My Dear Family in Christ,
Ever-precious greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! It is my great honor and privilege to share my heart with you this holiday season. It was a regular Wednesday night, and Deb and I had had a busy day, as is our lot. We were running a bit behind in getting ready for church. It was late summer, comfortably hot outside with the sun shining beautifully all day.
We had just finished our dinner together, as is our intentional daily habit. Debbie, as always, was in complete command of her kitchen. She is so orderly and precise in her doings. At times, I feel I ought to salute when entering the holy galley. My Deborah Ann is on another level with her culinary machinations. She is completely servant-driven in her heavenly cooking; second to none among her earthly peers and simply loving the workings thereof. Always, and only, she seeks to please the Lord by pleasing me. Humbled daily, I joyfully partake of a bouquet of delectables that satiate my palate exceedingly above and beyond my imagination.
Make no mistake, I remember very clearly from where the Lord has brought me. I learned the hard way in prison that hunger is truly the best seasoning. As an aside, I still have nightmares about prison. I scare Debbie half to death at times, waking her up in the still of night with my screaming. Christ in her is my comfort though, and I am healing. As concerning the kitchen, by the grace of our heavenly nuptials, I am the benefciary. I submit with great joy as people wonder why I have a little belly now. You all know that I love to say – “I just bow my head and worship.”
As Debbie shared in her letter. . .we then hopped in my truck and took of for our regular Wednesday night service. Almost at church, suddenly we noticed a man walking a hundred miles an hour, sweating like a water bufalo, while carrying a bible under his arm. Curiously, I chimed to Debbie, “Honey, look at this rascal!” Honestly, we felt sorry for him – but boy was he pluggin’ along, with a belly to boot! We both pulled into the parking lot at the same time.
Already, we are looking for the Lord in all this. In our minds, everything is an opportunity. That’s why we have legs. For those with eyes to see – we are living, moving, walking pulpits.? I found him and asked him to sit with Deb and me. After service, I asked where he came from, and with a bowed head, very humbly he told me, “Lakewood.” I thought to myself, “That’s a good 10 to 15 minutes in a car – let alone power walking!” I asked him if he wanted a ride back home, to which he said, “Yes.” I only have a two-seater truck, so Deb waited and fellowshipped with her girls while I took him home. In the process of taking him home, I came to know who he was and where he was from. He was from a special needs home, as Deb said, with about 200 others living there with the same needs! They are all special – very, very special. Instantly in my spirit, I knew that the Lord had specifcally placed Mikity-Mike in our path. He was revealing this house to us. Wonderfully, as Debbie shared, it is only about 15 minutes from our own home, and for us – it was instant ministry!
On a completely different subject, it is written, “They [the Jews] answered Him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage [prisoners] to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant [prisoner] of sin.” (John 8:33-34)
It is our own personal ministry philosophy (biblical in doctrine and grown afresh in our hearts over time by the Spirit) that truly, he who sins is a prisoner to sin. Therefore, in our mind’s eye, whosoever is not saved is in prison to their sin. They are all chained and bound by the enemy and in need of deliverance by the blessed gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; and such is our heart and calling. Our prison ministry is not confined to those in physical prisons, albeit that is our primary focus. Yes, according to the Lord, unsaved people are in the prison of their own sinful choices. In fact, as you well know, I was in prison and shackled by the enemy long, long before my actual body was behind those horrid bars. As such, we seek to reach people everywhere in all situations before they reach the wicked level of depravity I myself fell into.
On a brighter note, Carlos (the son after our own hearts), is doing wonderfully! He was freed and deported back to El Salvador after serving 25 years. He was locked up at 16 years of age and set free at 42, having served his time. He and I, as you may remember, were in the same cell together for 20 years. Imagine that – living in your bathroom with someone else for 20 years! Ha! Only the Lord caused us to do it with great joy. He is starting with nothing at 42. He already has a job working for AT&T. He is getting on his feet slowly. We are so very, very proud of him. What he desperately needs now to really move forward, is a car.
Carlos has shown himself to be a very faithful man of God. We believe the Lord will honor that in meeting this need through the Body, even as he himself builds tents in the meantime. Therefore, by faith, we are establishing a “Carlos Car Fund.” We are asking all who are moved by the Lord to donate as they are led. We want to help him get a dependable, used car to get back and forth to work and for general life and ministry purposes. Our goal is to reach about $7,000.00.
As I said, Carlos has been faithful and humbly obedient beyond words. If you want to help him by contributing to this fund, you must earmark your donation to the “Carlos Car Fund.” It will be used, to the cent, for this purpose only. Also, please pray the Lord to allow him a godly wife to complete him. He has no family there; he is starting fresh alone.
It is written, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” (Genesis 2:18)
In closing, I want to personally thank you for your years of prayer and support for our ministry. I am indeed your fruit – now, by the grace of God, bearing fruit outside of prison! Only the Lord!!! As is the Lord’s heart, my beautiful Deborah Ann and I are seeking with all of our “heart” to glorify God through the Lord Jesus Christ, led by His Spirit to be fruitful and multiply in all things. Thank you, and have a very blessed and. . .
“MERRY CHRISTMAS!”
JOYFULLY IN JESUS,
LOVE, PHILIP
“REMEMBER THOSE IN PRISON AS IF CHAINED TO THEM.”
