When I learned to place myself into the stories in the Bible, it became more than faith and instruction, it brought closeness and comfort on a deeper level than I ever thought possible.
Once I started reading the Bible with this thought in mind, I was overwhelmed by how many of the things that I was going through was actually located within its pages.
It seemed as if each story started to make sense to me and I could identify people, places, and things that were exactly the same now as they were then, which is how the journey of this book began.
Lately, my heart has been turned to the fathers of our community and the staggering statistics regarding their incarceration. Because of that I have been praying more for guidance, understanding, and a renewed sense of hope that I am in the world at this time to fulfill the assignment that God gave me over forty years ago, which is to pastor a church where Jesus makes families whole [complete, intact, sound, and in one piece].
During a time of prayer for the community around our church, I realized that something was missing. The more I prayed, the more I felt like my prayer was missing something and the more I prayed for families, the more I realized that there is no whole [complete, intact, sound, and in one piece] family without you!
You are a core part of our community; our family and God wants you just as whole today as He did before you were incarcerated. And just because you are in this system doesn’t mean that God has or ever will forget about you.
As a matter of fact, He understands where this journey has taken you, more than you realize. And I can prove it to you.
“For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin.” (Hebrews 4:15 AMP)
The Bible is riddled with individuals who have been entangled in the criminal justice system of their time in one way or another too. But in each instance, we can see God active in their lives in while in prison.
I began to recount those individuals in the Bible who have been sentence for a crime. Some for rebellion against the laws of society, while others completely innocent of the charges against them.
A few of the stories that captured my attention and the reality of what was happening in each one.
- Joseph was a captive and later imprisoned because of a lie. (Read Genesis 37:12-36 and Genesis 39:19-21)
- David was on the run and lived in caves as a fugitive. (Read 1 Samuel 22:1-28; Psalm 142:1)
- Daniel sentence to death by lion for disobeying the law. (Read Daniel 6)
- His friends, three Hebrews also sentenced to death for disobeying the law. (Read Daniel 3)
- John was jailed and executed. (Read Matthew 14)
- Peter was imprisoned and sentenced. (Read Acts 12)
- Paul was imprisoned multiple times (considered a repeat offender), sentenced and eventually executed for disobeying the law. (Read Acts 16:16-40, Acts 21:11-28 and Acts 22:24-30), and 2 Timothy 2:9, 4:6-8)
And then there was Jesus, who was arrested, interrogated, experienced being a defendant in a trial, stood in a court proceeding as He was sentenced, and had that sentence carried out in a very public and humiliating execution. He touched every level of the courts after he was arrested.
- He was taken to the local court first (high priest).
- He was sent to state court (Pontius Pilate).
- Then to the federal courts (King Herod).
Remember, “…at all points…”
He didn’t leave one area unaddressed in the life of an incarcerated man or woman. Because He has stood where you are standing. He was separated from His mother, siblings, family, and friends.
After He was arrested, He too had people walk away that had pledged to be there forever, no matter what. But as soon as the journey or love and loyalty looked harder than expected, they turned, and ran away. It’s an agonizing feeling; and He knows it.
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not,
nor be afraid of them:
for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee;
he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”
(Deuteronomy 31:6)
He had to walk where you walked, stand where you stood, and feel what you felt. Otherwise, you wouldn’t believe Him when He speaks to you. However, His commitment to connect with you didn’t stop there. After His death He doesn’t just lay around in the grave waiting to rise from the dead so that humanity could have a holiday to celebrate.
He takes that time to go to prison/hell where the souls of man are locked away, unable to be free. Why does He do that? Because He is freedom and life personified. And of everything He did on this earth, He did it to win your freedom from the captivity of the wicked one.
He did that all of that for you.
“…the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed…”
(Luke 4: 18 NKJV)
Prisoners fall into all these categories. ALL of them.
He came to restore the family and He would not [could not] start until He opened the door to freedom through the surrender of His death and the power of His life.
And today, the door to freedom is open to you. Spiritual freedom even while incarcerated opens the door to liberty for you, your family, and your community. You see, you can still have a positive impact on in life and on society as a whole. All you need is access to an open door!
Every captive has to walk through a door to freedom, because any other way is illegal and brings additional bondages and consequences that though physically free keeps them in captivity. But today, I am walking you to the Door of freedom that transforms your life from the inside and affects everything else around you.
“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved,
and will go in and out and find pasture.”
(John 10:9 NKJV)
“… and that God is ready to give blessings
to all who come to Him.”
(Luke 4:19 TLB)
I have walked you through the journey that Jesus took so that He could identify with where you are and what you have gone through each step of the way. I have given you His words, not that of my own. But what I can tell you is that freedom has come to you today.
“So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” (John 8:38 NLT)
We are standing here because someone has been praying for you and this little book is in your hand because God is answering their prayers. And right now, no matter where you are the Door to eternal freedom is before you and I was sent to encourage you to walk through it. Unfortunately, this is as far as I can go. I can’t walk through it for you and I can’t walk through it with you.
Your decision to accept the freedom that Jesus died to make available to you is the one decision that you have to make alone. Believing who He is in your heart and confessing that belief out of your mouth is between you and God alone.
On the following page, I have included a prayer for you that when you pray the words from your heart, transports your spirit from the captivity of utter darkness into the freedom of incomprehensible light. There is and never will be a better, more powerful decision you will make in life than that of following Jesus into the gift of freedom that He has provided for every one of us who was held captive in our own set of chains, bars, and limitations.
Exercise the freedom that no one can take away from you today. It is the power to choose. I encourage you to choose life.