Miracles on the "A Team"
I need to begin this posting with a scripture to help you understand what I am about to write.
2 Cor 4:6-7 (NIV)6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
Last night I witnessed this shining of the light of the Gospel. Few people will ever experience this. This is a miracle of proportion so unbelievable that it is hard to write about. I have asked the persons involved if it was alright with them if I shared this. Their answer was amazing - "Yes, absolutely." There was complete agreement.
Tonight I sat with the "A Team" - as I call them. "A" stands for Alpha - not the Alpha groups but Alpha as a new beginning. These guys are part of the new Bible Study Support Group that I began for men coming out of prison. We have just completed our fourth week. We are looking at the Characters of the Bible that were in jail and or in trouble with the Law of their times. We have started with Moses.
The group is made up of four men and myself. The four men have all spent time in prison. They are all my friends. I can honestly say I love them as brothers.
Tonight Darin, lead the Bible Study for us. We looked at God's call on Moses life, Moses' reaction and God's reaction. Darin asked one of the guys if he wanted to read the Bible for us. I will call him "R". R began to read haltingly. He couldn't read. He struggled with every word. "P" sitting across the table began to help him with the words that he couldn't say. Each time he finished a verse "P" said - "Hey you're doing great!" R is 49 years old and P is 60. "M" was there too. He can't read either - he is about 28 years old and slow in thinking. He listens and wants very much to discuss things with us but gets confused at times. "B" had a bad head ache and only lasted for a short time. "B" is 50+ years old.
As we listened to R read it was amazing as he tried so hard. Darin and I both cried as we watched the miracle before our eyes. After every verse R stopped to tell what he read in his own words. The words were hitting home each time he said them. The Word of God was healing and setting free as R read the Bible. His "Wow" at certain stages were like a real Pentecostal AMEN! He was feeling what was happening inside and out.
R studied in school until he was in grade two and then there was no more school.
At the end of the Bible study and the reading - P asked, "Can I pray first?" For the past three weeks I have prayed each time - except once that Darin prayed. Then R said, "I want to pray next". Both prayers were halting and stumbling but beautiful. They both prayed and thanked God for me. I am crying as I write this - it was the most beautiful thing I have heard for years - they both were close to breaking in their words.
P, R and M are considered dangerous and high risk people in the community. They are considered pedophiles. And God is doing a work in their lives. Their strongest statements that they have picked up from living around us is their desire that, "There will be NO MORE VICTIMS!"
After we finished the prayer and we were going to break up the meeting R began to talk about himself and his long journey that lead him up to this point tonight.
At birth his parents placed him in a residential facility - and orphanage in central Ontario. He lived there until he was 21. School was not provided - up to grade two was as far as he made it. I am not sure if it was because it was on the outside or if he has a major learning disability. He cannot read... but tonight he was reading slowly.
At 10 he was molested by a staff member by the name of Barry. Barry took him to his cottage on a weekend and did it there. He did it again and again and again. Other leaders did it to him as well. It was almost common place - it is just what happened in this place. He was not the only boy that it happened to, others were subject to the same thing as well.
He described how the boys used to have sexual contact with each other and that it was a common thing.
We discussed the awakening of sexual things in boys and then the experiments that they did with each other after the leaders used them. As he grew older in the school he became the older person having sex with younger boys - around 10 - the same age as he was.
When he was "released" or required to leave the residence he had to find a place to live. With no education and no ability to read and no work he chose to live with families from place to place to place. When I asked him how many - he struggled with that and said - "hundreds". He named the cities and places he has lived - its staggers your mind.
When he lived with the families he also was involved with the family's children. Yes - he likely molested some of them as well. My guess this was likely the reason for the many moves happened. He was found out. But there was always another home that needed money and a boarder.
As the description of this story unfolding tonight I had a picture of true darkness. Some of the deepest darkness that I have ever witnessed was shared.
His conviction was a result of incidents that happened in the last 9 years where he found himself going back to young boys, that were his age when he was molested, and experiencing this thrill all over again. It is as if he missed the home where he knew this kind of thing as a way of life... now in homesickness or frustration to know a home - he was doing it to those around him. In his mind they were consenting as the other boys consented with each other. In his mind he is 10 years old all over again. A layman’s assessment only.
R tells with a simple pride that he is on a needle now. He couldn't say the name of it - but is called Lupron, a chemical castration. He said he will never go off this stuff as it takes away the strong feelings he has about kids.
I was with these guys for about three hours tonight as I listened. The account I have heard almost makes you sick as the darkness had R so deep in his journey to hell. But the gospel has shown into his life. Tonight I witnessed the power of God's Word beginning to clean him.
And when R prayed for me I was honoured....
Jesus is so wonderful. If he can take a life like this and show his wonderful love and work so deeply... there will never be anymore victims. I am so privileged to be so close to see this happen.
I can't wait for next Tuesday PM...!
This week I am off to Montreal to tell this and other wonderful stories to a group of people that wonder how they can help men like this. This is God's timing and God's place.
Please pray for R, P and M along with B and Darin and Murray - we are the "A Team"
Again... this makes sense more than ever...
2 Cor 4:6-7 (NIV)6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
- Pastor Murray
2 Cor 4:6-7 (NIV)6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
Last night I witnessed this shining of the light of the Gospel. Few people will ever experience this. This is a miracle of proportion so unbelievable that it is hard to write about. I have asked the persons involved if it was alright with them if I shared this. Their answer was amazing - "Yes, absolutely." There was complete agreement.
Tonight I sat with the "A Team" - as I call them. "A" stands for Alpha - not the Alpha groups but Alpha as a new beginning. These guys are part of the new Bible Study Support Group that I began for men coming out of prison. We have just completed our fourth week. We are looking at the Characters of the Bible that were in jail and or in trouble with the Law of their times. We have started with Moses.
The group is made up of four men and myself. The four men have all spent time in prison. They are all my friends. I can honestly say I love them as brothers.
Tonight Darin, lead the Bible Study for us. We looked at God's call on Moses life, Moses' reaction and God's reaction. Darin asked one of the guys if he wanted to read the Bible for us. I will call him "R". R began to read haltingly. He couldn't read. He struggled with every word. "P" sitting across the table began to help him with the words that he couldn't say. Each time he finished a verse "P" said - "Hey you're doing great!" R is 49 years old and P is 60. "M" was there too. He can't read either - he is about 28 years old and slow in thinking. He listens and wants very much to discuss things with us but gets confused at times. "B" had a bad head ache and only lasted for a short time. "B" is 50+ years old.
As we listened to R read it was amazing as he tried so hard. Darin and I both cried as we watched the miracle before our eyes. After every verse R stopped to tell what he read in his own words. The words were hitting home each time he said them. The Word of God was healing and setting free as R read the Bible. His "Wow" at certain stages were like a real Pentecostal AMEN! He was feeling what was happening inside and out.
R studied in school until he was in grade two and then there was no more school.
At the end of the Bible study and the reading - P asked, "Can I pray first?" For the past three weeks I have prayed each time - except once that Darin prayed. Then R said, "I want to pray next". Both prayers were halting and stumbling but beautiful. They both prayed and thanked God for me. I am crying as I write this - it was the most beautiful thing I have heard for years - they both were close to breaking in their words.
P, R and M are considered dangerous and high risk people in the community. They are considered pedophiles. And God is doing a work in their lives. Their strongest statements that they have picked up from living around us is their desire that, "There will be NO MORE VICTIMS!"
After we finished the prayer and we were going to break up the meeting R began to talk about himself and his long journey that lead him up to this point tonight.
At birth his parents placed him in a residential facility - and orphanage in central Ontario. He lived there until he was 21. School was not provided - up to grade two was as far as he made it. I am not sure if it was because it was on the outside or if he has a major learning disability. He cannot read... but tonight he was reading slowly.
At 10 he was molested by a staff member by the name of Barry. Barry took him to his cottage on a weekend and did it there. He did it again and again and again. Other leaders did it to him as well. It was almost common place - it is just what happened in this place. He was not the only boy that it happened to, others were subject to the same thing as well.
He described how the boys used to have sexual contact with each other and that it was a common thing.
We discussed the awakening of sexual things in boys and then the experiments that they did with each other after the leaders used them. As he grew older in the school he became the older person having sex with younger boys - around 10 - the same age as he was.
When he was "released" or required to leave the residence he had to find a place to live. With no education and no ability to read and no work he chose to live with families from place to place to place. When I asked him how many - he struggled with that and said - "hundreds". He named the cities and places he has lived - its staggers your mind.
When he lived with the families he also was involved with the family's children. Yes - he likely molested some of them as well. My guess this was likely the reason for the many moves happened. He was found out. But there was always another home that needed money and a boarder.
As the description of this story unfolding tonight I had a picture of true darkness. Some of the deepest darkness that I have ever witnessed was shared.
His conviction was a result of incidents that happened in the last 9 years where he found himself going back to young boys, that were his age when he was molested, and experiencing this thrill all over again. It is as if he missed the home where he knew this kind of thing as a way of life... now in homesickness or frustration to know a home - he was doing it to those around him. In his mind they were consenting as the other boys consented with each other. In his mind he is 10 years old all over again. A layman’s assessment only.
R tells with a simple pride that he is on a needle now. He couldn't say the name of it - but is called Lupron, a chemical castration. He said he will never go off this stuff as it takes away the strong feelings he has about kids.
I was with these guys for about three hours tonight as I listened. The account I have heard almost makes you sick as the darkness had R so deep in his journey to hell. But the gospel has shown into his life. Tonight I witnessed the power of God's Word beginning to clean him.
And when R prayed for me I was honoured....
Jesus is so wonderful. If he can take a life like this and show his wonderful love and work so deeply... there will never be anymore victims. I am so privileged to be so close to see this happen.
I can't wait for next Tuesday PM...!
This week I am off to Montreal to tell this and other wonderful stories to a group of people that wonder how they can help men like this. This is God's timing and God's place.
Please pray for R, P and M along with B and Darin and Murray - we are the "A Team"
Again... this makes sense more than ever...
2 Cor 4:6-7 (NIV)6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
- Pastor Murray
posted by Murray Lincoln at
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
