Tiffany Cole- Her Heart Moves Forward into Lovelier Things

Tiffany Cole is on death row in Florida.  As an intercessor for Praying Without Ceasing: Prison Ministry for  Women on Death Row I am honored to have been given the privilege to even receive anything that she write to me. We  often make the mistake of drawing conclusions and making presumptions about the women on death row. The name Tiffany comes from the word epiphany, the day when  the Thee kings first saw the Christ child. The name means the manifestation  of God. One would hardly think that a manifestation from God would come from inside prison walls but it can surprise you.

This very week I received a letter from Tiffany; when I opened it, I almost couldn’t contain myself. The greeting said “Happy Resurrection Day.” Here it is that I am outreaching to the women on death row with the assumption that they are far removed from a relationship with the king and I am awed by and embarrassed by the manifestation of God. I should of been the one sending out  Happy Resurrection cards but I was the one receiving such. I am humbled.  This is a lesson to everyone who thinks they are wise, the bible says, where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty and that liberty is well beyond our limited views and expectations.

In every letter Tiffany has written thus far, she mentions her love for Jesus and for Bible reading and prayer. She also prays in the heavenly language  and it is good news to learn that she has been baptized with the fire of God from on high. Just the thought of this is truly amazing. John 17:3  says And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.My Pastor Dr. Olapade Oyagunwa preached on this scripture recently. It is marvelous to learn that knowing the one and one true God  Jesus Christ  will give you eternal life  and there is no prerequisite. When you KNOW Jesus Christ as the only one true God you are guaranteed eternal life.

The Bible  is filled with detailed accounts of many sinners besides Adam and Eve. Some of these sinners were priests,  others were leaders and others were kings. All of those who committed crimes during biblical times were definite candidates for today’s death row. Jesus made a habit of hanging out with  sinners. He choose Matthew a tax collector to be a disciple and to top that off He went to dinner at Matthews house and ate with more tax collectors. The conversation would be incomplete if I  leave out David the giant slayer who killed Goliath. He was a King who killed on of his mighty men ruthlessly by sending him to the front lines of a war. He did so after lusting for and fornicating with the mans wife. Not only was King David a fornicating adulterer but he was a plotting, scheming murderer, who God called a man after His own heart. Next. we have  Saul who Jesus blinded on the road to Damascus, he was guilty persecuting and murdering Christians. Saul who later was converted renamed Paul, used to drag people out of their homes and throw them in prison. God’s ways are not our ways, He’s the one that changes hearts and we know  and should believe this: saying of Paul himself : “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst.” 1 Timothy 1:15
Let me end with this.. Mark 2 16-17

“When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that He was eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?” 17And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Keep Tiffany Ann Cole on Florida’s death row in your prayers.

Pray for her to keep her heart wrapped around Jesus and Her mind stayed on Christ because he will keep her in perfect peace.

In His service,

Intercessor Abu

Thank You Jesus for the Heart of God

Some wonderful person who I will keep anonymous send me this–Yesterday on my birthday.
Greetings of Love to you Sister~ In Jesus Precious Name! Today I am rejoicing with you in the goodness of the Lord. Since I read your testimony, you have bean heavy on my mind, and in my heart, in a special way daily. Here you are…one year later to the day….and the Lord has brought you through…..for a reason….for this season…for such a time as this. I know we don’t believe in coincidences…no such thing….simply God’s perfect timing! To be given the very real possibility of a death sentence on your birthday…was no mistake….but preparation for the ministry God called you to….faithful obedience….plain spoken truth in love…no frills….God’s Word. He has given you a special love…a special calling…a special ministry few are called to…a special compassion…a special way of looking past the labels, the sins, the shattered lives to see the person’s heart and their need for a Savior….You have been given the mind of Christ for this purpose….all for His Glory… to minister to the broken~hearts….to the hopeless….the reviled….the forgotten…as some of us were. To shine God’s Light in the darkness…..to show the Love of Christ….joy and peace in spite of circumstances….each life is special…each person matters….there is something worthy of love in every person ever born…The truth is~~we are all on death row…from the moment we are born. Most people are uncomfortable with that thought….it is in our human nature to deny our own death….right up until that last moment…our final breath….we wait for a miracle…a reprieve…..There is one abiding grace and mercy in knowing the final hour…that final moment…..there is that final opportunity to repent…prepare to meet God……sometimes there is time for a testimony…..and there is a new peace…an acceptance of sorts…other times….only God and one person know what transpired in that final second. The thief on the cross said “Remember me!” there was no time for service….baptism….just a moment for the “Do not pass me by” Gentle Savior. You have been called to a painful….troubling…disturbing ministry…it is a great gift and blessing for you…to be counted worthy…to have a love for others….to care for them through their darkest days…..for this…..you have been spared! I feel this so strongly in my spirit~~all of life is fleeting….the stays of executions may be few and far between, if at all…..but the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord is precious and priceless. Thinking of Carla Faye Tucker…..Sam Burkowitz (Son of Sam)….Carla’s life was not spared, but God gave her a voice and a ministry…..Sam is still a voice in the wilderness. Perhaps if these had never entered the prison system….they never would have received Christ…..Perhaps this is what it took for God to reach them….and in His Great Mercy he touches them and draws them to Himself. You probably realize that we don’t agree on everything in regards to the death penalty…..but we do agree that God loves each of these women….He would have gone to the Cross for them alone….He wants them to be clean…washed in the Blood of the Lamb…He wants to restore them and call them His own….He careth for them….He careth for you….I pray he will make a way….for you….for these woman….for His ministry…all for His Honor and Glory~~~In Jesus Name…He is able to make all…all…ALL Grace abound!!! I love you Sister….you are in my prayers…Birthday Blessings…Many More….and Lots of Hugs!!

It Takes Feet to Win Souls.

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God Reigns!” Isaiah 52 v 7

In the prior post, I shared another scripture about feet. It is also a beautiful scripture:Romans 10 v. 15: “And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Its amazing how the Lord says that feet are beautiful. He could have said the hands, or heart or the mind of the person is beautiful but He specifically said the feet. Why? because, it takes the feet to go out and share the good news of the gospel. When I was just coming to Christ, I wasn’t very bold, so I would look for unique novelty pens and pay to have scriptures customized on them. Then I’d visit restaurants and distribute them. But now, that I have matured in my walk with Christ;  He has given me so many beautiful assignment. The assignment that I am engaging in right now is a good example: writing to the women on death row. Oh Lord, I want to thank you for allowing me to become a soul winner for you. In Proverbs 11 verse 30, it says that “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.”

Very few believers today are soul winners. They think its the job of the Evangelist, so when they are in the doctors office, on the grocery store line, at the bus stop or even on an air plane, they fail to share the Good News with others.  Trust me; they are not opening up their mouths to bring about the salvation of the lost. God gives us many opportunities to share the gospel. How many times has someone come to you to tell you about some problem or difficulty they have encountered? How many times have you used their situations to share that the resolution to what they are experiencing lies in the risen Christ? The believer who fails to share the Gospel with others is foolish. Hell is real, life is short, and   we are vapors. Don’t you know that  people need to be born-again to escape the wrath of God? (John 3:36; Romans 5:9; 2nd Thessalonian 1:8-9). You may have thought we were saved from sin but Paul says we are saved from wrath. (Remember, this is not God’s wrath towards sinners, but his wrath towards ungodliness and unrighteousness and those things which keep us from him.) Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! (Rom 5:9)

The bible gives us a parable that describes the believer as being the salt of the earth,  it says that “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for nothing except to be but to be cast out, and to be trodden under the foot of men. What an analogy; we are flavoring, enhancing and preserving life. The question is asked, “What good is salt if it has lost its flavor?” What happened to the passion, the fervor, the fire that was burning in your bones when you first believed? I t needs to be reignited because without it you will not be a threat to the devils kingdom.

As I reflect on the biblical notion of feet, I think of the sinful woman who washed the feet of Jesus with expensive anointing oils, tears and her hair. She didn’t know it but it was to prepare him for his crucifixion. The outcome was, she was forgiven of her sins. Notable too is the humility of Jesus; he washed the feet of  the disciples before he went to the cross. Both activities involved the washing of feet, and invoke the feeling that feet are uniquely special.  I am decreeing and declaring a spiritual foot washing for those who are not sharing the gospel. Truth be told, if you are not sharing the gospel you couldn’t possibly be opening your bible. I am praying for a revival in your soul;one that regenerates you and propels you to witness, one that compels you to keep your saltiness, because if you are not soul winning, you are  spiritually dead and already on death row.

Nothing Can Separate You From God’s Love

Come Near to God’s Love:

Move toward God’s love. Accept and embrace His hope for your life.

“Submit yourselves, then to God…Come near to God and He will come near to you…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. ” James 4:7-10. 

Many of the women on death row may have a defeating  perspective of themselves and what they have done. This way of thinking masks feelings of unworthiness that might be acted out in acts of rebellion. Its a camouflage, a smoke screen for hiding the guilt and the shame, when the bottom line is that they feel unlovable,or  unworthy of God’s love. And to make it worse, they have lived out a lifetime doubting God’s love for them. It does not take a rocket scientist to know that “hurt people,hurt people,” as this is the reason why they have encountered death row.

But the message of the Gospel opposes this view. Regardless of how angry, rebellious, defiant and worthless we feel, when we  surrender our lives to God we will find that He embraces us. Another version of this same bible scripture says “draw near to me and I will draw near to you,” and right after it is revealed how: with clean hands and a purified heart..God does not condemn us; God is seeking a changed heart. He is ready to come to us but he requires a new way of thinking, a new disposition, a heart of repentance, a purging of the old self and a regenerated mind.  Romans 12 verse 2 says “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” God has already declared His love for us but He is waiting on us to turn to him, to submit to Him and permit Him to have His way in our lives. God is willing to lift us up, in fact He is flooding us with His love right now, at this very moment. For one the bible says in Job 22 v 29 “When people are brought low and you say, ‘Lift them up!’ then he will save the downcast.

The beauty of God’s message is that He loves us unconditionally and nothing can ever separate us from His love. Romans 8 v 35-39 “Does it mean (Christ) no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death?…I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away…Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Let me repeat that nothing can ever separate us from the love of Christ. His unconditionally love for us renews us, restores us and redeems us. This is the redemptive power of Christianity. It is what it means to be a Christian. No other religion offers the hope of transformation, renewal, and restoration that God offers through the blood of Jesus Christ. When we humble ourselves before a loving God, he can lift us up and give us a new life in HIM! But the beautiful part is that once we know Him, nothing can ever separate us from Him again.

Standing in the Gap

Albert Camus Sketched by Petr Vorel

“For centuries the death penalty, often accompanied by barbarous refinements, has been trying to hold crime in check; yet crime persists.”  ALBERT CAMUS, Resistance, Rebellion and Death

Suzanne Basso executed on Texas Death Row 2-6-14 by Lethal Injection

Today Suzanne Basso became the 14^th person to die on Texas Death Row. At  5 am, when I arouse for intercessory prayers on the Three Cord Prayer Line, she was remembered by me.  I prayed for her salvation, I prayed that in her grief that she would call upon the name of Jesus. It is our duty to stand in the gap for those lost in darkness.

 In Acts 26 v 18 Apostle Paul is giving an account of His assignment to King Agrippa. He says that it is Jesus Himself who has sent him to redeem the Gentiles. Paul was assigned to ¹⁸ To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Likewise, I prayed for the eyes of Suzanne Basso to be opened this morning. I prayed that she’d turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, I cried out for her repentance and for her to receive forgiveness for her sins, so she would have the inheritance of those sanctified by faith and receive the promise of eternal life. It is our assignment as well; as believers, we are to know that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus came for the ungodly and it is God’s desire that no one should perish but that all would come into the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Before the year 2014 began, the Lord commissioned me to stand in the gap for the women on death row. He told me to get my church’s women’s ministry to pray without ceasing, for the women on death row. The scripture He gave me was Acts 5 v 12 “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him,” which became the name for this ministry “Praying Without Ceasing: A Prison Ministry for Women on Death Row”

In the bible, God was opposed to the sinfulness of the Israelites and was seeking to destroy them. In Psalms 106:23 He says, “Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them.”  We like Moses, are to stand in the gap for others, and the women on death row are no exception.

I am only an intercessor, and we know that the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous availed much but, the prisoners on death row need the army of God to stand in the gap for their salvation; any effective standing in the gap has to involve the church. When I received this mandate, I moved quickly to set up this ministry which involves scripture cards, but I hesitated to inform my Pastors because I was waiting to hear more directives from the Lord, but now with the execution of death row’s Suzanne Basso, it is confirmed that I need to quickly alert the church. As I gather up the names and addresses of the 59 women remaining on death row and as I gather stamps, envelopes and salvation cards. I intend to send His word. I will continue to stand in the gap and pray for the salvation of those who have done the most unspeakable crimes. Because, “when God  finds no man to intercede, He will use His own arm to bring salvation to Him, And His righteousness to uphold Him.” (Isaiah 59:16)

Isaiah 6 verse 8  inspires me, it says” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

In the name of Jesus,

Intercessor Abu