OUR FATHER’S PERSISTENT LOVE MINISTRIES
“AN OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE”
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 once again. As is my calling, I cruise joyfully in the morning rush-hour traffic. Three to four times a week I go to the Hudson County Jail to evangelize, disciple, and teach. I start out on the G.S. Parkway and soon after make my way to the NJ Turnpike. It’s a madhouse of traffic that demands that I be on top of my game! I always drive in the truck lane. I find the truckers are generally decent and orderly drivers. Little did I know what was coming my way. . .
In the process of time, I have developed two habits for my hour drive time. I say an hour with tongue in cheek because in the twinkling of an eye, like nothing, it can turn into an hour and a half! Instead of stressing, getting anxious, and worrying about being late because of traffic jams, I have resolved to listen to the Psalms and to pray. My sweet habit is to let the Lord speak first, thus, I listen to the Psalms first. It is the very book that carried me through the prison system for 30 joyfully brutal years. Daily, the Psalms were my hiding place and solace. Therein, I found Him; and therein, I still do.
Now that I am out, I love to just put the Psalms on shuffle-play in my truck. In my mind, I’m asking the Lord to pick the order for the Psalms that I will listen to. Therefore, the Spirit determines how He speaks to me on any given day. I find a depth of comfort and a rich refreshment as the Psalms minister the Word to me, even the very sweet Bread of Heaven every morning!
Have you ever stopped to think that the Bible is the only thing on earth that did not come from earth? It came out of the heart of God in eternity. He chose to send it down into time so that you might know Him – the only true God and Jesus Christ, Whom He has sent (Jn. 17:3). It is the instruction manual for human life on earth. The Bible is sufficient in all things good and wonderful! It is sweet in joy and sweet in sorrow, yet always leading us in the way everlasting. The Word of God should be our very joy! Is He yours? Personified, the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us; and now, after the cross, He dwells within us by His Spirit. It is written, “. . .Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” (Col. 1:27-28)
After listening to the Psalms, I put on my soft instrumental piano worship music. With said music in the background, at 65 miles an hour (or so ), I then launch out in prayer praying for 😎all things here, there, and everywhere. I am very grateful, therefore, I pray without ceasing because men ought always to pray and to faint not (1 Thess. 5:17; Lk. 18:1). If we are not grateful, we cannot pray properly. Perhaps some of us need a gratitude adjustment. It is written, “If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (Jn. 14:14) Now that is a promise to lay hold of! Prayer is Kingdom business! I have yellow sticky notes on the dashboard of my truck with assorted names all over them. I pummel them daily in prayer. I love on people by way of intercession – bathing them in prayer. Prayer is the very breath of our Life in Christ, watered and fertilized by our heart-birthed tears.
On an aside, observationally in John 17, we have the high honor to visit the very prayer closet of Christ Himself. We are invited to listen to the heart of the Son to the Father, by the Spirit, in prayer. We are granted a spiritual peephole to gaze upon the fellowship of the Father, Son, and Spirit. Take off your shoes, saint, because this closet is thick with glory on holy ground! Love’s intent is to draw us into Their private closet and Their presence that we might learn therein our proper posture in prayer, even that which is pleasing unto our Lord. Can we do some note-taking as we study through John 17? It’s a nugget factory on prayer for those with eyes to see.. .
Now suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, I’m snatched out of the heavenly places as a big rock comes flying out of a dump-truck hitting my windshield! I am shocked out of prayer and back into the reality of the dreaded Turnpike. The ding in my windshield eventually turns into a monstrous crack, spider-webbing in every direction. From that moment on, I saw everything only through the crack in my windshield. The windshield was damaged, and by definition, everything I saw was being seen through my damaged windshield for about a month. Finally, I called Safelite, and boom, in an hour everything was made new, and I saw clearly again!
It is written, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:,” (1 Peter 5:8)
We ourselves are in the ordinary rush hour traffic of everyday life in Christ. We may be in prayer and the Word of God and still, suddenly, a fiery dart from the enemy cracks the windshield of our walk, and before you know it – everything in your life is cracked and spider-webbing out of control! Little did you know what was coming your way! Jesus told us that in this world we would have tribulation, but that we should be of good cheer because He has overcome the world (Jn. 16:33). Indeed, life in Christ can be a madhouse of traffic; it demands
that you be on top of your spiritual game as you work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. The good news is that it’s Him Who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:12-13).
Don’t stress though, let the Holy Spirit put the Word of God on shuffle play for you – speaking to you as He sees fit. Then, you speak back to Him in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, making melody in your heart unto the Lord (Eph. 5:19). Let Him lead you in prayer as you share with the Lord the issues of your life. Prayer is hard work as is all Kingdom business. Be vigilant, soldier, because you may suddenly be snatched out of the heavenly places and brought right
back to the turnpike of the flesh! A big rock from satan’s dump truck can hit the windshield of your walk, and the next thing you know, there’s a monstrous crack spider-webbing in your mind. Be self-controlled and alert, and do not let it dominate your thinking! In the end, Truth always triumphs!
Beloved, is your windshield cracked? If so, by definition, everything you now see, you see through your damaged windshield. Don’t wait a month like I did! Call on Jesus Christ now – your heavenly Safe-Life! Look up by faith to the Lord – ask, and everything will be cleansed and made new – and boom. . .
“YOU WILL SEE CLEARLY AGAIN!”
JOYFULLY IN JESUS,
LOVE, PHILIP
“REMEMBER THOSE IN PRISON AS IF CHAINED TO THEM.”
