MARCH 2026

Ever precious greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is my great honor and high privilege to share my heart with you again. As you know, I go into the Hudson County Jail three times a week. In the course of my work there, I came upon a young man named Raymond who had many questions. He had a Bible in his hand when he approached me, but it didn’t seem to be that well worn. I always look at the condition of a man’s Bible as I am speaking with him because it’s often a clue for me to discern his spiritual condition. Having no Bible speaks for itself.

As a prison pastor, I have learned from dealing with men of every flavor, that before I do anything else, unbeknownst to them, I must do what I call a spiritual investigation. I am not there to judge; just the opposite is actually true. I am there as a doctor who loves. A wise doctor always diagnoses before he treats. Christ does not waste time – He came to heal. I am in the prisons, in His stead, to wisely discern by the Spirit. The Spirit is “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb.4:12). He reveals what their true spiritual condition is. I must discover whether the need is for evangelism or discipleship. Then, and only then, can I minister by applying the scripture with surgical precision.

It’s usually not that difficult to discern a man’s standing with God. I like to say that you cannot clean a fish before you catch it!😁 This means that much time has been wasted by many trying to disciple an unbeliever. Wisdom must discern the spiritual condition first, despite what one may say of himself. There are many clues in the process; red flags as it were. How many times have I heard, “Oh, I have been saved all my life.” I retort with a loving – “Not!” I conduct my spiritual investigation through a series of relevant biblical questions in a very matter-of-fact, conversational setting. Unbeknownst to the person, they are revealing their heart to me without knowing they are being investigated. I must disarm them. If they are defensive, they give false answers to please me. Most men will say, “I believe in God.” To which I will provocatively respond, “That’s good, satan believes in God too – what’s the difference?” My intention is to get them thinking.

Now, Raymond was different. He had questions for me. That was a good sign that the Lord was on the move in his life. I answered his questions and invited him to my Bible study on a regular basis. At first, he came hit and miss. I noticed very soon though that He never missed a Bible study again. Before long, his Bible was all chipped up with stuff hanging out everywhere, and it was starting to look like mine! I was flattered.😊 Over the years, Raymond became as a son to me.

Raymond also had immigration issues, and I had discussed this scenario with him at length. We both knew it was a train coming down the tracks. Then, one day he simply heard, “Pack it up – you’re leaving in five minutes.” Suddenly, he was snatched away. In a panic, we rush to put everything we own into a garbage bag (I experienced it too) and off you go to Lord knows where! Raymond was gone, but I had taught him well. He was about to be tested by fire – but would he heed? He was then transferred from prison to prison, from state to state, and to and fro in the ICE system. All the while, his fear and doubt were snowballing! He could not get his eyes off his circumstances long enough to look up to the promises of God. He had lost his footing. . .

In the meantime, I was ministering to his grandmother who was beside herself with tears of doubt that he would be deported. Over and over, for months and months as he worked himself through the system, I pointed them both to the Lord and His sovereignty. I was ministering to their unbelief. Finally, Raymond was told to pack it up, and they took him to the plane. It was over. He stood next to the plane on the tarmac, hand-cuffed and shackled. One by one, the officers came around checking everybody’s name and prison ID number. Every single man’s name was on the list – but not Raymond’s! The officer said, “You are not on our list!” They then took him from the airport and back to prison. There he was told, “We are not sure why, but your paperwork came back, and you are free to go home! In the twinkling of an eye, he was back home in upstate NY with his mother! I almost fell off my chair when his grandmother (after getting up from falling off of her chair) texted me! But God. . .

It is written, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27)

This is a powerful declaration of God’s omnipotence! It serves as a reminder for us all that there is no problem or circumstance that the Lord is not Lord over! These words embolden our trust, the underpinnings of faith, during our own immersion into difficult trials. This verse was spoken as an encouragement at the time when Babylon was attacking Jerusalem. The Lord was explaining to Jeremiah that, despite impending destruction, He remained in control and would fulfill all his ultimate promises. It was not about the will of Jeremiah or that of Israel proper. It was about God’s purpose. So also, it is not about our will. Embracing that truth, by faith, is your peace. Nothing is impossible for God! It is also written, “And He said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” (Luke 18:27)

While in prison, I personally said to the Lord, “Whether I get out or not, I will serve you with all that I am, Lord. I will not give up, I will not give in, I will not compromise, but adapt and overcome to the glory of God in Jesus Christ my Lord! If You let me out Lord, you let me out; and if not – I will praise You!” (Philip 1:1 😉) By grace, I found grace. Although, He did not take a single day off my thirty-year sentence. Even better, He chose to do my time with me! It was His good pleasure because He does all things well! I had the best bunky of all time! Now, here I sit at my desk, married to an angel and out of the clink for almost five years! On top of that, I now get to go back into three different prisons with the gospel! Amen!

The Lord is over all flesh. Is there something in your life right now that God cannot resolve? Perhaps, God’s purpose is to comfort you in your trial and not deliver you from it. That was my counsel to Raymond and his precious grandmother. My counsel to you is to seek His will – not your comfort! You must arrive, by faith, at a place in your walk where you can sincerely say from your heart, “Your will, not mine, be done.” Raymond faltered in his trial, but he had learned his lesson well. There is no doubt in Raymond’s mind now of God’s providential rule over his life! Jesus had to go through the cross to get Home, Raymond had to go through the plane to get home, and you will have to go through your trials to get home – so don’t lose your footing! Beloved, you too may falter in your trials, but make sure. . .

“YOU HAVE LEARNED YOUR LESSON WELL!”

JOYFULLY IN JESUS,
LOVE, PHILIP