Hands on for Jesus Council

Pastor / Chaplain Maria Aponte

Pastor Maria Aponte is an Ordained Associate Pastor with Christian Chaplains State of New York, Inc.

    And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness                                                                                    Isaiah 29 : 18

Maria Aponte is Founder of Hands on for Jesus Council, Inc. which is a not-for profit organization, registered with the Department of State, State of New York. Pastor Maria is a Sign Language Interpreter for the Deaf. She has been serving the Lord Jesus since 2001 and has been given the gift to communicate with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing through the use of Sign Language. She utilizes this gift for His Glory and Honor in order that "All may hear the word of God". Her desire is to reach as many as the Lord leads her, to both the deaf and hearing, in order that the gospel may be preached. Maria has ten years of experience in Deaf Studies from St. Joseph School of the Deaf Sign Language Institute, and LaGuardia College. She has served as an Interpreter for the Deaf Ministries at Times Square Church, in New York City and Church of The Revelation, in the Bronx. She has recently been named as Pastor of the Deaf Ministry at Newsong Church, Bronx N.Y.

Reaching the End of Myself

Reaching the end of myself more than two decades ago, was a matter of exhausting lies and vain illusions that culminated into brokenness. Once these lies and illusions ran its course, I was left with the raw and naked truth of my worthless life in a filthy, cockroach infested, Sing Sing prison cell, highlighted by the wondrous truth and grace of Christ Jesus. Wholly repulsed by the scoundrel I had become, I was confronted with 24 more years in prison, and the despair was asphyxiating. There was no one to blame but myself. Not having the courage to take inventory of the hideous spectacle that I had become, I was broken and desperate, and motivated like never  before to substitute lies for truth. Those lies were interwoven into the soft fabric of my life like a malignant cancerous growth entangled with one’s vital organs. I was standing on the threshold of a breakthrough, as the gift of astounding clarity beckoned me like a long lost lover. In my brokenness, Christ Jesus was the crucial alternative. His Words and His life spoke deeply to my heart. I discovered this unshakable resolve to incisively and decisively move out of the dark abyss of sin into the marvelous light of God’s Word. Reaching the end of myself, the end of my cherished deceptions, I knew quite intuitively that I was embarking on a new beginning, unlike anything I had ever known. And the fact that this transpired while I was subjected to conditions of radical incarceration, was only a glimpse of the incredible genius and grace of God. I found hope in a hopeless situation. I found a blazing light of truth in a morally dark and depraved place. I found perfect peace in a highly volatile and predacious culture. I found joy in a terribly joyless place. I found purpose and value in Him who continues to be the Author and Finisher of my faith. Amazingly, my life has never been the same since. My brokenness was the springboard for a new life. I continue to live in the turned direction of my life, following after Jesus the Christ, the true lover of my soul. I never want to forget what He has done for me so long ago, and how He continues to use my life to edify others. God’s Words remains true, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5: 17 NKJV)

While walking down Sunset Beach in North Carolina with my family yesterday morning, this was one of the many Psalms that blazed upon the canvas of my mind. The Holy One just has His way of amazing me. My attempts to capture some semblance of this moment, proved fruitful enough to touch the hearts of those who have had similar experiences. This awe-inspiring moment overshadowed whatever everyday and mundane concerns that I may have had. I was humbled and reminded that He who sits on the Mercy-seat does not slumber and has not left me to my own devices, "for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and that my soul knows so well

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