Letter: December 2010

December 2010

Dear Friends,

It has been some time since my last communication. There have been many trials in my life here in prison which is the Lord’s divine providence to conform me to the image of His dear Son, and for this I am thankful. I have heard from many faithful saints and received some wonderful visits. Thank you!

I have tried to carry on the work of the ministry here despite the continuing loss of opportunity due to prison cutbacks. Four out of five of our chaplains have quit and there is no chapel ministry at all. Our ministry relies on meeting on our prison yard for services and Bible classes. So please pray that our yard will remain open.

The men will testify that they are growing in the Lord, as they work hard at their studies (I give them homework in their Bible classes and Greek classes). Some are faithful to our Quarterly Bible Study goals which include Scripture reading and memory, reading and listening to sermons, reading a Christian biography, regular prayer time, to name a few. I praise God for these men and their growth.

I am grateful for recent visits by Deanna, Charlene and Randy, Mike O’Neill and Carlos Whitfield, and Harout; my brother, Don, Jeff Barnett all the way from Idaho, Nick from Idaho too, Helen Hofawger and her husband Jim from West Virginia. I am very grateful to the Stepanians for their gift which made these weeks a blessing. I am grateful to all of you for taking my phone calls, sending packages and stamps. You are a wonderful blessing. I am grateful for the kind counsel of Mr. Elwood Hale as well.

I am greatly sorrowed by the fact that I cannot celebrate my daughter’s birthday with her this month. Since I am not allowed to contact her I can’t even send a card. My prayers are with her though.

My friends in Germany continue to be a wonderful encouragement through their prayers and letters and example of faithfulness in ministry in the face of discouraging circumstances. Pastor Goetzen is to be commended for his diligence and persistence as he tries to spread the seed of the Gospel among a spiritually dark Germany.

This Christmas in prison there are no decorations, no trees or presents, no parties, nothing except the perfect opportunity to focus purely on Jesus Christ, His birth and His salvation He brings to all who trust in Him. I also reflected back to the Grace Church concerts I had been a part of for so many years. These were good memories. I was able to play three “concerts” here, one for the Lifers group, and two for the Protestant chapel inmates, for which I am grateful.

I promise to be more faithful and regular in my journal updates. The Lord be with you.

In Christ,
David

Journal: August 17, 2010

I prepared all morning to preach in the afternoon Chapel. However it was not opened because the Muslim chaplain who usually opens it for the Protestants did not come. So I was able to preach on the yard to both the Spanish brothers and the English brothers. My theme was “Radical Discipleship.” My goal is to encourage us all to greater commitment to Christ. The heat was very hot (103 F) and in the direct sun it was almost 115 F. But the Lord brought a nice breeze and sustained us all. Then brother Frank preached for about an hour on the security of our salvation. We were very enriched with the Word.

In the last day, I have been planning to offer and teach a class on leadership to some of the men I think have potential. We would use John MacArthur’s book, The Book on Leadership. I would also require the men to read a volume on Christian theology because nay leader must understand theology and be able to defend the truth. I will hold a teacher’s meeting soon and tell them about the class. I know the Lord would greatly use this book in these men’s lives. Some will parole and some will transfer to other prisons and be used b the Lord there.

We distributed prayer cards to pray for sister Simone’s exams in Germany which will last about an entire month. There are ten of us praying of her. Also we have been praying for the Goetzen’s summer ministries and have been getting back information that the Lord has been blessing it. It is exciting when God answers prayer.

Journal: August 12, 2010

This is Thursday and the Lord has given a truly blessed day to me. After morning devotions and hearing Pastor MacArthur on the radio preaching about heaven, the Lord let us outside to the yard where many of the Spanish brothers were gathered. This is the group of men who are being discipled by brother Joseph Torres, an inmate who was a pastor in the L.A. area. I was allowed to preach to them so I taught on the doctrine of reconciliation for about an hour. Brother Torres translated. Then brother Damian taught on true Christianity as opposed to easy believeism. Thus, the whole mourning was saturated with the Word of God, and this is a gift form God because ewe might not have been able to come outside today at all. This evening at our evening yard devotional, brother Mario brought a strong message on the need to study to show oneself approved. There were about 18 men in attendance. Afterward, in the building, we had a prayer session during which we prayed for our wives (and former wives). Brother David S.’s wife is still with him, but brother Joseph’s and mine are not.

Journal: August 7, 2010

This morning, I was able to counsel a brother in the Word. He is very zealous for the Lord and is growing in Christ. He writes ladies who are in a Tijuana jail and shared Christ and the Gospel with them. There are a few who are saved and he writes words of encouragement. Their jail time is far worse than hours. They only get a few hours of yard once a week, and have many other hardships. I think it is a wonderful thing that God has led this man, who is serving 40 years to life, to write other sin jail and encourage them. Only the grace of God could bring this about in a life.

This afternoon about seven of the brothers met for prayer lifting up our families, the Lost, our friends outside, and praising and thanking God for all His blessings He has showered upon us. We remembered the Goetzens in Germany and their faithful ministry.

For an unknown reason, we were locked up early, not allowed to go out in the evening. Tomorrow we may be locked down all day. I shall seek the Lord in prayer and His Word and write some much needed letters. The Lord be with you.

Journal: July 13, 2010

Dear Friends,

It has been a wonderful day in the Lord! I was able to go to the yard this morning and enjoy a nice morning before the heat came. It was 97 today and will be 106 in a few days. This goes on through August. I am grateful for the swamp cooling and my fan.

I spent the late morning preparing for my sermon I was able to give in the afternoon. I spent quite ea bit of prayer on it both praying God would direct me in preparing it and that He would touch the hearts of the men who would hear it. It was based on 2 Cor. 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you.” But the sermon was on how we can hinder this all-sufficient grace by having three wrong attitudes (sins):
1) an unthankful heart (not thanking God for this trial);
2) a complaining spirit; and
3) not being prayerfully dependent on the Lord.

The Lord blessed the sermon from what the men said and I am grateful.

Then this evening, one of the brothers who was to give the devotion on the yard, could not, so I substituted for him bringing a message on how to deal with anger. This of course, has been an area I have needed to grow in, but the Lord gave me wisdom through His word.

This morning, at 4:30am, brother Tim was taken away and it was a sad time. He will go to another prison and we will not likely see him ever again until heaven. He has been a bright spot on this yard for nearly 5 years.

Last evening, we all gathered on the yard to pray. There were about 17 of us and we prayed for our families (mine included) and for many other things. Some of the men are going through such tragedies, but their spirits are still very sweet in the Lord. I am thankful God placed me around such wonderful brothers in the Lord. Though I long to be free and with my family, I am grateful to the Lord for all He is doing in here., in my own heart, and on this yard for His glory.