What is your response to Jesus?

I am continuing to read through the book of Colossians and a book by Sam Storms with 100 mediatations on that epistle called, "The hope of glory." My experience in the Word and the companion studies in this book are wonderful. I just started the section on Colossians, chapter 2, verses 1-3. Chapter 41 is titled, "Most fervent wrestle with the Lord," and is on struggling or agonizing in prayer. The word for struggle or agonize in the Greek is "to wrestle," from the word gymnasium.

Sam quotes David Brainerd from Monday, April 19, 1742, "God enabled me to agonize in prayer, that I was quite wet with sweat, though in the shade, and the wind cool." Here is the line that really touched me: "My soul was drawn out very much for the world; I grasped for multitudes of souls."

I began to gymnasium pray as I was in the Regional Justice Center and picked up a kite requesting I visit with Javez, a 16 year-old, being held in J unit. Yes, 16. That means he is being held for very serious or even heinous crimes. Normally, inmates at the adult facilities are 18 and older.

Going in to visit with him, he is fully aware of what he has done and that he could be facing more than 20 years. My first step was to read through the lyrics of two hip hop songs by Lecrae called, "I did it for you," and "Don't wanna waste my life," also by Dwayne Tryumph.

He got it. He is a very sharp young man, considering he's spent significant time in Maple Lane before coming to the RJC and didn't finish the ninth grade. He even explained some of the language to me. He reads very well and understands what he is reading. I complimented him. He said I did a great job of hip hop, with a smile.

He is being influenced heavily by a Muslim group in his unit who told him Jesus is a prophet and Allah is God. He immediately wanted to know if Jesus and God are the same. I told him, he can change his life even if he is in prison. (The picture of the inmate is NOT the one I am meeting with.)

The question is always what he will do with Jesus.

We also read through Spurgeon's testimony and a careful visual description of the Trinity and read together through Luke 12:13-21 and 15:15-22, John 14:6, 1:12-13, 3:16-21, 36; 5:24, and 6:35-40. Who is Jesus? What did he say we must do in response to Him? I left him with what he will do with Jesus, right now, and a page with a prayer and verses to consider. I will follow-up, as the Lord leads. I suggested he read John 10, 14, and 15 and left him with a paperback NIV Study Bible that happened to be in the room.

This IS the gymnasium for the multitude of souls, one-by-one, I was praying for after reading Brainerd's quote, this morning. We are messengers of His salvation. The Holy Spirit does the convicting to bring someone to come to Christ and repent of their sins. God does the saving. He is mighty to save!