Participants:
Series Code: USP
Program Code: USP210011S
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00:01 Have you ever felt an emptiness that nothing seems to fill?
00:04 Stay tuned to learn about 00:06 the only one who can fill that void. 00:13 They tried 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. 00:38 We're not here today to judge you or condemn you. 00:40 We're today to tell you that 00:42 we love you and we understand the situation 00:44 that you're in. 00:53 Hello, I'm Jason Bradley, 00:55 and I'm so glad that you decided to join us. 00:57 I'm here with Lemuel Vega, 00:59 founder of Christmas Behind Bars. 01:02 A ministry that reaches men and women 01:05 that are incarcerated with the hope of Jesus Christ. 01:08 Lemuel, it's great to have you here. 01:11 I've had the privilege and opportunity of going 01:14 behind bars with you. 01:16 We got out the same day, 01:18 but we got to go witness and minister 01:20 to those that are incarcerated. 01:22 You know, Jason, I want to thank you 01:23 for your part here at 3ABN 01:26 to share the gospel worldwide with people 01:29 that are incarcerated that we can't see. 01:31 But I'm also thankful for the many miles 01:33 you've made along with the team from 3ABN 01:36 to come to the jails and prisons 01:38 and let them know there's hope for their life. 01:40 See it's people like you that can relate to them. 01:44 It's people like John Lomacang and Shelley Quinn 01:47 and all these other people 01:49 that maybe never been in prison, 01:50 but they can relate to, 01:52 and they can let them know that there's hope for their life. 01:54 So a relationship with Jesus has to start somewhere. 01:58 And it's like I've told people in the past that 02:01 I believe that this is one 02:03 of the last reachable people groups are men and women 02:06 that are behind bars. 02:08 Because see, Jason, they want internal change. 02:11 They've tried to change whether it's quit using drugs 02:13 or drinking or, you know, 02:15 no one wrote the judge letter and say, 02:17 your Honor, I want to go to prison 02:19 for years of my life. 02:21 I want to get rid of my job, 02:22 my house, my wife, my kids, 02:24 and my freedom, I want to go to prison. 02:26 So their best efforts have gotten them in a place 02:28 where they don't want to be. 02:30 Donaldson Correctional Facility, 02:31 we were just there a few weeks ago, 02:34 and that's where you and I... 02:36 They were doing the program in the chapel, 02:38 and there were people 02:39 that couldn't come to the chapel, so... 02:42 We ventured out, 02:43 we went through the dorms everywhere. 02:46 We were all over that facility. Cell to cell. 02:49 We were just back there a couple of weeks ago. 02:51 Jason, we want to simplify the gospel. 02:56 I mean, in my mind, 02:58 we have to make it practical, 02:59 because see if we can get up there 03:01 and preach some great theological sermon 03:04 but many people have never opened the Word of God. 03:07 I mean, some people question 03:08 whether God is really alive or not, 03:12 because He died on the cross of Calvary 03:13 so they said, "No, He died. 03:15 He's in the tomb, how could He be alive?" 03:16 But He promised His disciples, 03:18 He said, "It's expedient I go into My Father, 03:20 as I go into My Father, I will send the comforter." 03:23 And so somehow, 03:24 we just want to share simple things with them. 03:27 Can you say a little bit about 03:29 your thoughts about passing out packages to those people? 03:33 It's incredible, you know, 03:34 you go in there to be a blessing, right? 03:37 And to bestow a blessing upon others, 03:40 but then you come out more blessed than 03:42 when you went in there. 03:43 It was absolutely amazing 03:44 to see the faces of the individuals light up. 03:48 And in those packages, these are like deluxe packages. 03:52 These are premium platinum packages, right? 03:55 So in these packages, 03:56 they're filled to the top, you have great snacks. 04:00 I'd be happy to get one of these packages. 04:02 You have great snacks, 04:04 you have spiritual food, 04:06 and you also have a letter 04:08 and an envelope in there 04:10 that includes things that can go out 04:13 to all kinds of ministries 04:15 that they can put back in that one envelope 04:17 and mail to Christmas Behind Bars. 04:19 They have glow tracts, Steps to Christ. 04:21 Your mom's actually donated some books to go into packages 04:24 that we're going to be putting in this week. 04:27 Jason, this is a... 04:29 Trash can. Trash can. 04:31 Before you go into the trash can, 04:33 I do want to ask you a question. 04:34 Yeah. 04:35 So why is it important that 04:37 all of those things can go back into that one envelope? 04:40 That's so the inmate, 04:42 they don't have a lot of money and stamp 04:43 so they can send it to 10 or 12 different ministries 04:47 that offers material Bible studies 04:49 in that envelope, 3ABN is one of them. 04:51 They can put one stamp on there, send it to us, 04:54 and then we separate it and forward it 04:56 to all the ministries to save them postage, 04:58 and then they can begin receiving free materials 05:01 and 3ABN is an active part of that, 05:03 and we thank you for that. 05:04 That's huge. There's no trash in that. 05:06 That's premium stuff. 05:07 Now this, we've got the trash can here. 05:10 It's a trash can. 05:11 Do you have any scripture that ties in 05:12 with trash or detrash in our lives? 05:16 Well, you know, I think that a lot of times, 05:19 we don't recognize our worth, 05:20 because we're not looking at it 05:23 from God's eyes and God's point of view. 05:25 So I want to share this with you 05:27 from Psalm 139:13-14 and it says, 05:32 "For you formed my inward parts, 05:34 you covered me in my mother's womb. 05:37 I will praise you, 05:38 for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 05:41 Marvelous are Your works, 05:42 and that my soul knows very well." 05:46 The other thing I want to share with you 05:48 is Psalm 139:23-24, 05:51 which says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart, 05:54 try me and know my anxieties, 05:56 and see if there is any wicked way in me, 06:00 and lead me in the way everlasting." 06:03 So I'm wondering 06:04 if there's any wicked way in this trash can. 06:07 You know, at some point in our life, 06:09 if we have problems that we need help with, 06:11 we have to be willing to 06:13 at least come to God 06:15 just as we are maybe filled with trash and we say, 06:17 Lord, would You help me? 06:20 For me it was drug addiction many years ago, 06:22 sick and ready to die, suicidal, 06:24 went to treatment, 06:25 they wanted to give me medication 06:27 for my drug problem. 06:28 I said, "No." 06:29 I said, "Dear Jesus, please help me." 06:31 And He helps us with that one problem 06:33 and that's what I want all these inmates to know, 06:35 is no matter what problem you're dealing with today, 06:38 there's hope for your life, 06:39 and it's through Christ, is you have that one problem. 06:41 Maybe it's a job, 06:44 maybe it's freedom getting out of here, 06:45 Lord, help me with that. 06:47 And then you can trust Him, He'll help you. 06:48 He'll begin to work in our hearts, in our lives. 06:50 And then we trust Him. 06:52 And finally, it comes to the point, Jason, 06:54 as you told me seven years ago, 06:55 you just said, Lord, take it off. 06:58 Take it all. 06:59 You gave your whole heart to Jesus. 07:01 So it starts, at some beginning point our lives. 07:04 And you know what? 07:05 He doesn't leave us empty. 07:07 He begins to fill us with the fruit of the Spirit. 07:16 Yes. 07:18 We have grapes. 07:21 Yes. 07:23 This is analogy 07:24 we just want to use to let the folk know that 07:26 He doesn't leave us empty. 07:28 He'll take all those old habits and He begins to fill us 07:31 and give us hope 07:32 and bring reality of the gospel into our lives. 07:35 And so whether we're at home 07:37 and we're dealing with whatever it is. 07:40 Problems at home or problems in prison, 07:42 God will help us with these problems. 07:44 And we want to say 07:45 thank you for your sponsorship for Christmas Behind Bars. 07:48 Thank you for your sponsorship with 3ABN. 07:50 And thank you for doing 07:51 what you can in your neighborhood 07:53 that you have an opportunity to bring hope 07:55 to those hurting souls in your sphere of influence. 07:58 You know you brought out an interesting point earlier 08:01 because you said when you were trying to give up drugs 08:03 they wanted to give you some more drugs. 08:05 Yes. Right? 08:06 It's interesting that we as human beings, 08:09 we try and fix our problems 08:11 and end up digging ourselves deeper holes. 08:13 And I'm not saying 08:15 there's not a right place for counseling 08:16 and perhaps medication 08:18 but if we could do it without Jesus, 08:20 we would need Jesus and Jesus is the only, 08:23 He's got to be the core of everything 08:26 that we do, whether it's counseling 08:27 or lifestyle, 08:29 Jesus has to be the center of that. 08:31 Absolutely. 08:32 Because He can change us from within, 08:34 and He loves us with that everlasting love. 08:36 As I have promised these people here. 08:39 They bam bam, they could do all kinds of wrong things. 08:42 They keep trying to behavior, 08:44 the outside in and it doesn't work that way. 08:46 As Christ comes in internally, 08:50 the external is going to come 08:52 into the conformity of the internal. 08:55 So the external bad things that we do 08:57 or did whatever 08:58 they're going to begin to change 08:59 as Christ is invited, decisions are made, 09:01 brought into the heart and life, 09:03 the external man, 09:05 humanity is going to begin to change 09:07 but it changes from the inside out. 09:09 It doesn't change just by locking someone up. 09:11 Yes, that's an opportunity for them to read and study. 09:15 Medication could have its own place, 09:17 but it has to start internally and it starts 09:19 with a power greater than ourselves. 09:20 Yes. 09:22 What inspired you 09:23 to get Christmas Behind Bars started? 09:26 Well, sick and ready to die, 09:27 I said, "Dear Jesus, please help me." 09:29 He helped me with the drug addiction. 09:31 I said dear Jesus progressive. 09:33 I said, "I need a job." 09:34 He blessed me with a job where I was selling groceries 09:36 door to door to the Amish people. 09:37 So now I had granola bars, chips, snacks, cookies, 09:39 granola, I mean, fruit, 09:41 whatever and it was a pastor's wife's idea 09:43 down at the church that we were attending to make 09:46 some packages for these local folk down 09:48 at the county jail and we made 350 pack. 09:50 I remember the pain. 09:52 I remember the letters that didn't come, 09:54 I remember you didn't get fresh fruit in jail. 09:56 I remember the loneliness 09:58 and the internal change that I so desperately wanted, 10:01 but it wasn't until I met Jesus that 10:03 the internal change beginning inwardly, 10:06 and then the external wanted to reach out 10:08 and help people behind bars. 10:10 Amen. 10:11 How have you seen that grow over time? 10:14 How have you seen God bless that? 10:17 Oh, brother, it started with one jail 350, 10:20 then it went to 500, and then 800, then 900, 10:23 then 1000, then 1500, 10:24 then 1800, there was almost 3000. 10:27 And then the prison where I was in prison was 2000. 10:29 So over the years, they grew to 3000. 10:32 In that same year, 10:33 it was 3000 plus the prison where I was in prison. 10:36 And then it went to every prison 10:37 in the state of Indiana. 10:38 And now it's in Arkansas, and Alabama, and Tennessee. 10:40 I can't begin to tell you, 10:42 but it's not about how far we've been. 10:44 It's about each and every one 10:46 of these people here today and you at home 10:50 that will surrender your life to Jesus and say, "Here I am. 10:54 Please help me one problem at a time." 10:57 Amen. 10:59 So what you're saying is that God wants them. 11:02 God wants a relationship with them. 11:04 God wants to spend time with them. 11:07 God wants them to come to Him. 11:10 Yes. Absolutely. 11:11 In the Word of God, it says that we were shaping 11:12 in our mama's womb in iniquity. 11:15 So we were born with this handicap called sin. 11:18 We were created in perfection. 11:20 In the Garden of Eden in Christ's image 11:22 we were created. 11:23 Adam and Eve sinned and so now we're born 11:25 with a handicap and it's called sin. 11:27 It's not drug addiction, 11:28 not alcoholism, not whatever it is. 11:33 We're born with this handicap called sin 11:35 and that's where Jesus comes in 11:36 and He meets us where we're at. 11:39 And my responsibility, 11:42 when we went to prison was to be a camera person. 11:47 Going into prison was... 11:51 And seeing everything inside was not exactly 11:55 what I was expecting. 11:57 What impacted me the most was to see people's reactions. 12:03 See the tears coming out of people's eyes, 12:07 I guess the sadness of being in prison 12:11 and realize that, you know, you've made so many mistakes. 12:15 And I think I believe as a Christian, 12:19 we all have to be involved in some kind of ministry. 12:24 And prison is one of the things that God asked us to do. 12:28 To visit people in prison and anybody 12:32 that wants to either just go and visit them 12:37 or have become a PayPal to one of the prisoners 12:40 is a sacred experience because many people 12:45 are living without any hope 12:47 just because they don't know Christ. 12:49 And if you have the chance to let some of them know that 12:54 there is hope, there's forgiveness 12:57 and I think is a big blessing for anybody. 13:03 What would you say to somebody that is looking to do something 13:08 for the Lord, but they feel like, 13:11 you know, their past is still haunting them? 13:16 Pray, God has a special plan for each and every one of us. 13:20 Whether it's helping people detrash their lives, 13:25 I don't know what it is that God has 13:26 for each and everyone, 13:27 but He has a special plan 13:29 for each and every one of our lives. 13:30 Amen. 13:32 I hope that more people will get involved 13:35 in spreading the gospel 13:37 and sharing the good news 13:38 of Jesus Christ and maybe volunteer 13:41 with Christmas Behind Bars 13:43 or one of the organizations for sure. 13:45 Thank you for what you do, 13:47 and going and sharing this hope 13:50 with the men and women that are incarcerated. 13:52 Thank you for providing them 13:53 with the spiritual materials that you do. 13:55 And thank you 13:56 for these wonderful practical illustrations. 13:58 I can't believe our time is just about up, Lemuel. 14:01 We want to thank you for joining us 14:03 and until next time, 14:06 may God richly bless you. |
Revised 2021-12-23