Flames Erupt During Execution

Butterworth calls incident a deterrent

Associated Press

STARKE - A condemned murderer's black leather face mask burst into flames as he was electrocuted Tuesday...(From yesterday's newspaper).

The article on the front page gripped my attention, because of the ministry that I have done on Death Row. I know many men who are condemned to die. I have been with men before they were executed. One of them was the first person I met on death row. He assured me when I met him that he would get off death row through the appeals process. We became very close friends. He was enrolled in three different Bible colleges and was ordained into the ministry. Some called him "The Apostle of Death Row."

I will never forget the night he was executed. I was able to serve him his last communion. The chaplain, his assistant, his wife and family members were there, along with his attorneys. It was tough to say goodbye. I cried most of the way home that night. It's still a difficult thing for me when I think about it.

I just read a medical account of the crucifixion of Jesus from The Journal of the American Medical Association. It was complete with illustrations. My friend was executed for a crime he committed. My Savior was executed for crimes I committed. Both of the men suffered the anguish of knowing that they were going to die. My friend's execution was over in minutes. Jesus' execution included being stripped naked, getting whipped 39 times, being slapped, and having soldiers spit on him. They drove a crown of thorns into His head, then hit him on the head with a rod. Then they drove 6" spikes through his hands and feet. They left Him on the cross for 3-6 hours and let him die.

I cannot understand how the Creator would allow those He created to do such terrible things to His son to pay for crimes that we have done. Two things I know for sure. God is serious when it comes to paying the price for sin, and He surely must love us to let Jesus go through all that suffering, so that we can have a relationship with Him.

People often ask me why I can care for people in prison. I have even had people tell me, "Jim, if you would reach out to normal people, then I would help to support your ministry." Even good Christian folks sometimes wonder why I have dedicated myself to ministering to those in prison and jail.

There are many reasons. First God cares about them. He loves people in prison just as much as he loves preachers who build great churches. Every person is of equal value to God, because everyone has only one soul that will live forever. Secondly, 95 percent of the people in prison are going to get out one day. If we do not reach them while they are there, the chances of us reaching them later is very slim. Lastly, I've been there and done that. I know that there are other Jim Britnells in prison who will get out and be called into the ministry and lead many others to the Lord.

People in prison are usually people who have families. It is rare for me to meet someone who has no family. Two nights ago I met someone who hitch-hiked from Alaska to Alabama, was arrested, and is now in prison. He claims he has no family, and that he left Alaska going to Miami to catch a boat to South America. This man had never been in church before, and never knew the Lord until he came to prison. Now, he is right with God. He will be getting out one day. His life will never be the same.

When people go to jail, we can't throw them away or act like they don't exist. They will be returning to society soon. We must reach them.

After conducting the conference at Sumter Correctional Institution last month, I received this E-mail from an officer who also was there when I did my time. He was an unusual officer, because he stood so strong for the Lord, and was always a great encouragement to us.

Jim, Many blessings to you and family. I read with interest your latest article. It was very well done! The only thing that I would have added would have been three former inmates and a former correctional officer back to SCI. I hope that next time you are there that you would consider asking an old, over the hill preacher to come along.

Look forward to hearing from you. Harvey

Needless to say I have made arrangements for Harvey to join us in the fall when we return.

We have driven our van over 250,000 miles. A dear friend recently came to our house and said that he was praying and wanted to help us get another vehicle. He wrote us a check for the ministry for $1,000.00. I told another friend of mine about it and he asked me, " What do you want me to do?" I told him all he had to do was pray for me. He said, "I'll write a check for a thousand dollars." Then another friend told me he will write a check for a thousand dollars. You do not have to write a check for a thousand dollars, but I do want to ask you to pray for us concerning another vehicle.

When the twins turned 15 years old in December, we told them they could obtain their driving permit when "certain conditions" were met. They had to get into the habit of wearing their seat belts without being told, and show more responsibility and maturity. (This is, of course, determined by their parents, only.) They also had to come up with the money to pay for the required drug education course, which would cost $25.00 each. We told them that we would not keep them from obtaining their permit, but that neither would we initiate it, pay for it, or remind them about it, because it was not something that we felt was absolutely necessary right now. (When we were reading in the newspaper regularly of teens involved in serious accidents, we were becoming even less eager to teach our own teens to drive!) When they had the money and were already registered for the class, then we would make sure they got there.

At one point, they thought they had a summer job working at a plant nursery and redhouse near our home. At their interview, however, they found out that the owner would require them to work on Sunday, so that idea fell through. Then about two weeks ago, a lady sat behind us at church on a Wednesday evening. She came up to me after church with an envelope marked for the twins. She said as she kept looking at the twins, she felt strongly impressed to give them some money. Then she asked if there was maybe something they had been wanting or something they had been wanting to do but needed a certain amount of money to do it? I gulped. "Well, yes", I said, "There IS something they've been wanting to do, but it would cost them each $25.00, and we told them we would not pay for it." I went on to explain about the class, as I stood holding the sealed envelope in my hand that was addressed to my older boys. When she found out that the class was to cost them each $25.00, she exclaimed, "That's how much I felt impressed to give each of them!" I admit, my first reaction was "Oh no, do I have to tell them about this, yet?" We just laughed, as I thanked her and told her how excited the boys would be.

Indeed, the boys were excited and amazed at how the Lord met a "need". (At least in their opinion, it's a need.) As I write this article, they have just completed the four hour course. When I went to pick them up, I couldn't help notice how immature most of the kids looked coming out of the class, and that they would all soon be on the roads! Our boys have already called our insurance agent to see if they would need to pay insurance, also. I was surprised, but our insurance will not be affected until they have their permit for one year, or they obtain their regular driver's license. It looks like the boys will have their driving permit before long. Please, pray!

Words could never adequately express our deep gratitude for all of you on our team. We could not go alone. Thanks for standing in the gap for us.