Prison – The path to freedom
Steve Cossack (“Cossy”) has been involved in working with LCM in prisons for just on 4 years. “Mostly it’s an honour and a privilege” Says Cossy. “Over these years I have developed some good friendships; and had some amazing chances to share the Gospel with people who in ordinary circumstances would not be in a fit state to listen. In many cases prison has literally saved lives.”
“On numerous occasions I have seen men and women slowly waste away to skeletal, pathetic, babbling, psychological wrecks due to the twin evils of drugs and alcohol. They come and say “Cossy, I’m desperate, can you get me into rehab?” I try, but due to such a shortage of suitable places and a lack of funding, or waiting lists, my answer sadly is usually “no.””
“In an ideal world, rehabs would be available for everyone who needs them. I could pick up a phone and get a counselor organised in 5 minutes and I could get this man or woman into a halfway house. Unfortunately though, this is not an ideal world - it is a battlefield. Satan is having a field day during his “Little Season”, ensnaring men and women by the thousands, and will continue to do so until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.”
“When faced with desperate situations like those I mentioned then I must confess I often pray, “Lord send this man to prison.” It’s quite radical I know, but it’s the only way in the short term to keep that person alive - and corpses can’t respond to the Gospel! I can’t tell a dead man he must repent! You might think that I’m being a little sensationalist in saying this. You may be thinking that there’s no one out there like that – surely? My answer to you is that in the last 3 and a half years I have seen 64 people die on the streets of our city; it really is that serious.”
If they are “lucky” and end up in Prison, Cossy will receive a call from the chaplaincy after 3 or 4 weeks letting him know that one of his “clients” would like to see him. “It never fails to amaze me” says Cossy, “there is such a change, flesh on bones, usually a calm demeanor, and at last, sensible conversations. Now I can share the Gospel. Now I can tell them Jesus came to set them free – and now through faith in Him they can break Satan’s bonds and no longer be a slave to drugs and alcohol! In Truth, not many do come to faith – but every one of them will hear the Gospel.”
It’s a strange paradox that as the big Prison doors bang behind these men and the outside world is cut off from them, other doors which were previously shut because of drugs and the all consuming need to get them, are now open. “Men will now show an openness to the Good News of Jesus Christ,” says Cossy. “The many conversations and this openness would never have occurred outside. In addition to the one to one visits, I have the immense privilege of leading a Christian group with the chaplaincy team, as well as being part of the prison fellowship group which looks at restorative justice using Jesus and Zacchaeus as the model. So you can see prison often affords more Gospel opportunities to these desperate people than they would ever have “on the outside.””
As if to back all this up, the following is a quote from a letter Cossy received recently. “…I now realize that drugs have stolen most of my life away. I have still got the Bible you gave me, and go to a study each week. Thanks for being there; you’ll never know how many lives you have saved.” When a letter like this arrives, it’s a real encouragement to Cossy. “It’s just like God saying, “carry on, this is my work, not yours. You carry on, I’ll do the rest.””
Please continue to pray for all of those working in prison evangelism, pray that prison would indeed be the path to freedom for many to know our Lord and Saviour. “I was in prison and you came to me.” Matthew 25 v 36 (NKJV)
Steve Cossack (“Cossy”) has been involved in working with LCM in prisons for just on 4 years. “Mostly it’s an honour and a privilege” Says Cossy. “Over these years I have developed some good friendships; and had some amazing chances to share the Gospel with people who in ordinary circumstances would not be in a fit state to listen. In many cases prison has literally saved lives.”
“On numerous occasions I have seen men and women slowly waste away to skeletal, pathetic, babbling, psychological wrecks due to the twin evils of drugs and alcohol. They come and say “Cossy, I’m desperate, can you get me into rehab?” I try, but due to such a shortage of suitable places and a lack of funding, or waiting lists, my answer sadly is usually “no.””
“In an ideal world, rehabs would be available for everyone who needs them. I could pick up a phone and get a counselor organised in 5 minutes and I could get this man or woman into a halfway house. Unfortunately though, this is not an ideal world -
“When faced with desperate situations like those I mentioned then I must confess I often pray, “Lord send this man to prison.” It’s quite radical I know, but it’s the only way in the short term to keep that person alive -
If they are “lucky” and end up in Prison, Cossy will receive a call from the chaplaincy after 3 or 4 weeks letting him know that one of his “clients” would like to see him. “It never fails to amaze me” says Cossy, “there is such a change, flesh on bones, usually a calm demeanor, and at last, sensible conversations. Now I can share the Gospel. Now I can tell them Jesus came to set them free – and now through faith in Him they can break Satan’s bonds and no longer be a slave to drugs and alcohol! In Truth, not many do come to faith – but every one of them will hear the Gospel.”
It’s a strange paradox that as the big Prison doors bang behind these men and the outside world is cut off from them, other doors which were previously shut because of drugs and the all consuming need to get them, are now open. “Men will now show an openness to the Good News of Jesus Christ,” says Cossy. “The many conversations and this openness would never have occurred outside. In addition to the one to one visits, I have the immense privilege of leading a Christian group with the chaplaincy team, as well as being part of the prison fellowship group which looks at restorative justice using Jesus and Zacchaeus as the model. So you can see prison often affords more Gospel opportunities to these desperate people than they would ever have “on the outside.””
As if to back all this up, the following is a quote from a letter Cossy received recently. “…I now realize that drugs have stolen most of my life away. I have still got the Bible you gave me, and go to a study each week. Thanks for being there; you’ll never know how many lives you have saved.” When a letter like this arrives, it’s a real encouragement to Cossy. “It’s just like God saying, “carry on, this is my work, not yours. You carry on, I’ll do the rest.””
Please continue to pray for all of those working in prison evangelism, pray that prison would indeed be the path to freedom for many to know our Lord and Saviour. “I was in prison and you came to me.” Matthew 25 v 36 (NKJV)