“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it, labor in vain.”
Psalm 127:1 ESV
The “church” is not a building…
Psalm 127:1 ESV
The “church” is not a building…
It's a family of people who have a love for God, and a love for one another. It consists of a gathering of those who believe that Messiah Jesus is Savior and Lord, and that He is the Son of God. And it's in this place where He has chosen to build a congregation of like-minded men who love Him and want to serve Him with joy and gladness of heart.
But the task to build a church consisting of repentant men is not easy. For in this environment, opposition can surface at any time, and it sometimes does. Be it distrust, ignorance, prejudice, or something else, prison officials are not always welcoming and accepting, not even with allowing for a seemingly innocuous “house of worship” to exist.
Nevertheless, in my forty-eight years of incarceration, prison officials will for the most part allow for a Christian community to be established. While in some facilities, however, there will be more restrictions when it comes to “worship services” and Bible studies. Yet at other prisons the rules of operation will be more lenient.
But either way, it takes lots of prayer and patience to build a vibrant, loving, welcoming and sustaining fellowship in a correctional setting. And while not all of a particular prison's staff will like the idea of having a “church” behind the walls, over time, I have seen those who were reluctant and even hostile to such a group, become more accepting of it when they saw a genuine Holy Spirit fellowship in operation.
“For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37 KJV).
D.B.
But the task to build a church consisting of repentant men is not easy. For in this environment, opposition can surface at any time, and it sometimes does. Be it distrust, ignorance, prejudice, or something else, prison officials are not always welcoming and accepting, not even with allowing for a seemingly innocuous “house of worship” to exist.
Nevertheless, in my forty-eight years of incarceration, prison officials will for the most part allow for a Christian community to be established. While in some facilities, however, there will be more restrictions when it comes to “worship services” and Bible studies. Yet at other prisons the rules of operation will be more lenient.
But either way, it takes lots of prayer and patience to build a vibrant, loving, welcoming and sustaining fellowship in a correctional setting. And while not all of a particular prison's staff will like the idea of having a “church” behind the walls, over time, I have seen those who were reluctant and even hostile to such a group, become more accepting of it when they saw a genuine Holy Spirit fellowship in operation.
“For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37 KJV).
D.B.