SOCPM Newsletter | November 6, 2021

Greetings,

The eventfulness of last week was short-lived. SOCPM admin tasks are on the rise, which is good until my head begins to spin. The spin is more noticeable as I see double when doing data entry. Thankfully, a new lens prescription should be arriving soon. I hope! 🥺

SOCPM Inside the Prison Gate: Both Discipleship and Fatherhood: Malachi Dads classes had good conversations and more.

SOCPM Outside the Prison Gate: Still no letter from David in Huntsville, unless a letter arrived since Tuesday. But other 'outside the gate tasks are keeping me busy.

The Weekly Note - An Introduction to Psalm 9. 

On the Home Front: A significant change in the garage, but probably not what you may have been expecting.

On the Prayer Front - Prayers keep coming; thankfully, God never tires of hearing them.

SOCPM Newsletter Feedback - I know surveys readers seldom do surveys, but I hope you will. It's short.

These are the topics for this week's SOCPM Newsletter. I hope you enjoy it.

To Him be the glory in ALL things and Him alone,

Scott Kalas
Soldiers of Christ Prison Ministries

SOCPM Inside the Prison Gate

It was week two of 'What Does Revelation Teach?' The sermon was on Revelation 1:4-8, 'The Glory and Victory of Jesus Christ.' We had some robust discussions on evil in the world—the evil in prison, communities, entertainment, and not surprisingly in the media and politics. The latter was a delicate area of discussion, especially when the conversation turned to the topic of COVID was mentioned. Again, there were no raised voices, but I stirred the discussion in another direction when I could see it was a topic everyone had an opinion on. 

Next week, 'What Does Revelation Teach?' will be on Revelation 1:9-20; Jesus Ruler and Judge. Would you please pray for those men who claim Jesus as Savior but not Lord of their lives? Pray they come to see Jesus more than just a person who saves those who think salvation is turning over a new leaf in life.

In Malachi Dads, we could have completed Psalm 1: The Blessed Man, but we were having honest about wickedness. One student shared how he was blind to his wickedness. He didn't see his robbing of stores as an act of wickedness but as means to satisfy his sinful desires. 

The discussion also lifted the cloud on several of the men's true salvation. Michael is confident that he doesn't need Jesus; he just needs a higher power to keep him aligned with being good. Jose commented he needs Jesus, but that is him; he feels it is alright for others to think otherwise. A third student, Apolni, was more aligned with the gospel but was not spot on to saving faith. 

Would you please keep these men and the rest of the class in your prayers? Pray God will remove the confusion and lies the devil has planted in their minds and hearts. Also, would you please pray for Michael's heart to be open to the truth in all of God's Word? I'll only say he does a lot of frowning on what the book Psalm 1 is seeking to teach. Also, Ibrahim, he's the student who it appears has leanings towards Islam. But, I will add it is one of the more agreeable students to the teachings of Psalm 1.

Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked. Proverbs 25:26 ESV

Sheridan Correctional Center Lockdown 85 Weeks 🥺🙏

SOCPM Outside the Prison Gate

I still haven't received a pen pal reply from David in Huntsville, TX. But it's only been 17 days in prison mail; that is not a long time. Nonetheless, it would be nice to get a reply. Would you please pray this coming week a letter from David will arrive?

Once again, a lot of time in the administration area. In addition to the attendance, class notes, printing, etc., David submitted a request for answers to the questions,' Why is it so easy to do wrong than it is to do right?' I have six articles I'll give David next week, but the one I thought explained it well and in a few words was from John Piper, 'Why Do I Keep Sinning?' in a one sentence summary, Piper states, sin lies to us, telling us all the enjoyment it will bring. David is a relatively new student, having attended only six weeks of the last Malachi Dads' class, 'Family Restoration.' But in those few weeks, I recall David being attentive and verbalizing a sincere heart in being a better dad and growing in his faith. David's question is one I think most Christians can confess that as hard we try, sin will hinder our Christian lives until we enter the Kingdom. Even the Apostle Paul confesses his hindrance in overcoming sin (Romans 7:15). 

Receiving questions like David's has become one of my most enjoyable tasks. There are more times than I'd like to admit. But, if I were to try and answer in my own words, I fall way short of giving sound, in-depth answers to teh questions. And, in my gathering articles, I get more in-depth sound Biblical answers to sometimes basic questions.

Would you please pray the articles I will pass on to David will bring him the truth of God's Word he seeks? Would you pray I will soon get more questions and that God will lead me to sound doctrinal articles (Titus 2:1), and when I give verbal input, I rightly handle God's Word (2 Timothy 2:15)? Finally, would you pray as prison ministry becomes bustling in the coming weeks, I can continue to organize all the material I have, allowing me to find answers quicker?

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 ESV

The Weekly Note - A Study of the Psalms

This week's Weekly Note was on Psalm 9, An Introduction.

In my reading the various introductions to Psalm 9, I learned there is debate amongst Bible scholars on whether Psalm 9 and Psalm 10 should be one Psalm. I thought it would be beneficial to the students, including some of the reasons for debate. In hopes of showing them that no matter scholarly one is when it comes to the Bible, only God knows His Word perfectly.

On a matter related to The Weekly Note, I'm leaning towards changing the title of The Weekly Note. to one that more clearly identifies the weekly as a study of the Psalms. When I first started putting together The Weekly Note, it was not a study on the Psalms but teachings on various topics. Now that it is consistently related to the Book of Psalms, I feel a name change is due.

I've not settled on a final title change. I have a couple of ideas, but I am open to others. If you have one, please forward it to me by replying to this e-mail. 

I share this bit to make known; I don't take my stewardship of SOCPM lightly. On the contrary, I take it quite seriously. It is not just a prison ministry, it is God's prison ministry, and I, like a church pastor, will answer to God in my stewardship of SOCPM. Would you please pray that I don't do things in haste, that I am more heedful in seeking the counsel of others in effective decision making?

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14

On The Home Front

If you were to take a peek in our garage, you noticed a big change from the previous week. No, I didn't get a super dose of energy and get everything neatly stacked on shelves. I truly wish, but I've made no progress this week with SOCPM taking mega minutes. The change is God blessed Michelle and me with a new pre-owned car. The transmission on the Subaru Forester was not feeling right, and our bumper-to-bumper warranty expiring the strike of midnight 01/01/2022, we had great concerns it would be costing us money. We've had several somewhat major repairs, but thankfully the warranty covered them. However, with the warranty meeting its end, we thought it prudent to d some car shopping

By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4 ESV

SOCPM Newsletter Feedback

As I said above, this is my first attempt at a Mailchimp survey 😱; so, I hope I did everything correctly. If it doesn't say thank you at the end, Thank you in advance. 🤓

It should only take 1 - 2 minutes, but your feedback is of great value to me!

If I did it correctly, clicking the link below will take you to the feedback survey. 😰

SOCPM Newsletter Feedback

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Proverbs 4:7 ESV

On the Prayer Front

Praise, Cameron did get the job at Circle K. But, as always, would you please pray for his salvation, continued sobriety, a better-paying serving job in addition to his Circle K job? Cameron, in several phone calls, has mentioned health issues. Would you also pray for his overall health and get the medical and dental care he needs?

With this week's classes, I felt I was hitting my stride, and my thirst for doing more is increasing. However, in my thirst to find more ways to supplement the weekly teachings, I tend to lose my way and spend a lot of time researching. Would you please pray I hear God's guidance to material that will bless the students? Also, would you please pray for my usual prison ministry prayers, bring glory to God, and the harvest and sanctification of students be plentiful?

With the moving and settling in tasks, I've fallen into a routine of looking at my tasks forecast when I begin my day. In my eagerness to accomplish the tasks, I've become lax in my personal Bible study. Would you please pray I will be more disciplined and consistent have the motivation and focus in the morning when my day starts to turn to Bible study? I've had a book, 'More God, Less Crime,' that I've had on my 'want to read' lists for too long of a time. Would you please pray I can discipline myself to set some time aside to begin reading it? And yes, would you please pray I complete all that needs to be done to have the ability to park both cars in the garage before the first snowfall?

Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jeremiah 33:3

Citations

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Scripture

SOCPM - All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

CHS - Unless indicated otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from Clarke, Roy H, editor. The Treasury of David: Spurgeon's Great Commentary on Psalms, by C. H. Spurgeon, 3rd ed., vol. 1, T. Nelson Publishers , 1997 are from the New Geneva Study Bible published by Thomas Nelson, Inc., using the New King James Version of the Bible, ©1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

FDK Unless indicated otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from Derek Kidner, Psalms 1–72: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 15, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1973) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

JMB - Unless indicated otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from James Montgomery Boice, Psalms 1–41: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2005) is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.TM

WAV - Unless indicated otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from VanGemeren, Willem A. “Book 1 Psalms 1 - 41.” The Expositor's Bible Commentary Psalms, by Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, Revised ed., vol. 5, Zondervan, 2008 is taken from is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

WSP Unless indicated otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from “Psalm 1.” Psalms: A Critical and Expository Commentary with Doctrinal and Practical Remarks, by William S. Plumer, Banner of Truth Trust, 1975 is taken from the Holy Bible King James Version.

If you are interested in subscribing to the SOCPM Newsletter via e-mail, contact SOCPM and mention your interest in subscribing the SOCPM Newsletter.