Participants:
Series Code: USP
Program Code: USP210006S
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00:01 Have you ever felt like your life is just a mess
00:04 and everything keeps spilling over? 00:07 Stick around for a shift in your perspective. 00:14 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 00:21 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 00:35 beyond anybody in this world. 00:39 I'm not here today to judge you or condemn you, 00:41 we're today to tell you that we love you 00:42 and we understand the situation that you're in. 00:51 Hello, I'm Jason Bradley, 00:53 and I'm so glad that you could join us in our jail cell today 00:55 as I talk to my dear brother Lemuel Vega, 00:58 founder of Christmas Behind Bars. 01:00 Lemuel, why don't you take just a second 01:01 to tell us a little bit about Christmas Behind Bars 01:04 before we go into the illustration 01:06 and all of that? 01:07 You know, Christmas Behind Bars is a ministry 01:09 that started to bring hope 01:11 to men and women behind bars, juveniles as well. 01:14 We make gift packages for people who is incarcerated. 01:17 When you get locked up, you don't bring your soap, 01:20 you don't bring your hygiene bag 01:21 or shower bag from home. 01:23 So when you locked up, you don't have anything. 01:25 They give you a mattress 01:27 and a wool blanket and that's it. 01:28 And these doors are shut, your family is on the outside. 01:32 And so that's why with Christmas Behind Bars, 01:34 yes they appreciate the granola bars 01:36 and the chips and the snacks, 01:38 but the physical stuff toothbrush. 01:40 You know, we take that for granted at home, 01:42 toothbrush, toothpaste and things like that. 01:44 They don't have real towels and things like that, 01:46 you know, but we just want to come. 01:49 The ultimate goal of ministering to these people 01:53 is let them know that no matter how far you've gone, 01:55 no matter how long you've stayed, 01:57 that Jesus will meet you right where you are. 02:00 Amen. 02:01 You don't have to get all cleaned up to come to Jesus, 02:03 you don't get out and take your family to church 02:05 before you come to Jesus. 02:06 You just realize you have a need. 02:09 And when we're in a place like this, 02:11 we got a need. 02:13 Definitely and you know, 02:15 even when you're outside of a place like this, 02:18 there's still a great need. 02:20 And, you know, I remember the time 02:22 when I got arrested when I went to jail. 02:25 And I got there, 02:26 I thought there was going to be a mattress pad in the cell, 02:28 there was no mattress pad or anything like that. 02:31 It wasn't like I was checking into a hotel chain. 02:33 They didn't even give you a blanket? 02:35 No blanket, no mattress pad 02:36 and I had to go to pretrial, so. 02:38 They ripped you off. 02:39 Yeah, I got back, 02:41 we were on lockdown and everything. 02:42 And I got in there and I just saw iron 02:44 and had a sheet. 02:47 And that was it. 02:48 That was it. 02:49 It was a rough night. 02:52 So I started, it started with weed, 02:53 I started smoking a little weed here and there. 02:56 And then I started smoking more weed and more. 02:59 And I was drinking 03:00 and then it started with the ecstasy 03:02 and all of that stuff like it just was a downward spiral. 03:07 And I got sick. 03:09 You see my appendix had ruptured inside of me 03:11 and it's sealed off my intestines 03:13 and those were about to go next. 03:15 I was sitting there lying in that bed, 03:19 in that hospital bed. 03:21 And I remember laying back down on that bed not knowing 03:23 whether or not I was going to live or die 03:25 and saying to God, "God, if you get me out of this, 03:28 I'll change, I'll do something different." 03:31 Because prior going into that hospital, 03:32 I'd started selling drugs too. 03:35 Because God was pulling, 03:37 the Holy Spirit was pulling at my heart 03:39 trying to get a hold of my life. 03:42 And I finally surrendered to Him, 03:44 which was the best decision that I could ever make. 03:48 What I would love to encourage you, 03:50 if you haven't done it already, 03:52 is to give God a chance, to accept God, 03:56 accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. 03:59 It will make all the difference. 04:02 And I guarantee and His Word guarantees 04:05 that you will not regret it. 04:07 Because look this, this life, 04:11 this is short in the eyes of eternity. 04:13 So where do you want to be? 04:16 Do you know that these people 04:18 that are incarcerated like this though, 04:20 their one goal, their one objective 04:22 is when I get out of here, 04:25 then it's going to be different. 04:27 But the difference got to start in here. 04:28 That's right. 04:30 Now you said a lot of people out there in society 04:32 they don't quite have it together either. 04:33 Mm-hmm. Yeah, we all need Jesus. 04:36 We all need Jesus. We all need Jesus. 04:37 There are some people that are incarcerated 04:39 that are freer inside 04:41 than people that are on the outside 04:43 because they're held in that bondage of sin. 04:46 Amen, brother. 04:47 You know, I went back to the prison 04:48 where I was incarcerated. 04:50 And I walked all the way down the range 04:51 and I went to the last cell 04:52 because it was my first time back 04:54 in the prison where I've been. 04:55 And I went to the last cell 04:57 and I didn't know what to tell the guy and I said, 04:58 "I am so sorry that you're in here 05:00 over the holidays." 05:01 He walked over to the back of his cell. 05:05 He picked up his Bible and he walked up to the front 05:08 and we were having the conversation. 05:09 He said, "I am thankful that I was incarcerated." 05:12 He said, "I now have a relationship with Jesus." 05:14 Yes. 05:15 And he was happier, just like you said inside 05:18 the facility rather than being free 05:20 and the society standards. 05:21 You know, Jason, you've went with us 05:23 to many jails and prisons 05:24 and we share analogies 05:26 to make the practical life's applications 05:29 of a relationship with Jesus. 05:30 That's right. And it's got to be simple. 05:32 And because I was a simple minded boy, 05:33 when I was coming up and if I didn't, 05:35 I just didn't get it, you know. 05:36 And so, if you were to give an inmate one of these cups 05:41 and you ask the whole audience, 200 inmates to come up, 05:44 which cup do you think they would take? 05:46 Well, considering the fact 05:47 that they've been stripped of everything. 05:48 Yeah. They're going to want the bigger cup. 05:50 The big cup because they could use that for a lot of things. 05:52 That's right. 05:53 Okay, so the individual chose the big cup. 05:55 Officer, there, you got some water available here. 05:58 I'd like you to fill this cup for me for this analogy. 06:01 So you get the big cup and we fill that baby up. 06:03 And we just, that's how it is. 06:04 So we got a big cup, we got what we wanted. 06:08 But wait a minute. 06:12 You know, in life sometimes we seek those kinds of things 06:17 and then we find it's empty. 06:19 That's right. 06:21 So all of the life we've been seeking to fill that big cup 06:24 but a relationship with Jesus 06:26 and maybe they've committed their life to Christ, 06:29 I know there are audience of 200, 300 inmates 06:31 and maybe they haven't. 06:32 So for those that haven't, if you just tell them to try, 06:35 try the little, try and ask Jesus for help. 06:37 Can you put some water in there for me, brother? 06:40 You know, as we begin a journey with Jesus, 06:42 it's a little bit at a time. 06:44 Yeah. 06:45 It's fresh water. 06:47 It's not broken, the cisterns aren't broken. 06:49 The cisterns of society are broken. 06:52 But our relationship with Jesus 06:54 continues to fill that inward part. 06:57 And then we as Christians, 06:58 we are able to reach out and share that hope 07:01 that we have with our children, 07:02 our families, our community. 07:04 And what 3ABN is doing 07:06 is sharing the hope of God around the world. 07:08 And Christmas Behind Bars, 07:10 we continue to go in to these places. 07:12 And our cup is overflowing. 07:14 We can promise each one of those individuals 07:16 to come out to the programs of Christmas Behind Bars, 07:19 that there is hope for their lives at all. 07:21 Do you have a scripture that goes along with that? 07:24 Absolutely. 07:26 Psalm 23:5-6, it says, "You prepare a table before me 07:32 in the presence of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil, 07:35 My cup runs over." 07:37 Cup runneth over. That's right. 07:39 "Surely goodness and mercy 07:41 shall follow me all the days of my life, 07:43 and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." 07:47 That's where I want to be. 07:48 I want to be in the house of the Lord. 07:50 Brother, you got a scripture that talks about 07:52 the smart man and the foolish man. 07:54 Yes, building your house on the rock. 07:57 In Matthew 7:24, beginning in verse 24, it says, 08:02 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, 08:06 I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock 08:10 and the rain descended, 08:12 the floods came and the winds blew 08:14 and beat on that house and it did not fall, 08:17 for it was founded on the rock. 08:19 But everyone who hears these sayings 08:21 of mine and does not do them 08:24 will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand 08:28 and the rain descended, 08:29 the floods came and the winds blew 08:32 and beat on that house and it fell 08:35 and great was its fall." 08:38 Thank you, officer. 08:40 I want to be like the wise man. 08:41 I want to listen to what God says 08:43 and implement what He is saying 08:45 because I don't want my house to fall. 08:47 I want a firm foundation. 08:48 And I think that's important. 08:50 The beauty of the gospel is they will begin sharing 08:52 that with their children. 08:54 They'll reach out as they come to know who Jesus is. 08:56 And I've tried to encourage them, 08:58 I say when you call home 08:59 and tell your family you gave your heart to Jesus. 09:02 I said, don't be discouraged if they tell you boy, 09:04 I heard that before. 09:05 Or you said that the last time you. 09:07 I said don't stop there. 09:08 Just keep on studying 09:10 and seeking God's will for their lives. 09:12 That's right. That's right there. 09:14 Don't be discouraged by that. 09:15 Some people try and say, "Oh, it's jailhouse religion." No. 09:18 Like if you know, God's bringing 09:20 about that genuine transformation 09:22 in the heart continued pressing down that path 09:24 and don't give up for sure. 09:26 Amen. 09:27 You know, brother, when I got out of prison, 09:28 after years in a maximum security prison. 09:30 I really want to change. 09:32 I got out and I really tried to change 09:35 and it lasted for a little bit. 09:37 I mean, the outward change was okay for a little bit. 09:42 But then I got to look around at all the people 09:44 that had fancy clothes and fancy cars and boats 09:47 and jet skis and all this stuff. 09:49 I said, "Man, I know how to get stuff." 09:52 But I was stuffless, I was hopeless. 09:55 At 35 years old, 09:56 I went to treatment for the first time in my life. 09:58 And the doctors they tell me 10:00 with all their college education, 10:02 they said, "You need to take this methadone pill, 10:04 you need to take this antabuse pill, 10:06 you need to." 10:08 I said, "No, dude, I don't need, 10:09 I want off this train to destruction." 10:12 So at that point in our lives 10:14 when we realize that it's internal change. 10:15 Yes. 10:16 When we realize 10:18 we can try and try and try and try to we just, 10:19 we so tired of trying, we give up, you know. 10:23 But our relationship with Jesus, 10:24 He accepts us right where we are, 10:26 no matter how deep it may seem, 10:28 no matter how yucky it may be, 10:30 no matter how empty you may feel. 10:32 When we come to Jesus and say, "Dear Jesus please help me. 10:34 I've messed up again. 10:36 I'm in a place I don't want to be. 10:38 Will You help me?" 10:39 And that's what we want our viewers to know. 10:40 Would you share with our viewers 10:42 that wherever they are on this spectrum, 10:43 they may not have to be incarcerated, 10:45 but that that joy may run and be filling their life. 10:48 Yeah, you know, Lemuel, 10:49 when I gave my heart to the Lord. 10:51 I felt a genuine joy, a genuine peace. 10:55 It wasn't just happiness, 10:57 which is like a fleeting emotion. 10:58 It was long lasting joy, it was peace. 11:02 It was purpose, 11:03 there was so much more that I felt and I experienced 11:08 as a result of my relationship with Christ. 11:10 And, you know, the world tries to fill us 11:13 with these temporary things 11:15 that, you know, may satisfy us for a moment. 11:18 But when we accept Christ 11:19 as our personal Lord and Savior, 11:21 when we walk in His ways, when we learn more about Him 11:24 and cultivate that relationship with Him, 11:27 we grow, we grow in that. 11:30 And to experience peace, 11:32 which passeth all understanding in a world 11:35 where so much is going on, so much struggle and strife, 11:38 so much pain, so much suffering so much sorrow. 11:40 Right. 11:41 But yet you still have peace. 11:43 It only comes from God. 11:44 We can't categorize peace. 11:46 We can't dictionary it. 11:48 We can't get it out of a college degree. 11:51 It's the peace that you said, that passes all understanding. 11:56 That's right. 11:57 When you gave your heart to the Lord, what happened? 12:01 Did you get that joy? 12:02 Did you get that peace? 12:04 What happened is I said, "Dear Jesus, please help me, 12:05 I want to quit but I can't." 12:07 Yeah. 12:08 And I was thinking drug addiction. 12:10 "Lord, will You help me with that?" 12:11 And He began to help me with that problem. 12:13 I still had withdrawals. It was pain. 12:15 It was awful. It was terrible. 12:16 It was a nightmare. 12:18 But day by day, I got a little more hope. 12:21 I began to get a little more peace. 12:22 I began to have purpose in my life. 12:24 And I resigned from my factory job. 12:26 I cried, I filled out a two page resignation. 12:28 I resigned because of the drugs and the alcohol. 12:30 And now I said, "Lord, I need a job." 12:33 I prayed ask God to help me with drug addiction. 12:34 I said, "Lord, I need a job." 12:36 And God gave me a job. 12:37 And you know, now I'm selling groceries door to door 12:39 to the Amish people. 12:41 And I had all these snacks and chips 12:42 and granola bars and things. 12:44 And it was the pastor's wife to have the idea 12:46 of going down to the local county jail just like this. 12:49 Brother, they were little packages, 12:50 they were little lunch sized package, 12:52 had an apple, a granola bar, loaf. 12:53 But the joy that we got going down there 12:56 because we knew Christ was the answer. 12:58 No matter what you struggle with, 12:59 no matter why you're incarcerated. 13:01 Yes. He's the answer. 13:03 And, brother, it grew to two jail 13:05 and five jail and 10 jail. 13:06 And now we can't, we have never tried to number 13:09 the amount of packages that we made, 13:11 but we need sponsorship for Bibles. 13:13 We need sponsorship for these packages. 13:15 How do people sponsor that? 13:17 Well they could get online christmasbehindbars.org 13:20 They could send their Bibles 13:21 to Christmas Behind Bars, new or used Bibles. 13:23 They could buy a pallet of soap for us 13:25 that we can give all the inmates soap. 13:27 They could buy a toothbrush. 13:28 I mean, just a lot of different ways, 13:29 homemade thinking of you cards. 13:31 Yes. 13:32 But we need to partners with us 13:34 for that furtherance of the kingdom. 13:35 And that means a whole lot to someone 13:36 that's incarcerated, correct? 13:38 Amen. 13:39 Something really simple. Amen, brother. 13:41 Thank you. Yes, yes. 13:42 Well, thank you so much, Lemuel. 13:43 Thank you for all that you're doing 13:45 and taking the gospel behind the walls of the prisons 13:48 to those men and women that are incarcerated. 13:51 We thank you and 3ABN for all your support. 13:53 Yes, sir. 13:54 And we just want to thank you 13:56 for your support of Christmas Behind Bars, 13:58 for your support of 3ABN 14:01 and making these programs possible. 14:04 Until next time, God bless. |
Revised 2021-11-18