Emphasis Preaching Journal

Lying there in the cell it seemed like he would never be free again. All this for getting Bibles in to people who weren't supposed to have them. Michael wondered if he had made the right choice and he wondered if he would ever see his family again. In his weakest moments he wished he had simply been like everyone else - a quiet Christian who simply kept his faith to himself. Then this prison cell would have been empty.

But most of the time he was stronger. Sharing the story of Jesus was important to him. Illegal or not, the Bible was something everyone should have. Fortunately, although he was not allowed to have a copy in prison with him, he had read it over and over many times and much of scripture was now indelibly etched in his mind. He rehearsed the passages from memory often as he suffered there alone in the confines of the prison.

Passages from Revelation conjure images of the martyrs gathered around the throne of God being received with joy as the kingdom was ushered in. He pictured himself there with Jesus and smiled to himself. But his favorite passage, the one that kept his spirit up the most was from 1 Peter. "To the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing." Sometimes that one even brought a song to his lips.