Remember how short my time is.... What man is he that liveth, and shall
not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.
Psalm 89:47-48
It is now about ten o'clock in the morning...
not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.
Psalm 89:47-48
It is now about ten o'clock in the morning...
Today I got up early to pray, and then I listened to the news reports that were coming in after the first day of military strikes in Afghanistan. Like many of the inmates here, and like many people in America, I have been closely following these events.
At the same time, we prisoners are not exempt from our own personal tragedies and times of solemnity. For instance, this morning just before breakfast one of the food setup workers, whom I've known for years, suffered a massive heart attack and died while unloading a food cart.
Chip had been in prison for more than twenty-five years. He was a chain smoker who rolled his own cigarettes, and his cell never seemed to be without plumes of gray smoke. And yet he was a polite, quiet, well-liked man, known among the inmates as an "old timer." Although he was only in his fifties, the many years he had been confined (about the same number of years as my own confinement so far) classified him as an elder in the system.
Shortly after breakfast, a corrections officer, who happens to be a Christian, came to my cell to ask if Chip had been a believer in Jesus Christ. This guard is a very decent man, and it was obvious that he was shaken up by what happened, especially since Chip had died right in front of him. Unfortunately, I could offer no clear answer regarding Chip's spiritual state at the time of his death. I could only hope and pray that he received Jesus as Savior before it was too late.
In addition to Chip's death, we had another incident just yesterday morning when an inmate named Julio called home, only to discover that his mother had passed away the day before. Julio was understandably devastated. Fortunately, he and I were able to pray together before I had to go to the chapel for the Sunday morning service. Julio has had some suicide attempts in the past that were serious enough to require medical attention, and even confinement to a psychiatric hospital for a time, so I will continue to pray for him and check up on him whenever I can. Some of the other prisoners are also pitching in to try to help Julio cope with his loss, bringing him coffee or food, and offering words of encouragement and consolation.
Between the war in the Middle East and the threat of more terrorist attacks on America, Chip's sudden death, and Julio's losing his mom, this has indeed been a solemn day. With a pall of death in the air, my scripture readings for this morning from Psalms 89 and 90 have been especially relevant, for the Bible teaches that man is born with a sin nature and is therefore spiritually and eternally dead. While this may sound negative and hopeless, it is not. The Lord Jesus came to reveal to us that it is this very sin nature that necessitates what He called being "born again." Only a supernatural new birth can give new and eternal life to those who are dead, and it is that new birth that enables us to have a personal relationship with our Creator.
Through this divine act of being born again, all of our sins are forgiven and removed. This allows us to be put into good standing with God, and to be able to come near to Him, for no sinners can stand in His holy presence.
Furthermore, because of this new birth, the eternal death penalty that hangs over every one of us, because of sin, can be taken away forever. What a blessing! And this is what the well-known scripture of John 3:16 is all about: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
In this world of seemingly never-ending bad news and stories of suffering and sorrow, it is refreshing to know that God's great plan of salvation is available to any and all who want to receive it. The Lord loves His creation. He cares about our welfare and our eternal destiny, and He wants us to spend eternity with Him in heaven, not with the devil in hell. God gave His sinless Son to die in our place, and He offers complete forgiveness to all who place their faith in Jesus. This salvation is a free gift because it has already been purchased by the precious blood of God's Son.
This brings me back to the thoughts and questions in Psalm 89. Our time on this earth is so short; who will not see death? All of us will see and experience it. Who shall have his soul delivered from the grave and the eternal punishment for sin? All who place their faith in Jesus Christ will know that deliverance, for such people need no longer fear death.
D.B.
At the same time, we prisoners are not exempt from our own personal tragedies and times of solemnity. For instance, this morning just before breakfast one of the food setup workers, whom I've known for years, suffered a massive heart attack and died while unloading a food cart.
Chip had been in prison for more than twenty-five years. He was a chain smoker who rolled his own cigarettes, and his cell never seemed to be without plumes of gray smoke. And yet he was a polite, quiet, well-liked man, known among the inmates as an "old timer." Although he was only in his fifties, the many years he had been confined (about the same number of years as my own confinement so far) classified him as an elder in the system.
Shortly after breakfast, a corrections officer, who happens to be a Christian, came to my cell to ask if Chip had been a believer in Jesus Christ. This guard is a very decent man, and it was obvious that he was shaken up by what happened, especially since Chip had died right in front of him. Unfortunately, I could offer no clear answer regarding Chip's spiritual state at the time of his death. I could only hope and pray that he received Jesus as Savior before it was too late.
In addition to Chip's death, we had another incident just yesterday morning when an inmate named Julio called home, only to discover that his mother had passed away the day before. Julio was understandably devastated. Fortunately, he and I were able to pray together before I had to go to the chapel for the Sunday morning service. Julio has had some suicide attempts in the past that were serious enough to require medical attention, and even confinement to a psychiatric hospital for a time, so I will continue to pray for him and check up on him whenever I can. Some of the other prisoners are also pitching in to try to help Julio cope with his loss, bringing him coffee or food, and offering words of encouragement and consolation.
Between the war in the Middle East and the threat of more terrorist attacks on America, Chip's sudden death, and Julio's losing his mom, this has indeed been a solemn day. With a pall of death in the air, my scripture readings for this morning from Psalms 89 and 90 have been especially relevant, for the Bible teaches that man is born with a sin nature and is therefore spiritually and eternally dead. While this may sound negative and hopeless, it is not. The Lord Jesus came to reveal to us that it is this very sin nature that necessitates what He called being "born again." Only a supernatural new birth can give new and eternal life to those who are dead, and it is that new birth that enables us to have a personal relationship with our Creator.
Through this divine act of being born again, all of our sins are forgiven and removed. This allows us to be put into good standing with God, and to be able to come near to Him, for no sinners can stand in His holy presence.
Furthermore, because of this new birth, the eternal death penalty that hangs over every one of us, because of sin, can be taken away forever. What a blessing! And this is what the well-known scripture of John 3:16 is all about: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
In this world of seemingly never-ending bad news and stories of suffering and sorrow, it is refreshing to know that God's great plan of salvation is available to any and all who want to receive it. The Lord loves His creation. He cares about our welfare and our eternal destiny, and He wants us to spend eternity with Him in heaven, not with the devil in hell. God gave His sinless Son to die in our place, and He offers complete forgiveness to all who place their faith in Jesus. This salvation is a free gift because it has already been purchased by the precious blood of God's Son.
This brings me back to the thoughts and questions in Psalm 89. Our time on this earth is so short; who will not see death? All of us will see and experience it. Who shall have his soul delivered from the grave and the eternal punishment for sin? All who place their faith in Jesus Christ will know that deliverance, for such people need no longer fear death.
D.B.