Elijah and Moira Hall TRIBAL MISSIONS - Reaching the unreached As Elijah walked into the cell block where inmates clustered around a TV, he caught a glance of the screen and groaned inwardly. It was already one of those days…
He said, “Hey guys! You can come have a Bible study with me or go watch that trash somewhere else, okay?”
“You don’t like this show?” some of the men joked.
“I only have eyes for my wife,” replied Elijah, and the men sobered up a little. All of them moved except for one, a man named Ray* (name changed to protect privacy).
Even thought Elijah spends one afternoon a week at this jail as part of his outreach while in training at the Missionary Training Center, every week is still a challenge for him. He sat down across from Ray and asked him what was going on with him.
Ray said his life was a mess. Something he’d done years ago finally caught up with him, he was afraid of what the sentence might be, his wife was thinking of leaving him, and he told Elijah honestly that he just didn’t know what was going to happen. He’d heard that going to church could help fix his life, and if he could only get out of jail…
“Man, jail isn’t your real problem,” Elijah said simply. “You’re in a whole lot bigger trouble than just jail.” He went on to explain about God as our Creator and Owner and the rebellion of all mankind against God’s authority. “God is just, Ray, and He can’t let our sin go unpunished. Your real problem is that you are separated from God by your sin and unless you can pay off that sin-debt, He’ll have to judge you.”
Ray agreed but wondered what he could possibly do to pay God back for all the wrongs he had committed.
“That’s just it. There is no way you can measure up to God’s standard or ever do enough to repay Him for your offenses against Him.”
Ray began to cry. “I’m scared, man! I know what I deserve and it ain’t good…”
Then Elijah shared with him through the Scripture God’s promise of a Redeemer and His provision of Jesus Christ to be that Redeemer. Only Christ, Elijah explained, could ever pay off the debt that Ray or any human owed God – and Jesus had already done it!
“You don’t have to do anything, Ray, if you believe that Jesus has satisfied God’s justice and paid your debt of sin.”
Ray was still crying. He said he believed it but couldn’t stop crying! He gave Elijah a big bear hug and thanked him for sharing with him about the Savior’s love.
This prisoner will be gone next week when Elijah returns. Please pray with us that he will stand firm and grow in the faith!
Later on that day as Elijah told his wife and children this story, there was rejoicing around the dinner table. Elijah’s oldest son Elisha, age 3, said “Daddy, now that this man is saved are we going to go to tribal people next and tell them about Jesus so they can be saved too?”
He said it well. Graduation is just around the corner and we pray that God will continue to allow us to move toward the goal of reaching a tribe in Paraguay who has yet to hear the Good News of Christ.
