Convicted for loving Jesus

It is often said that the eyes are the window to the soul. These eyes are intense; yet subtle. Strong; yet vulnerable. They are full of life with an overshadowing of death. They seem to tell an enigmatic story. Yes! I can see a soul through those big, brown, eyes. It seems to be SCREAMING, FIGHTING, PLEADING; but its cries go unheard encaged behind a steamy, fog clouded glass. Its tears becoming the dew, slowly dripping down the window of despair. Those eyes seem to be a prisoner of a lifetime of pain. Those are the eyes of Daniel Brown.

As I sat watching Daniel Brown’s story on a TV program, I was astounded and heartbroken to learn about this man losing the innocence of his life. Mr. Brown was alleged to have raped and murdered a female companion whom he had casually dated. Danny, as his family called him, had a rock solid alibi and there was no physical or tangible evidence connecting him to the crime. The only witness to the murder was the deceased’s six-year-old son. And unfortunately, it was because of his sole testimony–albeit ambigious–Mr. Brown was sentenced to a lifetime in prison.

Sadly, there was no justice in this case for either side; Mr. Brown would spend 19 years locked up in a jail cell while three small children would be emotionally locked up not being able to enjoy the precious gift of a mother. After almost two decades later Mr. Brown, who was never before in trouble with the law, was eventually exonerated at the advent of DNA technology. The DNA evidence linked the murder to that of a known serial killer. But unfortunately–at press time of this writing–the state of Ohio refuses to expunge Danny’s criminal record, maligning him still a convicted murderer.

I kept turning this story over and over in my mind, contemplating the physical loss of human life: death and incarceration. This is one but of many cases of injustice in the legal system, but I couldn’t help but ponder the injustices many also endure in the religious system. An injustice where in some parts of the world Christians are forced to worship covertly–in underground hideouts, dugouts, and even caves–for fear of their lives. It made me think about the the physical bondage many Christians endure simply by claiming Jesus as their Lord and savior.

http://www.jesus-loves-you.org/?p=4804

Those disciples that have a call on their lives to serve in ministry, I believe, are attacked most severely because satan is still aggressively trying to stop the movement of the Gospel. Likewise, he tries the case with no evidence but is ever ready to convict. He assigns his counsel of chief demons–in the form of man–to viciously persecute God’s saints! This was the same diabolical spirit that was sent to deceive Eve in the Garden of Eden at the very beginning of God’s creation in the Old Testament. And, also the same spirit that was responsible for the Apostle Paul’s numerous stonings, lashings and imprisonment that ultimately resulted in him being beheaded in the New Testament.

In the book of John God admonished his disciples, telling them that the world, or the spirit that’s in the world will not receive them because they are following Christ:

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you~John 15:18-20.

Unfortunately, Mr. Brown spent the prime years of his young life physically and mentally locked up behind bars, enduring tumultuous years of hardship, isolation, and one would suppose hopelesness, for a crime he didn’t commit. But how many Christians across the globe are serving the same life sentences; being beaten, tortured, burned, mutilated, and killed for a crime waged against them by a false witness–the crime of loving Jesus.

If you would like to read about Danny Brown’s story or have a loved one that you believe is falsely incarcerated please visit Centurion ministries’ website for more information:

http://www.centurionministries.org/cases/daniel-brown/index.php

http://forejustice.org/db/Brown–Daniel—Danny—.html

Please also get involved and support a ministry that helps persecuted Christians. Here are a few to consider:

http://www.persecution.org/
http://www.smyrnaministries.org/africa
http://injesusname.org/
http://www.christianpersecution.info/