Witness for Christ Blog

This is not a book for the faint hearted. It describes in graphic detail the horrors of life in a women's jail in Australia. There is nothing that can offend God. Even in the deepest pit, He reaches out today to those who have lost everything.

Trish Jenkins, a practising Christian was incarcerated when some financial dealings got out of control. She mustered all the bravery she could summon and allowed Jesus Christ to ooze out of her to those classified as unredeemable. Murderers, drug related criminals, traffic offenders, welfare cheats and the like all mingle in this sub-culture. Her faith has safeguarded her sanity in this toxic environment. This is Australia in the 21st century and not Hong Kong in the 1960s thinking you might be mistakenly reading "Chasing the Dragon" by Jackie Pullinger.

This cesspool of depravity causes the author to spare no details in regard to women's issues. (Male readers beware). Also the profanity in the language has been sanitize as #%&*ing but you can still hear the impact ringing in your ears. An interesting quote from a prostitute: "When the perverts are with me they are not touching a little kid!" It's quite a noble sentiment, when you think about it.

As a reader I have just one regret: After all the pent-up suspense towards her day of release it turns out to be an anti-climax: there is no description of her last day in jail! Also you would have liked to read one chapter about the experience of her husband Justin - the ordeal from the outside, the support from relatives and church members.

Trish gets more comfortable with the hard-core criminals who respected her than the petty thieves and drug users who were bitchy, talked behind her back and dobbed her in to the guards.

The book is a pathetic indictment of the penal system where prison officers miserably fail their duty of care for the inmates. They play mind games on people to destroy any self-esteem they might have. The question is: do we aim to release back in the community people who are better off or worse off than when they got locked up? Punishment without rehabilitation is a cancer to society.

On the whole this is probably the best volume about spiritual warfare I have come across. This is a testimony to behold. The devil is a tenacious expert at destroying us and ruining our lives. Having said that there is also no depth of despair, agony or depravity where the Holy Spirit is not there to assist you. Trish got in dire straits for praying in tongues and having a woman slain in the Spirit. When you read this book, ask yourself: How would I cope in this situation?

Treasures of Darkness: A Prison Journey

You might wonder why people choose instead hatred, sorrow and unrest. What would be the forces at play?

Love here should be defined as unselfish, loyal, and benevolent concern for the well-being of another (Greek root agape) - not physical pleasure. So "love your neighbour as yourself" brings it all in context. It is the attitude that puts the welfare of others as a priority.

Joy is the fulfilment of being at the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing. It is not self-centred pleasure seeking - there is a name for that. It's called hedonism.

Peace is the sense of rest that comes when you are secure in who you are. Obviously you need to have a great sense of self-worth and self-esteem to get there.

Notice than in order to love your neighbour as yourself - you need to love yourself first! And so we go full circle. Could it be that a wrong self-image is the cause of all this dysfunctionality?

We are told that man was created in the image of God. Therefore if the connection with God is lost our self-image goes out the window. Instead we go for pale substitutes which quickly degenerate into hatred, sorrow and unrest.

There you have it. Ever noticed that in the last twenty years since Judeo-Christian values have been systematically removed from western institutions, things are going downhill at an alarming rate?

I guess you don't appreciate what you take for granted. You only value what cost you effort and resources.

What is true on a corporate level is also true on a personal level. Just like governments are falling asleep at the wheel no longer being able to administer the country - likewise couples are unable to keep their families together and divorce is the looming outcome.

Love, joy and peace are not pie in the sky concepts. They need to be experienced day after day. So where do you start? Take an inventory of your values and prepare to let go of number one, your big self, me, myself and I. it's only when you start having altruistic motives that put the welfare of others ahead of yours that you release a boomerang effect. God is watching and will reward those who play by His rules. Are you going to play on His team or are you going to do your own thing all your life? Are you going to be re-connected with no other than the creator of the universe or are you going to be your own god?

I was awakened in the mornin' by a knockin' on the door
So I got up and went to see what all the knockin' was for
There stood the devil with a box addressed to me
He said "Boy, I've got something here I think you oughta see!"

I said, "I know that I don't want it if it's anything from you
'Cause I hate everything you say and don't like anything you do."
But then he pointed with his finger and he smiled kinda sly
'Cause the package said "from God" there in the corner, way up high

So I said, "If it's from God, then why'd He send it here by you?"
He said, "He always send' me when there's dirty work to do...
And this box is full of misery, poverty and shame
To perfect you through your sufferin' 'til you're worthy of His Name

Well, I'd been pretty patient, but that last line took the cake
I just couldn't take no more, I'd taken all that I could take
So I told him what I thought of him and all his filthy lies
Then I fired the shot that got him right between the eyes

I told him "Jesus took my sickness and my poverty away
You nailed it to the cross yourself when you murdered Him that day
The suff'rin' that I do will be for love-- not for shame
I'm already worthy by His blood to wear His name

And I know my Father loves me and has only good in store
So you just pack up all that jive and get away from my front door
You can write my name on packages until I'm ninety two
But every single one I'm sending back to hell with you"

I said I know my Father loves me and has only good in store
So you just pack up all that jive and get away from my front door
You can write my name on packages until I'm a hundred and thirty-two
But every single one I'm sending back to hell with you"

Listen to this song from Don Francisco

Imagine almost losing a child through the ordeal of a miss-diagnosed ruptured appendix. Imagine how you would handle as parents that same child giving testimony of a trip to heaven with details that square up to Scripture perfectly.

That's the story of Todd Burpo and his 4 years old son Colton Over a period of two years, the toddler's parents pieced this puzzle - careful not to contaminate the child's recollection with their own words. Instead they prodded their son with open ended questions. The answers gave amazing insight and always corroborated the Bible.

Colton's recollection of Jesus unique features were his eyes and his markers. When asked where those so-called markers were, the boy pointed squarely to the palms of his hands and the top of his feet.

Colton's parents are pastors of a Wesleyan church in the American Midwest. Whenever a picture of Jesus came across in some Sunday school material or maybe a reproduction of a classical painting - it was shown to Colton: When you saw Jesus, did He look like this? Colton immediately dismissed the image as totally wrong. The game went on for about two years until one day; his father came across the art of another unusual child - a girl by the name of Akiane Kramarik This time Colton was speechless and stared in amazement. Finally, prodded by his dad he confessed. Yes, that's pretty much the way he looked...

Colton totally unprovoked, confronted his mum: "You had a baby girl who died in your tummy, didn't you?" the mother was besides herself when her son explained how his sister rushed towards him and hugged him in heaven - giving a taste of what family reunions would be like up there. He also met his great grandfather Pop who recognized him straight away. Although in his earthly life Pop never met his great grandson. Todd showed his son a photograph of Pop. The boy dismissed it straight away retorting: "Dad, in heaven nobody is old or wear glasses!" Finally Colton recognized Pop in the prime of his life when a 1943 photograph was presented to him after much searching.

Colton also had a glimpse of the future and told his dad he would have to fight in the war that would destroy the world. Jesus and the angels and the good people are going to fight against Satan and the monsters and the bad people. The women and the children get to stand back and watch. So I watched you dad and you get to fight monsters either with a sword or with a bow and arrows. But it's OK. Jesus wins and He throws Satan into hell - I saw it!

I guess right now your mind is racing ahead pondering at all the consequences. My attitude is that I do not want to offend the Holy Spirit who took the trouble to unveil those snippets through the innocence of child messengers. Even the commercialisation of those two bestselling books is something I have to get over. But if you are wondering where God is in this world which is falling apart fast before our very eyes, then here is a point of comfort. Whether you get to stand back and watch (pray and intercede) or whether you have to fight (spiritually, emotionally, financially or physically) the great news is that we win the war! And remember - without faith it is impossible to please God!

Heaven is for Real
Akiane: Her Life, Her Art, Her Poetry

We shall assume that indeed you are talking to a friend you have known for sometimes, that you have learned to trust each other through some common experience and that you respect each others' opinion. Here is how to go:

It would be best if you waited for the atheist to bring up the subject. Being convinced that God doesn't exist and then finding out that He is real can be a traumatic experience.

The best tack is to be Christ-like to your friend until they can't hold themselves anymore and beg you to spell out what this Jesus of yours who lives on the inside is like.

It is best not to argue about the creation and the many obvious clues to you that God's presence is everywhere. Instead you should drive the conversation to the issue of sin and the perfect dispensation of grace brought about by Christ's death at Calvary.

Atheism is a cover up to avoid dealing with the issue of righteousness. If there is no God then there is no need to confess our sins and there is no need for the blood of Jesus for atonement.

The root issue is of course rebellion. If there is no God then there is no need to be accountable for our lives. Another area to probe is the issue of death. If there is no heaven and no hell what will give a purpose to our short sojourn on planet earth?

You must undergird your effort in prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to speak through you. You don't need to be a scholar in the Scriptures to lead someone to Christ. The next best thing after the Words of God is your own testimony. How you met Christ, what changed in you as a result of that encounter is something that is so real to you and that nobody can dispute.

Even as you well know, someone brought up in a Christian environment will backslide and have a day of reckoning to rediscover Christ for themselves in a very personal way. Just stress that you are no better or more deserving than your atheist friend. You simply grabbed your chance to connect with Christ and make Him the Lord of your life. That opportunity is extended also to your friend. The Lord is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Making a decision to receive Christ into one's life is only the start of the journey. Later you will learn to disciple your friend, study the Scriptures together and put them into practice.