Desk Joy!

Posted by Kathleen Skaar - Executive Director of CLI

Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. NIV Psalm 98:1

Tuesday is my day with the Lord. It is a most glorious day! I pray, read, study and sometimes prepare for a Bible group that I lead.

When I return to the CLI office on Wednesdays there are letters and messages on my desk that need attention. This Wednesday was a little different. In addition to the regular work items, there was news that set my heart aglow!

First, we received a note from Philip that he had trusted Jesus as his Lord and Savior from one our gospel tracts. We have received 68 notes of salvation from prison inmates last year, so why would this bring me such joy?

Philip is ten years old. He prayed to receive Jesus after reading our children’s gospel tract. This is only the second response that we have received from a youngster. You might say that Philip’s salvation put a new song into my heart. God is doing “new things” through CLI and it refreshes my soul.

In addition we had four responses from some of our prayer warriors who are inmates in prison. Once a year we email and write to all of our prayer warriors and ask them if they feel called to continue to pray for God’s work through CLI. Their personal notes were encouraging and brought a song to my heart. For example:

Jason writes:

“Of course I will continue to pray. I love you all so much and thank you for what you continue to do. Praise God almighty!”

John writes:

“It is an honor to be able to pray for CLI. I thank God!”

And I thank God for the “new song” placed in my heart simply from sitting down at my desk Wednesday morning!

Inmate Jeffrey Comes to Christ

Here is my personal testimony: Stubborn Child -> Idolatry -> Kicked out of the military ->Kicked out of the family -> Homeless Drug User -> Homosexual Prostitute -> Criminally Confused -> Convicted by God -> Heaven Bound (Thanks in part to CLI)

Simple, isn't it????

Jeffrey, Florida Inmate

Don's Prison Testimony

…I can remember my mom dying. I was home on leave for a few days before shipping out to Africa. Her eyes big and her face white. She could scarcely speak. Just a whisper. She smiled at me though, hurting as she was, she smiled for me, eyes shining and kind still. She had me bring her hand to my cheek, telling me to be good and do my very best. I tried my best. But somehow it was never good enough.

I've often thought that perhaps I'm of little worth, but I'm not insincere. I have done my best. How often I've cried out I want forgiveness. I've wanted to be clean of past mistakes, to be true, to belong to God; I've feared he would abandon me. I know I'm not good enough. Not clean, pure or holy. Often I'd beg God to forgive me, not just my sins, but me. Then I realized that faith and peace come not from just believing in God but from God's love secretly hidden in my heart of hearts. Most have not been out into that darkness of despair and of loneliness.

Abandoned, forsaken, forgotten, afraid. I have and found before I got there Jesus was there already. Broken, afraid, in despair. He was there in the darkness, where fear and abandonment belong. In Gethsemane, that is the Christ I love. All His life, He lived pressed on every side by human need, and met the weariness and testing of it with patience and humility that silences me, shames me for what I am.

But in Gethsemane, Christ crumbles, sobbing in his loneliness and fear, crushed to the ground, pleading for a way out. And there was none. I cling to that vision, that sweating, terrified abandoned man. That's my King, my Lord, my God. Such courage as I may have comes from the weeping of that broken man. Christ fulfilled His mission for the Father. Christ rose from the dead, has taken his seat at the right hand of the Father.

But He knows. He knows loneliness, brokenness, despair. So He knows what I'm going through and stays here with me, so I won't have to be so lonely or afraid.

Baptized Into Christ

Posted by Kathleen Skaar - Executive Director of CLI

But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. NIV Acts 8:12

On my blog entry, January 8, 2010, I shared about Sharon trusting Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Recall that Sharon lives nearby in the same neighborhood as the CLI offices. She joined us for worship services at Hillcrest Baptist Church and our Monday Night Bible Study. This Sunday she will be baptized.

The word baptize comes from the Greek word baptizo and means to immerse, submerge or wash. In believer’s baptism, we are immersed in water to symbolize our new and clean life in Christ Jesus. As we are lowered beneath the water, we identify with Christ and His death on the cross. He died and paid the penalty for our sins

When we are raised from under the water, we are identifying with Christ’s resurrection. Therefore we are no longer slaves to our old sinful self, but are free to serve God. Of course, it is our trust in Jesus that comes first and baptism second. It is really a living picture for the church to witness of what has actually taken place in one’s heart. Baptism occurs only once after committing to Christ. Sometimes a person will want to be baptized a second time because they were not saved at the time of their first baptism.

Baptism can take place anywhere, in the church building, in a lake, ocean or even in a bathtub. Prison inmates have fewer choices for their baptism. Nevertheless it is a command (Matthew 28:19) and is to be taken seriously. There are prison chapels that have baptisteries and some that don’t. Not all jails, prisons and detention centers have a chapel either. However, nothing is impossible with God and the Holy Spirit will creatively lead inmates so that they may be obedient into baptism.

Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. NIV Romans 6:3-7

Robert Finds Jesus in Prison

My name is Robert. I am 42 years old and I am currently serving a 5 year sentence in the Texas Dept. of Corrections.

I was raised in a Christian home where everyone from grandparents to aunts, uncles and some cousins went to church. So needless to say I knew about God and all He did for us. I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior when I was about 10 or 11 and baptized when I was in my twenties.

August 7th, 1996 was the day I turned my back on God. That was the day I felt he took my mother from me before I was ready to let her go. I was mad at Him and I decided right then and there I was no longer going to do what He said. I lived my life the way I wanted. For the next 10 years I partied, drank, slept with who I wanted, cheated on wives, did drugs.

In July 2006 I was arrested, thrown in to an isolation cell. No mat to lay on no blanket to cover up with. I’m in shorts and a T-shirt and it’s freezing in that jail cell laying on cold metal.

After a few hours in that cell thinking of my wife and family and the shame I had brought on them, not to mention the hurt I caused my now ex-wife, all I wanted to do was end it all. So I came up with a way to end my life in that cell and as I paced looking for a point high enough to hang myself, something caught the corner of my eye. As I turned to look at the desk built in to the metal wall I noticed a piece of paper that I know without a doubt was not there when I first got to the cell. I walked over to it and picked it up and it was a picture of Jesus holding a man up who has clearly given up. Down at the bottom of the picture was a stream running through the feet of Jesus and it was a stream of blood. As I stood there staring at the picture tears filled my eyes and I knew in my hearty that picture was put there by God. It was God’s way of telling me that I wasn’t alone and although I turned my back on Him He never turned His on me.

Right then and there I dropped to my knees and asked God to forgive me.

After doing that a couple hours later one of the trustees brought me a newspaper to read which I did and also used it to lay on and cover up with. A couple more hours later a guard brought me a mattress and blanket.

I spent a month in jail before my wife could get my bond reduced. So I got out on a Thursday afternoon. That Sunday we were in church and I made a public profession of my faith.

I rededicated my life to Christ. It has been a hard road since that day but as I read the Word, study the Word and pray it gets easier. And with organizations like yours that are willing to help those of us in prison who sincerely love the Lord makes it that much easier. I thank God for you. God bless, your brother in Christ,” Inmate Robert, Jasper, TX

Undergirded in Prayer

Posted by Anders Skaar - Missions Director at CLI

How important is prayer to a ministry? Very!

Every Monday, the staff of CLI spends and hour in group prayer.

We pray for our ministry, the chaplains we serve, the inmates we serve. We pray for our supporters, our donors, our staff, our prayer warriors, our volunteers - everyone involved with CLI.

We pray for all to come to Christ. We pray for the peace and joy and love that can only be found through Jesus Christ. We pray for lives to be changed - for all eternity: the weak made strong, the lame to walk, the blind to see.

We pray that this ministry - CLI - will continue to touch lives through the thousands of books and Bibles we send today - for hundreds of years!

We lift all these prayers in the Holy, Righteous and Wonderful name of Jesus Christ!

For Our Urban Youth in Prison

Posted by Kathleen Skaar - Executive Director of CLI

Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. NIV Isaiah 65:24

Last week I had just finished writing to our CLI Prayer Warriors, “Pray for the right materials to send to the youth in detentions centers,” when I received a phone call from Havilah in Birmingham, AL. Her ministry had a book that she thought might go over well with youth in prison. They were willing to donate copies.

I just finished writing a prayer request for material for the youth and immediately read the request so that she could praise God with me. Our policy for multiple copy donations is to review one first so I asked her to send it to CLI which she did.

The title of the book is Kai-Ro, The Journey of an Urban Pilgrim. .”. WOW – I think God will use it to change lives! The author is Judah Ben who writes a modern rendition of John Bunyan’s 17th century classic, “The Pilgrims Progress.”

Here is a taste of the book which is written in urban idiom and will certainly speak to some or our imprisoned youth influenced by hip-hip culture:

STORYTELLER:…The morning air was cool and Kai'Ro was moving quickly. He moved down the road for a while until he spotted a small white church off to the side. The church was called Church of the Sunday Morning Faithful. The sign said the church was run by Pastor Dualist. Kai'Ro squinted his eyes for a minute at the sign but kept going. After a while he saw a lanky man leaning against a tree smoking a Black 'n Mild. The guy had a large red tall-t, a backwards ball cap and large gold chain around his neck with a diamond studded skull. Kai'Ro nodded at the man hoping he could just pass him by.

CHURCHBOY: What's up, playa?

KAI'RO: What's up...

CHURCHBOY: Hold on, man. Where you goin'?

KAI'RO: I'm headin' to the Mountain of the Cross down the road a ways from here.

CHURCHBOY: (Takes a long drag from his cigar) Yeah? That's cool. I'm a religious guy too.

STORYTELLER: I could tell that Kai'Ro wanted to keep going, but he stopped to give the man a moment of his time.

CHURCHBOY: You probably passed my church back there. KAI'RO: You go to that "Church of the Sunday Morning Faithful?" CHURCHBOY: Yeah, homie. I'm one of the deacons there.

KAI'RO: For real?

CHURCHBOY: Yeah. I've been goin' there my whole life. My girl sings in the choir.

KAI'RO: You married?
CHURCHBOY: (laughing) Naw, dawg. It ain't like that. Can't tie this boy down for real. I mean we been livin' together for 'bout three years, but I can't see myself gettin' married for real.

KAI'RO: And you're a deacon at your church?

CHURCHBOY: Shoot! I preach sometimes. I sing sometimes. I usher. I do it all. I'm up there every Sunday doin' my thing for the church.

KAI'RO: So, what do you do for a job?

CHURCHBOY: (flicking some ash on the ground) I got a little club I run down the way. It's called Saturday Fire. It's slammin' every Friday and Saturday, dawg. You should see the shorties dancin' up in there. It's off the chain!

KAI'RO: Naw, I don't do that scene no more.

CHURCHBOY: What'cha talkin about, playa? Every dude loves a good club where he can meet some ladies and get a little some-thin' to drink. What'cha mean you don't do that scene no more?

KAI'RO: That whole scene is played out, dawg. I mean I used to be up in the club all the time. I just can't do that no more. That stuff just makes me depressed now. I mean it's off the chain while I'm there, but when I get home I just feel empty inside.

CHURCHBOY: (chuckling) Man, that's messed up. How does a guy come home feelin' empty after chillin' with his boys and dancin' with some fine women? That's crazy, dude!

KAI'RO: Yeah, maybe. I'm tryin' to figure how a dude can go from dubbin' on Saturday night to preachin' a sermon the next morning at his church. That's what I'm tryin' to figure out.

CHURCHBOY: (waving his hand at Kai'Ro) That ain't no big deal. Like I said, I'm religious, man. I do my thing for the church.
There ain't nothin' wrong with doing what I do. You judgin' me or somethin'?

KAI'RO: No, it's not like that. I'm not judgin' you. But from what I've been readin', God will judge you for being two-faced. The Word calls what you're doin' bein' a 'hypocrite,' and every time that word appears...some bad stuff follows. I'm just tellin' you that I don't think you can keep both of those lives up forever. I mean, I did it for a while, but when I started readin' this book and started listenin' with my heart I could see that I had a real problem. I started feelin' a real burden on my back, and once I heard how I could get rid of it, I took off on this road I'm on. You ever heard of the Mountain of the Cross?

I left Havilah a message to send as many books as they would like to donate. I think God will want to use this book throughout our prison system. It will be our privilege to share it with the prisons that CLI serves.

77 Prisons Served by CLI in December

Posted by Anders Skaar - Missions Director of CLI

It is indeed a blessing to send fresh new Christian books and Bibles to the prisons we serve. In December 2009, CLI served 77 US prisons and Youth Centers. They are:

Anchorage Correctional Complex East Anchorage AK
Arthur Dozier School for Boys Marianna FL
Atlantic Youth Center Egg Harbor NJ
Audubon Youth Development Center Louisville KY
Avery-Mitchell Correctional Center Spruce Pine NC
Boone County Jail Burlington KY
Brevard Regional Juvenile Detention Center Cocoa FL
Burruss Correctional Training Center Forsyth GA
Campbell County Detention Center Newport KY
Central New Mexico Correctional Facility Los Lunas NM
Cleveland Correctional Center Shelby NC
Columbus Juvenile Residential Facility Tampa FL
Crockett State School Crockett TX
Deer Ridge Correctional Institution Madras OR
Eagle Point School Buckeye AZ
Eastern Correctional Institution Maury NC
FCI Beaumont Low Beaumont TX
Ferris School Youth Center Wilmington DE
Fresno County Jail (Women's) Fresno CA
Glenn Dyer Jail Oakland CA
Grace Cottage for Girls Wilmington DE
Graceville Correctional Facility - GEO Graceville FL
Green River Youth Development Center Cromwell KY
Hamilton County Jail Noblesville IN
Hancock State Prison Sparta GA
Heman G. Stark Youth Correctional Facility Chino CA
Hiland Mountain Correctional Center Eagle River AK
Howland Detention DYS Southeast Taunton MA
Hutchins State Jail Dallas TX
Hyde Correctional Institution Swan Quarter NC
Idaho Dept. Juvenile Corrections Nampa ID
James River Correctional Center State Farm VA
Kane County Jail Geneva IL
Kenton County Jail Cincinnati OH
Kitsaqp County Juvenile Facility Poulsbo WA
Livesay Correctional Institution "B" Camp Spartanburg SC
MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility Woodburn OR
Marion County Jail 11 Indianapolis IN
Marion Regional Juvenile Detention Center Ocala FL
Mark Lutrell Correctional Center Memphis TN
Metro Youth Service Center Dorchester MA
Middlesboro Group Home Middlesboro KY
Mohican Juvenile Correctional Facility Perrysville OH
Montgomery City Youth Center Montgomery City MO
Morehead Youth Development Center Morehead KY
Mowlds Cottage for Boys Wilmington DE
Muscogee Development Campus Midland GA
NWACCC Admin. Services (Women's) Fayetteville AR
Nassau County Jail Yulee FL
New Castle County Detention Center Wilmington DE
New Life Outreach Ministries Jay OK
Norton Correctional Facility Norton KS
Ohio River Valley Juvenile Correctional Facility Franklin Furnace OH
Pasco County Detention Center Land of Lakes FL
Pocahontas State Correctional Center Pocahontas VA
Regional Correctional Center Albuquerque NM
Rhode Island Training School for Youth Cranston RI
Riverside Juvenile Hall Riverside CA
Ron Jackson State Juvenile Correctional Complex Brownwood TX
SCI Pittsburgh Pittsburgh PA
SFCADF Santa Fe NM
Scioto Juvenile Correctional Facility Delaware OH
Snowden Youth Cottage for Boys Wilmington DE
Stevenson House Detention Center Milford DE
Sumter Youth Development Campus Americus GA
Taberg Residential Center Taberg NY
Vernon Victory Field Correctional Academy Vernon TX
Vicki Douglas Juvenile Center Martinsburg WV
Volusia Halfway House Daytona Beach FL
WE Sears Youth Center Poplar Bluff MO
Warren Correctional Institution Manson NC
Washington C.I. Annex Chipley FL
Western New Mexico Correctional Facility Grants NM
Western Youth Institution Morganton NC
Western Youth Institution Boys Marion NC
Westmoreland County Prison Greensburg PA
Youth Diagnostic & Development Center Albuquerque NM

Praise the Lord!

My word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

A New Dimension for CLI

Posted by Anders Skaar - Missions Director of CLI

One of the major facets of running a ministry is donor relations. It's too easy to just contact our donors when we have a need.

At CLI, we have a wide variety of sophisticated supporters. They have multi talents, multi backgrounds and all want to help out in any way possible - not just financially.

And all the fundraising books tell us fundraising is all about "relationships" - relationship building, knowing and caring about our supporters, praying with them and for them and being with them at their peaks and valleys.

Enter the CLI Alaska cruise. While some may think it's a frivolous waste of money, relationships will be built. We chose Alaska for several reasons. (1) Almost everyone wants to do this cruise (2) The majesty of the scenery is second to none (3) It provides us with an opportunity to be with our supporters and NOT talk about money.

Lastly, CLI is a national ministry. We have supporters scattered in about 20 states. What a great opportunity to meet up in Vancouver and fellowship together for seven days. Relationships will be built.

We pray that our supporters will see the CLI Alaska Praise Cruise in July as an opportunity to get to know each other better in the splendor of His majesty!

They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. Psalm 145:5 NIV

Call on the Name of the Lord

Posted by Kathleen Skaar - Executive Director of CLI

...for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." NIV Romans 10:13

“No one has ever explained this to me before,” said Sharon, her eyes misting with emotion. I replied, “Now that you understand who Jesus is, would you like to accept His death on the cross for your sins and follow Him?” “Yes,” she said, “I would.”

We prayed together in my office at Christian Library International yesterday: Thursday, January 7. Yes, Sharon called “on the name of the Lord and will be saved.” As we walked up to the front office to get a Bible, I asked her to share her new commitment with Christ with someone this week. She said that she would and then I asked if she would mind if I shared with the men and women who were working here today.

Martha, our office administrator and our volunteer “letter ministers,” Bill, Bob and Mary were busy working so that the inmates in prison may know how to “call on the name of the Lord.” Sharon had given me permission to share the news. After getting their attention, I told them that we had a new sister in Christ.

They smiled and laughed and gave praise to God! We formed a circle of prayer and prayed over Sharon while tears ran down her face. Of course, she wasn’t the only one to shed tears of joy. Our volunteers are so compassionate and loving…and I guess that is one reason God has called them to be on mission with us.

Mary gave Sharon some good advice about being alert and praying against Satan’s tactics. Yes, he will not be a happy camper knowing that he lost someone to heaven. Especially someone whose family is involved in drugs.

Sharon lives across the street from the CLI offices which are located in Hillcrest Baptist Church. The Church has a food pantry that reaches out to the community and was open this day. I walked over to the Fellowship Hall where Hoyt and Janet were giving out food to see if they needed a helping hand. This is where I met Sharon for the first time yesterday.

She said that she needed to talk with someone and I volunteered. The Holy Spirit did the rest! In talking about her problems, she recognized that she needed God. I was moved to begin the story of God with the story of creation. We talked about Adam and Eve and the sin problem that we all have. But praise be to God’s love, He sent His Son Jesus to pay the price for our wrongdoing!

My greatest joy in life is sharing the gospel! I love to tell the story of Jesus and His glory. And you know, that is what CLI is all about, providing in written or audio form the story of Jesus and His glory!

If you have a moment, please lift up Sharon in prayer. She plans to come to church this Sunday and I also invited her to come to our Monday Night with God Bible Study, also at Hillcrest. May God grant her peace and fruitful service in His mighty Kingdom. Amen.

Does it Really Matter?

Posted by Anders Skaar - Missions Director of CLI

It’s the end of the movie. Nazi collaborator Oskar Schindler moves slowly to his fancy car, surrounded by the Jews he saved from extermination. The war is lost and he’ll be arrested and jailed within hours at the first army checkpoint. He looks at his beautiful car – worthless. His diamond stickpin – worthless. He mumbles to himself, with that car he could have bought 10 more Jews, with the diamond stickpin, maybe 5. Stupid, wasteful, vain!

But then Max Lucado takes it further in his book, “When Christ Comes”. He takes us to heaven where Jesus puts his arm around us and asks, “Who is here because of (your name). A few people step forward – then a few more – then even more. People you know and surprisingly, lots more people you don’t know. People of color, people with strange accents – how can this be??

“I got a Bible from you when I was in prison”, says one.

“I read a tract from you”, echoes another.

“I did the Bible study you sent me”, adds a third.

And on and on it goes.

You look around and the crowd grows to hundreds – dare I say thousands? Those who you touched went on to share the gospel with others, and others and others.

At CLI, we are like the parable of the talents. We did not bury our talent like the wicked servant. And our talent did not earn 10 more like the best servant. That distinction goes to names we know such as Graham, Robertson and Dobson.

But our talent perhaps grew to five. And as we know, that servant was welcomed into the presence of the Lord for being good and faithful.

You are the good and faithful servant. Through your prayers and financial support in 2009, CLI was:

Budget – On Target
Prisons Served – On Target
Inmate Bible Studies – On Target
Decisions for Christ – On Target
Author Dinner Attendance – On Target

Was 2009 the best year ever for CLI? Yes! Praise the Lord!