January 2013

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ,

As I was preparing to teach “Christ-centered Evangelism” to the prison chaplains in Kenya, my mind flashed back almost 32 years. I recalled the first time that I walked into a prison, after my conversion to the Lord Jesus Christ. Being a baby believer in those early days, I knew very little about what I was about to encounter as we entered into the Angola Penitentiary in LA. Of course, I knew the gospel; I knew what the Lord Jesus had done for me; and I knew that He had set this captive free. But, I really knew very little about the Word of God and about God-honoring evangelism! This was my first time to enter into a prison, for the purpose of witnessing “one on one” to inmates; and this prison was one of the most violent prisons in America at that time! Little did I realize, that 3 decades later, I would be holding a conference to teach the “Christ-centered Evangelism” study for the purpose of training prison chaplains from all over the nation of Kenya! I had no idea that the Lord was going to call me, to be an instrument through which He would bring a “reformation revival” to many chaplains, in the vital area of “doing God’s work of evangelism; God’s way; for God’s glory”! 

But brothers and sisters, I had come to know personally, through my own salvation, the freedom spoken of in John 8, which says, “Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed”. I had come to know, experientially, ‘The Great Emancipator’, the Lord Jesus Christ, who can make any captive free! Personally, I had come to an understanding in my soul, that no matter how deep into the mire of sin a person has fallen; and no matter how long they have been in the prison house of sin, the ‘Glorious Liberator’ can liberate them from the bondage of sin. I had come to individually realize, that even though a sinner like me deserved only the unmitigated wrath of God in hell, that the mighty power of the grace of Jesus Christ is strong enough to rescue me from the penalty of sin, and redeem me from the dominion of sin! Dear friends, this is the very reason that Jesus left the glories of Heaven and walked on this prison house of sin, called Earth. This is the message of the “Christmas Season” that we have just celebrated. “He has come to save His people from their sin”! Glory to God in the highest, and Glory to the Lamb! Yes, if the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed! 

What a tremendous privilege it was, to go into the darkest prisons of Kenya and proclaim to the vilest of the vile, that there is liberty for any and every captive who will come to Jesus Christ and embrace Him as their all in all! For the Lord Jesus Christ has the authority to set the prisoner free; because He is the One Who has bore the burden for those who were prisoners to sin! Jesus was taking the sinner’s place, when He was dragged before Pilate, to be scourged like a common criminal. Jesus Christ was suffering on our behalf, when he walked through the streets carrying a cross, which was reserved only for the worst of criminals. Friends, Jesus was dying in our place, when He was being nailed to that accursed tree, to receive the judgment that was rightly due to us. Why? --- because of the laws that we had shattered, in our criminality against the commandments of God. The Lord Jesus was standing in our stead, when He received into His sinless bosom, all of the wrath that we deserved to receive, for being convicted criminals in the courtroom of Holy God! He was screaming the scream of the damned on our behalf, when he cried, “My God, My God, Why have You forsaken ME?” Isn’t it amazing, that the only One who did not deserve to be abandoned was being abandoned, on behalf of any sinner and every sinner who will repent of their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ! Brothers and sisters, it was an awesome blessing to stand in the midst of those enslaved prisoners, in those Kenya prisons and declare, “The Lord who broke my chains and set me free, can break yours also!”

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2013

As Dianne and I look forward to the many opportunities that our Lord has opened for us in 2013, we rejoice in His awesome works that we have witnessed in 2012. We cannot help but to praise our King and Redeemer and to serve this precious Savior with gladness. We know, that He is the One, that has both birthed us and called into His Kingdom, and not we ourselves. He has graciously made us two of His people and two of the sheep of His pasture. We are thankful to Him and we bless His name! We celebrate His abundant goodness to us! We thank and praise His glorious name!

We also praise God for YOU, our dear friends and co-laborers in Christ Jesus. We give thanks to God for your fellowship and your love, which you have continually demonstrated, through your intercession and support. Our desire is to encourage you today, by testifying to you that your prayers and giving is not in vain. Our Lord has used them in the salvation of eternal souls; the training of church planters, pastors, prison chaplains; and in the reviving of other brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. We praise God that your sacrifice of intercession and stewardship toward this ministry is a living testimony that you are not looking at the things which are seen; but you are looking at the things which are not seen! For the things which are seen are temporary; but the things which are not seen are eternal. As you begin this new year of following our Lord Jesus Christ, it is our prayer for you, that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful unto every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. We also pray that you know of our love and gratefulness for you, as our dear brother and sisters in the faith. 

II Corinthians 4:5
Ed and Dianne Lacy