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March 1998 New Horizons

Prisoners of Hope

 

Contents

Prisoners of Hope

The Touchable

Curse or Consecrate

A Vision for the Ministry of Mercy

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Prisoners of Hope

As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you, I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit. Return to your fortress, 0 prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you. (Zech. 9:11-12) How grateful I am to the Lord Jesus Christ that he would have me share in the work of his kingdom, particularly in prison ministry! How I Got Involved I began prison ministry several years ago when I was casually invited to East Jersey State Prison (EJSP) by my pastor. That evening, I gave my testimony to the inmates there. They were overjoyed to have other Christians come and share the love and power of Jesus Christ with them. I remember vividly the words of one of the inmates that evening: "Many people have forgotten us behind these walls-even our own families. People think that there are only animals in here, but they need to know that Jesus Christ has changed some of us! He's given us new life! We're not the same anymore. We were animals once, but now we're ... Read more

The Touchable

I am new to the Reformed faith. Since my conversion, I have noticed a great need that I believe is not being adequately met by the Reformed circle of believers (at least here in Oklahoma). Being a new believer, I asked a friend who is not, "Why are the prisoners left untouched?" (That is, why is there minimal, if any, involvement in the lives of incarcerated or released persons by Reformed churches?) This guy has been a Reformed Christian for twenty-five years. I thought he would know. His answers, though plausible, left me asking myself the same question. At length, I came up with some answers. To start with, the prisons are full of people who have committed heinous crimes. Murderers, rapists, child molesters, and even bogus check writers fill the state prisons. You know what they are like. You watch the news. It's best they are left alone. Prisoners also have a reputation for "mistaking kindness for weakness." They are habitual users of people. Their sins are so shameful, they would probably rather ... Read more

Curse or Consecrate

Conflict can be seen in two ways that are fundamentally different. One way is to look at it as an inevitable negative experience that we should simply endure. The other view of conflict sees it as an opportunity that God can use to accomplish much good. How I Got Involved One of my earliest insights into this dichotomy occurred just before I graduated from law school. After three years of legal study, I realized that I had little desire to practice law. My first love was still engineering, and I missed the problem-solving challenges of my original profession. In addition, I had come to realize that the adversarial legal system brought out my worst characteristics, including pride, aggressiveness, and a compelling desire to win arguments. I had a growing fear that if I spent much time in the legal system, this side of my personality would grow even worse. So there I was, just a few months from graduation, trying to figure out what to do with a degree and a profession I no longer wanted. The more I ... Read more

A Vision for the Ministry of Mercy

What if federal, state, and local social programs were to shut down? How well would Presbyterian and evangelical churches be able to handle such a crisis? It would not be a pretty picture! Sadly, I might thank the Lord for the existence of liberal churches and parachurch organizations if such a scenario unfolded. The sad fact is that Orthodox Presbyterian churches are poorly positioned to identify social trends, blueprint a comprehensive plan for a ministry of mercy, and implement such service as commanded by our Lord. My People Are Lost without a Vision What do you do with an affluent, suburban church whose social and economic discernment is sheltered by relative prosperity and stability? No one is doing crack cocaine at the corner. No one is spray painting the church walls. Guns are not sounding in the middle of the night. The divine blessing of localized peace and prosperity is quite tranquilizing and soothing. Before you know it, the church is asleep! Oh, on occasion there is a knock at the ... Read more

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