During the first 7 years of my release from custody I worked every day and went home tired and ready for bed early. I attended church 3 times a week. I longed for the good old days of companionship. Most of my life I had close friends that I could talk to about anything and would not be judged. Those old friends also did drugs and liked that kind of fellowship and adventure that goes along with the lifestyle.

All of us are created by God with a deep yearning to be surrounded with a family type love. Mankind has always been drawn together by this strong desire to share with each other. When this desire is not met by natural means mankind will seek it out. It is a desire to have an identity, to belong to a group, to have an identity in a group. This is why you see groups of people forming small families. Motorcycle riders like to hangout and dress alike. This is why we see young people ganging up in the streets.

When the natural family breaks down mankind will seek out a substitute. This is the reason that the author of Hebrews states, "Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together...." (Hebrews 10:25 KJV). God’s plan is for mankind to seek his identity in the person of Jesus Christ. Therefore if we go to church earnestly seeking to obey God;s command God will recognize us. If we believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, that He is God, that He died for our sins and was raised again for our justification and that He is the only way to to heaven (John 14:6). Here then is the way a person identifies with God’s family.

When I became a Christian I saw clearly that even though I loved my old friends I could not have a family type fellowship with them. It seemed as though God had placed a fence between us. The two different lifestyles are like oil and water they just won’t mix.

This is the common denominator for fellowship with worldly friends. You must ask yourself this question. "Will they walk with me in the Lord's pathway or will they expect me to come over to their side of the fence and walk in their pathway with them." You must draw an imaginary boundary line that you will not cross over. The result of a true stand for Christ and His way will often come to a parting of the ways for you and those you love who walked in the pathways of the world and practiced sin with you.

This is the great stumbling block for new Christians as they come out of prison. Instead of joining a church and seeking to find a family there most inmates will wait until something bad happens. The main tool for survival for the Christian ex-offender is submission to the authority of the local church. When the offender humbly goes to the pastor of the church and gives his testimony and offers them his services in whatever way the church sees fit he has offered himself up in obedience to God and this gives God the invitation to step into the situation and take control.

The churches could make a huge impact on the moral values of the inmates if they could be helped through their own fear of a strange culture. The idea of using a small mailbox type of ministry is an easy and cost efficient way to reach these lost and forgotten people. It generates a bond between the inmate and the church and gives the church an immediate inroad into the inmates family because many inmates want their families to take the bible studies along with them. Sometimes the children will take them too. When the inmate is released he now has a possible church home to go to. Once established in the church he begins to view all authority in a different light and not as one that only punishes.

The Weekend Of Champions, a large national prison event, is set for May 8-10 with the headquarters hotel being at Henryetta Oklahoma. Glass a former all pro defensive end with the world champion Cleveland Browns back in the glory days when teamate Jim Brown was the leading running back in pro football. In the early 1970’s Glass begin taking professional athletes from all pro sports into america’s prison system. Accompanied by a throng of counselors from all over the U.S. Glass and the other world class athletes puts on a performance. They are also followed by a team of Christian motorcyclists, Joe Gibbs’ Nascar, and occasionly a skydiver. These celebrities usually draw all the inmate population out of their cells and into the yard. After each stunning performance the inmates learn the real reason for their success. They are told that real success lies in a personal, living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hello to all my friends and family members. Thank you for coming and for loving me

This sure is a strange situation. Not many people are able to share a message at their own funeral. I don’t know what to say but I will give it a good try.

I suppose you think that I am dead. Not true. Don’t believe it. At this moment I am more alive than I ever was. I was born of the flesh in 1962 and I was born in the spirit in 1987. That which is born of the flesh may die but that born of the spirit shall live forever. If you want to know where I am, look up, then smile.

The bible says that Jesus raised people from the dead. Jesus said He has the authority and if you believe on Him the works that He did, you shall do also. Wait! Sit down! Don’t even think about it! Don’t even think about laying hands on me, raising me up, and snatching me out of this fabulous place. Don’t make me ask Jesus to ask an angel to put some noogies on your head.

I know most of you came today so you could pay your respects or say goodbye. The real deal is that you don’t have to say goodbye. First of all, I am still with you inside your heart and your mind. Secondly, it is only a matter of time until we are together again. We will be together again, won’t we? You are coming to Heaven, aren’t you? It is not up to me. It’s not up to God. It is up to you.

In Romans 14 the bible says, "Whether we live, we live unto the Lord; whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living." To boil it down, what it is saying is that you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ but does He belong to you? He is the Master but is He your Master?

The only way to be able to come to Heaven is for you to be holy, pure, righteous, and without sin. How do you do that or get that? You can’t. You can’t do anything. Jesus has done it all for you. He went to the cross in order to take your sin, your guilt, your punishment, your judgment. Jesus is your sacrifice. Only by faith in Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross can you be cleansed, justified, redeemed, and headed for Heaven. Only by faith and trust in Jesus. Sound too easy? Sound too hard? It’s all in the Bible.

I pray that each and every one of you has invited Christ into your heart as Lord of your life and Savior of your soul. If you haven’t, please don’t delay. God has promised that you shall seek Him and find Him when you search for Him with all your heart. A wise person once said that we change when the misery of where we are is greater than the fear of change. Please do not be afraid of coming to Jesus or of becoming a Christian. It took a long time and a lot of pain before I finally realized that truth. Learn from my mistakes.

Many, many of us are waiting for you. This place is breathtakingly awesome. We’ll see you soon. I close with these words:

I said to the man who stood at the gate of the years, "Give me a light that I may walk safely into the unknown."

He said to me, "Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God and He shall be to you brighter than a light and safer than a known way."

Mike Long, 1998

Graduation services were held recently at Crystal City, Texas for Crystal Marrie Eaves. After struggling for a year and a half Crystal would not be denied her GED.

Crystal was instrumental in founding the Wanted Alive Mailbox School at the Institution back in April 1997.

After being contacted by Crystal I discovered that the new institution for women there did not have a Chaplain.

After contacting the warden and officials at Crystal City I was given permission to start a Jails program there. I donated 4 cases of "Free on the Inside" bibles and Campus Crusade teaching video’s.

Crystal and a group of her friends wrote to several book publishing companies and was able to start a library at the institution from donations.

In addition Crystal was responsible for enrolling hundreds of girls in our free correspondence bible studies. The school, located in Oklahoma City, now has 8 volunteers from the church to grade all the lessons that are coming in from prisoners all over the United States. Pray for Crystal to come home.