Participants:
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR210006S
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00:01 Stay tuned to meet a man who pays it for behind bars.
00:04 My name is Jason Bradley, 00:06 and you're watching Urban Report. 00:31 Hello, and welcome to Urban Report. 00:33 My guest today is Lemuel Vega, 00:35 founder of Christmas Behind Bars, 00:37 and he has a compelling mission. 00:39 Welcome to Urban Report, Lemuel. 00:41 Jason, it's been an amazing week. 00:42 We've had an opportunity to work together 00:44 and there's future programs coming up and it's awesome. 00:47 Absolutely. 00:48 And I'm looking forward to getting into all of that, 00:51 but I want to start with your journey 00:52 because God has blessed you with a tremendous testimony. 00:56 Amen. 00:58 Um, so let's start with your upbringing 00:59 and maybe some things that transpired 01:01 and just take us through? 01:03 I want to tell you that Christmas Behind Bars 01:04 is an answer to a mother's prayer. 01:08 It's an answer to mother's prayer 01:09 that never got to see a change in their son's life, 01:11 but by faith they continue to pray. 01:13 And my mother, you know, I'd come home 12, 13 years old 01:17 and I'd come in, I'd be high or had been drinking. 01:19 And I check her bedroom 01:20 and she'd be on her knees with her Bible open 01:22 claiming God's promises. 01:24 You know, I said, mom, give it a break, 01:25 'cause I was on a mission 01:27 and it was for destruction in another direction. 01:30 And you know, there's young people today. 01:32 Mom tells them be home by 8 o'clock or 9 o'clock. 01:34 And they think that mom's being rude 01:38 or unkind to them. 01:39 And that's not the case. 01:40 Moms are on our side 01:42 Grandmas are on our side, you know? 01:43 And so, as a young person, 01:45 I was put in a Christian school, 01:47 you know, my mom worked hard 01:48 cleaning houses and two jobs 01:51 to put us in a Christian school. 01:53 But my heart wasn't right. 01:54 And I didn't care nothing about school. 01:56 And I gave up on school at an early age, Jason. 02:00 You know what's it look like, 02:02 if you ever seen a kid tightened his seat 02:03 in second grade with a jump rope? 02:05 Yeah. I mean, jump rope, you know? 02:06 And so, so wherever you're at in the world today, 02:09 you're struggling with education. 02:10 I just wanna encourage those people for education 02:13 because I didn't pay attention. 02:14 I can't do multiplication or long division today. 02:16 You know, I didn't learn all that, 02:18 but I do have a calculator. 02:19 So a calculator helped me figure things out. 02:21 That's right. 02:23 You know, at 13 years old I 02:24 told my mom, I said, look, I'm a teenager now. 02:26 I said I'm on my own direction, you know? 02:29 And um, between the age of 13 and 18, 02:33 how many years is that? 02:34 Five. 02:36 Five simple years, 02:37 I'm sitting in the county jail 02:39 facing 10 to 20 years in prison. 02:41 I had a lot of money 02:43 and I got the best attorney money could buy 02:45 out of Indianapolis, Indiana, a big city. 02:47 And I thought I would walk, 02:49 you know, but I got more time in prison 02:51 than my brother got with a public defender 02:54 holes in his blue jeans, long hair. 02:57 Don't give a attitude to the judge. 02:58 I don't care what you do to me, that's what my brother, 03:00 and I was going in there trying to get, 03:02 trying to escape, you know, 03:04 and I got more time 03:05 in this maximum security prison. 03:07 Oh, deed on my way to prison. 03:09 And the first words 03:10 I was shackled and handcuffed Jason 03:11 to someone I didn't even know, 03:13 my feet, my hands shackled to someone. 03:15 As we walked together into the prison, 03:17 he doing life in prison. 03:19 He doing life. 03:20 We go in the back gates 03:22 of this maximum security prison. 03:23 And the first words I heard in that prison is, 03:26 Hey boy, 03:27 I look carry my little blanket, my shoes and stuff. 03:30 You know, he said, I'll give you a shank 03:32 for that watch. 03:34 I said, what'd you say? 03:36 He said, I'll give you a shank for that watch. 03:38 And you know, and from then on and prison ain't no joke, 03:42 but I'll tell you what, the way you walk the walk 03:44 and carry yourself and God's mercy was with me. 03:47 Yes. 03:48 Because I didn't play, 03:50 I was friends on all sides of the camp. 03:52 I had friends on this side of the chow. 03:54 And on that side of the chow, 03:55 you can't tell me, I can't say what these people over here. 03:58 And so, so God blessed me through that journey in prison. 04:01 You didn't play prison politics? 04:03 Oh no, no, no, no, no, no. 04:04 I had friends everywhere and hello, how you doing? 04:07 And you know, I tried to get my GED in prison 04:11 and I couldn't. 04:12 I failed because I mean, I'm trying to study 04:14 and people back here, they're throwing stuff at you 04:16 or where you from boy and all this kind of stuff. 04:18 And I just, I just laid up in my side, quit. 04:21 I can't, I can't get it, you know? 04:23 And so I got a job 04:24 in a furniture factory in a prison, you know? 04:26 And one day I'm coming down the steps 04:28 from the upstairs, 04:29 I worked upstairs furniture factory 04:31 for and my friend worked downstairs, 04:32 I, wasn't my friend. 04:34 Then I'm coming down the stairs and he said, Vega. 04:36 He said, "What's wrong?" 04:37 I said, "What do you mean what's wrong?" 04:39 'Cause in prison, you don't tell people your problems. 04:40 I said, I said, "Why do you ask me what's wrong?" 04:43 He said, "Vega, I don't see your smile no more." 04:46 I said, "Man, these people would be talking 04:47 about taking my watch man," 04:49 and him and me up and a bunch of funny stuff. 04:51 And he sent word. 04:53 So he was from a... 04:54 It wasn't a Christian religion. 04:56 He was from another background of faith. 04:58 And he sent word over to H cell house. 05:00 He said, "Look, y'all leave Vega alone." 05:02 And so him and all his people said, 05:04 "Look, y'all leave Vega alone." 05:06 So my life was blessed 05:09 even though I went through prison. 05:11 You know, the sad reality is, bro, 05:13 is prison don't change our life, 05:14 they can't. 05:16 They can mandate us to a cell. 05:18 They can mandate us to incarceration, 05:21 but they can't change the heart. 05:23 And God doesn't try to change. 05:24 I mean, God doesn't mandate change in our lives. 05:28 You know, He give us a free will. 05:30 You know, and so, so prison didn't change my life. 05:32 I got out of prison and I joined church 05:36 because I wanted to do what was right 05:38 just like all them people, man, they want to do what, 05:40 when they get out, 05:41 they don't want to start drinking again. 05:43 They don't want to start shooting dope again. 05:44 They really want to do good. I tested that. 05:48 And, but on our own... 05:50 That's right, and we can't do it on our own. 05:52 We can't. We can't. 05:54 You know, so I tried and I tried and I, 05:56 then I got focus on people and stuff. 05:59 They had pretty cars, they had nice clothes. 06:00 They had fancy jet boats and all this stuff. 06:04 I said, man, I know how to get stuff. 06:07 You know, and then you start going back to the city 06:09 and buying drugs 06:10 and taking them down to the police 06:11 and the police take them in for you. 06:13 The people who looked out for me, 06:14 they selling them. 06:15 They were happy that I was still their friend 06:17 when I got out. 06:19 And then with all that money, 06:21 sick, suffering, suicidal 06:24 almost to go insane or go back to prison or die. 06:28 I went to treatment. 06:30 You know, so I went to treatment 06:32 for the first time in my life. 06:33 And, Jason, I never met no one before that 06:35 everyone to quit using drugs, 06:36 I thought I was the only, the only Joe, 06:38 the only square on the block. 06:40 I thought I was the only one 06:41 that they weren't having fun no more. 06:43 But you know it, ain't no fun. That's right. 06:46 You know, I could give you a pile of dope to anybody, 06:49 a pile of dope. 06:50 And I could tell you what's going to happen. 06:52 Either you're going to run out or you're going to die. 06:55 That's the reality of that. 06:57 But with Jesus, 06:59 there's never, there's, it's always continual. 07:02 He feeds us, He waters us, He strengthened us, 07:05 He nurtures us, He encourages us. 07:07 I go to treatment 07:08 and the people with their college education, 07:10 they said, well, you need methadone 07:11 and you need an, and you need, 07:13 I'm like, look, man, I got drugs. 07:14 Okay. I'm tired, I'm sick. 07:16 I want off this trying to destruct it. 07:18 Will you help me? 07:20 They ain't got no help. 07:21 So they're trying to solve your drug problem 07:23 with more drugs? 07:24 Right. Right, right. 07:25 That's like someone got a bullet wound 07:27 and he bleeding and they say, oh, well let me get a band aid 07:29 and put that on there. 07:30 No, this dude needs surgery. 07:32 And he needs help in the surgical process 07:34 from Jesus starts in the heart. 07:36 Amen. 07:37 It starts with a decision that they want help, 07:39 they want change. 07:40 And as they pray and reach out to God 07:42 and that's what happened in my life, 07:44 35 years old in a hospital room, 07:45 I just got down on my knees 07:48 and the only prayer I prayed, 07:50 dear Jesus, please help me. 07:53 I want to quit, but I can't. 07:55 Yeah. 07:57 And that began and it was all sincerity 07:59 because I was hopeless. 08:00 And so, so that's the beauty of Christmas Behind Bars 08:03 as God took the rags of incarceration, 08:06 the hurt and the heartache of incarceration, 08:09 the loneliness of incarceration, 08:11 the pain and the guilt and the shame of incarceration. 08:14 He took it to a life surrendered by God's grace 08:18 to be able to go back 08:20 and make some little care packages 08:22 to say, bro, there's hope for your life. 08:24 Sister, girl, don't give up. God loves you. 08:26 It don't matter how far you've sunk. 08:28 It don't matter how dirty you think you is. 08:30 God will help you just as you are. 08:31 So that's what Christmas Behind Bars is about in a nutshell. 08:34 Amen. 08:35 And how did you, 08:36 so how did Christmas Behind Bars get started? 08:39 What inspired the idea? 08:40 It was the pastor's wife who come down. 08:42 It was a pastor. 08:43 A pastor came to pray with me 08:45 when I was in that hospital for drug addiction. 08:47 Doctors couldn't help me. Pastor came to pray with me. 08:49 And he told me that God helped him. 08:52 He never been incarcerated before, man, 08:54 never been in trouble, never been in prison, 08:56 a good Christian home, 08:57 Christian college and all this stuff. 08:59 But he said that when his mother died, 09:00 he got addicted to cough syrup. 09:02 Wow. 09:03 And I'm thinking, "Oh man, dude, you don't understand 09:05 what I'm going. 09:06 I'm talking drugs, I'm talking all this stuff. 09:07 You don't understand." 09:09 But out of respect, I listened to him 09:10 and he told me that 09:12 God helped him with this problem. 09:14 He prayed and he left. 09:16 And as I saw the most beautiful sunset 09:18 I'd ever seen in my life, I said, 09:19 "Man, if God can paint that somehow He can help me." 09:24 And I kneel down in that hospital room. 09:25 So the pastor came, prayed with me, inspired me, 09:28 encouraged me, directed me, left me with a thought 09:30 that God helped him, God could help me. 09:33 And it was his wife. We started going to church. 09:35 It was probably about six, eight months later 09:37 after I got out of the hospital. 09:38 I'd got a job at little grocery business. 09:40 It was a pastor's wife's idea. 09:42 One day at church, he said, 09:43 we'd like to make some care packages 09:45 for the folk down in our county jail. 09:46 I said, 09:48 "Man, that would be a great idea. 09:49 Then the inmates would really appreciate that." 09:51 And I got some granola bars and some chips and snacks 09:54 and I'd like to donate this. 09:56 And then every year it just continued to grow. 09:58 It just grew from there. It wasn't my idea. 10:00 You know, I've had the opportunity 10:02 to go into prisons with you. 10:04 Amen. 10:05 And minister and spread the gospel and everything. 10:07 And I just have to say that 10:08 it's been an incredible experience. 10:10 What Christmas Behind Bars is doing 10:13 is absolutely amazing. 10:15 Talk about what's in, 10:16 what the contents of the packages are? 10:19 They got devotional materials, the books, 10:22 3ABN has helped us donate a lot of books 10:24 for the ministry. 10:25 So they have devotional books. 10:26 They have GLOW tracts. 10:28 We're really thankful for those people 10:29 that help us donate those. 10:30 They have creation magazines. 10:32 We're thankful for those. 10:33 Granola bars, snacks, soap, deodorant, toothbrush, 10:36 toothpaste, Bibles, 10:38 used Bibles, thinking of UCards, 10:41 man, when you are in prison or jail, 10:42 you don't get your name called for mail. 10:44 You might be one out of 20 to get your name called from. 10:47 Bradley, I got a letter for him. 10:49 Man, brother, you get mail and no one get mad. 10:51 So those homemade thinking of UCards 10:53 are worth their weight in gold, 10:54 the pictures with scripture on the back of them. 10:57 They might throw everything else away. 10:58 They're not gonna throw away that picture. 11:00 On the back there's words of hope 11:01 and encouragement. 11:02 They'll take a little toothpaste 11:04 on the back of that picture 11:05 and put it up on the wall. 11:07 Wow. So it's a blessing. 11:08 Yes. Amen. 11:09 Now we've been spending 11:11 quite a bit of time together this week too. 11:13 We've also been in jail 11:15 and, but this was a little bit different. 11:17 We had a chance to go to the Benton, 11:20 Illinois, Franklin county, historic jail museum 11:24 that Robert Ray so graciously allowed us to use, 11:28 and we recorded a new program for 3ABN. 11:32 Why don't you tell us a little bit about 11:33 maybe some of the topics, 11:35 some of the illustrations and things that you're doing? 11:36 Well, the new program is analogies. 11:40 The new program is, 11:41 is things that you and I have used in prison. 11:44 Something as simple as a roll of toilet paper 11:47 and just different things, 11:49 garbage can, and trash, 11:52 and umbrellas, and mosquito net. 11:54 And so, so just different analogies of, 11:56 of practical applications, 11:58 of how Jesus will help you wherever you are. 12:01 Yeah. So just simple things. 12:03 So give us an example 12:04 and then we're going to go to a clip in a little bit, 12:06 but give us an example of like, 12:08 okay, let's say the toilet paper. 12:11 I'll let you give the example. 12:13 Okay. 12:14 So you use toilet paper, right? 12:16 It cleans up messy situations, right? 12:18 So, you know, you might have to dab or something, 12:20 you need a napkin. 12:22 But we have messy situations in our lives 12:24 and Jesus cleans that up for us. 12:25 Amen. Correct? 12:27 Now give us the example of the trash or treasure? 12:30 Well, I tell you about the toilet paper. 12:32 I want to expound on that a little bit 12:34 is I believe that 99.9% of everybody in prison 12:38 uses toilet paper on a regular basis, 12:40 probably in the world. 12:42 Amen? I would hope so. 12:43 So why do we? 12:44 Because it cleans up external messy situations. 12:46 That's right. 12:48 But God wants to come into the heart 12:49 and clean up the heart. 12:51 So the toilet paper, I'll take a little bit and, 12:53 and open my, put a little bit by my heart 12:54 and I sit, as we allow God to come in. 12:56 I said, as the internal begins to change, 13:00 the external comes into conformity 13:02 with the internal. 13:03 Yes. 13:05 So I just pray that as long as everybody uses in the, 13:07 you know, they'll think about that. 13:09 And the Holy Spirit can use that. 13:10 So simple analogies like trash, 13:13 you know, the pearl of great price, 13:14 you know, that God says, 13:16 you know, the kingdom of heaven 13:17 is like unto a pearl of great price. 13:19 When a man found it for the joy of, 13:21 he goes and sells a whole field, 13:22 he goes and buys. 13:24 So we want to let the inmates know that 13:25 there ain't nothing worse holding on to, 13:27 that Jesus is that pearl of great price, 13:29 so just simple analogies. 13:31 Yeah, which is beautiful. 13:33 We have a clip from the program 13:36 and we're going to take a look at that right now. 13:39 Amen. 13:40 Larry, would you come up here? I got a question. 13:42 Have you ever collected any trash? 13:44 Yes. I have like many people. 13:46 You have collected trash in your life. 13:48 You know, I have a trash can here. 13:51 And did you ever have anger in your life? 13:55 I had anger. 13:56 Had anger in your life. 13:57 Drugs. 13:59 You've had drug addiction? Drug addiction. 14:00 You know, so many people in prison, 14:02 out of prison suffer with drug addiction. 14:05 Alcohol. 14:06 Alcohol is another. 14:08 Shame. 14:09 Shame. Pain. 14:11 There's been a lot of things 14:12 I've done a lot of terrible things. 14:16 Well, I'm afraid I got more things 14:18 than you got trash here in my life. 14:20 And you want to get rid of that trash, right? 14:22 I do. 14:23 Let's have a word of prayer. 14:24 Dear heavenly Father, 14:26 Lord, we know we can't do it on our own. 14:27 And that's why You give the gift of Your Son, Jesus, 14:30 for all of humanity, 14:31 incarcerated, free, 14:33 but yet we're empty and alone without You. 14:37 And, Larry, you just say this prayer with me, 14:39 dear Lord, please help me. 14:41 Dear Lord, please help me. 14:42 I want to, but I can't. 14:43 I want to, but I can't. 14:45 Here's my life. Take me and use me. 14:47 Here's my life. Take me and use me. 14:50 Dear heavenly Father, 14:51 we just pray as He acknowledges you, 14:53 Lord, he's willing to surrender these things. 14:55 We just ask a special anointing and blessing 14:57 as Larry's a representation for all of the incarcerated, 15:01 all of the people outside of Your will, 15:03 the people in the free world today, 15:05 they are suffering with many, many things. 15:07 We just ask for a special blessing. 15:09 Now in Jesus' name, we pray. 15:11 Amen. Amen. 15:12 Amen. 15:14 Larry, let's get rid of the pain. 15:18 You wanna surrender that? Yes, I do. 15:20 Let's get rid of the unforgiveness. 15:24 What else would you like to surrender? 15:25 You got hate? Here, you said in your life. 15:28 The drug addiction? 15:29 The drug addiction, alcohol. 15:31 Alcoholism. 15:32 And shame, pain. 15:34 The shame and the pain. I get rid of it all. 15:36 You know, the Lord wants to replace us with joy. 15:41 He wants to give us hope. 15:44 He wants to replace us the hate with love. 15:49 He wants to continue to give us the spirit of evangelism. 15:54 He wants to continue to help us now throughout all eternity. 15:59 And He wants to use you 16:00 as a representation for all people, 16:02 because the Word of God says, 16:04 "Go ye therefore and proclaim the gospel." 16:06 He wants to use you to bring hope 16:08 to the burden. 16:09 You have a scripture today, Brother. 16:11 Absolutely. 16:12 Larry, I want to share this encouraging scripture with you 16:13 that that really made a difference for me in my life. 16:15 And this has come from 2 Corinthians 5:17. 16:19 And it says, 16:20 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, 16:22 he is a new creation, old things have passed away, 16:26 behold, all things have become new." 16:29 By accepting Christ, you become a new creation. 16:33 All of those old things have passed away. 16:35 We love you and God bless you. 16:36 Thank you. 16:41 Wow. That was an amazing experience. 16:44 You know, it's been a blessing to work with the 3ABN crew. 16:46 And if people could see behind the scenes, 16:49 they'd be amazed how, what goes into the programming. 16:50 That's right. 16:51 You know, I would recommend anybody that comes to this area 16:54 to go and visit that museum. 16:56 It's really, really neat. 16:57 It has a lot of history and it's worth the trip, 17:00 so many people come. 17:02 You know, the analogy of the trash and the treasure 17:07 is we collect trash in our lives. 17:10 It can be things that will burden us down 17:12 and slow us from going forward. 17:14 And so we just take simple things like the trash 17:17 and we ask people 17:19 if they'd like to keep the trash 17:20 or if they'd like to trade it in 17:22 and they'll trade it in 17:24 because they don't want to keep trash, 17:25 it's nothing, you know? 17:26 And so we use those analogies with sin. 17:29 Do we wanna hang on to the sin? 17:30 Or do we want the fruits of the spirit, 17:32 joy, peace, hope, happiness, forgiveness. 17:36 And we can have that spirit of forgiveness 17:38 then to be more like Jesus. 17:40 So that's what we want these, 17:42 the trash and the treasures to represent. 17:45 And so just simple things 17:48 to bring hope and encouragement. 17:50 Yeah. They're simple yet profound. 17:53 I think they're very powerful analogies. 17:56 And you know, when you look at the life of Christ, 17:58 Jesus used parables all the time. 18:00 For sure. 18:01 And it really spoke to the people. 18:03 I see that you have bread and water 18:04 sitting here on the set. 18:07 Well, tell me about that? What's going on here? 18:10 Something as simple as a loaf of bread, 18:12 we try to bring the inmates, 18:14 physical, tangible food crackers for say, 18:18 you know, a handful of crackers, Jason, 18:20 and a glass of water makes you so you're not hungry at night. 18:24 So we try to bring them the tangible stuff. 18:26 But this represents the bread of life. 18:29 Jesus said, there's a scripture if you could read it. 18:31 Yes. 18:33 And this is John 6:35, 18:35 "And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. 18:38 He who comes to Me shall never hunger, 18:41 and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." 18:44 That's the internal hunger. 18:46 That's what humanity seeks for. 18:48 We seek to fit in. 18:50 We seek a stature in society 18:53 and the cars and the house and all this stuff. 18:56 And that's not what He's talking about. 18:57 He's talking about filling the internal. 18:59 Yes. 19:01 And so when He says I'm the bread of life, 19:02 He means, He, as we, 19:04 the world around uses bread every day. 19:06 And so He used that in his day and in this day. 19:09 So as we eat and consume food, 19:11 Jesus wants us to taste and see 19:14 that what He will do 19:15 will become living realities in our life. 19:18 The water, you know, we'll drink in this water 19:20 and sure we'll thirst again. 19:22 But when we come to Jesus, we're not thirsty no more 19:26 for the broken cisterns of society. 19:28 And so wherever you are in the neighborhood, 19:31 don't feel like you got to go down 19:33 and do wrong things 19:34 to buy the new Nike shoes. 19:36 God will give us the peace that passes all understanding 19:39 with the old raggedy stuff. 19:40 Yeah. 19:41 Don't let someone condemn you or put you down 19:43 because you don't fit in with the other crowd 19:45 because Jesus, 19:47 He accepts people where they are 19:48 and He grows us inside 19:50 and He has a special mission and purpose and a journey 19:52 for each and every one of our people, you know? 19:56 Jesus said, He said, 19:57 as you've done it unto the least of these, 20:00 He said, my brethren, 20:02 Jesus said that the least of the least. 20:05 He equated them to his brethren. 20:07 So we are all family. That's right. 20:09 We're all family. Amen? That's right. 20:11 And thank God that He doesn't leave us 20:13 the way that He finds us. 20:14 And you know, as I think about the bread and water, 20:17 if you don't consume bread and water 20:20 on a daily basis. 20:21 Physically. 20:22 Yeah physically, you're, you know, you'll die. 20:24 Like if you don't eat and drink, 20:28 you will, you will die. 20:29 Come on now. 20:30 Now, if you don't read the Word, 20:32 if you don't study the Word of God, 20:33 you're gonna die spiritually. 20:34 Amen. 20:36 And so, you know, that's, that is paramount, 20:37 especially in today's society, 20:39 like we need to be studying our Word. 20:42 We need to be grounded in the Word, 20:44 because there's so much stuff pulling for our attention. 20:46 The devil know that. Oh, yeah. 20:48 The devil know that. 20:49 So if he can keep you on Facebook 20:51 and all this Twitter and Instagram 20:53 and all, he can keep us all focused on the news 20:55 and on the drama and on the virus 20:57 and all this stuff and on the economy. 20:59 So we are worried about the worry. 21:01 Let me tell you something, brother. 21:03 When people were taken out of the bondage out of Egypt, 21:06 before they left for the Promised Land, 21:08 they had to make bricks without straw. 21:09 Their life got harder as Christian people in bondage, 21:12 their life got harder, 21:14 but when they crossed through on the Red Sea 21:16 and the Jesus is coming again 21:18 and He wants to take us through, 21:19 talking about water. 21:20 Amen? Yeah, amen. 21:22 You just hit on something though. 21:23 You said when they became Chris... 21:25 So, okay, so when we become Christians, 21:26 it's just not all perfect, right? 21:29 We like, we don't, 21:30 we don't have to endure trials, huh? 21:32 Right. It gets harder. It gets harder. 21:34 Sometimes it seems like it gets harder. 21:36 But when we're just floating down the river 21:38 and it's filled with sewage and all kinds of stuff, 21:40 the devil don't care, 21:42 he'll let us float as long as we wanna float. 21:43 Yeah. You know? 21:45 But see the beautiful thing is 21:46 like, you know, 21:48 when we become Christians, 21:50 like, it doesn't mean that 21:51 everything's going to be the perfect 21:53 smooth sailing road. 21:54 The Bible says it rains on the just and unjust, 21:57 you know, but we have the purpose in our heart. 22:00 Yeah. We're serving a purpose. 22:02 We're serving someone 22:03 who wants to spend eternity with us, 22:05 Jesus. Amen. 22:06 And so it's, it's all worth it. 22:08 See, when you're going through these trials 22:09 and tribulations in the world, 22:11 you've got nobody on your side 22:13 that, you know, so you wanna be with Jesus 22:16 and He stand with us. 22:18 If He before you... Come on. Who can be against you? 22:20 Who can be against you? That's right. 22:21 And there's been opposition with Christmas Behind Bars, 22:24 brothers, you know, 22:25 as far as the going into these prisons and stuff, 22:28 there's been opposition 22:30 as far as whether it's to get product 22:32 or whether it's finances. 22:34 And so we just know, 22:36 you know, I just tell you, I'll be honest with you, man. 22:39 You know, it was freezing out cold. 22:41 It was zero degrees, 22:42 had two semi-trucks and trailers 22:44 going to the same place. 22:45 We're supposed to do a bagging tonight. Okay. 22:47 We're supposed to be there, have all set up. 22:49 The snow was awful, 13 inches of snow. 22:51 It was awful. 22:52 And I'm unloading this semi-trailer, 22:54 man, it's cold. 22:55 My fingers aren't working no more. 22:57 My fingers are numb. 22:58 And I keep bringing the pallet one at a time to the back. 23:00 So someone can offload it and my fingers were numb. 23:03 And the thought come to me, Jason, 23:05 a thought come to me. 23:06 And it was like, is this really worth it? 23:10 Oh no. Where'd that come from? 23:12 This is worth it because where do I have to go, 23:15 back to the dope house? 23:17 You know, back to prison myself, 23:18 it is worth it. 23:20 So the devil brings some crazy thoughts. 23:22 And so by God's grace, 23:23 we got those 6,000 bags done that night 23:25 just as planned. 23:27 So it is worth it. 23:28 So all I can say is we have to persevere 23:30 to endure till the end. 23:32 Amen? Amen. 23:34 What kind of opposition 23:35 or what kind of challenges have you faced 23:38 with COVID in getting into the prisons? 23:39 Well, the challenges are, 23:41 is we can't go in and evangelize face to face. 23:43 Yeah. 23:45 But we're still able to make the packages 23:46 and they have the literature in there 23:48 and the windows of heaven are still open. 23:50 The door to the prison might be closed, 23:51 but the windows of heaven, 23:53 they going in cell by cell with this devotional material. 23:56 So praise the Lord. 23:57 You know, I went to a prison. 23:59 It was in... I'm not gonna name the state. 24:01 I was supposed to be there at 7 o'clock in the morning. 24:04 And we're going to deliver packages 24:05 over 2000 packages. 24:07 I'm there at 7 o'clock, 7 o'clock, 7:30, 8 o'clock, 24:10 9 o'clock, 10 o'clock, 11, 24:12 I still waiting at the back gate. 24:13 I knew something was tragically wrong, 24:15 but I didn't know what it was. 24:17 And the chaplain came out and here's what he said, 24:21 "We had someone commit suicide last night." 24:23 Wow. 24:24 We had an inmate kill another inmate last night. 24:27 And we had two drug overdoses last night. 24:30 That's a rough night. 24:31 You know, and that's what he said. 24:32 That's a rough night. 24:34 I'm thinking, man, that's a rough year. 24:35 That's a rough. 24:37 So anyway, so a bad prison, 24:39 my heart was broken for those four people 24:43 that didn't receive a package. 24:44 Yeah. 24:45 I just wish somehow the chaplain would announced 24:47 that bags are coming, 24:48 Christmas Behind Bars is coming. 24:50 Because what happens is 24:51 when they announced that Christmas Behind Bars is coming 24:54 and the prison knows it. 24:56 The inmates got something to look forward to. 24:57 Yes. 24:58 The suicide watch goes down 25:01 and a lot of different things change. 25:02 The atmosphere changes, 25:04 because they're looking forward to this ministry coming 25:06 because they know they're gonna receive something. 25:09 And we as Christians, brothers, 25:11 we have been told that the Savior was gonna come. 25:15 There was propitiation for our sins, 25:16 the cross of Calvary 25:17 that Jesus would come and go there and He did. 25:19 Amen. 25:21 And now we as Christians, we have the opportunity 25:22 to look back unto the cross 25:24 and forward under the sooner return of Jesus Christ. 25:28 So we as Christians 25:29 should be diligent more now than ever. 25:31 Amen. 25:33 What are some of the needs of Christmas Behind Bars? 25:36 We need Bibles, Bibles, Bibles, Bibles, used Bibles. 25:39 If people at home have used Bibles, 25:41 they can put them in a box. 25:42 If they got new Bibles, they can put them in a box 25:44 and send them to us at Christmas Behind Bars, 25:46 financial contributions 25:47 as we continue by faith to say yes to prisons. 25:50 Nebraska called said, yes, 25:51 I just got a call this morning from a man in Texas. 25:54 He said, there's a prison in Oklahoma, 25:55 two of them that would like packages. 25:57 So financial contributions, homemade thinking of UCards, 26:01 brother, homemade cards. 26:03 The little children can make cards. 26:04 They can use glue, glitter, lays, pencil, crayon, marker. 26:07 They can use anything to make a homemade card 26:10 and we give those to the inmates 26:11 and they're worth their weight in gold. 26:12 Amen. 26:14 Well, we're gonna put up your contact information. 26:15 Okay. 26:16 So that people know how to get in touch with you, 26:18 how to send those things to your organization. 26:22 If you want to contact Christmas Behind Bars, 26:25 you can send them mail at PO Box 474, 26:29 Bluffton, Indiana 46714, 26:34 or you can visit them online 26:36 at ChristmasBehindBars.org 26:40 Send them an email at 26:41 Contact@ ChristmasBehindBars.org 26:45 or you can give them a call. 26:48 And why don't you share that number with us? 26:50 (260) 827-8835. 26:55 All right. All right. Yes. 26:57 And so hopefully our viewers will reach out 26:59 and they will support 27:01 this wonderful, wonderful organization. 27:04 And, Lemuel, give us a final thought 27:08 for somebody who hasn't accepted Christ 27:10 in their life? 27:11 For somebody that hasn't accepted Christ in your life. 27:15 I would just like to say, personally, 27:18 as you're willing, 27:19 He's able, He's not gonna force you. 27:22 He's not gonna take you to a place you don't wanna go. 27:24 It'll get better, it'll grow brighter, 27:26 it'll grow stronger, 27:28 but today's the day that you have to be willing 27:32 to taste and see that God is good. 27:36 Amen. 27:38 Taste and see that the Lord is good, 27:39 and you tasted and you saw that He is good. 27:43 And you as well. Amen. 27:45 And that's our promise to our viewers today. 27:47 That's right. 27:48 And now we're living for Him. 27:49 Thank you so much for coming on and sharing. 27:51 And we wanna thank you for joining us. 27:53 Make the decision to accept Christ today, 27:56 until next time God bless you. |
Revised 2021-06-03