Participants:
Series Code: USP
Program Code: USP210012S
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00:01 There is a designer coat
00:02 like no other coat known to mankind. 00:05 Stay tuned to find out more about this coat 00:07 that leads to eternal life. 00:14 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. 00:28 So we just want to come and share some hope with you 00:31 and let you know that we love you, 00:32 and that Jesus loves you 00:35 beyond anybody in this world. 00:39 We're 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. 00:55 Hello, I'm Jason Bradley, and I'm so glad 00:57 that you decided to join us once again. 01:00 I'm here with Lemuel Vega, 01:02 founder of Christmas Behind Bars, 01:05 an organization that shares the hope of Christ 01:08 with people that are incarcerated. 01:11 Lemuel, you and I have had quite a few conversations. 01:15 Behind bars. 01:16 That's right. Behind bars. 01:18 Praise the Lord. We're able to go home. 01:20 We are able to go home. 01:21 But I want you to talk to us about 01:23 somebody who became a Christian behind bars. 01:27 You were telling me a story. 01:29 You know, Jason, 01:30 there's this man that stands out, 01:32 it's resonated in my life. 01:35 He was actually in the same prison 01:36 where I was in prison, maximum security prison. 01:39 And as he begin to share his testimony, 01:42 this man shot a Christian in the head. 01:47 The Christian didn't die. 01:49 This man was arrested and went on the run. 01:53 They captured him, they brought him back, 01:55 they took him to the court and there it was set. 01:58 In the courtroom, 02:00 the Christian came to the court hearing 02:02 and the Christian said, "I forgive you." 02:07 And that man began to think, 02:08 yes, he was sentenced to prison to many, many years 02:11 and he went to prison. 02:12 He was involved in gangs and different things like that, 02:15 but his conversion experience was based on a Christian 02:19 who got shot in the head and said, "I forgive you." 02:22 And that started to resonate in his life 02:24 and he said, man, if he can forgive me, 02:26 that he wanted to taste and see and experience 02:30 and that's and now he's standing 02:31 for Jesus in prison. 02:33 He's sharing his faith, 02:35 and no longer involved with the gangs. 02:36 And so, that's what the transformation of God does. 02:39 One person shot in the head said, "I forgive you." 02:45 But it goes way higher than that. 02:47 On the cross of Calvary, Jesus hung there and He said, 02:51 "Father, forgive them, 02:53 for they know not what they do." 02:55 And so we find pardon and forgiveness on the cross. 02:57 So that's what 3ABN represents. 02:59 That's what Christmas Behind Bars 03:01 wants to share is hope with the homeless. 03:03 And I just tell you, it's a joy and a blessing to be here. 03:06 We have something, a scripture probably to go 03:09 with our little illustration today. 03:11 That's right, we do, and it's taken from Isaiah 61, 03:15 and I'm just gonna read verse 1. 03:18 Okay. Right now, okay? 03:20 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me 03:22 because the Lord has anointed me 03:25 to preach good tidings to the poor. 03:27 He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, 03:30 to proclaim liberty to the captives, 03:34 and the opening of the prison 03:36 to those who are bound." 03:40 You know, it's not just literal jails and prisons 03:43 of incarceration across our country, 03:45 but it's a spiritual bondage 03:47 that sometimes we find ourselves in. 03:49 We're locked up and without Christ, 03:50 there's no hope. 03:52 And so that's the opportunity that we have. 03:54 You know, 3ABN goes into jails and prisons and places 03:57 where we'll never maybe be able to give them 03:59 a package from Christmas Behind Bars. 04:01 But one of the analogies 04:02 that we've used with the prisoners 04:05 is we asked them to come up, 04:07 and actually this brother here, 04:09 would you come up here, please. 04:12 And what we like to talk about, Jason, 04:14 is we like to talk about the transformation. 04:17 That is where we come to Christ just as we are. 04:20 And we're tired, we're hurting, we're lonely. 04:24 We feel like we messed up big time 04:26 and we don't feel like we can get back. 04:29 But, Brother, at some point, you gave your life to Christ. 04:32 Thirty five years of age, I was tired of that old life. 04:36 Thirty five years old, tired of what? 04:39 Tired of all the rigorous rule of life, right? 04:42 And it seemed like when I used to see people 04:44 that were Christians, 04:46 you know, they had a character about themselves, 04:48 they carried, like they were carrying, 04:50 you know, it's just like seeing Christ 04:52 and I wanted that. 04:53 So at 35 years old, 04:55 you were willing to take off your coat. 04:57 And you said, "Lord, would You give me yours?" 05:00 Amen. 05:02 And you begin to walk in a newness of life 05:04 with Christ. 05:05 Amen? Amen. 05:07 Amen. 05:08 Now, Brother, you're actively involved in a jail 05:10 and prison ministry not so very far from here. 05:13 And you know, you go up there on a regular basis, 05:15 and you've shared hope with lots and lots of people. 05:18 Christ takes our wretchedness. 05:21 Christ takes our unmanageability 05:23 and then we have His robe. 05:26 That's the transformation that takes place. 05:28 We don't have no statute, 05:30 we don't have no reason other than He died for us, 05:32 and He loved us. 05:34 Now, Brother, you know, your wife passed away 05:35 some time ago, 05:37 and you continue to stay true and faithful to the pole. 05:41 And I'm thankful for that, Brother, 05:42 you represent to us Christians, who still have our loved ones. 05:46 And so I thank you, for ministering, 05:49 for staying true and faithful to Jesus. 05:51 I never forget the time 05:52 that I was asked to be a part of prison ministry, 05:55 me and my wife, 05:56 and it's been a blessing ever since. 05:58 Even through her passing and everything, 06:00 you know, the letters that I got from the prisoners, 06:02 I have some now at home. 06:04 Sometimes I read through them, right, 06:06 and it brings back tears in my eyes, 06:08 and what a blessing is being 06:09 to be a part of prison ministry. 06:11 And when we die in Jesus, we'll be resurrected, 06:14 and you have the opportunity to be with your wife forever 06:17 because Jesus died for you. 06:18 Amen. God bless, Brother. 06:20 Thank God for the coat. Thank you. 06:21 Amen. Yes. 06:23 I hope you don't think he's gonna keep my coat? 06:25 Well, you never know, you have enough, Brother, 06:28 but that is a powerful illustration. 06:31 You know, I want to share a story with you, Lemuel. 06:34 There was a young man that was on death row. 06:38 He committed a heinous crime when he was younger. 06:42 He got convicted of this crime. 06:44 He got sentenced to death row, and later on down the line, 06:47 they were trying to overturn the conviction 06:50 that led to death row 06:53 to where he would have a stay of execution. 06:56 It was coming down to the wire. 06:58 This young man had made a difference 07:00 in so many people's lives. 07:02 He had like 500 or 600, pen pals or something 07:05 and he had mentored the individual 07:08 that actually ended up hosting 07:10 a program on 3ABN's Dare to Dream Network. 07:14 And then he became a pastor, 07:16 not the individual that was incarcerated, 07:18 but Pastor Aaron Chancy ended up becoming a pastor. 07:23 He hosts the New Journey. 07:24 And he was taken 07:26 under the wing of this individual 07:28 that ended up on death row. 07:29 Was on death row, right? Yes. 07:31 So a changed life, you know, the impact that one can have, 07:35 we all have an influence. 07:37 Amen. 07:38 And so this young man ended up using his influence, 07:40 though he was in a place that was, 07:43 a place of darkness. 07:45 He was spreading light within those walls. 07:47 And I think that's a powerful testimony 07:50 of what God can do 07:52 in the life of someone who accepts Him. 07:54 I have some people I know personally, 07:58 that have been arrested and incarcerated. 08:01 And if I'm being honest, 08:04 I've not been the most compassionate 08:07 towards them in my heart. 08:08 I feel like I had a harsh attitude towards them 08:12 and I think it was me going to prison 08:15 and seeing these inmates, 08:18 and just listening to them that I realized 08:20 that these people that are a lot like me, 08:23 I'm just like these people. 08:26 And so, seeing that, and it really just hit me hard, 08:31 especially when I saw young girls there 08:34 that were close to my age, 08:36 and just hearing how easy it is to end up 08:38 in a place like they're in. 08:40 It's so easy. 08:42 What if God treated me 08:45 the way that I'm thinking about these people? 08:48 Like, well, Jewlee, 08:49 you messed up, you had your chance, 08:52 but you put yourself in this situation. 08:56 What if God treated us that way, 08:58 but He doesn't and He's a compassionate God, 09:01 who's very forgiving. 09:03 So if we mess up, 09:04 He's always there to forgive us. 09:06 And when we're struggling, 09:07 He'll pick us up and He'll carry us 09:09 and I feel like that's showing us 09:11 what we need to be doing as Christians. 09:13 If, especially when someone is struggling 09:17 or when they've messed up, 09:19 we should be there for them and we should encourage them 09:21 and help them up 09:24 when they're going through a rough time. 09:26 Your sphere of influence 09:28 is wherever you're at to share Christ. 09:30 Our world is also in bondage. 09:32 Our world is in a pandemic of sin. 09:34 It's not just a virus situation. 09:36 Our world is hurting, there are people hurting, 09:39 seeking to fill that void in their life. 09:41 And you and I, and you at home, 09:43 we know it's only, it's the Christians, 09:46 you have the opportunity to set the world aside. 09:50 You know, I was on my way to church one time. 09:52 I had a bunch of oranges in the van for these packages 09:55 and they were going to freeze 09:57 and the truck broke down and I've got it fixed 09:59 and I called the elder of the church. 10:02 And I said, "Look, would you come down 10:03 help me unload these oranges." 10:05 He said, "Well, right now 10:06 I'm watching a good Western, a good old Western." 10:08 He said, "When I'm done with the Western, 10:10 I'll come down and help you." 10:12 And I'm thinking to myself, 10:13 because see, I got rid of secular TV. 10:15 I got rid of secular music 10:17 because I didn't want that way of life no more. 10:19 And so, I got to take what's good about a Western, 10:22 they kill one another, they shoot, 10:24 rob, whatever, steal cattle, 10:26 then they ride into town, 10:27 and then they do whatever at the bar. 10:28 And then they have a shootout, 10:30 rob the bank and have a shootout with the sheriff 10:31 where they ride out of town. 10:33 I'm thinking, man. 10:35 So we have to be a peculiar people. 10:38 We have to represent like that brother said 10:40 he saw a Christian, 10:41 he saw a Christian and they had character, 10:43 they had something different. 10:45 So we as Christians, not to condemn 10:47 but we as Christians 10:49 just need to represent Christ in the marketplace, 10:51 wherever we are. 10:53 And you can reach out to somebody that's hurting. 10:56 Maybe it's your neighbor that needs groceries, 10:58 maybe you can shovel their driveway. 11:00 Maybe you got a property dispute 11:02 with your neighbors. 11:03 Hey, look, I'm sorry, 11:04 this property don't mean nothing. 11:06 So we have an opportunity to represent 11:07 Jesus wherever we're at. 11:09 Amen. 11:10 I want to share this other scripture 11:11 with you, Lemuel. 11:13 Isaiah 61:10, and it says, 11:15 "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, 11:17 my soul shall be joyful in my God, 11:21 for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, 11:25 He has covered me with the robe of righteousness 11:29 as the bridegroom decks himself with ornaments 11:32 and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." 11:37 And you know, that's the only way our brother 11:38 was able to share with us 11:40 that committed his life to Christ 11:41 and even though his wife passed away 11:44 that he's still true and faithful, 11:46 because he's covered with Christ's righteousness. 11:48 Yes, and it becomes contagious. 11:50 Like you can't help 11:51 but to want to spread the gospel. 11:54 Like why would you hold on to that good news? 11:56 You know, you think about people 11:58 see something on television, 11:59 they might see a movie on TV or something like that 12:03 and then they go tell their friends about it 12:05 or they go to a restaurant, 12:06 and they taste some delicious food 12:08 and then they go tell their friends 12:10 about that place. 12:11 How could you not tell your friends about Jesus? 12:15 Amen. Yeah. 12:17 It's more than just a formalism. 12:20 It's a relationship. 12:22 And as we begin to have that friendship, 12:24 we want to kick it, we want to walk together, 12:26 we want to grow together. 12:27 And that's what Jesus is wanting 12:29 from each and every one of our lives. 12:31 What would you say with our viewers, 12:32 wherever they are, 12:34 and that relationship with Jesus? 12:35 What would you share with them in closing? 12:37 I would just like to say that 12:39 it's the most important relationship 12:42 that you could ever form. 12:44 You talk about wanting to change, 12:46 you talk about things, 12:48 you wanting things to become different in your life, 12:51 you talk about, 12:52 you know, wanting to walk in the newness of life. 12:55 Well, Christ can bring about that change in your life 12:58 and He's the only one who can do it, 13:01 but you have to go to Him, 13:02 He's not going to force you to accept Him. 13:04 He's not going to force you to walk with Him. 13:07 He loves you and so love does not force. 13:11 But love will continue 13:14 to beckon at you to call you, 13:17 to draw you near. 13:19 So Christ wants you to be close to Him 13:22 and wants to spend that time with you. 13:25 Just give Him a chance. 13:26 Taste and see, as we're willing. 13:28 It's good. He's able. 13:30 Amen. 13:31 Thank you so much, Brother, and for our sponsors at home 13:33 that support 3ABN and Christmas Behind Bars. 13:35 We thank them 13:36 because as the ministries continue to grow, 13:38 we're willing to go, 13:40 but it's our sponsorship at home 13:41 that makes these programs and things like this possible. 13:44 That's right. We couldn't do it without them. 13:45 Praise the Lord. 13:46 And there's been a lot of lives, 13:48 Lemuel, that have been touched, 13:49 a lot of lives that have been transformed 13:52 as the result of both ministries, 13:54 but as the result of, you know, the Holy Spirit 13:58 working through our sponsors, 13:59 through our viewers and working on the lives 14:03 of those who these programs are reaching. 14:05 So we want to thank you. 14:07 Thank you for what you're doing for the cause of Christ. 14:09 We'll see you next time. |
Revised 2021-12-30