Participants: C.A. Murray (Host), Lemuel Vega (Host), Joshua Stansel, Desmond Loftis, Scott Kiley
Series Code: FIN
Program Code: FIN000018
|
00:01 Come let us reason together.
00:02 "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as wool." 00:05 Though your sins be dark and black, 00:07 they can be cleaned through Jesus Christ. 00:10 This is the prison laundry. 00:11 Lives are cleaned in cells 00:14 as clothes are cleared in this laundry. 00:17 It's all about cleaning from the inside to the out. 00:20 Clothes are washed and cleaned outside to in. 00:23 Lives are washed and cleaned inside to out. 00:40 I'm free indeed. 00:43 We are in cell block B. 00:45 We are on, I think the fourth tier. 00:47 The gentlemen behind me are all in single cells, 00:50 they've all received their Christmas Behind Bars, 00:52 a package as we had a chance to talk to any number of them. 00:56 I just talk to a young man, I suspect early mid 30s. 01:00 He has got 75 years he is looking at, 01:02 but he is happy, he is joyous, 01:05 he is talking about the goodness of the Lord. 01:07 He got sometime shaved off and he is thanking God for that. 01:10 And he says though I'm in prison, 01:12 my heart is free, my head is free. 01:13 My brother has given his heart to the Lord, 01:15 left drugs and become a pastor. And now we have become closer, 01:18 so I get one visit from a brother who loves me 01:21 and I know that the Lord loves me, 01:23 that's the spirit here in places like this. 01:26 They appreciate what's happening, 01:28 they appreciate the gifts that they are given. 01:30 They appreciate the fact that somebody cares enough 01:33 to come and say hello to pray with them, 01:35 to hold their hand, to tell them they are not worthless 01:37 but that they have great value in the eyes of Jesus. 01:42 God bless you guys very, very much, very, very, very much. 01:47 There is no words to express the gratitude 01:50 that I feel in my heart personally you know, 01:53 and I know there are many others, 01:56 I'm not the only one but for me 01:59 it means more than me to me 02:01 then I can put in the words, it really does. 02:04 This tray is provided for everyone of these inmates 02:08 in this housing location, they can't walk out to chow, 02:12 they can't get fresh air. 02:14 They are locked in here 23 hours a day, 02:17 day by day and the only hope 02:20 that they are able to receive 02:22 is a gift package from Christmas Behind Bars. 02:26 For this gift package only comes once a year, 02:28 but I know that my brothers in this lockup unit 02:31 appreciate these perhaps more than those people 02:34 out there in the population in the populated area. 02:39 So they get their meals here three times a day, 02:41 put through their little food slot right here 02:44 and that's how they get fed 02:46 and that's - that's the only interaction they have 02:49 during this time of lock up here on this unit, 02:52 so it's a tremendous blessing that they allow us to come here 02:55 and allow them to get these gift packages 02:57 because some facilities don't allow the lock up people 03:00 to get a package. 03:01 And in my point of view, these are the people, 03:03 these are my brothers and they, they deserve 03:06 and they need a word of encouragement 03:08 and clear down in the bottom of the bag 03:10 every one of these has a devotional book. 03:14 This book was donated by Three Angels Broadcasting Network 03:17 that they can begin to read and understand 03:19 the prophecies of Daniel in Revelation. 03:22 In every bag there is a different book 03:24 and so that's a great blessing, 03:26 we want to say thank you for your sponsorship. 03:28 At the age of three 03:30 I was a-- I was child abused by my stepfather 03:34 and I started going to foster homes, 03:39 probably right before I turned four, 03:42 and I have been in several foster homes, 03:44 five or six foster homes and two group homes. 03:49 It was challenging. 03:51 There was a time when I felt like, 03:53 you know, no one really wanted me, 03:57 especially coming up as a kid, immature, 03:59 not really knowing what's going on. 04:02 In my teenage years, 04:04 I had the normal teenage problems as far as stress, 04:09 of course with the added shaky background that I came from, 04:15 it drew some anger problems. 04:17 I had a temper when I was a kid, 04:19 I got introduced to drugs. 04:21 When I got introduced to drugs, 04:23 that's where the down experiment started, 04:28 I started going--I started doing things to get drugs 04:35 and that's what landed me here in prison 04:38 because of burglary that went bad. 04:41 You know, I'll be honest with you. 04:44 When I was doing burglaries and I was on drugs, 04:48 I still believe in God, and I still believe in Jesus. 04:53 And things got so tight for me one day, 04:58 and I cursed out God. 05:03 I rejected Him out loud, yelling, screaming 05:08 and I turned away from Him 05:13 and two weeks later I caught in murder case. 05:16 My wife didn't know about it. 05:21 I'd completely lay the blame with myself, completely. 05:26 Like I said earlier, I knew right from wrong. 05:31 And I knew--all though I didn't know 05:35 how to handle doing right at that time because of the drugs. 05:43 Because now that I got it more centered on myself, 05:46 I know what to stay away from, 05:48 so I won't get to that point, you know, 05:50 I know the steps to take right now. 05:53 Then I didn't know the steps to take. 05:55 I just kind of just--I was just like, man, you know, 05:58 I know what is right, I know what is wrong, 06:01 but actually I used to do wrong 06:02 and I didn't--I was cloudy in my head, man, 06:05 I didn't have a idea what, you know, 06:09 what I really should be doing. 06:12 When I came to prison, I got an account letter here 06:18 and I still had some bad habits even on the account letter 06:23 and I was listening to the word 06:26 and everything seems so familiar to me, 06:29 because of coming up in my first foster home. 06:32 Everything is like okay, did you know this. 06:35 So I started reading more, studying more, praying more. 06:39 I didn't have no visitors at the time 06:42 for like two and a half years. 06:46 It seemed like every one just went away from me. 06:50 And as I'm reading the Bible and studying the Bible, 06:54 I'm realizing that my only foundation 06:57 can't be in-- it cannot be in man. 07:00 My foundation has to be spiritually 07:02 and has to be in God, 07:03 because I knew He was with me all the way, 07:06 even when I was doing wrong, 07:07 you know, I knew God was with me. 07:11 How many know that Jesus said in the word, 07:16 nevertheless not my will, see not the will of man. 07:23 See, man want it easy. See, man don't want to suffer. 07:27 See, but He said, 07:28 nevertheless not my will not the will of his flesh, 07:32 but thy will be done. Amen. 07:34 The will of the divine one. Hallelujah . 07:37 Hallelujah. Hallelujah. 08:05 I will do Your will 08:10 O Lord I will do Your will 08:16 How many feel like that this morning? 08:18 I will do Your will 08:23 O Lord 08:26 I will do Your will 08:32 If the Lord 08:33 If the Lord 08:37 If the Lord want somebody 08:40 Want somebody 08:47 Here am I, O Lord. 08:53 I will do Your will 09:00 I will do Your will 09:04 Whatever you want this morning, Lord. 09:07 I will do Your will 09:14 I will do Your will 09:18 O Lord 09:21 I will do Your will 09:25 If the Lord If the Lord 09:30 If my God want somebody Want somebody 09:36 If my God needs somebody 09:39 I'm not ashamed Its heaven here 09:43 O Lord O Lord 09:47 I will do Your will 09:50 I want to testify just a little bit 09:54 It may get rough 09:57 It's going to get rough sometime, 09:58 but you tell God 10:00 I will do Your will 10:05 It won't only get rough 10:07 There may be storms running all through your life 10:12 but you tell God I will do Your will 10:17 See if the Lord holds somebody 10:20 If the Lord If the Lord needs somebody 10:25 If the Lord got to have somebody You should not be ashamed 10:30 To tell the Lord this morning Here am I 10:34 Here am I 10:36 O Lord O Lord 10:40 I will do Your will 10:43 Listen. 10:46 You may get tired 10:50 We all get tired sometime but you tell God 10:53 I will do Your will. 11:00 You may be the last person down here on earth 11:04 in your little family But tell God 11:06 I will do Your will 11:10 See, if Lord, if God got to have somebody this morning 11:13 If the Lord 11:15 If God needs to have somebody this morning 11:18 If He calls out somebody this morning 11:21 You should be at the front of the line with your hands up 11:24 telling him He's my He's my Lord 11:28 O Lord O Lord 11:32 I will do Your will 11:35 And sometime you just got to steal away and tell him 11:38 That's right. I will do Your will 11:41 Whatever you want, Lord Whatever you need 11:44 I will do your will 11:48 I'm down here in the world of sin, Lord 11:50 But I will do Your will I will do Your will 11:54 There might be trouble all around, Lord 11:57 But I will do Your will I will do Your will 12:01 There may be storm I'm in the ferry 12:03 But I will do Your will I will do Your will 12:07 I may be talking about I may be persecuted 12:10 But I will do Your will I will do Your will 12:14 I may be called everything But a child of God 12:16 But I will do Your will I will do Your will 12:21 They may not like me They may not want to speak to me 12:24 But I... I will do Your will 12:27 If you want me to stop If you want me to preach 12:29 Whatever you want me to do, Lord If the Lord 12:33 If my God wants somebody If my God needs somebody 12:37 If my God want to have somebody this morning 12:40 I will stay and tell the world 12:43 Here am I Here am I 12:47 O Lord O Lord O Lord 12:51 I will do Your will 12:56 Hallelujah Hallelujah 13:00 Hallelujah 13:04 Leading and direction in the choir 13:05 has taught me to be more responsible. 13:12 There is a spirit that I feel, when the choir sings. 13:17 I heard choirs coming up in my first foster home. 13:21 And there was always that sprit that I felt in it 13:24 and I always wanted to say Lord, 13:28 I want You to use me to send that spirit right there, 13:33 so direction in the choir, 13:37 it teaches me responsibility to help assuming that spirit. 13:43 The new days uses a leadership positively versus the old days 13:49 I was very, very negative and selfish. 13:51 We have a lot of rough times behind the scenes 13:54 but you know it makes it all worth it. 13:58 You know it gives us strength to know 14:00 that we can minister to someone. 14:09 You know, Bible says, we know not the hour, 14:14 seasons come, seasons go, 14:18 we wake up, we go to sleep 14:21 but you never know when Christ is going to come. 14:27 Perhaps one of the most powerful texts is in Revelation. 14:32 We read it just a little while ago, 14:33 Revelation 22:12, Jesus said, 14:37 "And behold, I am coming quickly, 14:41 suddenly and My reward is with Me, 14:45 to give to everyone according to his work." 14:54 The hour is late. Amen. 14:57 Remembering a story years ago about the little boy 14:59 who used to like to listen to stay awake 15:01 and listen to the church clock chime 15:04 and he would count the chimes 15:05 and at 12 o'clock he would go to sleep 15:07 and he really should have been to sleep 15:09 long before then but he would, 15:10 he does want to hear the chimes. 15:12 And one night he counted to 12 and it chimed one more time, 15:16 it chimed 13 times. So he ran into his daddy's room 15:22 and he said, daddy, daddy, the clock chimed 13 times. 15:27 It's later than it's ever been before. 15:33 And that's the statement for us. 15:35 It's later than it's ever been before. 15:41 One day soon and very soon Jesus is coming, 15:45 So what I say to you who sit in this house. 15:49 I say to the world, the question is asked in the old song, 15:54 are you ready for Jesus to come? 16:00 There is a song we used to sing that ask the question, 16:02 do you love God more than anything, 16:04 do you love God? 16:05 Do you love God more than your car or home? 16:08 Do you love God more than your family? 16:10 Do you love God more than all you own? 16:13 Do you love God? Well, if you do, 16:18 just let the whole world know that's all He asked of you. 16:24 Live for Him and if you live for Him and die in Him, 16:30 Jesus says, you will live to ever. 16:33 Don't you forever? Don't you want that promise, 16:36 to live for ever with Jesus? 16:39 Let me have you to do a quick exercise, 16:41 close your eyes real fast, think about heaven. 16:47 Now open your eyes and look at me. 16:49 I just asked you to do something which is really unfair, 16:53 because you have nothing to compare heaven to, Amen. 16:58 The Bible says, "Eye hath not seen, 17:00 ear have not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of God 17:04 the things that he's prepared for them." 17:05 So we are much more comfortable thinking about the things 17:07 that won't be in heaven, Amen. 17:10 We don't really know what's going to be there, 17:12 so we got to look at heaven in terms of what won't be there, 17:16 no more prisons. Amen. 17:20 No more prisoners, no more sickness, 17:25 no more pain, no more doctors, 17:29 no more diseases, no more AIDS, 17:32 no more cancer, no more arthritis, 17:34 no more rheumatism, no more glasses... 17:43 or contact lenses, or cataract surgery, 17:49 no more arthritis, no more rheumatism, 17:52 no more wheelchairs, no more canes, 17:54 no more crutches, no more false teeth, 17:58 no more bad breath. 18:08 All of that would be gone. 18:11 No more taxis, no more rent, 18:14 no more mortgage payments. 18:16 You want to go to someplace, 18:17 you don't[] call a cab, just fly to where you want to go. 18:23 I think about that sometimes when I lay on my bed at night. 18:26 How heaven is going to be and I wanted to be there. 18:32 And most of all I really, really, really 18:39 want to see Jesus. Amen. 18:42 I got a million questions to ask Him. 18:45 He has got a million answers. 18:49 And I don't know how He's going to make time for my million 18:51 and your million but since we got for ever to do it, 18:54 we ain't got to worry about that. Amen. 18:58 So, those who are sitting here 19:00 and those of you who are watching 19:02 by the hundreds of thousands, your television set 19:05 or your computer screen or listening on radio for 3ABN. 19:09 Make a commitment now. 19:13 Come what may, I'm going to see Jesus 19:19 and I'm going to see Him in peace. 19:21 You know I said something, when I was pastoring New York, 19:24 my last church was 2,142 members 19:30 and I preached 117 funerals 19:34 in seven years of pastoring that church 19:36 and in every funeral I said to them, 19:39 to the family what I'm going to say to you now. 19:43 Death in Christ is not a bad thing. 19:50 Better to die in Jesus than to live without Him, 19:58 because if you live with Jesus and die in Jesus, 20:05 you will live for ever more. 20:10 The Bible says in your haste to get, 20:13 get wisdom and the fear of the Lord 20:18 is the beginning of wisdom. 20:21 And all wisdom, all power is wrapped up in Jesus. 20:30 You guys have been an unparalleled blessing 20:35 to me and my crew. 20:38 And you will be a blessing to the millions of people 20:41 who will see this broadcast. 20:44 Thank you for giving your lives to Jesus 20:48 and giving us of your time, your talent and your love. 20:51 Stay on God's side. 20:55 And one day we're going to walk through the gates 20:59 and into the city. 21:00 Oh yeah, one more thing that will not be in heaven, 21:04 there will be no more party, no more goodbyes, 21:08 no more sadness and no more sorrow. 21:12 Shall we pray, Father God, 21:16 we look forward to the day when Jesus will come, 21:23 when the eyes of the blind will be open, 21:27 when there will be no more sickness, 21:28 no more sadness, no more death, no more pain, 21:33 only life and joy and eternal peace in Christ. 21:41 Father, keep us. 21:45 Let nothing separate us from you, 21:49 until the day we walk with Christ Jesus through the gates 21:57 and into the heavenly holy city, that's our home. 22:02 We are just pilgrims here. 22:06 This is just a stopping place 22:07 as it were a hotel on the way home. 22:12 Soon Lord, we got to pack our bags and make that journey. 22:19 Keep us Lord, and walk with us everyday of our lives. 22:25 Oh, we love You, we praise You, 22:29 and we thank You in Jesus' name. Amen. 22:50 Scott, how long you have been locked up this time around? 22:52 This clinic, I have been locked up a year. 22:54 So that isn't like real long, I mean a lot of people feel 22:56 like they can do one year, 22:58 five years no big deal, no worries. 23:00 Right, right. 23:01 But locked up is a feeling of what? 23:03 Its empty, it's lonely, it's desolate. 23:08 It's something that--I reached a stage in my life 23:11 at age 52 that, you know, 23:13 this ain't easy no more you know. 23:15 I did time when I was 25, I did time when I was 35. 23:18 Now I'm 52 and I'm back again. 23:21 It's the emptiness that leaves you right in and you don't-- 23:24 I can't take it like I used to anymore. 23:27 I can't lie at myself and laugh about it and joke about it. 23:30 It just doesn't happen anymore. 23:31 Because it hurts. It hurts. 23:32 It's internal all the way to the core, amen. 23:34 It hurts, it hurts. 23:35 I ran from God, I ran away from God, 23:37 I ran away from this charge. 23:39 These charges were given to me in ten years ago, 23:41 when I ran away I ran down South to Mobile, 23:43 Alabama when I got down there I was living under a fake name 23:46 and when I went to a church, I just showed up 23:48 because I didn't had nothing better to do 23:50 and was just trying to get out of myself there 23:53 I got there early and there was this little guy there 23:56 with the guitar and an amplifier may be a musician 23:58 and I just wanted to see what was going on, 24:00 so I go over to see what's happening and he said, 24:02 well, my base player idn't showed up and I said, 24:04 well, I can play guitar, can you play base. 24:07 And I got up and I played based guitar with this guy 24:10 and I found out that he wasn't even from that church 24:12 and that church didn't allow guitar 24:13 and they were mad at him for bringing guitars in the church 24:16 and I was prophesied over by some minister 24:19 that he know me and told me 24:20 I was going to be some kind of evangels, 24:21 and I did even know what evangelism was at that point. 24:24 That was the beginning on it. 24:26 So, you were on the run. 24:27 And you wanted to try this stay low, 24:29 so you went to the church. 24:30 Yeah, lying everybody, tell them, 24:32 tell them my name was Nelson not Scott. 24:34 Nobody knew who I was. 24:35 Well, you know what, Christ wants to give us all 24:37 a new identity, amen, a new identity. 24:40 And the Bible says that he has a new name 24:42 for each and every one of us. 24:44 So like Paul was Saul, God had a new name 24:47 and a new purpose, amen? That's right. 24:49 I want to talk to you just a little bit, bro, 24:51 about the Bible that you have been hustling high and low 24:55 to get Bibles tattered, torn, old or new. 24:58 Can you tell me about the Bible 24:59 that was presented to you that all can see. 25:00 Yeah, in fact if you guys-- 25:02 you guys went in for the other one, 25:03 but I read a scripture out of the Bible that was given to me 25:08 by Brother Vega at RDC 25:11 and I was mad when I got that Bible. 25:13 It was a paper bag Bible and I was watching these guys 25:16 getting these nice black shining with gold lettering all on 25:19 and I just had to have one of those bibles, 25:22 I was mad, I get stuck with this. 25:24 But you know something, it's a one year Bible, 25:26 and it's got a scripture reading for everyday 25:28 and I have been faithfully reading that Bible, 25:30 ever since I've been down here 25:31 and it has been a blessing to me. 25:32 I got just what I needed. 25:34 I got just what I needed from that Bible. 25:36 And I think moreover the thing that I can most identify 25:39 with more than anything else, 25:41 one of the best people in the Bible has been Paul, 25:44 because of what Paul did because Paul went after the church 25:47 and he said in one scripture, I'm like you. 25:49 I can't remember the chapter and verse. 25:51 He says, it's a true saying that Jesus Christ 25:54 came to save sinners of which I'm chief 25:57 because he was chief because he murdered the church, 25:59 because he went after the church. 26:01 He had, he had a bunch of warrants 26:04 for the arrest of people in Damascus to bring him back 26:06 and stand from and stoned him and kill him 26:09 and Jesus knocked him off his donkey 26:11 and blinded him and said, 26:12 look now you are not going to do this, 26:13 you are going to be my man, you are my man. 26:16 But he still had a choice in the equation. 26:17 God didn't come and forcedly take him and change him, 26:20 yet through the circumstances like Jonah cried out to God 26:24 in the belly of the whale because of his adversities, 26:26 so because of Paul situation he was willing. 26:29 He was willing to do that. 26:30 And Gods bring us through these situations 26:32 and through these trails, 26:34 He helps our willingness to stay refocus to get refocused. 26:37 What would you say to our sponsors 26:39 that provided that tattered, 26:41 torn cheap paper bag Bible to you? 26:44 I'd say keep up the good work because of having that Bible, 26:47 you know, I can say this out of what I have read, you know. 26:51 When I was a child I spoke as a child 26:54 and I acted as a child. 26:56 I was bought up and caught up by the world, 26:58 all the smoke and whistles, bells and mirrors 27:01 that Satan puts out there in our body, 27:03 every bit of it I want to be rock and roll star 27:06 but you know what I didn't come to patty cake for Jesus anymore, 27:10 I'm not coming to play church I'm going to praise Him 27:12 with all I got and I'm going to go hard, 27:14 I'm going hard after it 27:16 and I'm going to give him all that I had. 27:18 I'm gonna bring it for Him 27:19 and that's and I just want to say thank you all 27:22 for providing that Bible and giving us a chance 27:25 to have the word in prison. Thank you. 27:27 But, brother, brother our pallet of Bibles is empty 27:29 we just passed out on 700 last Saturday a few days ago 27:33 and now we need more Bibles and we do have a sponsor 27:36 for every new Bible that we buy, 27:38 there is a sponsor willing to buy another Bible 27:41 to put with it, so praise God. 27:42 Hopefully there would be more new Bibles 27:44 instead of the tattered, torn Bibles 27:46 but that was specific for you. 27:47 But I want you to know something brother, 27:49 my desire is we're passing out 8,000 Bibles a year 27:52 once a months 700 Bibles. 27:54 My desire is that every brother 27:56 that goes to the diagnostic centre 27:57 gets him a pair of shower shoes 27:58 or gets him one of those itchy wool blankets, 28:01 you have an opportunity to go over and pick up a Bible. 28:04 Please, please keep us in your prayers 28:06 God bless you brother. 28:07 Thank you for sharing that over. Bless you. 28:10 If you would like to sponsor or learn more 28:12 about the Christmas Behind Bars Outreach Ministries, 28:15 please contact us at Christmas Behind Bars. 28:18 P.O Box 474 Bluffton, Indiana 46714 |
Revised 2014-12-17