Participants:
Series Code: USP
Program Code: USP210001S
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00:01 As human beings,
00:02 our need for social interaction is huge. 00:04 Stay tuned to learn about the most important relationship 00:07 you could ever form. 00:13 They try to change us from the outside in, 00:16 and that's never going to work. 00:19 Because I know that no matter 00:20 how hard and cold the exterior may seem, 00:24 I know that inside we hurt. 00:27 So we just want to come and share some hope with you 00:30 and let you know that we love you, 00:32 and that Jesus loves you 00:34 beyond anybody in this world. 00:38 I'm not here today to judge you or condemn you, 00:40 we're today to tell you that we love you 00:42 and we understand the situation that you're in. 00:50 Hello, I'm Jason Bradley, 00:52 and I'm so glad that you decided to join us today. 00:54 I'm here with my brother in Christ, 00:56 Brother Lemuel Vega, we do ministry together. 00:59 We've gone into many prisons 01:02 and ministered to those that are incarcerated. 01:04 Tell us a little bit about Christmas Behind Bars? 01:06 You know, Christmas Behind Bars, 01:07 Jason, is our prayer desire is to bring hope 01:10 to the men and women and that are behind bars, 01:12 'cause they feel hopeless and they're really not. 01:14 They're in a prime position to go upward, you know? 01:19 And you spoke about the most important relationship 01:22 is with Jesus, that relationship. 01:25 In our world today with social distancing 01:28 and people being alienated 01:29 from their families and their friends and society, 01:32 that actually suicide is on the rise 01:35 during incarceration and so they feel so alone. 01:38 But as we have the opportunity to partner together, 01:41 3ABN and Christmas Behind Bars, literature material, 01:44 evangelism, food, grocery sacks, hygiene items, 01:49 to bring hope to the prisoners. 01:51 And the beauty of Christmas Behind Bars, 01:52 Brother, is every inmate in the whole prison 01:56 receives a package. 01:57 Wow. 01:58 It's not just to the ones that come out 02:00 to the Thursday night Bible study 02:01 or the Friday evening gathering 02:03 or the service on the weekend, 02:04 it's about every inmate receives something. 02:08 And, you know, 02:10 we actually got a letter from an inmate, 02:12 from the Statesville Correctional Facility, 02:14 just north of here, in Joliet, Illinois, 02:16 and this Christian brother wrote to this inmate, 02:19 wrote this letter, inmate wrote this letter 02:22 and he said that he gave his package away 02:25 and I'm thinking, "Three thousand packages, 02:27 you gave your package away?" 02:30 I begin to read the letter and there was this Muslim man 02:33 on his dormitory who turned the package down 02:37 because it had to do with Christianity, 02:39 so the Muslim man said, no, 02:40 he said, I don't want the package. 02:42 The officer went on down, 02:43 didn't give him a package 02:44 and this Christian brother over here saw that take place. 02:48 He took the literature out of the bag, 02:50 he put some new socks in there, 02:52 he put some other items in the bag, 02:53 folded it up and he wrote a note, 02:55 "There's no strings attached, 02:57 this package is a gift and it's for you." 02:59 Let me tell you what happened. 03:01 That man came back to his bed area. 03:04 He picked up the bag, he read the letter, 03:08 he began opening the bag and taking out the contents 03:10 and laying around his bed 03:12 and then he stood up and the letter said 03:15 that this man spoke loudly over the gallery, 03:18 dormitory area. 03:20 He said, "I don't know 03:21 which one of you Christian brothers gave this to me" 03:24 he said, "But I thank you and your God." 03:29 Wow. 03:30 This man, I think he was in his 70s, 03:32 he was older, he'd lost his family, 03:34 didn't have anybody to come and see him, 03:35 no support. 03:36 So this Christian man gave up his package 03:39 that this individual could see God's love 03:41 and so that's amazing. 03:43 So one simple story of the ministry 03:45 and 3ABN donated materials for those bags 03:47 and Christmas Behind Bars going, 03:49 so we thank you for the partnership. 03:51 That's huge. 03:52 You know, like, when people are incarcerated 03:54 and everything, they don't have much, right? 03:57 So that is a form of sacrificial giving. 03:59 He gave up his bag 04:01 and then that Muslim man thanked the Christians 04:05 and the Christian's God, our God. 04:08 And our heavenly Father gave up His only begotten Son Jesus, 04:11 to die upon the cross of Calvary 04:13 that we have the opportunity to proclaim the gospel. 04:16 Today we have some food here, 04:17 this is a little podium, makeshift podium. 04:19 Our prison podium? 04:20 Prison podium. 04:21 All right. 04:23 And we got some things here 04:24 and I'd like to talk about the apples. 04:25 Okay. 04:27 Is there a scripture that would tie in with that? 04:29 I think there is. 04:30 I think we can find one right here in Psalm Chapter 34:8. 04:34 "O taste and see that the Lord is good: 04:37 blessed is the man who trusts in him. 04:41 O taste and see that the Lord is good." 04:46 You know, I have something in my hand 04:48 and I'm going to ask the audience what this is. 04:51 What is this here? 04:52 I mean, if you look at this, what would you think this is? 04:55 You perceive this is something. 04:58 Brother, I'm gonna ask you... I'm going to give this to you 05:00 and I'd like you to tell our audience 05:02 and tell me what that is? 05:04 It's an apple. 05:06 You can tell by the way it looks, 05:08 by the way it smells. 05:09 Okay. 05:11 It looks and smells like an apple. 05:12 Okay. 05:13 Well, you think that's an apple. 05:15 There's a lot of fake things in the world today, 05:16 they got plastic apples all, what is that? 05:18 Well, that's another apple, the different kind. 05:20 Another apple. 05:21 Again, it looks like an apple. 05:23 It looks like an apple, but until we do, 05:26 so what was the scripture, Brother? 05:27 O taste and see that the Lord is good. 05:30 How can we tell whether this really an apple or not? 05:32 If you taste it. 05:33 Taste it. 05:37 How's it taste? 05:39 Man, that is a good apple and that is sweet. 05:43 What I like to tell the world today, 05:47 we need to taste and see that God is really good 05:52 and as we begin to experience of who He is in our lives, 05:57 we begin to find comfort, peace, hope. 06:00 You have an apple. 06:02 I hope you enjoy your apple. 06:03 Thank you. 06:05 You're very welcome. 06:06 Oh, you've got another apple. 06:07 Thank you very much. 06:09 Nice. Nice. 06:10 Brother, what would you say about the tasting aspect, 06:12 about a relationship with Jesus? 06:14 What would you share with the world 06:16 about how that became real in your life 06:19 and promise them wherever they are on this spectrum 06:21 that there's hope for their life 06:22 if they continue on? 06:24 I would say that a relationship with Christ 06:25 is the most important, most impactful relationship 06:29 that a human being could ever have. 06:31 You know, I like to eat, right? 06:33 So I love food, 06:35 but I don't just want to watch people eat, 06:37 I don't want to... Have it. 06:38 No. 06:41 But I don't want to just watch people eat, right? 06:43 I want to partake of that myself. 06:46 Amen. 06:47 So when I hear about what God has done for the human race, 06:51 how Jesus came and died on the cross for us 06:55 that while we were yet sinners, 06:57 like, He still came and died for us. 06:59 If it were just you, 07:00 He would have died for just you. 07:02 Amen. 07:03 If it were just me, He would have died for just me. 07:04 And if it were you at home, 07:06 He would have died for just you. 07:07 And I think that is one of the most powerful things, 07:10 most powerful forms of love. 07:12 And so that relationship with Christ 07:15 is above all other relationships. 07:18 And He accepts us just as we are. 07:20 We don't get all polished up first. 07:22 He accepts us just as we are and then we get polished up, 07:26 cleansed up and then we're able to be a blessing and fruit 07:28 to somebody else for His kingdom. 07:30 That's right. 07:31 And He wants us to abide in Him. 07:32 Abide in Him. 07:34 Yes. 07:35 So if we go to John 15:1-2 07:37 and then we'll jump down to verse 4, it says, 07:39 "I am the true vine," this is Jesus speaking, 07:42 "and my Father is the vine dresser. 07:44 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, 07:47 He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit, 07:51 He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 07:55 Abide in Me, and I in you. 07:57 As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, 08:00 unless it abides in the vine, 08:02 neither can you unless you abide in Me." 08:05 Amen. 08:06 So it talks about the vine 08:08 and it talks about the vine as Jesus? 08:09 Yes. 08:11 So here's the vine 08:12 and so we begin to produce fruit. 08:14 You talked about something that He purges in, 08:17 He pruneth it. 08:18 He pruneth it and so as we come to Christ, 08:21 we grow with Christ, then He begins to prune things, 08:25 like a tree gets pruned 08:26 and sometimes that can be hurtful 08:28 at the time. 08:29 But the pruning process helps us 08:30 to produce more fruit. 08:32 That's right. 08:33 So as we come to Christ, we can't just say, 08:35 "Hey, I'm a Christian now and I'm going to abide alone." 08:37 He wants us to stay engrafted into the family of Christ. 08:40 Amen? 08:41 Amen. 08:43 So as far as on this journey wherever you are, 08:45 Christ wants to engraft us into the vine, 08:49 that we may have a relationship with our heavenly Father 08:51 through Jesus. 08:52 Amen? Amen. 08:54 What would you share brother in closing on this journey, 08:56 and how it's so worthwhile? 08:58 Well, I would say that, 09:00 you know, when we abide in Christ, 09:02 we have a place to put our cares, 09:05 to cast our burdens, 09:07 a person to give our anxiety to. 09:10 We don't need to worry about 09:12 what's going to happen the next day, 09:13 God provides for all of our needs. 09:16 And so He wants us to come to Him 09:18 with whatever we're going through, 09:20 with whatever we're struggling with. 09:21 You know, this is a time of isolation, 09:23 a time of loneliness, 09:25 a time of people being in quarantine 09:27 and all of these things and solitary confinement 09:30 and inmates not being able to come out and all of that. 09:34 But God still wants to speak with each and every one of us 09:37 and I think that's crucial, 09:39 especially in a time such as this. 09:41 I like what you said about abiding in Him today 09:44 and holding on to today, 09:46 'cause if we worry about cares of tomorrow. 09:47 Yeah. 09:48 If we worry about the past and the burdens of yesterday, 09:51 then we lose today and that's what we have today. 09:54 We've been granted this day 09:56 to grow in a personal relationship with Him. 09:57 This is awesome 09:59 to be able to share with our viewers 10:00 what we do do behind bars to share hope 10:03 with people that are hurting. 10:05 I grew up with alcoholic parents 10:08 and my father was in and out of our home. 10:11 But at age 16, 10:12 I started experiencing with marijuana 10:17 and then it lead into cocaine and then it lead into crack. 10:21 I ended up quitting school my senior year, 10:24 September of my senior year. 10:26 At age 26, I started doing meth. 10:29 I'm a bigger girl so I lost weight, 10:32 so it became very addictive very fast. 10:35 I've been in out of jail. 10:37 I honestly can't even tell you how many times, it's a lot. 10:41 When Christmas Behind Bars came in, 10:44 I actually was still in bed 10:47 and I just kept hearing him 10:51 talk about how God had changed his life. 10:54 And, I mean, I've never seen it, 10:57 I've never heard your story and it really gives us hope. 11:02 And I instantly had to come to my door 11:06 and I didn't want to interrupt, 11:07 so I just stood at my door and listened 11:09 and it was such an inspiring story. 11:12 This time in my incarceration, I have never been more serious 11:18 than other of my other incarcerations. 11:21 I have really just dove into the Bible, I've been, 11:24 you know, praying for the Holy Spirit 11:27 and it all started 11:28 with Christmas Behind Bars, really. 11:32 So your story was really amazing 11:34 and then the gifts was awesome too, so thank you. 11:40 How have you seen it make an impact? 11:43 Maybe share another story 11:44 about a life that has been touched? 11:46 You know, there was this lady, she was in the county jail 11:50 and she'd gotten arrested. 11:51 And so she's in the jail just like we are today 11:54 and she got arrested 11:56 and someone told her about the Sabbath. 11:58 Someone told her about the Sabbath, said, 12:00 hey, you know, da-da-da, da-da. 12:01 She's like, "Oh, wow." 12:03 Okay, I don't know if first she heard that. 12:04 But she'd gotten into some trouble 12:06 and then they put her in solitary confinement. 12:08 Cell by yourself, no contact with nobody else, 12:11 and lo and behold brother, you know what? 12:13 It was written on the wall, that the Sabbath, 12:16 the seventh day Sabbath is Saturday. 12:18 Yeah. 12:20 So She's in solitary confinement, 12:21 someone had kicked it with her in the pod 12:23 and told her about the Sabbath, 12:24 she heard about it for the first time in her life. 12:26 She gets put in solitary confinement 12:27 for whatever happened 12:29 and it's written on the wall 12:30 about the Sabbath being the seventh day. 12:32 Amen? Amen. 12:33 And Dick is here. 12:34 In her bag, 12:36 she got the book out of 30 different books 12:38 that we use, she got the book, 12:40 Ten Commandments Twice Removed, 12:41 by Shelley Quinn and Danny Shelton. 12:43 She wrote this beautiful letter and she said, 12:45 "I now know without a shadow of a doubt, 12:48 God orchestrated someone to tell her, 12:50 God orchestrated someone to write upon that wall 12:53 knowing she'd be the recipient of that 12:55 and God orchestrated one of 30 books, 12:57 the one that she needed 12:59 to allow her to know the truth." 13:01 That is huge. 13:02 Praise God. 13:04 And what could have seemed like a messed up situation, 13:07 God used for His honor and glory. 13:09 And so she learned something, 13:11 you know, about the Sabbath, something very important. 13:13 Amen. Yes. 13:14 And she can share that. 13:16 She'll share that with other people. 13:17 You know, we need Bibles, we're in a need of Bibles 13:19 and homemade thinking of you cards 13:21 that this minister, we continue to pass out, 13:23 use Bibles until people can send those to us 13:25 or get them to 3ABN 13:27 and so we could share used Bibles 13:28 and homemade thinking of you cards. 13:30 Yes, absolutely. 13:31 And when you send those, 13:33 you know, you've been incarcerated, 13:35 how important is it to receive something like that? 13:37 Oh, at mail call, they don't get mail, 13:40 they don't get letters 13:42 and so every letter, thinking of you card 13:43 we give them is worth its weight in gold. 13:45 Amen. 13:46 Thank you. 13:48 Every life committed to Christ... 13:49 That's right. 13:50 Is worth it. 13:52 That's right. You can't put a price on a soul. 13:53 Thank you for what you're doing and thank you for sharing 13:54 these practical illustrations with us. 13:57 We want to encourage you to give your heart to the Lord 14:00 if you haven't done so already. 14:02 Spend time with Christ. 14:03 Remember, He loves you with an everlasting love. 14:07 Till next time, God bless. |
Revised 2021-11-01