January 31, 2012

Great day in Juarez Jail today on my birthday.  Pastor Julio, brother Marcos and myself drove down to the local jail share the gospel with some prisoners who were behind bars inside.  When we arrived we walked around the building to a cross street where we met up with another pastor and his group of people that were their for the same reason.  This was the 3rd consecutive time I have been blessed to have been able to join these dedicated men and women of God who each week make their way to this jail to share the love of God with the men who have been incarcerated there.

This third time  turned out to be a very special morning for us.  Our friend and brother in the Lord from Pastor Julio's church joined us for the first time and before long he had an opportunity to preach to the prisoners for about five minutes.  Other men and even a women were afforded the same opportunity, then came Pastor Julio's turn and finally mine once again.

Just as I was concluding the message God gave me in that moment to give based on two portions of Scripture I felt led to turn to in John Chapter 1:1-5  and Psalm 46

John 1:1-5   

The Word Became Flesh

 ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.

Psalm 46
 ¹ God is our refuge and strength, 

   an ever-present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
   and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
³ though its waters roar and foam
   and the mountains quake with their surging.^[c]
 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
   the holy place where the Most High dwells.
⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
   God will help her at break of day.
⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
   he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
 ⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.
 ⁸ Come and see what the LORD has done,
   the desolations he has brought on the earth.
⁹ He makes wars cease
   to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
   he burns the shields^[d] with fire.
¹⁰ He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; 
   I will be exalted among the nations,
   I will be exalted in the earth.”
 ¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our fortress.