Danny and Perseverance

     A dentist, two Methodist Pastors, an ex-prisoner, a retired businessman and another businessman entered Lincoln County jail yesterday to speak, sing, pray and show Gospel comfort.  

     Danny, the ex-prisoner, matched all the male inmates we encountered.  He had visible scars, including lewd tattoos everywhere on his neck and arms.  He was partially blind from a meth lab that blew up in his face several years back, and walked slightly skewed from three near-fatal automobile wrecks.  And, oh, by the way, he prayed as fervently as anyone I have ever heard.  Danny led us in prayer before we left the parking lot to go in, he prayed in front of every group we saw, and he prayed in the parking lot before we left....for county sheriff deputies getting ready to get off work.  The dentist, Gregg, had told us that Danny could give his testimony in thirty minutes....and Perry, the other businessman piped in with, "He could spend longer though if you let him."  (He had heard the long version!)  I had heard the short version over lunch.  Danny hardly had time to eat for all the speaking he did telling us of a most tragic life style in and out of jail, in and out of prescription and home-made drug addiction, in and out of hospitals from car wrecks, in and out of marriage, in and out of and now back into spiritual renewal  He seemed to live to tell of his salvation, about how Jesus had saved him, and about how now that he could not work a normal job, he could spend all his time "witnessin' ".  

     Some of the prisoners, including females we visited, Danny knew by name.  He has been going to the jail for several years now doing this and it was clear he knew what he was doing.  

     The Pastor there read from James and gave a brief sermon to the inmates.  He read and spoke from the book of James. "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."  (James 1:12)  He spoke of how even we who are outside the prison are under trial and how all people must learn perseverance.  The inmate's faces all reflected broken spirit, fear, uncertainty, determination, surrender, anger, vengeance....you name it.  Some cared that we were there, some were curious as to why we would be there, some didn't care....all wanted to be in another place.  Some didn't understand the word perseverance.

     By the time we left, I felt comfortable and strangely contented.  We had Danny with us.

Remember the Sabbath?

       Sometimes, conversations about other people, loved ones to be exact, can bring out inspirations from the Lord that simply would otherwise not be mentioned.  I was talking the other day about how some of us work so much that we don't seem to ever take a day off or take time to smell the roses.  It brought a new thought into my head which seemed to ask the question, "Why did God COMMAND us to remember the sabbath?"  

The NASB version shows it like this:

⁸ “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

       One of God's most blessed commandments, we break all the time with no thought that we are breaking it.  Even on "our day off" we stay on call, or we work part time to earn a few extra bucks, or we work to satisfy what we think is a loyal and noble cause.  Why do we break this important commandment from God? We would never, ever, think of breaking others of the ten commandments such as "Do Not Steal", or "Do Not Murder".  What makes this one such that we can ignore it?

        God gave this commandment I think to protect us.  I know several people that died from work-related stress.  I know of people that ended up divorced and lonely because they refused to take a day off with their families.  Did you hear that?  WITH THEIR FAMILIES!  Not only that, but God meant also for us to be able to worship him freely, with no distractions; worship Him only.....not the dollar or the pride we sometimes get from being a martyr.  

        Check out verse 11 again.  ".....therfore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy."  If the Lord blessed the seventh day and made it holy, why would we not want to relish it?  No matter what day of the week you choose, remember the Sabbath.  It is holy.  It is for your good and for God's good!