From the Heart

Ministry Spotlight: Harvest of Life Prison Ministry

Dan and Marilyn Nase have been members of TRBC since 2007. Today they share with us about their work with Harvest of Life Prison Ministry. 

Dan and Marilyn Nase became Christians rather late in life, but when Jesus came into their lives, it was like an explosion! They truly felt led to share the love of Christ and the Good News--that your sins can be forgiven; you can live an abundant life and have the security of eternal life, when you have faith in His shed blood and saving power.  They have made it a point to “delight in the Lord,” because they didn’t really know what the “desires of their heart” were; what it takes to “Go Ye”, and the costs entailed in order to serve Him.  They have remained faithful, flexible and have persevered and they know what, ultimately, God’s leading is trying to accomplish.  Call Dan and he will share this Gospel truth with you and how “dying to self” is the key.  Call us, (850) 422-1381 and we will share it with you or you can email Dan at nase@harvestoflife.org or visit our website www.harvestoflife.org

After having served as literature missionaries in Mexico City, Mexico, for several years, Dan and Marilyn returned to the States and settled in Tallahassee, FL, where they bought an overnight parcel delivery service franchise. After two years of struggling to keep the business afloat, they finally decided to sell it and devote themselves to full-time missionary service once again. 

During this time of transition, Dan was introduced to a Hispanic pastor who felt called to preach in Spanish and lead worship services at the Federal Women’s Prison in Tallahassee.  The pastor’s prison ministry was short lived; he only preached one service at F.C.I. and then went on to pastor a church full time in Mayo, FL, leaving Dan to carry on the prison ministry by himself. After hearing several inmates testify that “they thanked God for being incarcerated because, if they hadn’t ever come to prison, they never would have found Christ”, Dan was amazed at that confession and immediately knew this is where the Lord wanted them to serve.

The Spanish worship services at F.C.I. grew over the next couple years. Other prison ministries, Bill Glass, Prison Fellowship, and We Care contacted Dan asking him to join them as a volunteer during their crusades, so the Hispanic prison population could hear the Good News of the Gospel in their own language.  Next, Dan began to receive requests from various State Prison Chaplains asking him to provide Spanish worship services. Over the past 17 years, Dan has ministered at Jefferson, Gulf, Holmes, Liberty, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden and Wakulla Correctional Institutions. He was the Outside Coordinator for the Wakulla C.I. Faith-Based Dorm program at Wakulla C.I.

Currently, Dan serves in five different panhandle prisons, averaging 22 services per month, driving over 1,000 miles, to lead worship services and Bible studies in both Spanish and English. For the past two years, the focus of his ministry has been on discipleship, whereas in past years, the thrust was on evangelism and salvations. The most successful course he’s taught is “How to Win in Spiritual Warfare”. His passion is to present Christ to the lost--no matter where he is or the circumstances. 

Most recently, Dan visited two Hispanic inmates in the infirmary at Wakulla C.I. One man, who last year gave his life to the Lord, was now in hospice care. The other man he prayed with was new to WCI and was paralyzed from the waist down. He was anxious to give his life to the Lord and receive salvation.   He is now in Heaven with Christ, where he is walking and leaping and praising God just like the crippled beggar in Acts 3.

Dan realized prisons are a mission field, where seeds of God’s Word could be planted and the Harvest of Lives could be reaped for the Kingdom.  Besides, by ministering in prisons, he didn’t have to learn a new language, speak through an interpreter, get a Visa, a plane ticket, or pack a suitcase. All he had to do was pray, be prepared, and just show up at the prison gates.  In all that Dan’s done for Jesus, he feels his greatest accomplishment is his marriage to Marilyn these past 49 years.  She stands with Dan and supports him with love and compassion!

HARVEST OF LIFE STATEMENT OF FAITH

• We believe in one God, creator and sustainer of the universe, who exists in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, fully man and fully God.  He was born of the Virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died on the cross to atone for the sins of the world, was raised bodily from the dead and exalted to God’s right hand where He makes intercession for us and will personally and visibly come again and consummate His Kingdom.                 
• We believe God created man in His own image, but that mankind sinned and suffers the consequences of his disobedience and will be judged.
• We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who glorifies Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  The Holy Spirit indwells the believer and equips him for holy living and service.
• We believe the Bible to be the divinely inspired and authoritative Word of God…the infallible word of truth and revelation of God all mankind.  That the Church is called to submit to its divine authority exhibited by righteous living.
• We believe that all that repent and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are born into eternal life.  This act of salvation is justification by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  The believers, His Church, are called to communicate the Gospel to a lost and dying world.
• We believe in the resurrection of the body, the eternal blessedness of believers in the presence of Christ and the eternal torment and separation of the unbelievers from God.                                                                                                    
• We believe God will establish a new earth and a new heaven with no pain or suffering for the explicit purpose of praising and glorifying Him forever.

HARVEST OF LIFE MISSION STATEMENT

The goal of our mission is to honor and glorify God in all aspects of our lives.  We assemble in fellowship to learn the commands of Christ and encourage one another to share the Gospel of God’s saving grace.  We strive to be spiritual leaders and obey God’s will.  As we accomplish this, we keep Him in the center of our lives, so our words and actions reflect Christ Who is within us.  We are ambassadors for Christ to make disciples of men through prayer, teaching, patience and brotherly love.

As God’s servants, our aim is to worship Him by denying ourselves and walking in the Spirit.  Our lives are to shine as beacons of light, showing others Christ by living a humble testimony that reflects His love and compassion.