing that nothing it too hard for the Lord (Jeremiah 32:27). Furthermore, where sin abounds (as it most surely does behind the walls), grace abounds all the more. As it says in one translation, "Where sin fills up, grace overflows the more (Romans 5:20, The Berkeley Version)." So no matter what you're facing right now, God loves you. He will never stop loving you. And He is with you even when you don't feel Him.
Friends, I can say from experience, that we who are locked up have to deal with levels of hurt, pain and disappointment that, unless someone has done prison time, he won't understand it. He cannot relate to some of the things you're going through. Truly there are days when I have a deep anguish and an inner pain that is so acute, I cannot put it into words. You know what I'm talking about - feelings of guilt as well as crushing loneliness, thoughts of being a failure in the eyes of my family, as well as in the eyes of society, then comes the depression and despair because I miss my loved ones. The list goes on.
For those of you who have children, it's even harder. It hurts knowing your children are growing up without you, and that you cannot be with them. And some of you have lost custody of your kids. You don't even know where they are, or if, after a number of years, they will even remember you. And this tremendous sense of grief and loss is made even worse because, as men who have broken the law, we know that all our pain is self-inflicted. We didn't have to come here.
Yet through faith in Jesus Christ we can overcome all these negative things. We can be free of condemnation, and by His grace and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, we can, even now, be living in the "newness of life."
Yes, Jesus can make our lives brand new, if we will allow Him to. From the moment we repent of our sins and placed our faith in Him, this process has already begun. But now we are to walk in this freedom and liberty.
Of course these changes may be subtle, at first. But they are real, nonetheless. God can turn things around. So keep your hope in the Lord. Trust in Him even when fierce personal storms come your way. For I know the Lord will give you the strength to endure.
Brothers, you're in my prayers. Jesus is with us. He is close to the brokenhearted. He hears your cries, and the Lord will not reject you. Therefore do not despair. Don't give up! As it says in Psalm 62:5, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him."
God bless you
Your brother in Hope,
David Berkowitz
Don't Give Up!
Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things
are become new.
II Corinthians 5:17
To you who are incarcerated, and to anyone who is reading this message, I greet you in Jesus' wonderful name. Thank you for the opportunity to give a shout out for the Lord. Like you, I am in prison. I've been locked up for 32 years. It hasn't been an easy road, not even as a Christian. I've been a believer in Christ for twenty-two years. And while I have my day-to-day challenges, facing these giants with Jesus on my side assures me the victory. For as the Bible boldly proclaims, I am "more than a conqueror" through Jesus Christ who loves me (Romans 8:37).
In fact, after all these years, I am now beginning to better comprehend the truth of this Scripture verse. As it is one thing to simply quote a particular passage from the Bible, but it is something altogether different when a man believes it without any doubt.
And with this said, I want to encourage you to keep your eyes on Jesus. In my years of imprisonment I have seen both the good and the bad. I've witnessed lots of evil. It's all around me. But I have also seen God doing many good and amazing things in the lives of my brothers in Christ, many of whom are "lifers."
I am seeing that nothing it too hard for the Lord (Jeremiah 32:27). Furthermore, where sin abounds (as it most surely does behind the walls), grace abounds all the more. As it says in one translation, "Where sin fills up, grace overflows the more (Romans 5:20, The Berkeley Version)." So no matter what you're facing right now, God loves you. He will never stop loving you. And He is with you even when you don't feel Him.
Friends, I can say from experience, that we who are locked up have to deal with levels of hurt, pain and disappointment that, unless someone has done prison time, he won't understand it. He cannot relate to some of the things you're going through. Truly there are days when I have a deep anguish and an inner pain that is so acute, I cannot put it into words. You know what I'm talking about - feelings of guilt as well as crushing loneliness, thoughts of being a failure in the eyes of my family, as well as in the eyes of society, then comes the depression and despair because I miss my loved ones. The list goes on.
For those of you who have children, it's even harder. It hurts knowing your children are growing up without you, and that you cannot be with them. And some of you have lost custody of your kids. You don't even know where they are, or if, after a number of years, they will even remember you. And this tremendous sense of grief and loss is made even worse because, as men who have broken the law, we know that all our pain is self-inflicted. We didn't have to come here.
Yet through faith in Jesus Christ we can overcome all these negative things. We can be free of condemnation, and by His grace and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, we can, even now, be living in the "newness of life."
Yes, Jesus can make our lives brand new, if we will allow Him to. From the moment we repent of our sins and placed our faith in Him, this process has already begun. But now we are to walk in this freedom and liberty.
Of course these changes may be subtle, at first. But they are real, nonetheless. God can turn things around. So keep your hope in the Lord. Trust in Him even when fierce personal storms come your way. For I know the Lord will give you the strength to endure.
Brothers, you're in my prayers. Jesus is with us. He is close to the brokenhearted. He hears your cries, and the Lord will not reject you. Therefore do not despair. Don't give up! As it says in Psalm 62:5, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him."
God bless you
Your brother in Hope,
David Berkowitz
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