“Light Brings Freedom” jail ministry efforts continue to help open more ministry opportunities for us among prisoners in the nearby Provincial Jail, as well as some of those being released.
Everyone needs hope (based in truth)! In the midst of uncertainties of life; changing circumstances; failures; stressful experiences; extreme exhaustion; being overwhelmed; depression and discouragement; temptations and addictions; confusion; emergencies and panic; prolonged illness; fears; lack of dependability; adverse consequences to bad decisions; financial pressures and needs; difficulties; sadness; and rejection… in the midst of it all, we can experience the anchor of hope that can help to keep us from drifting into dangerous waters or dreadful shipwreck.
Worship in Prison
Today we took a team to minister in their Sunday morning chapel at the Provincial jail for the first time. They recently started their own Sunday morning service there. They asked us to come & help them. The supervisor has been praying that we would be willing to consider them as an extension of our church fellowship and welcomes us to come minister there at least every 2nd Sunday. When outside visitors come to minister, they are allowed to have their women prisoners also join in their service.
What a blessed time it was! The prisoner’s church service put a lot of churches outside prison walls to shame, with their wholehearted and enthusiastic worship. Their attentiveness and appreciation for God’s Word are amazing! We ministered close to 1 ½ hours to them, with them continuing to be attentive, respectful, and appreciative. We estimated 50+ prisoners voluntarily in attendance at the service!
Isaiah 42:7-12
Jesus was a divine messenger of the new covenant and is the light of the world. He came to prophetically “open blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house (jail)”, verse 7.
This is a message directly from the Lord, our creator. “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images”, verse 8.
He prophetically declares that He will do new things, and foretells of them before they happen, verse 9.
He tells us to sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth. He tells us to give him glory, and declare His praise in the islands, verses 10-12.
HIs Praises
What a wonderful privilege to praise Him here in the Philippine Islands! As we introduced a new prophetic Scripture song today there at the jail about “new beginnings”, they loved it! They learned it quickly and whole-heartedly. If you closed your eyes to the surroundings, you could easily think you were listening to a church choir somewhere else.
Hope for the World
The hopeless world desperately needs hope! Jesus is the pathway to hope! “Christ in you the hope of glory!” (Colossians 1:27) He is our source of hope! (Hebrews 12:2; Tutus 2:13; Romans 4:18) Those who have not accepted Jesus have no hope! (Ephesians 3:12,12; I Peter 2:9,10) Comfort from the Scriptures produces hope (Romans 15:4) We are born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead… (I Peter 1:3) We are saved in hope! (Romans 8:24) We are looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ! (Titus 2:13) HALLELUJAH! Glory to God!
