September 2005 chaplain's corner
The Chaplain's Corner is a monthly message for chaplains.
Chaplain’s Corner – September 28, 2005
Rev. Rich Hines
Teach Inmates To Focus More on The Eternal Than on The Temporal and Worldly
This message is primarily for those who call on the name of Jesus Christ as
their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve as a Chaplain in a jail, prison
or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue mission – in the United States.
All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the
Bible, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson,
Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a
text, any deviation from the NKJV text is placed within parenthesis signs ().
These usually occur as direct translations from the original languages,
or as notes from the original setting to help apply the text to today’s
culture. ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize a text, or to make
a comment about a biblical text.
The recent Hurricanes ought to drive people closer to Christ rather than
further away from Him. On that thought, here’s a copy of a recent hymn written
by Eric Schumacher, a pastor from
THE FURY OF THE WIND, THE RAGING OF THE SEA
(It fits the tune of “This Is My Father’s World”)
The fury of the wind, The raging of the sea,
How small a whisper do we hear Of our God's majesty!
The thunder of His pow'r, O, who can understand?
Before the fullness of His wrath O, who of us could stand?
"Shall man find fault with God?" He asks of man below.
"Now, gird yourself to answer Me. And tell Me, if
you know:
Who made the earth and sea? Who speaks and stars obey?
Who plays with creatures of the deep? Who gives the beast its prey?"
You, Lord, can do all things, And none can stay Your
hand.
I uttered what I did not know And could not
understand.
Before Your greatness, Lord, I fall upon my face.
And, by such glory stripped of pride, I cast myself on grace.
The raging wind and sea Cause me to flee to Christ,
Who bore the tempest of God's wrath To be my sacrifice.
Though in the storm I'm blind, I trust my Sovereign's plan.
I know that my Redeemer lives And with Him I shall
stand.
In the wake of the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita one thing we’re reminded of is
the temporality of all things here on earth. Our hearts and hands should go out
to help those who’ve suffered the loss of loved ones, and or the basic
necessities for living. At the same time, we need to realize that much of what
was swept away by flood-waters were treasures and toys that had become idol
gods to their owners.
This serves as a good reminder for all of us to be more heavenly minded.
In turn, you Chaplains need to be teaching believing inmates and residents to
focus more on the eternal and heavenly than on the temporal and worldly things
of this life.
In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus taught:
19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy
and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also.
The bottom line in this teaching is: your real god (or God) is WHAT YOU
TREASURE MOST.
A great little gospel song has been written based on part of Jesus’ teaching
here.
“This world is not my home I’m just a passin’
through,
My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue –
The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door,
And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.”
According to many New Testament Scriptures, a Christian is a pilgrim, a
sojourner, a resident alien here on earth. You may want to teach what Jesus
taught in Matthew 6:19-21 by using this song to stress a few points.
The most important thing is to help inmates understand that Jesus was talking
about putting priorities in their proper order. Most people have their
priorities all backwards. The world teaches us to do just that. Teach inmates
about knowing what is the true treasure of their own hearts.
Challenge them to dethrone all lords but Christ.
When an inmate or resident professes faith in Christ, one of the first books of
the Bible to get them into is 1 John. I say that because it gives the tests of
true saving faith and life in Christ.
In 1 John 2:15-17 we see one of them. Here, God says to professing believers -
15 Do not LOVE (a command to stop loving) the WORLD or the things in the WORLD.
If anyone LOVES (present tense, ‘keeps on loving’) the WORLD, the LOVE of the
Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the WORLD – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes,
and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the WORLD.
17 And the WORLD is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will
of God abides forever.
In these three verses, the word “WORLD” is used SIX TIMES. In each case it’s one form or another of the Greek word, “kosmos.” That word refers to the “system” or “arrangement”
of things in unbelieving society, opposed to God, headed by the devil.
Verse 16 explicitly states what this “world” sponsors. It sponsors the three
roots that lead to every form of sin: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eyes and the boastful pride of life. The source of those things is not God, but
the world system.
Note also that the word “LOVE” is used THREE TIMES in verse 15 – each one is a
form of the Greek word, “agape!” At first English reading I would have
suspected it to be forms of “phile,” which refers to
liking, and being affectionate towards. Here the sense of that word is “agape,”
shockingly is “TOTAL DEVOTION” even to the point of SACRIFICE.
The first sentence of verse 15 is a command to stop a repeated action. Stop
being devoted to the world or the things of the world. Then in the second
sentence it says if anyone loves (shows repeated constant devotion) to the
world, they’re not a Christian. This is one of the tests of true saving faith.
A Christian, in their heart of hearts wants to serve God.
When a person is saved, they are called by God out of the world and the kingdom
of darkness and into God’s light and the
Verse 17 stresses what’s already happening to the world – it’s passing away.
One day it will all be destroyed. But, by contrast the one who really doesn’t
love the world but has the love of the Father and does His will, is the one who
will abide, or remain forever.
Lastly I’d like to consider what the Spirit of God says through the writer to
the Hebrews.
Hebrews 11:1
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of THINGS NOT SEEN. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
With that basic truth in mind, look with me at Hebrews 11:13-16. It’s describing
the saving faith of people like, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (the patriarchs) and
says:
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having SEEN
THEM AFAR OFF (by faith, compare 11:1) were assured of them, embraced (or
welcomed) them and CONFESSED (at a point in time in the past) that they were
(lit. are, present tense) STRANGERS and PILGRIMS on the earth.
“Strangers” is really the word for foreigners. “Pilgrims” literally means
sojourners in a strange place, or resident aliens. This world really is not the
home of born again believers!
14 For those (here the application widens to any who have patriarch-like faith)
who say (‘say’ is a present tense verb, ‘keep on saying’) such things –
Things like “I’m not of this world, I believe there’s something and Someone better to come.”
- DECLARE PLAINLY (an intensive form of to make manifest or show) that they
SEEK A HOMELAND (literally, a fatherland).
Then in verse 15 – a key verse to help inmates understand and APPLY!
15 And truly if they had called to mind (remembered) that country from which
they came out, they would have had opportunity to return.
Inmates so often think of when they get out what they’re going to return to –
the neighborhood, the homeboys, etc. But NO, that would be looking back to that
country from which they came out. Teach them to be cut clean from all they were
brought out of.
16 But now they DESIRE (this word means to reach after, it speaks of the mental
effort of stretching oneself out for a thing) a better, that is, a heavenly
country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has
prepared a city for them.
Another great gospel song says:
“I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided to follow Jesus. I have decided
to follow Jesus - no turning back, no turning back.”
“The world behind me, the cross before me. The world behind me, the cross before me; the world behind me, the
cross before me – no turning back, no turning back.”
“Tho’ no one join me,
still I will follow. Tho’ no one join
me, still I will follow. Tho’ no one join me still I
will follow - no turning back, no turning back.”
Oh how this song needs to be the true heart song of every believing inmate!
Teach them this gospel song and it’s background. The
history of this song goes back to a convert from Hinduism to Christ
. When his high-caste Hindu family learned of his new found faith, he
was disinherited. Shortly after that, he wrote these words.
The world with all its idols and lusts fights hard to reclaim it’s lost sons and daughters. Unless the inmates you
minister to have a firm faith in Christ, they will be wooed back to the world
and the sin it promotes.
Have the same goal in your ministry as Chaplain that Paul had in his gospel
ministry. He stated it succinctly in Colossians 1:28.
“… warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,
(so) that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
Teach inmates to forget about the things of this world and to look unto Jesus –
the Author and Finisher of our faith!
Rich Hines, Minister To Chaplains for