“Finding Freedom inside Prison”
ROMAN GUEVARA
Daily Devotional Reading
"Finding Freedom inside Prison"
Scripture:
Isaiah 42:5-9
5 This is what God the LORD says—
he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
7 to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
8 "I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you."
One
of the things that i do to relax, and sometimes to think more clearer,
is, watching T.V. series from the West; And for quite some time,
nakakahiya man aminin, e, i have, amassed quite a collection of their
DVD copies. Eto yung ilan sa kanila na meron akong kopya; Grey’s
Anatomy, House, Desperate Housewives, Burn Notice, Tudors, Robinhood,
Kyle XY, Heroes, Lost, 24, and yes, Prison Break.
Me ilan ako sa
kanila na naging favourite ko nadin at inaabangan abangan, but
recently, i sort of have been reviewing Prison Break. Siguro paghahanda
na din, as their new season is about to come out this month of
September. And watching it again made me wonder about life inside
prison. What’s it really like. And how people inside survive.
Interestingly,
as i was thinking about Prison, somebody with a prison ministry, met up
with me, and invited me to speak at the Correctional Facility for Women
in Mandaluyong. I said yes immediately, and i got to speak last Sunday
morning.
This was not my first time to do prison ministry. A
couple of years ago, i got the chance to speak at the National
Penitentiary or Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa. I even brought my band
"RISE UP" with me, and we sort of did a mini-concert for the "churches"
inside. Yes, you got that right, churches. Para sa mga hindi pa
nakakapasok sa Bilibid, merong mga churches sa loob. Complete with
their own building or office, equipment, instruments, and of course
leaders, pastors, workers, most of whom are inmates, serving various
sentences.
Ganun din dito sa Correctional. Me mga churches
din. And my invitation was to speak to the 5th anniversary of one of
the churches inside.
It wasn’t my first time to do prison
ministry, but it was my first time at the Correctional for Women. The
truth is, kung hindi naman dahil sa ilang mga rehas na hindi naman agad
natatanaw, hindi munaman agad aakalain na nasa preso ka. Lalo na, nung
nagstart na ang worship service.
Ginanap ito sa gymnasium on
top of one of the prison buildings. As i walked inside i was greeted by
the "church leaders" dressed in their sunday’s best. All women of
course…..and all prisoners. I shook hands with the ushers, with the
bible study leaders, with choir and worship team singers, and with
their "pastors".
At some point, the praise and worship
started, and about 300 plus "attendees" began to sing and dance as the
worship leader led all of us in anointed and jubilant praise and
worship. This was after all, their 5th anniversary. And for a moment
there, as we were singing familiar worship songs, i felt as though, i
was not inside a prison. And i think, they felt it too. It was so
surreal. I cant really describe it that much. It’s one of those things
that you have to see and experience for yourself, so that you could
fully appreciate the event. I felt FREEDOM.
Pagkatapos kong
magpreach at magpray for the "attendees", i was asked to stay for a
little while to join the leaders for a thanksgiving lunch. And my God,
it was like a fiesta. Me tilapia, tahong with cheese, chicken with a
very special sauce, pork with pineapple, at siyempre, chocolate cake!
And
it was during this time that i got to know some of the "leaders" of
this church inside prison. The keyboardist and founder of the ministry,
ay dating carnapper queen. Halos sampung taon na siya sa kulungan.
Konting konti nalang ay makakalaya na. Yung worship leader naman, drugs
ang involvement. Halos me sampung taon na din. Eto naman, malapit nadin
makalaya. Pero, kita mo sa mga mukha nila, na bagamat nami miss na nila
ang kanilang mga pamilya at buhay sa labas ng prison, e, sa loob ng
prison namay natagpuan nila ang kapayapaan, and yes, ang tunay na
kalayaan.
The truth is, kung hindi naman nila sinabi sa akin, e,
hindi mo talaga akalain. Na ang mga women na ito, na kamukha lamang ng
ating mga lola, ina, tita, ate, pinsan, at kaibigan, mga "church
leaders" ngayun, e, dating mga kriminal!.
That’s the power and grace of Jesus Christ. He set’s people free, from all kinds of prison.
Ang prison naman kasi, hindi lang yung sa Bilibid at sa Correctional.
Some
people are imprisoned by their hate, bitterness, and unforgiveness.
Some people are imprisoned by their pride, rebelliousness, and
stubborness. Some are in chains because of worldliness, selfishness,
and materialism. Isama mo pa ang lust, pornography, and sexual
addiction, para darkness na darkness na ang dating diba!
But
that’s not all. Some people live in the prison of their past. Their
past achievements. Their past relationships. Their past life, which,
sad to say, no longer exists. Kaya sabi sa verses natin for today, "he
opens the eyes of the blind, free captives in prison, releases those in
the dungeons, and he shows them new things."
Hindi kanaman
kailangan maging masama para mabuhay ng nakakulong. Dahil marami ang
nabubuhay na nakakulong dahil sa panlilinglang ng diyablo, o dinaman
kaya dahil sa ating sariling mga gawa.
But thanks be to God, to set people free, is one of the things that Jesus does so very well.
Yes he heals us of our hurts. But he doesnt stop there.
He opens our eyes so that we can see the beautiful future he has for us.
He
frees us from our chains, he releases us from our prisons and dungeons,
because he wants us to fly to greater heights. Not to be trapped in our
past. Not to be hindered by our bondages.
Not to be limited
by prisons of the worst kind. The prisons we’ve created for ourselves,
and the prisons we’ve allowed other people to put us in!
The
"church leaders" and "christians" na na meet ko sa Correctional maybe
inside a prison, but they surely are "free", in fact baka mas malaya pa
sila kesa sa mga bantay nila, o di naman kaya sa mga taong nasa labas
ng preso. Mga taong nasa labas ng preso, pero wala namang kapayapaan at
kalayaan sa buhay na nagmumula sa Panginoong Hesus.
Read our scripture again for today, and ask the Spirit of God kung ano ang mensahe niya para sa yo sa araw na ito.
It’s time to be free!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Thank
you Lord for your word today. For your words of truth. Indeed you give
people their freedom. And that is what i desire Lord. Freedom from all
kinds of bondages. Freedom from deception. Freedom from doubt. Freedom
from my past. Freedom in Jesus name. Help me Lord to see. Open my
spiritual eyes. Allow me to grasp the beauty of your plans for my life
and for my future. I entrust to you all my burdens, all my fears, all
my worries. For i believe in your promises for me. I believe in you. I
your words. As i pray all these things, by faith, in the most powerful
name of Jesus, amen.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY THIS DEVOTIONAL, FEEL FREE TO RECOPY, REPOST, OR LINK THROUGH YOUR SITE, THANKS AND GOD BLESS.
