January 2015 Newletter

Bill Corum with
Joe Garman at
ARM Headquarters
IN THIS ISSUE:
• AND ALL GOD’S PEOPLE SAY, “AMEN”
• FROM CHAINS TO CHANGE
• HEART OF STONE
• LINGERING AT SODOM
• TEN GREAT EVANGELISTIC QUOTES
• TEN GREAT MISSIONARY QUOTES
“Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these...you did it to Me.” — Jesus
the uttermost farthing
by rod farthing
“life... and ministry... after prison!”
“What do Christian inmates do AFTER they are
released from prison?”
rod farthing
he arose from the waters of an ARM Communion Table baptistry, he began ministering to fellow inmates. Some 34 years
later, he is among the most respected
his is an appro- prison evangelists in the nation. He is a
priate question full-time staff member at a church that has
often asked all of a dynamic prison ministry. Hundreds (if
us in prison ministry. not thousands) have been brought to
For a host of reasons, Christ through his faithful labors.
the statistical answer to
that question is often Bill was once a user and distributor of
drugs.
Now walking with Christ, he
difficult to track.
labors in the prisons to share the Good
However, there was important research News of hope and freedom through the
done by the University of Pennsylvania's Savior. His effective witness – even on
Center for Research on Religion and Urban death row – springs from a heart that was
Civil Society. That study reported that transformed by God’s Word.
graduates of the Vance Prison pre-release
program in Texas had an astonishingly Blake baptized 200 of his fellow convicts
low recidivism rate of eight percent. Na- in an ARM Communion Table baptistry
tionwide prisoner recidivism is near 70%! while in a federal prison. After parole,
The Vance program emphasizes spiritual this former bank robber organized and
and practical values for those about to be trained volunteers who bring some 300
paroled. The Vance prison also utilizes people a year into Christ’s church.
one of ARM’s 1,753 communion table baptistries provided for correctional facilities. Then there is Leroy. He’s the ex-inmate
who is now a missionary in Mexico!
Due to confidentiality issues and the difficulty of tracking former American Bible ARM’s Bibles, Bible studies, baptistries, inAcademy students and those immersed in prison seminars and scripture-verse
our baptistries, ARM happily relies on real DaySpring greeting cards are helping curlife stories of former inmates who have be- rent jail workers reach inmates who will
come effective servants in the Kingdom. become workers in Christ’s Kingdom!
And there are plenty. I have room to men- Thanks for your role in keeping this glorious chain reaction going!
tion only a few.
t
Rick was a bank robber who began his
walk with Christ in a federal prison. As
To enroll an inmate in the ABA, go online to www.arm.org/aba_enrollment_form.htm. Also, you may
sign up for ARM Updates, Ministers' Minute sermons, and/or the Foreign Branch Report by sending
your request to [email protected].
ARM Prison Outreach, International: Serving adult, juvenile and military correctional institutions around the world. National jail
and prison distribution center for the American Bible Society and DaySpring cards. Branch ministries in Cambodia, Korea, Mexico, Russia, and
the Philippines.
Office staff: Joe R. Garman, President; Bill R. Blair, Vice-President; William B. Wadell, Business Manager; Joe Welch, A.B.A. Director; Bob Marsh,
Hispanic Ministry Outreach Director; Gene Hutchcraft, Shipping & Receiving; Rod Farthing, Regional Development Director; Ansil Harpold, Midwest
Development Director.
Board of Directors: Mark Davis, Brandon Freed, Victor Knowles, Rob Smith, Reggie Thomas, Jerry White, Clifford Whitehead.
P.O. Box 1490 • Joplin, Mo. 64802-1490 • Tel: (417) 781-9100 • Email: [email protected] • Fax: (417) 781-9532
Websites: www.arm.org • www.abarc.org • Follow us on Facebook!
heart of stone
This is the story of Big Bill Corum, a man
who lived a life of alcoholism, crime and
drug addiction. Since his teen-age years,
Bill has been incarcerated in jails and prisons in ten states, and he has traveled more
than 2,500 miles in handcuffs, leg irons and
waist chains. He now travels for God,
going into jails and prisons, wherever the
doors open.
LOST IN SIN
I
was suddenly awakened to the guard
screaming, “Get that man down. Get
him down!” “You get him down! I
didn’t hang him up there,” said Big Ted, the
dead man’s cell-mate. By now I was wide
awake and I knew I wouldn’t be going back
to sleep for quite awhile. As I watched Big
Ted I wondered how anyone could be so
coldhearted.
This Tennessee county jail was only a stopover for Ted. He was on his way to a maximum-security unit in Illinois. Ted had been
in Alcatraz for 12 years before the infamous
“Rock” closed. Once, when I was in a federal prison, I asked a guard who had worked
at Alcatraz if he knew who Big Ted was. He
replied, “One of the worst.”
As an 18 year old kid who weighed in at 5’10” and 150 lbs, I was terrified of him. My
parents came to visit me right after the suicide. They said they would be praying for
me. They always said things like that.
They prayed to a God they knew personally,
who never gives up on us. A God I would
not come to fully know for some 20 more
years.
The next week I was transferred to a federal
prison where I spent the first week in lock
down. As they began my orientation I
began planning my escape. I had never subwww.ar m.org
mitted to authority and didn’t plan to start
here. I had already escaped from a military
prison. I was becoming a madman – just
like Big Ted – having a heart of stone.
BETWEEN
THE YEARS
After my release from prison I got married
and started a family. I got a job in construction but I had learned too many skills
in prison to let them go to waste. I did this
for ten years, only getting caught once. My
marriage finally ended in divorce. Now I
could concentrate fully on what I had
wanted to be since I was a teenager, a gangster.
I had always been a loner when it came to
crime because I didn’t want to run from the
scene with someone and have to worry
about them if they got caught. I became involved with some drug dealers who asked
me to collect on some unpaid bills. I had
hung around the gyms for the last ten years
— continued next page
3
heart of stone
— continued
as a heavyweight so I had some credentials
as an enforcer.
I now had enough money to do whatever I
wanted. I was selling $6,000 to $7,000
worth of cocaine every day. If I wanted to
do something that cost $5,000 I just did it,
because tomorrow I would have another
$5,000. I had the influence, money and
power I had always wanted. The only thing
I didn’t have, but desperately needed, was
peace of mind.
ON THE RUN
When the narcs dramatically stepped up
their investigation of me I decided I needed
to leave Kansas City until things cooled
down. I hid out in the attic of an old farm
house. What a distorted picture of success.
Over the course of my life I had been involved in 25 car and motorcycle wrecks and
I had overdosed several times on cocaine
and other drugs.
I had witnessed prison riots and had been
shot at on the streets. My mother used to
say, “Don’t you see that God has His hand
on you?” I would shrug her off and reply,
“God had nothing to do with it.” Now, as I
sat in this attic, I began to realize it had to
be more than luck. I counted eight times I
should have died, but didn’t. Why was I
still alive?
God had been there all along. I prayed,
“God, if you are real please change me.”
4
My second wife and I began our marriage
all over again. Although we had been married for three years, I had not acted like it.
She became a Christian shortly after we
were married and had been praying for me
since that time. Her prayers were answered.
Of course, one of the first things I wanted to
do was to unite with a church.
I called my friend, Ray Hildebrand, who had
been praying for me for 10 years. His hit
song, “Hey Paula,” in the early 60’s had
taken him to the top of the charts, but now as
a Christian singer and song writer, he said,
“Bill, I’ve got to see you.” I thank God for
that trip to his office. He said, “If you want
to grow in Christ, here is what you need to
do.
“Your head is full of trash. You need to
force it out by filling it full of God. If you
want to watch TV, watch Christian TV. If
you want to listen to radio, listen to Christian
radio. If you want to talk to someone, talk
to a Christian.” I took his advice. My life
is different than before. I wouldn’t trade
anything for the life I now have, except
Heaven.
Mark 8:36 records, “What shall it profit a
man to gain the world and lose his own
soul?” I almost lost mine by trying to gain
the world. I went from selling $6,000 $7,000 a day worth of cocaine to working
for $5 an hour, but living a Christian life is
so much easier and so much more fun than
living in sin. It is the peace that passes all
understanding.
www.a r m.org
by joe welch
joe welch
I began doing some enforcing but I saw
something I liked better, the lifestyle these
guys were living. I set a new goal for myself - to become the biggest drug pusher in
Kansas City. This was what I had always
wanted. The thing I did not enjoy about my
new life was the heat that came with it. As
a result, many of my friends would die or go
to prison.
Sleep finally came! When I awoke the next
morning things were different. The charges
against me were reduced and I was free to
return to Kansas City. Things were different spiritually too. I tried to use drugs again
but I couldn’t get high. The Lord had control.
and all God’s
people say, “AMEN!”
A
fter I answered the
phone, the
chaplain said, “The
Lord has blessed me
in many ways, and
He is showering me
with blessing on top
of blessing.”
how he would keep this promise, but he
prayed earnestly for God to provide.
The chaplain continued to appeal to the facility’s leadership for a baptistry, but the requests
were routinely denied. The chaplain never
forgot the promise he made to the 12 men
who longed for the opportunity to be joined
with Jesus in baptism, and he prayed that God
would provide a miracle that would allow
He explained that he has been a chaplain in these men to be baptized by immersion.
this correctional facility for over two years.
When he took over the program, it was After a morning of prayer, the mail was de“dead in the water.” A small handful of in- livered to his office, and he opened the enmates were spiritually starved, and an effec- velope from A.R.M. Prison Outreach. It
tive program had to be started from the contained a letter from Joe Garman offering
the donation of a
ground up. However,
baptistry.
The chapthe upper levels of
lain’s
heart
jumped
management opposed
for
joy
as
he
offered
all efforts for this
a
prayer
of
thanks“chaplain” to be any
giving to the Lord,
more than just an adand
quickly walked
ministrator of social
to
the
office of the
activities.
top administrator in
Efforts to serve the
the prison.
The
Lord’s Supper and
chaplain showed the
obtain a baptistry
letter to the very perwere repeatedly deson who had repeatnied. After two years of requests, he was fi- edly denied his request for a baptistry. The
nally able to begin offering the Lord’s administrator read the letter from A.R.M.
Supper to the faithful believers on just the and firmly replied, “Order it!”
first Sunday of each month. This was a beginning, but his appeals for a baptistry were The chaplain was overwhelmed with joy as
he returned to his office to phone A.R.M. and
still denied.
order the baptistry. He pleaded with me to
About a dozen dedicated inmate converts send it as soon as possible, because he
had already been pierced by the message of wanted to fulfill his promise to the “dozen
the Gospel and had approached the chaplain dedicated disciples” waiting to be united
with passionate faith in Christ Jesus and re- with the Savior in baptism. In closing he aspentant hearts. They humbly requested to sured me that the first Sunday he had the
be united with Christ in baptism. At that baptistry, he would baptize those 12 men.
time the chaplain could only provide them What a blessing to know that after waiting
with an opportunity to make a public con- for years, these 12 men will be able to expefession of faith in Christ the Lord, but he rience all the blessings of having been buried
promised them, “Before I leave this facility, with Him in baptism, and raised with Him
I will baptize all of you.” He did not know through their faith in the power of God!
www.ar m.org
5
lingering at sodom
by pastor mark smith, director, bible tracts, inc.
J
ust reading this article title probably turns your
thoughts to a man named Lot. He was in the
wrong place. He was dwelling in Sodom. The
story of God’s grace at work in sending heavenly
messengers to Lot can certainly be a picture worth
pondering by a soul winner.
All lovers of lost souls need to remind themselves
that they are God’s heavenly messengers. The angels of Genesis 19 first walked with Christ in chapter 18. Only after refreshing themselves with Him
were they sent to Sodom.
You know the Great Commission well. It has three
parts: evangelism, baptism, and teaching. The
three together make up discipleship. All this begins by Christ’s commissioning us to go to
“Sodom.” This world is certainly a Sodom-like
place. Its destruction is sure and may be soon. Our
message to all in “Sodom” is to flee the wrath to
come.
SODOM MEANS MORE
Sodom is more than a place from which to snatch
sinners; it’s also a place from which to snatch
saints. As difficult as it is for us to admit, Lot was
a justified and a righteous man (2 Pet. 2:6-8).
These words do apply to his standing before God.
They in no way apply to his walk before men. God
knew Lot’s heart. All we can see are his Sodomlike acts.
God is calling us to go to “Sodom.” We are to look
for lost souls and present day Lots. There are believers today who love the fleshpots of the modern day “Sodoms,” and there are many. We are
God’s messengers. We are sent to bring them out.
Hurtful and destructive consequences are on the
near horizon for them. They must be warned. But
let us beware of attempting this task without first
refreshing our souls in Christ’s presence.
SODOM DISGUISED
Present day “Sodoms” are not always easy to identify. Just as our enemy can transform himself into
an angel of light, so modern “Sodoms” can be disguised.
Some saints are lingering in churches that no
longer preach and teach the Word. These churches
may still use the Word but they justify sin and
lower standards of righteousness. A child of God
may find himself lingering in such a church. He
6
can give you many reasons for doing so but he
cannot give you the right reason. All the while he
lingers there his appetite for Bible manna diminishes. He begins to find more and more ways to
agree with the justifications used in his church. He
justifies and accepts things God has called us to
denounce.
in memory of
Gordon Bane
ARM TRUSTEE, GORDON BANE, DIES AT AGE 82
F
or 23 years (since 1992) Gordon Bane faithfully served on the ARM
Board of Directors. He usually drove 416 miles from Hugoton, KS
to Joplin, MO, spending the following day in an all day board meeting, then driving seven hours back to Hugoton. He never missed a meeting in spite of occasional sickness or threatening weather conditions.
Some saints are lingering in a romantic or close relationship that is in reality a “Sodom.” Oh, these
relationships have their perks—their momentary
benefits. The original Lot, too, had perks for living in the original Sodom. He was allowed to sit
in the city gates. But, he was deluded.
In addition he, and his wife Dorothy, were generous supporters of ARM and
Rapha House. Christ was first and foremost in their lives. Psalms 116:15
assures us, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.”
Gordon and Dorothy’s daughter and son-in-law, Donna and Mark
Willoughby, continue supporting ARM.
Lot did not make Sodom better. Sodom made Lot
worse. Yet, still he lingered there. To be saved
from the destruction that was coming, Lot had to
break away from his perks. He had to leave behind relationships. You, dear reader, may need to
abandon a “Sodom-like” relationship. This will be
required before you can be a heavenly messenger.
God included you
in His will.
Will you include Him
in yours?
SODOM BEHIND
Let me make one further plea to all that love lost
souls. It is not enough to leave “Sodom”. We
must also be concerned as to where we are headed.
Lot was warned not only to leave Sodom, he was
also told where to go (Genesis 19:17).
God had plans for Lot. What were they? I am not
told. All I do know is that God never sends one of
His saints to a location without a purpose. At bare
minimum, God wanted to meet with Lot in those
mountains, and Lot was in dire need of such a
meeting. He, though, thought simply leaving
Sodom was sufficient. Where he went next, Lot
thought, was open for discussion, but it was not!
Jesus is the Key that unlocks
Prison doors
American Rehabilitation Ministries
P.O. Box 1490
Joplin, MO 64802-1490
Tel. 417-781-9100 • Fax. 417-781-9532
Email. [email protected] • Web. www.arm.org
SHOP ONLINE AND SUPPORT ARM
AT THE SAME TIME
MOUNTAINS AHEAD
For you and me to be fit for God’s tasks, we need
Mountain Time with our God. Mountains in
Scripture represent places where holiness is found
(Mt. Sinai). It’s where God’s presence is found
(Mt. Zion). They are symbols of eternity (Gen.
49:26), strength, and stability (Ps. 97:5; 121:1-2;
Is. 40:12).
DaySpring is the world’s largest Christian greeting card company and is also a leading provider of art, Christian gifts, home
décor, jewelry and more. ARM has ministered in partnership
with DaySpring for over two decades and averages providing
more than 4.4 million Christian greeting cards to our nation’s
prison system each year.
Never bemoan what you are called to leave behind.
Look rather unto the hills ahead. Help will be
found there. God will meet you there. He will
make you fit unto every good work before you.
ARM is a recognized affiliate of DaySpring, which means that
you can go to our website at www.arm.org and click on the
DaySpring banner. A percentage of whatever you purchase will
be donated to ARM. It’s a fun way to shop and support ARM as
well.
www.ar m.org
www.ar m.org
7
by joe garman
PA I D
Non-Profit Org.
U.S.POSTAGE
to change
Joplin, MO 64801
Permit No. 32
from chains
He began with the GOSPEL OF JOHN and then proceeded to
CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE I followed by CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE II. After that he continued on to both of our courses on
ACTS, THE GOSPEL OF MARK, and GALATIONS AND
PHILIPPIANS. At last, he concluded with CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE III which emphasizes God’s “Amazing Grace.”
After receiving his eighth Certificate of Completion he wrote,
“May God bless you. I am writing to thank you for sponsoring
the costs of my Bible studies. I promise to share the knowledge I have gained with others. The greatest lesson I learned
is that without Christ and His grace, there is no hope! JESUS
IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE!”
Return Service Requested
T
hese were the words of a 17-year old boy when he was
sentenced to 30 years in prison without the possibility of
parole. Our own Joe Welch, director of American Bible
Academy began working with him and challenged him to enroll
in ABA. The young man did, and has now completed all eight
of our in-depth 120-page courses, each with high scores.
arm prison outreach, international
P.O. Box 1490 • Joplin, MO 64802-1490
“THE ONLY PEOPLE I CARE ABOUT ARE
ADOLF HITLER AND MYSELF!
HEIL THE FUEHRER! HITLER IS GOD!”
Here are a few other projects we have been working on:
From the River North Correctional Center
in Independence, VA
Because of ARM’s baptistry we have had several inmates baptized during the past few months. Also,
your Christ-centered materials have inspired them
to know and love the Lord, which is essential if they
are to persevere as Christians in this environment.
When these men feel that they have not been forgotten, the Spirit is able to do His work. We do so
much appreciate your assistance.
From the Little Sandy Correctional Complex
in Sandy Hook, KY
Thank you for the ABA Bible studies and Christian
resources. We enjoy reading the Bible and have
learned a lot from you. We pray for you and are
asking you to pray for the health and unity of the
church in this prison. Pray that we will all be more
effective with the gifts God has given us. Also,
thank you for coming to “Little Sandy” this past November, 2014, to teach the See through the Scriptures seminar. We really enjoyed it. ARM is
making a huge difference in the lives of many!
From the Broward Transitional Center
in Pompano Beach, FL
This is an Immigration Detention Center for those
awaiting response from the Judicial System. We
have approximately 600 men and women incarcerated here. Thank you for all you are doing to assist
us in this work. We are experiencing first time confessions of faith on almost a weekly basis. Nevertheless, there is much pain due to the separation of
families and the loss of jobs and homes, etc. But
God is in the business of restoring what Satan has
destroyed.