2008 Newsletter Archive Vault

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With Thanksgiving

Every year as we launch into the holiday season it marks a vivid contrast between us as Christians and the society we live in that is getting increasingly dark. Not only do we see it in the way we celebrate the holidays, and our attitudes, we will be seeing it even more as people face an uncertain future.

As a supporter of APM, you already know we need to “fix our eyes on Jesus,” and to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,” but the days ahead will sort out those who practice this from those who only know their lines. Those who do not fully trust in the promises we have in the Bible have much to fear right now, but none of us need to be among them.

So how do we respond when it looks like all hell is literally ready to break loose? Do we respond in the flesh and cut back on our giving? We could easily do that, rationalize it, and tell ourselves that God would understand. The problem with that response is that God and his kingdom are not subject to any earthly economy. If we trust him anyway, it gives God the opportunity to show he still rules no matter what is going on around us.

Philippians Chapter 4 is loaded with advice about how we should respond. When we present our requests, we do it with thanksgiving because we know that God and his word will never fail us. His peace floods our hearts beyond comprehension. The well known verse 13 tells us that we can do anything through Christ who gives us strength, and it is in the context of God's people who give.

Most Christians seem to love verse 19 that promises God will meet all of our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus, but again, Paul is writing this to people who give generously no matter what. So the promise is true, but like many things in the Bible, it's conditional. Those who trust God with their money have nothing to fear.

As a supporter of APM, you don't need to be told these things, but a reminder is always beneficial. May you be encouraged to keep trusting God even if everyone around you is in panic. May you be in his word enough to counteract the news and other negative influences you are bombarded by in daily life.

Psalm 37:18-19 tells us, “The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.” Later in verses 25-26 we read, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.” (NIV)

How appropriate it is that Paul wrote the book of Philippians while chained in prison. He was ministering the gospel even while he was chained. He was among the first to be involved in prison ministry, and the Philippians were sending support to him while he was in prison.

The prevailing theme in Philippians is joy. While Paul could have been lamenting about the harsh conditions he was in, his book about joy was written during one of the times he was suffering the most. It's easy to be happy when everything is going well, but God's peace and joy supercede external forces.

All the evidence suggests that things in our economy are going to get bad, really bad. But this is the chance for people of faith to overcome it. Everything is well with APM, and we are believing our supporters will be blessed so they can continue to be a blessing.

Faith is so powerful that you will always get what you are truly expecting. Expect great things from a great God who is always true to his word. Thank you for your support.

Taken from the Fall/Winter Newsletter, November 2008

 

God's Word Never Fails

I have been keeping very busy. I've been staying up late (2-3 am) every night and really delving into God's word. I spend time reading my Bible, working on studies, reading devotionals, and praying and meditating on His word. Since I've been doing this, I have been so blessed. The spiritual connection I feel with the Lord has been awesome, and I enjoy having this relationship with Him. He continues to reveal spiritual truths to me as I grow spiritually in His grace.

I started a memory program too. I'm working on 2-3 Scriptures per week to start. I already have many Scriptures in my head, but I wanted to really “hide His word in my heart,” so I'm memorizing a lot more. Last month I memorized Psalm 32, and this month I've memorized Ephesians 6:10-20. I feel these habits I'm creating are going to help me in many ways. First, to occupy my time. Second, to help me to grow spiritually. Then, to help me break bad habits by replacing them with good ones. And finally, to help me from sinning against the Lord.

I received a blessing from the Lord. My birthday was in August, and I received some money from my family. So after tithing and checking my finances, I still had some left over. So here's $5.00 for Alpha to do with whatever is needed. I hope it helps.

Love, prayers, and blessings in Christ,
Bob

Editor's Note: The $5 gift received from someone in prison is very significant. Here is a person who's study of God's word is sure to bear much fruit.

Taken from the Fall/Winter Newsletter, November 2008

 

We Have a New House

As many of our supporters know, Alpha Prison Ministries has been seeking a new facility for Alpha House. We had the current one on the market to sell and were actively seeking a new, larger facility. Neither was successful because God had a better plan.

One complication we faced was due to some changes in the state law a few years ago. While the law had good intentions, it creates more problems than it solves. Our intent is not to criticize the law, but we do have to work with it.

APM has successfully ministered to men of many different backgrounds. God changes hearts regardless of the past. We have past residents who are productive and crime free many years after their experience with Alpha House.

The new law meant that some of the men we have successfully ministered to could no longer be accepted for residency. In our search for a new facility, we had to contend with this law.

That problem is now solved, and we are once again able to accept men based on their desire to know God rather than based on their offense. Thank God that he does not judge us on our past, or use it to determine our future.

Praise the Lord for our new Alpha House shown below!

Primary Alpha House Facility

Primary Alpha House facility

Alpha Prison Ministries purchased the current Alpha House in 1999 to house, disciple, mentor, and help ex-offenders as they try to successfully integrate back into society. While the statistics show that well over 60% of parolees return to prison, that rate is less than 15% for the men who have been Alpha House residents. That means almost 90% of the men we have ministered to are crime free even after several years!

So while your tax dollars are funding a corrections system with a success rate of approximately 33%, you are making a bigger difference by supporting prison ministries with nearly 90% success rates.

Our New Alpha House

Newest Alpha House facility

On August 29, 2008, Alpha Prison Ministries officially acquired our newest Alpha House to expand our ministry capability to more men. We can once again accept residents who we were prevented from being able to accept due to changes in the state law a few years ago. These men have proven in the past that God can change any heart, and now we can continue to give them the same chance for success when they are released from prison.

We thank God that for opening this door to a much needed opportunity to minister to men when they are released from prison.

Taken from the Fall Newsletter, September 2008

 

More Than a Conqueror

Today, Mike Benson heads up the Conquerors International Strength Team which reaches people all over the world with the gospel after they captivate attention with amazing feats of strength. This unconventional style of ministry has brought many people into the kingdom of God.

But it has not always been this way. Mike was once convicted of armed bank robbery and sentenced to prison. While at Jackson State Prison in Michigan, Mike was reached through the efforts of a prison ministry.

As Mike attended a prison ministry event back in 2000, he listened to former mafia member and ex-prisoner, Rocco Morelli, tell his story about how Christ had changed his life. Mike gave his life to the Lord, and now is using his gift to minister the gospel to others.

We were privileged to have Mike as our guest speaker at this year's APM annual banquet.

To learn about the Conquerors International Strength Team, visit their web site at www.theconquerors.net. Encourage others to visit this web site as well.

Taken from the Summer Newsletter, July 2008

 

Wasted Time
Written by Dave, an inmate now serving time in prison

The time that I've wasted is my biggest regret,
Spent in these places that I'll never forget.
Just sitting and thinking about the things that I've done,
The crying, the laughing, the hurt, and the fun.

Now it's just me and my hard driven guilt
Behind a wall of emptiness I allowed to be built.
I'm trapped in my body just wanting to run
Back to my youth with its laughter and fun.

But the chase is over and there's no place to hide.
Everything is gone, including my pride.
With reality suddenly right in my face
I'm scared, alone, and stuck in this place.

Now memories of the past flash through my head,
And the pain is obvious by the tears that I shed.
I ask myself why, and where I went wrong;
I guess I was weak when I should have been strong.

Living for the drugs and the wings I had grown,
My feelings were lost, and afraid to be shown.
As I look at my past, it's so easy to see
The fear that I had, afraid to be me.

I'd pretend to be rugged, so fast and so cool
When actually lost, like a blinded old fool.
I'm getting too old for this tiresome game
Of acting real hard with no sense of shame.

It's time that I change and get on with my life,
Fulfilling my dreams for a family and wife.
What my future will hold I really don't know,
But the years that I wasted are starting to show.

I just live for the day when I'll get a new start,
And the dreams I still hold deep in my heart.
I hope I can make it, I at least have to try
Because I'm heading toward death, and I don't want to die.

Taken from the Summer Newsletter, July 2008

 

What is Alpha Prison Ministries?

On occasion, we feel it's a good idea to specifically state what APM is all about: who we are, what we do, what we don't do, and other policies that guide our ministry. It's been a while since we put that in the newsletter, so here it is.

Our Purpose and Mission Statement

“To evangelize and disciple men who happen to be prisoners and former inmates”

Our purpose is accomplished through the following initiatives:

Our Policies and Commitment to Financial Integrity:

Most importantly, APM is an overtly Christian ministry. We are not affiliated with any denomination, but we believe Jesus Christ is Lord.

Taken from the Summer Newsletter, July 2008

 

Live Long and Prosper

Congratulations! It is now scientifically proven that your statistical chances of living a long, healthy, prosperous, and fulfilled life are way above average. It's always interesting when secular science confirms the truth of the Bible, and this is yet another case to add to the list.

We know from the Bible that it is more blessed to give than to receive, that when we give, it will be given to us, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, and, that whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Anyone who puts God's Word into practice will always find out it's true.

When you hear a book title called Why Good Things Happen To Good People, you might assume that it's a Christian book. It's not. Authors Stephen Post, Ph.D. and Jill Neimark demonstrate objective, scientific research that studied generous people, and the effects that unselfish love and generosity had on their lives.

The benefits of generosity include not only financial blessing as generous people tend to become very prosperous, there is now qualified evidence showing that they live longer, healthier, and happier lives, are very creative, loyal, have a sense of humor, and more. The best way to be sick, broke, and miserable is just be selfish.

It's important to note that generosity is not just about money. Those who give of their time by volunteering and helping others reap the same benefits. Those who volunteer a couple times a week are better off than those who vigorously exercise 4 times a week. Wow, prison ministry should make you live to 120!

Taken from the Spring Newsletter, March 2008

 

Prison Was a Blessing

Tyler's testimony published in March 2008 can be read in full here...

 

Blame Me Be Free

There is something hidden deep within the human nature that makes it very difficult to take personal responsibility. Whenever you even hear the term personal responsibility, your mind probably goes immediately to something negative. But hidden there are treasures you'll never discover anywhere else.

Many people, Christians and non-Christians alike, are prisoners of avoiding personal responsibility. In physical prisons like those we minister in, there are people who are more free than those on the outside who dwell in a mental prison. It is only when someone discovers and applies the truth that they can be free.

Romans 12:1 tells us to renew our minds for a lot of good reasons. We live in a world that lies to us every day. The devil seeks to introduce subtle lies that can rob us of our freedom. One of his most effective weapons is casting blame on the wrong things.

The world would have us believe that alcoholism is a disease, that we are products of our environment, that fate and chance control our destiny, etc. As long as a person can blame someone or some thing for all their problems, they will be unable to fix those problems because they are missing the real source.

Although human nature resists personal responsibility, it is very beneficial and liberating. God's truth always is liberating. Even as believers, we need to constantly be reminded of truth because we are being inundated with so many lies.

Suppose someone had a business failure and blamed the economy, the competition, or some other force. They could easily miss bad decisions they had made. Without recognizing the truth, they would not be able to correct the problem. With an honest inventory of their own blame, they would be equipped to succeed next time rather than repeat the failure.

Winners in life are not perfect people who don't make mistakes. Winners are people who recognize when to blame themselves and not make excuses. Once a problem is identified, then it can be solved. That person is free even if they are in prison.

Taken from the Winter Newsletter, January 2008

 

The Lost Ring
by Roy A. Borges

I used to live in a two-man cell with Jake. I slept in the bottom bunk. Jake slept in the top bunk. Although his mother was a devoted Christian, Jake didn't know Jesus. He was leaving prison soon, and I tried my best to tell him about Christ and lead him to salvation. But I wasn't succeeding. Without realizing it, I began to pull away from Jake. Then God used the ring I wear—passed down from my grandfather to my father to me—to renew my desire to seek lost souls.

One hot summer afternoon, I was in the yard playing handball. I made a hard swing at the ball. My hands were wet with perspiration, and my ring slipped off my finger and flew into the tall grass beside the handball court. Some of the other players helped me look for it. We searched for hours. I even walked on my knees through the grass. But no ring was found.

Later that day as I read my Bible, a story from Luke 15 spoke to me. The woman in the story had 10 silver coins, and she lost one. Distressed, she lit a candle and searched the house—behind the door, under the table, and in every corner. When she found the lost coin, she called her friends and neighbors together. “Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I had lost,” she exclaimed (v. 9 KJV).

When I read that story, God seemed to say to me, “You've put a lot of effort into looking for your lost ring. Are you willing to work as hard seeking lost souls? Do you care as much about them as I do?”

On the way back to my room after dinner that evening, one of the men I often play handball with asked if I'd lost a ring at the handball court. I told him I had and described the ring.

“Is this it?” he asked, holding up my ring.

“Yes!” I said joyfully.

That night—and every night after—I talked with Jake about God and the Bible. Only now I did so with a different urgency and a different heart.

Jake went home. Not long after, his mother wrote to tell me he had accepted the Lord as his Savior. I rejoiced with the angels in heaven.

Now each time I look at my ring, I remember that God takes great joy in rescuing the lost, and I'm inspired to make His joy mine.

ROY A. BORGES is a chapel clerk and author of Faith and Love Behind Prison Fences (PublishAmerica) Used by permission of Discipleship Journal – Copyright ©2007 NavPress

Taken from the Winter Newsletter, January 2008

 

Excerpts From a Prisoner's Letter

Leon,

Alpha Prison Ministries, Alpha House, the volunteers, and the men are always in my prayers. Even here (in prison), Alpha is known and I am asked about the ministry and the House.

I have also received a card notifying me that I will be blessed for another year with Discipleship Journal. Thank you.

My walk with my Lord Jesus has taken many paths in the last few years. The huge one was the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I need His power living and working in me every day to the glory of my Lord. Like all members of Christ's family on Earth, I have much to grow into. However, the adventure is awesome. Hallelujah!

I have heard from Martin and Terri a couple of times now. Thank you, Jesus, for their ministry to the body of Christ, and thank you, Father, for placing them together in their walk. They sent pictures of the wedding, and what Martin called “their favorite table.” That was the one showing you (Leon) and Pamela, Jan, Al, Norm, Kathleen, Elroy, and Tammy. I can see why it held so much gladness for them.

Thanks again for your prayers and encouragement.

In the love of Christ,
William

Taken from the Winter Newsletter, January 2008

 

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV)
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Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture taken from The Message. (The Message)
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Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.