Imprisoned, but Not Forgotten

By Cyriacus Akas

Once in everyones life, you are forced to deal with lifes unexpectancy. Whether that lifes unexpectancy happens to be an illness that had you bedridden for any period of your life, or it is a simple thought that managed to captivate your mind, they are no surprise to God who desires that you walk in freedom. This book allows you to see Gods escape route for any confinement. Wouldnt it be nice if you could have Gods plan? Hence, you are not oblivious of your enemys plan to erect a wall within you. But Jesus in his Word has declared,

In the World you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration;
but be of good cheer [take courage; be confi dent, certain, undaunted! For
I have overcome the World [I have deprived it of power to harm you and
have conquered it for you]. (John 16:33 [Amplifi ed])

If you are tired of living in the wall of prison (spiritual, mental, and physical) that was not meant for you to start with and you want your freedom, this book is for you. Do you know that God is so much interested with your freedom? As such, he is willing to trade places with you. But how bad do you treasure your liberty? Only you can answer that.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 19, 2010
• ISBN: 9781462839292

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Imprisoned,

But Not Forgotten

48248-AKAS-layout.pdf

Cyriacus Akas

Copyright © 2009 by Cyriacus Akas.

All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form—graphic, electronic or mechanical—without the written permission from the publisher, except the reviewer’s limited personal use only.

Scripture quotations properly marked Amplified were taken from the Amplified Bible © 1954, 1962, 1965 by the Lockman Foundation.

Scripture quotations were taken from the New King James version. © 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

The scripture quotations marked as ABS are from American Bible Standard, English Version.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

48248

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part One

1

2

3

4

Part Two

1

2

3

Part Three

1

2

3

Part Four

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Part 5

Conclusion

The Author’s Final Thought

Bibliography

The Akas family would like to dedicate this book to all those who have felt the weight of confinement—spiritual, mental, or physical.

Be willing to do what you have never done before,

Be willing to accept a failure when it comes,

But never sit on that failure.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I do acknowledge a directory of folks whose contribution to the success of this book is immense. They all deserve an award if this was a perfect world. Hence, this may not be, would you please settle with my deepest appreciation and thanks.

I do thank God for His immeasurable wisdom and understanding in enabling me to write this book.

Rainer Kunert and Alejandro Delgado. When I embarked on writing this book, no one watched it unfold but you. Only God can reward your tireless effort.

Mrs. Carolyn McPherson. Your eye for details and the push for perfection have a way of producing a pearl in someone. You truly have a mother’s instinct.

To my friends. You know who you are, and I need not mention you by names. Proverbs 27:17 declares, As iron sharpens iron, so [have you] sharpen [my] countenance.

My family. Paulinus Akas (Dad), Ham and Faustina Ekezie, Athanesius Akas, Sylvia Green, Dr. Bank Lebari and family; Casmir and Leona; Madu family and Frank Nnaji and other members. At times, I feel as if heaven must have been tired of your prayers for me, without which my deliverance would have been superficial. I owe you all my gratitude.

Barrington L, Nugent, London Harrison and Exon Emeka Nnani, I thank the Lord for your lives.

To Pastor Eun-Hye Choi and the members of Margan Park United Methodist Church (MPUMC). Would you grant me the opportunity to say thank you, and may God enrich your lives.

Dee Dee Osobor, Letha and Jeannette. You have been the Barnabas (encourager) to many who needed a hand to climb their next step.

To you, my readers. Nobody believed in you. God did and I too. When your condition was misread, God perfectly understood it; rejected but he accepts you. In your confinement, and the challenge that you face daily, God is ever present with you.

INTRODUCTION

Prison. That word by itself is very scary to many folks, but many people find themselves incarcerated either by choice or by circumstance that were beyond their control. It may not always be possible to determine all those who are in prison. But one thing that is certain is this, you will always know when you are in one.

As I was ready to commence the writing of this book, the Lord reminded me the day that I walked into a pet shop with my then eighteen-month-old son. This particular day, the mall was fairly empty because it was a workweek. As we walked into the store and made our way to the cages where the pets were caged in, suddenly many of them approached the door of the cages, determined on drawing our attention. The dogs were barking and the cats meowing. Even the sleeping snakes woke up from slumber with much anticipation of being set free. Have you wondered why they do that when you walk in? There is something about freedom that even the lesser intelligent creatures relish. Then, the Lord revealed to me that any kind of confinement must not be desired by his children. However, many of us do find tolerance for such a state, whether consciously or not.

Let us take a look at the definition of prison:

The state of confinement or captivity; a place of confinement especially for lawbreakers. (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10th edition)

Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible defines prison as follows:

The house of the bond or bondage [captivity]; house of restraint; round house or tower: house of inspection; enclosed or secure place; restraint; ward; place of bond; house; place of keeping; a place of guarding and to give along, up, over.

There are many folks who think of one place or thing when you mention the word prison. The only place that comes to mind is a building behind a big wall, where men and women are physically locked away from the sight of society. Yes, there is nothing wrong with such a narrow definition, except that it fails to account for a great number of people who are equally in prison without knowing it. These are prisons hardly mentioned among so-called civil society because of certain stigmas attached to prison—spiritual, physical, and mental confinements. Oftentimes folks in these confinements—mental and spiritual—are ashamed to reveal their struggle for fear of being stigmatized by families and friends. Even in some cultures and families, prison is not talked about because it is shameful to mention. Some of these people may be friends or family members, community leaders, politicians, or even business leaders. It is important for you to understand that, in spite of their state of confinement, God can find them if only he is welcomed and given an entrance in their hearts. The irony that I have noticed is that many people are in a self-imposed imprisonment without even realizing it. The mental imprisonment is one area many, including born-again, churchgoing, Holy Spirit-filled believers, can be in without even being aware of it. It is a prison where you have constructed the wall. Only you and God know the layout of the wall. Unfortunately, many people at times don’t have the power or self-will to scale that wall. But thank God, that one word from the Lord can break the chain and gate of your prison. Please bear in mind that the condition of prison points to denial of certain rights and privileges. Consequently, anything that deprives you of your God-given promise and provision has successfully imprisoned you and, therefore, kept you in the house of bondage. You have realized that Jesus came to our world solely to break your captivity (Isa. 61:1). God has done it in the past by visiting folks in prison with his plans of restoration and liberation that were beyond your thinking. The only point that remains is, will you be ready when he knocks on your cell door? He has promised: If you are driven out to the farthest points under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you and from there he will bring you back (Deut. 30:4).

This book is about God reaching folks like you and me in our physical, spiritual, or mental prisons because Jesus is mightier than your walls. Just one word from him will set you free.

PART ONE

SPIRITUAL IMPRISONMENT

THE BREATH

Thou are perfectly made when thou was thought

he said;

O! Spirit ye must be free declared thy

Creator,

Must ye be free or be bound, the choice

is thine.

Though ye are distressed, yet ye shall

take courage in thy maker.

But live and not die, arise O spirit and live

for no weapon which comes against thee shall withstand

thee.

Arise, O spirit be loose from what has bound

thee.

Arise and take strength within thee and glorify him.

1

GOD HAS A PROVEN RECORD

Many of us remember the collapse of a great wall that wrongly divided folks, the infamous Berlin wall, a wall that was built in a single night on August 13, 1961. Folks went to sleep that night, and when they woke up in the morning, the wall divided the city into two parts. When the wall was completed, the length of the barrier was 110 miles, varying anywhere from twelve to fifteen feet in height. With the wall up—guarded by armed guards, guard dogs, barbed wire, electric alarms, mines, and trenches—neighbors, friends, and families found out that they could no longer walk across the street to get a teaspoon of sugar for their morning coffee from their neighbors. Children from the same families found out how difficult it was to play together. This wall kept families and friends apart for more than two decades. Those who attempted to scale the wall were shot to death, and by all accounts, more than 170 people lost their lives.

However, twenty-eight years after the wall was in place, a sequence of events triggered its collapse. In 1989, there was a widespread protest by Berliners for more freedom, but prior to that, President Reagan, standing with the Soviet president, made a famous speech behind the great wall of the cold war. He declared, Mr. Gorbachev, tear this wall down! Several months after the speech, the wall came down as if the people from East and West Berlin needed someone to encourage them and speak on their behalf. It was historic indeed.

A Christian life can bear a resemblance to that situation. We may go to bed at night and wake up in the morning, finding ourselves in prison. Unfortunately, when we finally realize that we have been fenced in behind a great wall—prison—it seems impossible to escape. It may be likened to a stain in a white cloth that seems impossible to remove. But with the right solution, you can remove the stain and restore the cloth to its original glorious condition. The joy of every believer comes from realizing that Jesus can empower you with the strength to tear down your walls.

God has always had great interest in searching and finding his flock irrespective of one’s state of confinement. He is there as you face a situation that seems like prison. Prison in this respect is not limited to a structure. One definition of prison is a state of confinement. There are different kinds and levels of confinements. There can be spiritual, mental, and physical confinement. It doesn’t matter which one you may encounter in life. They all have several things in common. Generally, it is associated with confinement, captivity, loneliness, deprivation of rights or things, and a state of separation. You may know someone who is incarcerated physically but exhibits an exuberant state of freedom that words cannot explain. There are others we know to be physically free but are bound in mental or spiritual confinement. Whatever state you may find yourself, God is certainly able to speak to you in your period of separation and loneliness. How can this be possible? The answer may depend on individual perception. As you read through these chapters, you may conceive of being confined and of God finding you and causing you to be delivered. We have all experienced a state of confinement. God is not constrained by the confines of your physical, mental, or spiritual imprisonment. He will not force his way through to you. Prison is not limited to a structural restriction of individual movement or rights. Prison can be within your mind and spirit.

The Bible tells of several instances where men and women alike encountered the presence of God in the midst of their states of loneliness or separation. One man who had this sort of encounter is Jacob.

God has an unusual way of catching up and changing folks we called fugitives and turn them into holy men. Jacob was a man on the run after conning his brother Esau into giving up his birthright. Our journey will begin in Genesis chapter 27 when he took flight as a result of stealing the blessing that was naturally not his (verses 36, 42-45). How strange it can be for us who may find ourselves on the run when nobody is chasing us. For instance, you will be surprised to know that many people who avoid entering the church building do so because in their spirit, they are running away from God. It reminded me of what I used to do when I was growing up. I avoided walking through the graveyard, especially if I know somebody who was buried there. For me, it was the spirit of fear that kept me in bondage. But for many others, it could be the spirit of guilt that haunted them. I heard a man say to a friend, When you take someone that didn’t belong to you, you will always have to spend the rest of your life defending it. That statement is quite true to things that affect our spiritual vision. And we see that unfold in the life of Jacob. On the instruction of Rebekah, his mother, Jacob went into a forced exile in Haran due to the threat on his life (verse 42). He made his way on the lonely trip and stopped on the way to rest; he faced boredom and loneliness, characteristics of isolation or imprisonment. Guess who finds Jacob alone as he slept? God. God had to identify himself because Jacob was not familiar with the voice of God.

The greatest challenges one may face during a period of isolation are the twin attacks of boredom and loneliness. The sad thing about these two spirits is that you can be within the companionship of friends and family and still find yourself engulfed with these spirits. If you can overcome these two spirits, your chance of rehabilitation is very good. During this period, you may hear a message from the Lord speaking to you concerning your struggle. The words that might be tailored for your problems.

Have you found yourself facing a problem in your life and suddenly you are reading the Bible or in prayer, then comes a scripture that the Holy Spirit showed you to meditate on and that deals on what you are going through? I have experienced that. It was a period of your life when you were constantly in spiritual drought because of the memory of your past. And nothing that you do seems to excel. To many people, the solution is to have a pity party that you didn’t invite anybody. The worst part of it is that even if at all you invited anybody, they were not coming because folks are not interested in your depressed and lonely state. I remembered one day that I had my bout and picked up the Bible to read, not knowing where to read or what I was looking for even though I was having a struggle of my life spiritually. As I was flipping through the pages of the Bible, suddenly my eye and finger stopped on Isaiah 43. I could feel something telling me to read the first four verses.

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. I gave Egypt for your ransom  . . . Since you were precious in my sight. You have been honored, and I have loved you; therefore I will give men for you. (Isa. 43:1-5)

I had felt the Lord telling me to read the first four verses, and every place that I saw the words O Jacob or O Israel, I wanted to put my name on it. Before I could finish reading those verses, tears began to well up on my eyes. I was crying like a baby, and I began to ask the Lord to forgive me for not seeing myself as he sees me because he has given all that he had for me, for I am precious, honored, and loved. Since then, I held on to those verses day and night, and never let go of them. As a matter of fact, in my Bible where it had Jacob and Israel, I had my name marked next to it. Nobody had to instruct me to go to these verses or scripture but the Lord. To me, it was a way that the Lord had reassured my unfettered deliverance that I saw unfold before my eyes.

Jacob received a message that said, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you (Gen. 28:15). This promise was Abraham’s, and it was extended to Jacob. The word that Jacob received was modified to meet his specific need, and Jacob responded as follows:

If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my Father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God.

And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that you give me I surely give a tenth to you. (Gen. 28:20-22)

This is a typical response from men/women who are experiencing separation or confinement of any kind, be it physical, spiritual, or mental. The If  . . . then prayer is used by those who are held captive by anything in life. It is a conditional prayer. Many have been in a place where they attempt to plea bargain with God. Lord, if you will  . . ., then  . . . Jacob’s ultimate desire is to be brought back to [his] father’s house in peace (verse 21).

After spending more than fourteen years in exile, his attempt to return home to his father’s house was not without glitches. When Jacob was separated from everything and everyone he had known, he attempted to continue his deceptive practices. Jacob who is called a supplanter and deceiver has now met his match. If you remember, he had conned everybody who crossed his path. When you are in your state of confinement, it is usually the period you find out how much fighting spirit is in you. Jacob encountered God and wrestled with him until the breaking of day. By all accounts, he showed that he