Participants: C.A. Murray (Host), Lemuel Vega (Host), Calby Gray, Kevin Carey, Shandra Gray, Tom Hanlon
Series Code: FIN
Program Code: FIN000005
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00:01 Hi, I'm C.A. Murray,
00:03 and this is Free Indeed, a different kind of ministry. 00:07 The men that you will meet in this particular program 00:09 have found Jesus in very trying circumstances. 00:14 You will find, as they are found, 00:16 that in Jesus, you can indeed be free indeed. 00:38 This seems like a very odd place to begin a ministry, 00:41 and yet, Lemuel, your ministry began in a cell 00:44 just like this so many years ago. 00:47 C.A, it actually did. 00:49 I was in a cell exactly like this 00:52 only a couple of cells down, C.A. 00:54 And I ODed in a cell like this, 00:56 I was very discouraged, I didn't want to go to prison, 00:58 I didn't know what it would be like. 01:00 I had done wrong things 01:01 and I'd been sentenced to prison 01:03 and I ODed in a cell like this 01:05 and thanks to an officer that was doing his duty, 01:08 he got me out of this cell 01:09 and got me to the hospital and I'm alive today. 01:14 I appreciate the love of God 01:15 and the importance of volunteers 01:17 that shared with me while I was in prison the gospel. 01:20 And, C.A, it's so very important to share 01:22 with them the literal word of God, 01:24 to be able to give them Bibles 01:26 and let them know that there's hope, 01:27 that they will try Jesus, 01:29 that they can be free indeed. 01:30 It's such a blessing to work together for Jesus 01:33 in this time in earth's history. 01:34 So whether you're in prison today 01:36 or whether you're in society, 01:37 you can be free indeed, is that right, C.A.? 01:40 Amen, we can indeed be free in Christ Jesus. 01:43 Well, you ready to get out and get this ministry started? 01:46 I'm ready, C.A. 01:56 Dear grace in heavenly Father, 01:57 we come to you right now, 01:58 giving you all praise, honor and glory. 02:01 Father God, we just thank you for last night laying down 02:03 and this morning earlier rising, Father God, 02:05 because without you there's nothing, Father. 02:07 Father God, with you, you give us hope, 02:10 you give us joy, you give us peace 02:12 within ourselves, Father God. 02:14 Father God, we just thank you for just sitting us down, 02:17 instead of laying us down, Father God. 02:20 Because we can be six feet under right now, 02:22 father God, but with you, Father God, 02:24 you just set us down, Father God, 02:26 to just get our attention. 02:28 Father God, we just ask you to look over 02:30 our loved ones, Father, 02:31 for they are hurting inside but Father God, 02:33 just let them know that you will have peace. 02:36 Father God, we just thank you, 02:37 and we praise your holy name in the mighty 02:40 and precious name of your son Jesus, Amen. 02:44 And with that, dear Heavenly Father, 02:45 I just wanna add that these men, they have children. 02:48 They have loved ones, they have court cases pending. 02:51 Father, you know their each care, burden, and concern. 02:53 I pray that you embrace, protect, uphold, 02:56 and encourage them that they will make 02:57 a decision this day for thee, is my prayer and desire, 03:00 in Jesus name, amen. Mr. Murray. 03:05 There is a movie called King of Kings, 03:10 and in that movie there's a meeting 03:12 between Jesus and John the Baptist. 03:17 And John the Baptist is in prison, 03:19 and if you know the story, of course, he was beheaded 03:22 and so Jesus comes to meet him in prison. 03:27 And Pontius Pilate says to him, 03:29 what do you think you're going to break him out of prison? 03:32 You're going to free him from prison? 03:34 And Jesus said, "No, I'm gonna free him in prison. 03:39 He's not going anywhere, physically, 03:42 but spiritually, he's gonna leave this place." 03:45 So that when John the Baptists actually died, 03:49 he had long since left that place. 03:52 He wasn't there anymore. 03:53 Because his soul was free, his spirit was free. 03:58 And that's where this name comes from, 04:00 that you can be free regardless of where you are. 04:08 And there's a lot of people outside 04:11 who think they're free, but they're trapped. 04:16 So you can be trapped and be free, 04:21 and Jesus said "if I if I make you free, you're really free." 04:27 You are free indeed and that's the news 04:30 that we come to bring, 04:32 that circumstances are just circumstances. 04:39 You can be free in here. And free in here. 04:43 And that comes through Jesus Christ. 04:45 Amen? And that's what it's all about. 04:53 I'm gonna ask superintendent Hanion 04:54 to just join me, if he will. 04:57 You may not have heard of Three Angles Broadcasting Network, 05:00 as was said, it is the second largest 05:04 television network in the world. 05:06 We are everywhere. 05:07 They say that three quarters of the earth's surface 05:11 is covered by water and 3ABN covers the rest. 05:16 That's who we are and that's what we do. 05:18 We take the gospel everywhere. 05:20 We're in New Guinea, we're Australia, 05:22 we're in New Zealand, we're in Nairobi, 05:26 we're in Kenya, we're in Africa, 05:28 we're in Russia, we're on nine satellites, 05:31 we're on every cable company. 05:33 We have a 128 affiliate stations and 175 radio outlets. 05:38 We've got a Russian channel, an international channel, 05:41 a kids channel, a Latino channel, 05:43 an urban channel, and 3ABN, men. 05:45 So we're serious about what we do, 05:48 because we're serious about the Jesus we serve. 05:50 And, superintendent, we're so glad to be here 05:54 and that you arranged to allow us to come 05:57 just for our audience. 05:59 Tell us how long you've been in the prison business. 06:04 I was sharing with him earlier 06:05 that I've been in prison 41 years, 06:09 and that's a real ice breaker when you start the conversation. 06:12 And let me say to you that 41 years ago 06:14 there is no way a program like this would be taking place 06:19 inside a Correctional Facility, 06:21 inside a housing unit, in a Correctional Facility. 06:25 When I began, we had boxing and we had basket ball 06:29 and those were the volunteer programs that we had. 06:33 It's come a long way and programs 06:36 such as this will take it even further. 06:41 You know, Christmas behind bars I was at CIF 5 or 6 years 06:46 prior to coming back here. 06:49 The program was there. 06:51 There was a long ranging impact 06:53 of the program on inmates there. 06:55 I was sharing--it's hard for me to gauge here 06:58 because of the length of stay but it's significant. 07:03 And I would just wanna close by saying, 07:08 it really falls upon all of you to internalize change. 07:13 You know, we can offer you programs 07:15 and they will talk to you tonight, 07:17 which you're gonna have to find it, 07:18 you know, in yourself to internalize 07:22 the changes you wanna make. 07:24 If you don't, it will not happen, 07:26 so enjoy the program very much. 07:32 You know, at the instant that I, 07:35 that I did what I did to commit this crime. 07:37 I shot somebody. 07:39 But right before that, God always gave me a way out. 07:44 He told me not to do it, to go home. 07:48 And I allowed my anger to override, 07:51 that steals my voice that speaks to you. 07:54 I think it's your conscious or your intuition, 07:56 or your gut, and I went on 07:58 and did it anyway out of anger and hatred and malice. 08:02 I got locked up in 1999. 08:05 I was sentenced to 35 years. 08:08 When I got locked up, I was still very young. 08:11 I come up, in one of these rough inner city 08:14 neighborhoods around here. 08:18 And it was harsh, so I learned 08:21 to be kind of rough and aggressive. 08:24 And I got locked up, I was still that way. 08:27 I had no compassion, no remorse, none of that. 08:30 And it wasn't until I had a moment in my cell. 08:36 You know, I was at Wabash. 08:37 Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Carlisle, Indiana. 08:42 And you in the cell a lot, you know? 08:45 Level fours, you in the cell probably about 18 hours a day. 08:49 And, you know, nobody was writin' me. 08:51 I got 35 years and I had nobody in my life. 08:56 And so one of the guys, he gives a Bible 08:59 and I just started picking it up and reading it, man. 09:03 And the Lord filled me up with so much compassion 09:06 that I started crying over, over the mess 09:10 that I had made in my life and over shooting this man. 09:15 You know, just week after week, 09:18 me learning the scriptures and learning stuff. 09:22 My heart just softened more and more. 09:24 And here I am. But I didn't cry when I--I got his 35 years. 09:28 I didn't cry when my stepfather died. 09:31 I don't even remember the last time I cried 09:34 and I'm moved to tears over something 09:36 that I did four years ago. 09:38 You know, it just-- it was amazing, you know. 09:42 I can remember God actually speaking to me. 09:45 And even though I had a cellmate in a room, 09:47 it wasn't him talking. 09:49 I could hear God's voice plain as day, 09:51 just ministering to me. 09:53 You know I didn't have any family writin' me 09:55 or nobody at the time. 09:58 It's just--He came into my life, man, 10:01 and that's just how God works, man. 10:06 He meets you at your lowest point 10:07 and when you think you can't go no farther, 10:10 he picks you up. 10:12 And he picked me up and he helped me. 10:17 Today we have with us Calby Gray. 10:20 Calby you're at the regional diagnostic center. 10:24 How long--is it your first time of incarceration? 10:26 No, its not. It's not. 10:28 How many times have you been locked up? 10:29 Oh, I've been locked up four times in the DOC. 10:33 Four times. Yes. 10:34 Let me ask you a question, on your first journey to prison, 10:38 you probably didn't want to come back, right? 10:40 Yes, that's correct. 10:41 So you had good desires while you were in prison. 10:44 Let me ask you a question, the second and third time, 10:48 now this is your fourth time, 10:50 what have you seen that the consequences of wrong doing, 10:53 continues to bring you to a place 10:55 like this that you don't wanna come, 10:56 how can it be different in your life 10:58 and how can it be different for those people in the world 11:00 that are struggling with that continuation of wrong? 11:04 I seen the change of myself by letting go of myself. 11:09 I was a very self-centered individual. 11:12 It was my way or no way, 11:14 following a destructive path of self righteousness. 11:18 What led me to be a repeating offender. 11:22 I'm thankful at this point in time in my life 11:25 that within the last four years, 11:27 I have been able to acknowledge my calling upon the Lord, 11:31 and although I'm a resident of San Diego, California, 11:35 but to be able to come back here this fourth time 11:37 to take care of a old warrant so that I can continue 11:41 to follow the path of righteousness and seeking-- 11:45 continue to seek mercy in the Lord Jesus Christ. 11:47 Amen. Was drugs and alcohol a big part of your wrong, 11:52 getting caught back in the ditch? 11:54 Yes, it was. It was a major part of my return 11:58 as the offender here into incarceration and bondage. 12:03 My drug of choice was alcohol 12:05 and alcohol was self-inflicting upon me time and time again. 12:10 And its legal. It's legal in society. 12:12 So we think it's like not really that wrong. 12:13 But yet it tears our families apart. 12:15 It damages our livers and our bodies 12:17 and brings brain damage, amen? Amen. 12:21 What would you share with the alcoholic out there today 12:23 who's still struggling in active alcoholism 12:26 or the drug addict who wants out of that way of life, 12:29 but don't want to come to prison 12:31 and don't want to die in that way? 12:33 I say, find yourself a good church. A church of hope. 12:37 A church that's following the way of Christ. 12:40 I'm a Seventh-day Adventist myself, you know, 12:43 and it's not indiscrimination towards any other church, 12:46 but I would like to follow the church-- 12:48 the scriptures of our Lord Jesus Christ, 12:50 from the beginning to the end. 12:52 And this is what I found in the Seventh-day Adventist. 12:55 You know what? I guess you're right, 12:57 in the Bible it does speak 12:58 about the Seventh-day Sabbath, doesn't it? 13:00 Yes, it does. 13:01 Well, Calby, I sure thank you for being willing to share 13:04 your testimony with the world 13:05 and we wish you God's blessings until we meet again. 13:07 I pray in the kingdom of heaven. 13:08 Well, thank you. Thank you, brother. 13:16 There are two words that I wanna take 13:17 a little time just to talk about tonight. 13:21 One is happiness, the other is joy. 13:26 Now they seem like the same words 13:29 and many times we use them interchangeably. 13:32 Happiness, joy, happiness, joy, joy, happiness. 13:35 But the Bible gives indication 13:38 that they're not the same at all. 13:42 In the world, we talk a lot about happiness. 13:46 You see in the ads. 13:48 You see in the commercials or you've had friends 13:51 or people tell you, hey, if you do this, 13:53 it'll make you happy. 13:55 If you take this it'll make you happy. 13:58 If you buy this, it'll make you happy. 14:01 And the world is always selling happiness. 14:06 But you find that happiness comes and happiness goes. 14:13 And so it's interesting 14:15 that the Bible says very little about happiness. 14:21 Now there are 66 books in the entire Bible. 14:24 Happiness is only mentioned 26 times 14:27 about an average of once every two books. 14:32 The Bible talks about joy. 14:36 Joy is mentioned 180 times. 14:40 About three times per book. 14:43 Because for the Bible writers, from God's point of view, 14:49 joy is better than happiness. 14:53 Joy is better than happiness. 14:57 So my text is Psalms, Chapter 16, verse 11. 15:01 The Bible says, "In Your presence." 15:03 That's God's presence. 15:05 "Is fullness of--" Not happiness, 15:09 "fullness of joy" because joy is better than happiness. 15:17 Nobody is happy all the time. 15:21 Come on, nobody happy all the time. 15:24 Some days you wake up and you have a day and that day, 15:30 you just ain't gonna be happy. 15:32 Ever have a day like that? 15:34 Some days you get up, and it's not going to be a good day. 15:37 Some days you're just not happy 15:39 and it can be caused by anything. 15:42 Ate something late last night and it got to you. 15:46 Person in the bunk above you snoring. 15:49 You know, all kinds of stuff. 15:51 You get up in the morning and today 15:52 ain't gonna be a good day, 15:54 you not gonna be happy and so you do things 15:57 that try to make yourself happy 15:59 when what you really want is joy 16:01 because nobody's happy all the time. 16:03 Nobody's happy all the time. 16:05 Even people who smile all the time, 16:07 they're not happy all the time, 16:08 because you cannot be happy all the time. 16:10 There are too many things that affect your happiness. 16:12 You can just have a bad biological day. 16:16 You know, biorhythms just off. 16:18 Some days you get up and some-- 16:19 it's in you and bothering you, you're just not gonna be happy. 16:24 But the Bible says, you can have joy 16:28 even when you're not happy, 16:31 because joy comes from Jesus. Amen. 16:35 The Bible says, in His presence is fullness of joy 16:40 and as long as you got joy you got Jesus 16:44 and joy together even when you're not happy. 16:47 You know, several years ago my dad passed. 16:51 And we were at his funeral and folk were so interested, 16:57 "why are they so giddy? Why are they not sad? 17:04 Why-" My sister and myself, my mom, 17:07 "why are they so excited at the loss of their dad?" 17:12 See, what they didn't know is that my father 17:14 ran from the Lord all of his life. 17:19 Turned his back on the Lord. 17:21 Tried to live his own life. 17:23 Got into a little hot water, 17:25 came out but just had a rough time. 17:30 But about a month before he died, 17:35 I flew home and baptized him myself. 17:40 And then one month later, 30 days later, 17:43 he had a stroke, died. 17:46 He didn't know he was gonna have a stroke. 17:49 He didn't know he was even sick, 17:52 had never spent a day in a hospital, 17:54 just had a stroke and died. 17:55 And my mother said come on home, 17:57 your father has died. 17:59 But we were joyful 18:03 because he died in Jesus. 18:08 And Jesus says, if you live in me and die in me, 18:14 you gonna live forever. 18:16 So we were thinking about the forever part. Amen. 18:20 Not just the temporal part. 18:22 So we sang and praised God, 18:25 because the man who ran from the Lord for 87 years 18:31 only got 30 days in Jesus. 18:36 But the Bible says he's going to get the same eternity 18:39 as somebody who had been in Jesus all of their life. 18:41 And then my wife comes along 18:43 and her father beats that. 18:44 Her dad was 91 years of age. 18:49 Three months ago, she went home. 18:52 Now this is the fellow who didn't even like 18:54 the word Jesus mentioned in his presence. 18:58 Didn't want to hear anything about the Lord. 19:01 She went home in December 19:02 because his kidneys began to act up just a little bit. 19:07 And two weeks before he died, called his family together. 19:13 And gave his heart to the Lord and confessed all of his sins. 19:18 Gentlemen, he confessed all of his sins. 19:23 He confessed some stuff 19:26 he probably shouldn't have confessed. 19:28 He confessed everything he did from a child, 19:31 gave his life to he Lord and then two weeks later, 19:36 my wife is trying to help him in the bed. 19:38 He had his arms around her neck 19:41 and his arms dropped to the side and he was gone. 19:45 And my wife called me from Panama and she said, 19:51 "I lost my dad. But I feel all right." 19:57 Now she wasn't happy. 20:00 She'd been with that man 91 years. 20:04 But she had joy, because he went to sleep in Jesus. 20:09 You see, happiness is paid to your circumstances. 20:14 It's got to be. Somebody says something nice to you, 20:18 does something nice for you, you're happy. 20:20 Somebody says something bad to you, 20:21 does something bad against you, you're not happy. 20:24 Chasing happiness is like chasing your tail. 20:28 You're never gonna catch it. 20:29 You're going around and around. 20:31 Some days you're happy, some days you're not. 20:32 But you can have joy even on the days 20:35 when you're not happy, gentlemen, 20:37 because that's what Jesus offers you. 20:40 He offers you joy. I got a good friend. 20:44 He bought a Cadillac Escalade, kind of creamy white. 20:53 The antitheft system on it was $4,700. 21:01 It is so technologically advanced, 21:04 you don't have to touch the car, 21:06 you just stand near the car. 21:08 And the car will say, "Get back! You're too close." 21:14 You know where that car is today? 21:17 Well, if you do, I wish you'd tell him 21:18 because he doesn't have a clue. 21:23 Gone. It came and got it. 21:26 Came and got it. Somebody took it in the night. 21:29 His wife said, you know, he loves that car so much, 21:31 if could drive that thing in the bedroom with us at night, 21:33 he would do so. Loved that car. 21:36 Had it forty days. Gone. 21:41 And when they took it, he wasn't happy. 21:46 But he had joy, amen, and insurance. 21:52 Praise the Lord. 21:53 See, joy is your insurance, 21:57 so that even when bad stuff happens to you, 21:59 you can be happy in Jesus. 22:01 Now I'm gonna give you three characteristics of joy, 22:05 then I'll let you go. Number one, joy lasts. 22:13 What did I say? Joy lasts, good, bad, hot, cold, joy lasts. 22:18 It lasts forever. 22:22 Two, joy looks for reasons to rejoice. 22:27 It looks for reasons to enjoy, to rejoice. 22:30 So like I said when my dad died, we found a reason to rejoice, 22:34 because he had gone to sleep in Jesus. 22:37 That's a reason to rejoice, 22:39 because the Bible says he gets all eternity with Christ. 22:44 Same with my wife. So joy looks for reasons to rejoice. 22:52 Number three, you got to watch out for this one. 22:56 Joy celebrates the blessings of others. 23:03 Joy celebrates the blessings of others. 23:07 So when someone else does good, 23:11 joy rejoices with them. Amen? 23:16 So when one little boy gets a bike, 23:22 and the other brother doesn't get a bike, 23:26 the brother who didn't get a bike 23:28 celebrates with the one who got the bike. Amen. 23:33 Amen. That's what joy does, joy doesn't sit and say, 23:39 "I didn't get no bike." 23:42 It celebrates the other person's bike. 23:45 It's like if a husband buys a new car, the wife rejoices, 23:53 because she's going to ride in that car, amen. Amen. 23:57 Amen. That's the way it's supposed to be. 24:00 So joy rejoices in the good fortune of others. 24:05 That's what joy does. Number one, it lasts. 24:08 Christ says abide in me. 24:10 The word abide simply means "stay". 24:12 That's all. Just stay in me. 24:14 Don't just pass by. Don't just visit me. 24:17 Abide in me. So, joy lasts and you need something 24:21 to last in this world that we live in today. 24:24 Two, joy looks for reasons to celebrate. 24:28 It wants a reason to celebrate. 24:31 You know, what we found out in the Bible? 24:34 That every time a sinner brings his broken down 24:38 carcass to the Lord, angels rejoice. 24:45 Angels rejoice. You can live your whole life 24:48 wasting your life and you come drag 24:50 into Jesus at the very end. 24:54 And heaven throws a party. 24:56 So glad to get you-- 24:58 you've given most of your life to the devil. 25:00 Wasted your youth and your strength 25:03 and you come dragging in at the very end, 25:05 and heaven throws a party. 25:07 Just so glad to get you, looks for a reason to rejoice, amen? 25:14 That's what, that's what true joy does. 25:17 And last, but not least, 25:22 joy keeps you when you're all alone. 25:29 How many have ever been alone? 25:32 You can be sitted--sitting in a crowded room and be alone. 25:38 You know that. 25:40 Have a million people around you and you're all alone. 25:45 Joy gives you the certainty 25:49 that you're never ever alone. 25:54 Because joy is in Jesus and when you got Jesus, 25:59 you got joy and when you got Jesus, 26:03 you're never, ever, alone. 26:07 One of the very first texts that I committed to memory 26:10 when I was in school, Joshua 1:9, 26:13 "Have I not commanded thee? 26:15 Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, 26:18 neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God 26:21 is with you where so ever you go." 26:26 That's an ironclad promised. 26:28 That's Old Testament, you want one in the New Testament? 26:30 Almost the same quote. 26:32 Hebrews, chapter 13:5-6. 26:35 God says, "Whatever situation you find yourself in. 26:39 Don't let the situation be your master." 26:42 You master the situation. 26:45 For he has said, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you." 26:49 Exact same words, right by your side. 26:51 Then he says, to put sort of a cherry 26:54 on top of the sundae, he says, 26:56 "So you can boldly say, God is your helper. 27:01 What can man do to you?" That's a powerful text. 27:09 When stuff comes down on you, 27:11 you can-you don't have to timidly say, 27:13 you can boldly say, "God is my helper. 27:18 Man can't do anything to me, because I'm in Jesus." 27:21 I have a sermon, I can't preach it right now, 27:24 that I call bulletproof. 27:27 Even if they take your life, when you're in Jesus, 27:30 they haven't hurt you, not really, because Jesus says, 27:34 "those who live in me and die in me 27:39 are gonna live forever", amen? 27:42 And that gentlemen is a reason for joy, God bless you. 27:55 Down 37 years. Thirty seven years ago. 27:57 Thirty seven years. Here in February. 27:59 And you say you've seen a lot of church groups 28:01 through here, but what? 28:02 This is the first time I've ever seen anything like this, 28:04 and especially a testimony. 28:06 That's the first time you've ever seen anything like this. 28:08 Like this, yeah. 28:09 So, you know what? It's not me though, man. I'm just-- 28:12 All I could tell you by your testimony-- 28:14 I mean, yeah. I mean, it's the Lord working in our lives. 28:17 And He will do for you what He's done for me. 28:21 He will do for me what he did for Noah. 28:23 He will do for you what he did for Danny. 28:25 And so, there's no limitations on God. |
Revised 2014-12-17