Picture of Robert Klank in Unsplash
Our church has been given the opportunity to support a new ministry that involves making trips to a detention center to visit men deprived of liberty with the primary purpose of sharing the word of God.
The main purpose is to visit and share Christ through the word of God to the men who are in the compound but it became very difficult because we only had authorization to enter and visit once a month which we believed this prevented us from doing follow-up work. This added to the fact that the other weeks the ministry that invited us to be part of this activity had other guests from other churches who did not necessarily share the word of God but rather shared humanistic-motivational messages for these men who are already confused or do not even have a solid faith or belief.
In addition to the above, I have always believed in the need to maintain a balance in this ministry because although I faithfully believe that God in His sovereignty can call people from anywhere and in whatever situation it is certain that there are many of those men who only come to the meetings to receive free things such as clothes,personal hygiene items,shoes,etc..and this has been the case on many occasions when we have been able to be there and others come just to ask favors from us,but we need to be wise and keep our main objective in place which is to share Christ and not material things although we know they need them but it's not what we're there for.
By the grace of God we have seen this ministry prosper even though every week they are visited by other churches with different doctrines focused on man and self-improvement and these men do not have a solid doctrine on which they can rely on but we know God can do whatever and whenever upon their hearts. Although I do not doubt that there are many that God in his mercy has allowed to find salvation, I believe that if God had not led us to share the Word many of them would not be maturing in the knowledge of the true God. Also God has allowed us to work with a group of leaders (they call them pastors) who are in the different cell blocks and are in charge of helping the spiritual growth of others who are in the same cells or even in cells around them.
Some time has passed and we have been given a new authorization to make another special visit to the leaders of the blocks because we have decided to help by teaching them how to study the word of God by giving them the necessary tools to be able to understand it and grow from it.
A few days ago I had the opportunity to share with at least 60 inmates who are leaders in their blocks and taught them the technique of observation, interpretation and application for the study of the word of God and I felt so happy to be used by the Lord by teaching the word to brothers who now show a hunger to know the truth of God . By the grace of God I believe that I was used to help them understand the process of studying the inductive method in the word of God but I was also challenged to be faithful and not give up on praying for these men and for the ministry itself.
If you are reading this article please take a moment to pray for this prison ministry. Pray so that God can work in these men who are deprived of their physicial liberty as a consequence of their sin but are free in their minds and hearts in need and hungry to know the truth of the word and also help me pray so that God in his grace can continue to do the work in my life to guide others to mature in the knowledge of Him and so that others can surrender before the majesty of the Father.
Heb. 13:3
Remember the prisoners, as if you were imprisoned with them, and the mistreated, since you are also in the body.
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