As I was walking into the Chapel this Sunday morning to attend our worship service...
...one of the prison's chaplains called me aside. He gave me the news that Jim passed away. I had been covering his story in my Journal. Please see my entries for January 18th and 23rd, and then February 2nd.
The 2nd of February was the last day I had seen Jim alive. By God's hand, I believe, we met in the corridor on this early February day for me to get the chance to speak with Jim once more. He was very sick.
His death was inevitable. I know I tried my best, as a Christian, to share the gospel with this dying man, to encourage Jim, and even plead with him to repent and to believe in Jesus. Other Christians had been doing the same. So, at least spiritually, he was not neglected. All the brethren gave him lots of love.
The day I last saw Jim, I said a prayer and placed him in the hands of the Lord. I had seen him deteriorating a little each time. And although I had expected this, the news still hit me hard.
After thanking the chaplain for being concerned enough to tell me, I went into the worship service. I prayed for Jim's family, of course. For even though he was, like me, a convicted felon, Jim still had an elderly mother who loved him, and others too.
I am not going to give a "glowing report" that Jim got "born again" and that he died with a smile on his face. I thank God for the stories I sometimes hear about deathbed conversions. However, in this case I simply do not know.
But when I get to Glory Land, if I happen to see old Jim, I am going to be very happy. All his suffering would have been worth it in the end, if God somehow used Jim's sickness to get his attention and to bring him to his knees (1 Corinthians 15:50-58).
D.B.
The 2nd of February was the last day I had seen Jim alive. By God's hand, I believe, we met in the corridor on this early February day for me to get the chance to speak with Jim once more. He was very sick.
His death was inevitable. I know I tried my best, as a Christian, to share the gospel with this dying man, to encourage Jim, and even plead with him to repent and to believe in Jesus. Other Christians had been doing the same. So, at least spiritually, he was not neglected. All the brethren gave him lots of love.
The day I last saw Jim, I said a prayer and placed him in the hands of the Lord. I had seen him deteriorating a little each time. And although I had expected this, the news still hit me hard.
After thanking the chaplain for being concerned enough to tell me, I went into the worship service. I prayed for Jim's family, of course. For even though he was, like me, a convicted felon, Jim still had an elderly mother who loved him, and others too.
I am not going to give a "glowing report" that Jim got "born again" and that he died with a smile on his face. I thank God for the stories I sometimes hear about deathbed conversions. However, in this case I simply do not know.
But when I get to Glory Land, if I happen to see old Jim, I am going to be very happy. All his suffering would have been worth it in the end, if God somehow used Jim's sickness to get his attention and to bring him to his knees (1 Corinthians 15:50-58).
D.B.