Trust Him

I ran across an old binder full of Bible Studies I had done a few years ago (I have lots of these kinds of things, notebooks, journals, you name it).  This one was particularly interesting, it contained the "Anything" study I finished in Summer 2013...take a look...

I'm not sure if this is the first time prison is written somewhere or not but it is important to me because I didn't go into prison for the first time until December 2013 with the band, it was our first concert.  And then number 4....doing ministry with my hubby full time wherever that may be!  Isn't God good!  He was directing and leading me this way all along, this is part of His plan.  I am constantly in awe of Him, who He is, what He does...simply amazing.

Keep seeking Him, keep surrendering and living wrecklessly abandoned to Him, He will use you for His purposes, for His Kingdom.  Thank You, Jesus for Your marvelous work in my life, help me to honor You with all that I am.

Sing for the King,
Christy

What's a Missionary?

Missionary - a person sent on a religious mission, especially one sent to promote Christianity in a foreign country.

This is the definition of missionary that we think of when you hear someone use the term missionary...someone sent to a foreign land on a religious mission.  In all actuality, every follower of Christ is a missionary or at least we should be.  I am a missionary in prisons..."sent" on a mission to a "foreign" place, foreign to me anyway.  But this is where the Lord has sent me, a mission field surrounded and guarded by razor wire, steel doors, and corrections officers.  If you've ever been on any kind of mission trip I imagine that it is hard to leave to go home and go about your daily life.  You wonder if those who surrendered their lives to Jesus will realize how free they now are in Him, how loved, how precious.  You hope they will fall in love with the Word so it penetrates their hearts and grows them into the men and women of God that He has purposed them to be. You pray they will surround themselves with like-minded people, that they will deny themselves and not fall, that they won't compromise but that they will be bold ambassadors for Jesus Christ.  You pray they grasp what grace is.  I think about and pray for the souls we encounter, that they really get it and become missionaries right where they are.

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20

A missionary tells the story of Jesus and we can do that anywhere, we should do that anywhere and everywhere!

Let's look at that definition again... a person sent on a religious mission.  Jesus has saved us and has instructed us to go, we have been sent to proclaim the Gospel.

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?  And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:14-17

Now go...

A New Adventure

God has been leading me to go beyond prison ministry to lead worship - homeless shelters, conferences, special events, however God wants to use me...

What does this mean?  It means a new ministry was born - "Sing for the King Ministries"...a ministry born out of compassion to reach a lost and dying world with praise and worship, the Word of God, and life-changing testimonies.

James, myself, and Johnny Allen do services & events in churches, prisons, and more.  Sometimes it's Johnny's story along with praise and worship and the Word.  Sometimes it's James' story and sometimes it's my story which may mean the guys don't get a word in edgewise, ha.  God is using this for His Glory, to draw people to repentance, to expand His kingdom....and I have the privilege to be a part of it.

Check our Sing for the King Ministries at https://singfortheking.com/

And so it begins...

I thought I would have posted several posts already this month but here it is January 29th and this is it.  There are so many exciting things I've wanted to share but haven't made the time to write them all down.  On January 1, 2016 -  James, Johnny, and I walked into Algoa Correctional Center to share Jesus through music, testimony, and the Word.  My husband preached like I've never heard or seen him before - it was simply amazing seeing God using him like this.  It was a night of defining moments, for the offenders and for us.  This is the beginning of something beautiful, challenging, life changing and more.  We are missionaries but instead of going across the land and sea, we are charging into prisons to share Christ with anyone who will listen....and they are listening.  They are listening, receiving, and being made new.  What an adventure!  I look back over the last couple of years and see God's hand all over my life, how He has brought me to this place, this special ministry; how He has equipped me, humbled me, and raised me up to do this good work.

Psalm 37:4-5

⁴ Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.

 

This is exactly what He has done for me, for my husband, and for our friend, Johnny.

 

On January 14th, we went into Moberly Correctional.  I led worship, James preached, men gave their lives to Jesus.  On January 17th, I went with my friend, Arlene, to county jail.  I led worship and simply shared the gospel with them...and they got it.  Several ladies surrendered their lives over to Christ.  At Celebrate Recovery this month, I've had to privilege to pray with two women who prayed to receive Jesus as their Savior.  I am so in awe of God using this dirty, rotten, sinner - Christy Hoagland, as His instrument.  Help me, Lord, to never take these moments for granted, to always be in awe of who You are and how You love people, how You and You alone change lives.

 

The upcoming weekend and week ahead are busy...busy with service to our King.  What a life I get to live! God is so, so good.

 

What a Year...

2015 has been one of the most difficult years of my life and also one of the most amazing.  Difficulties that included my mom's battle with breast cancer, one of the lowest points ever in my marriage, my children running from God, other family members struggles, my own selfish personal battles, you name it.  But through and amidst all of those things God has proven His faithfulness and goodness and love to me...more than I deserve.  And even more, began showing me a glimpse of His plan for me.  I really need to share about His marvelous works in my life, how He repaired my marriage and made it better than ever, how He is using me to serve Him and changing me into the woman He wants me to be.  He has given me incredible friendships with some might say "unlikely people" but I say they are an inspiration and amazing part of my life.  He has grown and stretched me, disciplined me and loved me more than I can describe.  He has given James and I a ministry together to use the gifts and talents He has given us to glorify Him and do His kingdom work.  And on the first day of 2016, this ministry will truly begin.  James and I and our partner in this work, Johnny, will go to Algoa Correctional Center to share Jesus.  James will preach his first sermon in prison, this is the start of something big in our lives, a calling from our King.  God has placed us here to use us, to grow us, to proclaim who He is and to provide freedom for the captives.  I am honored and humbled to be called to do this work, God doesn't need me for anything but He chose me and He chose James and He chose Johnny to do this together.  He made us a team to give away what we've been given through the blood of the Lamb.  How marvelous, incredible and wonderful is that?!?

I ran across these notes I had made a couple years ago and they blessed my heart today...

12/4/13 - Live your life for something other than yourself.  Live for something greater, something eternal.  When your toil is for The Lord, it is no longer toil but joy.  If you do anything for yourself it will not produce joy.  Joy comes only from pleasing God.

1/15/14 - God takes pleasure in me, His creation, when I live out my purpose.  When I sing, God takes enjoyment.

Here's to 2016! Let's live for Jesus and declare the Gospel!  Let's Praise the Lord!

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
² Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
³ For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.
⁴ In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.
⁵ The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

⁶ Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
⁷ For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.

Psalm 95:1-7

 

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens!^[a]
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds;
    praise him according to his excellent greatness!

³ Praise him with trumpet sound;
    praise him with lute and harp!
⁴ Praise him with tambourine and dance;
    praise him with strings and pipe!
⁵ Praise him with sounding cymbals;
    praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

Psalm 150

The Night I Went to Prison

I had been anticipating this night - many prayers, planning and practicing went into preparing to enter this prison chapel and tell 100 men about Jesus' redemption plan and to share in worshiping my King.  I've been doing prison ministry concerts with my church worship team for the last two years.  I've seen many grown men fall to their knees and cry out to our Holy God, it really is a sight to behold, a privilege to be a part of...

This night was a little different, James and I had been asked to come in, him to preach and me to lead worship.  James wasn't too sure about the whole thing and wanted to observe the first time.  I was excited for the opportunity to share praise and worship with these men and to give away the hope that I have in Jesus Christ.  I planned my songs, what scriptures I wanted to use, what words and direction I thought God was leading me and prayed that He would use me for His glory.  And the waiting and countdown began.  My friend, Johnny, that goes in every Friday night to minister and had invited us to go was just as excited (if not more).

We arrived an hour early to set up and we circled up to pray.  Four or five offenders, Johnny, James and myself...and I was in awe.  In awe of God bringing me here, using me in this way.  What an honor.  It may not sound like that big of a deal to some, probably most people would prefer to play on a big stage, a sold out crowd, or somewhere without razor wire.  I could be content doing just this, this is enough for me, God, and I am so thankful.  I believe He has much more in store for me but I don't think I will ever give up prison ministry.

After we prayed, the prison worship band began playing and then men started filing in.  Johnny spoke for a few minutes and then turned it over to me...it really is crazy.  I did a couple songs they knew and even the ones that they didn't know they tried to sing along.  Do you know what 100 men in prison sound like singing 'Holy, Holy, Holy to our Lord God Almighty' sounds like?  It sounds like freedom, it sounds like total abandonment, it sounds like brokenness and healing and so many other beautiful things that are beyond description.  Several men gave their hearts to Jesus.  I'm sure some people think it's only "jailhouse religion" and that may be the case for some...but if one life is changed with the Gospel of Christ...then what an awesome and incredible experience for that one.  A life changed - what's it worth?  The cross of Calvary.  My Jesus died for these men too and they are hungry to know who He is.

Prison ministry isn't for everyone but it's certainly for me and I can't wait to go back.  What a blessing, God is so good to me.  I know this is part of His plan for me, part of my 'anything' journey, the start of something amazing - the start of a ministry with my husband!  Next time, James will preach and I'll get to lead worship with these men again.  Say yes to Jesus, what has He called you to?

T minus 36 hours

In 36 hours I will be in the chapel at Algoa Correctional Center sharing Jesus with a hundred men.  I am beyond excited.  Some people may think I'm crazy for wanting to serve Christ in this way (going into prisons) but this is what God has laid on my heart to do.  This is part of my "anything".  Anything you want from me, Lord, I want to be obedient and surrender to it.

Join me in praying for the hearts of these men, that they will see Christ in me and surrender their lives completely to Him.  May Christ Jesus be exalted and receive all the glory!