Extraordinary Movement...

I went into the PF library this afternoon to glance over Chuck's books. I found his account of the growth of the organization, Freedom Behind Bars. Its a short book, and one I hadnt yet heard of, so I figured itd be a good grab.

A quote from the introduction is worth noting. Its one that shows the power of reaching out to the prisoner and the humility of the man behind this organization. But most importantly, it shows the greatness of a God that moves. Rather than risk tainting its impact, Ill let the quote speak for itself:

Perhaps God Himself is raising a movement in the prisons to bring the revival we all hope and pray for....

Ive had a glimpse of this. I recently visited the California Women's Prison at Frontera for a service attended by more than 400 women under a great tent in the prison yard. The speaker told her childhood, when she was abandoned by her father and abused by her mother. Then she told the inmates about God who will never abandon us, never hurt us.

As she spoke, I was amazed to see a Christian inmate walking up and down the aisle, unfurling a roll of toilet paper. I was sitting in the back and couldnt imagine what she was doing. Then I moved to the front and saw: she was handing tissue to woman after woman whose faces were streaming with tears.

Later in the service, it was my turn to speak. And as I stood on the platform, I sensed the Spirit descending on that crowd. It was all powerful and deeply convicting - clearly the touch of God Himself.

I have spoken in many of the great churches around the world. But Ive never experienced anything like I did on this day. As I looked out at those women under the sunbaked tent, I caught a vision of what God may be doing: working, as He so often has, through the powerless, raising up a mighty army of disciples.

In the pages that follow, youll read the story of how God has brought about this extraordinary movement. This is not my story, or even the story of Prison Fellowship. It is the story of a sovereign God who is utterly faithful.

Praise Him for the great things He has done!

...

Lesson for Today: The best part of working in an office is the free ice cream and chocolate syrup that comes after an average meeting.. Some things in life obviously just need to be celebrated for celebration's sake.