Participants:
Series Code: USP
Program Code: USP210013S
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00:01 Did you know that you hold the same amount of value
00:04 as the richest man in the world? 00:06 Don't look at me like I'm crazy. 00:08 Stay tuned to find out what this is all about. 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 00:29 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 We're not here today to judge you or condemn you. 00:41 We're today to tell you that 00:42 we love you 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 decided to join us today. 00:55 We're going to be examining the value of the human life, 00:59 something that seems to have been 01:01 forgotten about by mankind and Lemuel Vega will be... 01:05 Hey, Lemuel. 01:06 Hey, Jason. It's good to see you. 01:08 I know you're back there socializing, 01:10 spreading the gospel, witnessing, 01:11 doing what you do best. 01:13 So how's that going for you? 01:15 You know, we appreciate 01:16 the opportunity to travel together 01:18 with 3ABN to these jails and prisons 01:21 to bring hope to a people group who you 01:23 and I both know they want internal change. 01:26 And so the analogies 01:27 that Christmas Behind Bars 01:29 has used in the jails and prisons 01:30 are just simple applications to let every aspect of society 01:35 know there's hope for their life. 01:36 So we appreciate being here in this new program. 01:39 And we just say thank you. 01:42 Yeah, well, it's great to be here with you. 01:44 You know, I missed the time 01:45 when we were able to go into prisons 01:49 and to minister to the inmates in person. 01:54 It's created a difficult challenge, 01:56 but praise God that 01:57 He's still opened the doors for you 01:59 to get these packages in. 02:01 And what's contained in these packages? 02:03 Packages have everything 02:04 from granola bars, chips, snacks, 02:06 they might have some nuts, 02:08 just lots of neat things, physical tangible food, 02:11 but there's also spiritual food. 02:13 So they have whether it's Creation magazines, 02:16 Path to Peace, Steps to Christ, 02:18 Desire of Ages, just a multitude of materials 02:21 that we use in these packages because everybody, 02:24 mostly comes out for the food. 02:26 You know, a lot of people, they'll come out for that 02:28 though we've had a couple of people 02:30 turn down a package, 02:31 they say they don't want it but for the most part, 02:33 they appreciate receiving a gift. 02:35 And so those devotional books 02:37 remain long after the food is gone. 02:40 And so that's why we do 02:42 what we do is just to tell them, 02:43 brother, we love you, sister, we love you. 02:45 We care, God bless you, don't give up. 02:48 The internal change that you 02:49 so desperately have tried to attain 02:52 is not only available, 02:55 but it's attainable through Christ. 02:56 Amen? Amen. 02:58 When I went and helped 02:59 with the prison ministry filming, 03:01 I did the audio for that. 03:02 You know, I wasn't really thinking much about, 03:04 you know, anything about the prison. 03:05 I was kind of just focusing on doing my job getting in there, 03:08 getting the recordings we needed, 03:10 and then going home. 03:11 But I guess initially, I was thinking, 03:15 I was going to see a lot of guys 03:16 who weren't going to be receptive to 03:17 what we were talking about, or what we were bringing in. 03:20 Actually, it surprised me because when we went in, 03:22 I couldn't believe how many people were like 03:24 open to hearing about the gospel. 03:26 And really, were actually hungry 03:27 to hear about the gospel, 03:29 even though my expectations 03:30 were they weren't going to really care they really did. 03:33 And that was really special to see. 03:34 What impacted me the most was, 03:36 we were in one of the last areas, 03:39 it was one of the men's cell areas. 03:42 And we were passing out the Bible. 03:44 And I remember seeing this big guy, 03:46 I mean, really big guy, probably 6'4'', 03:48 just, you know, totally ripped. 03:51 And he looked at this Bible like 03:54 it was the most amazing gift 03:56 he had ever gotten in his entire life. 03:58 Like I've never seen 03:59 someone look at a Bible that way. 04:00 And so that's something that really like 04:03 touched my heart to see that. 04:04 I would say, if you're looking to get 04:05 into prison ministry 04:07 or want to get involved with prison ministry. 04:09 If you don't know where to start, 04:10 obviously contact someone you may know, 04:12 or contact your local church, maybe they have 04:14 a prison ministry already set up 04:16 and just go for it. 04:17 You know, sometimes it can be scary 04:18 because we don't really know what to expect. 04:21 But just trust God, and He'll take care of you. 04:24 But I want to talk about value. 04:26 You know, when you come in 04:28 contact with people that are incarcerated, 04:31 or even people on the street, 04:32 what have you noticed about 04:34 their perception of their value? 04:37 You know, society has made you 04:40 if you're fat, there's no value, 04:41 if you're too skinny, there's no value, 04:43 if you're rich, there's some value, 04:45 if you're poor, there's no value. 04:46 So society, if you're born 04:48 on this side of the track or that side. 04:49 So society has valued, demoralized 04:52 and devaluelized our lives so we look at TV 04:55 and the rock stars or this star, 04:58 that star, we think we don't fit up. 05:01 We don't fit in because we ain't them, 05:03 we and you can never be 05:05 like them because you know what? 05:06 God created each and every one of us unique. 05:09 We're special in the sight of God. 05:11 And so we do try to. 05:13 We have an analogy, Jason, 05:14 that we use to try to let people know that 05:17 no matter how valueless 05:19 they may seem that there's hope for their life. 05:22 Can I share that with you? 05:23 Oh, yeah, please. 05:25 I got a $20 bill here. 05:28 Okay. 05:30 And I heard this analogy of this $20 bill. 05:33 And the story that I heard, this wasn't my idea. 05:36 But they took this $20 bill, and they asked the audience, 05:39 how many of you want it 05:40 and there are 200-300 inmates sitting in the auditorium. 05:43 And you say how many of you would want this? 05:45 And they say, well, they would take it, 05:47 you know, that they would like it. 05:49 And I say, "Well, what if you crumpled 05:51 this $20 bill all up? 05:53 How many of you still want it?" 05:56 And they say well, they'd still take it. 05:58 I said, "Really? 05:59 I said, "It's all crumpled up and all." 06:01 And then you threw it on the ground, you step on it. 06:06 Maybe throw it in the trash can, 06:09 said, "How many of you still want this $20 bill?" 06:12 You know what, my brother? 06:13 It comes from some of the most people 06:15 you think when they answered they said it still has value? 06:18 Yes. "Why would you still want it?" 06:20 I asked, and they said, "It still has value." 06:22 That's right? I said, "Why? 06:23 It's all ruffled, it's all crumpled." 06:25 They said, "Because it's still $20." 06:27 I said, "You are absolutely right." 06:29 And when we come to Christ, 06:31 we might be all rumples, we might be all crumpled. 06:33 But as we come to Christ, just as we are 06:35 what He begins to do in our lives, 06:36 what He's done in my life, 06:38 and I know He's done it in yours, 06:39 begins to uncrumple, He begins to unfold, 06:42 He begins to make us back to what He wants us to be. 06:47 And in His eyes there's no value, 06:50 no monetary value can be put on humanity. 06:53 That's right. That's right. 06:54 I wanna share a scripture with you that 06:56 really speaks to that value. 06:58 You know, as we think about our lives 07:00 and the mistakes that we've made, 07:02 and we look at what Christ has done for us, 07:04 I want to share this passage in Philippians 2:5, 07:10 and it says, "Let this mind be in you, 07:12 which was also in Christ Jesus, 07:15 who being in the form of God 07:17 did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 07:20 but made himself of no reputation 07:23 taking the form of a bondservant 07:26 and coming in the likeness of men. 07:28 And being found in appearance as a man, 07:31 He humbled Himself 07:33 and became obedient to the point of death, 07:36 even the death of the cross." 07:38 That's huge. 07:40 I mean, He saw enough value in us to do that for us. 07:46 It doesn't matter whether you're in prison. 07:48 It doesn't matter 07:49 whether you're the alcoholic suffering in the gutter today. 07:52 It doesn't matter the drug addict 07:54 that can't get his next fix, 07:55 or maybe just their children 07:57 were snatched out of their home because God cares. 08:00 What we've done cannot change the value that 08:03 He placed on our lives. 08:04 Amen? Amen. 08:05 And what I've tried to talk to the inmates about, 08:07 I said, "How many of you believe in creation? 08:09 How many of you believe in the beginning God 08:11 created the heaven and the earth?" 08:12 And multitudes will raise their hand 08:14 that they still believe in this creation story. 08:16 I said, well, then what it says then a few verses later, 08:19 it says that God said, who said? 08:22 God said, "Let Us make man, 08:25 let Us make humanity in Our image." 08:27 Who said? God said. 08:29 And whose image were we created? 08:30 God's image. 08:32 We are redeemed through the shed blood of Jesus Christ 08:34 on the cross into the opportunity 08:37 to be into the likeness of Christ. 08:39 Even though we find ourselves crumpled and rumpled. 08:42 This is still worth $20. 08:45 Our price is infinite. That's right. 08:48 Amen. Far greater than that. 08:50 So what has your experience been 08:53 when you share that hope with the inmates? 08:55 What are some of the things that you've heard? 08:57 What are some of the things that you've seen? 08:59 Man, you know, as I'm leaving, they doesn't get their bag. 09:03 I don't pass out bags when I go to some of the... 09:06 There they are 200 inmates, 09:07 sitting there 300 inmates, we sing, we speak to them. 09:10 And what I like to do is 09:11 I like to clear till the end before they go out the door. 09:13 They already got their bag, they got their card, 09:15 and I'm just able to shake their hand 09:17 and tell them to keep looking up, don't give up. 09:19 And they said it touched me. 09:22 It touched me. I was touched. 09:24 And it ain't me that can touch you, 09:25 it wasn't the analogy of a $20 bill 09:27 that touched them, it's the love of God 09:29 because I'll go out on that same sidewalk 09:31 when they're all coming in. 09:33 They got a sign in 09:34 and they're all bumping knuckles 09:35 and slapping hands and talking and laughing, 09:37 they said, "I'm just going for the bag." 09:39 Brother something changes, in that auditorium 09:41 something changes and something changes 09:43 between opening prayer and closing prayer, 09:45 and when they leave 09:47 their life has been inspired and touched. 09:50 You know, Brother, there was a man 09:51 that couldn't come to the service. 09:54 I was asked to go to this prison, 09:55 this man was dying and the family called, 09:57 said, "Would you go and see my son. 09:59 He's getting ready to die. 10:00 He's in prison." And so I drove down. 10:02 I made an appointment. 10:04 I was supposed to be there early in the morning. 10:05 I made an appointment. 10:06 I was there, I met the chaplain outside the prison 10:08 and we walked in, we went through shakedown, 10:09 they checked your pockets, 10:11 you got to take your shoes off, take your belt off. 10:12 And so we made it through shakedown, 10:14 we'd already given our IDs 10:15 and then the officers asked the chaplain, said, 10:18 "Who are you here to see?" 10:20 Chaplain told him, he said, "They didn't tell you. 10:25 He died last night." 10:29 There we were, we were going to go 10:30 see this individual on the ward where they die. 10:34 I told the chaplain, I said, "What's your plans?" 10:37 You know, I was crushed. 10:38 I didn't get an opportunity to fulfill the family's request. 10:41 And he said, 10:42 "I'm still gonna go back on that ward." 10:45 I said, "Can I go with you?" He said, "Yeah." 10:49 He said, "I know you got an appointment in Illinois. 10:51 I know you need to go that way." 10:52 I said, "No, I said, my time here was set for this." 10:55 Brother, we walked back on that ward. 10:57 And there were three individuals 11:00 who were in bed and they were all shriveled up 11:02 and they looked like 11:03 they come from a civil war camp. 11:04 And it was awful. 11:08 And the first individual, I walked over to his bed 11:10 and I said, "Do you know Jesus?" 11:13 "Yeah, I know Jesus." 11:15 But brother, the TV program 11:16 he was watching didn't tell me that he had ingested 11:19 and begin to want to be like Jesus, 11:22 he didn't want to hear about it. 11:23 You know, I walked over to this other bed, 11:25 it was in the corner there. 11:27 And I walked over to this bed, 11:28 and I didn't know what to say to this guy. 11:30 He couldn't talk to me. 11:32 And I opened the Word of God. 11:33 And I went to Psalms 23. 11:36 Can you go there? I sure can. 11:38 I opened to Psalms 23 11:40 because I didn't know what to say to this guy, 11:41 but I thought I would read it in the 23rd Psalm 11:44 because I just read that to an individual 11:45 who was getting ready to die a month before. 11:47 What does it say? 11:49 "The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want." 11:51 That's where I went to. 11:52 I started reading I got that far. 11:54 And I asked the man in the bed, 11:55 I said, "Is the Lord your shepherd?" 11:59 And he shook his head, "No." 12:01 I begin to read the promise of God. 12:03 Go ahead and read that, Brother. 12:05 "He makes me to lie down in green pastures, 12:07 He leads me beside the still waters, 12:10 He restores my soul, 12:12 He leads me in the paths of righteousness 12:14 for His name's sake. 12:16 Yea, though I walk through 12:17 the valley of the shadow of death, 12:19 I will fear no evil, 12:20 for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff, 12:24 they comfort me. 12:25 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. 12:29 You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over. 12:33 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me 12:35 all the days of my life, 12:38 and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." 12:41 I took his hand, Jason. 12:43 I took his hand, we prayed together. 12:46 He said, "He didn't know Jesus as his shepherd." 12:48 He had tears in his eyes as we prayed together, 12:50 he squeezed my hand 12:53 and that man died a few days later. 12:56 Would that possibly connected him to Christ? 12:59 Will he be in the kingdom of heaven 13:00 because he said that he didn't know Jesus? 13:03 But yet he wanted something different. 13:05 And that's what the ministry of 3ABN 13:07 is proclaiming the gospel around the world, 13:10 mending broken people, helping them up. 13:12 And that's what the ministry of Christmas 13:13 Behind Bars is going to tell him that, 13:15 Brother, doesn't matter how far you've gone. 13:17 Doesn't matter how far you've sunk, 13:19 doesn't matter how crumpled or rumpled you is, 13:22 you have a price and God paid that price 13:25 through Jesus, that we could be 13:26 reunited one day when Jesus comes back. 13:28 Amen? 13:29 And aren't you looking forward to that day 13:30 when Jesus comes back. 13:32 There's no more sickness, 13:33 no more pain, no more suffering, 13:35 no more sorrow, no more disease, no more death. 13:38 That's going to be a beautiful day 13:39 when love is pure love and all of that, 13:43 and I hope that 13:44 you are looking forward to that day as well. 13:47 I hope that you recognize the value 13:50 that has been placed on your life, 13:53 the value that Christ sees in your life, 13:56 the fact that Christ paid it all for you 13:58 because he sees that you hold that value. 14:01 He loves you beyond belief. 14:05 Give Him a chance today. God bless you. |
Revised 2021-12-23