Tis His Presence not the presents

Merry Christmas! As I sit here writing this chilly morning, I can only but, go back, to where I learned the true meaning of Christmas. It was not in front of a brightly colored Christmas tree surrounded by family, there were no stockings hung by the chimney with hopes that St. Nick would soon be there. The verdict was in, I had not made santa’s good list, in fact I was incarcerated because I had indeed been a very bad boy and even if I could possibly change, I could do nothing with all the wrongs of my past.

Yet it was at this very darkest moment that I heard the message of Christmas, that the Only begotten Son of God came into this dark sin filled, vile, evil world and gave His life so that vile dark hearted sinners such as I could have a new life. Talk about light in a dark world. There are fewer places darker than prison. Yes, there are darker places and yes, I have been there as well. But to hear that not only could I have my slate clear but to know that God loves me and that I am wanted was music to my ears.

It was then and there that the words to those timely Christmas songs came to life” Long lay the world, in sin and error pining, Til He appeared and the soul felt it’s worth.” O Come O Come Emanuel, God with us.” I recognized that it was never the presents under the tree, but His Holy Presence hanging on that tree for my sins that made the celebration of His birth so special to me.

Yes, that was it! There in those dark prison cells on Christmas morn, I learned that though a man possess nothing, if Christ possesses him, he possesses everything. Talk about Merry Christmas!

That is why on this eve of Christmas, I went with a group of men and women into Putnam Correctional Facility where we shared the love of God with men who find themselves right where they need to be, that is, that we all have a past that is broken and can only be healed by coming to the foot of the cross, humbling ourselves, acknowledging that we are sinners who have offended a holy and awesome God, who in spite of ourselves, loves us and offers eternal pardon because of the gift that He offered up in our behalf. Eternal life is freely given but the gift, although free, was not cheap. Do you possess this gift and if so are you sharing it with others?

The world celebrates an altogether  different picture of Christmas. May we remind ourselves that it is not the presence under the tree, but His Presence on the tree that makes this day holy. If we have received the free gift of Eternal Life , than let’s go tell it on the mountain…That Jesus Christ was born.

Merry Christmas!

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The Reunion...Even Sesame Street Knows we have a problem. But do they have a solution?

Today, I watched this video that aired on Sesame Street. Little Alex is facing a challenging life of a child with a father that is incarcerated. According to statistics 80 percent of incarcerated men came from fatherless homes and 70 percent of their children will follow their path to prison.

Prison Fellowship hits the nail on the head with the article Sesame Street and the Children of Incarcerated Parents

Sesame Street may know there is a problem but we know that there is a solution, Faith is the Foundation For Freedom!

Set Free,

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Did you know that almost 2 million children in the United States have a parent that is incarcerated?

 According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2007, an estimated 1.7 million children under the age of 18 had a parent in prison, an increase of almost 80 percent since 1991. The negative consequences for children with an incarcerated parent can be substantial, including financial instability, ...changes in family structure, shame, and social stigma. However, research also shows that supporting healthy and positive relationships between these vulnerable children, who are the innocent bystanders of adult decisions, and their families has the potential to mitigate negative outcomes.
 The same gospel that set 888918 free is still setting the captives free. My story is not unique but God has opened the doors to not only share the story of 888918 in prisons but also in the Juvenile Detention centers now!

If you have not previewed the teaser to our short film The Reunion, please take a minute and see how God is not just saving lives but changing generations.

 

 Faith is the Foundation For Freedom!

 

Set Free,

 

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Happy Father's Day @ Baker Kairos #23 Closing

Today, I celebrated Father's Day with close to 100 men at Baker Correctional Institution. Half of the men wore blue, the other half civilian clothes. However, by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ we all had access to the same Heavenly Father through faith. It was an awesome time of celebration as each man entered this morning and wished me a Happy Father's Day. I believe they were just as excited for me as I was to celebrate my First Father's day as a proud papa. It was made even more poignant to me by the stark reality that many of these men were brought up in fatherless homes and now their children are being raised without their fathers presence.
It is a sad statistic that approximately 80% of the men in prison were raised without a father and 70% of their sons will follow them into prison. I have spoken to many of these men who have left children on the street. I encourage them that they are still responsible before God as the father of the children He has given them and that they can stand before God through Christ and can pray for their children and lead lives that their children can follow. Our Heavenly Father is not only in the reconciliation business but in the restoration business. He can restore the years that the locust have eaten.
Let us stand up and stand in the gap for our sons lest they fall prey to the devourer.

Please take a moment and view this trailer for The Reunion and leave a comment. Thank you.

Faith is the Foundation For Freedom!

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Day 2 Baker Kairos #24 Choose to Open the Door

Today will begin with the Choices talk and will progress towards Opening the Door. Men will have come to this Kairos weekend in Baker Correctional for many reasons. However, we will learn that we are where we are today because the choices we have made or even those choice which were made for us. God in His grace offers us the opportunity to open the door to a friendship with God through the forgiveness offered through His Son's life, death and resurrection.
In prison, love and forgiveness are unheard of but through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Prison is a hard dark place that produces the hardest of hearts. Yet God's light penetrates the darkness and the hardest of hearts. Prison may be a very violent place but how much more violent was the death of the very Son of God, Creator of mankind who was brutally butchered and spat upon, for what? For whom? Yes my friend, for you and for me. We had a debt we could not pay, He paid a debt He did not owe, and why? Love.
That is why we are going into this prison this weekend.Love. Not our love. His Love. No man has greater love than this, "That He lay down His life for His friends." Yes God desires a friendship with these men just like He desires a friendship with you. No more, no less. The reason He forgave us is simple.

Love.

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Baker Kairos Weekend #24

It is a great day for Kairos Weekend #24 at Baker Correctional Facility. This weekend will be led by none other than John Phillips of St. Andrews Episcopal who has served the men behind the fence faithfully in several major institutions. Our observing rector will be Gary Evans who has been serving at Baker C.I. as our Inside Prayer and share leader on Wednesday evenings. Please lift up our team as well as the men on the inside. We are expecting our Savior to work mightily in the hearts of men. As a wise man once said, "First the Word of God must preach to you before you can preach The Word of God."
If you would like to know more about Kairos Prison Ministry click here
Faith is the Foundation For Freedom!

In His Service,

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"I once was lost but now am found."

11 years 1 day and Counting...Still a Prisoner of Christ

Praise the Lord! 11 years ago and 1 day, I was released from the Florida Department of corrections and was escorted by the Chaplain of Dinsmore Work Release Center to The Victory House at Prisoners of Christ. My new life in Christ began while I was still incarcerated for 5 and a half years and has continued these blessed years beyond the walls and razor wire. Today, God has blessed me with a wonderful wife, Frances and a beautiful boy Elijah David.

God has restored my relationship with my family including my father who, at one time we did not have a good relationship, but today we had a great lunch with author and founder of Prisoners of Christ, Ken Cooper. My father had read a copy of Held Hostage while at my office at Prisoners of Christ and had read half the book by days end. He had read the book in it's entirety by the next day and had several interesting questions and comments. As my mother and father are returning to New York before Father's Day, gave my father an early Father's Day present and treated him to lunch with Ken Cooper and they had a great discussion as Ken shared some personal insight regarding his transformation from being "held hostage" to being "Set Free" in Jesus. It was a great time to see God at work. Only God can bring true transformation and reconciliation. Stay tuned for more testimonies of men being "Set Free..."