Are You In a Prison? ---Part 2

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph 6:12)

In our last post, we explored three best-selling movies such as---

1- The Shawshank Redemption

2-Escape from Sobibor

3- The Great Escape.

We started with The Shawshank Redemption, and we saw how a man who was falsely accused finally saw justice. We have all been there; people have lied and falsely accused us. As Christians we have seen it in the form of persecution and harassment. The central character Andy Dufresne suffered untold torment and harassment.

A ray of light came into his life; his talent as an accountant paid off in jail. As a result of his services he enjoyed special protection, and benefits, but a crooked jail warden used him to make him rich in his corrupt dealings. To make a long story short, Andy escaped from jail and his life was changed.

In this post we are going to look at the movie Escape from Sobibor; based on a true story. Escape from Sobibor was a concentration camp where the Nazis performed the final solution. The Nazis deceived the Jews by telling them that it was a work camp. Meanwhile with each new arrival, they separated them seeking the talents that they can use in the camp. The sick and elderly were separated, as well as some women and children to take a "shower" and get them on their new duties.

The Truth.

As time passed by, the Jews who were separated from their families inquired about them. The Nazis promised them that they would reunite with them soon. Soon the truth comes out; their families were separated to be gassed and cremated. A furnace would be running 24/7 burning the corpses. Anger and vengeance rose up within the camp, but they were helpless until one faithful day some Russian soldiers arrived at the camp. One of the high officials was a seasoned veteran and he was skilled in the art of war.

He gathered the Jews together and told them that in order to win they must be willing to use weapons. Observing the post, he noticed that they had just a few Germans in charge; the rest was run by Ukrainian soldiers. He explained further that to win, and have a successful escape, they had to incapacitate the high leadership in which could send them into a state of confusion.

Seasoned Warriors.

Again I call your attention to Ephesians 6:12, it talks about spiritual warfare in high places. In our lives we are going to go through difficult seasons in our walk with the Lord. Circumstances such as difficulties on the job, sickness, diseases, and financial lack among other items will get us into a state of discouragement. At times it may seem like it gets worse; such as when they found out what really happened to their loved ones who got separated from them during their stay at Sobibor. 

There are some battles in which we cannot do alone; we need help. Just as the Russian soldiers came onto the scene and helped the Jews break out of their prison; God will use divine connections. He will connect you to those seasoned prayer warriors who know who to pray to and break you out of your prison.

Brethren, praying in the Spirit is very important because just as the Russian officer made a plan, God has a way to plan your escape. Spending time praying in tongues will reveal God's mysteries to you, and connect you to the right people who know how to pray. Some battles can only be won through the prayer of agreement.

Conclusion.

Summing it up, their escape was a bittersweet victory. I don't want to include a spoiler because I want you to see the movie in the link enclosed. It is free, and a decent tear-jerker in the end. Many victories will be won in the prayer of agreement, but it will not be an easy victory. The secret to winning is not losing focus and seeing yourself victorious. Feel free to click on the link below for the free movie.

https://ww3.tinyzone.org/movie/escape-from-sobibor-8635

Reprint courtesy of the Christian Corner Ministries. (www.thechristiancorner.org) 

Are You In A Prison?

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son (Col 1:13)

We are going to do an interesting study. I enjoy watching action movies, especially with those that deal with escaping prisons, and concentration camps. There are three of my favorite movies that in which I have found some interesting Biblical analogies---

• The Shawshank Redemption
• Escape from Sobibor.
• The Great Escape

Let’s start with the Shawshank Redemption narrated by Morgan Freeman. We see the central character Andy Dufresne, who was a banker that was falsely accused of his wife’s murder. While in jail, he experienced many abuses, was assaulted sexually while serving his time, but then a ray of light. He overheard the captain of the guard talking about an inheritance that he had, but was worried about the taxes.

Sensing an opportunity, he managed to talk to the captain about getting his inheritance tax-free. Since Andy was an accountant, he soon found favor with the guards and would do all their tax returns. He also enjoyed protection from the guards in return for his services. How does that apply to us in a Biblical sense?

When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. (Prov 16:7)

You may be in a prison of persecution or being persecuted on the job or by a loved one? Perhaps you have been tormented by this constant onslaught of harassment? If you are experiencing any of these things, you are not alone. Just as Andy Dufresne saw an opening to win favor with the prison guards, God can do the same for you.

While I was working at Verizon, I had a co-worker who hated my guts. He gave me a lot of grief and problems. It got so bad that I was thinking of quitting my job, but thank God for my wife. God gave her wisdom, used her, and encouraged me to stay the course.

I wanted to escape my prison, but God had me to stay. So, I prayed for my enemy every day using scriptures of love. Soon, God started to turn his heart, and the persecution as well as the torment stopped. During those times of peace, my enemy confided in me that he wanted a position that paid well in the company. He encouraged me to pray, and he said that if he got that position, he would buy me a sandwich.

Time passed, God softened my enemy’s heart, and he helped me on my job. Afterwards, after praying blessings for him, he got promoted. He was out of my department, and soon God brought a spirit-filled brother to work with me. As for the sandwich, the day he got promoted, he was looking for me to make good on his promise. Unfortunately, I had taken the day off and missed my blessing. (Smile)

Your prison of persecution can be a source of learning and blessings. The word says to rejoice when you are being persecuted, for great is your reward in heaven. You can get the blessings of heaven just by praising God during your ordeal. I can testify to it; God can even open the prison door into freedom and deliverance adding to your testimony.

Redemption

There are other Biblical comparisons to this movie: Andy Dufresne was taken advantage of by a cruel jail warden. He made him fix the books on his crooked political and financial dealings, but Andy did not lose sight of his freedom. His vision was to escape and move to Mexico; years have passed and he had a plan.

By using a small hammer, he made a big hole during his confinement years. Covering it with a Raquel Welch poster, he covered the big hole. It was during that time that he took the warden’s financial records, as well as his shoes in a bag, and made good his escape. He made his way through the dirty sewers and swam his way to freedom.

Since the warden used a fictious character to cover for his perverted deeds, Andy adopted his identity and made off with about $300,000 of the warden’s money. He also sent the warden’s crooked records to a newspaper. To sum it up, the authorities went after the warden and he winded up committing suicide.

Notice that Andy assumed the identity of a fictious person. As we analyze this on a Biblical principal we were in prison, but when we got born-again, a chain of events happened--

• We escaped from our prison of sin and death.
• We assumed the identity of a real person—Jesus Christ.
• We got back everything that the enemy stole from us and experienced His blessings.
• Our enemy fell into his own snare and lost souls that escaped from his prison

Conclusion

Perhaps you have been in a prison; a prison of false accusations, a place where there is no hope. I am here to tell you that Jesus paid for it all. He opened the prison door, gave you an identity, and has a place of milk and honey waiting for you. So, my question is—What are you waiting for? Go and possess the land.

Would you like to find out more on how to escape from your prison? The first step is to accept God's gift of eternal life. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Click on this link and repeat the prayer enclosed for an exciting adventure in Christ.....

https://thechristiancorner.org/2021/02/01/the-sinners-prayer/

For more information on the Shawshank redemption, click on the link below...

https://youtu.be/PLl99DlL6b4?si=lTXj6QCFCFiuzwo4

Reprint courtesy of www.thechristiancorner.org

The cost of Unforgiveness.

Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. (John 20:23)

Unforgiveness. We have heard the importance of forgiveness, but I want to share the other side of the coin regarding this subject. Many have said that unforgiveness does not hurt the other person, it hurts you. I want to submit to you that the other person can be hurt, too.

When a person clearly mistreats and lies on you, God takes it personal. His word says not to touch the Lord's anointed. (us) Words can hurt and scar us emotionally for life. Let's consider the following verse below

 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! (Matt 18:6-7)

In God's eyes, the born-again believers are considered children thru Christ Jesus. Notice how God reacts when we get treated unjustly and offended- It says woe to that man by whom the offence cometh. Now, I am not implying that we stay angry and hope to see that person's sin destroys them. Our duty as a Christian is to stand in the gap and pray for our enemies and those who offend us.

The importance of emotional healing.

Again, I call to your attention concerning verbal abuse and persecution. Words can hurt any person and create scars that will take years to heal. Forgiving others is not easy. We can say we forgive, but how do we feel about that person deep inside? Other will say things like this--"You don't know what he/she did to me" or "You haven't been in my shoes".

Emotional hurts are real and it is a major roadblock to forgiveness, but there is good news. Jesus said that he has come to heal the brokenhearted. ( Luke 4:18) Healing of a broken heart will allow you to fight the good fight and be able to forgive others. Let's look at the example of Joseph.

Joseph suffered abuse at the hands of his brothers. Due to their treatment and treachery, he was sold as a slave. During this time, he had to learn the language and customs of the people in the land. He had spent about 13 years in Egypt. They say time heals the wounds but that is a lie. It only camouflages it. The hurt was still there, but he had forgotten about it.

Then 13 years had passed and his brothers showed up. Since Joseph had adopted the ways of Egypt, he looked and dressed differently. His brothers did not recognize him. He treated them in a rough manner giving them a taste of their own medicine, but we see that God had convicted him. He revealed himself to his brothers and started to cry, which set the stage of his emotional healing. (Gen 43-45)

Retaining sins.

That is why, my brothers, we need to seek God when we are emotionally hurt. I heard a testimony about a man who took advantage of a Christian. This brother would lend him large amounts of money. The time came when he asked for his money, the man told him that he was not going to pay him back.

The brother was hurt and forgot to pray for him. The offender was driving down the road with his girlfriend when suddenly, he lost control of his vehicle. They fell off a cliff and they both died and went to hell. Brethren, many parents and family members have lost their loved ones when they forgot to pray for them. (After suffering abuse). At times, the hurt has been great that it has been hard to pray.

King David wrote in the psalms that he shed endless tears in bed. (Ps 6:6) He had reason to cry. His father in law-King Saul wanted to kill him. An army was after him and even his men turned against him. He did have reason to cry, but he never stop respecting and loving King Saul. He respected his authority and even wept for him when he was killed. (2 Samuel 1)

One key factor is that not getting healed from your hurts will cause you to retain the offender's sin. In turn, it can spell disaster for the person who offends you. When hurts and offenses comes, let's be quick to ask the Lord to heal us. Afterwards, let's just release the person and forgive them. Constant prayer will cause you to change your attitude and walk in the love of God. Remember, it's not a good idea to retain sin. Decide to walk in forgiveness and watch God move in your life. God bless.

Picture courtesy of Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Reprint courtesy of the Christian Corner Ministries ( http://thechristiancorner.org )

Valley of Dry Bones