I Want To Know Christ

You have entered the prison gate with me for another brevis talk. I need to say something about these. These are not scripted. I, um, have use notes in the time in times past, but I'm just musing right out of my heart and sharing these things, and sometimes they're not. So, nevertheless, that's, that's what I'm doing. Let me read some scripture to you today. Hebrews chapter 13 says, verse three, Remember the prisoners as if chained with them, those who are mistreated since you yourselves are in the body. Also, verse 20 says, Now, may the God of peace who brought us, our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd of the she, Through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you. What is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, To whom? Big glory forever and ever. Aw man. I wanna take you from the streets of San Antonio in the concrete jungle to death row. I received a phone call many years ago from a lady who was asking me to visit a death row inmate. She said, specifically, This man wants to know about God. Would you visit him? I said, Yes. I'll visit him. Of course I will. How do you, What do you know about me? Where? Where did you get my name? She said, Well, I just ask He, and so I made the trip a arranged special visit. And made the trip. I visited this young man and, uh, he came out, uh, very apprehensive, very nervous, and, uh, I certainly, I knew what that was about. He thought, uh, that I was gonna jump down his throat and tell him what a terrible sinner he is and how he is hellbound and there's, and those type things. When I visited with him, we connected. We talked, he was very shy, very timid, very respectful. And uh, our time was up. And I asked if, would you like for me to come and have another visit with you? And he said, I, I think I would. And so we did. And over a period of time we developed a relationship, not unlike a. Child in a parent. I don't mean to say that, uh, he was childlike, but the age difference between he and myself was enough that, um, he, uh, was more like a child to me. And he, he had that kind of respect and, uh, viewed me that way. I believe this young man began to read the Bible. And you know, the Bible is powerful. And when you get the word of God in you, the word of God's going to do something. And he was born again by the Holy Spirit. And God moved in his life. And I'll never forget the day where he asked me, he said, Now that I know Christ, I want to know Christ. And I didn't quite understand what he meant. So I asked him, he said, I don't wanna be one of these people. Who calls on the Lord for salvation to be saved and then go about my business. I want to know the Christ. Who saved me. And folks, it was a beautiful thing to walk with this man. Beautiful, beautiful thing to visit with him and to see him so eagerly, uh, absorb scripture and share it with others. Share it with friends, share it with family as they would come and visit him. And he truly was a man here in the United States, in the Bible Belt who had never heard the gospel. Who did not know about God's son and his saving grace friend, their countless numbers of people like that within the shadow of your church, probably there is someone who's never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are a post. Christian Nation. Our heritage is one about religious freedom and Christianity, but my friend, that is simply our history. We are no longer what I would call a Christian nation. Well, this young man did grow. and he did, he did glow, if you will, in Christ. And he shared Christ and he was rejected, uh, when he shared Christ. And, uh, yet he had a, a stick to itness that would continue to witness to people. And what a joy he was for a number of years. Uh, then he was scheduled to be executed and received a date and the face of inevitable death. He had much grace, and I'll never forget a verse scripture that he pointed out to me. Isaiah 26 3, where the Lord says, I'll keep you in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed upon me. And Isaiah 26, 3, As I was with him that afternoon, visiting him for last visits before his execution over and over, he would reference Isaiah 26 3. As he made his last phone calls to family and friends, Isaiah 26, 3, and he died in peace. He knew Jesus friend. His crime was a senseless, horrible thing. It was a robbery and a murder for what? Amounted to $40. Terrible thing. And he had great remorse over that, and the Lord convicted him about that, and he couldn't undo it. He used to tell me, I, I just wish it was the one thing I wish I could do. I could undo all the hurt that I've caused in other people's lives. Well, about two and a half hours before he died, he said to me, he said, You know, when I die, You're gonna have an opening, you're gonna have a some space, some time to visit someone else since I'll be gone. Could I ask you specifically if you'll go see a friend of mine? I said, Well, sure. And he gave me the name of that man. Two and a half hours before he died. He promised me, he said, Now he's a knot. And, uh, he, he's hardheaded. He's gonna be obnoxious to you and he's gonna be rude and he's not gonna be respectful, but he needs the Lord. And when you see whatever you see in him, I was just like him before Christ changed my life. And so, if you will, he passed the baton. I never had anyone do that before, but he said, I'm okay. I'm okay. I'm going to see my savior tonight. I'm more than okay, but I want my friend to know what I know. I want my friend to know my savior. Please promise me, preacher, that you'll visit him and promise me, preacher, that after he's rude to you, And short with you. Please promise me, Preacher, that you won't give up on him. That you'll go back and visit him, and you'll visit him and you'll keep visiting him. Promise me that, preacher, can you do that? And I said, I sure can, and I will. And I didn't know what I was getting into, but the earnestness of this young man's eyes is his heart. Pleaded with me. Please. Please witness to my friend. I want to see my friend in heaven, and I made that commitment, and I'm going to tell you about that commitment in another episode. Well, God bless you. Thank you for your patience with me. Thank you for your time. Uh, I hope you'll tell others about the podcast, brevis talk.com. Uh, anywhere you get podcasts, you can subscribe. And just pass the word out. We're talking about Christ, we're talking about the incarcerated. And you know, the Bible says in John chapter eight, who the Son has set free is free. Indeed, folks, there's liberty. There is liberty in Christ, there is liberty on the inside. I tell these men all the time, You may be held by metal and mortar, but you can be free. On the inside, the Bible says the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, who can comprehend it? But I'm telling you, my friend Jesus came to give us a new life, to give us a new heart. I love him and I hope you love him.