Perception of Prisoners

Perception of Prisoners

Hebrews 13: ²² I beg you, my friends, to listen patiently to this message of encouragement; for this letter I have written you is not very long. ²³ I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been let out of prison. If he comes soon enough, I will have him with me when I see you.

²⁴ Give our greetings to all your leaders and to all God's people. The believers from Italy send you their greetings.

²⁵ May God's grace be with you all.

 

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Hearing that the guy down the street had been released from prison, I was scared to even ride my bike in front of their house. In fact, I heaped my suspicions on him when my child sized bike was stolen.

 

• I did not want to associate with someone who used to be a prisoner.
• I was scared of people who were released from prison.
• I thought that someone who went to prison was “worse” than me.

 

Paul, the assumed writer, was no stranger to prison. In fact he spent his latter years, mostly under guard. His boldness for CHRIST was anti-human-kingdom. In other words he spoke boldly for CHRIST and was jailed. Timothy followed in his footsteps. He too, was imprisoned for CHRIST.

 

My Observations:

• GOD sees today’s prisoners as people HE loves dearly.
• GOD wants me to see everyone as HE sees them.
• GOD loves when I am bold for HIM.

 

Being so bold for JESUS that one is willing to go to jail for HIM seems strange. I mean, can’t we safely whisper JESUS or just use examples and not mention HIM? No! GOD wants HIS SON mentioned as much as possible.

 

It takes step-by-step courage building to become bold enough to mention JESUS easily. This boldness  opens eyes of the speaker and receiver. A total change of heart towards others is needed when it comes to being bold for JESUS. I am glad HE challenges me to see others as HE sees them.

 

Challenge

• How can the writer speak about being released from prison so easily?
• What is your perception of prisoners or newly released people?
• Will you have the same heart for prisoners and newly released people as you do with other people you hang around so he or she may praise GOD through CHRIST today?

Assigning Fragrance

Assigning Fragrance

2 Corinthians 2: ¹⁴ But thanks be to God! For in union with Christ we are always led by God as prisoners in Christ's victory procession. God uses us to make the knowledge about Christ spread everywhere like a sweet fragrance. ¹⁵ For we are like a sweet-smelling incense offered by Christ to God, which spreads among those who are being saved and those who are being lost. ¹⁶ For those who are being lost, it is a deadly stench that kills; but for those who are being saved, it is a fragrance that brings life. Who, then, is capable for such a task? ¹⁷ We are not like so many others, who handle God's message as if it were cheap merchandise; but because God has sent us, we speak with sincerity in his presence, as servants of Christ.

 

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“This stinks!” was my exclamation as I took out the garbage as a teen. On my trek to the garbage cans, the heavy bag broke, leaving a wake of rotting eggshells, festering meat and putrid vegetables. My exclamation was not a description, rather it was a cry of frustration. It was freezing cold, dark and I wanted to be in bed. Instead, now I had to shovel up filth on a task I didn’t want to do in the first place!

 

• I have said “This stinks” when I felt something was not fair.
• I have said “This stinks” when I did not like what was going on around me.
• I have said “This stinks” when I thought someone was trying to dupe me or make me do something they should be doing!

 

Paul exclaims “Thanks be to GOD!” as he describes his “prisoner” relationship with JESUS. He knew the world would not choose a lifestyle that would follow JESUS, rather it seeks to indulge in its pleasures as a prize. He gives two fragrances; one that is sweet smelling and one that stinks. Both smells are assigned to what JESUS did.

 

My Observations

• GOD wants me to view what HE did for me as a gift to be thankful for.
• GOD wants me to see opportunity in being in union with JESUS.
• GOD wants me to treat HIS message as precious versus a set of rules that seem to be a barrier to my “fun.”

 

Assigning a fragrance to JESUS is done daily. I mean, when I choose to blatantly sin, I am saying “YOUR rule stinks” to GOD. Fortunately, GOD overlooks my sins when I recognize I need JESUS in my life to forgive me of all my sins. What JESUS did for me is amazing!

 

This is a “sweet-smelling incense” to me because I am truly forgiven. I place my life as a “prisoner” to JESUS, looking away from a life of indulgence to that of handling GOD’s message as precious. I am grateful it is not “my” message that saves people, rather the message of JESUS being raised from the dead that should be a sweet-smell to people.

 

Challenge

• Have you ever assigned a smell to a task or action of a person?
• What smell did the writer assign to JESUS?
• Do you find yourself in a battle to “live for CHRIST?”
• Will you become a sweet-smelling fragrance to GOD by spreading the life-bringing message of JESUS to anyone who will hear you today?