A new buddy of mine is very close friends with one of the richest men in the world. She told me that as far as she could tell he didn’t know the Lord, but she was hopeful that reading my book might help him in that regard, or at least get him to begin thinking about it.
She asked me to sign a copy of my book for him and I pondered how to inscribe it. Finally I borrowed a line out of a tune that the Eagles made famous called, “Desperado”. I wrote; “Now it seems to me that some fine things have been laid upon your table, but the best are yet to come”.
I’m just a lightweight compared to that guy, but some fine things have been laid upon my table too. I was thinking about it yesterday and in addition to my life as a drug addict / alcoholic / violent criminal I’ve experienced some of the best that this world has to offer.
- One time I hit a grand slam homerun and won the game
- I bowled a perfect game when I was 17 years old
- Once I set the record in a Costa Rico casino for hitting the most consecutive blackjacks
- I took the homecoming queen to the prom
- The average divorce rate is 51% but I’ve been married for 43 years with 3 happily married college educated successful sons and 7 wonderful grandkids – one of whom is currently attending college and excelling
- I’ve built businesses, big buildings, and Honey Lake Resort and Spa
- I’ve caught giant marlin all over the world
- I’ve taken trophy bull elk in Montana and over a thousand other trophies all over this continent
- I started with nothing and made a fortune in business
- I won Business Person of the Year in Atlanta and was chosen from hundreds of nominations
- I’ve tried it all including fast cars and fast women, taken every drug I’ve ever heard of, imbibed alcohol of every flavor, been on television, radio, the Internet, met celebrities and athletes, and I now appear on several pages of Google
- I’ve written books and they’re even making a movie of my life
- I founded a church and a worldwide ministry
So out of it all what is the best experience I ever had?
Oh that’s easy, standing on a prison yard watching hundreds of inmates making decisions for Christ after I’ve given my testimony.
This weekend I was honored to be a part of the Bill Glass Weekend of Champions Behind the Walls prison ministry. About 268 volunteers visited 3000 inmates incarcerated in several Georgia prisons. In just 2 days 2058 of them made decisions for Christ, 787 (including 3 Buddhists) for the very first time.
I was deeply moved especially in the two women’s prisons in which I spoke. So many of those women were actually young girls in their early twenties, some were beautiful. In talking to them afterwards, many had been molested and raped starting as small children. Many had been beaten; one lady was serving life because she killed the abusive boyfriend that was beating the heck out of her at every opportunity. They had been used and abused all of their sad lives and most ended up in prison due to drugs. They had searched for some relief from their awful circumstance and unfortunately were looking in all the wrong places.
In the maximum security men’s prison in which I spoke I heard the same thing. They had come from dysfunctional lives and become dysfunctional themselves. It is so-o-o-o-o rewarding to offer them hope through Jesus Christ. They are desperate to find a better way and when they find out that I made it through the system and emerged the other side and excelled, it inspires them to give Jesus a try too.
Unfortunately most Christians will never experience these rewards.
Less than 2% of all evangelical Christians in America:
- Witness weekly to unbelievers
- Annually lead someone to Christ
- Are being personally discipled to make disciples
- Are personally discipling someone else to be a disciplemaker
90% of all Christians in America will never share their faith with anyone in their lifetime!
Only 2% will invite an unchurched person to the church in a year and yet:
- Only 5% of the unchurched would be considered antagonistic or hostile toward the church
- 160 million people in America are open and receptive to the Gospel and ready to accept Christ if someone would just show them how.
95% of all believers in America have NEVER led anybody to Christ in spite of fact that the unchurched Americans surveyed by Gallup pollsters said they intend to return to active church participation some day. Of that group, one in 5 said they would start back to church if someone would just talk to them about spiritual matters.
I asked my Bible study class if anyone had witnessed to anyone so far this year. Not one person aside from me raised their hand. Then I asked if anyone had invited someone who was unchurched to attend church with them this year. Again not one hand in addition to mine was raised.
Our class fits the profile.
Just three people per year make decisions for Christ in the average Baptist church. In our Bill Glass event we had 2058 in just two days. I’ve tried about all this life has to offer and can easily say that there is no greater joy in all of life than leading someone to Christ and nothing this world has to offer even comes close to comparing. It’s so rewarding that once you do it you won’t be able to get enough of it; (the Holy Spirit will see to that).
I asked my Bible study class why they wouldn’t witness and a variety of reasons were given, but I perceived that most just needed to try it. I would guess that the average Bill Glass volunteer leads 11 or more inmates to the Lord in an average weekend. What do you think happens to those folks when they get home? They begin witnessing to their family, friends, acquaintances, employees, and people they don’t even know. It is contagious, thrilling, and God showers them with blessings.
I’m not asking you to take my word for it; try it for yourself. In Tallahassee Florida Bill Glass is conducting an event on May 30th. You can sign up at http://www.billglass.org/source/Meetings/cMeetingInfo.cfm?MEETING=W1405D02A I will be there along with many others including my wife who will attend for the very first time along with some friends from Sunday school. We desperately need more volunteers. It doesn’t matter if you’ve ever led anyone to Christ or not, we provide freshman training on Friday night before we go behind the walls on Saturday.
Contrary to most people’s idea of prison ministry, it is not dangerous, (they wouldn’t let us in if it was), and the inmates are so appreciative they will be shedding tears and so will you. Please pray about this event. In fact sign up today right now while you’re thinking about it, the deadline is May 7th.
I can honestly say that your life will be changed forever and most important you will be obeying God and honoring and glorifying Him.
Matt. 25:36
For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.” “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ . . .
April 28, 2014 – Click here to listen