by Jon Wentzel
Have you ever received some really great news that you just couldn’t keep to yourself? That’s how I feel when I think about sharing Christ’s love with those impacted by imprisonment. It wasn’t always that way.
I spent a lot of my life being a Christian who was content to sit on the sidelines. It wasn’t until recently that I began to grasp the fact that the Gospel is not just good news, it’s great news. The only problem was that I was keeping that news all to myself. Then I decided to serve in the New Hope Prison Ministry to help spread that good news. Twice a month I go to the downtown jail to facilitate a Bible study with men who are imprisoned there.
I used to feel like criminals deserved to be put in jail soley for the purpose of paying their dues. I have come to realize that jail is just confinement. What is really needed is a change of heart. For many inmates, the key to freedom is not being released from jail, but being released from the lies the enemy wants them to believe about themselves. They need to recognize the truth that their real freedom is in Christ. It’s something all of us need to recognize, whether we’re literally or spiritually imprisoned. For many years, I knew this truth, but withheld it. I felt like Moses when he said, “O Lord, please send someone else to do it” (Exodus 4: 13). Why would I want to go to jail voluntarily?
Having gone to church, I knew the verse Acts 1: 8: “…and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” I pondered the question, “Where is my Samaria?” And, I thought, “Who is my brother?” I realized that “my brothers” are downtown in jail, and I need to visit them. It is only the love of God that can break through the brick walls, steel doors, reinforced glass and security measures of the jail to reach the hearts of the inmates. Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all…” (emphasis mine).
I wish I could share the joy I receive every time I go for jail visits because I feel like I’m keeping it all to myself. Do you want to experience this kind of joy? Is God leading you to become a servant of the Gospel to those who are imprisoned? Pray about it and take the first step. Contact the Prison Ministry Coordinators at 763-971-5123 or email.
* Learn more about NHC Prison Ministry>>
