Participants: C.A. Murray (Host), J.D. & Shelly Quinn (Host), Lemuel Vega (Host), David McEwen, Mitch Barfield
Series Code: FIN
Program Code: FIN000004
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00:01 Hi, I'm C.A. Murray and this Free Indeed,
00:05 a different kind of ministry. 00:07 The men and women that you will meet 00:09 in this particular program have found Jesus 00:11 in very trying circumstances. 00:15 Let them tell you their story, 00:16 their own personal journey of their walk of faith. 00:20 We haven't changed their music, 00:22 and we haven't changed their words, 00:23 because it's their personal testimony. 00:26 It's their walk of faith with Jesus Christ. 00:29 You'll find as they have found 00:31 that in Jesus you can indeed be Free Indeed. 00:51 On today' broadcast, we experience 00:54 some powerful ministry from Shelley and J.D. Quinn. 00:57 We're at the Plainfield Correctional 00:59 Facility in Indiana. We are gonna meet David. 01:02 We're gonna hear from Lemuel Vega. 01:05 We're gonna hear from Mitch Barfield. 01:08 Sometimes when you are in a situation like this, 01:11 depression overwhelms you. 01:13 One of the people you will meet today 01:15 came to our meetings from a suicide watch. 01:18 Life had gotten him down. 01:20 Situations outside of the facility 01:23 had gotten him down and he had given up on life. 01:26 But he got renewed, he got renewed strength, 01:29 and he will state that, that renewed strength 01:31 came from 3ABN, and Christmas Behind Bars. 01:35 You never know, how much a caring hand, 01:39 a loving touch, a note, 01:41 a word of encouragement can lift someone's spirit. 01:44 That's what you will see today on "Free Indeed." 01:57 Hallelujah Hallelujah 02:11 Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah 02:35 Well before I experience Free Indeed. 02:38 Things weren't going too good for me. 02:43 Chapman told about Free Indeed don't come here 02:46 and they want to praise to be a part of it. 02:49 So it can uplift my spirit. 02:53 But couple of days before they came, 02:56 to be a part of Free Indeed. 02:58 I got some bad news from home, 03:00 and it dampened my spirit, you know, made, 03:05 made me just want to say forget life, 03:08 I gave up on everything. 03:11 I thought get out of dealt suicide watch and I came back. 03:17 My brother Garvedo, he know resident of 3ABN, Free Indeed, 03:23 it embraced me like I was one of them part of family. 03:26 You know, he gave me a little more courage, they wanna 03:35 to wanna keep on going in your life and I had given up. 03:43 And it just you know, 03:46 when I first went across 03:49 Christmas Behind Bars out in Westfield. 03:54 Seeing by the way and everybody 03:56 was passing out the bags to us, 03:58 that touched me too because, 04:01 he befriend me, I would say, 04:04 come on, he said, you'll peep out, 04:06 we haven't, I've no family, 04:09 there is looking out for me. 04:13 It ain't just 3ABN and Christmas Behind Bar, 04:16 this channel reach out for the inmates. 04:19 They are reaching out, everybody all over the world 04:22 touching the people with this broken heart, 04:25 the thing about giving up own life is still. 04:28 They're right there though. 04:30 Let you know that it ain't bad it seems. 04:34 Lord we pray, 04:38 Lord we honor You, Lord we honor You. 04:43 It means a lot when you get peoples from outside come in, 04:46 you know, coming near, that might be the only visit 04:49 we get when we have Christmas Behind Bars. 04:52 That might be only visit, somebody might 04:53 might get in touch a person. Excuse me. 05:07 It is, it's actually, it's unexplainable feeling, 05:12 because it's an overwhelming feeling. 05:17 I don't know you and you don't know me. 05:19 But you treat me just like, 05:20 if you've been knowing me all my life. 05:23 Like I'm, is good to be part of a Christian family, 05:27 because sometime, you know 05:28 family just turn it backs on you. 05:35 And I just thank God that is people are they like, 05:39 Free Indeed Christmas Behind Bars, 05:42 because a lot of was indeed, just let that day encourages, 05:47 that is hope. There's still hope. 05:51 Hallelujah Hallelujah 06:11 Gentlemen, you signed up for a program 06:14 to come out here, you have to sign release forms. 06:16 And I want you to know that this is an awesome journey. 06:19 I've met some of you personally 06:21 with brown paper sacks filled with Ramen noodles 06:24 and hygiene items, some cookies and some snacks. 06:27 There is always been a devotional book 06:28 tuck down on the bottom, 06:30 so it wouldn't get wrinkled or messed up. 06:32 I don't know if you have chose to read 06:33 that book or whether you chose not. 06:35 But through the providence of God, 06:37 But I believe that we live 06:38 in the closing moment of world's history. 06:41 And you know, we contacted 06:42 the Three Angel's Broadcasting Network 06:44 about five or six years ago. 06:46 And our desire was to send them 06:48 one of these brown grocery bags 06:50 like you receive from Christmas Behind Bars, 06:52 and we sent them this grocery bag. 06:55 And we said, if you could just air this on your program 06:58 and let many churches know, that they can put an apple 07:01 on the steps to Christ in a trunk, in a bag 07:05 and take it down to the county jail 07:07 that they could be blessings throughout the world, 07:09 to the men and woman on their way to prison. 07:12 And I want you to know that through 07:13 this divine appointment many years ago, 07:15 there is now a program, then it is called Free Indeed. 07:18 And we want the inmates in these jails and prisons, 07:22 brothers, to be able to share 07:24 that message of hope with the world, 07:26 because there is people out there in the world today, 07:28 they are depressed and they are struggling 07:30 and they just don't know where their next food 07:32 or the next dollar for fuel is going to come from? 07:35 And so they are discouraged, 07:36 but here you've lost everything 07:38 by society standards, you are incarcerated. 07:40 And here it is, you got some hope, and purpose, stability 07:44 and I tell you that God will use your life 07:46 as you're willing to surrender it not only in here, 07:48 but as you go out to the street. 07:50 Many people will write, and say well, 07:51 I want to do ministry, when I get out. 07:53 I want to do this, I want to do that. 07:54 Just follow God's will for your life in here, 07:57 and stay true and faithful as you go out there. 08:00 And He will bless your efforts, one by one. 08:04 I'll never forget, my wife and I got married. 08:06 And after three years, we are gonna have a child. 08:10 And I'll never forget, it was a Friday night, 08:12 and next morning I was supposed 08:13 to go out to the hospital to get my wife and child. 08:17 But what do we men do, when we have a child? 08:21 Celebrate, you got to get some cigars. I didn't smoke. 08:24 Got some cigars, go out to the nearest beer joint 08:27 and pass them to all your friends 08:29 and say, it was a girl, it was a girl. 08:32 By 11 O'clock, my sister-in-law I said, 08:34 you are ready to go home, I said, 08:36 no I'm ready to go home. 08:38 I said, I'll finish just one beer, stay little longer 08:41 and I'll come, you go ahead. 08:42 But you know, you got to go get your wife in the morning. 08:44 Yes I'll be there. 08:46 2 O'clock came, early Saturday morning, 08:51 and all of a sudden, my hair was dizzy from the speed 08:55 and the black beauties that I had taken and alcohol. 08:59 And I taught, I could conquer the world, 09:01 I mean this gentlemen got into disagreement. 09:04 And the next thing I noticed sound went off. 09:06 This leg here jumped out of from me. 09:09 I realized what has happened 09:11 and everybody started going towards the door. 09:13 And as I hit the door, 09:14 one of my best friends Kenneth, he did the same time. 09:18 We knocked each other down and going one of again. 09:20 I felt this leg do something. 09:23 I got up staggered around the building. 09:24 We were running out to a field. 09:26 I can hear him Harven, I know who is Harven. 09:28 I heard some guns go off. 09:30 And I just kneel down, and this leg he was killing me. 09:34 And all of a sudden, all of sudden, 09:37 I gotten my sense about the grace of God. 09:39 I looked around, but you know who I was. 09:42 I was on a big oak tree 09:44 in the middle of the graveyard, 09:47 in the middle of the graveyard, 09:49 23 years old, suppose to get my child 09:52 and my wife out of hospital the next day, 09:54 and here I lay with the bullet lies in this leg 09:56 and the wound going through this one. 09:59 And I'm gonna tell you about the God 10:01 that I have come to learn to love and serve. 10:05 I have a clue who He was. 10:06 My mother gave me a good example. 10:08 But my father-- his example was a 180 degree difference. 10:12 And me being the youngest of six boys, 10:14 we didn't choose religion. 10:15 But my mother stayed faithful and as I lay there, 10:19 in that graveyard, I made a pitiful cry. 10:22 I said Lord, if you would save me tonight, 10:28 and let me get up in the morning 10:30 and get my wife and my child, I will serve you. 10:33 Alcohol was on my breath, speed is in my stomach, 10:37 pots in my head, spin in my head, 10:38 that's the pitiful cry. 10:42 Go to Romans 5, and let me tell you something 10:44 about the God we serve. 10:46 Romans 5, But God commendeth, 10:48 God proveth, his love toward us, 10:51 in that, while we were yet sinners. 10:56 I didn't know I was one. 11:03 Yet God heard that plead. 11:04 Notice what he is continue saying. 11:05 While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 11:08 Not while we were in church 11:09 singing hymns and praising God. 11:11 But while we were in a graveyard with the alcohol, 11:14 drugs and bullets in our body, 11:16 Jesus went to the cross for us, 11:19 because He knows in it about ourselves, 11:21 we can't do it, we can't do it. 11:29 But guess what? God was faithful. 11:34 He kept His promise. 11:35 I don't know how long I lay there, 11:37 all the lights went off, all the cars left. 11:41 I made my way back at my car, 11:42 and I had a few of my buddies over to brothers house, 11:45 and he saw I was shot, he kind of took care of me, 11:48 didn't saw, I was okay. 11:49 He want to thrash me, 11:52 so what you're doing out there, you know 11:53 you are supposed to pick your wife and daughter up. 11:56 Well God worked it out, 11:58 I went to this hospital in Waynesfield, 12:00 my wife is in Lauenberg. 12:01 Next morning my brother 12:03 go to get my wife, brings her home. 12:06 I beg my doctor, 12:08 I said, doctor let me go home please, just for this one day. 12:11 And he done some on own, he speaks in positive. 12:13 He let me go home and God had arranged just perfectly. 12:16 I drove up, my wife drove up my little baby. 12:20 And she got out of car, 12:21 she handled me that little bundle, 12:23 and I will never forget this. 12:25 I never get ashamed and disgrace 12:26 I felt as she handing to me. 12:29 I handed it to my older brother 12:31 when I saw the house and just started crying. 12:34 I said, Lord, I don't want this. 12:36 I don't know how to get out of this. 12:37 My wife being the type of woman 12:39 she was finally met her way Ron was sitting 12:42 put her arm around and she told me that she loved me. 12:45 How do you love someone who has humiliated you 12:48 and put you in a position as she is in. 12:51 I caught another glance of God's love. 12:55 Makes longs story short. 12:58 Six months later, it took me six months, 12:59 my wife and I went down, 13:01 Jesus has accepted us as His children. 13:03 And brothers I mean to tell you today 13:05 that by His grace, 13:08 we had been on a wonderful journey, a wonderful journey. 13:11 Three years of my first marriage, 13:13 my wife left me three times because of my stupidity. 13:18 But since, Jesus Christ has come into my life, 13:20 and her life, we had been together 13:21 and it has been a wonderful journey. 13:24 My prayer to you tonight First John 1:9, 13:28 let's go as we close it. 13:30 First John 1:9, let me read this one. 13:31 My time has ran out, let me read it. 13:33 I love this First John 1:9, "If we confess our sins. 13:41 He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, 13:45 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 13:47 Now I gonna share some with you the powerful thing, 13:49 listen this right here. 13:51 If you give Christ, if you give yourself to Christ 13:54 and accept Him as your savior 13:56 then a sinful as your life may have been. 13:58 For Christ says you are counted righteous, 14:01 not as a sinner. 14:03 You become a child of God. 14:05 Notice what it goes along to say. 14:07 Christ character stands in the place of your character 14:10 and you are sacred before God 14:12 as though you have never sinned. 14:15 Jesus stands in between you and me and a holy God 14:19 and when God looks at you, he don't see your past record, 14:23 He sees Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary 14:25 sharing his life for you and me. 14:27 I don't know enough as I tell you my friend, 14:30 I don't know I tell you, 14:35 but if you would take just right here, 14:37 and let it become your bread, 14:40 every morning, every noon, and at night 14:43 and get to know Jesus Christ, I will promise you. 14:45 I love this, I love this title, 14:46 "Free Indeed." Free Indeed. 14:50 The world has not a clue 14:51 what it means to be "Free Indeed," 14:53 this my prayer for each one of you, 14:55 may God bless each one of you 14:56 as you continue this evening, amen. 15:02 You know, I grew up in a very dysfunctional environment. 15:05 My parents divorced when I was four, 15:07 my father got custody of me, 15:10 my mother got custody of my baby sister. 15:12 So I was taken away from my mother and baby sister 15:15 to my grandparents home where we lived for while. 15:18 And then my father was a pilot 15:20 and he got a job in a couple of states away, 15:24 left me with my grandparents. 15:26 He was killed in a plane crash when I was six. 15:29 I came back to live with my mother 15:31 and I had a very loving mother 15:34 when she was on her medication. 15:36 My mom was bipolar, and she married an alcoholic 15:40 who was very abusive and the only thing that got me 15:44 through my teenage years was church, 15:48 but the church that I went to taught me 15:52 that I had to be perfect for God to love me. 15:55 My family taught me I had to be perfect 15:57 to be loved by them and I tried so hard to be perfect. 16:03 I tried to please God. 16:05 I tried to perform for God, 16:08 but like the testimonies that we heard earlier, 16:12 you know, I turned my back on the Lord. 16:16 I didn't do anything illegal. 16:19 I just turned my back on him, because I gave up. 16:22 I just said I cant please you, 16:24 I cant be perfect, its not in me 16:27 and I walked away and yet when I walked away 16:30 my heart would yearn for God. 16:32 Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, that God has put 16:36 eternity in our hearts. 16:39 Everyone of you sitting here 16:43 had that placed in your heart by God. 16:46 And, you know, there is a hole inside of us 16:49 that only God can fill. 16:52 And sometimes people try to fill it with drugs, 16:55 that was my sister's option, 16:57 That's the path she took until God got a hold of her, 17:01 but we try to fill it with so many things 17:05 and nothing but God will satisfy. 17:07 But I got good news for you, the good news is this. 17:11 God is the God of new beginnings. 17:15 Whatever is binding you, 17:19 when you come to Jesus Christ, 17:22 you can claim this promise 17:24 and you can say, you are righteous, 17:26 you will cut me free from the cords of the wicked 17:30 that binds me, is it pornography? 17:32 God can cut you free from that. 17:35 Is it drugs? Is it cigarettes? 17:38 What is it? This is what the Lord says. 17:42 Do not remember the former things, 17:45 nor consider the things of old. 17:48 He is saying, don't dwell on the past. 17:52 Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth. 17:56 Do you not perceive it, 17:58 I will even make a road in the wilderness, 18:02 and rivers in the desert. 18:04 God doesn't want you looking over your shoulder, 18:07 looking at the past. 18:09 He says, I'm the God of new beginnings 18:13 and I will not, I can't, I sent my son to die for you, 18:18 that He might give you 18:19 an abundant life, an abundant life. 18:23 It's only the devil who comes to steal, kill and destroy. 18:27 But Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil 18:30 and give you life abundantly. 18:34 He says, dear Paul in Romans 8, 18:39 There is therefore now no condemnation 18:42 for those who are in Christ Jesus, 18:44 who do not walk according to the flesh, 18:46 but according to the Spirit, 18:48 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus 18:51 has made me free from the law of sin and death. 18:57 You know, Jesus, think about this for a minute, 19:01 God himself, God the father, 19:04 God the son, God the Holy Spirit 19:08 decided before the foundations of the world were laid, 19:13 that He would send, 19:14 He knew what was going to happen with mankind 19:16 and He decided, He would send His son, 19:19 and Jesus step forth and said I'll go, I'll go. 19:24 Here is God who is not created, there's the angel 19:29 who were created and then there is humans. 19:32 This kind of like, if you think 19:34 of the progression or distinction here, 19:37 it's kind of like there is a humans 19:38 and there is animals and there is insects. 19:41 Jesus didn't come as an angel. 19:44 He humbled Himself and took on the form of humanity. 19:48 He went down two steps just like as a human 19:52 not becoming an animal but becoming an insect, a bug. 19:57 Would you be willing to give up 19:58 your humanity to become a bug? 20:02 He humbled Himself and He became a human. 20:07 He took on this human flesh 20:09 and He took it back to heaven with Him. 20:12 He united humanity and divinity forever. 20:17 So we have the perfect type priest 20:20 and the Bible says in Hebrews 7:25, 20:22 He is able to save to the outermost, 20:25 because He lives to make intercession for you. 20:29 He is praying for you, 20:30 He is living for you as your high priest. 20:35 He is up there in heaven, 20:37 sitting at the right hand of the throne of the father, 20:40 waiting for you to cry out for help, 20:45 and you know what, when you do rely on Him. 20:49 First Corinthians 10:13 says, No temptation 20:53 has overtaken you except such as common to man, 20:56 but God is faithful, who will not allow 21:00 you to be tempted beyond what you are able, 21:04 but with the temptation, 21:06 He will make the way of escape. 21:09 He will strengthen you, 21:11 you don't have to give in to the devil's plan 21:16 to steal, kill, and destroy your life. Let's pray. 21:20 Heavenly Father, I thank you, 21:21 that you are God of new beginnings. 21:24 Lord, we know, we cannot save ourselves, 21:26 it is only by grace we are saved, 21:29 but Your grace gives us divine assistance 21:32 and the supernatural power for salvation. 21:36 I pray for every one of my brothers here father. 21:39 You know the temptations that they face. 21:42 Lord, I pray that they will turn to you day by day, 21:47 but they will invite the Holy Spirit 21:50 into their heart that they will be living 21:52 temples of the living God. 21:54 And as Jesus dwells in their heart through faith 21:57 that you will do more than they can ever think 22:01 or imagine by the power of God that lives within Him. 22:05 In Jesus holy name, we pray thanking you Father, 22:08 for the answer to the prayer of faith, amen. 22:14 We never had an altar called before 22:16 in the whole 12 or 13 years 22:19 that we've been in the ministry, 22:21 I've taken brown paper sacks in the jails and prisons. 22:25 But tonight there is something special 22:27 as the Lord put it on His heart. 22:30 Is there anybody here tonight, that would like to stand 22:34 and rededicate their life to Jesus? 22:37 Or for the first time would like to say 22:39 that I would like to serve Jesus. 22:41 If there is, would you be willing to stand with us 22:45 as we close in prayer. Amen. Amen. 22:49 Is there another one? 22:52 Your heart He would bless it beyond your widest dreams. 22:56 Brothers, I know the Lord is calling your heart, 22:59 and your mind, and your time. 23:01 Brothers do you understand that we're all family. 23:04 Do you understand that we're all cousins' man? 23:07 We all go back to Adam and Eve, 23:08 and the creative power of God, in the Garden of Eden, 23:11 our great, great, great grandparents 23:14 and it's our desire to see you 23:16 added to the kingdom of heaven. 23:18 J.D said he had one talent that was compassion. 23:21 I know that each and every one of you have a talent. 23:23 I know that each and everyone of you in this prison house 23:25 tonight could see how God has saved you 23:29 from them bullets that went passed you. 23:31 From them drug overdoses and in tragic car crashes, 23:34 that nobody should have been alive in that car, 23:36 you walked free time and time again. 23:39 Well, you tonight, stand with us, 23:41 and bow before the throne room of God. 23:44 J.D would you close. 23:46 And I'll say you something in closing. 23:48 If your heart is aching, 23:51 it might be wise to stand, 23:54 because this is the Lord is whispering in your ear, 23:59 don't disappoint Him. 24:01 Remember this is about Him, it's not about being tough, 24:06 it's about giving glory to Him 24:09 and it doesn't mean that 24:14 it means that you want to make a start. 24:17 You know, Shelley has mentioned something 24:19 and whenever a relationship is young in the Lord, 24:24 I'm willing to be made willing Lord. 24:28 How precious is that? 24:30 I'm willing to be made willing Lord. 24:33 I don't know everything, 24:35 but I'm willing to at least stand up, 24:39 and then let your work takeover. 24:43 So let's go to the Lord in prayer. 24:46 And as we're praying and some others want to stand up, 24:49 thank you Jesus. Father thank you. 24:54 Your times and words, 24:56 we don't even know how to articulate. 24:59 We just thank you Lord for the Holy Spirit. 25:02 We thank you for the way 25:04 that the Holy Spirit convicts our heart. 25:07 And Father, I've just especially 25:09 thank for these tough guys 25:12 that are standing to their faith. 25:14 Father, they are willing to be made willing. 25:17 They are willing Lord to see 25:18 what their next assignment is, 25:21 and I just ask in a name of Jesus 25:23 that as you impress them, 25:25 that you give them the holy boldness, 25:27 just take the step that you want them to go. 25:30 Put pride aside Lord. 25:33 Let them continue to grow in you, 25:35 and make a difference in this world. 25:38 And Father we look forward to that day, 25:41 when we are walking on streets of gold. 25:43 When we can look to our right and our left, 25:46 I know You, I've seen You, how did we meet. 25:50 J.D you'll never guess what happened. 25:55 I gave my Lord, my heart to the Lord, 25:58 and I brought other people into the kingdom. 26:01 God's multiplication is absolutely amazing. 26:05 So we thank you Jesus. 26:07 We give You the praise and the glory. 26:10 Because like we said earlier, it's about You Lord, 26:12 it's not about us. We're just dust. 26:17 We ask this and in precious name of Your son Jesus, amen. 26:24 Thank you brothers. 26:27 This is one aspect of the Christmas Behind Bars program. 26:30 What you see here are some finished packages, 26:33 and they are ready to be distributed to inmates 26:36 in different county jails and prisons, 26:38 that the snack items is one aspect of the program. 26:42 The hygiene item is another aspect of the program. 26:45 We have devotional books, 26:47 but all this is a combined package 26:50 to share with them the gospel 26:51 and the hope of Jesus Christ that He's coming soon. 26:54 And there's hope for their unmanageability 26:56 of their lives, that has taken them to jails and prisons 26:59 and the despair and loneliness that sets in 27:01 because of the sin problem in the world. 27:03 So there's all kind of opportunities 27:06 for this program to be a benefit 27:08 to those behind prison bars. 27:10 But what we want to show also is the aspect 27:12 for those people in society to also be free in Jesus. 27:17 And so we want to say that, in every bag, 27:20 there is an envelope from Christmas Behind Bars 27:22 and we receive one of these envelopes back 27:24 just the other day and on the back 27:26 of their envelope they drew a beautiful picture 27:29 of just something to share the gospel. 27:32 So it has some bars, it has a flower, has a cross, 27:35 has some barb wires, some thorns there. 27:37 But it just a great opportunity, 27:39 we say thank you for being part of this program 27:41 through prayer, through your sponsorship, 27:44 through going to these jails and prisons and singing. 27:46 And it's just a great blessing to work together for Jesus. 28:00 Down 37 years. 28:02 Thirty seven years. Thirty seven years. 28:04 And you say, you have seen a lot of church groups 28:06 still here but what? 28:07 This is the first time I've ever seen 28:09 anything like this, especially the testimony. 28:11 It's the first time, you've ever seen 28:12 anything like this. Like this, yeah. 28:15 So you know what, it's not me though man, I'm just-- 28:17 Oh, I could tell about your testimony. 28:19 Yeah, I mean, it's the Lord working in our lives 28:23 and He would do for you what He has done for me. 28:26 He will do for me what He did for Noah. 28:28 He will do for you what He-- |
Revised 2014-12-17