I’m Likely Going to Prison - Now What?

We get many urgent and serious life-situation emails in the inbox. That includes this one today, from a woman who wishes to remain anonymous.

“Dear Pastor John, hello.

I am a born-again Christian. A while back, I engaged in corrupt activities at work, and this is now causing me a great deal of suffering. I will be charged in court soon and then likely be headed to prison. I have since repented of my sins and prayed to God for deliverance. However, my prayers have been met with dead silence from God. My family has also experienced so much pain and suffering with my siblings losing their jobs as a result of my sin.

Here are my questions: What encouragement can you offer me in what I face ahead? And what should a child of God like me do, when I now face legal suffering for my crimes? My faith in God is intact, but I am at my lowest spiritually. Please help me. I have wished that God would just call me home instead of watching my family suffer through the nightmare of watching what is to come.”

I want to begin by pointing our about-to-be-imprisoned sister to a passage of Scripture that I pray she will find hope-giving. Psalm 107 has proved to be, in my life and ministry, one of the most amazingly helpful psalms for people in all manner of distress, because it deals with such different kinds of trouble.

The Most High Hears

Here’s the section of the psalm that is so relevant for our about-to-be imprisoned friend. And what makes it so relevant is that the affliction, which these people here in this psalm are dealing with, this affliction came about precisely because they sinned, just like she did in her illegal activities. They sinned, and now they’re in her condition. Here’s what it says. This is Psalm 107:10–16:

Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,

    prisoners in affliction and in irons,

for they had rebelled against the words of God,

    and spurned the counsel of the Most High.

So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;

    they fell down, with none to help.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,

    and he delivered them from their distress.

He brought them out of darkness

and the shadow of death,

    and burst their bonds apart.

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

    for his wondrous works to the children of man!

For he shatters the doors of bronze

    and cuts in two the bars of iron.

 
Now, be sure that you hear this, friend: These are people who are imprisoned because they ought to be in prison. They rebelled against God. They spurned his counsel. They broke his law. They were found guilty, and they were put in prison where they belong. That’s why they, and you right now, feel “in darkness and in the shadow of death” (Psalm 107:10). Guilt is a horrible thing. Praise God for the gospel of Jesus. I know exactly what you mean when you say you would rather die right now rather than see other people suffer for your wrongs. Of course you would. I would too. I have felt like that more than once in my life.

“Guilt is a horrible thing. Praise God for the gospel of Jesus.”

And this psalm is even more amazing. Psalm 107:12 says it’s precisely God himself who “bowed their hearts down with hard labor.” In other words, God ordained this imprisonment of his people. He wasn’t wringing his hands in heaven, as though his people were being treated unjustly. God himself was in the judgment, and he’s in yours.

And amazingly, amazingly, these prisoners did not give way to bitterness or hopelessness or self-pity. Instead, they humbled themselves, and they cried to the Lord in their trouble. We don’t know how long he left them in prison, but he did hear their cry, and he delivered them. And we see at least two purposes that God achieves through this. First, their hearts were filled with overwhelming thankfulness to the Lord for his steadfast love, that he would show them mercy even though they are guilty sinners in prison. And second, they magnify his power to break the bars of iron.

Path to Mercy

Now, here’s one way to describe the crisis you are facing: you can fixate on the providence of God as a problem, or you can take hold of the providence of God as your hope.

The problem, of course, would be that God, in control of all things, could have kept you back from your illegal activities and spared your family all these miseries. He could have, and he didn’t. You can fixate on that as a problem and become an embittered, self-pitying, angry, mean-spirited, depressed, hopeless person. That would be a great tragedy. And it would be a double triumph for Satan. He’s already had one triumph. He should not get another in your life.

Or instead of fixating on providence as a problem, you can take hold of providence as your hope. That’s what the people in the psalm did. They know that God is the one who has bowed their hearts down with hard labor. God did it. How natural, how easy it would have been for them to turn all their affliction into anger at the providence of God. But instead, they took the other path. It’s a sweet path; I encourage you to take it. They believed that God’s power would not discipline them forever, but that his mercy would return again and deliver. This will require enormous humility and faith on your part, but God will give it to you if you ask him and patiently wait for his timing.

Hope for Tomorrow

Consider one more passage of Scripture to shed light on your situation. Paul the apostle was granted the gift of having stupendous revelations from God. God saw that such privileges could make Paul arrogant and self-exalting. Therefore, God appointed Satan to afflict Paul with a thorn in the flesh. We don’t know what it was, but 2 Corinthians 12:7 says, “A thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.” In other words, God made Satan serve Paul’s sanctification.

“There will be a future and a hope that may seem

impossible now, but nothing is too hard for the Lord.”

This was a kind of imprisonment for Paul — imprisonment inside the suffering of a thorn. But it wasn’t an imprisonment because of sins he had committed; it was because of sins he might commit. How easy it would be for Paul to get angry at God and say, “You could protect me from sinning other ways. You don’t need to use a thorn in my flesh to keep me from being proud.” And of course, that’s true, but God is God, and we are not. God has purposes for this — wise purposes.

Paul experienced the same things you did — namely, three times he cried out, “Deliver me, deliver me, deliver me.” And every time God said no. And then come the words from Jesus to Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). To which Paul responds miraculously, and I pray the same for you, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).

So, my prayer for you, dear sister, is that you will embrace the providence of God as your hope. Yes, it involves discipline for past sins. And yes, it involves thorns to protect you from future sins. And yes, he will break the bars of iron and bring you out. And there will be a future and a hope that may seem impossible now, but nothing is too hard for the Lord.

Article by John Piper

DesiringGod.org

John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Church in Jail

 

 

“If church is in jail, then why doesn’t my church know that?”, .. you may be asking. 

With only 2% of most churches’ budgets earmarked towards missions, it may be the case that they were simply not interested in it.  Or it might be that they don’t want to get involved because of the stigma that exists in these fields.  

But for the sake of diplomacy or peace keeping, lets just say they lack the knowledge or the “ins and outs” on implementing this type of outreach ministry.  The following information may, hopefully, sheds some light on some of these questions.

Although not all, many jails and prisons have religious services that offer faith-based programs for inmates.  Due to lack of space and the lack of security guards, “church” in jails  &/or prisons seems to be very limited.

Most jails/prisons have a services director who actually manage these types of religious programs.  The program size largely depends on the administration’s viewpoint on the actual value tied to program and staffing needs.

Research has shown that because of the calming influence in such programs, numerous administrators are beginning to welcome religious services (church).  With the easing of disciplinary incidents and less violence related due to the implementation of such services, safety and monetary savings help lessen the burdens on the correctional staff.

Because of the benefits, jails and prisons are finally becoming more mission-focused.   Seminaries and churches are even initiating the birth of the recovery programs.

As time goes on and with the onset of co-vid, many ministries began to think “outside the box” so to speak.  The advent of online activities has even gained ground through tools such as the following:  sharing of testimonies, studying the Word together, small group activities, Sunday broadcasts of worship, etc..

Through grants, the accumulation of assets by convention boards & Christian associations have enabled the purchase of streaming equipment to present the gospel into the standard county jail.  Donations for church literature is increasing rapidly.

While once these grants seemed nearly improbable, the access to these services has proven realistic all of a sudden.  The typical outreach program has had remarkable success in pitching these proposals for acquisition by following a similar outline:

Outline:

• Prepare Proposal  –  (purpose, demographics, target population, leadership, etc.)

• Submit Proposal  –  (1st to your church & then to volunteer coordinator)

• Schedule Appointment  –  (all parties simultaneously … if possible)

Over much preparation and prayers, hopefully off and running.  When possible, church members can choose to volunteer their time to hold worship  services and classes for incarcerated individuals on topics like religious education, addiction recovery, family history, and self-reliance.  The centrality of these efforts needs to extend hope in Jesus Christ! 

Lastly, because every person is made in the image of God & no one is beyond the Lord’s reach, Time Served Ministry exists to serve “the least of these”.  Transforming the incarcerated communities through a gospel-focused, Christ-centered message,  … Restoration is made possible!

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 

The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

Article by Mark Seay

TimeServedMinistry.org

Mark Seay is a religious volunteer for a local jail, and a graduate of Clemson University.  He and his wife, Lynn, have two daughters and a grandson.

Suffering, Healing, Service

We all experience pain, hurt and even suffering.  Often people will say things to us or will act in such ways that hurt us.  Even so, we all possess the God-given ability to love these people.  And while it’s never easy, one faithful way to begin is by simply following the well-known "golden rule" of Matthew 7:12.

Sure, it will require discipline; but God will help us if we truly desire to abide in His love & guidance.   

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, 

do also to them, for this is the Law ..."  (Matthew 7:12)

Discipline is our friend.  It's the ability that God gives us so that we may walk in His ways.  Although it is difficult, discipline is often temporary discomfort that can lead us to long-term enjoyment. 

If you've ever been hurt and learned to overcome it, then you have a valuable tool … use it to help others.  God comforts us so that we, likewise, can comfort others.  

On the inside of the jail, I’ve had the unique privilege and blessing of discovering many creative, yet productive, vices used by inmates as coping mechanisms for guarding against their hurt from the past.   If you can wrap your mind around this, would you believe I've observed (just to name a few) ... others painting with skittles, preparing ramen noodle pizzas, and funding peer indigent accounts, etc.? And certainly these are all entrepreneurial achievements from the inside.  

Many deal with pain by forming daily habits that help take their minds off, although temporarily, their problems and the weight of their anxieties.  You see, the incarcerated have nothing but time.  They sit, wait, pray, think, and even strategize how they will do things differently once they are freed from the bonds of imprisonment. 

And while all of these activities can be conducive to ensuring improved, acceptable outcomes, our best efforts are merely “filthy rags” to our Lord Jesus.  Moreover, our duty is futile and meaningless if we, first, fail to come to Him for fellowship, rather than just for His rewards.  Coming to Christ and treasuring Him as our most precious gift, rather than the giver of the gift, allows us to faithfully prioritize our fellowship with him as supreme in our lives.  

“You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” 

(Psalm 16:11)

Allowing God to heal us comes, first, by trusting in Him and by abiding in His instructions.  Simply put, the progression looks something like this:  we experience hurt, we allow God to heal us, and then we are ready to help others.  

God’s grace and mercies can literally change our lives and, in turn, begin to transform the lives of others around us.

“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love

has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit

who has been given to us.”  (Romans 5:5)

Article by Mark Seay

TimeServedMinistry.org

Mark Seay is a religious volunteer for a local jail, and a graduate of Clemson University.  He and his wife, Lynn, have two daughters and a grandson.