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 2 days and 1 night in Smith County Jail



[b]To the glory of God I spent 2 Days and 1 Night in Smith County Jail[/b]

“I had a day dream today that you went to jail”
“Did you really?”
“Yes”
“Well, what happened?”
“You were arrested and brought to jail. You had an option of either paying something or staying in jail, and you choose to stay in jail so you could minister. And a lot of people got saved.”
“Hmm…That’s a weird day dream. Don’t worry about it Krista.”

That was a conversation I had with Krista, the women of God I am courting, three hours before I was arrested and brought to Smith County Jail.

To the glory of God I spent 2 days and 1 night in jail ministering to roughly 60 inmates with great success. It all started when I went to the Tyler Junior College area to preach the gospel. I prayed from my home to the campus that the Lord would give me His heart and His compassion for these people, and that my ministry would be just as His ministry. I was planning on preaching around the campus as the Administration said I could. I did the smart thing and found the cops as soon as I arrived. I asked them if they will bother me if I preach outside the campus. They made a call and told me I can’t preach on the surrounding sidewalks, but that I could preach from the actual streets. I thanked them very much and started looking for a nice street to preach from.

I found one spot and thought I may be able to draw a crowd there, but I still wanted to know if there was a better spot. I walked on a sidewalk to another street to see if there would be more students in that section. As soon as I stepped off the sidewalk two cop cars came pulling up and said “That’s it, we warned you to stay on the street, now you’re going to jail!” Apparently the sidewalk was apart of the public college and I was not allowed to even walk on it, let alone preach on it. I didn’t even get to open my mouth once and witness to even one student and they brought me to jail. It was quite bizarre. I never wanted to break the law but only to preach the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I wasn’t able to preach to the college students that day, but I did preach to the other inmates. I was placed in a cell with about 6 other guys. The cell had nothing but a cement floor and a toilet. I stood at the door and did as the bible tells us to and lifted up my voice as a trumpet, spared not, and told the inmates their transgressions. “Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords”. As soon as I started preaching down the hallway for all the inmates to hear, six or so guards came rushing towards me, took all the other inmates out of the cell, and slammed the metal door on me. I was in what was called “The Drunken Cell” that was nothing but cements walls, cement floor, and a think metal door with no window for me to look out of. But preaching to the door, the other inmates were able to listen to me and I was told that when I preached, all the inmates would stop talking and would listen.

For maybe 4 hours I preached “sin, righteousness, and judgment to come” and “Christ and Him crucified”. Taking drinks of warm water helped sustain my throat the entire time. Warm water is the best. Cold water will only close your throat more. “The wages of sin is death”, “it’s appointed unto man once to die, after this the judgment” “how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation” “cleanse your hands you sinners”. The entire hallway listened intently as I preached. Once and awhile I would hear someone yell “Hey Reverend, Reverend!?” “Yes sinner?” “What does Ps 69 say?” “I don’t know, but I know what 1 Cor 6:9 says. It says…”. I also took a few breaks to get on my knees and pray for the inmates and the guards and also to sing songs. The disciples in the New Testament sang hymns when they were in jail and sinners were converted, so I thought I could do likewise. I probably didn’t even get the words right.

“What can take away my sins?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
What can make me born-again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus
Oh precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow
No other fount I know
Nothing but the blood of Jesus”

Eventually they processed me in and asked me if I was going to bail out. How much is the bail I asked. They said “$500”. “I think I’ll stay in jail” I told them. They put me in an orange jump suit and placed me in a cell with about 20 other guys. The inmates warmly welcomed me in and said “are you the preacher?” “Yes I am” “We are the cigarette sucking sinners” they said. “Nice to meet you” I responded. And I got to witness to them one-on-one. When I started talking to one of them, they all would quite down and listen. They had a respect for me and a fear of God and reverence for the scriptures. Their faces lit up as I told my testimony and talked about the new-birth. After I stopped I looked around and one guy said “wow, you can keep talking like that!” with a huge smile and glow in his eyes. Certain inmates would sit and talk very seriously to me about their sins, hearts, and eternal destiny. Many seemed to be greatly impacted and disturbed.

There was also a Christian brother in there that had a New Testament that I was able to fellowship with. I opened his bible and the first thing I read was “the prisoner of Jesus Christ” Eph 3:1 which I thought was rather interesting.

I did not sleep much that night. It was hard because there was nothing but a toilet, a cement floor, and a long wooden bench. But there were so many inmates in each cell sitting on the bench, the only place to lie would be the filthy floor.

Apparently the first shift of guards that dealt with me must not have liked me because they put me in with what I perceived to be the high-risk inmates. I was talking to one man who has been in jail for 16 years, and he once was on trial for capital murder. There were two other guys who are finishing up a 5 year sentence, one man just starting a 5 year sentence, one guy just starting a 4 year sentence. “So what did you do man?” “Well, I was walking on a sidewalk trying to find a place to preach the gospel”.

When I asked the guard if I would see the judge today he said I was not on the list. I asked when I would see the judge and they said probably in 5 months, with a completely serious look on his face! I thought maybe I’d have to spend the weekend and see the judge on Monday, but I decided I would rather bail out and get a court date. The guards wouldn’t let me bail out! They either ignored me or would say they would look into it and then never do anything. I figured if I wanted them to pay attention to me I just need to start preaching again. So I started preaching and the guards tried to get me to shut up but I wouldn’t, so the sergeant came over.

I spoke to the sergeant and told her that I was only here on a trespassing charge from the day before and would like to bail out now. “What are you talking about trespassing charge? You’re not here on a trespassing charge. You just got transferred in from so and so prison and are about to be transferred out to so and so prison.” “No I just got arrested for walking on a sidewalk looking for a place to preach yesterday.” “Then why are you in that orange jump suit? Why are you in that cell with all those other high-risk inmates?” “I don’t know. This is where they put me yesterday!” The sergeant said “What is your name? Hold on, let me look into this.”

She looked into it and came and pulled me out of that cell really fast! “I don’t know why you were in that cell. Why aren’t you in your normal clothing, why are you in that orange jump suit?” “I don’t know, this is what they put me in yesterday.” “Make your phone call and bail yourself out.” I called the Christian Ministry Bail Bondsmen and they said they will bail me out for $140 and all I need is a co-signer. I couldn’t find anyone’s number that could help bail me out except for David Ravenhill, so I called up Mr. Ravenhill and he willingly came and co-signed me out. I have court July 8th for this new case.

Here are some inspiring quotes:

“But though Pentecost meant power to the disciples - it also meant prison to them. Pentecost meant enduement - it almost meant banishment. Pentecost meant favor with God - it also brought hatred from men. Pentecost brought great miracles - it also brought mighty obstacles. Pentecost brought anointing for the upper room preachers - it also brought appointing a deacon and under the enduement he turned Samaria upside down.” Leonard Ravenhill

Another great man of God said "And the problem today is that the salts lost its flavor and too many candles are under the bushel and under the bed. Now if the church ever recovers the power to break up demonism in the community it will bring down the wrath of evil and the church may land in jail but she'll learn how to sing in prison, pray down an earth quake. Folks are asking "will the church go underground?" Well she may develop more power underground then she's got above ground these days. We're not going to pray down earth quakes in committee meetings, sipping coffee and reading the minutes of the last meeting."

This is from the article I wrote called “Power in Preaching: Unveiling the Fire” “Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, if there is going to be power in our preaching, then there is going to be persecution in our lives. When you assault the devil's territory he will retaliate hastily against you. That is to be expected if we go the way of our Lord. Many times the sinners that are accepted are the ones who should be arrested, while the preachers who are arrested are the ones that should be accepted. However the more our ministries become as the ministry of Jesus, the more our suffering will be as the suffering of Jesus. If Jesus were merely just another Mr. Rogers in the world, and only went around telling everyone to love everybody, He would never have been so hated, rejected, and tortured as He was. If we are to be as powerful in our preaching as Jesus was in His preaching, then we must learn to minister as He did. And what did he do? He said Himself, "but it (the world) hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil." (John 7:7). Who does that today and still has the stamp of approve by the world and by the church? There are those who profess to love Jesus and faithfully go to church week after week that treat holiness as if it were a sin, and treat sin as if it should be expected. How can they tell the world that its works are evil when they themselves are evil? No one can minister as Jesus did until they become as Jesus was. Jesus "loved righteousness, and hated lawlessness." (Heb. 1:9). If you hate lawlessness, then the lawless will hate you.”

This much I know, the gospel must be preached. Not only must we preach the gospel because we would be in direct disobedience to God if we didn’t and that is sin, but because the world is dying and going to hell and we have the message that can save them for all eternity. This mission is of the utmost importance! Any obstacle must be overcome. Any fear must be forgotten. Any desire to preserve our own lives must be entirely abandoned. There is a dying world out that that needs Jesus Christ, and how can they hear without a preacher? Do we want the world to have faith? Well, faith comes by hearing! If you are not willing to die for the gospel, I would dare to say you know nothing about the gospel. Brethren, those of you who love God and love your neighbor, PREACH the gospel to every creature!!

Acts 5:41-42 “And they departed from the presence of the council, REJOICING that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, THEY CEASED NOT to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”

 2005/3/14 3:16
moreofHim
Member



Joined: 2003/10/15
Posts: 1632


 Re: 2 days and 1 night in Smith County Jail

Wow, Jesse! All I can say is 'wow'! The Lord certainly was with you in that jail. May all the seeds you planted come to full fruit!

In Him, Chanin


_________________
Chanin

 2005/3/14 7:50Profile









 Re: 2 days and 1 night in Smith County Jail

All that on a trespassing charge? Wow... do you live in Hazzard County? LOL

Man, that was inspiring, and God put you in places where HE wanted you to go. What the devil meant for evil, God used for good. No telling what impact you had in there, and the ripple effect that will result.

Personally, I think you should pursue some sort of disciplinary actions agaisnt the officers who mixed you in like that. But thats up to you.

Krispy

 2005/3/14 10:06
ZekeO
Member



Joined: 2004/7/4
Posts: 1014
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

 Re: 2 days and 1 night in Smith County Jail

Geez dude,

You are the man!

At least you were warned beforehand. I suppose it is one of those situations where the more you do it the easier it becomes.

Praise God for your boldness,


_________________
Zeke Oosthuis

 2005/3/14 10:13Profile
moreofHim
Member



Joined: 2003/10/15
Posts: 1632


 Re: disciplinary actions?

Quote:
I think you should pursue some sort of disciplinary actions agaisnt the officers who mixed you in like that. But thats up to you.



Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone's eyes. If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay, says the Lord. But If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good. Romans12:17-21

I believe in God's sovereignty and know that the Lord arranged all of this for His purposes. I think you should be thanking God for the "mistake" of the officers.

By the way, just listened to Carter Conlon's sermon about this last night [url=http://www.timessquarechurch.org/sermons/sermons2005.htm]"The Deepest Form Of Benevolent Love"[/url]


_________________
Chanin

 2005/3/14 10:17Profile









 Re:

Quote:
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone's eyes. If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone. Friends, do not avenge yourselves



Dont minsunderstand me... I'm not talking about revenge. I'm talking about police officers who overstepped their boundaries. They abused their authority... and they are likely to do that to others. It's not about revenge at all. It's not repaying evil for evil. It's not evil to expect those who are enforcing the law to abide by those same laws.

If in your heart you can not do that without feeling some sense of revenge... then by all means, dont do it. But for me, I would only want to protect someone else from these officers.

Paul was a Roman citizen, and he was being mistreated by the Romans... and he didnt think twice exposing to those authorities their error. If we're going to cling to one part of the Bible... why not cling to all of it??

[i]Ac:16:35-39 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, "Let those men go". And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, "The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace". But Paul said unto them, "They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out." And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, [b]when they heard that they were Romans[/b]. And they came and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city.[/i]

We are not more spiritual when we turn a blind eye to civil rights abuse. It's not about YOU... it's about those who might also be abused by authorities in the future.

Many blacks were abused by the authorities in the US... do you think they were wrong to demand equal protection under the law?

Krispy

 2005/3/14 10:24
Eli_Barnabas
Member



Joined: 2005/2/16
Posts: 621
Cache Valley, Utah

 Re:

That was wonderful, Lazurus! Praise God, he was seeking those inmate's! There is nothing that can hold back God's love, not even thick prison walls and high level security! God swept into the earth's untouchable zone and Jesus will indeed change the lives of all those men who heard! Blessed be the name of the Lord!


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Eli Brayley

 2005/3/14 10:53Profile
PreachParsly
Member



Joined: 2005/1/14
Posts: 2164
Arkansas

 Re: 2 days and 1 night in Smith County Jail

YEAH!!! WOO HOO! thats all i have to say about it! Thats great.


_________________
Josh Parsley

 2005/3/14 11:09Profile
MarkDaniel
Member



Joined: 2005/2/20
Posts: 43
Midwest, USA

 Re:

Are you all ready to defend your faith in your God and preach the gospel within the confines of America's prisons? No longer do I see that those days are coming for America, but those days are certainly upon us.

To those young men who the Lord is raising up to preach the message of repentance, “sin, righteousness, and judgment to come” and “Christ and Him crucified” (thanks Jesse) to our churches, don't let your voice be quieted by the spirit of the pharisees in our churches today peddling a soft, sinner-friendly gospel.

Satan will come as your friend, brother, sister, mother, father, a pastor, another Christian, an angel of light. He does not care who he uses to try and destroy you and silence you.

They will call you a zealot and a fanatic, just like they accused Jesus Christ. They will ask you, "Who are you?!" They will tell you to tone down your message. They will bear false witness against you and your Father's heart in you for the lost children of this fallen world. They will falsely accuse you of being filled with hate and anger. They will persecute you and have you put in jail.

They have never seen the gushing tears of weeping when you are before your God in prayer. In the secret places of their hearts, they are jealous of what your God is doing in you and this generation. These same men sat idly by debating their theologies while false gospels infiltrated and poisoned the church of America and they said and did nothing. And now they oppose you?

Forgive them and pray.

The anointing of Jesus is upon you Jesse and several of today's young men and women in America. Prayers and support for you as you walk in His destiny for you.

Who am I to stand in your way and the plan your God has for you? If I can be a help in any way, PM me.

Mark
Ex-Hypocrite
Ex-Pharisee
Ex-Son of Hell

Matthew 23:15
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are."


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Mark Daniel

 2005/3/14 11:32Profile









 Re:

By the way... before I get accused of something that I am not... let me say that what you did was incredible. I wish more people would take a stand like that. I think it's neat how you started out thinking God wanted you to preach on the street... but He had other plans.

Krispy

 2005/3/14 12:05





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