My Brother's Keeper

Volume 5, Number 1, January-March, 2000

The Word of God, is the source of light, truth, and power, for those who seek its meaning and apply it to their life. Jesus Christ is the word made flesh, and we seek to follow him.

John 8:12 (NIV) - "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Each issue of "My Brother's Keeper" features a WORD study. This month's study was prepared by Gary Fugate, an inmate at C.C.C.F., Olney Springs, CO.

What is faith? How do we use it and what does it achieve? How can we receive it? These are just a few of the questions we will look at in God's Word. To begin, let us define the word faith in both the Hebrew and Greek tense.

For the Greek, Pis'-tis, was; assurance, belief, fidelity, truth itself, persuasion, moral conviction of gospel truth or truthfulness of God.

For the Hebrew, em-oo-naw', literally was firmness. In it's wider use it could also denote; security, moral fidelity, stability, truth, trust, to be permanent or certain.

With this in mind let us turn to God's Word for His definition of "faith."

Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

This tells us even though the thing we wish for is not yet seen, because we believe in full confidence, we shall receive it. Our hope is in Christ Jesus for salvation. There is no physical evidence of this, but we believe it to be so.

I Peter 1:8-9 - Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Romans 8:24-25 - For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Faith is confidence in our hope, fully assured. Total trust in the Lord. We are totally secured in the fact that He is Lord and by believing in him we are saved.

Romans 10:9-10 - That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Faith then is believing or having full confidence in a statement, especially the words of the Bible and Jesus our Lord, or hope for something physical or of a physical nature. Now that we know what faith is, how do we use it? Paul told us we can live by faith, walk by faith and also resist evil by faith.

Romans 1:17 - For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

When we have faith (belief) in God for salvation, deliverance, a godly mate, a new job, etc., we are in the righteousness of God.

Hebrews 12:2 - Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith:

Everything Jesus accomplished was done by faith. He healed the sick, raised the dead, opened the eyes of the blind and went to the cross believing his Father would raise him up again. His actions were an example for us to follow.

John 16:23 - And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

Jesus declares to us, "walk by faith." Whatever you need, ask it of God in his name and believe in the Lord. He will supply whatever our need may be. When we are not experiencing this flow of blessing we need to check our motives.

James 4:3 - Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Remember, God has a perfect time for everything. If you are not asking out of selfishness, be patient, you may not be ready for it yet.

Ephesians 6:16 - Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

When Satan speaks to your mind saying look at that "foxy" lady or check out that car, your faith automatically sees the evil and rejects it. Our faith is our righteousness given to us by Jesus Christ our Lord. When faith is attacked by lust it answers with scripture. For example, when tempted the following might come to mind.

Ephesians 5:5 - For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Understanding what faith is and how it comes into play when we allow it, is essential to the Christian walk.

Acts 10:43 - To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

By faith in Jesus, and what he said, our sins are forgiven (John 5:24)

Acts 13:39 - And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

The Greek word for justified, dik-ah-yo-o, is to render innocent, free or to be righteous. By faith we are rendered innocent of our sins, set free from sin and made to be righteous in Jesus' name. All this done by faith.

John 3:18 - He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

By faith in him we are free from condemnation. The Greek word for condemnation is kree-no, also meant to punish, judge or sentence to. We shall not be judged as the sinner is, we shall not be punished. The Christian is judged unto salvation, the un believer unto eternal punishment.

Mark 16:16 - He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.

This is the starting point of our faith. By faith we are saved.

Acts 15:9 - And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

By faith we receive sanctification. The Lord's prayer of sanctification can be read in John 17:1-26

John 1:12 - But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

By faith we are adopted by God. We become children of the almighty God and live in his glorious presence for all eternity.

Ephesians 3:12 - In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

We have access to God by faith.

Ephesians 2:18 - For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

In and at all times we can go before our "Loving Father" just to talk, or in time of need. This we do in faith.

Romans 5:1 - Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

By faith we have peace and rest. Peace, knowing fully we are saved and nothing can harm us when we are in the faith of Christ Jesus our Lord. Having seen what faith is, how to use it and what it achieves, let us look at where it comes from.

Romans 10:17 - So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

In the Greek one of the descriptions of faith, pis'-tis, is reliance upon Christ for salvation. When we hear the Gospel preached it builds in us an agreement with God's law that is written on our hearts (Romans 2:15). As we hear it grows to a saving faith, our beginning in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Colossians 1:23 - If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature...

II Timothy 1:13 - Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

By faith we receive the Word of God which was preached to us. By faith we hold fast to the truth and continue to grow stronger in faith. We can do all things by faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 3:16-19 - That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

By faith we live for God, we receive his Spirit by faith. Be quiet, listen to the Holy Spirit, receive his peace and the rest which he gives to all who are in Christ Jesus. Learn from him all we are to know and what we are to be in Christ Jesus our Lord. Exercise your faith daily, seek constantly after the Spiritual gifts. Pray constantly for the Lord to put hurting people in your path; that through you the Lord may heal their broken hearts.

John 15:5 - I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

John 15:7 - If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

When we walk in our Lord Jesus, filled with his Word, and he in us, then shall we bring many souls to salvation through Him.

Luke 18:8 - I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Father, teach us to be faithful. Living moral godly lives in Christ Jesus. Help us to grow in faith each day, becoming strong in Spirit through Christ Jesus. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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This study is dedicated to all who love Jesus our Lord. All references are from the King James Version. Your brother in Christ, Gary H. Fugate.

I once heard a story about an entertainer, a new Christian, who was interviewed shortly after he came to Christ. With cynicism, the reporter interviewing him asked, "How do you feel, now that you are a Christian?"

The reporter certainly heard this story about conversion before. He fully expected the same old explanation: Something like, "Oh, I feel great all of the time" or "I'm richer" or "It's always great." The reporter was totally unprepared for the answer. The actor simply answered, "forgiven."

From the outside, Christianity can seem very complicated. There are so many "doctrines," and so many churches. Also, those on the outside of Christianity often ask good questions. For example: If being a Christian really means anything, why do those calling themselves "Christian" disagree so much? Even the Bible is complicated. Why read the Bible, anyway? Not even Christians agree on it, so why bother? This simple answer, "forgiven," seems strange. It must have seemed very strange to that reporter.

The Christian life is difficult. It is, in fact, impossible. G. K. Chesterson, who wrote many essays and articles at the beginning of the 20th Century, once wrote that the Christian ideal "has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried."

Chesterson is right. Christ's way is difficult, and He is untried. Our common sense tells us that striving to live like Christ is absolutely impossible.

But with arithmetic that only makes sense to God, following Christ is also the easiest thing that we can do. How can this be, that following Jesus is both impossible, but at the same time, very easy?

Because our common sense tells us that striving after a life of holiness is impossible, many react negatively to Christians and Christ. I know many people who "react" by ignoring the whole issue. Surely, you have seen someone getting a glazed look when the topic of Jesus, or God comes up. Others might avoid the Bible, or get depressed.

I know when I read the Bible, I realize that in many ways I have "missed the mark" or in other words, "I sin." For example, the Scriptures warn against gossiping.

II Thessalonians 3:11 (NIV) - We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies.

Yet, I sometimes gossip. Sometimes, I look upon women with what Scripture calls "lust." Paul clearly warns against that.

Colossians 3:5 (NIV) - Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

Even Jesus warned against that particular sin, warning that even looking upon a woman with lust is the same as the crime of committing adultery.

Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV) You have heard that it was said, `Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

How this must have confused Jesus' audience at the time.

Right now, I want you to do an exercise. Close your eyes, and think of the two most evil people you can think of. The person's sex doesn't matter; man or woman, rich or poor.

Who did you think of? Was it evil that you saw, firsthand (or, perhaps, something that you did?) Was it someone from history, like a Hitler? Whoever you thought of, I am sure this person did something.

Hitler murdered millions of Jews and gypsies during the Holocaust. Stalin sent millions of men and women to death camps. Perhaps you thought of one of those. Each one did something evil.

But imagine, for a moment, an old woman in a wheelchair who dreams of doing awful things to other people. Because of her handicap she is incapable of torturing anyone; sitting in that wheelchair she is completely helpless. No one would know it, but beneath the piles of wrinkled skin is a soul as twisted as that of Hitler.

This is the most important part of each of us. God is concerned with this part, the soul which only He can see. And if I understand Jesus correctly, this poor, wrinkled woman might as well be Hitler. When Jesus said that looking upon a woman with lust is the same as adultery, He wasn't only talking about adultery. He was showing that what is in the heart is all important. This is true, isn't it? The world judges by actions, but God judges by what is in the heart. Our actions follow what is in our heart.

What do we do, then? It is impossible to live a life free of sin. No matter what, we want to sin. We want to commit crimes against God, and man. Our natural selves wants to lust, gossip, and commit other, more "serious" crimes. At the same time, God sees all. He is our constant companion, whether we choose to pray to Him or not, or whether we believe in Him or not. In fact, it doesn't matter whether or not we believe in Him; He is there. Ignoring God is like ignoring the weather, merely pretending there is no rain does not make it dry.

But God is not the problem. He is the solution! Apostle Paul, wrote about this 2,000 years ago:

Romans 7:14-25 (NIV) - We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do -- this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord!


Whatever you have done in your life, God wants to make you clean. God wants you in His Kingdom, which is not of this world, but which is more real than any government of this world. If you want to change, and I mean really change, your heart must change. Self improvement books and courses are fine, but they only change conduct. Only Jesus can truly change your heart. Remember that the entertainer simply said "forgiven," when he was asked what it meant to him to be a Christian. He knew that Jesus was continuing to work in his life.

As the Lord said in the Book of Revelation, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:19-20).

If Jesus Christ is not now your Lord (or, if you are not sure), I encourage you to seriously consider inviting Him into your life. I encourage you to think about what you really have to lose. Why not invite the King into your life? Why not be "forgiven"? Please say the prayer in the following paragraph:

Dear Jesus, I am not happy with the way I am. I need something more. Jesus, I am a sinner, and I am sorry, but I sometimes can't help myself. Dear Lord, please come into my life. I don't know how to know You or to love You. Please teach me. I want to turn my life over to You. Please show me how to do this. Please also give me the faith I need to know You, and to love You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

If you have the courage to turn your life over to Jesus, it is extremely important for you to contact another Christian, a chaplain, or a Christian group or Bible study for support. Christian Ambassadors will be willing to help fill this need. This is extremely important: Satan will attempt to convince you that you are not different. He is a liar. You are different. Continue to pray, and begin reading the Bible, especially the New Testament. In time and as you grow, you will find the Lord Jesus will transform your life.

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This article was written by Larry Stratton, CA Volunteer from Los Angeles, California.

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.."

From: Alan and Sharon Griffee,
Dacono, Colorado

As we enter into the New Year and a New Millennium, I am reminded of what the Holy Spirit said through the Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 5:17 - "...If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

To be made new in Christ is truly a gift from God's gracious hands. The "ministry of reconciliation" (that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them) is another of God's gifts.

Alan and I enjoy sharing the Good News of what God has done for us through Christ. It is our primary role as Christians. If we have found Christ - His love compels us to tell others!

We look forward to the New Year (with all of its challenges), as we continue working alongside our Spiritual Growth Counselors to bring the hope of the gospel into the lives of those who are incarcerated.

We could not do the work God has called us to without the constant love, encouragement, and prayers of support from prison inmates. Your positive response to the ministry of Christian Ambassadors is what motivates us to fulfill God's highest purpose in our lives. My prayer, in the mighty name of Jesus, is that we continue working together during the year 2000, to bring more prison inmates to Jesus Christ.

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From: Devin Johnson,
Denver, Colorado

Dear Alan and Sharon, as a former prisoner, I'm writing my testimony with the hope that it will help bring people to Christ.

I have felt my heart touched by God at different times in my life. I don't remember much, but I know I felt something from God when I was baptized at the age of eight. When I was thirteen I was born again, that I know for sure!

Through the years God has allowed my faith to be tested, especially through the years of 1994 to 1997. In late 1994 God's Spirit came to me to get me to go the one way direction. Satan's Spirit also came to me. I wanted to live my own way. I was 27 when this happened. I was in awe. I was planning on still drinking and partying when I got out of prison. I was in Rifle at the time, which was a minimum facility. I walked into the building one night and I felt the evil spirit of partying, through the scratching of mirrors and voices.

God let me know spiritually that I'm not going to live a party life. That night I totally was changed. It was like an overnight thing. Right away God removed my bad language, sexual humor and He humbled me and I became quiet. I stumbled, over time, with the bad language and felt my heart not right with God and so I prayed for forgiveness.

I got out of prison in July of 1997 after being locked up for four years. Today I'm happy to be with the Lord Jesus Christ and Him in me. It is His presence within me and His love and ways that keeps me on the right path. I know that God will be working on me till I get to heaven. I know the flesh will always be battling with the Spirit.

Through prayer and sticking to His Word, I offer hope to others today, by helping them, praying for them and just loving them.

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From: Ralph & Rosalee Remington,
Brighton, Colorado

Dear Al and Sharon, It was good to hear from you! Because of our grandson being in prison this year, we are more aware of the importance of what you are doing in your prison ministry. Our grandson, Jared, is in Boot Camp and will be released very soon. He has shared your Newsletters with other inmates and he feels they do a lot of good. Thank You very much.

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From: Billy Gonzales,
Bexar County Jail, San Antonio, Texas

Dear Sharon, I can't put into words how my heart soars with delight when I receive your wisdom. You make everything so clear in what God expects of me. I thank God for your insight and for your wonderful understanding and encouragement.

I know for a fact that God has blessed me with your knowledge of Him and the Word. I tell you what I hear and understand Sharon - your answers to my questions. I'm going to follow your direction, you've never lead me wrong. Thank you Dear Lord for Sharon and for all your precious servants at CA.

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From: James Rebector,
Bexar County Jail, San Antonio, Texas

Dear Al and Sharon, I was blessed by Billy Gonzales, one of the Christian brothers here. He let me read one of your "My Brother's Keeper" newsletters. I would like to be put on your mailing list.

Praise God, may Jesus continue to bless CA and Alan and Sharon Griffee and also to bless the ministry with donations and everything else that is needed for witnessing and teaching and leading others to Christ in their ministry. This I pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

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From: M. L. Doyle,
Spiritual Growth Counselor with CA

Dear Sharon, Thanks for your testimony this month. As usual I thoroughly enjoyed "My Brother's Keeper" (Oct.-Dec.) edition. I'm using the verses you used in your article "Writing the Vision" to speak to an inmate I have been sharing with. Thanks Sharon. And, thank you and Alan for the Web Site!

Ephesians 4:14-15 (NIV) - ...We will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

God's burning desire for Christian Ambassadors is that it help prison inmates grow into mature relationships with Jesus Christ. The purpose of CA is not to see how many prison inmates we can get on our mailing list. We are not trying to get into some sort of competition with other ministries for converts. Spiritual growth is not about numbers. Spiritual growth is about personal relationships between God and His children. That relationship can only be developed through commitment to the Word of God.

John 1:1-4 (NIV) - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

When God made Adam's body, it was a lifeless form until God breathed His life into it. That was the creation of his inner man, his spirit. God, an eternal spirit, beget an eternal spirit, man.

Genesis 2:7 (NIV) - The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Man was created to be like God, in His image - in His likeness. That inner image is developed by feeding our spirit on the Word of God. When we fail to feed on the Word of God, our inner image becomes less and less like God and more and more like the world. The result? We become weaker and weaker in the spirit as the life of God is gradually drained out of us.

A foolish old farmer, as the parable goes, concluded one day that the oats he had been feeding his mule for years were simply costing him too much. So he devised a plan: He mixed a little sawdust in with the feed, and then a little more the next day, and even more the next - each time reducing the amount of oats in the mix.

The mule didn't seem to notice the gradual change, so the farmer thought things were fine and kept decreasing the proportion of oats. But weeks later, on the day he finally fed the poor beast nothing but sawdust, the mule finished the meal ... and fell over dead.

A farmer's mule doesn't have a choice about the nutritional value of the food put before him. Come to think of it, prison inmates don't have a choice about the nutritional value of the food they have to eat day after day. Even on Thanksgiving Day, instead of enjoying a feast, one inmate reported he had only been served two hot dogs and a little dab of beans.

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From "Nigeria, The Prison Shame", Newswatch, by Wale akin-Aina

"Prison life has been harsh for the youths. Garba Adamu, 16 who was released April 27th, after spending nine months in jail, told Newswatch that prison food is atrocious. `The soup is made of water, Ajinomoto (a food seasoning) and oil. When one of us took it, he fell sick and fainted," he said.
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No matter how bad things are in the physical environment of prison, all is not lost. There is something prison inmates do have a choice about. They have a choice about what they feed into their spirit. Since Jesus Christ (the Word) has come into the lives of prisoners, the eyes of their understanding are being opened.

Prisoners are learning, some for the first time, that their soul cannot survive on spiritual sawdust, anymore then an old mule can survive on physical sawdust. They are finding they want to go beyond the barely surviving stage. They are accepting the challenge to pull themselves up to the Lord's table and begin eating pure oats.

I Peter 2:2-3 (NIV) - Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Anyone who has fed on the Word of God for awhile will find that the Word tastes good. And when something tastes that good, you want more of it. It does my heart good when inmates report back to me how the Word is changing their lives.

I received a Christmas card from my brother in Christ, Anthony Saldana, who is serving the Lord while he is in prison. His testimony speaks not only for himself, but for many Christian brothers and sisters who have expressed similar thoughts to me over the years.

"Dear Sharon, May the Lord richly bless you as you continue to do His work. Since becoming saved a year and a half ago, I have been searching for tools to enrich my soul, and "Spiritual Growth" has fit the bill perfectly!

It's wonderful that there are people out there who tell the truth of Jesus, even if some people don't believe in the greatest person that has ever touched the earth's soil.

I wish to thank you, Sharon, for a "Newsletter" that has meant a lot to me since I heard God's voice, and heard clearly God's answer to my questions through them.

In response to Anthony's, (and other inmate's) kind words of appreciation, I must humbly confess; the only reason I can be available to prisoners to help with their "Spiritual Growth" is because Jesus Christ is and always has been available to help me with my "Spiritual Growth."

I Peter 1:23 (NIV) - For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and endur ing word of God.

While the world around us is made of things which are only temporary, the imperishable Word of God lasts forever. If God's Word is not living and active in our own life, we would have nothing of lasting value to pass on to others. For it is God's Word that brings the new birth into a person's life. The more time we spend with God the more of Himself He will reveal to us, and the more opportunities we will have to grow in His spirit.

On the other hand, if Jesus is giving us direction for a specific problem we are facing and we aren't listening, that direction won't do us any good. It's not because the direction wasn't good, it's because we have turned a deaf ear to Him. How many times a day do we shut Jesus out by failing to listen to Him?

One afternoon I was sitting in my office, thoroughly enjoying the Lord's companionship. The warmth of His Spirit was fully present. He was sharing spiritual direction with me, so that I might pass that direction on to the inmate to whom I was writing. I could tell that the Lord was enjoying the communication between us, because I was caught up in His excitement as

He said, "Sharon keep growing!" There is nothing that gives God more pleasure then to see His children grow spiritually. The Lord helped me see that even the initials of my name "SKG" (Sharon Keep Growing) could serve to remind me of the important work He has entrusted into my care. Don't think for a minute that God is going to let me slack off from my duties and responsibilities to minister to the spiritual needs of prison inmates. On the contrary, my reverential fear of the Lord motivates me to persuade others to be reconciled to God.

II Corinthians 5:11 (NIV) - Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.

Jesus Christ is calling you to accept His plan of redemption, to take up His cross and to follow Him. To do this you must be born again. There is no other way you can follow Him. If you are not growing spiritually you aren't going anywhere with the Lord. Your spirit must be changed into His image, into His likeness, or you will be powerless to keep in step with Him.

"But, Sharon," you may ask, "How do I get started when I feel like such a failure -- so empty inside?" The first thing to recognize is that all spiritual growth involves confrontation. If you are not willing to come face to face with what you have been avoiding, you will not be able to grow beyond where you are today. Resistance to change is one of the most common and deadly ways to undermine your spiritual growth.

How many times have you been going through a crisis, and found yourself thinking, "Why is this happening to me?" Usually when we ask ourselves this question, we aren't looking for a solid answer. In fact what we really are asking is, "Why are you doing this to me?" We address our anger to a person, to fate, to God, to the devil or whomever we feel is responsible for our suffering. We don't want to look where the real responsibility lies, within us.

It's not that we mind the idea of growing spiritually, we just don't like the idea of actually changing. And so, we procrastinate, "I will grow and work on myself as long as I don't have to change anything major about my life." When we boil it down to only agreeing to do what is easy or comfortable, we are putting conditions on our growth. Procrastination is nothing more then conditional growth, "I'll agree to sign up for Spiritual Growth Counseling, on one condition, the counselor must agree never to ask me to look within myself."

When we go through life with an agreement to only grow conditionally we rob ourselves of the wonderful blessings and opportunities that are waiting for us on the other side of our fear. Yet the Word teaches us not to fear.

Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) - Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

If you are an inmate in a correctional facility and you have the desire to grow spiritually, write to me:

Sharon K. Griffee
Christian Ambassadors
P.O. Box 444
Dacono, CO 80514-0444

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