“WHEN YOU VISIT THOSE IN PRISON…!

“I was in prison and you came to Me.” Matthew 25:36. Jesus went on to tell His disciples when they asked Him when had He been in prison and came to Him, that “ inasmuch as they did it to one of these His brethren, they did it to Him.” Matthew 25: 39-40)

Jesus was telling the disciples a parable on how the Son of Man would judge the nations! So when we are thinking about prisoners in jail today, we should have the thought ‘What would Jesus do?’ A lot of churches today have ministries geared towards visiting prisoners in jail: I know a few years back, they had a prison ministry at the church I attended, and many of its members signed up to visit them! I went a couple of times with a woman’s group and we would do make-up and manicures to the women inmates! They really enjoyed it and were very grateful to us! And we would give the message of ‘Jesus loves you and Jesus saves’ as we were a church ministry!

A few years after this experience, I was offered a job at a jail, not too far from where I lived, to teach English As A Second Language to the Hispanic male inmates! It was a contract with a school district! I was sincere about serving the Lord, and remembered the words in Matthew 25: 39-40. So I took it! It was a part-time job and during the week I had to be there from 7-10pm and on Saturday I had to be there during the daytime!

I went with a good attitude about showing the love of Christ while I taught ESL. Of course, I wasn’t supposed to talk about religion but I took the opportunity when able, to mention the message of salvation when I put sentences in Spanish on the whiteboard so that they would translate into English! They soon knew I was a Christian and while they were learning English they would hear Scripture verses at times! I had to act dumb as the room where I was teaching was surrounded on the four sides by policemen!

I did see a miracle taking place after a few months, as the inmates were soon speaking English fluently and the policemen saw it too: they even asked me if they could learn Spanish with me on contract with the school district! I told them I would be happy to, but they had to go to my supervisor! Some of the inmates asked me if I was coming on my own free-time, if I wasn’t getting paid. I told them , of course, so I had to tell them a white lie! They were happy to hear that!

I did this job for a couple of years as they moved the location to about an hours drive in the freeway. I had to tell my supervisor I couldn’t continue as such! A few days later I got a call from the district telling me I had gone AWOL for not continuing on the job! I guessed they really liked me! I really did enjoy the job and I did it out of a heart to serve the Lord. I really saw it as visiting the Lord Jesus in prison!

PANANGISALAKAN BABAEN NI JESUS KRISTO!

Bayat ti panagrang-ay ti pakasaritaan ti Kristiano, ti nagan a ‘Jesus’ ket pagaammo kas ‘Yahweh is Salvation’. Manipud kadagiti kapanunotan ti Daan a Tulag ti Apo, Mannubbot, Manangisalakan, Dios, dagitoy a kaipapanan ket nayakar ken ni Jesus ken no kasano a namati Kenkuana dagiti Kristiano. 1 Siempre, idi agangay, makitatayo itan ni Jesus kas Manangisalakan ken Mannubbot manipud iti basol ken naespirituan a sipnget, a nangibukbok iti dara idiay krus tapno mabayadan dagiti basoltayo, no mamatitayo! Ket nga Isu laeng ti dalan nga agturong iti Dios! Kalpasanna Isu ti Mangisalakantayo!

Kasapulantayo itan ti maaddaan iti nayanak manen a padas tapno maaddaantayo iti relasion Kenkuana! Iti Juan 3:3,16 kunana: “ ‘Simmungbat ni Jesus ket kinunana kenkuana, ‘sigurado unay, kunak kenka, malaksid no mayanak manen ti maysa, dina makita ti pagarian ti Dios’….’Ta inayat unay ti Dios ti lubong nga intedna ti bugbugtong nga Anakna, tapno ti siasinoman a mamati Kenkuana ket saan a mapukaw no di ket maaddaan iti biag nga agnanayon.’ “ Kasta met iti Juan 11: 25-26 dayta kunana: “ Kinuna ni Jesus kenkuana, ‘SIak ti panagungar ken ti biag. Daydiay mamati Kaniak, nupay matay, agbiagto. Ket ti siasinoman nga agbiag ken mamati Kaniak saanto a pulos matay. Mamatika kadi iti daytoy?’ “

Isu a kasapulan a mamati ken agbabawitayo kadagiti basoltayo tapno ita maaddaantayo iti relasion iti Dios nga umay laeng babaen ti nayanak manen a padas ken ni Jesus a Mangisalakan ken Apotayo! “Ti panangrugi ti biag a Kristiano ket kasapulan ti panangbigbig iti bukod a kinamanagbasol ken determinasion a mangbaybay-a iti wagas ti panagbiag a naisentro iti bagi.”2

NOTES

1Da Sinclair B. Ferguson, David F. Wright ken J.I. Packer, eds., Baro a Diksionario ti Teolohia, (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity a Pagmalditan, 1988), 610.
2Millard J. Erickson, Kristiano a Teolohia,(Grand Rapids: Baker Akademiko, 2006),959.

IBAGAN TI SUMAGANAN A KARARAG TAPNO AGBALIN NGA MAYAK-MANEN:
“Jesus mamatiak Natayka iti krus, .
panangibukbok iti daram para iti pannakapakawan dagiti basolko ;
Ket timmakder manen iti maikatlo nga aldaw!
Ammok a managbasolak. Pangngaasim ta pakawanennak kadagiti basolko;
Pangngaasiyo ta umaykayo iti pusok!
Umayka ket agbalinka a Mangisalakan ken Apo ti biagko!
Agyamankami Kenka Jesus”