Write a journal and list EVERYTHING YOU HATE ABOUT JAIL. 
Example Journal: 

1. I miss my family and friends.
2. The food sucks.
3. I feel scared.
4. The guards are mean.
5. I don't have any freedom.
6. Guys abused me.

          The list will be almost endless. Do not let your jail experience become so normalized that you refer to it as a "vacation." It's easy to slip into bad habits when life gets hard. Some guys go back to street life and peddle dope to make some money. When you are tempted to slide back into your old life, get out you "WHAT I HATE ABOUT JAIL" list and soak it in. If you don't want to go back to jail, remember why you hated it.
          When life gets hard, turn to God. He knows a life so hard that it's unimaginable to you and me. He will take your life of brokenness and lead you to a greater capacity to love and be loved. YOU ARE LOVED BY A FATHER WHO WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU!

If you know someone who needs prayer because they are in jail or living a lifestyle that could cause them to end up in jail, please let us know.

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
​Jesus loves you and so do we

          Today is the last day of your fast. It's an ending of an endeavor that has brought you a new beginning in your relationship with God. All life has it's "Genesis Moment" in the mind of God. We were known by Him before He formed us in the womb. Today is a new-birthing day; embrace the flood of many waters as the River of Life breaks forth upon new mercies.

“God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them”
Genesis 1:27
“Truly children are a gift from the Lord; the fruit of the womb is a reward”
Psalm 127:3
“You knit me in my mother’s womb . . . nor was my frame unknown to you when I was made in secret”
Psalm 139:13,15
“You have been my guide since I was first formed . . . from my mother’s womb you are my God”
Psalm 22:10-11
“God… from my mother’s womb had set me apart and called me through his grace”
Galatians 1:15

God has things planned for your life that haven't entered your heart yet. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He will also open the windows of heaven and pour His thoughts upon you in due season.

• Do you know how to lif=ve a Genesis Life?
• Are you expectant in Spring after the Winter of a fast?
• Will you recruit harvest hands for the harvest in Summer?
• Do you have the courage to let go in the Fall of pruning?

        On the 20th day of a 21 day fast, you have come pretty far. The peak of the mountain that you've been climbing to get closer to God is within sight. How far will you go after your fast in continuing to deepen your hunger for a closer relationship with God?
          Folks who go far in life are considered successful. Consider for a moment that the edge of morality as defined in the Bible, seems to have gone beyond previous taboos. Behaviors that were once frowned upon are now accepted. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8.) Has the Way, the Truth and the Life been form-fitted into cultural relevancy?
          Cultural interpretation of morals can be a long and winding road that dilutes the original Truth. Politics and religion have blended to create three subcategories of people groups as viewed by each other: Legalists, Rationalists and Mainstreamists. The Legalists are viewed by the Rationalists as overly zealous religious folks with too many rules. The Rationalists are frowned upon by the Legalists as people who constantly make up new-normal's for morals. The Mainstreamists are folks who believe that we should all be happy no matter what anybody does.
          When do we reach the point of having gone too far morally? How far is too far? In my opinion, the easy answer to that question is this: We go too far when we begin to rationalize and step away from the authority of the Bible. 
                                                                    All sin is offensive to God.
                                                                 Not all sin is offensive to man.
                                              The world system will engage you in mind-blinding.
                                              The Bible will help you to renew your mind in Christ.
                                                                   You once could see,
                                                                    but now you're lost.
                                                               Satan has a compromise.
                                                                    God has a promise.  

1 Corinthians 15:33-34 Amplified Bible 
Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” 
Be sober-minded [be sensible, wake up from your spiritual stupor] as you ought, and stop sinning; 
for some [of you] have no knowledge of God [you are disgracefully ignorant of Him, and ignore His truths]. 
I say this to your shame.

1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Matthew 24:4
And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you."

2 Corinthians 11:13-15
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
​

There are many versions of the Bible, but they all have the same message. If I change my shoes, I still have the same feet. Sin is a separation between man and God. It's a personal issue. If you find yourself beginning to rationalize about whether something is right or wrong, you're probably headed down the wrong road.

• Can you think of a sin in the Bible that is no longer a sin today?
• What do you say to somebody who has gone too far as defined by the Bible?
• Urge folks engaged in questionable behaviors to do a "gut-check" with God. Tell them to ask God if He is okay with their behavior. Stick with the Truth of the Word.

          Drug addiction is being surrounded by evils beyond number. It's a deception from the pits of hell that seduces people into the devil's will. Addiction comes in many forms, but it's all the same and it can lead straight to a life of hell on earth.
          As a Youth Director, I've seen all manners of addiction. I've watched people sleep in their own bodily fluids, too far gone to care anymore about what they look like. Women become prostitutes to support their habit. Men use women and children for profit. Drug dealers entice the morally weak into a slimy chasm that many times ends in death. All they care about is "Get the money."
          Emptiness is a natural state created as a formless void to be filled by God. Unfortunately, folks in a fallen state look to fill the void in their soul with earthly entanglements. Loving the world will cause you to be distanced from God. The reason I'm writing about addiction is to raise compassion and awareness. You may personally be solid in your relationship with God. With an untold number of addicted people all over the world, the harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few. 
          It's time to recruit and enlist soldiers who will share the armor of God and help addicts avoid evil and stand firm on the promises of God. Time is of the essence. Everyday people perish. Jesus said to take the gospel to the whole world and there is a world of lonely addicted people  right under our feet.

​Fill your heart to overflowing with what you desire to be poured out unto you.
 
People can change - they might need some encouragement and coaching.

Patience is the soil that surrounds the seed of unfailing love.
 
Perseverance and longsuffering are building blocks for compassion.
 
You are a heart farmer whose task is to sow seeds of love that will help other hearts grow.

​          For the past 18 days you have cut some things out of your life in a sacrificial manner called a fast. God sometimes takes things away from us. Do we know when to let go? The Image of Truth was pruned and cut. Jesus let go of His own desires and said; Not my will, but Your will be done." 
 
When is God Pruning? When is God Cutting Away and When Does God Want You To Let Go?

1. Pruning is a washing process; we are washed in the power of the Word. Pruning causes growth in what is already useful.
2. Cutting puts asunder or separates us from what is destructive or wasteful.
3. Letting go is surrender - a sign of unity within the New Covenant. Holiness is unity in the heart as the laws in stone become embedded in a heart of  flesh.
4. Pruning a church member will result in greater growth for the kingdom.
5. Cutting a divisive church member will protect those who are teachable.
6. How do you know who to cut from your life?
   • Anyone who is unteachable is unreachable.
   • Anyone who is divisive is incisive (one who verbally cuts.)
7. Surrendering your whole heart that has already accepted God's law (OC) will create unity with the Father, the Holy Spirit and Jesus who is the Mediator of the New Covenant.

Part II

1. Keep track of the coming prosperity for the purpose of expressing gratitude and casting the testimony.
2. What is prosperity?

• Prosperity is any increase that can be pruned into a greater unity.
• What is Gratitude?
• Gratitude is unceasing thankfulness. Be grateful in all things.
• What is Testimony?
• Testimony is a lifestyle that precedes your words. Your words have been pre-seeded in the garden of your actions.

​John 15:1-17 The Message
The Vine and the Branches
15 1-3 “I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.
4 “Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.
5-8 “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.
9-10 “I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done—kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in his love.
11-15 “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.
+16 “You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.
17 “But remember the root command: Love one another.

There are only three days left in your fast. Jesus rose from the dead on the Third day.

• Have you ever done a "Third Day" study?
• If you have an old journal, go back and look at your prayers. How many have been answered?
• Do you know when to let go?
• Is there any pruning going on in your life right now?

          My wife and I love to hang out with the birds. We study their ways and form relationships with birds, squirrels and other animals. They're creatures of habit and their patterns are predictable. You could say that they are just going through the motions of life. Chickadees are in constant motion, always with a purpose.
          People are supposed to be different than animals in that respect. Life is generally not predictable in the sense that we can't predict other people's reactions to our own. A waiter, cashier, bus driver or pretty much every service oriented occupation can fall into the rut of just going through the motions. Life can get routinely boring. When someone has to say; "Have a nice day!" over 100 times a day, how sincere can they possibly be after the halfway point?   
          Staying joyful in a world of angry motion is hard. Nature's motion can generate peace in your heart. Slow down, find a way to get some silence amongst the noise of nature. Take time to study the animals. Pay attention to detail. God is a detail oriented Father. He created nature to reflect His supernatural being.
          When you find yourself just going through the motions, it's time to do a heart-check. If enthusiasm has waned, you need to make some changes. You may not be able to leave your job, but you can change your mindset. 

Thank You God for the four seasons of life.
All of nature is a part of Your order and reflects your Love.
Teach us to number our days
in joyous remembrance of blessings in our former days.
Enlarge Your territory in our hearts.
Make our latter days filled with opportunities
to reflect Your image and likeness through acts of love.
Rejuvenate our spirits when we just go through the motions
without compassion and empathy for those around us.
​Make us come alive In You.
Let each day's new mercies bring us Holy Spirit adrenaline.
In Jesus name.
Amen.

My friend Sammy Violante says he knows the 15 most powerful words in the world. Are you ready? Here they are:
​"BE WHO GOD CALLED YOU TO BE AND YOU WILL SET THE WORLD ON FIRE!"

• Do you feel like you are on fire for God?
• Is the Holy Spirit contagious in you?
• Have you asked God to fan the flames of passion in your heart?
• Are you studying to be approved as a holy fire-starter for God?

          There are some days in life when you almost need a "Blessing Scorecard" to keep track of all the cool things that God has done.Fasting can open the door to breakthroughs in every area of your life. It's okay to expect God to bless you. It's not okay to look at His giving as the reason you fast and pray. God is not a rubber chicken that you can squeeze when you need something. God will make some noise in your life, but it's probably not wise to squeeze Him!
          Pastor Ken Dutton is a friend of ours in Arizona. Both Ken and his wife Deanna are Pastors at Without Walls Church. One of my favorite all time sayings is attributed to Pastor Ken; "You can't put chicken in the gas tank!" His point in making that statement, was to tell folks who contribute to ministries that money is needed for expenses. We love when you feed us, but sometimes we need a couple of bucks for gas!
          God knows our needs. Fasting is a way to get close to God. That should be your number one goal. When you take your eyes off of God and focus on His gifts, you're drawing your attention away from Him. It's not wise to focus on what you have received and lose your relationship with the Giver. When God feeds our needs, we have a tendency to get complacent and lazy. Study your Bible, watch for the pride that causes the fall.
Draw near to God and stay near to God.

Examine the fruit of your fast so far:

• Do you feel closer to God?
• What breakthroughs have you witnessed?
• What habits are you developing during your fast that you can continue after these 21 days are done?
• Has your joy increased? Can you be compassionately joyful?
• What is militant joy? Can you be a soldier for God with a smile?

​THE VACATION LIE OF NORMALIZED DETACHMENT 

​           Some of the guys who had been regulars at the Holy Cross Youth Center would sometimes disappear for awhile. It could be months or years before they came back, but it was always the same. When I asked them where they had been, they replied; "I've been on vacation." That was a kinder, gentler way of way of saying; "I've been in jail." It's a lie.
            The young people had done something illegal to cause themselves to be detached from society and placed behind bars. Order in the world is maintained by law. If you break the law, you will live as a detached person. Sadly, generations of families have normalized detachment and given it a new name - vacation. It's just an accepted part of life. Dads go away for years at a time while their sons and daughters grow up with Dad on vacation. That is a sad and accepted normal passed on generationally.
            A fast is a detachment from normal habits with the desire to give greater order to your relationship with God. That should be your new normal. Some habits that you give up might become permanent like giving up sugar altogether. Maybe words of vulgarity can be replaced by words of integrity. Many people go to jail due to unchanged habits. As you learn new habits, put them to use as a teacher of new habits.  

             Two years ago on a Sunday morning in April, we were on our way to Life Church in West Seneca, New York. We would be on time if the traffic was normal, meaning we didn't have any spare time or we'd be late. We pulled up to an intersection waiting to make a left turn when we spotted a guy laying on the sidewalk. A glint of sunlight bounced off his metal leg and caught my eye. I made the turn and drove on.
            I didn't make it far before the Holy Spirit tightened my gut. My brain said: "You don't have time to stop!" My heart said: "Only a hypocrite would worry about being late for church and not stop to help somebody. We made a u-turn.       
            The man with the metal leg on the sidewalk had a small blanket underneath him. I asked him if he was okay and he said: "Yeah, I'm just waiting for somebody to pick me up. We talked about God and he said that he read the Bible. I gave him our business card and told him to call if he ever needed help. We were a little bit late for church but not much.
            Several weeks later the guy did call and asked for help. He needed a ride to an office downtown. I picked him up and gave him a ride. Our conversation was like none that I've ever had before. I'm not sure what to believe about a highly unbelievable story. Looking back on the whole episode, I'm not sure if my actions were of much benefit for the guy. I do know that I learned a lesson about what's important in life. Don't go chasing dreams and drive by opportunities to serve.

Thank You God for the guidance of Your Holy Spirit. You give me a conviction when I need a gut check. Thank you for making me alert to opportunities to be more Christ-like as a servant to others. Help me to be more alert, I don't want to miss anything. I want more of You God. I know that when I do things for the least of these that I'm doing it for You. Sometimes it's me who is one of the least of these because of my foolish pride. I'm like a man on a sidewalk who needs help. My pursuit of earthly goods has caused me to distance myself from You. I need Your guidance. Thank You for knocking on the door of my heart. .

Several years ago I helped write a song called the Good Samaritan. Reflect on the song and reflect back on your life as you may have played the different players in the story.

THE GOOD SAMARITAN 
​
A tired man was coming home from work                
Suddenly he was attacked by group of bandits.
Now he's laying on the street
Wounded, bloodied and beat.
Can you imagine.
 
Who can help him stand up
Who can give him a drink?
Who can heal him my friend,
What do you think?
 
His brother was passing by,
 on the other side,
No time to help, he went on by
as his brother cried.
 
Who can help him stand up
Who can give him a drink?
Who can heal him my friend,
What do you think?
 
In the city lives a preacher
He talks about love
They call him the friendship teacher,
He doesn't show love.
 
Where is this love,
That we're talking about.
Don't look at the words
look at the deeds.
 
Who can help him stand up
Who can give him a drink?
Who can heal him my friend,
What do you think?
 
A simple man was passing by,
He gave him a hand.
Remembering him as a robber,
He helped him anyway.
 
For the poor and beaten people,
He doesn't wait for goodness,
He loves you as you are.
 
He helped him stand up
He gave him a drink.
He healed him my friend,
That's how we should think.

            When I was about 13 years old, my Dad let me paint a foul line on our concrete driveway 15 feet from the basketball hoop. Everyday I would shoot a basketball from that foul line over 100 times. Over the years my proficiency in free throw shooting has stayed above 80-90% in accuracy. Even today, almost 48 years later, whenever I walk on a basketball court, I begin at the foul line. Practice may not bring perfection, but it does bring an extremely high success rate.
            Sometimes Dad would get a bit miffed at me after a snowfall. I only shoveled the part of the driveway where I played basketball. I learned early on in life that If you want to be good at something; you need to be immersed in repetition. Last year I asked God how He wanted me to read the Bible. I felt a strong urge to know the Word at a deeper level. The goal that I accomplished last year was to read the Bible cover to cover every 90 days. I finished my fourth reading just before Christmas. My new plan is reading the New Testament every 30 days along with reading the whole Bible in a year.
            Repetition takes dedication and a persevering tenacity. There is good repetition and their is vain repetition. Through my immersion in the Bible, I've noticed a fairly rapid cycle of human behavior that repeats itself today. There are four points in the cycle.

1. Man has a good relationship with God and communication is regular.
2. Selfishness sets in and man loses communication.
3. Bad things happen and man cries out to God.
4. God calls man to repentance and some return and communicate with God again.

            The cycle teaches me about my own weaknesses and vulnerabilities in regards to temptations. It makes me press in even harder and build safeguards into my relationship with God. Regular reading times, prayer times, silence times and writing times are included in my safeguarding plan. Still, sometimes the Holy Spirit leaks out my boots and I fall. I thank God He never leaves or forsakes me. 

Deuteronomy 32:46
he said, “Be sure to obey all these commands that I have given you today. Repeat them to your children, so that they may faithfully obey all of God's teachings.

Ezra 3:11
They sang the Lord's praises, repeating the refrain: “The Lord is good, and his love for Israel is eternal.” Everyone shouted with all their might, praising the Lord, because the work on the foundation of the Temple had been started.

Psalm 107:2
Repeat these words in praise to the Lord, all you whom he has saved. He has rescued you from your enemies

Matthew 10:27
What I am telling you in the dark you must repeat in broad daylight, and what you have heard in private you must announce from the housetops.

Matthew 19:24
I repeat: it is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.”

​Philippians 3:1
[ The True Righteousness ] In conclusion, my friends, be joyful in your union with the Lord. I don't mind repeating what I have written before, and you will be safer if I do so.