From Inmate to Minister—How Rob’s Encounter Sparked a Jail Revival

A Powerful Conversion Story

I've read the Koran for 34 years and he stood up and evangelized and the whole thing just got saved. He's like I've read it for 34 years in my life never have I got what I got out as soon as I started reading the word of God. And I started really reading the Bible and it come the life to me and I want baptize now. And he comes and I'm like this from saying there's a hunger.

Hey, I'll thank you for jumping into another episode of the podcast. I have a kind of spur of the moment we are getting ready for a time of worship and prayer at the table on Harrisburg and my good friend Rob Reynolds is here. I'm here with Jason. Hey, I wrote him in the sitting down and having the random out of nowhere a conversation if we literally. Maybe this doesn't speak to preparedness alive. But we literally just decided on the topic as we were having our discussion prior to sitting down. And so we're just gonna bring y'all into that conversation and on talk about the harvest of what the Lord is doing.

A Vision of Harvest

You know, it's interesting as you guys were talking. I was on I was remembering a vision. I think I shared this with you that I had earlier this fall. Where on the Lord had showed me that I was going to the garden with a tiller and I was supposed to be going to the garden of the basket. That I was in this mindset of going into the garden to break the ground up. Associates and the Lord was trying to say and know it's a time to get your basket and go out and collect. The fruit that's already grown and so y'all were talking about you're kind of the fruit of some of your evangelistic ministry. You know what you're seeing the Lord doing the prisons and kind of what you guys were talking about what you see and happen here at the table.

I got is just moving everywhere and. It really is a season of harvest, you know to see the harvest condense. So let's just follow that thread and you guys want to jump in and. Rob let me ask you tell me a little bit about what's happening in and with the ministry that you're leading the way ministries and on. What you're seeing the Lord doing the jails the prisons right now.

Unprecedented Salvations in Jails and Prisons

Oh pretty may very easy. It was just telling Jason literally to use some regional jail, which we were outspit two out of half years in prison in jail. In some several other time before that, but uh, that's where God had me. The devil had me for a while, but then God has released me back in there and I've seen in a couple months since I'd say september. October.

September October and a little end of November so two and a half months maybe we've seen 83 salvation of the men. I go to an increased three services a day and then there's ran. 35 baptism with the men then end of appreciative women, which is normally not even something they do, but he's like hey. You want to preach the wind on them like absolutely? There's been 18 or 19 women get their life to rise all of them are waiting to be baptized. There's 20 more on the baptism list for the men and then I'm getting in the juvenile center up in chick-bubbie and. There's out of 23 keys 18 of those had given their life to Christ and they're getting ready to go through the Cypalship series. That I just got approved and I mean I'm seeing things.

Honestly, if I could be as real as that can be which I will you know me? I'm seeing things happen in the jail that lots of times I'm not seeing in the church right now out of. Either unsaved or backslid in. Christians that don't even understand it it like I mean I've cast demons out almost every time on there out of people. It's a I mean, it's what you're gonna get when you go there you better ready for that for sure and. There's this I remember one guy that. Like there were so many demons coming out of him, but he still could hear voices and he's like. They won't leave and I watched eight other guys in the room. Tattooed hard men come around this man while he's weeping lay hands on him and every one of them is still going. You remember when you've spoke Matthew six of her me? You remember when you spoke a loop set like and they started quote the scripture back to him how they encouraged him and I thought wow. This is real. This is really God pulling out in the jail seal.

God's Favor in Dark Places

It's happening in the chaplain. He's wasn't used to it. He's just like I I don't know what to do. I'm like it's God's favor the the the the guards and the jail that hated him in the beginning. Are actually coming to him ashing the pray for him he giving him favor now and helping with the baptisms. And so it's like God is just coring out. This way though this presence in his goodness all over place. Seen in high schools and the robbers the jails the prisons the rehabs. It's just crazy. I love it. Yeah, man. That's awesome as in advancing. I love the harvest. Yeah, we talk about that all night, but I just.

I think we're in a season though of. I mean even being an ag person. Okay, that's the most evangelistic. Supposed to denomination out there, right? Yeah, but everywhere I go. It's like where they at. All right, I think we've had generations where we've really lost. The the want to get out and go cast our net. So I think that's what lordsman speaking to me lately like we haven't been tending the nets getting them ready to go. But now Jesus is saying launch out into the deep go to the dark places go to the places nobody wants to go. It's time get ready for the harvest.

And so I'm really believing for an evangelistic move to come back. Yeah, you know, yeah. I don't know. Jason, how's that resonate kind of what you guys have seen happen. Yeah, here at the table and here in the carousenburg. Rocking the county area, you know. Robbie mentioned the nets and in in January we were at a. Um. A little mini conference with Nate gibbler and. I had a vision that um. That the first part of the year that the Lord was was getting. His churches and in the ministries ready and the second half of in of this year. That the harvest was going to be starting. And um. Man for us. It's kind of been on the campuses.

A Hunger for Real and Authentic Faith

You know, there there's been just this. This thing of. Redigging wells of revival on campuses. It's in cities and. As we were talking about this Gen G Gen Z generation and the younger generation there is a hunger. There's a hunger for real and authentic. They've they've seen it fake too much. They've seen the. The they've played the game too long or they've seen the game played too long and they're hungry for real. And so we've just seen a wave of ones that are hungry for discipleship like they want to know the Lord better. And that's uh for us. That's been really encouraging and I mean it's you you mentioned school ministry. It's earlier and uh.

So last year we launched something called in countership and really what has been is this community discipleship an opportunity to bring people together. Walk with them and know not only the Lord better but get to know family better. And so it's yeah, I think a revival of family is beginning in this season. That's powerful with Gen Z folks. How to curiosity both of you guys have seen God do some tremendous things, you know. Jason need to work here Rob. I mean, I know you've been out. You've seen some incredible moves of God. It's some of the high schools and services the lords allowed you to plan it in. Are you guys seeing for the most part are these unchurched or these. Are these younger folks that were church and the version of Christianity? They were brought up and didn't quite work or is it kind of a mixture like I'm just curious son.

I think it's a mixture. I was telling him earlier when we was talking about that she said when he's talking about the harvest. You know, I think the enemy is always greedy and over plays his hand. Like he he so he doesn't just take an answer you want some out. You know what I mean and like he has been doing that and doing that and doing that and I think he's gotten this generation both. The loss that have just been broken and never been in church. You know, I mean obviously they've seen the judgmental side of the church and don't want it. But then you have the ones that's grown up in it. But it's they have no point of reference of really a move of God. It's just been a tradition that everybody did in their family and like he said it's just not working. It's not real. It's kind of just this thing they do. And then you know people live differently through the week and like that's not working.

The Realness of the Gospel

And I think you've got a mixture of both of them people that are just saying show me the real thing. And if the enemy pushing all that away and taking the Bible out of school and doing all of this stuff and all the confusion with gender and all of that. Like all of that's going to looks really really bad. But I think he's messed up and gotten people so broken that if we'll just take him to gospel. That's ready for the raw real gospel that sets him free. And if we'll just go out and do that if we'll launch out into the deep. You know, it's what he's talking about in Luke 5. He's like Peter launch out into the we fished all night no launch out. We've been fishing. We've been trying even now they're broken and they're ready go launch your nets. Yeah, try the other side. Yeah, similarly. I think it's a it's a mixture. Um of both the both those that have grown up in the church and then those that are just discovering this. Um. For the first time.

There's a couple years ago. I was asked to come share it a evangelism committee at a just a more traditional church in the area and. They they were interested in young people. How do we get young people involved? How do we get young people to our church? And um a couple of people like so should we we provide like hot dogs should we give pizza for them to come and I'm like. Ah guys, I don't know if that's going to work. I think you got to go get it like go to the campuses. Go to the college campus. Good little high school campuses start building relationship. Show the show these the youth of America that you care. And. That's what changes hearts and it's really like. I mentioned this earlier, but I feel like that we're really in a season of restoring. Family yeah.

The enemy has done a great job of tearing apart family. And it was God's idea to begin with right like he's our father. So he is he's created this concept of family and he's bringing in and this kind of last week David Bradshaw was here and. He's getting ready to launch this. Communion table up in DC next up for the feast of tavernacles and it's bringing people to the table like that the table a powerful thing happens. Right you eat. But then when you eat together like you just do life. Yeah. Yeah, you fellowship. There's family. It's it's um, it's powerful. Yeah, you think a lot of the digital age. I mean a lot of what I mean. I think we're all part of the generation that had to adopt and adapt to social media. It didn't exist. Yeah, but mean really a lot of the stuff that gets a lot of flak from the younger generation like it. It really is that it's rude. It's the desire to connect to people. Yeah, yeah, and.

Deep Connection and Family Restoration

I think the church has not done a great job with that because the you know, it's like it's like the younger folks have. 20,000 Instagram followers. You know, I'm saying they're right. They don't have any Instagram followers. They'll put it they'll put a picture up like once every two months. But yet when they do it's like massive because they're like one-on-one connected in DMs. You know, I'm saying there's like this this deep connection that's taking place. It's funny you guys mentioned the family. I was on. Apple released a TVI this last week. And it was the first time in a long time that I've seen one of these really large companies. Like positively represent the family. Oh, well, there was a mom. There was a competent dad. You know, I'm saying and there were two kids in this in this ad. In your seeing this now like for the first time and this is non-Christian companies. Yeah, it's usually your hyperwoke companies that do all the nonsense and yet you're seeing this family presented. Wow, and there's something there is something shifting right now. Yeah, it's really interesting to watch. Yeah.

I think one other thing that I've learned. Walking with just. You know, we we we specified as this Gen Z generation Gen Alpha's coming right behind, but. And they they want to see they want to be heard they want to be involved. They don't necessarily you know, I think our generation we would have we would have went and served and been like. Okay, our leaders would have said okay. It's not your time yet. Maybe in five years. You can go. That's not working with this this group of kids. They want to see it at the table now. They want to be involved. They want to see where they can be put to use and they want to do it. Yeah. And if we can figure out how to work with that and navigate that in the right way. Wow, what a blessing for all of us. Yeah, which increases the harvest. Like yeah, well the internet's been the great equalizer. Yeah, 20-year-olds that are multi-millionaires. Starting companies in the bedrooms. I mean, that's crazy. Yeah, we didn't have that one.

I tell people all that time. I'm glad door-dash didn't exist because I'd have been I'd have been door-dash in in between. You're gonna say and like there's no question. Dude, I drove a cab there. I'm on meth runs. Yeah. He might have been door-dash in meth rooms. Yeah. Flipping it and selling the food all of it all at once. It had been but like just this dent generate. It's just different or I know then when we were coming up. Yeah, or sorry you were saying something. I started talking about door-dash and. That's it all right. I said I would have been like I was driving a cab during that stuff. You know what I mean? So I figured out how to incorporate but we didn't have door-dash or any of that, you know.

Giving Them a Point of Reference

But it's sitting there thinking about how we can. How we can tap into and again, I think. A lot of it. And we said a conference a few weeks ago with a bunch of mentors that I know we stand in trust and a lot of. Tony Swarrows was there and a couple other people and really was talking about. How. We've missed it. So I'm as a whole in the church. For these next generations by giving them really a point of reference of a move of God right a point of reference of. Psalms wonders miracles that are normal. You know, I mean they're normal see of you know Gen Z's church is like show up on Sunday good worship. 20 minutes in a word and roll out right there's really no sound I mean half times you go to church is not even a salvation call. There's nobody at the altar and like we're wondering why they don't want anything that they want to be hands-on. They want to get involved then if God's not moving like we wonder why they're drifting away. There's no real point. I'm not saying there isn't but this it's yeah a few and far between. You got to really seek I know where I'm at you got to seek I got to drive 35 minutes or come up here two hours to. Find the church that's really moving. And it's hosting the presence of God not just having some traditional thing.

I think we've all over the last two decades. I watched this on. This multi-campus corporate church model. Become prevalent and popular because I remember when we were first getting involved in ministry. It wasn't it was the one all like the large churches and I'm not going to my wife church. No, Chris go that that really. Popularized the the corporate church if you will you know church in a box you can go in launching the community. Three or four hundred people come out and then you're getting to multiple services. Multiple locations very fast and so what it created is this 60-minute. Yeah, they're not experienced where it was easy to hide. Yes, and and there's been some don't get me wrong. There's been for some of those churches. I get it. But that this generation that's what they kind of a lot of them were raised and seen. Yes, that were involved in church and yet now it's like the small as being evaluated again.

You guys talk about people being hungry like we've been involved in teen challenge for 15 years and. You used to have to pull tooth and nail to get guys to respond. But we got guys coming in and within two three weeks they're standing over here in the corner your worship hands in the air. You know not thinking everybody's crazy because they're dancing yeah, and like guys getting saved and baptized and telling somebody else about Jesus. Yes, yeah, you know, and it used to be these five six-month journey to get guys to get them to that. Yeah, like that they're actually engaging. There's a hunger. Yeah, rather than they grew up in church or not. That is there right now, and it's it's pretty it's pretty astonishing. That's that's happening at the jails too.

I'm almost telling him earlier like there's been two Muslim guys at the regional jail that came. And they're like yeah, I know this Jesus guy, but I you know find him like okay cool man. And then demons were cast out stuff was happening there just sitting there and the guy came two or three weeks and a go a row in the chaplain. Called me like a week later and said hey, you're not gonna believe it. Guess what the Muslim guy was like yeah, he gave his life to Christ in the sale and he's on fire. Wait till you come he wants baptized and so we did baptisms and he's right in the front row. And I said, I gotta know like I've heard like you give your life to Christ and he said. Pastor, I got to tell you. I'm like what he said. I've read the Quran for 34 years and he stood up and evangelized in the whole thing. Just got saved. He's like I've read it for 34 years in my life. Never have I got what I got out as soon as I started reading the word of God. And I started really reading the Bible and it come the life to me and I want baptize now and he comes and I'm like. It's from saying there's a hunger and then there's a guy that come in.

Two weeks ago and he pushed his Bible to the front and I'm like how you don't because I always ask him. What do you know in here? What do you want out of chapel? What do you want? And he's like this thing's not even real. It's just a storybook that you read to your kids at night and I said I just pray by the end of the service. Holy Spirit touches you where you realize that it's tangible. That's presence is all over you and I started telling my testimony and I heard just. And I turn around and he's just bawling and I'm like you okay? He's like, I don't know what it is. And like yes, Lauren and I just stopped. I'm like Zen by else want to give your life to Christ because I'm assuming you do. He's like yeah and four people did and he couldn't even repeat what I was saying. Because he was sobbing so much there's a broken hunger in this and people a desperation. Yeah, like you're saying. It's it's not as hard it is because I really feel like the heart. He's prominent harvest. Yeah, that's good. Yeah, it's good. It's been easier to witness like then normally and yeah, yeah, we had a guy.

I'm not gonna tell the whole story because I don't want to. When we're playing by him blast, but we had a guy minister to a dude or his job. And he hit him on some things. We got from our church got fired up on Sunday went minister to his co-worker and. Hit him pretty hardcore on something that would have got him fired should have got fired the way he meant and normal culture. But the dude responded to it should have a church a week later. Gave his life to Christ at the altar and was in the water two weeks later. You know and like. Yeah, and the wrong moment. Have what he challenged a moment. I got him fired. Yeah, but yet the Lord used that and there is there's just an openness to hear the truth of the gospel.

How We Respond to the Hunger

So how do we respond and so on the hunger that we're seeing in in Gen Z folks like you know Jason. You guys have got this song unique environment here. You know where it's it's small. It's intimate, you know, it's close. I've heard you use the thing life to life one-to-one discipleship life one life discipleship over and over since I've known you. I mean what what kind of program do we create for people right kind of talking cheek question. You know like yeah, I yeah that just just in general like how do we respond to the hunger and people yeah when I um. I think this is part of the my answer, but I think the X two and three church. Um is the model of. I think what is what is coming what is happening right now. Um. Because it's it's a meeting in homes. It's meeting in intimate places. It's meeting. It's not this this and not not against the corporate. But it's not everything corporate Jesus wise. It's you know Jesus meets us in our room. He meets us in our secret place and I feel like that's that's a big part of it is the secret place. You know this this this generation they know the lingo they they've been they've grown up with the lingo. But I don't know if they know how to cultivate it. Yeah, secret place. Well, yeah, that's where you meet with God. But do you know how to do it? Do you know how to get into that place and allow the Lord to speak to you? Do you know how to hear his voice?

So that's I think for for us that's been a big play a big piece of just teaching intimacy with the Lord. Not just expecting that you have it without laying it out step by step. Yeah. Yeah, that's really good. You you you have a generation that does has never had more information available to them. Like what are they gonna do with more information? Yeah, you know what I'm saying like there's nothing right to put. I can't believe to be some application. Yeah, it's like yeah, it's got it. There's got to be that encounter that experiential encounter. It's got to a place because like I mean I think about this as a pastor all the time everybody in my church. Can pull up somebody that can preach 15 times better than me. Yeah before they leave the parking lot. You know what I'm saying like like like there's nothing I can there's no eloquence that I can get. Yeah, I mean it's Paul talked about that right. He said I don't come with my eloquence speech. Demonstration of power, you know, and that really is what I think the Lord. Like yeah, just in my perspective. There's got to be that and. As a people don't get sad they're not satisfied. We're just you know, yeah, in a three-point sermon. Wow. And um and there's a place for that. Don't get me wrong. It's necessary. The preaching of the word is important. Right, but it's got to be packed in with some experiential.

I think it's the John 1421 manifest presence. Where Jesus says there's a that love me will keep my commands and I will reveal myself to them. He manifests himself on those others encounters that we're talking about, you know my son last January. You know, he had he'd grown up in the church gone through the well in my opinion. I would say he'd gone through the motions for a long time. But in January had an encounter with the Lord for two hours woke up different. And you know has has been running on fire since and it's that manifest presence that encounter with the Lord that that shifted things. And. Really like. We all know who how how we encountered the Lord, you know, it probably wasn't just a regular church service. You know like the Lord showed up in a prison. The Lord showed up in a way and he made himself real. And I think that's um. Yeah, that is that is what I'm praying as we continue is like well, let me let me just back up real quick. Um. Kind of in 2020 when we were birthing all this I was listening to a sermon by Michael Miller. And he he presented this concept of ministering to the Lord. Well in ten years of vocational ministry. I was always taught received from the Lord and give to people ministering to the Lord. Why does he need ministry? And. What I've learned in this process is all we have to do is host this presence. Yeah, we welcome him in here. He chooses to use us. He doesn't need to he chooses to. But when he shows up he knows what every single person needs and one of the example Michael gave that there was the guy that was sitting in this church. Um. For a long you know a long time he was a drag queen for a really long time and um. Was came up to Michael after one of the services and said hey, uh, you know, I've been I've been sitting here for a long time. Um. I want to go all in do you have a program that you can turn me on to that I can jump into. And Michael's like no. Just keep coming and let the Lord finish what he started.

And I think we we've been a generation that is programmed for everything. We've given you a program for this and this and this specifically we just need the present. The presence of the Lord shifts and change everything. Yeah. Well, that's where like I've been. Of course, I told you like I got a five and a six year old. So I guess that's the alpha generation. So I've been trying to say, you know, okay god like my other kids. I got saved in the middle of them, you know what I mean? So they knew all bad for one season. And now they're getting all Jesus. But I have these two ones and these young ones got how do I cultivate like of course? I'm getting them in a word and I'm praying for them and we got specific scripture. We pray a lot before we get a bed, but I'm like God what and and this is what you said like just what you said. And it's the Lord speaking to me too if I'm not passing on my intimate secret place. What good is all the scripture doing I'm not saying it's not good. But like you you need both and it's like yes, we can teach them that we don't think it's like we we forget that hey. They're little babies, but they can still understand that five or six and so God was like yes teach them. So we started at night just taking and they're young they can't do it too much like I can sit for an hour now. And just you know be with the Lord. So we started at night before bed is like getting 15 minutes. And turning on a worship song sometimes just one worship song and just teaching them hey, let's just sit. We're not gonna say nothing. We're gonna believe and dad's gonna like prophesy over you that God would come down visit you. You would feel his presence and know he's real and you can talk to him just like we're talking if he don't say anything. It's okay, but you're gonna hear the voice of God eventually and we're gonna sit and do that.

And so I feel like it's the same thing when you're getting new baby Christians and. If we're not firstly rooting them in the intimate secret place. We can shove all the knowledge we want, but they're missing the encounter experience not that it's all about that. But without that it's kind of just yeah stuff. It's just kind of knowledge. You know what I mean? Yeah. Because if you don't. If you don't like experience that early on in your walk. Like it's easier. It's easier when I've been in the faith for 20 years and I've and normal church is just kind of working. Right without the encounter without the intimacy. It's it's harder to get to that place. You know I'm saying like yeah, so I think you see new Christians come in quickly and grateful for the freedom and grateful to be set free. And they just they're just go all in yeah, they experience that where somebody's been. Life is kind of halfway okay for 20 years, you know. What do I do? It's been three hours and four. All right, it's working so far. You're not really generations behind you aren't following. Yes, or running away so something's broken.

And that's what we have to come over is as a whole. Come to that realization and hey listen for the past two or three decades whatever we've been doing hasn't worked. Let's just collectively shift change sit with him and find out what to do, right? That's the program sit with him. He'll tell you I think you know and and and receive the new one. Like let's get rid of the old ones skins that had their place and had their tongue and let's really put on some new one. That we don't know what it looks like and what's coming. But we're willing to sit with you and have you pull it in and then whatever comes out comes out. Yeah, it's good. Oh. God sticks for the red and chat. We're gonna turn this off now get ready for soundcheck and stuff any here. But on rob I'll drop your information in the comments below. I'll set the table. Feel sure to watch it and want to connect but on any part words. No, just stay in every and get ready to cast your nets into the harvest. That's right. It's good. I think we need to continue this at some point. It's been a good conversation. I'll wait.