BEHIND THE WIRE: PATRICK

                Patrick, a bright, always smiling, 34-year-old, who goes by the nickname Deacon, is a student in our Seminary-in-Prison program at the Everglades Re-Entry Center in Miami. Both of Patrick’s parents were drug addicts. He and his siblings were raised mainly by his grandparents. His grandmother, who Patrick said regularly “beat the mess out of him,” left the kids at home whenever she went shopping or to her club meetings. During one of her times away from the home Patrick was raped by a neighbor.

                His grandparents were Christians, and took him to church, but neither his grandparents nor his church helped him deal with the emotional turmoil and pain he felt. From an early age, Patrick began using and selling drugs as well as having promiscuous sex with both men and women. He now knows he was looking for something to ease his pain and satisfy his longing for real love and acceptance. None of it, however, Patrick said, “healed the wounds in my heart.”

                Patrick received Christ when he was 14 years old, but his life continued to spiral downward. In his early 20s he began going in and out of drug rehab programs. While in a Salvation Army program, he learned that his father was near death due to AIDS and cancer. The director allowed him to leave the program and visit his father in the hospice facility. He could no longer see or speak, but he could hear. Patrick told his father that he forgave him and that he loved him. Patrick said he could do that because he’d learned that Jesus loved and forgave him, so he could do the same for his father. As he said those things he began to feel some peace in his heart for the first time.

A few years later, while in another Christ-centered drug rehab, this one in Atlanta, he learned that his mother was also dying from AIDS related complications. He desperately wanted to see her and tell her that, because of Jesus, he loved and forgave her also. But, she passed away before he could get there. He was angry with God for a time, but then, as he prayed, he again felt a supernatural peace enter his heart.

                Patrick let go of his anger and bitterness toward his parents and others because he learned that God, through Jesus, was not angry with him. He found in Jesus the love and acceptance he’d searched for his whole life. He was given a sense of freedom and joy. However, Patrick still had to face consequences from his life of selling drugs and other crimes. He is currently serving a nine-year sentence. However, Patrick said that God is turning incarceration into something good for him. Since coming to prison Patrick has been fully involved in several chapel programs and frequently shares his faith with others, thus his nickname “Deacon.” He believes that God has called him to a ministry of evangelism.

                Patrick enrolled in our Seminary-in-Prison program so that he can gain a “deeper, more intimate knowledge of God” and to become better equipped “as an ambassador of Christ.” Patrick is pursuing an associate of arts degree in theological studies.

               

                 

Will you prayerfully consider investing in changed lives and donate to help support this work? The State does not provide any funds. All funds come from the generous gifts of our friends. Go to mints.edu and use the PayPal button to donate and designate your gift to Prison Ministry or send a check to MINTS, 14401 Old Cutler Rd., Palmetto Bay, FL 33158 and be sure to write Prison Ministry on the memo line.

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BEHIND THE WIRE: JOEL

   Joel is not who you might picture when you think of a Florida state prisoner. He is bright, articulate, and well educated. A graduate in political science from a college in Atlanta, he is now enrolled in the MINTS Seminary-in-Prison at Everglades Re-Entry Center. Joel plans to earn a masters degree in theological studies.

   The son and grandson of pastors, Joel spent more time at church while growing up than he did at home. He was there every Sunday, of course. But, he was also there several other times during the week. He cannot recall a time when church was not at the center of his family’s life.

   He professed faith in Christ at the age of 12 and by the time he was a teenager was leading Bible studies and prayer meetings. Joel said, “I knew that I had a responsibility that stretched much farther than just attending church services on Sundays. I wanted to be a leader. It burned in my heart to be in ministry.”

   One impactful experience of Joel’s teen years was on a missions trip to Haiti. His father made a trip to Haiti every year and preached there to thousands. Joel went along one year. He said, “my heart was so filled with compassion for these people that I knew that this was going to be part of my service of ministry.” After that first trip Joel went back to Haiti three more times and worked in a clinic, serving some of Haiti’s poorest, neediest people.

   A few years ago, however, Joel’s life hit a rough patch and he got off track. During a time of desperation, he committed two unarmed robberies. He was arrested, convicted, and is currently serving a five-year sentence. Since coming to prison Joel has recommitted his life to Christ and the fire for ministry has returned to his heart. When we started the MINTS Seminary-in-Prison at Everglades Re-Entry Center in January Joel was one of the first to sign up.

   “I believe that this seminary is going to be valuable in helping me grow in the understanding of the Gospel,” Joel said. “It will help me to minister to others and be able to join a ministry when I leave this time of incarceration. I want to help those suffering and be a blessing to the body of Christ.”

   Please pray for Joel to continue growing in Christ and to progress with his studies. Also, please pray for additional qualified teachers for our classes at Everglades Re-Entry.

Will you prayerfully consider investing in changed lives and donate to help support this work? The State does not provide any funds. All funds come from the generous gifts of our friends. Go to mints.edu and use the PayPal button to donate. Designate your gift to Prison Ministry. Or, send a check to MINTS, 14401 Old Cutler Rd., Palmetto Bay, FL 33158 and be sure to write Prison Ministry on the memo line.

BEHIND THE WIRE: ANGEL

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. ---Jeremiah 29:11

     Angel is a student in our MINTS Seminary in Prison program at Dade Correctional Institution DCI. He has been in and out of jail and prisons since he was 10 years old. He is 51 and has been incarcerated for more than 30 years of his life. He is now serving a life sentence without possibility of parole.

     It was while he was in solitary confinement that Christ came into that cell, met Angel, and regenerated him. His spiritually dead heart of stone became a heart beating with spiritual life. "I surrendered my life to Jesus, without realizing that it was actually all His doing--He calls, He justifies, and He ultimately glorifies!"

     Angel believes Jeremiah 29:11, that the Lord has plans for his welfare, for a future and a hope for him, even there behind the wire at DCI.

     Angel said, "It is my belief that the Lord has called me to minister in this place, and to give by grace what He has given me through His wonderful grace. MINTS Seminary has proven to be an important part of my walk with Christ. I have been provided with sound doctrine, and educated on important biblical truth, that I may also share them in the Great Commission.

     "I have found support and dedication to help me in my ministry of evangelism in this place of sorrow and pain. In the midst of this terrible place, I've been able to share God's sovereignty through these difficult circumstances. Yes, He walks with us, through pain and suffering."

     I recently wrote a reference letter for Angel's Department of Corrections file. I wrote that I have found Angel to be faithful, loyal, and a hard worker who demonstrates integrity, all of which are true. Today, with tears in his eyes, Angel told me that in his 51 years, no one has ever said anything like that about him.

     God is at work behind the wire at DCI.

     Angel is on track to graduate with an associate of arts degree in theological studies in June.

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I Want to Be Like Jospeh

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. . . . When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. 
---Matthew 1:18-19, 24-25

     Think about this from Joseph's point of view. He was engaged to Mary. In those times, an engagement was more formal and binding than it is for most people today. Marriage was a two step process. The first step was the official commitment to one another. The second step was the ceremony and consummation. Joseph and Mary had done the first step and were bound to each other. Then, before the second step was completed, Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant.

     Mary had been unfaithful to him. After they had been pledged to each other she slept with another man. She had betrayed him. If you were Joseph, how would you feel? Wounded, aggrieved, wronged, bamboozled, played-for-a-fool, are things that come to mind. So does anger. There's a good chance he was considerably angry. It is, therefore, remarkable what Joseph did when he learned of Mary's pregnancy. "He resolved to divorce her quietly."

     The text tells us that he was a just man. The just consequence of marital betrayal is divorce, and that was what he intended to do, divorce Mary. But the text also tells us that "he was unwilling to put her to shame." Joseph was not only a just man, he was a kind man. Though he was likely angry and hurt, he did not want to hurt Mary in return. Though he must have felt like he'd been punched in the gut, he did not punch Mary in return.

     He could have made a big scene. He could have called everyone in the village together and publicly accused and humiliated Mary. He could have dragged her before the authorities and insisted that she be stoned. Remember what the Pharisees did to the woman caught in adultery in John 8? Joseph did none of those things.

     Mary was going to experience shame. There was no way around that for a young, unmarried pregnant girl in a small village. If everyone didn't already know, they would soon. Shame and humiliation were coming for Mary. But Joseph was unwilling to participate in her shaming. He would divorce her. But, he would do it quietly. Joseph was a kind man.

     And, once the angel assured Joseph that the child Mary carried was from the Holy Spirit, not the result of adultery, and told him to marry her, he did so. It would seem from the text that he did so without delay. Joseph was not only a kind man, he was an obedient man.

     I want to be like that. I want to be kind toward others, even toward people who hurt me. And I want to be obedient to things of God. I want to be like Joseph.


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Wayne's Story: A Story of Redemption from Behind the Wire

     It's a cliche that everyone in prison claims to be is innocent. That has not been my experience, though, with the men in our Miami International Seminary (MINTS) classes in Dade Correctional Institution. I think that as they appreciate the wonder of the forgiveness and redemption they have in Christ that enables them to admit, face, and deal with their crimes. And, that further frees then to grow and change as they walk with Christ in sanctification.There is one man in our classes, though, who insists that he did not do the crimes for which he was sent to prison.

     Wayne was convicted in 1991 for two counts of armed robbery, one count of attempted murder and once count of murder. The prosecution sought the death penalty but he was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Wayne swears that he is innocent.

     In our Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering class the students are giving presentations from Philip Yancey's book Where is God When it Hurts. Wayne gave his presentation yesterday.

     He described some of what it's been like for the past 25 years: the beatings and stabbings he's witnessed, watching a 16-year-old boy stabbed to death in front of him, seeing inmates attack officers and then being beaten nearly to death in return. He talked about the time he was attacked by an inmate and nearly lost his eye. He told us about being kept locked up in a cell for 23 hours a day for months and months and months. But worst of all for Wayne has been knowing that he is, according to him, locked up unjustly - and no one cares. He has no family working for his release. There are no Innocence Project people coming to his aid. He is alone. 

     For many years these experiences left him either deeply depressed and hopeless, planning his suicide, or he was full of anger and bitterness toward everyone and everything.

     Then he met Jesus.

     Since meeting Jesus the rage has subsided. He has begun to have hope, not hope that he will ever be exonerated, but hope that in the end, there is a day coming when Jesus will make all things right.

     Wayne said that through this class on pain and suffering he has "learned the power of forgiveness and unconditional love that conquerors all things. It drew me closer to God and gave me a clear, sharp understanding of Romans 8:28 which states in part 'And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.'"

     Wayne said that he has learned that though his affliction can, at times, seem unbearable he is able to rely on and trust that God, through this experience, will touch him and others and use all of this for good. "I have learned," said Wayne, "as Paul said, for me to live is Christ."

     Prison ministry can be hard. But it can also be rewarding. Yesterday was a rewarding day.

     Thanks for for prayers and financial support that makes it possible for us to be there.

     If you would like to support the Miami International Seminary In-Prison Study Center Program email mints.kendall@gmail.com and ask to be added to our prayer list. Donations can made out to MINTS and mailed to 19931 Eagle Nest Rd, Cutler Bay, Florida 33157. MINTS is a 501(c)3 charity and all donations are tax deductible.

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Seeing Jesus in Timothy McCarthy

At 2:27 PM on March 30, 1981 John Hinckley, Jr. attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. The president had just finished speaking at a meeting of the AFL-CIO at the Washington Hilton. He left the building and made his way toward his limousine, just a short walk across the pavement. Before he could reach the car, however, Hinckley fired six shots at the president. The president and three others were wounded. The wounds were serious. All four people nearly died. But, it is the actions of one of the wounded, before he was shot, that have always fascinated me. Those actions always make me think of Jesus.

When the gunfire started the people on that sidewalk did what most people do when confronted with a source of danger. If they can’t run, then they try to hide. You see the people watching the president all turn away from the sound of the gunfire or get down on the ground. They drew up into themselves. They tried to make themselves as small as possible. Which is a normal, even rational, response in the face of danger. They all did that. Except for one person.

Secret Service Special Agent Timothy McCarthy did something different, something completely counter-intuitive. He did not turn away from the source of danger. He did not make himself as small as possible. He turned toward the gunman and made himself as big as he could. He rose up to his full height. He stretched out his arms. Why? He was putting his own body between the president and the source of danger. He made himself into a human shield. And he was shot in the abdomen, almost losing his life. He risked his life, nearly giving his life, to save the life of the president.

This has always fascinated me. McCarthy’s actions were so contrary to human nature. But more, this seems to me like a picture of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Jesus spread out his arms and made himself a human shield between us and a source of great danger – the wrath of God.

We deserve God’s wrath. And God’s wrath is a far greatest danger to us than an assassin’s bullet. The threat from God’s wrath is greater than any other menace we might face from another person. Jesus said, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

The wrath of God is a terrible, fearful thing. The wrath of God destroys soul and body, in hell, forever. And, it is what we deserve. Every one of us. It is what we deserve.

What would it be like for the wrath of God to be poured out on us? Did you ever see the news coverage of civil rights protests when local officials used fire hoses against the protesters? The powerful water from the fire hoses knocks people off their feet. They try to stand up, but can’t. The force of the water is too great. It knocks them down again and again. They are powerless before it. Take that and multiple it many times over and that’s what I imagine the wrath of God to be like. It knocks you down and you can’t stand up. It overwhelms. There is no hope before it.

But, Jesus put his own body between the wrath of God and you, and me, and all those who believe. When he was on the cross, part of his payment for our sin meant absorbing into himself all of the wrath of God that should justly be poured onto us. He made himself a human shield. Like Timothy McCarthy did for President Reagan, Jesus used his own body to protect us. But he not only risked his life, he gave his life, so that we could live.

I want to think more about that, about Jesus’s love for me, a love so great that he was compelled to use his own body to shield me. I want to let the knowledge of his love for me saturate my whole being. And I want that knowledge to move me to greater love for him.

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Jesus Understands

Natural human weaknesses, though not sinful in themselves, are usually accompanied by temptations that do prod us to sin.  But Jesus, because he is a real man and experienced all the same weaknesses and temptations that we do, is able to come to our rescue.

One weakness that is not sinful but can easily become an occasion for sin is physical fatigue. When I am tired I often find myself tempted to quit or to break my promises. I give myself excuses to not keep my commitments, because I am weary.

Another way I am tempted to sin when I am tired is I am easily angered. This may come out in full blown angry words or actions, or I might just be irritable or impatient.

Whenever I react to weariness in any of these sinful ways what is really happening is that I am loving myself more than I am loving God and others. And that is the root of all my sin.

But I also know that I don’t have to sin when I am tempted in these ways. And I also don’t have to just tough it out and will myself to not sin, which pretty much always fails. I can come to Christ for comfort, and he will really help, because he really understands.

There was a time when Jesus was so weary from a trip that he just sat down and didn’t go further, while the disciples went off to run an errand. They went to go get food. (See John 4:6-8). Jesus was not lazy and he was not selfish or manipulative. He wasn’t using the disciples because he just didn’t feel like running the errand himself.

If he sent the disciples off while he stayed behind he had to have a reason. The text tells us. He was tired. Knowing that Jesus was tired on this, and, I am sure, many other occasions, gives me great comfort and hope when I am weary. It gives me comfort and hope that I don’t have to sin in my weariness.

Hebrews tells us that Jesus was tempted in every way that we are, yet without sin (Hebrew 4:15). That tells me that when he was tired Jesus too was tempted to quit and to not keep his promises. It tells me that Jesus too felt irritable with people and wanted to snap at them. He knows, he really knows, exactly what that feels like. But he did not sin.

So when I’m tired and feel like I don’t want to go to another meeting, or answer the phone when it rings, or when harsh words rise up to the tip of tongue, when I am tempted to love myself and my comfort more than I love God and love others, I can call out to Jesus for help. And when I do he will say, “I understand,” and he will understand. Because he really has experienced the same thing.

Jesus will be able to strengthen me at just the point of my temptation. He will be able to help me, exactly as I need to be helped, and not only because he is God. He will be able to help me because he is also a real man who has been there and done that, been tempted in exactly the same way, yet without sin.   

With his help, and the strength that he provides, I will be able to love God and others, even when I don't feel like it. I find great comfort and hope that.

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Endless, Bottomless, Boundless Grace and Compassion

In an article in Tabletalk adapted from Sinclair Ferguson's The Trinitarian Devotion of John Owen we read that there is endless, bottomless, boundless grace and compassion for believers found in Christ and this is experienced through our union with Him. Ferguson further quotes Owen that "we cannot spread our sin further than He can spread His grace. To meditate on this, to taste the waters of such a pure fountain [of grace] is surely to know 'joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory (1 Peter 1:8).'"

This endless, bottomless, boundless grace and compassion is real. Believers already have it in Christ. It is there for you when you struggle with whatever life throws at you. It is there for you when you fall short in your sin. However great your need is, the grace and compassion of Christ is greater. 

In his humanity Jesus experienced all of the same struggles and temptations that you face. He understands, really understands. Come to him with whatever problems or difficulties you face today. Think on his grace and compassion for you, let the knowledge of his love for you saturate your heart and spirit. 

In this you will find help, you will find strength, you will find hope.

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6 Ways God Shows His Love

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. (Psalm 36:7)

How profoundly does God love you? Consider these things.

He created you – I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14

Your existence, your life, is not an accident. You were specifically planned for and created by God. He designed everything about you from you physical appearance to your personality type, to be just the way he wanted you to be. You are God’s masterpiece.

He created you in his image – So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27

Nothing else in all the creation can lay claim to being “like” God or in his image. Not trees or rocks or birds or any other animal. Only people, like you. He made you in his image, in his likeness, so that you can have a personal relationship with him.

He died for you – But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Just like everyone else on the planet, from infancy you joined in what has been called, the Great Cosmic Rebellion. You have again and again turned your back on God, rejected his rightful rule over you and chose to follow your own sinful choices. Knowing that you would do so, God came to earth, took on humanity and died in your place. He did that so you could be delivered from sin, given life and set free to be in a relationship with him.

He gifted you – Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 1 Corinthians 12:7 Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 1 Corinthians 14:26

If you are a believer in Jesus, then you have been given gifts of the Holy Spirit. It may gifts of service or mercy or administration or preaching/teaching or knowledge or faith or evangelism or something else. That is, you have a God-given special enabling chosen expressly for you by God so that you can join him in his work of building the church. Think about that for a minute. Don’t take it for granted. The King of Kings of all the universe has especially given you a Holy Spirit powered gift so that you can use that gift alongside him in the work he is doing of building the church – i.e. making disciples. What a privilege and honor that is!

He empowers you – But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

This is a broken world filled with difficulties and problems, many of which are too much for us. We are broken people who cannot, through our own power, overcome the difficulties and problems that face us. But, we can be confident that, if we are a believer in Jesus, he will graciously give us all the power we need to face whatever comes our way.

He meets all your needs – And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Whatever needs you have, relationship needs, physical needs, financial needs, spiritual needs, whatever your needs may be, God promises to take care of them for you. It may not be when you want or the way you want. But your needs will be taken care of the way that is best, best for his glory and best for your well-being, in his time and in his way.

Take a few minutes to really ponder these truths. Think deeply about them. The most powerful and amazing Being in all the universe –

·         Created you

·         Made you like himself so that you could have a relationship with him

·         Died for you when you were lost in sin, making a way for you to have eternal life

·         Gifted you so you could join him in his work

·         Empowered you so that you can face any and every difficulty that life throws at you, and

·         Promised to take care of all your needs

Can you see, even a little, how great is God’s love for you? It’s a pretty amazing thing. Let it sink in, let it saturate your soul and your heart. Then let it move you to love him in return, to honor him and worship him and serve him. That’s what life is all about.

What do you think? I'd love to read your comments.

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Top 10 Quotes for May 3 - 10

Every day, on my social media sites, I post quotes I hope will inspire, encourage or otherwise help those who read them.

Based on “likes” from my facebook page, these are the 10 Most Popular Quotes from last week.

Thanks for “voting” with your likes!

10. All great achievements require time. ---Maya Angelou

9.  When someone does something wrong, don’t forget all the things they did right. Be gracious! ---Christine Caine

8. The man who doesn’t read had no advantage over the man who cannot read.  ---Mark Twain

7. A room without books is like a body without a soul.  ---Cicero

6. Sometimes the greatest thing to come out of all your hard work isn’t what you get for it, but what you become of it. ---Steve Maraboli

5. There are only two ways to love your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. ---Albert Einstein

4. He is your friend who pushes you nearer to God.  ---Abraham Kuyper

3. A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected ---Tiffany Evans

2. Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today. ---Clairporium.com

1.  When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and face with us the reality of our powerlessness, that is a friend who cares.― Henri J.M. Nouwen,

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Jesus, The Leper and The Touch of Love

What’s the one thing you want more than anything else? Fame? Fortune? A great tennis backhand? For most people, what they want more than anything else is to feel loved and wanted.

It is something that I longed for all of my life. But for most of my life the longing was never totally fulfilled. Then one day I read a story about Jesus that caused everything to change for me. It was a story that I had read many times before, but this time something about it penetrated deep into my heart and soul in a way it never had before. Which story? The story of Jesus cleansing the leper in Mark chapter 1.

And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean (Mark 1:40-42).

That time that I read this story I was at one of the lowest points of my life. I was feeling acutely aware of my sin, aware of how I had let down people who loved me and depended on me, aware of how far short I’d fallen from the life of righteousness that God requires and deserves from me. I remember feeling like I’d been soaked in filth, like I was covered with open oozing sores.

Then I read that story.

                                                                                                                                                            Leprosy was a terrible, incurable disease. Having it made someone unclean and the law forbid him from contact with other people. Lepers were not allowed to live in towns. They had to live in camps outside the city. If for any reason a leper had to come into town he was required to shout “Unclean! Unclean!” to warn others to stay away. What do you think that did to someone’s self-image?

It was a terrible existence. No one was more unloved and unwanted than were lepers. Imagine going through your life like that. No one loves you, no one wants you. And if ever you happened to come close to someone they would recoil at even the thought of accidentally brushing up against you. Horrible.

That’s how I felt. Not physically. But emotionally and spiritually, I felt a leper. I felt unclean and untouchable.

Then I read this passage. Jesus wasn’t repelled by this man’s leprosy. He wasn’t disgusted. He didn’t turn away from him, as I felt people did with me.

Then I noticed, as if for the first time, what Jesus did. He moved toward the man and he touched him.

Jesus wasn't compelled to touch him in order to heal him. Though he did so many times, Jesus didn’t have to touch people to heal them. All he had to do was say a word and the man would have been cleansed.

Jesus could have said, “Okay, now you just keep your distance over there while I clean you up first.” Jesus could have backpedaled away from him while saying, “be clean” and the man would have been cleansed. But, that’s not what Jesus did. Jesus knew it had been a long time since anyone had come near this man or touched him. Jesus wasn't just interested in healing the man, he wanted to love him.

So the first thing Jesus did was he moved toward him and touched him. Even before he healed him, he touched him.

The moment I read those words something popped open in my heart. I saw that I was the leper. I was covered with oozing sores of sin that caused people to turn away from me. But that didn’t matter to Jesus. He was saying to me, “I am not repelled by you. I love you and I accept you just as you are. You don’t have to change anything for me. I come to you. I embrace you. I love you.”

Jesus loved me just as I was, sin and all. He wanted me. That’s grace. That’s the gospel.

Of course, he didn’t leave me the way I was. Just as Jesus didn’t leave the leper in his leprosy but made him well, Jesus has been making me well ever since. But I have never again, since that day, ever felt like there was no one who loved me and accepted me. I know that whatever else happens, Jesus does.

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Prayer and Good Health

For the last decade or so medical researchers have increasingly considered whether prayer has an effect on people’s physical health.  The clear conclusion from a number of studies, conducted by universities, medical schools, government agencies and professional journals across the country, is yes. The regular practice of prayer can have positive benefits for our physical health. Here’s a sampling of the findings.

Hypertension

                According the Center for Disease Control hypertension is one of the United State's most serious public health issues. One third of US adults (approximately 70 million) have high blood pressure. And, another third are prehypertensive, that is they have elevated blood pressure.  It is estimated that hypertension costs $46 billion a year for medication, health care and days missed from work.

                A study funded by the National Institutes of Health showed that people who prayed daily were 40 percent less likely to have high blood pressure than those who did not.

Depression and Anxiety

                “Major depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States,” says a report from the National Institute of Mental Health. “In 2012, an estimated 16 million adults aged 18 or older in the U.S. had at least one major depressive episode.” That works out the 6.9 percent of American adults.

                Anxiety affects even more people. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America states that “anxiety disorders are the most common mental health illness in the US affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older (18% of the US population).”

                Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School said that studies showed that during prayer “the body’s metabolism decreases, the heart rate slows, blood pressure goes down and our breath becomes calmer and more regular.” This, Benson said, “correlates with slower brain waves, and feelings of control, tranquil alertness and peace of mind.” That is, people who pray regularly tend to suffer less from depression and anxiety.

                And, the reverse is also true. People who pray are not just less depressed, they are happier. A study at the University of Pennsylvania showed that “prayer increased levels of dopamine, which is associated with states of well-being and joy.”

Quicker Recoveries

                Researchers at Dartmouth medical school found that people with “religious belief were three times more likely to recover from heart surgery.” Separate studies at Duke and Yale concluded that heart patients who did not pray regularly were 14 times more likely to die following surgery.

General Good Health and Longer Lives

                In 2011 a University of Cincinnati study of inner city youths with asthma showed that those with a regular practice of prayer “experienced fewer and less severe symptoms than those who did not.” And, a survey conducted by The Journal of Gerontology of 4,000 seniors in Durham, NC concluded that people who prayed regularly "coped better with illness in general and lived longer lives than those who did not."

            The results of these studies are not surprising. God created people as beings that are both physical and spiritual. Our wisest and best course is to care for our bodies and our spirits. Solomon had it right when he wrote:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
    and lean not on your own understanding;
  in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths straight.

  Do not be wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord and shun evil.
  This will bring health to your body
    and nourishment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8)

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Top Ten Quotes from April 19 - 25

Every day, on my social media sites, I post quotes I hope will inspire, encourage or otherwise help those who read them.

Based on “likes” from my facebook page, these are the 10 Most Popular Quotes from last week.

Thanks for “voting” with your likes!

10. It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels. ---Augustine

9.  We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world. ---Helen Keller

8. If you have time to watch TV, you have time to work your dreams and change your life. ---Bruce Van Horn

7. Your life doesn’t get better by chance. It gets better by change. ---Jim Rohn

6. Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time. ---Oswald Chambers

5. Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.---A A Milne

4. Don’t try to won over the haters; you’re not the Jack-Ass Whisper. ---Scott Stratten

3. Setting an appointment with my wife for daily prayer has been one of the most positive things I've ever done. It has changed my life in many ways. Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees. ---Corrie Ten Boom

2. No one has become poor by giving. ---Anne Frank

1. The day you lose everything…is the day you’ll know who your true friends are. ---Irwin C.

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