Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Our Savior lives!  We just celebrated the Super Bowl of Christianity – Resurrection Sunday – where we recall the most significant event in human history.  The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the difference between the one true faith and all the other religions.  Only in Christianity did the Messiah, the Chosen One, willingly lay down His life, then as He himself foretold, took it back up again and rose from the dead on the third day.

And he (Jesus) said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (Luke 9:22)

He said he had to suffer….and He did.

And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”  And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. (Matthew 27:28-30)

He said He would die….and He did.

Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.”  A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:28-30)

He said He would rise….and He did.

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! (Luke 24:1-6a)

He said He’d be back again…

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. (John 14:1-3)

“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Matthew 24:36-37)

We live in anticipation of joining our Savior in paradise for all eternity, not because of anything we’ve done, but because He promised – and everything else Jesus said came true.  I pray you each had a wonderful Easter celebration as we did at my church.  Prison ministry teams long for the day when we can once again worship alongside inmates in Chester County Prison.  Praise God we still have Chaplains Heinrich and Rhonda in there ministering while we wait for volunteers to be allowed back in.  Please pray with us for a timely resolution to this dilemma, and thank you for your faithful prayers each week – they really do matter.  God bless your week!

Grace and Peace,

Rick

Prayer Requests from Chaplain Heinrich

Please pray for:

Calmness to prevail during the celebrations of Passover and Ramadan. Pray for an activist groups who is trying to exploit the situation for their purposes.

A.O. – Mother of his two sons was released from CCP recently and died of a drug-overdose soon after. Children were placed in the care of a relative. AO is totally distraught about the situation

C.H. – His wife (C) is addicted to drugs and is not caring for their 2year old, Aubrey.

J.F. – who sent this Praise Report: “I had nothing during the holidays. A few days before we received a (Christmas) gift bag, I prayed not for sweets but for a Bible and you were the vessel that made my Christmas…good Bible. Thank you”

Prayers from Onesimus Ministries

For each inmate to know they are loved by God, and that they might take this time to seek Him with their whole heart.

For peace within the prison population, on the cell blocks, and towards the prison staff – may more inmates become peacemakers through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In the absence of religious gatherings (still not allowed), may the Word of God still be preached, studied, and shared among believers within Chester County Prison.

For health and wellbeing of our Chaplains, Rhonda and Heinrich, and unending strength and passion to do God’s will and share His love with inmates, staff, and families – everyone they come across.

May God re-open the prison soon to volunteers for in-person ministry to inmates, and may the prison chapel once again become a hub of daily activities that glorify and honor you God.

May aftercare programs flourish among churches in Chester County, that every man and woman released from CCP would have the opportunity for a Christian mentor to help them stay strong and progress in their faith journey.

To find out more about mentoring and discipling a man or woman coming out of prison, drop us a note at info@onesimusministries.org.

These weekly prayer requests are also posted on our website – https://onesimusministries.org/category/weekly-prayer-requests/

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www.onesimusministries.org

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I’ve been meticulously working on a design to replace the fence in my back yard.  Being cost-conscious, I plan to build it myself so I’m working out every angle and every measurement ahead of time. I want to create the most efficient design to allow me to purchase the minimum amount of materials. This planning, designing, and preparation takes time and intentionality, and reminds me of our Christian faith.

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (1 Peter 3:15)

Peter reminds us that in order to fulfill our primary purpose as Christians (to spread the Gospel and grow the kingdom of God), we must be intentional and take the time to prepare.  Paul charges Timothy (and I believe all of us as well) to actually do it.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

Preparation is key.  We must know what we believe and why we believe it.  And to follow the Great Commission given to us by Jesus himself, we must be able to articulate our personal story and the Gospel message to others.  Our prison chaplains Heinrich and Rhonda have opportunities like that every time they are in Chester County Prison.  God blesses the male and female inmates through them, and we are grateful they have remained “on duty” throughout the pandemic.  Their effectiveness is also a reflection of your support through prayer and other means.  Thank you for lifting them up in prayer each week, along with the inmate prayer requests they pass along.  God bless your week.

Grace and Peace,

Rick

Prayer Requests from Chaplain Rhonda:

(Letting the women speak for themselves this week: Each request is a direct quote from Inmate Request slips from the women.)

J. Y. – “I’m enjoying the Life Recovery Bible very much. Thank you for your generosity. I’m reading the Bible every day now & it is giving me hope. Thank you.”

B. M. – “I can’t thank you enough; God has been a part of my life in the past, but I have put Him on the bench for a long time when I obviously needed Him most…. Especially now, I need it just as much as a person needs oxygen.”

L. K. – “Yes, I will like to partake in the letters from volunteers. I also want to bring God into my life. I would like a Bible if that’s possible.”

J. K. – “Please say a prayer that my brother and his girlfriend [will] let my daughter have my letters and the bracelet and ring I made her. She misses me.”

H. Z. – “Are we gonna have church soon? I miss it.”

C. P. – ” I am in need of guidance, council, prayer, literature, support…”

B. K. – “Could I please receive the Life Recovery Bible and Life Recovery workbook? I’m locked in Medical and these books really help me.”

Prayers from Onesimus Ministries

Perseverance of Chaplain Rhonda and Chaplain Heinrich as they “go it alone” without any of the volunteer help in place before covid.  May God continue to bless them with strength, endurance, compassion, and wisdom as they minister to inmates, staff, and family members connected to the prison.

For God to remove all barriers to volunteers once again ministering in-person to inmates.  And restore the ability for inmates to gather for sharing, study, and worship. 

For peace among the prison population, and healing mercies for those suffering from physical, mental, or social disorders within the prison.

For the prison aftercare programs that take inmates released from Chester County Prison and mentor them as disciples of Christ.  May these ministries flourish with volunteers whose hearts are set on seeing former inmates successfully re-integrate back into society as productive citizens.

Want to know more about being a mentor, and discipling a man or woman coming out of prison? Drop us a note at info@onesimusministries.org.

These weekly prayer requests are also posted on our website www.onesimusministries.org

www.onesimusministries.org

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Ever heard the old rumors of how divided a church can become over the color of new carpeting? As a recent helper with some church remodeling, I can confirm truth in those stories. It seems renovation project team volunteers are bound to meet with resistance, frustration, and hard feelings on many levels – but why?  Why is consensus so elusive when it comes to interior decorating?  Why are opinions and style choices held so strongly?  Why does it become so personal?

Certainly more important than the final product are the attitudes of and relationships between everyone involved.  We could achieve the most prestigious look for our gathering place, but at what cost?  Jesus was keenly aware of our human nature and continually reminded us throughout His teachings of the importance of getting along.

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”(John 13:35)

Being a peacemaker doesn’t require 100% agreement, but it does require thinking of others with kindness and humility – in other words, love.  Three of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) record Jesus telling us the two most important things to get right in life.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:34-40)

Then Paul helps us understand what it means to love our neighbor.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5)

God the Father loves us so much He sent Jesus.  Jesus loves us so much He went to the cross to pay our sin penalty.  The Holy Spirit loves us so much He guides us in all truth, reminding us of the Father and Son’s love, and expects us to practice the same. Our wonderful chaplains within Chester County prison remind inmates and staff daily of the love of God in word and action.  And it’s your support that keeps it all going, so thank you.  Have a spectacular week and surprise someone with love when they least expect it.  It will change you both.

Grace and Peace,

Rick

Prayer Requests from Chaplain Heinrich:

P.S.- His father passed away suddenly, and he received final divorce papers around the same time he learned of his father’s death…all while incarcerated.

Ramadan began on Wednesday 22 March, following the sighting of the moon over Mecca and ends on Thursday, April 20, 2023. Ramadan (and Passover) generates much zealous religiosity. This has in the past lead to hostility. Pray that the message of “saved by grace alone” will dawn on all inmates and staff during this time.

A Mother’s cry: My son N.H. is back at Chester county prison. Would it be possible for you to go in and visit him again? We feel he desperately needs some spiritual healing and deliverance”.

R.P.- “Thank you for the Word of God. It has inspired me so“

A.T.- Former Muslim from Albania, now Christian and ostracized by his wife and only family members in the USA. He fell into sin and crime. Thank the Lord for a repentant heart and for full restoration.

Prayers from Onesimus Ministries

Please keep Chaplain Rhonda and Chaplain Heinrich in prayer for continued strength, endurance, compassion, and wisdom as they minister to many residents, staff, and family members connected through the prison.

Pray with us that prison doors would open again to volunteers to minster in-person to inmates, and that God would restore the ability for inmates to gathering for sharing, study, and worship. 

We are so thankful that prison leadership holds our Chaplains and religious programming in high regard, may that continue and may they be blessed because of it.

Pray for peace among the prison population, and healing mercies for all forms of illness within the prison.

Keep in prayer the prison aftercare programs throughout Chester County – may more churches and organizations become active partners, and more volunteers hear the call to action in discipling men and women coming out of prison.  And may all involved with these programs – mentors and clients alike -experience the greatest spiritual growth of their lives.

Want to know more about being a mentor, and discipling a man or woman coming out of prison? Drop us a note at info@onesimusministries.org.