You Can Go Home Again

Posted by Jeremy Watson at CLI

Reading testimonies from inmates who write to CLI is always a blessing. On Monday we received a testimony from Brian, an inmate who was a Muslim for 8 years before recently giving his life to Christ.

Brian was raised by a family that had no religious faith. After he notified them that he had converted to Islam while in prison, they stopped writing or visiting him. They even asked him to stop bothering them at one point. For six years Brian had no contact with his family.

Then, three weeks before Brian’s 28th birthday, his cellmate gave him a New International Version of the Bible and began teaching him about the Christian faith. Brian made a decision for Christ on his birthday, September 15, 2010. As he prayed for Christ to enter his heart, he also asked Christ to restore his relationship with his family members. Two days later, Brian received three letters: one from his mother, one from his father, and one from his older sister. They apologized for not visiting Brian and let him know that they missed and loved him. There was also a request for Brian to call them.

Brian called and asked his family members what had prompted their letters. They said that on Brian’s birthday, the day he accepted Christ and asked God to reunite his family, they attended a church service and felt led by the Lord to apologize to him. Apparently Brian’s family members are now Christians, too. They planned to visit him the day after he wrote to us. Brian writes,

“Through this Bible along with fellowship and coming to accept Christ Jesus and through prayer, I now have my family back in my life and a place to call home again with a loving family! And I would like to thank you for all that you do and I pray that you all keep up the good work of sharing the Lord God’s word! I want you all to know through my walk as a Christian, I will always keep this Bible close to my heart and dear to me. I will never give it away EVER!”

Brian does not clearly state that his NIV Bible was donated by CLI, but his expressions of gratitude suggest that it was and we intend to ask him if it was when we thank him for his amazing testimony. Every Bible and Christian book that CLI sends out is stamped with the message pictured above, so we frequently receive letters like the one from Brian.

Just as there is rejoicing among Brian and his family members over their restored relationship, there is rejoicing in heaven over Brian’s decision to leave a false religion and accept Christ as Lord and Savior (Luke 15:8-10). We join the heavenly choruses in celebrating Brian’s decision and thank God for His love and mercy.

Giving Christ to the Imprisoned

Posted by Jeremy Watson

When inmates complete Lesson 7 of CLI’s Christian Leadership Study, we send them a Study Bible to recognize their achievement if they do not already have one.

Our Study Bibles are donated from various sources, so we never know which versions will be available. Today I selected a New Living Translation Life Application Study Bible for an inmate named Doreen. Because I had never read the study notes from this particular translation, I decided to check them out. As I turned to a random page, the word “prison” caught my eye before I could open the Bible all the way. It appeared in this study note for Psalm 107:10-16, which supports CLI’s mission of bringing Christ to the imprisoned:

“Do you know anyone in prison? Most people think that those in prison deserve whatever misery they experience as punishment for their crimes. But God loves all men and women no matter how far they have fallen. He wants to reach them with his love and dispel the gloom they face (Matthew 25:34-46). Throughout the world, people are imprisoned for their faith; others suffer as victims of injustice. Can you reach out to them? Pray for those in prison. Pray for ministries and Christian chaplains who take God’s message of love and forgiveness to prisoners. What can you do to support these efforts?”

Coincidence? I think not. Ask yourself the last question in this passage. Every day CLI encourages men and women waiting in darkness and loneliness with the message that Christ loves them and died for their sins, no matter how many they have committed or how ugly they are. He wants every prisoner to be saved (2 Peter 3:9, 1 Timothy 2:4). There are many ways you can help CLI share this Good News with inmates and make disciples of new believers.

1) Give God Your Time – Stop by our Raleigh office or our satellite office in Morrisville and volunteer to be a letter minister, review Bible Study lessons, or help us sort, pack, and ship books to prison chaplains across the United States.

2) Give God Your Money – Send financial contributions to CLI or reserve a table, half-table, or seat at our Author Dinner Fundraiser on October 5.

3) Give God Your Bibles and Christian Books – Donate your new or gently used Bibles, Christian books, Christian CDs, and Christian DVDs to CLI or organize a Christian book drive at your church.

4) Give God Your Prayers – Volunteer to pray for an inmate enrolled in our Christian Leadership Bible Study. You will receive a prayer cuff with an inmate’s name on it and a letter that explains how you can pray for his or her mental, physical, and spiritual needs.

Please let us know how you would like to serve God in one or more of these ways by phone at (919) 212-8122, by e-mail at kskaar@cli-nc.org, or by mail at 3800A Hillcrest Dr., Raleigh, NC 27610.

2010 Board Retreat: Being One in Spirit and Purpose

Posted by Kathleen Skaar - Executive Director of CLI

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Philippians 2:1-2

Each year our board of directors come together for a weekend of prayer, planning and fellowship. It is a special time when other schedules are put aside and we can focus on God’s purpose for CLI, both in the short term and the long term. We have also been blessed to have our weekend accommodations donated! This year we were at Sunset Beach.

Our retreat theme was taken from Philippians 2: 2: Being One in Spirit and Purpose. God made our theme a reality as we sought His face and His direction. There were serious times and jovial times as the Holy Spirit knitted our hearts together in Christ.

We nominated, voted and installed our new board officers. They are Chair: Kathleen Skaar, Vice Chair: Dale Breedlove, Secretary: Nathan McLeod and Treasurer: Lanny Bynum. Another important job we completed was going over our Master Plan for 2011. We made a number of additions and subtractions to align ourselves more closely with the direction that the Lord is taking CLI. We thank our heavenly Father for His hand of blessing on us as we came together with our mandate to bring Christ to the imprisoned!

Many hands make light work - God's work

Posted by Anders Skaar - Missions Director of CLI

It's true - many hands make light work - especially here at CLI!

We have been blessed with a packing team of young men - Timothy, Bryan, Jeremy and Sherenga. On Thursdays we all pray together for an hour, then afterwards, they dig in and pack the best Christian books and Bibles we have!

We pray that many will be blessed through the efforts of these mighty men!

Wake Christian Blesses CLI

Posted by Anders Skaar - Missions Director of CLI

It's always a blessing to get help - especially with mailings. Last week we were especially blessed by a team of 12 from a local Christian school, Wake Christian Academy. They came and dilligently stuffed envelopes and "licked" stamps.

We praise God for all the CLI volunteers. Lots of hands make the tasks of ministry much easier. Please pray for our mailing, that gifts will be received and the inmates we all serve will be blessed.

Inmate Turns Table and Donates 500 Dollars

Posted by Kathleen Skaar - Executive Director of CLI


God is always doing something new and unexpected! Today we received a $500 donation from an inmate! Yes, we have received small cash and stamp donations from inmates for the past eight years. In fact, when the first donation of stamps arrived, we were thrilled and thanked God.
This is by far the largest donation we have ever received from an inmate and we also praise God!

Inmate Robert from PA writes (in part):

“In October it will be two years since you sent the burgundy NLT Bible. I wrote expressing my thanks and you replied that it was your pleasure.

You have no idea what that Bible has done for me and helped me see the path I am to follow, and put me in touch with the purpose God has for me. …It would be difficult to find a page that doesn’t have some item neatly underlined or a key quotation without a star.

Please accept my donation with my hope that you can use it to continue the spread of God’s Word. If you have a brochure describing what you do, perhaps I can be of assistance.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you All. (All the saints send their greetings. 2 Corinthians 13:13)”