2020 NEWSLETTERS
June 2020
Dear Friends
As you know from our monthly updates, with the Covid-19 pandemic we have not been able to go into the prisons since the one service we did in the beginning of March. On June 27th, the Department of Corrections updated their website with the following numbers. Statewide, (state prisons – not including regional jails) the total number of positive cases has reached 1,508 with 11 deaths. Currently there are 184 active cases being treated. Out of those totals, in the prisons we are assigned to on a regular basis, there have been 414 cases with 4 deaths, and 40 active cases. With these current numbers, it looks to be August before we will be allowed back in.
Your continued prayers for the men and women in prisons are appreciated. Our brothers and sisters in the Lord are in need of prayer for growth in their faith and strength to stand firm on God’s Word. False doctrine/teaching that has been brought in through the years has and is taking its toll. Colossians 2:8 says, “Beware lest any man spoil (rob) you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments (principals) of the world, and not after Christ.” We see this happening. There is a popular group of people who go into the prisons, under the name of “Christian”, who have point blank told us (as we waited to be processed in) that they only focus on the love of God. They do not and refuse to talk about sin or holiness. We were told later by several of the men, at one facility, the question – “What does the Bible say about homosexuality and masturbation?” This group refused to answer the question. So, one of the inmates stood up and with his Bible read several passages. He was told by this group to stop reading the Bible and be quiet or he would be kicked out of the meeting. He had men asking him later for the references so they could look them up back in their cells. At another facility, this same popular group, told the men, after reading the verse, “The just shall live by faith”, said, “You cannot live by faith in today’s world”. An inmate, who came to our services on a regular basis, responded with, “Yes you can! I know a couple who’s been doing it for 20 years!”
As we await the day the prison doors will be open once more, the Lord continues to provide ministry opportunities. Two people have confided that they are so overwhelmed with circumstances in their lives right now that they were suicidal. God’s Word shared with them helped them get past the “critical” spot. We don’t have all the answers for the situations they are in, but we know the One who does. He alone has the Words of Life.
Thank you for your prayers and/or financial support.
For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
May 2020
Dear Friends,
In way of an update on the prisons, there is still no word of when we will be able to return. According to the Department of Corrections website, two of the facilities that we go to, have had reported cases of Covid-19. One of them to date has had 149 cases with 3 deaths and the other one has had 202 cases with zero deaths. We are thankful for the Lord’s protection of the many facilities that have had no cases, and we pray for those who have. In the meantime, as we look back over our calendar this month, we are reminded of the many people in our community the Lord gave us the opportunity to minister to. One elderly couple (the husband is under hospice care and the wife is pretty much wheelchair bound) we were able to visit and encourage them in the Lord with Scripture and hymns. Another elderly couple, the husband’s wheelchair broke a bearing and was difficult to maneuver. The Lord allowed us the wonderful privilege of finding him another one, which was nicer than the one he had, for only $10…...a sweet reminder that the Lord sees and provides. Bible study with our neighbor has slowed down since the churches in our area have re-opened, a few weeks ago, but we still get with him from time to time to encourage him in the Lord. There are many others we could mention, all divine appointments, in Lowes, grocery stores, garages, in our neighborhood, etc. There have been many opportunities to share Jesus with others. We thank you for standing with us, during this time, through your prayers and / or financial support. We are reminded of Matthew 28:18–20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations……Teaching them to observe (maintain, fulfill, hold fast, keep) all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”
For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
April 2020
Dear Friends,
There has been and still is much in the news about the Covid19 virus. The whole world has been affected. Many ministries have made adjustments to the new “norm” by going digital. For us this is not an option. Inmates do not have internet access. They do have limited supervised email. However, volunteers are not allowed to use this form of communication. As of a few days ago, the Department of Corrections has decided to temporarily lift this ban until they reopen the doors for us to come back in. The projected date for us returning to the prisons looks to be late June or early July and this is subject to our state’s stay home order. After talking with the director of Hope Aglow (the ministry we work in cooperation with) the requirements and cost involved in emailing inmates would not be advantageous for us. So, we continue to use regular mail to correspond with the men.
In the meantime, we have received letters from a couple of inmates. They too are affected by the executive stay home order. The facilities are on lock down and their normal daily routine has been altered as well. But, what a blessing to hear that even though they are not allowed to have church services, the few Christians in their individual pods are getting together for Bible study. It may only be 4 or 5 of them, but they are meeting together to study God’s Word.
For us, we continue “snail mail” with inmates. We are still busy caring for 3 parental figures. We are helping elderly supporters and neighbors who are in need of assistance. We continue to work on building relationships with unsaved neighbors. And we also started doing Bible study with one of our older neighbors.
This particular neighbor’s comprehension level is that of an 8th grader. He dropped out of school in junior high, was repeatedly told he was stupid, and he did manual labor all his life. He told us he remembers the day he got saved and has been going to church since (over 40 years). However, he also told us that he cannot understand the Bible (he has tried a couple of easy reading versions) and the sermons at church are over his head. We have started out simple with him. Since he does not know much of the Bible, we started using a children’s Bible story devotional (by Billy Graham). Honestly, we were amazed that he did not know the story of Noah or of Danial in the Lion’s Den or other Bible stories that we thought he would have heard at some point in his 40+ years of going to church. One day he asked us, “Why did God put these stories in the Bible?” We were able to share with him 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and IS profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” As well as Romans 15:4, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning….” We told him that when the apostle Paul wrote these, he was referring to the Old Testament. So, we can learn much from these stories and we shared several ways of how these stories are profitable for us today.
Our neighbor was told by someone else that there was a children’s Bible written on the child’s level, but he did not know what to look for or where to find one. (He does not have internet and does not know how to use it.) God is so amazing……the day he told us this, we received a phone call from a man cleaning out his den. This man asked if we could use Bibles for the inmates. He had many of them and just wanted them to be used. He went on to tell us that he even had one that was a children’s Bible. It was the very one our neighbor had been told about and was hoping for. We asked this man if we could give the children’s Bible to a man in the community. He was thrilled to do so. God knew our neighbor’s heart’s desire and answered it. Though he has only had it a few days, he is now enjoying reading his Bible because he can actually understand what it says. As we continue to have Bible study with him, we can see the Lord ever so slowly and gently working in his life.
Yes, God is amazing! Our world may be in standstill mode (compared to what it usually is), but God is still on the move and continues working in wonderful ways. To you, our ministry partners, we say thank you for your continued prayers and/or support. God’s Word and His work are still going forth.
For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
March 2020
Each month, we along with one to four other people, go to a little restaurant to eat supper just before going in to one of our prison services. Unless, she is not there we have the same waitress. It’s always a blessing to see her. She knows when she sees us that we are heading for the prison just a mile or two away afterwards. When she brings the bill she says she is praying for us and the service and then says, “If just one will listen!” Our going into this prison means a lot to her because she worked in that very prison for over 20 years. She has firsthand knowledge of what goes on there on a daily basis. Yet, even after all she has seen, she prays that even just one will listen and take the message to heart. We know the Lord has and continues to answer her prayers, for we know of several men who have done just that – listened, taken the message to heart, and has allowed the Lord to change their lives.
From this very prison comes our next story. We have been going to this prison since around 2002 and we have seen men come and go. It is interesting that just in the last several months; we have seen an influx of new men coming to the service. One of these new men, with a sparkle in his eyes, approached Jay after this last service excitedly asking if he could get all the verses that Jay referenced in his message. He is go hungry for the Word of God that he wanted to go back to his cell and look up all the references to study for himself. What a blessing to see someone so enthusiastic and excited to know the Lord more and study His Word! Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matt. 5:6) This last story was told to us by one of our prayer partners. This gentleman went around to different people in his church that he knew were prayer warriors, asking them to specifically be praying for us as we would be going in to a group of men who were all registered sex offenders. One lady that he asked came back to him the next week to tell him that she had argued with God all week over this, telling the Lord she could not pray for them. This dear lady was in her 60’s but could not pray for these men because she had been raped as a teenager. She said that after arguing with the Lord over this all week, the Lord set her free to forgive the man who had raped her and was able to freely pray for us and this group of men. The Lord set her free from nearly 50 years of imprisonment to unforgiveness. She was praising the Lord for setting her free and thanking this man for the entrusting this wonderful privilege of praying for these men.
A quick update.…The Department of Corrections alerted us that because of the Coronavirus, it has cancelled all services until further notice. We pray this will not last long so we can get back to our ministry field. We thank you for your prayers and/or support to help us continue to go.
For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
Feb 2020
Dear Friends,
Recently, there has been interest expressed in how we became involved in prison ministry. We stepped out into full time ministry January 1, 1998 traveling the country as music evangelist. Our hearts were burdened with the number of people who go to church but had no interest in following Jesus. After the first year and half, we had a lull in our schedule but did not want to sit idle. We wanted to be about our Lord’s work. As Elizabeth was looking through some books that her late father had had, she ran across one by Richard Wumbrand who had been a prisoner under the Communist regime in Romania. On the back cover, there was a picture of a man’s hands shackled together with the inscription, “If that were Christ, would you give Him your blanket?” This struck a deep cord within her heart and she questioned herself, “Would I?” Then she remembered that her dad had been supportive of Hope Aglow Prison Ministry and its late founder Ed Martin (back in the 1960’s). Elizabeth wrote the current director, Garry Sims, telling him who we were and asked if they could use us in any way. He called and talked with Jay a long time, then asked us to join them for a service to see if prison ministry was a good fit for us. From our very first time going (October 1999), we fell in love (with God’s love) the ministry of sharing the gospel (the good news) with prisoners.
What we found was a hunger for Jesus that many in the outside/free churches did not have. We cast our net on the other side of the boat (John 21:6) and the Lord filled our net. To this day, He continues to fill our net with men who are searching for Truth as well as finding brothers in Christ who hunger for the Word of God.
With now having a reliable vehicle, we are once again able to return to one of our long distance prisons. One of the men told us he was so glad that we were “home” again! Another one made a bee-line for Jay after the service to tell him, “We needed that! There are some in here who say it doesn’t matter what comes out of their mouths.” He said he is so excited about the upcoming study Jay is starting with them from 1 John.
We recently received a letter from an inmate who said he finds it so amazing that there are people like us who love coming into prison to show them, in a real way, the love of God. We were able to tell him that he may only see us, but there are a number of others (you, our supporters and prayer partners) who care about them too and show they do by helping us continue to go to them.
We and the inmates thank you!
For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
2019 Newsletters are below
Jan 2020
We are excited to report to you that our Father has heard and answered your prayers!
As you know, many months ago, we requested prayer for our vehicle situation. The Lord has answered yours (as well as ours and the inmates) prayers by providing us with a reliable, fuel efficient car. Admittedly, there were many times we kept asking the Lord to give us direction on this matter. Each time, He answered with, “Wait.” Weeks would go by with no change and we would ask Him again. Over and over He would gently answer, “Wait. Just wait.” After months, in fact a couple of years, of praying and waiting, the Lord answered way beyond our expectations. As a result, we have given testimony to the inmates and many others of the Lord teaching us patient endurance. 2 Peter 1:5-8 tells us to give all diligence to add 7 things to our faith. Patience and temperance (endurance) are two of them. James 1:4 says to let patience have her perfect work. Not that we have this down pat, but we are learning and growing while in the process of being conformed into the image of Jesus. We again say, “thank you” for your prayers. We also want to thank those who gave financially to help with the need.
The Lord is so good!
As excited as we were with the answered prayer, what is more exciting is seeing the Lord work in our lives and being able in turn to minister to others. Starting this month, the Lord opened another prison door for us to go into on a regular basis. It is a small group of men, who are seeking to know the Lord more and wanting to grow in their knowledge and understanding of Him and His Word. Instead of a regular church service, this will be more like a small group Bible study. We are looking forward to what the Lord has in store for us and the inmates.
At a couple of facilities, the Lord led Jay to preach from 2 Timothy 4:2, explaining to the men what his assigned job from the Lord was. He told them he was not out to win a popularity contest with anyone but rather, his job was to preach the pure Word of God. Church is not a social club, it is not rec time, nor is it a place to get “feel good” messages to pacify them. Church is where we come together to be taught doctrine (God’s ways), to be reproved (convicted), to be corrected (to be set right again), and to be instructed in righteousness (how to live holy in conformity to God’s will). The purpose is for us to grow more and more into the likeness of Jesus. (2 Tim. 3:16-17 & 2 Cor. 3:18) There were several men who responded “I needed that!” “The Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)
God is still working today; showing love, mercy, and forgiveness to all who will turn to Him.
For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
2019 Newsletters
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Thank you for your support and prayers!
Dec 2019
Our Dear Friends,
We wish to start by expressing our heartfelt gratitude to each one supporting us whether financially and/or in prayer! Ministry is a team effort for: “How shall they call upon Him whom they have not believed? How shall they believe upon whom they have not heard? How shall they hear without a preacher? How shall they preach unless they are sent?” (Rom. 10:14-15) We are going and you are sending us.
Recently we received a very precious letter in which an inmate, who regularly attends our service, expressed what this ministry meant to him. We cannot think of a better way to express our thanks to you, as well as convey the importance of this work, than to let his letter speak for the service you help make possible for him. Please accept our gratitude, his gratitude and the hundreds of others at the many facilities we go to. Sharing the gospel with the lost and feeding God’s sheep is our goal and assignment from the Lord. The men know that other brothers and sisters, who care, are behind us – sending us to them. Here is his letter:
12-30-19
Brother Jay:
The aim of the overwhelming majority of those confined to prison is ultimately to get out and to be reunited with loved ones. And yet, I find it most intriguing, and heart moving, that there are such people (out there) who have made it their purpose in life to go into prison, that they might be united to those who abide in the love and the body of Christ. To you (and those who come with you)… I say: Philippians 1:2-11 Brother Jay: I thank God the Father for you, and like-minded men, who are good stewards of this GOSPEL which has been entrusted to them. Today, there is much personality, charisma, and intellect…painting pictures for us with words and wowing us with fantastic renditions of dramatized theology. But you…you use the light of the entrusted GOSPEL to highlight not man and his gifts – but to highlight the greatest gift to mankind…our LORD and KING, Jesus Christ. You perform very reasonable service, and your preaching, testimony, and witness has power. Many serve, but they venture alone. However, you, like Moses, refuse to lead…unless God accompanies you (Exodus 33:14-15). Thank you for your openness and honesty. Thank you for not watering down the gospel message to please man. (Gal. 1:10, II Thess. 2:4). I love you Brother! Continue to walk (and serve) in a manner worthy of the Lord, being fully pleasing to Him, as you bear much fruit and increase in Knowledge. May you be strengthened with all power according to HIS glorious might…...that you endure with patience and Joy (Col. 1:10-11). I end with II Thessalonians 3:16. I love you (in the LORD) and lift you in prayer. It is an honor to know and serve with you!!! Your fellow Brother and Laborer IN CHRIST, Charlie”
Again, we say thank you. Your gifts and prayers are making a difference in the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus.
For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
November 2019
Dear Friends,
As the Christmas celebration begins, one thing we enjoy doing is riding around at night to see all the bright lights. In a prophecy regarding Jesus, Luke 1:78b–79 says, “…the Dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” We live in a spiritually dark world. Jesus came to bring us Himself – the Light. He has “called us out of darkness into His marvelous Light”. (1 Peter 2:9)
In our previous update, we requested prayer regarding one of the facilities we go to. To date, the administration has said nothing further about the situation, so on our regularly scheduled day, Jay once again went to proclaim the marvelous Light to those sitting in darkness. He told the men, “This is a church service and the Bible is the textbook we study here….If you do not want to hear what the Bible has to say about sin, you do not have to stay. You have the right to leave if you wish.” He went on to say that if he believed people were condemned to hell with no hope, he would not waste his time preaching. It is because he personally knows and has experienced the love and forgiveness of God that he comes….proclaiming that they too can experience this same hope, love, and forgiveness. He read multiple Scriptures about sin and the need to be born again. How the Bible is plain and clear that there has to be a change in direction….we cannot just say a prayer and continue living a habitual sinful lifestyle. After the service, the guard on duty, came to Jay with one of the men and said that this man wanted to talk with him. Jay asked the guard to stay and listen to everything that was being said. The man told Jay, “I do not know who accused you of such a thing and I can’t believe someone would go that far in saying what they said about you. I do know that there are a couple of men who come to the service who are offended by your personal testimony, because they do not want to change.” Jay responded to the man that he “hit the nail on the head”…..”You just said, ‘they do not want to change’…..It is not on the transmitting end, it is on the receiving end.” The guard spoke up and said, “There is only one sin that cannot be forgiven.” Jay said “Yes, blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.” He repeated what he said in the service by saying, “If they want to claim they are born that way, Jesus still says, ‘You must be born again’.” It is because God loves them and we love them that we come here to proclaim the Truth. The man thanked Jay for taking the time to talk with him. And Jay thanked him for approaching him to convey his concerns. A second man came up and said, “Thank you for not being like the ones in Timothy that tell people what they want to hear. (2 Timothy 4:3&4) You tell us not what we want to hear, but what we need to hear.” A third man approached to say, “Thank you for the message today. I have been struggling with some of the very things you talked about and I needed that.” “…to give Light to them that sit in darkness…” that is what the Word of God did that day. Thank you for praying.
In another facility, Jay continued his series on Psalm 37. He recapped verses 24 & 25 on the importance of walking hand in hand with the Lord. Then he went on to verse 26 preaching that as we walk with the Lord we should be taking on His character more and more. Again, the Dayspring from on high gave light to those sitting in darkness with three men responding for salvation. Yes, the lights of Christmas, shining brightly in the darkness, remind us of Jesus, the Light of the world. He illuminated our darkened hearts with His Light and we in turn are to let Him shine out of us to others still sitting in darkness. We proclaim in love and humility the Truth of God’s Word, without compromise, and He lights up the darkness.
Thank you for your prayers and/or support. We together, partnering with the Lord, are still impacting lives for Jesus sake. He is still moving in the hearts and lives of people today. We are thankful and give all praise to Him.
We pray your Christmas will be filled with a fresh awareness of His Wonderful Presence and Marvelous Light. Merry Christmas to you all!
For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
October 2019
Our Dear Praying Friends & Ministry Partners,
In way of a quick personal update…..These last couple of months have been more difficult than normal for us. We have been caring for three “parental” figures – Jay’s dad (since 2012), Elizabeth’s mom (for the last year and a half) and her mom’s husband (for the last couple of months). Between the three of them, we have been running back and forth to multiple doctor’s appointments as well as hospitalizations. Yet, we praise the Lord for His sustaining strength and presence, for Romans 8:26 says that the Holy Spirit helps us (comes to our aid and bears us up) in our “infirmities” (weakness).
In our car situation, the Lord continues to keep it going. Jay told the inmates that the Lord is using this situation to teach us more about patience. When we looked up the definition of patience many years ago, one of the definitions was: “ the ability to wait without complaint”. We cannot take on a car payment, so we are learning to be patient in waiting for God’s timing and His provision. This goes right along with James 1:2-4 in letting patience have her perfect work to help mature us even more. Jay has also told the inmates for the last couple of years that he has always been one who did not rejoice in seeing the trials in the windshield – coming our way. But, one who rejoiced when they were in the rear-view mirror. Yet, he knew, based on Scripture that the Lord wanted to mature him in this area. So, the Lord continues to work.
We are currently waiting to see if we will be allowed back in to one of the facilities we go to as they have threatened to ban Jay from coming back. Here is what happened….A couple of weeks ago, as Jay was preaching, one of the Scriptures he read from was 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (which he has done many times over the years at this same facility). This passage is a list of people not going to heaven – not by name but by lifestyle. Verse 11 clearly states, “ such WERE some of you but you are washed, you are sanctified, you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God”. People can be changed by the power of God. As Jay simply read the passage, two men got up and left. They reported to the administration that Jay was condemning people, from a particular lifestyle, to hell. The other men in the service that day told Jay the two who walked out openly flaunt their lifestyle, and one of the guards on duty told Jay as he left, “ Good message pastor!” The administration called the director of Hope Aglow (the prison ministry we work in cooperation with) saying that the facility’s head psychologist there, tells these men they are born that way. Then they asked that that particular subject not be talked about in the church service. The director told them that all the volunteers with Hope Aglow believe what the Bible says about it and we all preach from the Bible. Plus, this is a church service and the men have the right to choose to come or not come to the service. The other men who do come believe what the Bible says as well. The administrator understood the ministry’s position on the subject and they are discussing it. The spiritual battle is great.
In way of an uplifting report…..those who have eyes to see and ears to hear are still being ministered to, instructed in godly living, and encouraged to keep pressing in and drawing closer to the Lord. And, there are others who are responding for salvation. We hope the following excerpt from an inmate’s note to Elizabeth will be a blessing to you, since you partner with us. “…The love and the sacrifice that you have showed us has ministered grace and hope to us here beyond measure. Many days while harboring a heavy heart, your heavenly voice with song gave me hope. Nothing that this world may send us can be compared to our life with our Savior….to many of us here you are a mother, a sister and a friend….We love you….”
There are more changes happening within the Department of Corrections and if these changes continue their present course the prison doors may eventually close to us going in altogether. However, for now the Lord continues to allow us the opportunity to be like spiritual parents / guides to many. We are humbled yet grateful for this privilege.
It is with your help (financially and in prayer) that we are able to continue to go to them. We and the inmates say “Thank you”.
For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
September 2019
Dear friends
This last month, we have made many trips to our local hospital to be with family or friends. One particular day, while sitting in the ER for hours, the Lord opened the door for Jay to share Scripture and pray with many others also sitting in the ER. We simply never know where the Lord will open doors for us to share Him with those in need and who have an ear to hear.
We all face difficulties in life. And when we do, many times we need the reassurance that God still loves us. Inmates, certainly, are no different. At a service this month, Jay preached on the parable of the prodigal son, the loving Father, and the jealous self-righteous older brother. Though he elaborated on each character in the story, his main focus was on the loving Father. Many men in prison have never known the love of an earthly father or the affirmation of an older male role model in their lives. So as a result, in their mind’s eye the picture of a heavenly Father is very much skewed. They have a hard time comprehending how God the Father can be so different from what they have known. In the parable, the father placed himself in harm’s way to protect the repentant son when he returned. In their culture the community had the right to stone the son to death for the way he had dishonored the father. God, in the person of Jesus Christ, placed Himself in harm’s way for us, by giving His life on the cross for us. As the men listened, many were teary and longing to feel that kind of love. When the Lord’s invitation went forth for them to come to Him, 13 men raised their hand for salvation and 11 raised their hand for rededicated. Many other Christian brothers were also teary and thankful for being reminded of how much God the Father loves them and still loves them. John 16:27 says, “For the Father Himself loveth (tenderly loves) you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.”
Our dear friends, we thank you for the way you stand with us in prayer and/or financial support. Every opportunity the Lord opens up for us you have a part in. We need each other as we seek to serve the Lord together.
We give Him all the praise for it is…...
For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
August 2019
Dear Folks,
It has been an interesting month....more trials…yet more opportunities. There have been more opportunities for growing closer to the Lord as well as more opportunities for serving Him.
It is some of these opportunities we want to share with you. After one service, one of the inmates approached Jay in tears and quivering voice, simply wanting to say “thank you” for the Psalm 37 study. He told Jay, “You have a way of explaining the Word to us that shows us how we can apply It to our everyday lives.” And before he walked away, he said again, “thank you”. In three other prison services, Jay preached on “Taking up our cross (Mark 8:34) and being Salt (Matthew 5:13)”. In taking up our cross, we are dying to ourselves – giving up our wants, our desires, our way of doing and being, we die to us, to sin, and to the world – and instead, we choose to follow Jesus – His way of living and being- to do whatever He chooses and assigns for us. In essence, I die to me and live for Him. With salt, when it has lost its savor, it means that it maintains (or keeps) its identity. You can still see it. It does not dissipate or disappear into whatever it is in. At the end of the message, he asked these questions: 1. How salty are you? Do others see Jesus or do they see you? {And} 2. Who’s living your life? You or Jesus? Many of the men, in response, simply went, “Hmmm!” Questioning and contemplating within themselves what their answer would be.
One incident that was not anticipated was, after one of those services, the guard that was assigned to stay in the room, stopped Jay as he was leaving and asked him what the verse was he talked about from Matthew – the one about salt. They talked for over 20 minutes about Jesus and the guard would have continued talking and asking questions, but another guard came looking for him because he forgot to report in. The guard told Jay that he has heard a lot of different religious groups that come in and he openly told Jay that he was searching for answers and direction in life. Before Jay left, the guard thanked him for taking the time to talk with him about the Bible and answer his questions. Not only were there these opportunities, but the Lord also opened to us the opportunity to minister to folks in our community.
We try to keep ourselves available for the Lord’s bidding, for we never know where or when that will be. Luke 17:10 Jesus says to the apostles, “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded (assigned to) you, say, ‘We are unprofitable (bond) servants: we have done that which was our duty to do’.” With your prayers and/or financial support, you help us stay available to do what the Lord has assigned for us to do. Thank you. What we do is not for us but…..
For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
For Tax-Deductible gifts make checks payable TO: Salt and Light Ministries FOR: Roberts. If you do not need a tax receipt you can make checks payable directly To: Jay Roberts
July 2019
Dear Friends,
In each of our monthly updates, we always want to report to you what the Lord has done and is doing. So, we want to share with you how the Lord is answering your prayers since last month.
As you recall, last month we requested prayer on behalf of a couple who had retired from prison ministry and were the victims of a shooting. In way of an update, the woman who was in ICU was released from the hospital. We were told that the police do not think it was current or former inmate related, nor did they think it was prison ministry related. Though a motive has not yet been determined or disclosed (as far as we know) three arrests have been made based on the ballistic match. We were also told that the couple is doing well considering what happened. The Lord is answering your prayers. Thank you!
Something else we wanted to let you know about is in regards to some changes going on in the Department of Corrections (DOC). Based on the new laws coming down from the Justice Department, prison facilities have to accommodate all 42 recognized “faith groups”. Up until last month, the only way for the inmates to have a particular religious service was for a volunteer from that faith group come in to facilitate it. Now, according to the new law, if any 2 inmates request a certain religious service, DOC has to allow them. Another change is, for many of the men we see, they had the privilege of attending multiple services, such as the Sunday night church service as well as weekday Bible study. This is no longer the case. Almost all of the midweek Bible studies have been completely stopped and of the few that may remain, the men now have to choose which one they wish to attend. They can no longer attend both. These changes have affected us in that a couple of our services have been dropped completely and other services are less attended because the inmates cannot attend more than one.
Though we are disappointed, we are not discouraged. We are thankful that the door is still open for us to go into the prisons and proclaim that Jesus is the only Way. And while we can, our proclamation and focus remains that of: 1. The need to have a genuine life changing encounter with Jesus and 2. The teaching of Biblical doctrine for the spiritual growth of the men. Thank you for your prayers and/or financial support.
As always, it is all….. For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
PS If you wish to see the list of recognized religions approved to operate in DOC, you can go to the following website: https://vadoc.virginia.gov/files/operating-procedures/800/vadoc-op-841-3-a3.pdf
June 2019
Dear Friends,
Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” We had planned to go to the Blue Ridge Parkway, to one of our favorite secluded spots, to get away from distractions, be alone with the Lord, and prepare for one of our services. When we arrived, we saw that someone was already there. We asked her if she was going to use the picnic table. She said, “No”. So, we took our Bibles down to the table and then walked over to the creek to begin getting our focus on the Lord. Once we sat down at the table, the lady spoke up and said that she had come to that spot to be alone with the Lord. One thing led to another and we ended up sitting there for over 2 hours talking to her about the Lord and answering her many questions from the Bible. She wiped the tears from her eyes many times. Before we left, she told us, “I was planning on going somewhere else but Something told me to turn here…..The Lord sent you here for me….He knew I needed you today….This has been so refreshing….” She was smiling when we left.
We praise the Lord that He had us at the right place at the right time to minister to a “stranger”. We had our own plan, but the Lord directed our steps. In our prison services we see many reactions to the preaching of the Word. We see men sleeping; we see men disinterested and talking amongst themselves; we see others raising their hands and nodding their head saying “Amen!” Or “Yes!” It is a wide and varied range. In one of our services, Elizabeth was so blessed by one of the men. As Jay was preaching and expounding on Psalm 37:40, Elizabeth could hear a man just a few feet away (very softly) carrying on a conversation with the Lord with everything Jay was saying and reading from the Scripture. When Jay read and expounded on 1 Peter 5:5-7, Elizabeth could hear him (still softly talking to the Lord) saying, “Lord, help me cast all of my care on You!....Thank You for loving me….Keep working on me Lord…” Wow! What a blessing! Our dear ministry partners, “Thank you!” Your gifts and prayers help keep us going. May we each be sensitive to follow the Lord’s direction and let our prayer be the same as this inmate’s. Lord, help each of us cast all of our cares on You. Thank You for loving us. Keep working on us Lord.
For it is all….. For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
Prayer requests:
1. We need to replace our vehicle
2. A couple we know who retired from prison ministry were victims in a shooting in our area recently. The man was not harmed but the wife is in ICU and her mother was killed. Your prayers for both of these requests are very much appreciated.
May 2019
Dear Friends,
Though we have been in ministry for over 20 years, we are still amazed at how the Lord orchestrates “divine appointments”. We received a letter from an inmate requesting a “spiritual counsel visit”. While the request was in process, we set up the date to go so that we could stay after the “spiritual counsel visit” to do the evening church service for the rest of the men. (This was at a facility that we do not go to on a regular basis.) As the date approached, Jay contacted the chaplain to see if the inmate’s request had been approved. The chaplain responded that the inmate had just been transferred to another facility. Since it was already set up for us to do the church service, we still went. And yes…it was a Divine Appointment! Jay preached from Matthew 7, “by their fruit you will know them”. It does not say you will know them by their “profession” but by their fruit. As with other facilities the men responded. Out of the roughly 50 men who came to the service, 6 responded for salvation. Two more divine appointments (a few weeks apart) were with men in their 70’s – veterans who were struggling with the guilt of the lives they took in war time. One of them (though he was a Christian now) felt like God was punishing him all these years later because of all the hard circumstances happening in his life. The other man (who became a Christian only a year ago) had been made to feel that he could not be forgiven or set free from past hatred in his heart. Jay was able to share many things from God’s Word with each of them. Jesus said that The Truth (He is Truth) can and will set people free. God’s Word brought comfort and freedom to both of these believers.
As we remain open and flexible in the Master’s hand, He truly does open up “divine appointments” to us. You, our prayer partners and / or financial supporters have a part in His divine plan. We are a team and with you standing with us, the Lord continues to open doors to proclaim Him to others.
Thank you. For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
April 2019
Dear Friends,
Though we have been in ministry for over 20 years, we are still amazed at how the Lord orchestrates “divine appointments”.
We received a letter from an inmate requesting a “spiritual counsel visit”. While the request was in process, we set up the date to go so that we could stay after the “spiritual counsel visit” to do the evening church service for the rest of the men. (This was at a facility that we do not go to on a regular basis.) As the date approached, Jay contacted the chaplain to see if the inmate’s request had been approved. The chaplain responded that the inmate had just been transferred to another facility. Since it was already set up for us to do the church service, we still went. And yes…it was a Divine Appointment! Jay preached from Matthew 7, “by their fruit you will know them”. It does not say you will know them by their “profession” but by their fruit. As with other facilities the men responded. Out of the roughly 50 men who came to the service, 6 responded for salvation.
Two more divine appointments (a few weeks apart) were with men in their 70’s – veterans who were struggling with the guilt of the lives they took in war time. One of them (though he was a Christian now) felt like God was punishing him all these years later because of all the hard circumstances happening in his life. The other man (who became a Christian only a year ago) had been made to feel that he could not be forgiven or set free from past hatred in his heart. Jay was able to share many things from God’s Word with each of them. Jesus said that The Truth (He is Truth) can and will set people free. God’s Word brought comfort and freedom to both of these believers.
As we remain open and flexible in the Master’s hand, He truly does open up “divine appointments” to us. You, our prayer partners and / or financial supporters have a part in His divine plan. We are a team and with you standing with us, the Lord continues to open doors to proclaim Him to others.
Thank you.
For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
March 2019
Dear Friends,
At the beginning of this year, we each prayed asking the Lord, “What is Your Word for me this year?” For Elizabeth, His response was, “Pray even more”. For Jay it was, “Be faithful, be consistent, be ready”. 2 Timothy 4:1-5 “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom; Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” We have found that this year more so than ever, it seems there are things trying to pull us away from our attention of continuing steadfastly in the Word. We have to continually choose to study the Word and leave the other things for later. As a result of the consistency and faithfulness to continue to immerse ourselves in the Word, the Lord is opening up many opportunities (divine appointments) to proclaim Him and His Word to people (groups and individuals) almost everywhere we go – church and prison services, various stores, the post office, restaurants, public forums, senior groups, nursing homes, rehab centers, etc, etc. There are so many people who are hurting and seeking answers. The Lord said, “Be ready”; and as instructed in 1 Peter 3:15 “…be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason for the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (respect).”
Friends, we want you to know that in the prisons and church services, people are responding for salvation – realizing they have had religion but not a relationship. They do not want to play games with God any more. Also, as Jay continues his study with the inmates from Psalm 37, men are being taught doctrine and being exhorted to choose to follow God’s Word, His ways, and His precepts. Many of them are telling us that they look forward to us coming because they are enjoying the verse by verse teaching, which they do not get otherwise.
We are simply the Lord’s servants, doing what He has called us to do. It is the Lord who is working and moving in the hearts and lives of those He is bringing across our path. Your prayers and/or financial support help make it possible for us to be available to go.
Thank you.
For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
For Tax-Deductible gifts make checks payable TO: Salt and Light Ministries FOR: Roberts.
If you do not need a tax receipt you can make checks payable directly To: Jay Roberts
February 2019
Dear Friends,
Lately we have been asked how we came up with the name “Salt & Light” for the ministry. It came from the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:13–16, “Ye are the salt of the earth....Ye are the light of the world…Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” And Mark 9:50 “Salt is good….Have salt in yourselves….” Jesus being the Light of the world, His Light should be shining out from us. Salt does several things. It is good for seasoning food. It preserves. It heals. It makes a person thirsty. Jesus in us, we should be active in all of these areas. We have the seasoning (love, joy, peace, contentment, etc) that people find is pleasing in this unsavory world. We should be preserving what is good and right. We should be bringing others to Jesus as the healer of their hearts and lives. When others see us, they should see something different that makes them thirsty for the Living Water.
All of us have been given a task from the Master. Ours is going to the prisons, being salt and light in an unsavory and dark place. Yet, we see the Lord working in wonderful ways. They are hungry and thirsty for the Truth. We have the privilege of taking Jesus to them. In one service recently, the Lord led Jay to share his testimony along with 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (a list of people not going to heaven). At the end of the message, he told them that if their “after Jesus” picture was no different than their “before Jesus” picture, then they needed to have a genuine life changing encounter with Him, because He changes us! Nine men responded for salvation that night. One inmate told Jay that he had preached that same type of message to his fellow inmates just a week and half before and he was praising the Lord for the wonderful response of the men that night.
God is at work. He is calling out for people to quit playing games with Him and get serious about their relationship with Him. You, our ministry partners, are helping us continue. We thank you. As always, it is all…
For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
For Tax-Deductible gifts make checks payable TO: Salt and Light Ministries FOR: Roberts. If you do not need a tax receipt you can make checks payable directly To: Jay Roberts
January 2019
Dear Friends,
In our last update, we ended with the same challenge to you that we gave the inmates.
That challenge was,
“Lord, what is Your word for me this year?” (and / or) “Lord, what would You have me do for You this year?”
In the prisons we gave this challenge to, several of the men responded wanting to do just that. One inmate told us that he had done that 4 years ago but did not follow through. He had always regretted that he did not, but with the fresh challenge he was going to go back to what the Lord had told him and follow through this time. Others told us that the Lord had stirred within them that they too needed to pray this. We were able to tell them, from personal experience, not to be surprised with how the Lord answers them, but whatever word He gave, they can rest assured that it will turn out to be an amazing adventure with Him.
We love Isaiah 55:11 which says, “So shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: It shall not return unto Me void, but It shall accomplish that which I please, and It shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” In the parable of the sower and the seed, Jesus tells us that there are 4 kinds of soil (heart). We see each of these “soils” in every ministry opportunity the Lord opens to us. How thankful and overjoyed we are whenever we see the seed of God’s precious Word, fall on good soil. In one of the prisons we go to, the men have been fed a steady stream of a watered-down version of the gospel. With much prayer behind him and surrounding him, Jay preached boldly, the undiluted gospel to these men. Salvation is not just saying an empty, meaningless prayer; but humbly asking the Lord to forgive you of your sins, choosing to follow Him as your one and only Master for the rest of your life. Jesus is not looking for people to go through life with just a head belief in Him, but those who will conform wholly to His will and His ways in word, thought, and action. As a result, when the Lord’s invitation to come to Him went out, 17 men responded.
A life given wholly to the Lord is an amazing adventure – even through the hardships and trials of life.
Only the Lord knows what He will accomplish in and through each of these men we minister to in our prison system or even the people in our community the Lord sends us to. It is with gratitude that we say thank you for your financial gifts and/or your prayer support. It’s all…
For God’s Glory Alone!
Jay & Elizabeth
