Rescued and Redeemed Event

As a chaplain with Good News Global, I meet with individuals in the jail, some of whom have committed egregious, crimes, shockingly bad crimes, against their fellow man.

I remember sitting across the table from a young man in his mid-30’s I had never met before. He had come into the jail on misdemeanor charges, but there was much more to his story that what had on paper and it didn’t take long for him to go there. He told me that he had been in Iraq during the war, had drank one night with some of his buddies and found a way to shoot at innocent civilians in one of its cities. Years later, he’s still haunted by what he did and he asks me, can God ever forgive me for that?

And we know the answer to that question. Isaiah 55: 6-7 tells us…

Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.

Or to quote the lyrics from an old church hymn… The vilest offender who truly believes that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

And yet, while that is true…God says its true... there’s something within us, something deep down inside of us that says, ok… but where’s there justice in that?

And for those who have been trafficked, exploited, sexually abused by others, we want to ask that question for them and we want to ask it for those who have committed these crimes against them.

The thief on the cross understood justice. You remember him. Two thieves were crucified with Jesus, one on either side of him. They were both railing on Him to begin with, but of them had a change of heart and said to the other…don’t you have any fear of God…we’re under the same condemnation that he is… and we indeed justly… but this man (Jesus) has done nothing wrong.

And He was absolutely right, wasn’t he?

In the words of the OT prophet…and I’m quoting from Isaiah 53 the AMPLIFIED BIBLE. And I don’t want to come across overly preachy here, but listen to what it says, years 700 years before Jesus was crucified.

He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]; The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him, And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed; healed to the very core of our being.

My friend Brian Cole posted a quote on FB by the late J.C. Ryle…

“however corrupt our hearts, and however wicked our past lives, there is hope for us in the gospel”

This is where real hope comes from… and it’s why I can stand in support of rescued and redeemed as a ministry. There are other organizations that are addressing the problem of human trafficking, but theirs is a gospel centered, ministry, that brings hope, healing, and forgiveness through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Let me close with this.

When Darryl came into the EC County Jail, he had been charged and was eventually convicted of sexually assaulting 5 female inmates while employed at the Polk County Jail in Balsam Lake Wisconsin.

At his sentencing the presiding judge handed him one of the harshest sentences he’s ever given for crimes such as this, due to the position of power that Darryl had over his victims, resulting in Darryl having to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Darryl had a religion he grew up, but it was nothing more than a religion, that is until Jesus saved him and gave him a new purpose in life.

Writing to me from his prison cell, Darryl wanted me to know what God had been doing in his life. He went on to tell me that he had enrolled in a Christian College to earn a Christian counseling degree … "to help people deal with issues of PTSD, alcohol, sex, depression, and suicide; all things I had, " he said, "but did not deal with them appropriately." He added, "I want to teach people about God, His love, forgiveness and mercy, to encourage them to turn to Him by being a testimony of what He has done in my life. God is so great, even in this sin-darkened place! I feel His presence watching over me, leading me to the calling, plan and destiny He has for me."

Only God can do that… this does not minimize what he had done, lest we minimize what Christ has done. Only God can change an abuser’s heart in that way.

And for those of you who know the deep sorrow and emotional pain of sexual abuse, we want you to know as well, that there is hope…there is healing… there is rescue… and there is redemption in Jesus. That is why Rescued and Redeemed exists…and it is why we should generously support this ministry in whatever ways we can.