Inside Perspective - January 2014

My Dear Family in Christ,

Ever precious greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Today I am honored to write on behalf of the Body of believers here at Rahway. This month we want to take the time to honor Sister Debbie and all the Lord’s wonderful volunteers from Our Father’s Persistent Love Ministries who joyfully help her yearly with the Christmas presents for our children.

It is written, “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger and not thine own lips.” (Proverbs 27:2)

In keeping with this truth, we the Body of Christ at Rahway State Seminary want to take this time to thank and encourage you because we are so grateful for your ministry! In the presence of God, all His holy angels and blood-bought saints, we, being with you in spirit, want to thank you publicly for your hearts toward us!

In your service to the Lord, you have indeed served us with all of your hearts. Words cannot define the disastrous effect incarceration has had upon our relationships with our families, and most especially with our children. Thus, when you reach out to our kids in love on our behalf, you enter a special place in our hearts. We are first of all humbled, but at once reminded of the heart of God and His provision despite who we used to be and what we may have done.

The gifts you give and the love you share when delivering them are often, unknown to you, the first steps toward reconciliation with our families. In my humble opinion, this is Christianity fleshed-out as the Lord would have it! More than anything you have shared the precious love of your Savior with our children, and for that, we are forever grateful.

Therefore, be encouraged beloved and press forward all the more with the blood-stained Banner as the Lord’s coming draws ever nearer. You have poured out your lives for us and the eternal consequence of such an offering can only be weighed on the everlasting scales in glory. The Lord is indeed forever your portion and your exceeding great reward!

It is written in Matthew 25: “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? Or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? Or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

You have all served as humble encouragers to us and our families all these many years, and that with great joy! You have been a fine example to all of us and this day we praise God for you even as we storm the Throne of Grace with all boldness on your behalf. Our God has shown Himself as our Provider in Christ. He has declared himself afresh to us as Jehovah-Jireh through your love causing us to embrace Him anew by faith!

I am not sure if everyone really understands the enormity of this yearly project and all it entails for Sister Debbie. This year they delivered gifts to about 110 children all throughout New Jersey and as far away as North Carolina and Florida. God has His helpers everywhere and He “always” makes a way. Mind you these are not just general gifts but particular gifts given as the needs are made manifest. Almost all the gifts are hand-delivered along with a personal witness and testimony of the Lord. Also included is the evangelistically aimed Jesus film on DVD.

Interestingly, some of the families are not that receptive and amazingly some are actually openly hostile! We have postulated that the prisoner, as is often the case, has probably left a bad taste in the mouth of their family. As such, and in honor of this ministries moniker “Persistent Love,” the volunteers choose to push through by faith remembering that it is all about the Lord’s witness and the children, not them. In the end all are blessed!

I said to Sister Debbie the other day, “Isn’t it something that we have to do battle to get people to receive free gifts given in love!” We concluded that it is just the perfect picture of the free gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ! As believers, we really have to do battle to get people to receive the gift of Christ! Sin has left a bad taste in their mouth but God has “Persistent Love” and in the end all that do receive Christ shall be blessed!

In closing, please know that even as the Lord has engraved all of us on the palms of His Own hands, so also, Sister Debbie and all of you volunteers have forever engraved your Savior’s love upon our hearts. Have a Blessed New Year!


The saints of Rahway thank you with...


A HOLY FLAMING LOVE,

JOYFULLY IN JESUS,
LOVE PHILIP

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