September 2009

This month has been a month that has been filled with standing up for the causes of the poor and the prisoner.  I am delighted to share with you that there have been 573 decisions for Christ in this ministry this year. Our ministry is currently preparing for a fall revival in a state penetentiary.

I have recently finished ministering on a series about the Ten Commandments to parolees, drug courters and homeless that I work with. In this series I have discussed that these are the foundation of Gods moral law that was given to our society for us to conduct ourselves properly in this world. God gave the commandments that we might have social and moral order. I have related that in all these commandments particularly in the last 6 that deal with human relationships that all sin and crime can be traced to them. And that a violation of any of them is an offense toward the Almighty. That it is in the commandments that we are given a clear moral path to live.  Listen to the words of Paul in Romans chapter 7.

 Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet."^{[b] 8}But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. ⁹Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. ¹⁰I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.

Paul realized that the commandments of law only revived sin and conviction or brought death. However they teach us proper conduct in a society of sinners. Engraving the Ten Commandments on the hearts of prisoners, the homeless, those involved in the court system is an important process for them to learn that God is supreme moral authority. Not only are they good for our society but the first 4 deal with our relationship to God. To have no other Gods…indicates he is the supreme authority. To honor the Sabbath tells us that every man should have a personal day of worship to the Lord. The commandments were to benefit us, in pointing us to a twofold experience.

·         First the commandments demand a confession of our Sin. That no one can properly keep Gods Law and to recognize our condition before the Almighty God that we are all offenders in His Kingdom and society.

·         Second the commandments demand a confession of our Faith in the Lord Jesus. For without his pardoning of our sin...we are all destined to the convicting ability of Gods Law. That it is in Christ alone we stand and receive his love and forgiveness. So the commandments are good, leading us to recognition of our inability but the confession of Christ ability. This is what we are endeavoring to teach those that have been lawless in our society. That Gods laws govern all and that we all need our Faith to succeed.

Pray for me this month as we seek additional housing for the poor, the prisoner, the homeless and those in need in our community. Remember it is the decisions for Christ and the presentation of His Word that makes outreach ministries important in today’s culture in America. Truth is being thrown into the streets. Wisdom is being denied. Common Sense is only a book. Only the conviction of Christ will guide our society back to a path of correction. It is strange how we send offenders to the department of corrections in each state when in fact we are all offenders of supreme justice.

Please continue to help our cause as we are endeavoring to bring people to Christ. May God Bless you for all you have done for our purpose and helping us fulfill the work God has given unto us.

Sincerely,

Brian Hilts