Participants: C.A. Murray (Host), Lemuel Vega (Host), Jonathan Watkins, Bernard Winfrey
Series Code: FIN
Program Code: FIN000009
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00:01 One of the things that we have come to learn
00:02 while working on Free Indeed is that 00:04 you cannot lump any person in a group. 00:07 On a group dynamics that fit all persons at all time. 00:10 There is no one size fits all mentality, 00:13 all blacks are not the same, all whites are not the same, 00:16 all children are not the same, all parents are not the same 00:18 and all prisoners are not the same. 00:20 We have met people who are as good as gold, 00:23 who have found Christ and let Christ shine 00:25 out of their lives even inside of a prison setting. 00:30 You're gonna meet some people like that today as we travel 00:32 to the Putnamville Correctional Facility. 00:35 Lemuel Vega has an interview with Jonathan, 00:37 and then you're going to meet Lorenzo, 00:38 someone who has endeared himself to us 00:40 as a talented young man who's been in prison a long time 00:44 but he is a writer, a singer, a musician. 00:46 He's gonna lead his group and they are gonna 00:48 sing a song "All is forgiven". 00:50 Then you're gonna meet Bernard and a short message from me, 00:54 all on today's edition of Free Indeed! 01:11 Today we have Jonathan Watkins with us and we are in prison, 01:15 this is your third time in prison, amen. 01:17 Yes sir. What went wrong 01:19 after the first time, I mean what happened 01:21 because you desired not to come back to prison, 01:24 tell me a little bit about that. 01:25 Ah, the first time I came in prison, 01:27 I didn't have a relationship with God. 01:30 I just was out there, just my purpose in life 01:34 was to make as much money as I could get, 01:37 get as many women as I could get 01:39 and drive fastest cars I could get my hands on. 01:43 Do your time and get back out there and live large. 01:46 Yeah, get back try to like you said, 01:48 try to get back make up for lost time. 01:51 What about the drugs and alcohol? 01:52 Was that an active, intensive part of your life? 01:54 Oh, that's intensive, yeah, 01:56 I went to like teenage set it up. 01:59 I went through like though $200,000 in a year and a half. 02:02 Just gone, it just evaporated. Up in smoke. 02:05 What would you say to the people in the world, 02:08 you found a sense of freedom and hope 02:10 and stability free indeed in prison? 02:13 What would you share with the world today 02:15 where your hope and strength comes from? 02:17 I would say now that-- and all my brothers 02:19 who are sharing this place. 02:21 Jesus is the way, Jesus is the truth, 02:25 and Jesus is the life. 02:27 Without Him, I didn't have no life, I was crazy. 02:33 Big part of my testimony is first time I came to prison, 02:36 I lost my mother, my father 02:40 and my grandmother, all on the same bid. 02:43 I have since, eight year bid, I have 96 months, 02:48 I was supposed to do 48 months, 02:50 I did 89 months, only 96 month bid 02:54 because every year somebody else was dying 02:57 and I mean it was driving me crazy like it drove me crazy. 03:01 Tell us about that personal relationship? 03:03 Well, when I found, When Jesus found me, 03:06 my whole life changed. He gave me peace, 03:10 gave me peace of mind, He gave me a purpose in my life. 03:14 Now I have a purpose that's not my own. 03:18 It's mine, I'm gonna take that back, 03:20 He is my purpose, His purpose is my purpose. 03:23 But before my purpose didn't have, 03:26 my own purpose didn't have no eternal way to it. 03:30 You know I was just what was going to be die here and now. 03:33 But now my purpose is His purpose and I live for Him. 03:37 Brother, when you shared with me about Jesus found you 03:39 the parable that Jesus looking for that lost sheep, 03:42 went out looking, looking, seeking 03:45 and He is diligently seeking the whole human race. 03:50 Calling them beckoning, but you must allow Him 03:53 to pick you up and put your wounded bruised life 03:57 on his shoulders and carry us. Amen. 04:00 Amen. God bless brother. 04:01 Thank you so very much. 04:09 I can't must stumbles I try not to fall 04:18 When do you pick me up And forgive it all 04:26 There're sometimes I don't understand 04:30 Anything is in your plan 04:35 But the blessing You're preparing are just for Ozee 04:45 You are on the way So how can I complain 04:52 It's good to see the sun is shining bright 04:57 In the midst of the rain I have done so much alone 05:06 And most of it inspired It will feel good for me to know 05:13 That everything is gonna be all right 05:18 All is forgiven Am I deserving, yeah 05:35 You are more than worthy 05:48 The praise Check this out. 05:55 I know that I'm no good I've been living in this place 06:03 But I'm gonna keep on trying because 06:07 And the world can progress 06:12 You keep on showing me favors Every time I pray 06:20 Can't wait to see the shift and changes 06:23 of blessings going my way 06:28 All is forgiven Am I deserving 06:43 Either way, For you are more than worthy 06:50 And more than worthy 06:58 The praise The love is a copy 07:02 The love is a copy His love is a copy, real too 07:11 Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes You're a healer 07:18 Heal my body For you are more than worthy 07:25 More than worthy 07:32 The praise All is forgiven 07:37 All is forgiven Am I deserving 07:54 For you are more than worthy 08:03 The praise 08:15 What I did to end up in the department of correction 08:18 I was convicted of dealing in possession of cocaine. 08:22 And I was addicted so bad to this drug 08:26 that I have lost my resources and I lost my credibility, 08:31 so then when I was craving this drug, 08:34 or finking as they call it in the streets, 08:37 then I started going out doing idiotic things like 08:42 going up to drug dealers and asking for drugs 08:45 and taking off on them. 08:47 And I pull off down the street, the door is slam and shut 08:50 and I smash up down the street and he steps 08:53 in the middle of the street and shoots at me. 08:56 He shot and I just heard it 08:58 and I dug looking in my rear view mirror. 09:01 But when he shot the second time, 09:03 it hit me in the back and I was like oh Lord, 09:06 don't let me die like this. 09:09 I know I've done some stupid but don't let me die like this 09:13 and I took off and I got saved. 09:15 And needless to say, well I no, I need to say 09:19 that the bullet did not penetrate my skin 09:24 and I'm like this cannot be true. 09:27 Now I've been in the military and we---they teach us how to, 09:32 how to identify where bullets are shot from. 09:35 So this bullet came through my back trunk 09:38 through the back seat and I'm sitting in a bucket seat, 09:42 a two seater and there was nothing to deflect the bullet, 09:46 it's just padding in the centre of the seat 09:49 and it hits center mass in the middle of that seat 09:52 and hit me in the back and there was nod on my back 09:56 as evidence but the miracle was it, 09:59 is that bullet laid on the floor and I found it the next morning 10:03 in the daylight and the bullet was smashed. 10:06 I carried it as a souvenir for a long time until I lost it, 10:10 but it was the power of God in my life and to show me 10:14 that an angel of God deflected that bullet, 10:18 but God allowed the bullet to stay there as evidence 10:23 that God was with me and that God had delivered me 10:26 and that God was calling me and most importantly 10:29 not because I deserved it, but because the prayers 10:32 of the righteous are valued much. 10:34 Somebody was praying for me, so God spared my life that time. 10:39 And as I got into the prison systems, 10:42 then the Lord was able to deal with me intimately, 10:45 because I have reached the place and point in my life 10:49 that I was broken and that I have reached the bottom 10:52 and that I have lost so much in my life. 10:55 And I remember calling out to the Lord 10:58 and I didn't know what to say, because I didn't always know 11:00 how to voice when I thought Him, when I felt. 11:04 And I remember praying and I wrote a letter to God 11:08 and it was called, I was so caught up 11:12 into the drug addictions in my life falling it apart 11:15 and how loosing my respect among my peers and my family 11:21 and I wrote a letter to the Lord God, 11:23 saying help me and it was called help and I said, 11:28 Father God I call to be as humble as I can be, 11:32 to ask you for the mercy that you've always given me. 11:36 In the hope I changed the way in which I live today 11:39 for I had many questions, but I don't know what to say, 11:44 but to my understanding of the knowledge of the Lord 11:47 to live and die and go to hell is what I can't afford. 11:51 And it's been said that if I ask for mercy in Your name 11:55 that You would give me what I need to wash away my shame. 11:59 So Lord, I beg you from my soul, 12:01 don't let my troubles last. 12:03 How much more can one man take before he falls apart? 12:08 If the pain outweighs the love that's deep within his heart. 12:12 And I wrote that to the Lord with all sincerity 12:15 and my being in prison was not God's will, 12:18 it was because of my own rebelliousness in my own heart 12:23 heartedness that God loved me so much 12:26 that He did not allow me to die my mess of singing, 12:31 but He kept sparring my life and given me opportunity, 12:35 opportunity, after opportunity and again in prison, 12:39 prison is when scripture start coming to life. 12:43 When, when scripture start being manifested in my heart 12:47 and in Deuteronomy 30 verse 19 I'll never forget the Holy 12:52 Spirit lay at me there and say it, that I God, 12:55 call heaven and earth as witnesses against you, 12:58 but now I win free, that I have set before you 13:01 a choice between life and death, 13:04 blessings and curses, you choose. 13:08 And I have come to realize that I had to make this choice 13:12 that I may either gonna serve God or not. 13:15 If I choose not to serve God who knows where we will end, 13:19 will I go to hell or will I go to more turmoil in this life 13:24 that I have been through so much. 13:26 I'm 47-years-old right now today and I'm tired 13:30 of this lifestyle, so I have decided to give my life 13:34 to the Lord God and He said in Hebrews 4:12 13:38 that His word was powerful, active and alive. 13:42 The God's word has power in it that 13:45 if the word get inside of me, then it should have power 13:48 to make some changes and there should be evidence in my life. 13:52 Since my incarceration that power has shown up in my life 13:56 by getting involved in the word of God 13:59 and that's the power comes through the Holy Spirit 14:02 in you when you get involved in the word. 14:06 So the evidence is God stopped 14:08 peeling off things out of my life. 14:10 I haven't said a curse word in over four years and four months. 14:14 I haven't smoked a cigarette in over four and a half years 14:20 and it was by the power of Lord, 14:22 nothing I did it on my own and that's how the Lord 14:27 start showing up and if I can give you one thing right now, 14:31 that's more valuable than anything 14:33 in the whole world, it is this. 14:36 Trust in the Lord with all your heart 14:39 and don't ever turn away from Him. 14:41 Be faithful to the Lord, to your God and trust Him, 14:45 even though you can't see Him, 14:47 and you may not always hear His voice, 14:49 believe in Him and seek Him out through the word 14:53 and God will be faithful and show you the way. 14:56 That is the best thing I can ever give it to my child, 15:00 my children or anybody. Let your heart be faithful 15:04 unto the Lord your God, no matter what. 15:12 It is good to be here, really is. 15:17 And it is a blessing for us at 15:19 Three Angels Broadcasting Network 15:21 to broadcast this program all around the world. 15:27 When this airs more people will see 15:30 that I've seen you in your whole life. 15:33 Our estimated viewing audience is somewhere 15:35 in about of one to two billion. 15:37 They say that three quarters of the earth surface 15:40 is covered by water and 3ABN covers the rest 15:45 and we are kind of proud of that and we praise God for it. 15:48 I want to take you to the word to a text 15:51 that you may not be that familiar with, 15:54 found in Second Samuel Chapter 21, 15:58 just two verses, verses 15 and 16, 16:01 Second book of Samuel Matthew not too far in, 16:05 Second Samuel Chapter 21 verses 15 and 16 16:09 but before we read the word, 16:11 let's talk to the author of the word. 16:14 Father God, we ask you now to just speak to our hearts. 16:19 Lift up Yourself, magnify Your word in our hearts, 16:23 give us truth and help us to live out 16:27 to truth in Jesus name, amen. 16:32 Word of God says Second Samuel 21 verse 15 16:37 "When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, 16:41 David and his servants with him went down and fought 16:46 against the Philistines and David grew faint. 16:52 Then Ishbi-Benob who was one of the sons of the giant, 16:57 the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels, 17:00 who was bearing a new sword, thought he could kill David." 17:08 Let me ask you a question? 17:10 How many of you have ever failed at anything? 17:15 Try something and failed. 17:18 It's no shame to admit failure, 17:22 because it means that you tried. 17:27 Which do you think is the better teacher? 17:31 Success or failure? Failure is the better teacher 17:38 if your mind allows you to learn from your failures. 17:43 Failure is a harder teacher than success, 17:50 but it's a better teacher because the things you fail at 17:55 tend to teach you better lessons 17:58 and they stay with you longer, amen. 18:01 You can't say amen, say ouch. Amen. 18:05 But failure is a better teacher, it is a superior teacher. 18:10 Insanity, one of the definitions of insanity 18:15 is doing the same thing the same way 18:19 and expecting different results. That's nuts. 18:25 You do the same thing the same way, 18:27 you're gonna get the same results, 18:31 so if you fail at something and do the exact same thing 18:35 the exact same way, what's gonna happen the second time? 18:39 You will fail again. Amen or ouch. 18:45 So you got do it a different way if you want different results. 18:51 Failure teaches us that certain things 18:54 won't fly and certain things will. 18:59 Now how many have heard the story of David and Goliath. 19:04 Everybody knows that story, 19:06 because that's a success story, amen. 19:10 David, little skinny boy, five smooth stones, 19:15 slew the mighty Goliath. 19:19 But this story is the story of David's second giant. 19:24 Not many people preach this story, 19:27 because this is not a success story. 19:30 Bible says this time David fainted, mighty David, 19:38 David that slew the mighty Goliath 19:40 when Ishbi-Benob came, David fainted. 19:45 You see Ishbi-Benob was bigger than Goliath, 19:50 I did a little research. 19:52 Bible says his spear weighed 300 shekels, 19:57 now that's the head of the spear, 19:59 300 shekels is about nine pounds, 20:03 it's about the size of a good size bowling ball. 20:06 Now you want to get an idea how big 20:08 Ishbi-Benob was, do the math back. 20:11 You take the head of a spear that weighs nine pounds, 20:16 that means that the shaft of the spear had to be 20:19 about that big around, about 10 inches across. 20:26 Now you got to figure a spear something 20:28 you pick up and throw like that. 20:31 So the hand had to be big enough to pick up a spear 20:35 with a nine pound head about 10 inches across, 20:39 that's a big hand, isn't it? 20:41 So then you got to figure how big the arm is, 20:44 that's connected to a hand, that's big enough to throw 20:48 a spear with a nine pound head. 20:51 Do you follow me? Now you got to figure 20:53 how big the body is that's connected to that arm, 20:58 that's connected to that hand, that's big enough to throw 21:01 a spear with a nine pound head on it. 21:05 So this is a big guy, bigger than Goliath. 21:08 The Bible says one of the sons of the giant is one 21:11 of Goliath kids and usually the son outgrows the daddy. 21:17 How many of you got children? 21:18 You know, and you know, your son outgrows you 21:22 by the time he is 14, 15, he is looking you in eye, 21:25 you know foot bigger than yours, hand bigger than yours, 21:29 eat more food than you, you know, 21:30 that's how kids are, kids outgrow their fathers. 21:34 So this giant is larger than Goliath and the Bible says 21:39 he had a brand new sword and if you let me, let me, 21:42 let me inaugurate the sword with the blood of David. 21:45 And the truth is the same David that defeated Goliath 21:50 when he came to Ishbi-Benob, he fainted. 21:54 Now there's a couple of lessons 21:55 we need to learn from this, then I'm done. 21:57 One just because you defeated Goliath yesterday, 22:02 don't mean you're gonna defeat Ishbi-Benob today. 22:05 Amen. Yeah, yesterday's victory not gonna help you today 22:10 and it's been said before you got to 22:12 give your life to Christ every single day. 22:15 You can't put your life on auto pilot because 22:18 everyday Ishbi-Benob standing in front of you 22:22 and he is daring you to come by him 22:25 and just because you got his daddy yesterday, 22:28 doesn't mean you can get his son today because he's bigger. 22:32 So everyday you got to give your life to Christ. 22:36 Everyday you need to check your compass, 22:38 because everyday there's a Ishbi-Benob 22:40 standing in front of you, that's trying to defeat you. 22:45 Now my time is slipping away, here's the next lesson. 22:49 Your biggest battle is not against Ishbi-Benob, 22:54 that's only one battle, if you are six feet two, 22:58 210 pounds, your biggest battle is against 23:01 a guy who is six feet two, 210 pounds. 23:10 That's your biggest battle, the biggest battle 23:13 you will fight is against yourself. Amen. 23:17 That's gonna be the toughest battle, 23:19 it will be a life long battle. 23:21 That's why Paul says, I try to keep my body under, 23:24 I try to stay surrendered, because I know the moment 23:26 I let myself get away, I'm gonna do something stupid. 23:32 Your toughest battle even when you get, 23:35 when you, you know when you give your heart to the Lord, 23:37 if you didn't have any enemies 23:39 while you were serving the devil. 23:41 The moment you give your heart to Jesus, 23:43 you just picked up one, what's his name? 23:47 The devil, the same devil that was patting you 23:49 on your back when you are walking with him, 23:51 the moment you turn the other direction, 23:53 he's in your face and he becomes your enemy. 23:56 And he's gonna use you to defeat you, 24:01 your biggest battle is against you. 24:04 Now, when you do some things you do, 24:07 sometimes we say stuff like, you know, 24:10 I can't believe that was me, I surprised myself, you know, 24:15 it's interesting because when we sin and make mistakes, 24:20 you know Jesus is not surprised, 24:22 because He has seen it all before. 24:24 Someone said there's nothing new one to heaven, 24:26 can't invent anything new because in 7000 years 24:29 of human history and everything you could think of somebody else 24:32 in that 7000 years has spotted it, 24:33 so you haven't surprised Jesus. 24:35 Two, you haven't surprised the devil, 24:39 because he is the author of sin before you did it 24:43 he planted it in your mind. Amen. 24:46 So you don't surprise Jesus when you do the things you do. 24:51 You don't surprise the devil when you do the things you do. 24:55 The only person surprised when you do the things you do is you. 25:01 That's why you got to have Jesus in your life 25:06 if you gonna successfully fight the battle against you. 25:11 Because sometimes you can control you 25:13 and you know sometimes you can't control you. 25:17 So you're gonna need some help with that control 25:20 and that help comes from Jesus. Amen. 25:23 Last lesson, as big as you are, always somebody bigger. 25:29 Can't say amen, say ouch. Amen. 25:31 As big as you are, there's always somebody bigger. 25:34 So your secret to success is surrender, not fighting, 25:39 because as hard as you hit somebody can hit harder. 25:42 I baptized a guy years ago in my church, 25:45 6'9", 295 pounds, big dude. 25:50 I got him down, couldn't get him up. 25:55 See in baptism, there's no problem going down, 25:59 gravity will help you with that, 26:01 once they get wet and water log, 26:03 but just try to get them up. 26:04 I said man, you got to stand up, I can't help you. 26:08 Couldn't get him up, could not get him up, 26:12 so there is always going to be somebody bigger than you, 26:14 that's why the secret is not fighting, 26:17 the secret is surrender. John Chapter 1 verse 12, 26:22 I will close with this, "To as many as received Him, 26:28 to them gave He power to become the sons of God." 26:35 that's a success story, that's a success story for all of us. 26:40 When the Ishbi-Benob's come and brother they're coming, 26:45 you don't got to fight him, let's get your big brother, 26:48 say Jesus, get him. 26:51 I can't handle it, I'm too busy fighting myself, 26:54 get him out of the way, 26:56 so we can walk together to the kingdom, amen. 26:59 Amen. God bless you. 27:06 This is one aspect of the Christmas Behind Bars programs. 27:10 What you see here are some finished packages 27:12 and they are ready to be distributed to inmates 27:15 in different county jails and prisons 27:18 and so we want to say that in every bag, 27:20 there's an envelope from Christmas Behind Bars 27:23 and we received one of these envelopes back 27:25 just the other day, and on the back 27:27 of their envelope they drew a beautiful picture 27:30 of just something to share the Gospel, 27:32 so it has some bars, it has a flower, 27:34 has a cross, has some barbed wire, 27:36 some thorns there, but it's just a great opportunity. 27:40 We say thank you for being a part of this program 27:42 through prayer, through your sponsorship 27:45 through going to these jails and prisons and singing 27:47 and it's just a great blessing to work together for Jesus. |
Revised 2014-12-17