Back to Olympic

Jim and I traveled out to Olympic on August 4 and were blessed by 12 men who joined us for worship. Our latest guitarist was released so we sang accapella to the glory of God, maybe our best worship ever. Those men always minister to us. Jim didn't sing this time which disappointed everyone. I preached from 2 Samuel 11-12 about David's great sin with Bathsheba and following longstanding cover-up and hardness of heart, his order to have Urriah killed on the battlefield, and his repentance only after he was confronted by Nathan. I was touched by the many attributes or character of the Lord as He forgives every sinner. Jim and I always have great fellowship and prayer on these trips.

Joy in Eastern Wahington

We left Friday at 6:45 am from Echo Glen up by the I-90 exit off Hwy 18. We had three services on Friday in Yakima. During the first one, we had 60 attend and 20 raised their hands for salvation. It was smooth and the men were responsive. In the middle of the service, one young man approached me about needing prayer so we went into the corner and did it, right there.

The second service was for men and women at the God Pod in Yakima. We had 40 attend, 10 made commitments. It was about 93 degrees and they put us in a covered outdoor coard with cement bock walls so it was an uncomfortable oven. Nothing was going to happen in this heat. That's not what the Lord had planned as the men and women openly responded with great enthusiasm in the Spirit during the worship time. Bob preached this services, as well, and the group responded openly.

The third visit was at a site with medically-impaired men, called Ahtanum, also in Yakima. Somehow, there was no record of us coming so, at first, it wasn't certain we could come in at all. Well, the staff accomodated us and we learned the coordinator of volunteer activities has been sick for several weeks. The inmates, we learned, knew we were coming but the details were not completed. We had a solid service for the 15 who came.

We drove from Yakima to the Walla Walla State Penitentuary Friday night and had a great service there Saturday morning despite a major obstacle with limited electrical outlets which caused the presentation to start about 45 minutes late. The electric piano malfunctioned before we started. The men there were very responsive to the music and my preaching. I ended up presenting the first of three messages from Hebrews 2, this one verses 1-13 that needed to be shortened on careful diligent holiness, the entire series focused on our great salvation and the work of Jesus as He suffered and died for everyone who believes.

After the WW services, we drove to Medical Lake and had two services on Saturday at Pine Lodge with 84 very appreciative women. We were "competing" with a popular karioke activity which I thought was good because its great to have those who really want to be there. I had a great visit with the chaplain there and presented my second message, 2:10-13 on what God accomplishes in preparing us for eternal glory and honor, during the last service. After the second service, we ate dinner and drove to Connell for our last service Sunday morning at Coyote Ridge. We had 21 there and the worship music was really excellent, this one was the sweetest to me. We were exhausted but felt amazing freedom to serve. I felt great about how the men responded and the freedom to shine all the lights on Jesus in this final message, 21:14-18. We drove from Connell back home.

Eastern Washington trip

I just completed a second PFCOM missions trip to Eastern Washington. A group of four visited three jails in Yakima, my first visit to Walla Walla, and Airway Heights, west of Spokane. We also got to do our ministry at the Union Gospel Mission in Spokane. We presented wonderful music, prayer, and the Word to 257 men and we saw 20 first time conversions. I had the privilege to preach three times.

Giving our lives to Jesus

During an awesome contact time this afternoon, one of the men shared his uncertainty about whether He had given his heart fully to the Lord. "I haven't done that, yet," he said.
He received Christ as Savior with me last week and is totally new to the Scriptures. This brother connects what he is learning from the word of God to the 12 steps of AA. He is carrying a tremendous weight of guilt and bitterness from his past. He started reading in Matthew so we went through portions of chapters 5-7, "The Sermon on the Mount." These are the very rock core teachings of Jesus about what kind of people we are and how we are to live as His children, giving everything we have over to Him every day. Oh, what a deep, tremendous, living word for each of us!

unloading bricks out of backpacks

So far this week, three men have received Christ during my visitations at the RJC. One said he was sitting on the fence and it wasn't working for him. Another had been searching and needed to get some answers. The third man said he needed to get relief from a lifetime of anger and bitterness. We talked about the world piling bricks into backpacks we are carrying around. Then, we stop and add some of our own bricks. Jesus is the only One who will help us take off the backpack we are dragging around, unload it, and walk ahead with Him. The Lord wants us to give Him all the bricks and then give him ourselves, Romans 12:1.

Running to the fountain of living waters

On Friday night in the Q unit, one man came in about half-way through, visibly shaken at the very brink of tears. He was a flustered mess and needed a refuge. I welcome him, and after he sat down, I asked if we could pray with him. The other six men were very respectful and helped him feel safe. He was very willing and in now in open tears. He came to our service from a harsh telephone argument. He went into a rapid-fire littany of very real trials. He gave an assured testimony of his faith in Jesus but life has been a twisted mess. I assured him our service is a safe place. Mike Butler, who was serving with me, emphasized, "sanctuary." Mike led us in prayer for this man.

Using the whiteboard, we continued brainstorming things people believe in they perceive will give them life. The Navigators call it "the well illustration." The key verse is Jeremiah 2:13, "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, to hew for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."

When lives are filled with other things that become idols, God says they end up with broken wells that hold no water. They are forsaking Him and their cisterns are useless. The Lord invites His people to come and drink freely from His fountain of living waters. Whatever was in the past, everyone may repent and run to Jesus Himself, the fountain of living waters.

I closed with Isaiah 55:1-3. The Lord graciously and repeatedly invites us to come to His banquet table where He Himself is the host. The guests include others who are hungry and thirsty for God, broken and hurting people, desperate ones. Everyone is welcome! There is a special place-setting and seat with your name on it. The menu is prepared just for us by the Lord. We are invited to come and be delighted with His food to give us living water and life.

This very special banquet, a safe santuary, was hosted by Jesus Himself Friday night in Q unit at the RJC and for you and me whenever we purposefully come together to seek Him.

Obstacles and frustrations

Dwight and I visited the D unit at the RJC Wednesday and had three guests. We watched a video and then moved into a Bible study on forgiveness, like I've used in the past. We got to Isaiah 53:4-6 which presents an incredibly vivid prophesy of the crucifixion. One of the men began to loudly argue this chapter does not refer to Jesus Christ and stomped out of the study. Thankfully, the other two men remained and graciously finished the study with us. Spiritual warfare abounds wherever we are seeking to advance His Kingdom. Some days, we don't see it.

Olympic ministry with Jim

Jim Krueger and I traveled north of Aberdeen and Lake Quinalt to the Olympic facility on Saturday night for an awesome worship service with 12 very appreciative men. We joined together for group prayer and choruses, three great numbers by Jim, my message about Zaccheus from Luke 19, a closing response number by Jim, and responding prayers by the men.

Several of the men, including Jim, were in tears as the Lord was working. I am hoping to go out to Olympic with Jim the first Saturday of each month. Jim shared with me he is seeking to build a team of volunteers to expand the ministry there on Saturday nights. They ministered openly to our hearts so it was a great privilege to share worship with them. They are eager to worship and enjoy fellowship.

On April 20-22, I am scheduled to make my second trip to several Eastern Washington sites with Jim, my precious teammate Dwight, and virtually all of the team that went in November.

Please continue to pray as I make appointments to share this work and pursue support and as I seek full-time employment until my support is raised. On most days, I check on jobs and follow-up in the morning and then head down to the Regional Justice Center to serve with Dwight Hawley and Dick Rothlisberger where I feel useful and productive.

welcoming Jesus gladly

On Friday night at the Regional Justice Center, Dwight and I had the joy of seeing at least two men repent of their sins and believe for salvation. I spoke on one of the great passages in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 19:1-10 when Jesus called Zaccheus out of his spectator sycamore tree and invited Himself to his house. There were six men who came in to hear God's word tonight at hte RJC. Dwight Hawley and I were thrilled to read with our guests how the little man came down and welcomed Christ gladly to his house and heart. Despite the muttering and critical residents of Jericho, Zaccheus showed radical repentance, like it was happening right in the unit mult-purpose room where we were.

I asked the entire group several times about repenting to be saved. Repentance means changing our minds about sin so there is a radical change of heart. Do you want to welcome Jesus gladly into your home and heart? Do you want to repent tonight, right here? Do you want to be saved? The men raised their hands in front of their peers. It was a very special moment as Dwight led them in prayer.

The two men actually stayed after to get help filling out kites, or requests, so I can follow-up with them on Monday. Jesus said, "today, today, salvation has come to this house." We had two men join the people of faith as the "sons of Abraham." Glory to the Lord!

Warren Wiersbe on God's thermostat

When God puts His own people into the furnace, He keeps His eye on the clock and His hand on the thermostat. He knows how long and how much.

If we rebel, He may have to reset the clock; but if we submit, He will not permit us to suffer one minute too long. The important thing is that we learn the lesson He wants to teach us and that we bring glory to Him alone.

We may question why He does it to begin with, or why He doesn’t turn down the heat or even turn it off; but our questions are only evidences of unbelief.

Job 23:10 is the answer: “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come come forth as gold” (NKJV). Gold does not fear the fire. The furnace can only make the gold purer and brighter."

(Wiersbe, W. Be Patient. An Old Testament study. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books)

Welcome home

Recently at the Regional Justice Center in Kent, I shared with two men who recognized their addictive and destructive behaviors that led them back to the jail. They were openly embarrassed and even experiencing shame.

Both shared specific details and even dates about when they received Jesus Christ as their Savior several years ago. They both broke down and choked up as they realized the trail of damage they have caused. Both men were openly repenting. Does our Lord continue to forgive us? How much are we forgiven? What does forgiveness look like?

First, God promises to cleanse us thoroughly every single day when we confess our sins to Him, Psalm 51:1-9, 1 John 1:9.

Second, God removes the weight and pressure of guilt when we acknowledge our sin to Him, Psalm 32:3-5.

Third, God forgives us with eternal lovingkindness as high as the heavens are above the earth, as far as the east is from the west, and as a gentle father has compassion on his children, Psalm 103:10-13.

Fourth, God reaffirms the lengths He goes to remove guilt from His records. The pictures of His forgiveness on our behalf in Isaiah are vivid:
1:18 the very real scarlet and crimson sin is white as snow and like wool
43:25-26 For His sake He wipes out and does not remember our transgressions
44:21-23 He wipes out trangressions like a thick cloud and heavy mist
so that He commands creation to praise Him!
55:6-7 The LORD willcompassionately and abundantly pardon

Fifth, Paul amplifies God's awesome forgiveness as the riches of His grace.
Ephesians 1:7 calls this great forgiveness the riches of His grace lavished upon us
Collossians 1:13 says He delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.
Colossians 2:13-14 says Christ cancelled hostile certificates of debt, taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

So, this all causes my heart to leap for joy within me. How about your heart? I brought my two jail brothers to Isaiah 55. Isaiah is the great Old Testament evangelist. He invites every repenting sinner to come to the banquet table of our LORD. Who can come? Every one who is thirsty, every one who is broke, every one who is hungry. Come, come, come to Me, our LORD offers, and delight yourself in abundance. I shared with each of these men and remind myself and every reader, the LORD Himself has a chair and place-setting just for you, with your name engraved on it.

During this entire time, I have remembered a wonderful worship song from the Jesus Music of the 70's by Chuck Girard and Lovesong. I shared the rich lyrics with the men, for my own heart, and for you.

Welcome back to the things that you once believed in
Welcome back to what you knew was right from the start
All you had to do was to be what you always have wanted to be
Welcome back to the love that is in your heart

I know that you thought you could turn your back
And no one could see in your mind
But I can see that you know better now
You never were the untruthful kind
Yeah, and I'm so happy now to welcome you back

sharing Christ at Echo Glen

Last Tuesday, I went out to Echo Glen after missing several weeks. We had icy and snowy weather and then some unfortunate procedural mishaps getting into Chinook, the boys unit where I am serving. I went out there not expecting great things but knew I needed to be faithful with my commitment. I was in for a wonderful surprise. I met individually with boys, ages 14-16, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

Josh and I have met several times before. This time, he wanted to know what he needed to do to be saved. Really. So, he listened as I went through the Romans Road. Near the end, he got the wiggles and was anxiously trying to figure out what else was going on. He lost focus and then wanted to know about how all the writers of the Bible could agree about being saved. I tried to share about the authenticity or trustworthy nature of the Scriptures. He just wasn't paying attention and obviously wasn't ready. I shared that he doesn't need me to receive Christ and that he should pray about what we talked about. Anyone can receive Christ on their own. I also shared he was responsible for what I taught him. He came back with, "Well, why did you sharte with me, then?" I am praying diligently for him because I think he wants to be saved.

Jake and I made great strides early around John 3:16-20 about light and darkness. Once, we read through five chapters of Micah together. I could tell he really comprehends and engages with the Scriptures. Previously, he wasn't ready. It turns out, he received Christ as his Savior several weeks ago after a Sunday night chapter. The speaker connected the dots between what we shared together earlier and what he heard that night. He said, "My life is really changing!"
I told him I was doing backflips in my heart all over the room.

The third boy, Derek, is 14. His parents live in the very home Katharine's grandparents built and lived in many years ago. The very home. This is a chapter of "it's a small world." We read the awesome story of Zacheus as Jesus passed through Jericho on his final trip to Jerusalem. I substituted Derek's name for Zacheus when Jesus called hated tax collector out of the tree and changed his life and eternal destiny forever. Derek prayed to receive Christ right there. We wrote out the prayer together and both of us signed and dated it. "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost," Luke 19:10.

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