“… whoever lives and believes in Me
shall never die…”
John 11:26
Dear Christian friends,
To us as believers, the Resurrection - the empty tomb - is the very heart of our faith. With the miracle of His rising from the dead, the Lord Jesus has placed the seal of assurance on the forgiveness of our sins.
The price paid for our sins has been accepted by God. We who believe in Jesus Christ are able to say to the world, "Because He is risen, because He is alive, we too shall live!" Hallelujah, what a Saviour!
* Pray for a new six-week Bible study series we will begin Wednesday evenings at Collins Bay minimum. It is geared especially for Christian inmates.
* I mentioned in the last newsletter that I would be escorting a senior inmate to Toronto for an 8-day stay at a half way house. This was to be his first experience on the street in 48 years. To follow up: He was able to successfully overcome the anxiety surrounding that trip and make connections for future parole placement. In conversations with him since then, I believe it has given him tangible hope for the future. In his own words, “I see the light of day ahead of me instead of the lights of a freight train coming to run me down.”
The fear and disgrace of dying in prison ranks high. He saw that as the likely probability looming ahead of him (like "a freight train coming to run him down")
Instead His future now includes the possibility of living his remaining years in a controlled environment but on the street.
Pray he continues to trust the Lord for each day as he lives out his faith.
* Pray for George, an inmate who was a believer before committing his crime. In his shame and embarrassment, he is appearing to over extend himself in religious activities. In conversations with him, he seeks to use deep theological terminology and spends his time writing essays/commentaries on portions of scripture. We long to see him live humbly and peacefully in the forgiveness that God provides.
* Pray as we share the Easter message again this year, that the cross will clearly be understood. We know the men can be like either of the two thieves that were crucified beside Jesus. They can complain angrily at God and reject Jesus. Or they can be like the other thief who recognized the man hanging next to him to be the Holy Son of God who could forgive his sins. We pray they make the right choice for eternity.
Thank you for reading this update and for your prayers. We trust in the One who conquered even death.
Blessings,
Robert and Susan