Going To Prison This Weekend

One of the things I am passionate about is prison ministry.  This weekend several hundred men and women and I will be going into state, federal and county correctional institutions to give those on the inside of the prison walls the Hope and Good News of Jesus Christ.

Bill Glass DFW Weekend of Champions

Personally I will be going into the Sanders "Sandy" Estes Unit, which is a privately run prison housing Texas inmates.

Picture of the outside of the Estes Unit

 This unit is located in Venus, TX which is located south of Dallas and Fort Worth, almost directly between I-35 east and I-35 West.  This is a state prison unit, run by a private company, and houses 1040 incarcerated men along with 195 prison employees.

Here is a graphic on this particular unit:

Short Breakdown of the Prison Population by Offense Type and Sentence

I know several of you out there are wondering why I do this, or may be wondering why so many people might be wasting our time trying to help out these people when we should be locking them up and throwing away the key.  Well, the simple reason is this: we are commanded to by Jesus Christ Himself. 

Mat 25:34-46 MSG
(34)  "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation.
(35)  And here's why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room,
(36)  I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.'
(37)  "Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink?
(38)  And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?'
(40)  Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me--you did it to me.'
(41)  "Then he will turn to the 'goats,' the ones on his left, and say, 'Get out, worthless goats! You're good for nothing but the fires of hell.
(42)  And why? Because-- I was hungry and you gave me no meal, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
(43)  I was homeless and you gave me no bed, I was shivering and you gave me no clothes, Sick and in prison, and you never visited.'
(44)  "Then those 'goats' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn't help?'
(45)  "He will answer them, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me--you failed to do it to me.'
(46)  "Then those 'goats' will be herded to their eternal doom, but the 'sheep' to their eternal reward."

 But that is not the only reason.  I have several others as well.  I believe that if you truly give these men and women the true Hope that is in Jesus Christ, then they can and will turn their life around and when they walk out of the prison, either discharging their sentence or paroling out, they will lead a productive life that will not be a burden on society.  I have seen this with my own eyes!  Also, each person has worth in God's eyes.  The first person Jesus pardoned, while STILL on the cross was a thief condemned to death.  Think about that for a moment. The people in prison have worth in God's eyes, even if people cannot find that worth.  God loves all of us, even if some of us are behind bars for crimes they committed.

One of the other reasons is that a sin is a sin is a sin.  We as human beings tend to categorize sins and put them in order from least worst to absolute worse.  Murder is worse than taking a pencil isn't it?  Or is kidnapping worse than lying?  Not in God's eyes it's not!  Sin is sin to God and a person with ANY sin cannot approach God.  So remember that, the next time you tell a while lie, or pocket that pen from the office and take it home with you.  In God's eyes, a liar is no better than a murderer for anyone who sins cannot approach God.  Unless that person is reconciled by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

That is why I go in to prison.  It is a dark place , full of gloom and despair, depression and hopelessness.  It is the domain of the enemy.  I and others like me go to bring the light of the good news of Christ.  We go to offer Hope, to tell them there is a better way.

I'll post how things went after Saturday, when I return home.  For now, I am asking for your prayers.  Pray for me and all of the Bill Glass team mates who are going into the prisons.  Pray for protection, both spiritual and physical.  Pray for the hearts of the inmates and correctional staff to soften and their minds and hearts to be receptive to the Gospel.

Thank you for reading.  Have a great rest of the day.

Below you can find more stats on the Estes Prison Unit.

Unit Full Name:	Sanders "Sandy" Estes Unit
Unit Address and Phone Number:	1100 Hwy 1807, Venus, TX 76084 (972) 366-3334 (**670)
Unit Location:	One mile southeast of Venus on Hwy 1807 in Johnson County
Senior Warden:	Stephen McAdams
Deputy Director of Operations Monitoring:	Grady Wallace
Private Facility Contract Monitoring/Oversight Division Director:	Celeste Byrne, Private Facility Contract Monitoring/Oversight Division
Date Unit Established or On Line:	August 1989
Total Employees *:	195
Security Employees *:	144
Non-Security Employees *:	33
Education Employees *:	7
Contract Medical and Psychiatric Employees* *:	Medical = 11; Psychiatric = 0
Offender Gender:	Male
Maximum Capacity:	1,040
Custody Levels Housed:	G1, G2
Approximate Acreage:	40
Agricultural Operations:	None
Manufacturing and Logistics Op.:	None
Facility Operations:	Unit Maintenance
Medical Capabilities:	Ambulatory medical, dental and mental health services. Managed by UTMB.
Educational Programs:	Adult Basic Education, GED, Fundamentals, Life Skills
	Vocational Programs: Building Trades; Electrical Trades; Food Service; Culinary Arts; Computer Technology; Commercial Housekeeping
Additional Programs/Services:	Faith Based Dormitory, Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
Community Work Projects:	Services provided to city and county agencies.
Volunteer Initiatives:	Substance Abuse Education, Support Groups, Pre-Release Programs, Religious/Faith Based Studies and Activities
Operated by:	Management and Training Corporation (MTC)

Whole Armor of God - Wrap Up

I was finishing up my study of Ephesians and as I was reading Mathew Henry's Commentary of the Whole Bible, I felt this part summed up the Armor of God series I have posted about.

We must stand our ground: And, having done all, to stand. We must resolve, by God's grace, not to yield to Satan. Resist him, and he will flee. If we distrust our cause, or our leader, or our armour, we give him advantage. Our present business is to withstand the assaults of the devil, and to stand it out; and then, having done all that is incumbent on the good soldiers of Jesus Christ, our warfare will be accomplished, and we shall be finally victorious.

Next up is a study of Proverbs.

Armor of God - Sword of the Spirit

I wanted to finish up the series by Neil Anderson on the Full Armor of God. I hope this has blessed you as much as me.

THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

Ephesians 6:17
And take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

The Word of God is the only offensive weapon mentioned in the list of armor. Since Paul used rhema instead of logos for "word" in Ephesians 6:17, I believe Paul is referring to the spoken Word of God. We are to defend ourselves against the evil one by speaking aloud God's Word.

Why is it so important to speak God's Word in addition to believing it and thinking it? Because Satan is a created being, and he doesn't perfectly know what you're thinking. By observing you, he can pretty well tell what you are thinking, just as any student of human behavior can. And it isn't difficult for him to know what you're thinking if he put the thought in. But he doesn't know what you're going to do before you do it. He can put thoughts into your mind, and he will know whether you buy his lie by how you behave.

Satan can try to influence you by planting thoughts in your head, but he can't read your thoughts. If you're going to resist Satan, you must do so verbally so he can understand you and be put to flight.

You can communicate with God in your mind and spirit because He knows the thoughts and intents of your heart (Hebrews 4:12). Your unspoken communion with God is your private sanctuary; Satan cannot eavesdrop on you. But by the same token, if you only tell Satan with your thoughts to leave, he won't leave because he is under no obligation to obey your thoughts. You must defeat Satan by speaking out. The good news is that most direct attacks occur at night or when you are alone.

One night I woke up absolutely terrified for no apparent reason, and I knew it was an attack from Satan. Without lifting my head from the pillow, I applied the two-step remedy suggested in James 4:7. In the sanctuary of my heart, I submitted to God. Then I was able to resist Satan with one spoken word--Jesus--and the fear was instantly and totally gone. I went back to sleep in complete peace.

Armor of God - Helmet of Salvation

Continuing the series...

THE HELMET OF SALVATION

Ephesians 6:17
And take the helmet of salvation

The next necessary piece of spiritual armor is the helmet of salvation . Should your shield of faith be a little leaky and your daily victory elusive, be confident that the helmet of salvation guarantees your eternal victory. In the metaphor of armor, the helmet also secures coverage for the most critical part of your anatomy: your mind, where spiritual battles are either won or lost. As you struggle with the world, the flesh, and the devil on a daily basis, stand firm knowing that your salvation does not come and go with your success or failure in spiritual battle; your salvation is your eternal possession. You are a child of God, and nothing can separate you from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35).

People experiencing spiritual conflict tend to question their salvation or doubt their identity in Christ. Satan may disrupt your daily victory, but he can do nothing to disrupt your position in Christ. However, if he can get you to believe that you are not in Christ, you will live as though you are not, even though you are secure in Him.

The Christian warrior wears the helmet of salvation in the sense that he is the receiver and possessor of deliverance, clothed and armed in the victory of his Head, Jesus Christ. Satan is the ruler of this world, and the whole world is in his power (John 12:31; 1 John 5:19). Therefore we are still in his territory as long as we are present in our physical bodies. But since we are joined to the Lord Jesus Christ, the devil has no legitimate claim on us, for Christ has "delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Colossians 1:13). The helmet of our position in Christ assures us of ultimate victory over Satan.

Armor of God Series - Shield of Faith

Continuing the Armor of God Series with the Shield of Faith.

THE SHIELD OF FAITH

Ephesians 6:16
Taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one

Paul mentions three more pieces of armor that we must take up to protect ourselves from Satan's attack: the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God. The first three (the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace) are established by our position in Christ; these last three help us continue to win the battle.

Contrary to popular perception, there is nothing mystical about faith. Biblical faith is simply what you believe about God and His Word. The more you know about God and His Word, the more faith you will have. The less you know, the smaller your shield will be and the easier it will be for one of Satan's fiery darts to reach its target. If you want your shield of faith to grow large and protective, your knowledge of God and His Word must increase (Romans 10:17).

These flaming missiles from Satan are nothing more than smoldering lies, burning accusations, and fiery temptations bombarding our minds. When a deceptive thought, accusation, or temptation enters your mind, meet it head-on with what you know to be true about God and His Word. How did Jesus deflect the missiles of Satan's temptation? By shielding Himself with statements from the Word of God. Every time you memorize a Bible verse, listen to a sermon, or participate in a Bible study, you increase your knowledge of God and enlarge your shield of faith.

We all struggle with tempting and accusing thoughts. If you are a healthy and mature Christian, they will bounce right off your shield of faith.

Prayer:

Lord, I raise up the shield of faith today and stand against tempting and accusing thoughts from the evil one.

Full Armor of God Series - Shoes of Peace

Part three of this series. Enjoy and may it bless you as it has me.

THE SHOES OF PEACE

Ephesians 6:15
Having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace

The next piece of armor is the shoes of peace . When you receive Christ, you are united with the Prince of Peace. You have peace with God right now (Romans 5:1), but the peace of Christ must also rule in your heart if you are going to live victoriously, and that is possible only when you let the Word of Christ richly dwell in you (Colossians 3:15, 16).

The shoes of peace become protection against the divisive schemes of the devil when you act as a peacemaker among believers (Romans 14:19). Peacemakers bring people together by promoting fellowship and reconciliation. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9). Anyone can divide a fellowship, but it takes the grace of God to unite us in Him.

Too many Christians insist on common doctrine as the basis for fellowship. They reason that if we don't think the same and believe the same, there is no basis for peace. But common doctrine isn't the basis for fellowship; common heritage is. We're all children of God. If you wait to fellowship with someone until you agree perfectly on every point of doctrine, you'll be the loneliest Christian on earth. Instead of insisting on the unity of the mind, preserve the unity of the Spirit by taking the initiative to be the peacemaker in your relationships (Ephesians 4:3).

Some people like to play the devil's advocate in their relationships and churches. I ask, Why? He doesn't need any help! In His high priestly prayer, Jesus prayed, "I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me" (John 17:23). We have the promise that "the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (Romans 16:20). Ask God to use you to bring unity to your relationships by making you a peacemaker.

Full Armor of God Series - The Breastplate of Righteousness

I wanted to continue this series. It has been a while since I have posted about it, so here is the next part from Neil Anderson.

THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Ephesians 6:14
Having put on the breastplate of righteousness . . .

The second piece of armor God has provided for us is the breastplate of righteousness . When you put on Christ at salvation, you are justified before our holy God. It's not your righteousness but Christ's (1 Corinthians 1:30; Philippians 3:8, 9). So when Satan aims an arrow at you by saying, "You're not good enough to be a Christian," you can respond with Paul, "Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies" (Romans 8:33). Your righteousness in Christ is your protection against Satan's accusations.

Even though we rejoice in our position of righteousness in Christ, we are well aware of our deeds of unrighteousness when we think, say, or do something apart from God. Standing firm in our righteousness requires us to live in continuous agreement with God according to 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Confession is different from saying "I'm sorry" or asking forgiveness. To confess ( homologeo ) means to acknowledge or to agree. You confess your sin when you say what God says about it: "I entertained a lustful thought and that's a sin"; "I treated my spouse unkindly this morning and that was wrong"; "Pride motivated me to seek that board position and pride doesn't belong in my life."

Satan will make confession as difficult for you as he can. He will try to convince you that it's too late for confession, that God has already erased your name out of the book of life. That's another one of his lies. You're in Christ; you're already forgiven. You are the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), and He will never leave you. Your confession of sin clears the way for the fruitful expression of righteousness in your daily life. We should be like Paul, who said, "I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men" (Acts 24:16).

The Full Armor of God Series -- Belt of Truth

To continue this series...


THE BELT OF TRUTH

Ephesians 6:14
Having girded your loins with truth

The first piece of armor for the Christian warrior is the belt of truth . Jesus said, "I am . . . the truth" (John 14:6). And because Christ is in you, the truth is in you. However, continuing to choose truth is not always easy. Since Satan's primary weapon is the lie, your belt of truth (which holds the other pieces of body armor in place) is continually being attacked. If he can disable you in the area of truth, you become as easy target for his other attacks.

You stand firm in the truth by relating everything you do to the truth of God's Word. If a thought comes to mind which is not in harmony with God's truth, dismiss it. If an opportunity comes along to say or do something which compromises or conflicts with truth, avoid it. Adopt a simple rule of behavior: If it's the truth, I'm in; if it's not the truth, count me out.

When you learn to live in the truth on a daily basis, you will grow to love the truth because you have nothing to hide. You never have to cover up to God or anyone else; everything you do is in the light. Furthermore, when you live in the truth you dislodge the lies of Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44). Remember that if Satan can deceive you into believing a lie, he can control your life.

Jesus prayed, "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one" (John 17:15). How? "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy Word is truth" (verse 17). You will only dislodge Satan's lies in the light of God's revelation, and not by human reasoning or research.

The only thing a Christian ever has to admit to is the truth. Walking in the light and speaking the truth in love may seem threatening to some. But in reality truth is a liberating friend and the only path to fellowship with God.

The Full Armor of God Series

I can honestly say that I have served both the darkness and the light. One of the parts of my testimony is that of my being a practicing witch for 15 years, from age 12 to 27. I have seen and witnessed the deception first hand and have served that deception. So I can testify that spiritual warfare is real.

With that in mind I read a devotion from Neil Anderson daily and for the last few days his devotions have been on Ephesians 6:13-17. I will be posting them here over the next few days.

I will start with the introduction.


Ephesians 6:13
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm

A primary element in our protection from Satan and evil is the armor that God has provided for us and instructed us to put on in Ephesians 6:13-17. When we put on the armor of God, we are really putting on Christ (Romans 13:12-14). And when we put on Christ, we take ourselves out of the realm of the flesh, where we are vulnerable to attack, and we place ourselves within the dominion of Christ, where the evil one cannot touch us. Satan has nothing in Christ (John 14:30), and to the extent that we put on Christ, the evil one cannot touch us (1 John 5:18). He can only touch that which is on his own level. That's why we are commanded, "Make no provision for the flesh" (Romans 13:14), meaning "Don't live on Satan's level."

It would appear from the verb tenses in Ephesians 6;14, 15, that three of the pieces of armor--belt, breastplate and shoes--are already on you: "having girded . . ."; "having put on . . ."; having shod. . . ." These pieces of armor represent the elements of your protection made possible when you receive Jesus Christ and in which you are commanded to stand firm. The Greek tense of "having" signifies that the action it refers to was completed before we were commanded to stand firm. That's the logical way a soldier would prepare for action: He would put on his belt, breastplate and shoes before attempting to stand firm. Likewise, we are to put on the full armor of God after having already put on Christ.

When you read through Ephesians 6:10-20, you will notice the emphasis on the active part we must play on behalf of our own spiritual defense: "be strong" (verse 10); "put on" and "stand firm" (verse 11); "take up," "be able," "resist," and "stand firm" (verse 13); "stand firm" (verse 14); "taking up" (verse 16); "take" (verse 17)' "pray at all times" and "be on the alert" (verse 18).

Over the next several days, we will consider each of the six pieces of armor from Ephesians 6:13-17.