Transcript of the September 2016 Prison Sermon by Jim Carmichael

Grace be to God that I am able to stand before you this evening and share His word with you.  

if you possess a certain level of common sense, once something is proven to you to be true beyond a shadow of a doubt,

especially when it concerns your eternal well-being, seeking that truth should become a passion in your life.

The bible gives us an example of just how strong that passion should be:

Psalm 42:1 (For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.) As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?…

Genesis 2: 7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.

He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. God is life, and He imparted life to us, now think how much you would desire that breath of life if you were drowning.

This should be our goal, to seek God with this kind of overwhelming passion.

But we can’t just choose to, at least I couldn’t, we have to have a conviction, a true ironclad conviction that God does exist, and did create the world.

 Let me define Science;            Science means knowledge.

There are two forms of science

There is true science we call observable science. WE call it true because we can see evidence of it.

We can see the result of a thing happening, such as arriving upon an accident about 5 minutes after it occurred. We didn’t see the accident, but we see two cars smashed together and can safely assume there was indeed a car accident because it is based upon observable evidence.

On the other hand, we have false science, or pseudo-science, more commonly known as scientific theory.

Now pseudo-science would be like saying, I believe an accident has occurred here, even though there are no witnesses, no wreckage, and no real reason to think so.

There is no way to prove scientific theory, because there are no witnesses, and no evidence, and in fact may even contradict real science.

We can go back to the accident, and instead of thinking an accident had occurred we would try to convince people that what appeared to be an accident was actually just an act of nature, both wrecked cars just developed through time. That would be contrary to observable evidence, wouldn’t it?

That is precisely what the theory of evolution attempts to do with observable evidence of creation, even though all the evidence points towards creation, the evolutionist wants to tell us even though it appears to be creation, it really just occurred through small mutations over millions of years.

 How can we know the bible is truly inspired by God? And, can it possibly be proven?

The answer is; God gave us two witnesses to this fact, many years before they could stand as witnesses.

The prophesies, which is man making predictions of future events of which they could not have had any knowledge of in advance, no way of knowing what or why they were predicting it, all they knew was God was telling them to write it down, and they did.

The second was having them write what would become observable science/ knowledge thousands of years in advance. They were writing things they could have had no idea of what it meant, and no man could have until recent years with the development of technology, and true science.

These are our two witnesses that offer us testimony to the fact that God must have told them what to write, and they did, it had to be the inspired word of God, there is simply no other option.

I normally do not study prophesies concerning end-time events, however I do want to look at a couple of those prophesies.

1 Timothy 6:20 warns us of a false doctrine, and false teachers stating that those would come who would profess profanity and idle babblings that actually contradict true, or observable science/ knowledge.

 That time has come, and a great delusion has swept the earth which was also predicted

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Today a great lie has covered the earth, the theory of evolution which contradicts observable evidence, yet is taught worldwide as fact, and many just accept this without investigation.

There are only two options on how we came to exist: Either through evolution, or creation.

There can only be one absolute truth regarding the beginning, not two. One is supported by observable evidence the other is not.

Did it ever occur to you that if we can prove just one fact that had to come from God, that is all that required to “prove” His existence, but I will tell you now, He has given us a thousand ways, and the theory of evolution has given us none, yet people flock to it.

Why, for evolution eliminates the need for Christ, there is nothing to be forgiven for, we just developed this way, there is nothing after this life, no hell that burns forever.

The problem with that idea is that you might not believe a bus is barreling down on you when in reality it is, but if you don’t move, believe it or not, you are going to be squashed.

Whether you believe in hell or not, if you do not accept the truth, with a passion and live by it, and teach it to others, you will be hit by it, and there will be no recourse, and it will continue forever.

I would like to explain something to you, we have all kinds of proof that creation is the only answer, from the study of the cosmos, the earth, and the human body. We use these facts very often in an attempt to “prove” creation, but at each and every turn, at every example those who believe in the lie will have a counter, and generally it will be “given enough time” and all things could have occurred by chance.

So what is the answer? Using these facts as the observable science, the true knowledge, that even the atheist will not refute… for it is science… observable science and compare it to the bible in order to verify the bible is in line with that same observable science.

So where does the proof lie?

When we can demonstrate the bible stated the observable facts long before they were observable, information given to man before he would have had any idea of why he was writing it, then we are establishing a higher power must have been in play, and we are going to look at a few examples of this evidence this evening.

The earth was designed for biological life. (Isaiah 45:18) Isaiah 45:18 For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.

Scientist have discovered that the most fundamental characteristics of our earth and cosmos are so finely tuned that if just one of them were even slightly different, life as we know it couldn’t exist. This is called the Anthropic Principle and it agrees with the Bible which states that God formed the earth to be inhabited.

I hope you see the connection, God created the earth to be inhabited, and it is so finely tuned that life couldn’t have existed as we know it without the fine tuning.

Let’s go to Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth.

Satan just adds two words, In the beginning God did not create the heavens and Earth.

Just as he only changed one word in the Garden, he caused the fall of man, he now changes two words, and hopes to seal our fate… eternity in the lake of fire with him and his demons.

In the beginning God revealed Himself to early man. It was obvious enough that He told them to write, and they wrote without question, writing things they had no idea of their meaning.

So let’s take a look at them and see if they agree with observable science.

God told them in Genesis 1: 14-16 That He had created the lights in the heavens for signs, seasons, days and years. We know now that it takes one full year of time for the earth to make one trip around the Sun, and during that year the seasons changed due to their position in relationship to the Sun. The phases of the moon follow one another with clock like precision constituting the lunar calendar, and in Job 38:12,14 The picture here is of a clay vessel being turned or rotated upon the potter’s wheel – an accurate analogy of the earth’s rotation. Luke 17:34-36 says the second coming of Jesus Christ will occur while some are asleep at night, and others are working at daytime activities in the field. This is another clear indication of a revolving earth, with day and night occurring at the same time. And, here is your first example of the bible agreeing with observable science.

Now, we have covered the seasons, the day’s, the year, and even the calendar with the earth tuning on its axis, but what about that first reason given for those lights? For signs. Now many think this has to do with astrology, but God commands us not to use the stars for predicting the future Isaiah 47:13 “You are wearied with your many counsels; let them stand forth and save you, those who divide the heavens, who gaze at the stars, who at the new moons make known what shall come upon you.”,

yet He gave them as signs, so what could those signs be for?

Dan 12:4  But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

Increased when? In the end. Do we have a great increase in knowledge now?

This verse is a great witness to the fact that God has concealed the meaning of this book until the “time of the end”.  To “shut up” means to hide, keep secret or conceal.  This is a common methodology of God found throughout the Bible.  God has hidden information for us to find.   This information is revealed by the Spirit of God at the proper time.  For some scriptures it was during the time of the Apostles and Paul when God revealed vast amounts of new revelation.  But, it is also for our time based upon this verse in Daniel, that we live in right now.

So I want to go over this really quickly, in the beginning God revealed Himself to early man, a burning bush, To Noah on how to build the Ark (by the way, the dimensions of the ark turned out to be the perfect dimensions for large sea going cargo vessels, one of those revealed scientific facts) To Moses, with his ten plagues, parting of the red sea.

Later with Christ revealing Himself as God in the flesh performing miracles of healing and raising the dead, and rising from the dead Himself.

And now us, He is revealing Himself with this great increase of knowledge, so we can know and recognize Him. So we can accept Him, so we can have our witness, in order to gain eternal life.

the new technology has revealed many things in scripture that proves it to be in accordance with observable science.

Let’s go a little further. These lights in the heaven are stars; In Genesis 17:22 and Hebrews 11:12 God states that the stars are comparable to the sands of the sea. Modern day scientist estimates the number of stars as very comparable to the number of pebbles of sand on the sea shore.

In Jeremiah 33:22 God says they are incalculable. At a time when less than 5,000 stars were visible to the human eye, God stated they were incalculable. It was not until the 17^th century that Galileo invented the telescope and got a glimpse into the immensity of our universe, today astronomers estimate that there are 10,000 billion trillion stars (that’s a 1 with 25 “0”’s following it), and as the bible states, they also say this estimate might be “woefully” inadequate.

The bible agrees with observable science. Although the number of stars are immense, and incalculable the scientists state that the number is finite, which also agrees with the bible which states that in Isaiah 40:26, and in Psalms 147:4 God counts them and calls them by name… we serve an awesome God.

In Job 38: 31 The Pleiades and Orion star clusters are described. The Pleiades star cluster is bound gravitationally while the Orion star cluster is loose and disintegrating, the clusters gravity isn’t strong enough to hold the group together, yet God asked Job 4,000 years ago” Can you bind the cluster of Pleiades, or loose the belt of Orion?” Yet, it is only recently that we realized that the Pleiades is gravitationally bound, but Orion’s stars are flying apart.

Let’s look at a star very familiar to us… The Sun… goes in a circuit. We found this in Palms 19:6. Some scientist scoffed at this verse thinking it taught geocentricity, that the Sun traveled around the Earth, and insisted the Sun was stationary, yet we now know that the Sun travels through space at 600,000 miles per hour. It is literally moving through a huge circuit in space, just as the bible stated 3,000 years ago.

 Of course what do stars do? Provide light, so….

Let’s go a little further, 4000 years ago God declared that light had its way in Job 38:19. In the original language the word used here was Derrick, which means road or path, and more accurately a road or path traveled. Job wrote this at a time when it was thought that light traveled instantaneously, we now know that light is a form of energy that travels at 186,000 miles a second in a straight line, and as the bible says, in complete agreement with observable science, light has its way.

And moving to Job 38:24 the bible states that light can be divided, and it wasn’t until about 400 years ago that Sir Isaac Newton decided to study light and discovered that white light was made of 7 colors that could be divided, and then reunited. Science confirmed this 400 years ago, but God declared it 4 millennia ago.

Let’s wrap this up with one more example, staying in Job 38, going to verse 35 God says light can be sent, and then manifest itself in speech. We now know that light waves and radio waves are merely two forms of the same thing, electromagnetic waves. Therefore, radio waves are merely a form of light, and by using a radio transmitter, we can send lightening’s, and they will indeed manifest themselves in speech.

As should be obvious, these are things that could have only been known by God when they were written, and they have been revealed to us in these days of increased knowledge, and written at an earlier time so we could confirm the truth of God.

We lived in a blessed time.  There are app 2,500 predictions of the future in the bible almost all fulfilled except for a few end-time prophesies, and hundreds of these scientific facts proving the bible lines up perfectly with observable science.

We didn’t even touch the tip of the preverbal iceberg… it’s an exciting journey for anyone who decides to take it… it gives you an iron clad faith, which will instill in you a passion for seeking God and his truth.

So, you can have your witnesses, your two witnesses of the end times, and you can know you live in the final days. God’s word is provable, and by that fact we know trustworthy to be true, every word…. And the increase in knowledge, the description that covers the earth, all tell us we are in the end days… the very end days.

Now I am going to wrap this up with two more verses: To me the two scariest verses in the Bible.

Revelation 3:15 -17 15I   know your deeds; you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were one or the other. 16 So because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of My mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.…

James 1: 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

Studying apologetics, becoming a student of it, along with solid biblical knowledge will give you an ironclad faith, that faith will cause a passion in you to share the word with everyone who will listen.

And, you will have an unstoppable power to defend the word against the most aggressive atheist that might attack you.

So why are we studying this? Because many people have no idea of the truth of the scripture. They have had no background training, and all they have heard that bible is just a bunch of nonsense, full of lies, because they have been taught evolution is the true answer for the reason we are here.

They have been deceived. If not taught the true knowledge, they face an eternity in damnation, and if only for a teacher they could have eternal life.

Let’s be that teacher. We have to defend the bible, and from what? From the ignorance of the world that now believes in the theory, the pseudo-science of evolution, and to do that we must have solid, honest, provable information.  Thank you for your time.

By Victor Davis

Before I came to prison, my ego was not well developed. This fact was marked by a lack of maturity and an underdeveloped sense of responsibility. I could procreate, but spiritually I was a child and an apostate. I lived life according to my own philosophical values. Although I believed in YAHSHUA, I was my own idol and lived as a womanizer, a substance abuser, and worst of all, an unreliable parent.

On January 10, 2014, I officially came into DOC custody, and everything I ever feared becoming, became a reality and a nightmare that I could not wake up from.

It was a surreal experience. Within a year’s time, I received the wages of my sins. Everything I identified with, and everyone I found security with was taken away from me. My life was desolate.

During my incarceration, I began to re-establish my relationship with YAHVEH through prayer, faith, and by being a Berean.

In addition to this, HE started to answer my prayers, even those that didn’t come in the form I thought they would.

However, YAHVEH pruned my heart through these things. As I have come to accept, YAHSHUA as YAHVEH, as well as my eternal SAVIOR, 1 have learned to be content and steadfast by trusting on HIM solely for all of my needs through endurance and not on the things of the world that I believed defined me.

so, what has YAHSHUA done for me since I’ve been incarcerated? HE has refined my heart by giving me His character.

My FATHER,

Enlarge my heart, warm my affections, open my lips, supply words that proclaim ‘Love lustres at Calvary. ‘

There grace removes my burdens and heaps them on thy SON, made a transgressor, a curse, and sin for me; There the sword of thy justice smote the man, thy fellow; There thy infinite attributes were magnified, and infinite atonement was made; there infinite punishment was due, and infinite punishment was endured.

CHRIST was all anguish that I might be all joy, cast off that I might be welcomed as a friend, surrendered to hell’s worst that I might attain heaven’s best, stripped that I might be clothed, wounded that I might be healed, athirst that I might drink, tormented that I might be comforted, made a shame that I might inherit glory, entered darkness that I might have eternal light.

My SAVIOUR wept that all tears might be wiped from my eyes, groaned that I might have endless song, endured all pain

that I might have unfading health, bore a thorny crown that I might have a glory-diadem, bowed HIS head that I might uplift mine, experienced reproach that I might receive welcome, closed his eyes in death that I might gaze on unclouded brightness, expired that I might for ever live.

O FATHER, who spared not thine only SON that thou mightest spare me, all this transfer thy love designed and accomplished; Help me to adore thee by lips and life. O that my every breath might be ecstatic praise, my every step buoyant with delight, as I see my enemies crushed, Satan baffled, defeated, destroyed, sin buried in the ocean of reconciling blood, hell’s gates closed, heaven’s portal open.

Go forth, O conquering GOD, and show me the cross, mighty to subdue, comfort and save.

 by Aaron Hughes

I Peter 5:6 says “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of GOD, that HE may exalt you in due time. ” Before we can expect GOD to do anything for us, we must first humble ourselves. Humbling myself was the hardest thing for me to do. My sense of entitlement kept me from being able to bend my knee in service. I couldn’t understand how to get over my pride or how to set aside my false, so called “entitlement.”

Then I read I Peter 5: 7: “Casting all your care up-on HIM; for HE careth for you. ” Now I understand that HE is the ONE who makes all things possible, and if I want to humble myself, I have to die to self and allow HIM to do HIS perfect work.
Understanding that this process isn’t necessarily a work completed overnight, the last part of verse 6 says “That HE may exalt you in due time, ” not in my time, but in HIS time. I must stay persistent in seeking HIS will if I want to be exalted by the ALMIGHTY. Will it always be an easy road? Absolutely not, but it will be worth it.
There is nothing more desirable than to be exalted by GOD ALMIGHTY. So, please keep striving for HIS desires because the tribulations of this world cannot even hold a candle to HIS EVERLASTING GLORY.

 by Miguel (Juan Carlos Caballero)

First of all, thanks be to our Heavenly FATHER for HIS great loving kindness toward us, HIS  people. It’s just because of HIS mercy that I am still alive today. Looking back into my life, I can see that there is no possible way that I could have survived by myself in the world, doing all the wrong things that I was doing.

Now I can tell that nothing else but the protection of the LORD kept me alive. I could be dead by now, but today I can say, without a shadow of doubt, that my Heavenly FATHER, the LORD GOD ALMIGHTTY, the CREATOR of the universe, kept me alive until the day I repented of all my sins and surrendered my life completely to HIM!

And the very same day that I came to HIM  in true repentance, HE forgave me for all the sins that I committed during my life. HE forgave every single dirty thing I did in thoughts, words, and deeds. HE also gave me the power to live a victorious life, to overcome sin, the world, and the devil. HE gave me a new life. filled me with the HOLY SPIRIT; HE also filled me with the peace of GOD, HIS peace, “the peace that passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

When I was living outside for myself, the world, and the devil, I always had this feeling, this void, this emptiness in my heart. I knew that I was looking for something. I didn’t know at that time what I was looking for to fill my emptiness and make me feel complete.

So, I started trying to fix my problems with drugs, money, sex, prestige, and so on. But none of these things was helping me to fill the longing I had in my heart. Instead of helping me, all of these things were just making my life worse.

It was only the day I received JESUS as my LORD and SAVIOR that my searching stopped. When HE came to live in my heart, HE filled all of my emptiness. Now I can say with all confidence, I am complete in JESUS, who is the head of all principalities and power (Colossians 2:10). I’m alive! I have the real life, the abundant life, because JESUS lives in me!! Now I can confidently say:

“I’m not just existing, I am living!! ‘

Thank you, JESUS!! My friend, if you are still trying to fill the emptiness of your heart, TRUST in JESUS today. Ask IÆIIVI to come into your heart and be your LORD and SAVIOR. Ask HIM to save you from your sins; HE will do it.

HE is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). With GOD, there is no partiality. HE did it for me, and I-E will also do it for you. I-IE saved me. HE will save you also. Just trust 1-11M and believe HIS WORD. “Behold, I (JESUS) stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with ME” (Revelation 3:20).

 by Gary J. Doby

Baseball has been honored as the “Perfect Game” and as “America’s Pastime. ” The ideal distances of 60′ 6″ from the rubber to the plate and 90′ baselines are just right. Three out at-bats and four ball, three strike counts at the plate move the game accordingly. The prescribed rules maintain order and form.

Yet those with a frue understanding of the game recognize certain “fundamentals” and how to best execute them, fundamentals that bring aesthetic satisfaction and victory to the team that performs. The timing and surprise of the “suicide squeeze ” make it the most exciting play in baseball. And following the basic tenet “Never make the last out at third base” can be the difference between victory and defeat.

After nine innings and 54 outs, however, it’s over for the day. The teams go on to pray another day. Yogi Berra famously pronounced: “It ain’t over ’til it’s over. ” Yet, in baseball, there’s always another game or another team.

Life, however, is not a mere “game. ” We are given, blessed with, a limited number of days to live and “once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 10:27). There are no double-headers, not 154 game schedules and no one has the promise of a tomorrow: “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14).

GOD has blessed us in HIS WORD with basic rules and fundamentals to assure us of “Victory in JESUS. ” The commands are clearly given in Exodus 20 and in the WORDS of CHRIST throughout HIS ministry.

CHRIST made the “rules ” clear and established several fundamentals necessary for salvation, victory over the grave. When HE commanded (John 3:7) “Ye must be born again, ” HE revealed to Nicodemus a basic tenet of CHRISTIANITY.

The means to the re-birth are certain. Every person must accept the fact that “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of GOD” (Romans 3:23) and that “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of GOD is eternal life through JESUS CHRIST our LORD ” (Romans 6:23).

CHRIST has guaranteed that Satan and sin cannot defeat us. Peter stated, “He that believeth on HIM shall not be confounded” (I Peter 3:6). JESUS said that 1—IE came so that “Whosoever believeth on HIM should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Yet HE warned in John 3:18: “He that believeth not is condemned already.

Life is a gift, not a game. But there are fundamentals and rules for living. To “lose” is eternal damnation and separation from GOD.  CHRIST has already provided our victory. Just believe, accept GOD’s grace, and be saved. Where are you today?

“He that believeth on the SON hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the SON -shall not see life;

submitted by Rebecca Stowers

When you get what you want in your struggle for self and the world makes you king for a day,

Just go to a mirror and look at yourself and see what that man has to say.

For it isn’t your father or mother or wife whose judgment upon you must pass,

The fellow Whose verdict counts most in’ your life is the one staring back from.the glass.

Some    People   might thing you’re a straight-shorting chum and call your a wonderful  guy,

But the man in the glass says you,’re  Only a bum  if you can’t look him straight in the eye:

He’s the fellow to please never mind all the rest for he’s with you clear to the end,

And you’ve passed your most dangerous test if the guy in the glass is’ your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years and get pats on the back as you pass,

But your final reward will be heartache and tears if you’ve cheated the man ih the glass.—unknown

Chaplain Johnson (back); Terrie Dyer (peace & healing); Linda for healing (cancer); Alan Richards (healing/cancer); the entire yard (healing); inmates in the medical ward; inmates seeking relief through the courts; the lost and broken-hearted.

Pray for the peace and prosperity of this yard, for our families, children, and for each other. Pray that we all walk in wisdom to them who are without CHRIST, to be peacemakers, men of character, and that our joy will be full, and that JESUS CHRIST is glorified in each and every one of us. AMEN!! !

“The Mysterious Figure” by Fred L. Durbin

dejected, I climbed out of the car, approached the front door, and just stood there —   motionless... (excerpt from part one.)

The babies yelled, “daddy’s home, daddy’s home, ” as I entered  the house “Play with us daddy, play with us, ” they  pleaded. Disregarding their persistent pleas, I walked in the kitchen where I saw my wife cooking supper. I told her I was going to the bedroom and wanted to be left alone and asked her to keep  the babies out.

The room was dark and stayed dark as I fell upon the bed. Some time later I arose, walked to the closet,

reached up, grabbed the shoe box, and began to feel for the Derringer. It wasn’t there! I knew it had to be there. No one else knew where I kept it, not even my  wife. Dismayed and angry, I returned supine on the bed, and in the darkness, with eyes shut, I asked GOD to take my life.

Half an hour or so later, suddenly, without a knock, the door flew open. Light illuminating from the kitchen made its way down the hall enveloped this huge silhouette. I was mystified! “Who and what?” I thought to myself as this “mysterious figure” entered the room. He calmly walked in, sat on my bed, and began to speak. His words began to penetrate my spirit and soul. The next thing I knew, I was sitting up and crying on his shoulder, literally bawling my eyes out.

After speaking to me, and to this day,

I have no recollection of what he said. He hugged me and began to pray. As he prayed, the presence of GOD overtook my broken spirit and began to heal my broken heart.

I don’t know how long I was wailing and don’t know how long he was there; all I know is a heavy-burden lifted off my shoulders and a peace beyond description overwhelmed me. As he stood up to leave, I thanked him and told him how much relief I felt.

After he left, I arose from the bed, walked to the bathroom, washed my face with cold water, dried off, and walked into the kitchen where I saw my wife loading the dishwasher. The babies yelled out from the living room floor “daddy, daddy.” I gave my wife a kiss, then jumped on the floor, grabbing and rolling with our babies in laughter.

As I sat to eat supper, I asked my wife how her uncle wound up in our bedroom. She replied that she heard a knock on the door, and it was Manuel. Manuel asked me where you were and I told him you were down the hall in the bedroom. He said “okay.” I asked her if she knew he was coming, and she said she didn’t. She said she had no idea why he wanted to talk to me.

Later on that night, as I laid in bed reflecting on the mysterious day’s events, my curiosity began to set in, and I wanted to know how Manuel knew I was in such distress. Before falling asleep, I made a mental note that I would call Manuel the next afternoon when he got in from work. I had to know!

Part three of this three part story will appear in the next edition ofthe “G-1 Newsletter. ”

by John Wood, G-1 Chapter Sponsor

“Brothers I do not consider myselfto have yet taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which GOD has called me heavenward in CHRIST JESUS ” —Philippians 3:13-14

For many years, this has been my “life ” verse. It has challenged me in many ways as a follower of JESUS. Although I have walked with the LORD for many years, like Paul I do not consider myself to have arrived or “taken hold of it; ” with “it” being the eternal glory I will have with my LORD and SAVIOR someday.

I challenge all followers of JESUS who read this to “forget what is behind” and keep “pressing on.” Remembering that we are not running this race alone, that CHRIST is our strength, and that we are day-by-day achieving our eternal glory as we do not grow weary or give up!