My Son's visit at the Youth Detention Center
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth.” 3 John 1:4
Last month, several volunteers from OWLAD were privileged to go to our local youth detention center. We had been the month before and because another group could not go in October, we were offered the chance again.
Since I don’t believe in coincidences, I know God orchestrated this time of sharing with these youth. The reason I say this is that our son, Rob, agreed to go and share with the residents. They ranged in age from 12 to 16 years old. So sad to see them making destructive life changing choices at such an early age. Some were in for murder. Oh how early the enemy grabs the young, once innocent, souls.
We shared from Luke 15 about the prodigal son and how he left home and ended up in the pig pen before heading back home. Rob shared his journey as a prodigal. He urged them not to travel down the same path he did. He shared about having to go to prison and that it is definitely not a party or a party time. He is often able to discern from their attitude and stance whether they are going to make positive changes or be right back on the street. This time he noticed a young man who was very attentive and asking questions. He spent some time talking with him alone, encouraging him to return to his studies and his involvement with football. He also encouraged him to avoid activities with old friends. This young man seemed to engage with what was shared and showed promise of turning his life around.
Next, one of our mothers shared from her heart about both her daughters who had served time. She continues to pray for one daughter who has not come home. Afterwards, we were able to sit down and share with the youth one on one.
After talking more with Rob, two of the guys wanted to pray to re-ceive Christ and others rededicated their life in answer to our prayers. We were so grateful for the chance to share God’s love with those young people. We pray it will make an impact and that they will begin to make wiser choices. Hopefully, they will think about what they heard and it will be a deterrent in the future.
We literally had to drag Rob out as he continued to warn the kids and encourage them to change their direction before it led to prison. Maybe he is beginning to realize God’s call on his life. He displayed a tender caring heart and the kids seemed to respond well to his sharing.
You have that same opportunity to share with those who you live with day in and day out. Your life can speak volumes as you live Christ in front of them. Share your testimony as the opportunity arises or you can share God’s Word, or
Friday, November 29, 2013
Face To Face with the Enemy
Face to Face with the Enemy
Seven years ago God called me into ministry to prodigals and their families with the passage in Isaiah 42: 6-7, “I, the LORD have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gen-tiles [Prodigals], to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house.”
Because God is setting prison-ers (captives) free our minis-try has faced opposition from the enemy in his attempts to either bring us down or to bring confusion. We pray of-ten for God’s wisdom and dis-cernment as God directs our steps. We have sixty some prayer partners that have covenanted to hold us up with warfare prayers. We covet your prayers also as we also intercede for you and your family. Many of you have said you pray for us and we thank you.
I am such a visual learner so recently as my husband and I turned off the major highway and rounded the curve we came face to face with a coy-ote (wolf), to me they are the same. He was huge and stood in the median staring our way. It was unnerving! I thought, oh man, this is very signifi-cant.
Don’t we wish we could ‘see’ our enemy all the time from a protected viewpoint, like an armored car? Well we can’t always see the enemy so we have to stay in the Word and not be ignorant of the tactics of the enemy. We need to be prepared to face our enemy. We will share more about that in the Application.
The next morning I opened the Word straight to Mat-thew 10:16, “Lo, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent--harmless and without falsity--as doves.” A wolf here was used to describe false proph-ets who persecute the true sheep and seek to destroy the church or a ministry.
If we are a child of God we are His sheep and He, as our Shepherd, protects us. The Shepherd tends, keeps, guards, and guides us as our Good Shepherd. I know this visual He gave me was meant to make me more aware that the enemy is prowling around seeking who he may devour, but He also provided His pro-tection in the safety of my car.
Just like my surprise at com-ing face to face with the coy-ote we can all come around the bend and find ourselves face to face with the enemy. That is why preparation and intercession keeps us ready for the daily battles that come our way. Are you pre-paring?
Application:
1. Are you daily applying the armor as described in Ephesians 6? The ene-mies fiery darts come before you step your foot on the floor, so apply it before you get out of bed.
2. Are you starting your day in His Word? He will lead you to a passage that pre-pares you for what you may face that day. Don’t neglect meeting with Him.
3. Are you letting the enemy come in and bring you discouragement or are you speaking a word of rebuke in Jesus name?
4. Are you falling to tempta-tions that come your way? Hide His Word in your heart and speak it when temptations come. Sin in your life needs to go. You cannot do battle with the enemy when you are half-way in his camp. Your life must be striving towards holiness.
Seven years ago God called me into ministry to prodigals and their families with the passage in Isaiah 42: 6-7, “I, the LORD have called you in righteousness, and will hold your hand; I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gen-tiles [Prodigals], to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house.”
Because God is setting prison-ers (captives) free our minis-try has faced opposition from the enemy in his attempts to either bring us down or to bring confusion. We pray of-ten for God’s wisdom and dis-cernment as God directs our steps. We have sixty some prayer partners that have covenanted to hold us up with warfare prayers. We covet your prayers also as we also intercede for you and your family. Many of you have said you pray for us and we thank you.
I am such a visual learner so recently as my husband and I turned off the major highway and rounded the curve we came face to face with a coy-ote (wolf), to me they are the same. He was huge and stood in the median staring our way. It was unnerving! I thought, oh man, this is very signifi-cant.
Don’t we wish we could ‘see’ our enemy all the time from a protected viewpoint, like an armored car? Well we can’t always see the enemy so we have to stay in the Word and not be ignorant of the tactics of the enemy. We need to be prepared to face our enemy. We will share more about that in the Application.
The next morning I opened the Word straight to Mat-thew 10:16, “Lo, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent--harmless and without falsity--as doves.” A wolf here was used to describe false proph-ets who persecute the true sheep and seek to destroy the church or a ministry.
If we are a child of God we are His sheep and He, as our Shepherd, protects us. The Shepherd tends, keeps, guards, and guides us as our Good Shepherd. I know this visual He gave me was meant to make me more aware that the enemy is prowling around seeking who he may devour, but He also provided His pro-tection in the safety of my car.
Just like my surprise at com-ing face to face with the coy-ote we can all come around the bend and find ourselves face to face with the enemy. That is why preparation and intercession keeps us ready for the daily battles that come our way. Are you pre-paring?
Application:
1. Are you daily applying the armor as described in Ephesians 6? The ene-mies fiery darts come before you step your foot on the floor, so apply it before you get out of bed.
2. Are you starting your day in His Word? He will lead you to a passage that pre-pares you for what you may face that day. Don’t neglect meeting with Him.
3. Are you letting the enemy come in and bring you discouragement or are you speaking a word of rebuke in Jesus name?
4. Are you falling to tempta-tions that come your way? Hide His Word in your heart and speak it when temptations come. Sin in your life needs to go. You cannot do battle with the enemy when you are half-way in his camp. Your life must be striving towards holiness.
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