For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.... ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

-Matthew 25:35-37;40

At River of Hope, our mission is to search the Scriptures, find out what Jesus did and then follow His examples. He said in Matthew 9:12-13, "It is not the healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick....I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Our calling, as believers and followers of Jesus is to GO and minister to the people who have needs, who have not heard the Gospel (Good News) and let them know that there is hope in our Lord Jesus Christ! The prison system is full of people that either have never heard or need to be reminded of this hope. Statistics say that 95% of these men and women will return to society one day. If we want these people to enter back into society changed for the better, it is up to us to show them a better way.

We go into the prisons, not in judgement (that is the function of the court system), but we go armed with the truth of God's love that longs to see His creation restored. God has never been "mad" at the sinner, but His anger has always been toward the sin that seeks to destroy lives. God's love is such a powerful weapon against the strongholds of satan. We have seen it break addictions, heal abusive personalities, and even break through to the most hardened hearts.

We may not understand the circumstances that lead people down the paths that end in prison time, but there's one thing we know for sure... that even though we may mess up, and make mistakes, God is a loving Father that doesn't give up on His children. His love is enduring. According to 2 Peter 3:9.. He "is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for ALL to come to repentance. As long as a person still has breath left, THERE IS STILL HOPE!