A New Life With Jesus

Is The Bible God’s Word?

You’re building a future, starting now where you are.  You can’t change the past.  Forget it.  Plan your future now while you are in jail or prison.

Jesus is your example.  He never talked with sinners about their past.  He wouldn’t say, “Look at all the bad things you did.  You did everything wrong!”  That isn’t Jesus’ way.  He talked about the future.  He has “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  (Jeremiah 29:11)  That’s God’s rule.  Live by it!  Emphasize the future.  Discover how God wants to bless you.

A wise person builds his future on truth.  To buy a car or house, you want facts, truth.  To get a tooth filled, you want information about dentists in your area.  It’s foolish to make decisions by accepting false information or lies.

Yet, that’s what puts people in jails or prisons.  Drugs, alcohol, sex, money, power over others, material possessions — inmates believed those and other material things would solve problems and bring joy, peace, happiness, success.  Well, if you believed such lies, where did they get you?  To achieve a good life, you must make decisions based on truth.  God says he has “plans to prosper you.”  Those plans are based on truth.  They don’t lead to jail time.

When you search for truth, you must find a source you can trust.  You don’t expect truth from a drug pusher who wants to use you.  Ask yourself, “When this person gives me information, is he thinking of my welfare or his?  What does he hope to gain?”   Jesus tells you the truth.  He gains nothing but your fellowship as a believer.  You can’t give him anything else.

Where is the best source of truth?  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”  (John 14:6) To see truth in action, look at how Jesus lived.  Judge events and people as he did.  Only God knows all truth.  People make mistakes in judgement.  Jesus said the person who “hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”  (Matthew 7:24)

Jesus’ teachings are in the Bible.  Other writings claim to be God’s word.  Are they?  How can you recognize God’s word in print?

“If the Koran is God’s word, why don’t we just add it to the Bible?”  My inmate friend was right.  But is the Koran God’s word?  If writings outside the Bible are God’s word, we should add them to the Bible and study them.  It’s God talking!  And God’s plan is to give us the best life.

God’s way is different.  Yahweh said, “My ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  (Isaiah 55:9) Now we get to the nitty gritty.  God is much smarter than you.  He knows everything.  Knows you better than you know yourself.  But you choose to think like a child, not like an adult.  Jail and prison will never change you.  The change must come from within you.   Your choice.  You’re responsible.

This book is for people in jails and prisons.  We wrote it for you if you want to change your life.  We can tell you how to find a new life, a second or third chance.  But you have to want it.  If you don’t mean business about changing the “way” you go, this book isn’t for you.