Participants: Yvonne Lewis (Host), Lemuel Vega
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR000014
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00:01 Today you're going to meet a man that used to be a Drug Dealer...
00:04 Now, he's got a ministry to dope dealers, murderers, 00:08 robbers and thieves... 00:09 Stay tuned to see and hear 00:11 of the transforming power of God... 00:12 My name is Yvonne Lewis and you're watching 00:15 Urban Report... 00:38 Hello and welcome to Urban Report... 00:42 my special guest today is Lemual Vega 00:45 Founder and Director of Christmas Behind Bars 00:48 and Host of 3ABN's new Program "Free Indeed" 00:51 Welcome to Urban Report Lemuel... 00:54 Welcome Sister... it's a blessing to be here... 00:56 I'm so happy to have you... you have been such a blessing 00:58 to Dare to Dream as well as, of course, 3ABN 01:01 but to Dare to Dream as well, because we were in a pinch 01:04 and you just came through and got us some guests 01:07 for "The New Journey" and I just want to 01:10 thank you publicly for just stepping in 01:13 and being that minute-man for us... 01:15 I hope your viewers will stay tuned for "The New Journey" 01:19 because we have a lot of powerful testimonies 01:21 about transforming power of God, 01:22 and it's not about what God's done in my life 01:25 necessarily here today... 01:26 it's about promising our viewers... 01:28 that God will step up and meet them 01:30 if they'll just open their heart and their will to Him... 01:33 Absolutely... absolutely... you know... 01:34 one of the things that is so important 01:36 for our viewers to know... is that... 01:38 no matter where they are in life... 01:40 God doesn't care about where you are... 01:42 as far as... you know... it doesn't turn Him off... 01:45 Amen... where you are... 01:46 He sees where you're going to be... 01:48 He sees where you can be 01:50 and He has a plan to get you there... 01:52 And then, He empowers us also through His Holy Spirit... 01:55 Yes... Because the woman that got 01:56 caught in the very act of adultery... amen... 01:58 Yes... The very act of adultery... 01:59 they dragged her out to Jesus, Yes... 02:01 Jesus said, "Where are thine accusers?" 02:02 She looked up and said, "Nay Lord... there are none... " 02:05 Yes... Jesus said what? 02:06 "Go and sin no more... " "Neither do I condemn thee... 02:10 but go and sin no more... " so that's the promise 02:12 of the power of the Gospel... in all of our lives 02:15 in the time of earth's history, to be able to live for Christ 02:18 make a decision... and if we're willing... 02:19 He's able... Amen... Amen... 02:21 And you know what... that is such a key point 02:24 the power... is not within us... 02:26 Amen... so you know... 02:27 a lot of times people say, "Well, I can't change... 02:29 I mean... I've been doing drugs all these years... 02:32 or I've been... " any sin... we're all sinners 02:35 saved by grace... so... so any sin... 02:38 God sees us and gives us the power... 02:41 to overcome sin... so, the power doesn't come 02:44 from us... and I think a lot of people 02:45 kind of get confused about where that power 02:47 is from... what they have to "clean up" first 02:50 before they come to God... no... no... come as you are... 02:53 You're justified... that's justification... 02:55 Yes... yes... You come to Christ... 02:56 just as you are... and then invite God into your life 02:59 and then the "yuk" begins to disappear 03:01 out of your life... the light comes in... 03:03 the darkness begins to dissipate 03:04 so whatever neighborhood they're in today... 03:06 whatever situation they're in today... 03:08 I want to let them know, we weren't born crack addicts, 03:10 Right... we weren't born alcoholics 03:12 we weren't born sex offenders... 03:14 we were born with the sin nature... 03:16 Yes... The human nature 03:17 is a sin nature... and when we're born again... 03:19 the Bible says, "We must be born again... " 03:21 at some point in our life... we have to realize 03:23 and desire something different, and our viewers today 03:26 they desire strength... and power and hope 03:28 as you spoke about... Amen... Yes... amen, amen... 03:30 Now let's talk about... you talked about that "yuk" 03:32 Hmmm... hmmm... let's talk about the "yuk" 03:34 that was in your life before... that God has just cleaned away 03:37 where... if you had to use three words 03:40 to describe yourself... back in the day... 03:43 what three words would you use? 03:45 Lonely, empty and broken... Come on... come on now... 03:47 as a child... Yes... 03:49 lonely, empty and broken... I didn't fit in... 03:51 wanted to fit in... wanted to be somebody... 03:53 not realizing that God had a plan for my life, 03:56 so sexual immorality started in my life... 03:58 I mean, as a little child, sitting in first grade... 04:01 the teacher called me out in the hallway 04:02 and said, "You shouldn't be playing with yourself in School" 04:05 I was molested before I was in first grade 04:07 I was robbed before I was in first grade 04:10 in Central Park... in Downtown Chicago... 04:12 because I walked under the viaduct and I got robbed by 04:15 some 13- or 14-year-old kid for a couple of balloons and nickels 04:17 so my life started... I too was born... basically... 04:20 supposedly... on the wrong side of the track... 04:22 even though I was raised in a Christian home 04:24 knew about Christ... this immorality started 04:27 terribly in my life... that was First Grade... 04:28 Second Grade... I was tied in my seat with a jump rope 04:31 because I was so unmanageable, psychiatrists said 04:34 that I needed medication to fix this emptiness 04:36 in my life... and the psychiatric world 04:39 doesn't have the ability through another pill or narcotic 04:43 or another program... to fix the sin problem... 04:46 Hmmm... hmmm... and that's why Jesus came 04:48 and died... so my life has been a spiral 04:49 downward... since a child... how can a child go downward? 04:52 I was in prison by the time I was 18-years-old 04:54 I was sitting in the County Jail facing 10-20 years in prison 04:58 went to prison... overdosed on my way to prison 05:00 and I wanted something different... 05:02 Sister, I'll tell you something, I practiced for one year 05:05 before I got out of the maximum security prison, 05:07 practiced of not getting "high" in prison... 05:09 because I was smart enough to know 05:11 that the day they let me go home, 05:12 I wasn't going to automatically quit... 05:14 I didn't want to come back to prison no more... 05:16 I wanted that internal change 05:17 that all of our viewers desire today... 05:19 in their life... Hmmm... hmmm... 05:20 I desired that... but desire is not enough... 05:23 it takes persevering effort, 05:25 I practiced for a year before I got out of prison, 05:27 I said, "I don't want to come back to prison" 05:29 and it wasn't long... When you say, "you practiced" 05:33 what do you mean... like... 05:35 I practiced not getting high... the dope was there... 05:37 You could have been getting high... how? 05:38 I was still selling dope the year before I got out of prison 05:41 but I said, "I need to practice... 05:43 because I need to "man up" I need to figure out how... 05:45 because I don't want to come back 05:46 so I didn't get "high" and when I made a decision 05:48 to not get high... but I was doing it on my own strength 05:52 I was like, "here come the guards... 05:53 here come the balm... here come the best dope 05:55 through the whole prison... " 05:56 "Come on Vega, here, try this. " I was like, 05:57 "No, Dude, don't you get it? I'm getting ready to go home 05:59 I don't want to get "high" no more... I want change... " 06:01 Hmmm... So our viewers today are 06:03 desiring change in their lives... 06:04 but without the power of God... Hmmm... 06:06 you got to come to Him... just as you are... 06:09 got out of prison... fell back into the ditch... 06:11 as a matter-of-fact I started taking dope back to the prison 06:13 because I thought "I've got it figured out... 06:14 I take dope into the prison, take it to the police, 06:17 give them 300 bucks... whatever... he'll take it 06:19 into my friends... they'll send the money to me... 06:21 and then I'll begin to buy boats and cars and motorcycles" 06:24 and all this "yuk" all this junk... 06:25 Hmmm... hmmm... it never healed, 06:27 it never fixed, it never repaired... 06:28 I was still empty... Hmmm... hmmm... 06:30 finally I made it to treatment 14 years ago 06:32 and I went to treatment, for the first time in my life, 06:34 and for our viewers today, if they have had their son 06:36 or grandson or daughter in treatment 06:39 and then they get out... 30 days later... 06:40 that's because you can't give it to them in a pill... 06:43 another program... outside of Christ... 06:45 if Christ is not the hub of a program... 06:47 they can't fix it... fixing comes from within... 06:49 Hmmm... hmmm... yes... yes... yes... let's go back now to 06:52 the teen years... the adolescent years... 06:55 was there any spirituality in your home... 06:57 what was going on... 06:59 There was spirituality in the home 07:00 I was raised to know that Jesus was the answer 07:03 I tried to do good in School but I couldn't 07:06 because if you don't get it you're behind... 07:08 so I gave up... I gave up... 07:10 and in third grade... I was kicked out of a 07:12 Christian School... kicked out of a Public School 07:13 I gave up... mom kept trying to nurture 07:16 and encourage but moms can't do it 07:17 for their children... but moms need to tell them 07:20 about Jesus... and down the road... 07:21 "Train up a child in the way he should go, 07:23 and he will not depart from it" so years later 07:25 my mother died of cancer, without ever seeing a change 07:27 in my life... but I remember her 07:29 kneeling by her bed... with her Bible open 07:31 praying... and I'd go by her room and say, 07:33 "Mom, give it a break... " then I'd go up to my room 07:35 and get a little bit "higher" so for the moms that are praying 07:37 for the grandmas and grandpas whatever they are praying... 07:39 for the dads that are praying, to not give up... 07:41 even though your children may be going the wayward way... 07:43 That's right... because those prayers follow them... 07:45 Amen... God honors the prayers 07:47 of His saints... even when they go to sleep 07:49 those prayers still can be answered... 07:51 Amen... Your mom would be so proud 07:53 of you today... what God has done in your life. 07:55 One day I look forward to seeing her in heaven... 07:57 Yes... oh yes... yes... yes... so were you angry with God 08:01 at that point... or you just figured... 08:03 No, no... no... no... I wasn't angry with God 08:04 I was trying to fit in 08:05 I was trying to find purpose in life... 08:07 we were short on money at different times 08:08 and I thought... money could fix my mom's problems 08:11 because my mom would buy groceries sometimes 08:13 and she'd have to... once the dollar amount hits... 08:15 she'd have to put the rest of the stuff back 08:17 so for those people that are struggling with 08:18 economic issues... I thought that... 08:20 "Man! if I could make enough money... it would buy 08:23 it would buy my mother's problems... 08:26 it would fix the home problems" Yeah... you know... 08:28 I think that drives a lot of young men in the inner cities... 08:31 For money... For money... the new shoes... 08:33 that they want to fit in... the bling bling... 08:34 all the gold... all that stuff 08:35 Yes... yes... and so they look at these 08:36 drug dealers with fancy cars... low riders... 08:39 fancy stereos... like... that's attaining... 08:41 that's success... Right... 08:42 No, that leads to prisons, jails, institutions and death 08:46 Right... right right... wow! so after you got out... 08:49 after you got out of prison, and we didn't even talk about 08:51 what got you there... Burglary, drugs, just arson, 08:55 just... junk... so just various junk... right 08:58 so, you were in prison, you practiced not getting "high" 09:03 you get out of prison and as soon as you get out... 09:05 you start getting "high" again... 09:06 It was few months probably that I started with Nerve Pills 09:09 Okay... just someone saying, 09:11 "You need a nerve pill... " just all the anxiety 09:12 getting out of prison, you got to get a job, 09:14 you got to do this... you got to get that... 09:15 then I was fixing to get married about 9 months later 09:17 and I'm like really nervous now, because I've never in my life 09:20 done anything for life... and so, I started taking like... 09:22 just a piece of a nerve pill... I said, 09:24 "Yeah, that takes the edge off" 09:25 so the Devil led me back in... not with blatant drugs... 09:28 led me back... a little at a time... 09:29 and then once the doctor didn't want you give you enough, 09:32 then you go right back to the streets... 09:34 Yes... prescription drugs... that's another area of concern. 09:36 Yeah... addiction... worldwide Absolutely... absolutely 09:39 and people... see... one of the things that I 09:41 found, Brother Lemuel, is that Satan doesn't care 09:44 how he gets you... he can get you through 09:46 street drugs... or he'll get you through prescription drugs... 09:48 he doesn't care... 09:50 Gambling, pornography... it doesn't matter... 09:51 Yes... it doesn't matter... he'll find your button 09:54 he knows what your button is, and he'll push it... 09:56 whether it comes through this door or that door... 09:58 Right... right... and the key again... 09:59 is Jesus Christ... Amen... 10:01 How did you find Him? I found Him in a hospital room 10:03 14 years ago... I think... sick and ready to die 10:05 from drug addiction... I threw my crack pipe, 10:08 I threw my Cocaine... I flushed my Valiums... 10:10 I threw them in the parking lot, and I walked into treatment 10:12 for the first time in my life... 10:14 I had never before been to treatment 10:15 I was scared to go to treatment, didn't know what it was about, 10:17 didn't know if they'd inject Thorazine into you... 10:19 didn't know if they'd put you in a rubber room... 10:21 and I didn't know... and I went there 10:22 they begin to tell me about Methadone 10:25 Yoga... Antabuse for the alcoholic... 10:27 Wow! I'm like, "Give me a break... " 10:29 psychiatrists told me from a little child... 10:31 told my parents too... that I had to be on medication 10:33 for the rest of my life... so all my life, 10:35 I've been on medication, self-medicating, 10:36 drug addiction, alcoholism, sexism... 10:39 looking for hope in my life... Hmmm... 10:41 so I go to these College-educated 10:43 Cadillac-driving... BMW-whatever riding 10:47 doctors... college education... 10:48 telling me that I need more medication... 10:50 I'm like... "Man, you need to give me a break... " 10:52 then I went to my room... I pushed the bed up against 10:54 the door... and I was in the valley of decision 10:56 so, here I am... 24 hours in this treatment facility 10:59 with my bed up against the door, the door is shut... 11:01 I didn't know, Sister, whether I wanted to try 11:04 one more time... or not... Hmmm... 11:06 because all my life I failed... for our viewers today 11:08 wherever they're at... they've been trying to do right 11:10 but without the power of God... 11:12 without the power of the gospel in their life, 11:13 they're going to continue to fail... 11:15 Absolutely... and I got down on my knees 11:16 I made a decision... mother's prayers... I remembered 11:19 she said to pray... and I got down on my knees 11:21 and I prayed... my only prayer... 11:22 I was inspired to pray... I was inspired to try 11:25 one more time... because I saw the most beautiful 11:26 sunset... I had ever seen in my whole life... 11:28 Hmmm... hmmm... it was a Friday evening 11:30 and as I saw the sun going down, I remembered to pray... 11:34 and I was in the valley of decision 11:35 I decided to try one more time... 11:37 and I got down on my knees in the hospital room 11:39 and I said, "Dear Jesus, please help me... 11:42 I want to quit but I can't... " you see, I thought it was just 11:45 Cocaine, I thought it was just narcotics... 11:46 but what I found out... walking with Jesus 11:48 is when He is allowed to come in 11:51 invited in... per our request 11:54 the light begins to come on and the "yuk" begins to dissipate... 11:58 from the inside out... Come on... 12:00 not from the medication... not from a program... 12:01 but from the inside out... God would transform the life 12:04 of the sinner... not the drug addict... 12:06 not the gambler... not the sex addict... 12:08 He will transform the life of the sinner... 12:10 that's why Jesus came and died upon the Cross of Calvary. 12:12 It is the most beautiful thing to see what God does 12:17 in our lives and in our hearts, He takes us from one place 12:21 and brings us to another place, and only He can do that... 12:25 Amen... it's such a beautiful thing 12:28 to see... now... so you found the Lord... 12:30 then... you were married at this point... by this point? 12:34 Yeah... yeah... You're married... 12:36 you found the Lord... tell us about 12:38 "Christmas Behind Bars" 12:40 My wife suffered through the first 12 years 12:43 of our marriage while I was addicted to drugs 12:45 so she's suffering through all this time... 12:46 Oh... wow! she's praying... 12:48 she's putting Bible verses in my Lunch... 12:49 when I go to work or I leave 12:51 I'd be gone for days at a time so my suffered through 12:53 all this time... I gave my heart to Christ 12:56 and we begin to live for Him, I had about... 12:59 maybe 6 months clean... and I realized 13:01 that I had to get rid of Hollywood... 13:03 because all the drug... the gangster movies... 13:05 all those immoral movies on TV... and stuff... 13:07 so I got rid of the TV... continued to walk with Christ 13:11 and somebody had the idea of going down 13:13 to a County Jail and taking gift packages 13:14 to men and women that are in the County Jail... 13:16 and I'm like, "Yes, that's a great idea... " 13:18 I had some extra profit in the vans... 13:20 products, cookies, different snacks... 13:22 took them down to the jail 13:23 and on the way home, Sister, 13:24 let me tell you the transforming power of God... 13:26 you're ready... Yeah... ready... 13:27 on the way home... I had one year clean... 13:29 I took my wife's hand and I said, 13:30 "Baby, you couldn't give me a brand-new Corvette 13:33 for the blessing that I received tonight... " 13:36 Wow! and that's the difference 13:38 getting out of prison, wanting to get all this stuff, 13:40 and wherever our viewers are in the world, 13:42 it's not "materialistic goods" or whatever... 13:44 that will fill the void in our lives... 13:45 Yeah... the things that were important 13:46 are no longer important... because you realize 13:49 that they never fill that hole... 13:51 They're dross... we want the gold and the silver from God 13:53 the dross will dissipate as God comes in... 13:56 Yes... and so Christmas Behind Bars 13:57 was started with one jail of 350 inmates 14:00 two jails, five jails, ten jails year after year 14:03 and now we visit, by God's grace, 14:04 many prisons throughout the State of Indiana 14:06 every prison in the State of Indiana 14:08 and then also... around... different states in our 14:10 neighboring area... 14:14 We have a little video of one of the Brothers that 14:18 that has just benefitted so much from Christmas Behind Bars... 14:20 Amen... Let's take a look at it... 14:22 Okay... 14:27 It means a lot when you get people in the house... 14:30 that come in... you know... coming in... 14:32 that might be the only visit we get... when we have 14:34 Christmas Behind Bars 14:36 that might be the only visit 14:37 somebody might get... and that touched the person 14:43 crying... excuse me... 14:46 it is... it's actually a... 14:55 it's unexplainable feeling... because 14:57 it's overwhelming for us... 14:59 just people... I don't know you... 15:03 you don't know me... but you treat me just like 15:05 you've been knowing me all my life, 15:07 like, it's good to be part of a 15:10 Christian family... because sometimes 15:13 your own family just turns their backs on you... 15:15 yeah... I just thank God 15:22 that there are people out there like Christmas Behind Bars 15:26 because a lot of us need 15:28 just the... right there... they encouragement us 15:32 and let us know... there's still hope... 15:36 Wow! you know that just brings tears to my eyes... 15:40 because the loneliness... 15:42 just the words that you used to describe yourself... 15:46 the loneliness... the emptiness these folks don't... 15:49 might not ever get a visitor... 15:51 except when you come with 15:54 with Christmas Behind Bars, 15:55 how large is this now 15:57 how many prisons are you in, what's the scope of 16:01 Christmas Behind Bars now? 16:02 You know, we don't have a count, I don't know if we passed out... 16:05 we visit 30,000 to 40,000 inmates a year, 16:08 but it's somewhere in those numbers 16:09 and the only way I know that is because my aunt 16:12 makes all the copies and stuff for the bags... so she says, 16:14 "we're over 40,000 or 50,000" I don't know... 16:16 40,000 or 50,000 inmates a year so I don't know... 16:20 What a blessing that is... I'm serious... 16:23 seeing how he was so touched, by the love... 16:27 it's about love... He said that it brings him hope 16:31 Yes... and that's the same thing 16:33 I found on my knees... 14 years ago... 16:34 it was, "Dear Jesus, please help me... " 16:36 so that's what we want to share is hope... 16:38 that they can by God's grace attain what Christ has for us... 16:41 Yes... and you know Brother Lemuel... 16:43 the same issues that prisoners confront... 16:47 people in the outside confront, they're not free... 16:50 on the outside... we are in bondage to sin... 16:53 Our world... let's talk a bit about that... 16:56 Our world is in bondage and sin... 16:58 that's why Christ came and died for the whole human race... 17:00 every nation, kindred, tongue and people 17:03 every color, every race, every creed... 17:05 we had a Brother here just a few moments ago, 17:09 Hmmm... hmmm... and he told me that he 17:11 he figured out... he'd just been out of prison 17:13 for 90 days... Hmmm... hmmm... 17:15 maybe only 30 days... he'd been out of prison 17:17 for a short period of time, he said that, well, 17:19 he's using Heroin again... but he figured out 17:21 that he would only use it for two or three days 17:23 that way he doesn't get addicted... 17:24 I'm like, "Look Dude... let me tell you about Christ" 17:27 so here I had an opportunity here at 3ABN 17:29 to share with somebody... who came out here 17:31 just for the ride... of another Brother 17:34 who gave his testimony here just recently... 17:36 so here he is... he's getting sick from Heroin addiction 17:39 and he's telling me that he's just trying to 17:42 tweak it on his own... and I said, 17:43 "Look Dude, I'll tell you something... " 17:45 I had a partner who spent 25 years in the 17:47 Penitentiary... on a life sentence 17:48 got out... doing Heroin... talking about drugs... 17:51 talking about how he's sick... 17:53 and I said, "Look, give it to Jesus... " 17:54 he said, "You don't understand the power of Heroin addiction" 17:57 I said, "No, Dude, you don't understand the power of God" 18:00 Yes... and so, whoever is struggling 18:02 today with alcoholism, drug-ism, whatever it is, 18:04 God, per their invitation, will do for them 18:07 what they can't do for themselves... 18:08 and that's an important point too... 18:10 "per their invitation" because we have to invite Him 18:13 to come in... He's not going to bogard 18:15 like Satan will... we must invite Him in... 18:18 Amen... and then comes the power And then comes the power... 18:20 Yeah... to overcome the human nature... 18:23 Yes... The nature of sin... 18:24 and Christ will impute into us His righteousness 18:27 and the power to daily overcome... 18:29 Yes... amen... amen... now, we were talking 18:32 a little bit earlier... and we were talking about 18:34 lifestyle choices and how those choices 18:36 impact addiction... talk a little bit about that... 18:39 Well, I told you I got rid of the secularism... "Hollywood" 18:41 those kinds of movies because it would pull me back 18:44 to that... it feeds that old nature, 18:46 Hmmm... Okay... and then I heard 18:48 about lifestyle changes 18:49 I went to a place called Wildwood Hospital 18:51 and I heard for the first time how the effects of sugar 18:54 and caffeine and nicotine and all these things 18:56 because we have a lower nature and we have a higher nature 18:59 God wants to elevate the human life 19:02 on to the higher nature, and so, the nicotine, 19:05 and the caffeine, I found myself going to 19:07 a Health Food Store... I was clean vegan 19:09 and I was going to a health food store 19:11 and buying uppity stuff... Ephedras and all these stuff 19:13 and our world is living on energy drinks 19:15 and we need... God wants to live in our lives 19:18 we are the... the Holy Spirit wants... 19:20 we are the temple of God... Yes... 19:21 He wants to dwell in and through us 19:24 so it's not just Cocaine as a... 19:26 it's lifestyle changes... it's what we eat 19:27 makes a difference on our choices 19:30 so they desire different... but God wants to bring us into 19:33 an atmosphere of heaven, even though we live 19:35 in a sin-sick-stricken world... so what we eat... 19:38 water... we need plenty of water... 19:40 people don't know about that, water... we need half of our 19:43 body weight in water... water will help your brain 19:45 to work better... you get rid of the caffeine 19:47 caffeine causes a chemical imbalance in the brain 19:50 if you inject a spider... you know what a spider web 19:52 looks like... it's beautiful... intricately made... 19:54 Right... right... if you inject a spider 19:56 with what is equal to one cup of coffee... 19:58 he cannot make that web but a couple of blurbs... 20:00 his web will not be right up to 72 hours later 20:03 caffeine affects the fine intricate movements 20:05 of the brain... the fine tuning... 20:07 and so, caffeine, nicotine, goes right along 20:10 in my mind with cocaine... because it gives you 20:12 it gives you that boost... you know... 20:14 and so... And usually when you have that 20:15 cigarette or that cup of coffee, you want that cigarette 20:18 they kind of work together, nicotine and caffeine 20:20 kind of work together... Right... 20:21 and I told a Brother today, that's been our of prison 20:23 for 6 years... walking with Jesus 20:25 he said, "The Lord's brought it to me about the nicotine... " 20:27 and he said, "I just can't quit 20:29 I'm smoking a pack and a half a day... " 20:30 I said, "Look, how much caffeine you're doing?" 20:32 he said, "A lot... not drinking no water... " 20:33 I said, "Dude, look, if you quit caffeine and nicotine 20:37 together... I heard medical doctors speak 20:38 that they complement... the side effects will diminish 20:41 together... instead of keep pulling you back 20:43 to one or the other... " so... it's a great blessing 20:46 to live for Jesus, pure and serene... 20:47 clean indeed in Jesus, to be free indeed in Jesus... 20:50 Yes... yes... and speaking of free indeed... 20:53 let's talk about your Program "Free Indeed" 20:55 What is that? What are you doing with 20:58 "Free Indeed"? Free Indeed is an opportunity 21:00 for our Brothers and Sisters behind bars 21:02 to share hope with the world... because the world 21:05 seems like they're in a slumber 21:06 the Laodicean time period... in earth's history 21:09 like... they just think going to Church... 21:10 and reading the Bible and praying is like... 21:12 good enough for them but the inmates are now 21:14 sharing their testimonies, their strengths... their hope 21:16 they've been stripped of everything 21:18 by Society's standards, they have nothing... 21:19 they've lost their families, they don't get a visit, 21:21 they ain't got nothing... but somehow... 21:23 the desires for their heart is being fulfilled and nurtured 21:26 through the Holy Spirit and God working in their lives 21:28 so now... they have an opportunity 21:29 to share their hope with the whole wide world, 21:31 and it's literally going around the world... 21:33 that they can be free indeed in Jesus behind bars 21:35 but not forgotten... Amen... let's take a look 21:37 we have a video back there... 21:39 God has done so much for me that I cannot... 21:45 I cannot... even with the loss of my only child 21:51 I will ever have... I cannot sit here 21:56 and not be thankful for what God has done... 21:58 and tell you that God is moving in my life 22:01 and blessing me... and changing me... 22:04 even with everything that's happened... 22:07 I couldn't do it... 22:09 Wow... I think it's going to be super powerful... 22:13 I think these Programs are powerful 22:16 because again... they attest to the transforming 22:19 power of our almighty God... you know... 22:21 when you came to help us out with "The New Journey" 22:25 you brought with you a young man 22:28 Kyle... and he's staying with you 22:30 on and off... but... tell us a little bit about Kyle 22:32 and his journey and what you and your wife 22:35 are doing in his life... Well Kyle is 14-years-old 22:37 I had met him a couple of years back... 22:39 in "Students out of School" so he's not doing good 22:41 in School... just like I didn't do good in School... 22:43 so I met this guy... I shared with him about my 22:46 experiences... and he kept my card... 22:48 he kept the business card, and he called... 22:49 his parents called... they were in trouble... 22:52 but Kyle went from "Students out of School" 22:54 to selling crack in Houston... How old is he? 22:57 He's 14 now... he was 11 when he was selling 22:59 crack on the streets in Houston so 11- to 12-years-old 23:02 selling... he met this lady... 23:04 and he too wanted money 23:06 he saw this lady... he was cleaning up cars 23:08 he saw all these fancy people coming through here... 23:09 dope dealers and stuff and he said, 23:11 "I want to make some money... " so she set him up 23:13 selling crack... so he began to make his own money 23:15 200 to 300 dollars a day... selling crack on the streets 23:17 in Houston... and so, what happened is... 23:19 his friend got shot... 17-years-old... 23:22 dope dealer come in there not dope dealer... 23:24 drug addict come in there shot the Dude... 23:26 took the dope... and here my friend is Kyle 23:28 losing his friend in the midst of this journey 23:30 his mom moves back to our area... 23:32 struggling... I just say struggling 23:34 with every issue, whether it's water... 23:36 whether it's food, whether it's no washer... 23:38 no dryer... no stove... no refrigerator... 23:39 whatever... they're struggling 23:41 but mom's trying to keep the family together... 23:42 Hmmm... and in the midst of it 23:45 Christ connected us together, dad's in prison for 18 years 23:48 and so we were able to help the mom 23:49 to get her gas turned on... get some water going 23:51 get a dryer... 23:53 and trying to just help out with the physical needs... 23:55 but now Kyle had received a Bible on March the first... 23:59 which was just a moment... 24:00 not too long ago... he received a Bible... 24:02 and you know Sister... let me tell you the power of God 24:04 God would do amazing things, 24:06 we're driving down the highway 24:07 Kyle sees a rainbow... 24:08 and I asked him, "Do you know what that means?" 24:11 he said, "Yeah, it's a sign. " I said, "A sign of what?" 24:13 he said, "It's a sign that God would never destroy 24:16 the earth by flood again... " 24:17 I said, "How do you know that Dude" 24:18 because he wasn't raised up in that atmosphere... 24:20 Right... right... so, Kyle today, as we speak 24:22 is at his grandfather's bedside, who's getting ready to die 24:28 from wrong choices, perhaps, in his life... 24:30 Kyle is there sharing the gospel 24:32 that Grandpa can still find forgiveness... 24:35 and we just pray that God would give Grandpa 24:38 a reprieve from the cancer and from the drugs 24:41 that Kyle can share the gospel with Grandpa 24:43 and that he would be in the Kingdom of Heaven... so 24:45 Wow! so God is doing miraculous 24:46 things... in this time in earth's history 24:48 Amen... amen... what a blessing it will be for little Kyle 24:51 to have shared the gospel with his dying Grandpa 24:55 and if his Grandfather 24:57 accepts the Lord Jesus Christ 24:58 as his Savior... I mean... what a wonderful memory 25:01 that would be for Kyle... Amen... 25:02 And lifestyle choices are being implemented 25:05 in Kyle's life... never ate an apple before 25:07 here he is... 14-years-old... never ate an apple before 25:09 never tasted an orange before, 25:10 I said "Dude, what did you eat?" Pizza, Twinkies... 25:12 and all these kinds of stuff and that's what we don't realize 25:16 that there's a difference... That's right... 25:17 and so Kyle tells me... that he wakes up better 25:19 he feels stronger... he feels better... 25:20 he's drinking water... so in a 14-year-old's life, 25:23 we've seen it first-hand that it does work... 25:25 Yes... it makes all the difference... 25:26 We have worship in the morning, praise God... 25:29 Yes... amen... you are "Living the loving" 25:32 Amen... and that's such a wonderful 25:34 thing... I met your wife and she's precious 25:36 I mean... what a blessing... what a blessing... 25:39 you guys can go back into 25:41 the darkness and actually share the light of Jesus... 25:44 In our last couple of minutes, what do you have 25:46 do you have any message that you'd like to share 25:49 with our viewers that are themselves struggling 25:52 with issues... what would you say? 25:55 Sister, I'll tell you... I'll share with our viewers 25:58 I don't know which camera we're on... 25:59 I'll just share with you today 26:01 that no matter what you're struggling with... 26:03 God found me in the midst of despair 26:05 I've been in prison... I've been down that road... 26:07 and you've been seeking to fill that void in your life, 26:09 you've been wanting something different 26:11 in your life... you want hope... 26:12 you want peace, you want stability... 26:14 you want purpose in life, 26:15 and God created us all with a purpose 26:18 and that's to serve Him supremely... 26:20 to give it all to God so whatever you're struggling 26:23 with this day... please, get down on your knees 26:25 and humble your heart before God and please... just tell him... 26:28 say, "Dear Lord, I want your help... I can't... " 26:31 He understands our struggles 26:32 because God, who in the beginning of time, 26:34 gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him 26:38 should not perish but have everlasting life... 26:40 He will do for us... the omnipotent God... 26:42 that in the beginning that created the heaven 26:44 and the earth... gave His son Jesus... 26:46 for such a time as this... and He wants to plant your feet 26:48 on solid ground... through the trials and 26:50 tribulations of your life, your roots will grow deep 26:53 your dependency on God... that you will be 26:55 in the Kingdom of Heaven but prior to that... 26:57 He has a work for you and me to do... 26:58 so, don't give up... don't look back... 27:00 you may never get out of prison... 27:02 but you have an opportunity 27:03 to carry this message of hope with another Brother or Sister 27:06 in that prison... and we are world filled with sin 27:09 and God will free us... each and every day... Amen... 27:12 Amen... thank you so much Brother Lemuel... 27:14 thank you so much for being with us... 27:17 Well... thank you... What a blessing you are... 27:18 thank you for sharing the light and the love of Jesus Christ 27:21 in the world around us... 27:22 We appreciate the sponsors for 3ABN that make this happen 27:26 and The New Journey and Dare to Dream Network... 27:28 so thank you for your vision 27:29 to bring it into the inner cities... 27:30 Praise the Lord... you know Christ has promised 27:34 that he who the Son sets free 27:36 shall be free indeed... that freedom can be yours 27:39 whether or not you're behind bars... 27:42 that freedom is yours for the taking 27:44 through Jesus Christ our Lord... 27:46 if you want to know more about Jesus... 27:48 contact your local Seventh-day Adventist Church 27:51 or join them in worship on a Saturday morning... 27:54 Well, that wraps up our Program for today... 27:57 Thank you so much for joining us... 27:59 join us next time... we really want and need you here 28:03 you know why? it just wouldn't be the same... 28:06 without you... |
Revised 2015-05-26