Opening: (Keys Analogy) Would everyone in here that have keys, please take them from your pockets for a moment. Now, jingle them real loud. Do you hear that sound? That is the sound of freedom! As long as you have access to keys, you are free. Proverbs 27:17 says that as iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. In other words, who you hang with can determine your destiny. Choose wisely and your greatest of imagination can be realized. Choose unwisely and you can live a nightmare for a lifetime!
The nightmare I am referring to is Prison. A place where you have no keys.
I was making my rounds with my work, when I stopped by to visit with a Pastor friend. He made the comment that he was scheduled to preach at a local prison. The prison he referred to was Lee Arrendale State Prison. A maximum-security prison that housed “high max” male inmates. I casually mentioned that I would like to go and visit one Sunday during chapel. As God usually does when he is enlarging our borders like he did with Jabez in 1 Chronicles 4 and 10, And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, my border was about to be enlarged!
My Pastor friend told me that a former colleague at another church invited him. As it just so happened, I was scheduled to go by that particular church on business. I’ll never forget walking in and seeing this striking gentleman that exuded God and His love. He stuck out his hand and said, “Hi I am Ray Whiten.” I shook his hand and said I just left a friend of his that spoke of him being involved with prison ministry. I said that I would like to visit with him sometime. Immediately, he pulls out a pocket calendar and schedules me for the next service that month. In retrospect, I didn’t really want to go, but my casual comment turned into a commitment. So, three weeks later, I find myself walking through these huge steel doors…
As the large door clanged massively loud behind me, my heart began to race. I knew that until someone unlocked that door, I was locked in. We proceeded to the gymnasium. The Chapel was under renovation. I could not believe that at every turn were razor wire, gates and eyes watching you at every step. It is amazing how that once you step onto the grounds, you are watched intensely not just from the officers but the inmates. I reflected on how that we as Christians are on constant duty to live Christ like because of the constant eyes that watch us everyday.
Once inside the gym, my partner took me to the back of the auditorium. And then he left me! Then from the back hallway came 6 of the biggest, meanest looking inmates that were decorated with tattoos that I had ever seen. Have you ever seen a little Chihuahua shake when it is frightened? I began to shake uncontrollably like a Chihuahua! I said to myself Larry, what are you doing in this maximum security prison, when you could be at home still in the bed! The closer they came, the more I shook. Then as they got to me, I was expecting a “shank” (prison made weapon) but got a pleasant surprise. The biggest one of the group grabbed my shoulder and said, “Hi, I am Dan”. Then, after each introduction they formed a circle, grabbed my hand and began to pray!
Then after the prayer, we were led out into the gymnasium. As each inmate was busily preparing the stage, the other inmates began to file in one by one. Then after they had completed their entry, an inmate gets up and sings without music, “Eye on the Sparrow”. Let me tell you, when he got to the part about God watching the little sparrow and you know he has got to be watching me, the place erupted! We flat out had church that morning! As the service ended, Ray asked me, what did I think about the service and would I return. I smiled at him because it was as if God himself was asking me if was I coming back. I told him with out question I would visit again.
Then before you knew it, I was a regular. I became a friend with the inmates that always set the stage. We were not allowed to mingle with the ones that came to chapel for the service. Being a maximum-security prison, the rules were very strict and fortified. It was for the safety of the visitors. To be sincere with you, I was cool with the rules!
Then one day, this inmate that set the sound system in place asked me had I ever been to the “block?” I said, what was that? He said, do you see all those inmates filing in here? 95 percent of those inmates want to be here and they are the cream of the crop in this prison of 1400. The block is where they house
Protective Custody inmates and aggravated segregation inmates. In other words, besides the PC inmates, these are the worst of the worse. You are locked down from population in a single cell 24 hours out of the day, 7 days a week. You get one hour of yard time in an area by yourself. You never have contact with another inmate. He said, he would pull detail and see many crying and begging for conversation. Then, he asked me would I go. I paused for what seemed a very long time and said perhaps. First off let me say this, I had just became comfortable with my chapel visits and I was always still nervously cautious. I truly did not want to go to a more dangerous section of the prison. Even the volunteers that I was going with for 25 years had not been to the block! So, in my heart I knew that I was going no further.
Time after time, when I would go to chapel this inmate would ask me if I had been to the block yet. Jokingly, I would always say not yet but perhaps. One day this inmate asked me had I been to the block yet. As always, I would jokingly say, No but perhaps. But this time instead of continuing to talk to me he abruptly turned and never said another word. This was out of his character. So after the service as I was exiting the prison, I turned and asked Ray what was going on with D. Ray looked at me and said, “He didn’t tell you?” I said tell me what, all he said to me was had I been to the block yet. Ray said, “His Daddy died this week and he is mourning.” He said nobody knows it. See in this prison, if word got back to the authorities that an immediate family member had passed away, you were taken to the “block”. This was to protect you and others. A vast majority of inmates just “go off the chain” (Go mental) and cause dangerous situations for the staff and other inmates. So, in order to protect them, you get locked down for a period until you are deemed fit to return to population.
When my partner told me this, I became very sorrowful. When I got in my car and headed back to my church, I wept the entire way. Here was an inmate that was in deep mourning for his Daddy and all he was able to ask me was that had I been to the block yet. He knew that if anyone found out about his loss, he could be there…where it appeared no preachers ever ventured! I looked at myself in the rear view mirror and said, Larry you ought to be ashamed. You don’t mind going to the church house and preaching, but it is funny to me how you won’t go the streets and preach! I knew that wasn’t me saying that, it was God. Then Matthew 25:43 began to burn in my spirit. I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.
(Major point of emphasis.) God was telling me, step outside my comfort zone and share Him with not only the ones that come to church, but also those that don’t come. In other words, our co-workers, our neighbors
and our clerks at the stores etc., those that have never come inside a church before! We must not wait for them to come to church, some may be locked down and can’t!
The next morning I spoke with the Chaplain and began to get authorized to go to the Segregated Management Unit, also referred to as the “block”. It was a slow process. But months later, I found myself entering to go to the block. The block was at the center of this massive prison. It was heavily fortified. It was very intimidating. I will never forget as I got closer and closer to the entrance. The sounds of the screams were reverberating throughout. It was truly horrifying. Have you ever been to the humane society and as you were approaching the door you could hear the dogs barking and howling. The odd thing about this was that it was eerily reminiscent except the only difference was that it was human voices that replaced the barks and howls.
Upon entry, I found myself extremely nauseated. I had never seen anything like it in my life. The catcalls started immediately. “Scopes” (mirrors) came out instantaneously. Every move that I made was watched. All one could see were eyes peering at you. It was very unnerving. The greatest lesson I quickly learned that I carry with me to this day is that no matter where you are or what you are doing, we are being observed. We must exemplify Christ in all capacities. I would learn this on a repeated basis while I spent my ministry at the prison. When we blow up or when we make that off color remark, it may be heard by that person who is on the fence of meeting this man named Jesus that we preach! You were sure that no one heard or saw you…but you were unaware that the “scope” was on you!
I went through the steel doors and found myself on the first floor. I came to my first cell. My heart was pounding. What would I say? Would I just listen? There I was face to face with a seventeen-year-old boy. I said son, how can I help you? He began to weep. He had just been placed into protective custody for being unbelievably abused. His story shook me up. I was unable to even speak. The only thing I could do was tell him that I would pray for him to leave the prison on parole. He looked at me with the saddest of eyes and said, “you don’t understand sir, I have just arrived here with a 15 year sentence with no chance of parole. I hung my head and walked away. It was one of the lowest points of my ministry. I knew I had left him without any comforting words at all.
On my return visits, I found myself talking about baseball, football everything except Jesus! I rationed in my head that I would take my time and over a period ease myself into the gospel. I figured that this was a maximum-security prison and most of the inmates I spoke with would be there awhile. Time passed and one night I had another partner and some college volunteers that also were coming. This one college student spent all his time with one inmate at his cell. That was an immediate problem. We had to spend our time equally with each inmate. Simply, because it could cause situations with perceived favoritism and could cause inmates to become mad and throw things. I learned quickly about things being thrown. I stepped out below a Catwalk and had a bar of soap miss my head by inches! After our visit, I spoke with Alan privately and told him he must spend equal time with the other inmates. He looked at me and said Larry, I can’t explain but I could not leave his cell. He said a spirit kept him pinned to his cell. I again stated our rules and let it go.
The next visit a week later, the other volunteers did not come and I went in by myself. As I entered the compound they informed me that they had some problems with a cell extraction, (inmate forcibly removed from a cell) and they suggested I visit the same area as last week. I always obeyed all rules and you did not have to tell me twice.
Hebrews 11:8-9, by faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place, which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. I share this scripture with you because I too like Abraham ventured out by faith to go where God was sending me not knowing my destination. On this night my destination would be defined and my purpose clarified and from hence forward; I would never just talk about baseball and football again.
As I started down the cellblock, I noticed that the cell where Alan had stood all night was roped off with tape. As I got to his cell an inmate hollered at me that was beside the cell with the tape. He said, “I gotta know one thing, did my boy know Jesus?” I said that Alan didn’t let me know, but that I did speak to him about staying with him his last visit exclusively. I said, why do you ask? Then the next words out of his mouth shook me to the core. He said that night after we left, the inmate that Alan was talking to unexpectedly died! That word reverberated in my head for what seemed hours. If I had not been going down the line, I would have wept right there.
God showed me that even though inmates were locked down in protective custody, there were no guarantees of another day. This 40-year-old healthy male had a massive cerebral hemorrhage and died without a hand being laid to him. I prayed to God right there and made a commitment. Every cell that I passed from there on, I would ask this question, “If you left this earth right now, where would you go?” If they could not tell me I would share Jesus with them. Like Abraham not knowing where he was going he stepped out by faith. Now, after stepping out and going to the block by faith, my path was becoming defined. Then by a twist of fate on this journey, I would come face to face with the Devil himself!
We were making our rounds one night, when my block partner Dave Cornelius suggested that I go to the Administrative Segregated range, since we were seeing the same ones in the P C area. I agreed and started upstairs. Little did I know, once on the range, 11 cells down was the Devil himself. The first inmate I talked to was an overnight transfer heading South. He had a murder charge and was headed to another
prison. As he and I talked, the cellblock I was on was flat out intimidating! Downstairs everyone was in protective custody and they wanted to talk to us. However here on this range it was the opposite, you were definitely not wanted. They were cursing and basically running a game to intimidate me. You know what, it was working! The more I stood and talked the more frightened I became. I heard one inmate say, “I betcha you won’t bring your Bible thumping self down this way…I got something for ya!” Finally what seemed like an eternity, I told the first inmate that it was nice talking to him, but I was going to head back downstairs. Obviously, no one wanted to talk with me on this range. He looked at me and the next words he spoke froze me in my tracks.
He said, this ain’t my camp I am on a layover, but I am here to tell you, if you don’t go on down this line, you ain’t gonna be nuthin at this camp. You will be branded and you will never have the respect of these cons. You are going to make a statement by whatever you choose. I looked at him, bowed my head and said you are right my brother. I knew that if I left and went back downstairs, my “block” time would be meaningless. So with that, I bid him goodnight and turned to go on down the range. Each cell that I encountered was with some of the most mean spirited and mind game playing individuals I had ever seen! And every cell that I stopped was worse than the previous one. With each cell I passed, I got closer and closer to cell 11, the Devil! He was the one that was going off on me! I kept praying that I would finish my time before I encountered him. But, that was not to happen. Finally, we meet face to face. He looked me square in the eyes and said, “I hate you, I hate what you stand for, and if you would come close to this cell, I will show you what I am about. Then he began to talk hate, death, murder and every vile thing one could think.
I looked at him visibly shaken and said, I see you don’t want to talk to me so I will move on down the line. He screamed in my face and said, “Talk to me preacher man, ain’t that whatcha wantin to do?” When he said that, I paused and said, yes, that is what I want to do. However, the next 40 minutes I was mesmerized by this mean spirited individual. He talked about his hatred for people, the double murder he committed to having no family and being locked down since he was 15 for the murders he committed. I was unable to say anything I was in shock. Finally, the night was over. I said goodnight and headed downstairs. An officer met me coming off the range and said he couldn’t tell me who to speak to, but to be very cautious with the inmate in cell 11. He said he is a dangerous high max, who has a life with no parole and he doesn’t mind killing. He said, that since he had been at their prison, he has already had multiple assault charges with two attempted murder charges. I looked at the officer and said, don’t worry, I have no desire to visit him again. I did find it odd that as I stood with this inmate at cell 11, the scopes stayed on me by the other inmates. I could tell that this was no ordinary Joe.
I met up with my partner Dave and said, don’t ever tell me to go to “Ad Seg” again. Those men don’t want us there and besides I had met the Devil himself and that even an officer advised me against visiting him. As we exited the prison, it was a cold winter night and I was shaking from the cold almost uncontrollably. Part of it was the cold, but the other part was the last inmate I encountered in cell 11. He truly had gotten to me. I had never been face to face with anyone that was bent on killing just for the killing of it. He truly was the Devil.
We got to the parking lot and I got my keys to get in the car. I open the door, got in and you will never guess who was sitting there? It was Jesus…he said you gonna go back and see that man. I said to myself, there isn’t anyway in this world that I am going to go back and see that inmate again. So, I ignored the Holy Spirit, cranked my stereo up real loud and tried to drown out the Holy Spirit as I drove home. I could not get cell 11 out of my mind. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, at every turn was the Holy Spirit urging me to visit him again. Finally, days later I relented. I said, God I know that you want me there and if you want me to see that man again, I will. No sooner than I said that a peace came over me and I knew I would see him again.
The next week, I rolled up in the parking lot met my partner and told him that I was going to see the Devil again. He said, you mean the one that flipped out on you. He said are you sure? Didn’t an officer tell you to stay away from him? I said yes, but God was urging me to see him. And with that I promptly went up the catwalk and passed everyone and went directly to cell 11. This time the tide was turned. I even startled him when he turned and I was standing there. This time I was armed. Ephesians 6:12-13 for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. I knew that my battle was spiritual. So I clung to this scripture and took my armor (Word of God) and begin to minister.
Praise God the prior week he went off on me so I felt obligated to go off on him! He was flabbergasted. He really didn’t know what to think. He knew in his heart that after last week, I would not be back. What he didn’t know was that I was bringing my big brother back, (God) amen! We had a much better exchange. He was a lot calmer and actually more receptive. I started to leave and he said do you want to keep talking to me? I said yes. He said, these cons in here get on my nerves and I am known for fighting and causing problems. He said, even though we are cuffed when taken to shower, I still end up getting into fights. For that reason they are always moving me from cell to cell. If you come to my cell and I have been moved asked someone where I have been moved. My cell name is DB.
Sure enough, every time I would go to his cell, he would be moved. All this time during our visits I had never shaken his hand or got close to his cell. I still realized he was dangerous. One night I was feeling the love of God overwhelmingly and I was very excited about my visit to the block on this particular evening. As usual I made my way to visit DB. He had been moved and was upstairs on D range. I came around the corner and went to his cell. He was in a very odd mood. But I was in such a great spiritual mood I didn’t pay attention to it. Then, I know that it must have been God because I stuck my hand out to shake his, something I had never done before. He grabbed my hand and placed a “death” grip on it. He began to shake uncontrollably. I was oblivious to what was happening. Then out of the blue as he had death gripped my hand, I looked him square in the eyes and said, “DB, you may find this hard to believe, but God loves you and I love you.” Immediately, his hand loosed mine. His rigid tense body became eased. We went on to talk about God and His love. The night ended and we parted.
Three days later I get a letter from an inmate that would write me and brief me on situations at the block. We became friends and he helped me to nurture the ones that accepted Christ and he would fill me in on the progress. He wrote and told me that DB had flipped out the next morning of my visit, broke out of his cell, attacked an orderly and almost killed him. By the time the fracas was over he had assaulted two officers and took a beating himself. I was shocked!
I knew that I had to go and see him. The next visit I found out that he was in a visibly guarded cell that had a light shining on it constantly. When I went to the cell, he was flat on his face on the bed. He did not move the entire time I was there. I started talking to the inmate beside his cell. It turned out that he was knowledgeable about the Bible. I would eventually refer to him later on as Brother John. I kept hoping that DB would wake up, but he did not. So as my time was ending, I told Brother John if he would minister to DB? I told him that I knew he had a bad rep, but I believe God placed him beside Brother John for him to minister to him. He said he would and I departed.
The next visit I went back by and found DB awake in his cell. I began to talk to him. He began to weep. He said that he had been speaking with Brother John and that he had been studying Psalms 51. As we talked, I said DB, would you like to meet a man named Jesus? With tears in this man’s eyes, he looked at me and said yes. I took both of his hands prayed with him and right there with scopes out, officers looking on, he accepts Jesus as his Lord and Savior! Inmates were banging on the catwalks, there were hollering and screaming, it was as if the bottomless pit of hell itself was erupting out of disapproval! I am here to tell you, I had church up in that place that night. As I left his cell the anointing of God was abounding and EVERYONE that I came in contact received a blessing, amen!
But you know the Devil has got to show up. As I was leaving, my partner standing with another officer looked at me and said you did a foolish thing by grabbing his hands after all that had transpired with him. On top of that, they said you know that the acceptance of Jesus was not real by DB don’t you. I looked at my partner and the officer and said, I am ashamed of both of you! You are talking as if WE are the ones that save. God forbid us if we pick and choose who is to receive Jesus! WE are called to share the gospel. We are not called to save! I was not letting the Devil win this battle…because I know a man named Jesus who died on a cross two thousand years ago that said according to John 3:16 that WHOSOEVER, not this and maybe that one, but WHOSOVER, calls on my name and believes, they shall be saved! I walked out of that prison shouting all the way to my car! God had said step out and go, don’t worry about where you going, I will direct your path. Praise God, like Abraham by faith I stepped out! Now, God was showing me the results of that faith. Do you want to see a miracle? Step Out! Do you want to see souls saved? Step Out! Do you want to see marriages put back together? Step Out! Do you want see families put back together? Step out! Praise God…Step Out!
That one night would be the catalyst that I would see souls saved at that prison in unbelievable numbers. The next visit I enthusiastically went to see DB. As I entered the range, his cell was empty. I knew that he was not moved, but he was transferred. I just knew. I said Brother John, where is DB? Brother John looked at me and said, he was transferred in the middle of the night. I bowed my head and prayed. I would never see him again.
Then, three months later I get a letter. It was from DB. I was excited to read it because I wanted to know how he was doing. He began by saying that he really did accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He already had gotten involved with some Bible programs at his new prison. But the next thing he wrote sent a shock wave down my spine. He said, Rev. Larry, do you remember the night on D range, when you came to my cell and stuck out your hand for me? He said I have to get this off my chest, but (I bring out a homemade “shank” spear from behind the lectern) I had made a “shank” spear from a broken broom and I had planned on stabbing you. He said that I had never stuck my hand out to him before and that for some reason he knew I was going to. He said that he gripped my hand for all the might he had and held on to me and he was trying to get his other hand to the spear. He said that when I began to speak about God loving him, and me loving him he said to himself, I am about to hurt the only one that I have ever known that said they loved me.
He said he let his loose and let me go. As I read this and handed it to my wife to read, she begged me to not go back. She was frightened for my safety. To be sincere, I was frightened. I was oblivious to what was going on that night. I did not understand why he was now telling me this. Then as the days passed God began to open up my understanding.
I knew that by seeing the most violent and incorrigible person receive Jesus, there would never be anyone that I would ever doubt could receive Jesus! And you know that is what happened. Just about everytime I visited the prison someone would receive Jesus.
Conclusion (Altar Service) Please bow your heads. You are about to make a choice tonight that can guarantee you your greatest imagination of eternal life and heaven. As I pass by your cell this evening, I must ask you this question? If you unexpectedly leave this earth tonight, where would you go? If you can’t say that it would be heaven, please raise your hands. Those that raised your hands please step out and let me pray the prayer of salvation with you. When God called Abraham to step out, he had to literally take a step. All you have to do tonight is by faith…step out!
