Sunday, August 01, 2004

A giant falls for Jesus

Willie, one of the inmates that Brian has been discipling, was known as “the preacher” in his pod. He led Bible studies and prayer meetings every day in his area. He has seen many fellow inmates come to the Lord. One day the Lord brought a very large Ghanaian man into Willie’s pod. Willie, himself, is a big guy, but this Ghanaian man dwarfed him. He felt intimidated when he saw him, but sensed the Lord telling him, “Go talk to that man.” “No, Lord! I can’t do it.”

Eventually Willie started a conversation with the man. He invited him to a Bible study and prayer meeting. At one point, the man commented to Willie, “You weren’t afraid of me. You approached me with humility.” The man got saved that day and was released from jail soon after. Pray for this man and for Willie who was also released last month. Pray that Willie and Brian would remain in contact.

“God is a healer”

The first person Brian saw when he walked into the jail pod was a young, tough looking man. The first thought that went through Brian’s mind was, “this guy is not interested in the Lord.” But God looks at the heart, not outward appearances. The Lord prompted Brian to approach the young man.

“Hey, can I talk to you about getting married?” the young man asked. “Sure,” Brian responded, and led him to a quiet place to talk. Rafael began telling Brian about his situation. The conversation was rather ordinary until Brian remarked, “Rafael, did you know that your name means ‘God is a healer’?” At this, Rafael broke down in tears. “I was raised to know right from wrong, but I chose the wrong path,” he said through heavy sobs. “God has a plan for you Rafael. He knows your heart. He sent me to tell you good news.” “I believe that,” Rafael agreed, “because you came right to me when you walked in.” Rafael prayed to receive Christ that day and has attended two weekly Bible studies since. Pray for his continued growth in the Lord.