Gayle Crowe of World Christian Radio once wrote about a man who found a
ministry in prison:
In the early 1990’s, Dinh Trung, a Vietnamese Christian, was thrown
into jail for telling others about Jesus. While his wife and small
children waited for him at home, thousands of Christians around the
world wrote letters to Dinh Trung, supporting and encouraging him after
they learned of his plight from Voice of the Martyrs.
While others were writing and praying, what was Dinh Trung doing?
[He was] preaching to his cellmates in the Quang Ngai prison. Over the
years many prisoners were brought to Christ. (“After all,” as the
December 2006 VOM newsletter reminds its readers, “he had a captive
audience.”)
Recently prison officials – concerned about the number of
prisoners who had become Christians – came to Dinh Trung to offer to let
him go home months early. He stunned the officials by replying, “I
demand my right to complete my prison sentence.” He was alarmed that
his teaching opportunity was about to be taken away. Realizing they had
no other recourse, prison officials allowed him to stay.
His wife’s response was, “I am happy that God has given my husband
a ministry.” *
Why
would a man choose to stay in prison when he could be set free?
For
Dinh Trung, the answer is that he had the opportunity in prison to tell
others about freedom in Christ!
It
was the same for the Apostle Paul. From prison, he wrote to some
concerned Christians: “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things
which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the
gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to
all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in
the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to
speak the word without fear… Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice,
yes, and will rejoice” (Philippians 1:12-14, 18).
Jesus
said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are
My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you FREE” (John 8:32).
The
Truth is:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin”
(John 8:34). “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
(Romans 3:23). Therefore, all have become enslaved and condemned by it
(Romans 6:23).
The
Truth is:
“if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Through Christ, we are freed from sin’s guilt, its power, and its
condemnation! “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are
in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
The
Truth is:
Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins. He paid the price for
our redemption so that we might have salvation and receive the gift of
eternal life (Ephesians 1:7).
The
Truth is:
God will save those who place their
faith and
trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in
repentance
(Acts 17:30-31), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are
baptized into
Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4). Then, as
we continue to walk in the light of His Word, the blood of Jesus will
continue to cleanse us from sin (1 John 1:7).
Although they were in prison, the Apostle Paul and Dinh Trung shared the
Good News (the Gospel) of freedom in Christ! In Christ, we are free
indeed!
Won’t YOU
accept the offer of freedom from sin through your
trusting obedience to Christ?
--
David A. Sargent
* From
“Different, Odd, and God” by Gayle Crowe of World Christian Radio as
shared in PREACHER STUFF MINISTRY RESOURCE EXCHANGE (6/29/16), edited by
Dan Williams of Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas.
David A. Sargent,
Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
Archived
issues of Living Water can be viewed and
accessed from our website at:
www.creekwoodcc.org
Please
visit our Web site AND share a drink of Living
Water with a friend!
Searching
For Truth??? Learn more about God and His will for your life!
Download Searching
For Truth videos. They're
FREE
-- visit: www.searchingfortruth.org
To Subscribe
to Living Water, simply Click-n-Send an e-mail
to:
HTML (graphics) version: Subscribe-html
TEXT version: Subscribe-text
Follow
this link to locate the church of Christ nearest you: www.churchzip.com
If you received
this transmission in error or want to leave
Living Water just Click-n-Send
to unsubscribe.
