Hi, I'm C.A. Murray,
00:00:01.73\00:00:03.74
and this is Free Indeed, a
different kind of ministry.
00:00:03.75\00:00:07.81
The men that you will
meet in this particular program
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have found Jesus in
very trying circumstances.
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You will find,
as they are found,
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that in Jesus, you
can indeed be free indeed.
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This seems like a very
odd place to begin a ministry,
00:00:38.32\00:00:41.54
and yet, Lemuel, your
ministry began in a cell
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just like this
so many years ago.
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C.A, it actually did.
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I was in a cell
exactly like this
00:00:49.78\00:00:51.97
only a couple
of cells down, C.A.
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And I ODed in a cell like this,
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I was very discouraged, I
didn't want to go to prison,
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I didn't know
what it would be like.
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I had done wrong things
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and I'd been sentenced to prison
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and I ODed in a cell like this
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and thanks to an
officer that was doing his duty,
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he got me out of this cell
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and got me to the
hospital and I'm alive today.
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I appreciate the love of God
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and the importance of volunteers
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that shared with me while
I was in prison the gospel.
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And, C.A, it's so
very important to share
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with them the
literal word of God,
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to be able to give them Bibles
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and let them know
that there's hope,
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that they will try Jesus,
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that they can be free indeed.
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It's such a blessing
to work together for Jesus
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in this time in earth's history.
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So whether
you're in prison today
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or whether you're in society,
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you can be free
indeed, is that right, C.A.?
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Amen, we can indeed
be free in Christ Jesus.
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Well, you ready to get out
and get this ministry started?
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I'm ready, C.A.
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Dear grace in heavenly Father,
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we come to you right now,
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giving you all
praise, honor and glory.
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Father God, we just thank
you for last night laying down
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and this morning
earlier rising, Father God,
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because without you
there's nothing, Father.
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Father God, with
you, you give us hope,
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you give us joy,
you give us peace
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within ourselves, Father God.
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Father God, we just thank
you for just sitting us down,
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instead of laying
us down, Father God.
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Because we can be
six feet under right now,
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father God, but
with you, Father God,
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you just set us
down, Father God,
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to just get our attention.
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Father God, we just
ask you to look over
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our loved ones, Father,
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for they are hurting
inside but Father God,
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just let them know
that you will have peace.
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Father God, we just thank you,
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and we praise your
holy name in the mighty
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and precious name of
your son Jesus, Amen.
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And with that,
dear Heavenly Father,
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I just wanna add that
these men, they have children.
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They have loved ones,
they have court cases pending.
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Father, you know their
each care, burden, and concern.
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I pray that you
embrace, protect, uphold,
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and encourage them
that they will make
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a decision this day for
thee, is my prayer and desire,
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in Jesus name, amen. Mr. Murray.
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There is a movie
called King of Kings,
00:03:05.53\00:03:10.53
and in that
movie there's a meeting
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between Jesus
and John the Baptist.
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And John the
Baptist is in prison,
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and if you know the story,
of course, he was beheaded
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and so Jesus comes
to meet him in prison.
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And Pontius Pilate says to him,
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what do you think you're going
to break him out of prison?
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You're going to
free him from prison?
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And Jesus said, "No, I'm
gonna free him in prison.
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He's not going
anywhere, physically,
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but spiritually, he's
gonna leave this place."
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So that when John the
Baptists actually died,
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he had long
since left that place.
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He wasn't there anymore.
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Because his soul was
free, his spirit was free.
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And that's where
this name comes from,
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that you can be free
regardless of where you are.
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And there's a
lot of people outside
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who think they're
free, but they're trapped.
00:04:11.88\00:04:16.78
So you can be
trapped and be free,
00:04:16.79\00:04:21.79
and Jesus said "if I if I make
you free, you're really free."
00:04:21.80\00:04:27.37
You are free
indeed and that's the news
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that we come to bring,
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that circumstances
are just circumstances.
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You can be free in
here. And free in here.
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And that comes
through Jesus Christ.
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Amen? And that's
what it's all about.
00:04:45.72\00:04:48.60
I'm gonna ask
superintendent Hanion
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to just join me, if he will.
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You may not have heard of Three
Angles Broadcasting Network,
00:04:57.79\00:05:00.46
as was said, it
is the second largest
00:05:00.47\00:05:04.75
television network in the world.
00:05:04.76\00:05:06.08
We are everywhere.
00:05:06.09\00:05:07.33
They say that three
quarters of the earth's surface
00:05:07.34\00:05:11.29
is covered by water
and 3ABN covers the rest.
00:05:11.30\00:05:16.46
That's who we are
and that's what we do.
00:05:16.47\00:05:18.67
We take the gospel everywhere.
00:05:18.68\00:05:20.95
We're in New
Guinea, we're Australia,
00:05:20.96\00:05:22.88
we're in New
Zealand, we're in Nairobi,
00:05:22.89\00:05:26.29
we're in Kenya, we're in Africa,
00:05:26.30\00:05:28.37
we're in Russia,
we're on nine satellites,
00:05:28.38\00:05:31.45
we're on every cable company.
00:05:31.46\00:05:33.85
We have a 128 affiliate
stations and 175 radio outlets.
00:05:33.86\00:05:38.57
We've got a Russian channel,
an international channel,
00:05:38.58\00:05:41.19
a kids channel,
a Latino channel,
00:05:41.20\00:05:43.40
an urban channel, and 3ABN, men.
00:05:43.41\00:05:45.61
So we're serious
about what we do,
00:05:45.62\00:05:48.23
because we're serious
about the Jesus we serve.
00:05:48.24\00:05:50.77
And, superintendent,
we're so glad to be here
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and that you
arranged to allow us to come
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just for our audience.
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Tell us how long you've
been in the prison business.
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I was sharing with him earlier
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that I've been
in prison 41 years,
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and that's a real ice breaker
when you start the conversation.
00:06:09.16\00:06:12.40
And let me say to
you that 41 years ago
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there is no way a program
like this would be taking place
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inside a Correctional Facility,
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inside a housing unit,
in a Correctional Facility.
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When I began, we had
boxing and we had basket ball
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and those were the
volunteer programs that we had.
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It's come a
long way and programs
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such as this will
take it even further.
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You know, Christmas behind
bars I was at CIF 5 or 6 years
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prior to coming back here.
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The program was there.
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There was a long ranging impact
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of the program on inmates there.
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I was sharing--it's
hard for me to gauge here
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because of the length of
stay but it's significant.
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And I would just
wanna close by saying,
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it really falls upon all
of you to internalize change.
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You know, we can
offer you programs
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and they will
talk to you tonight,
00:07:15.62\00:07:17.39
which you're
gonna have to find it,
00:07:17.40\00:07:18.71
you know, in
yourself to internalize
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the changes you wanna make.
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If you don't,
it will not happen,
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so enjoy the program very much.
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You know, at the instant that I,
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that I did what I
did to commit this crime.
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I shot somebody.
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But right before that,
God always gave me a way out.
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He told me not to
do it, to go home.
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And I allowed my
anger to override,
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that steals my
voice that speaks to you.
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I think it's your
conscious or your intuition,
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or your gut, and I went on
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and did it anyway out of
anger and hatred and malice.
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I got locked up in 1999.
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I was sentenced to 35 years.
00:08:05.35\00:08:08.13
When I got locked up,
I was still very young.
00:08:08.14\00:08:11.43
I come up, in one of
these rough inner city
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neighborhoods around here.
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And it was harsh, so I learned
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to be kind of
rough and aggressive.
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And I got locked up,
I was still that way.
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I had no compassion,
no remorse, none of that.
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And it wasn't until I
had a moment in my cell.
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You know, I was at Wabash.
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Wabash Valley Correctional
Facility in Carlisle, Indiana.
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And you in the
cell a lot, you know?
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Level fours, you in the cell
probably about 18 hours a day.
00:08:45.67\00:08:49.10
And, you know,
nobody was writin' me.
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I got 35 years and I
had nobody in my life.
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And so one of the
guys, he gives a Bible
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and I just started picking
it up and reading it, man.
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And the Lord filled me
up with so much compassion
00:09:03.39\00:09:06.73
that I started
crying over, over the mess
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that I had made in my life
and over shooting this man.
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You know, just week after week,
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me learning the
scriptures and learning stuff.
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My heart just
softened more and more.
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And here I am. But I didn't
cry when I--I got his 35 years.
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I didn't cry when
my stepfather died.
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I don't even
remember the last time I cried
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and I'm moved to
tears over something
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that I did four years ago.
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You know, it just--
it was amazing, you know.
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I can remember God
actually speaking to me.
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And even though I
had a cellmate in a room,
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it wasn't him talking.
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I could hear God's
voice plain as day,
00:09:49.09\00:09:51.23
just ministering to me.
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You know I didn't
have any family writin' me
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or nobody at the time.
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It's just--He
came into my life, man,
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and that's just
how God works, man.
00:10:01.31\00:10:06.05
He meets you at
your lowest point
00:10:06.06\00:10:07.68
and when you think
you can't go no farther,
00:10:07.69\00:10:10.15
he picks you up.
00:10:10.16\00:10:12.18
And he picked me
up and he helped me.
00:10:12.19\00:10:15.90
Today we have
with us Calby Gray.
00:10:17.60\00:10:20.43
Calby you're at the
regional diagnostic center.
00:10:20.44\00:10:24.03
How long--is it your
first time of incarceration?
00:10:24.04\00:10:26.42
No, its not. It's not.
00:10:26.43\00:10:28.03
How many times
have you been locked up?
00:10:28.04\00:10:29.81
Oh, I've been locked
up four times in the DOC.
00:10:29.82\00:10:33.37
Four times. Yes.
00:10:33.38\00:10:34.73
Let me ask you a question,
on your first journey to prison,
00:10:34.74\00:10:38.20
you probably didn't
want to come back, right?
00:10:38.21\00:10:40.52
Yes, that's correct.
00:10:40.53\00:10:41.85
So you had good desires
while you were in prison.
00:10:41.86\00:10:44.93
Let me ask you a question,
the second and third time,
00:10:44.94\00:10:48.35
now this is your fourth time,
00:10:48.36\00:10:50.21
what have you seen that the
consequences of wrong doing,
00:10:50.22\00:10:53.94
continues to
bring you to a place
00:10:53.95\00:10:55.34
like this that
you don't wanna come,
00:10:55.35\00:10:56.66
how can it be
different in your life
00:10:56.67\00:10:58.12
and how can it be different
for those people in the world
00:10:58.13\00:11:00.17
that are struggling with
that continuation of wrong?
00:11:00.18\00:11:04.04
I seen the change of
myself by letting go of myself.
00:11:04.05\00:11:09.45
I was a very
self-centered individual.
00:11:09.46\00:11:12.51
It was my way or no way,
00:11:12.52\00:11:13.97
following a destructive
path of self righteousness.
00:11:13.98\00:11:17.97
What led me to be
a repeating offender.
00:11:17.98\00:11:22.16
I'm thankful at this
point in time in my life
00:11:22.17\00:11:25.43
that within the last four years,
00:11:25.44\00:11:27.62
I have been able to acknowledge
my calling upon the Lord,
00:11:27.63\00:11:31.50
and although I'm a resident
of San Diego, California,
00:11:31.51\00:11:35.36
but to be able to come
back here this fourth time
00:11:35.37\00:11:37.70
to take care of a old
warrant so that I can continue
00:11:37.71\00:11:41.91
to follow the path of
righteousness and seeking--
00:11:41.92\00:11:45.41
continue to seek mercy
in the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:11:45.42\00:11:47.93
Amen. Was drugs and alcohol
a big part of your wrong,
00:11:47.94\00:11:52.13
getting caught
back in the ditch?
00:11:52.14\00:11:53.99
Yes, it was. It was a
major part of my return
00:11:54.00\00:11:58.37
as the offender here into
incarceration and bondage.
00:11:58.38\00:12:03.00
My drug of choice was alcohol
00:12:03.01\00:12:05.19
and alcohol was self-inflicting
upon me time and time again.
00:12:05.20\00:12:10.28
And its legal.
It's legal in society.
00:12:10.29\00:12:12.15
So we think it's like
not really that wrong.
00:12:12.16\00:12:13.86
But yet it tears
our families apart.
00:12:13.87\00:12:15.57
It damages our
livers and our bodies
00:12:15.58\00:12:17.58
and brings brain
damage, amen? Amen.
00:12:17.59\00:12:21.04
What would you share with
the alcoholic out there today
00:12:21.05\00:12:23.14
who's still
struggling in active alcoholism
00:12:23.15\00:12:26.27
or the drug addict who
wants out of that way of life,
00:12:26.28\00:12:29.92
but don't want to come to prison
00:12:29.93\00:12:31.34
and don't want
to die in that way?
00:12:31.35\00:12:33.59
I say, find yourself a
good church. A church of hope.
00:12:33.60\00:12:37.11
A church that's
following the way of Christ.
00:12:37.12\00:12:40.69
I'm a Seventh-day
Adventist myself, you know,
00:12:40.70\00:12:43.17
and it's not indiscrimination
towards any other church,
00:12:43.18\00:12:46.33
but I would like
to follow the church--
00:12:46.34\00:12:48.84
the scriptures of
our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:12:48.85\00:12:50.85
from the beginning to the end.
00:12:50.86\00:12:52.77
And this is what I found
in the Seventh-day Adventist.
00:12:52.78\00:12:55.51
You know what? I
guess you're right,
00:12:55.52\00:12:56.97
in the Bible it does speak
00:12:56.98\00:12:58.07
about the
Seventh-day Sabbath, doesn't it?
00:12:58.08\00:13:00.65
Yes, it does.
00:13:00.66\00:13:01.70
Well, Calby, I sure thank
you for being willing to share
00:13:01.71\00:13:04.04
your testimony with the world
00:13:04.05\00:13:05.23
and we wish you God's
blessings until we meet again.
00:13:05.24\00:13:07.44
I pray in the kingdom of heaven.
00:13:07.45\00:13:08.86
Well, thank you.
Thank you, brother.
00:13:08.87\00:13:10.70
There are two
words that I wanna take
00:13:16.27\00:13:17.91
a little time just
to talk about tonight.
00:13:17.92\00:13:20.30
One is
happiness, the other is joy.
00:13:21.59\00:13:26.51
Now they seem
like the same words
00:13:26.52\00:13:29.28
and many times we
use them interchangeably.
00:13:29.29\00:13:32.44
Happiness, joy,
happiness, joy, joy, happiness.
00:13:32.45\00:13:35.47
But the Bible gives indication
00:13:35.48\00:13:38.90
that they're
not the same at all.
00:13:38.91\00:13:42.14
In the world, we talk
a lot about happiness.
00:13:42.15\00:13:46.67
You see in the ads.
00:13:46.68\00:13:48.60
You see in the commercials
or you've had friends
00:13:48.61\00:13:51.06
or people tell you,
hey, if you do this,
00:13:51.07\00:13:53.78
it'll make you happy.
00:13:53.79\00:13:55.42
If you take this
it'll make you happy.
00:13:55.43\00:13:58.94
If you buy this,
it'll make you happy.
00:13:58.95\00:14:01.91
And the world is
always selling happiness.
00:14:01.92\00:14:06.25
But you find that happiness
comes and happiness goes.
00:14:06.26\00:14:13.01
And so it's interesting
00:14:13.02\00:14:15.56
that the Bible says
very little about happiness.
00:14:15.57\00:14:21.14
Now there are 66
books in the entire Bible.
00:14:21.15\00:14:24.28
Happiness is only
mentioned 26 times
00:14:24.29\00:14:27.77
about an average of
once every two books.
00:14:27.78\00:14:32.09
The Bible talks about joy.
00:14:32.10\00:14:36.35
Joy is mentioned 180 times.
00:14:36.36\00:14:40.34
About three times per book.
00:14:40.35\00:14:43.45
Because for the Bible writers,
from God's point of view,
00:14:43.46\00:14:49.49
joy is better than happiness.
00:14:49.50\00:14:53.91
Joy is better than happiness.
00:14:53.92\00:14:57.58
So my text is
Psalms, Chapter 16, verse 11.
00:14:57.59\00:15:01.17
The Bible says,
"In Your presence."
00:15:01.18\00:15:03.71
That's God's presence.
00:15:03.72\00:15:05.54
"Is fullness
of--" Not happiness,
00:15:05.55\00:15:09.20
"fullness of joy" because
joy is better than happiness.
00:15:09.21\00:15:15.34
Nobody is happy all the time.
00:15:17.49\00:15:21.20
Come on, nobody
happy all the time.
00:15:21.21\00:15:24.84
Some days you wake up and
you have a day and that day,
00:15:24.85\00:15:30.42
you just ain't gonna be happy.
00:15:30.43\00:15:32.28
Ever have a day like that?
00:15:32.29\00:15:34.27
Some days you get up, and
it's not going to be a good day.
00:15:34.28\00:15:37.47
Some days you're just not happy
00:15:37.48\00:15:38.97
and it can be
caused by anything.
00:15:38.98\00:15:42.68
Ate something late last
night and it got to you.
00:15:42.69\00:15:45.20
Person in the
bunk above you snoring.
00:15:46.61\00:15:49.91
You know, all kinds of stuff.
00:15:49.92\00:15:51.36
You get up in
the morning and today
00:15:51.37\00:15:52.94
ain't gonna be a good day,
00:15:52.95\00:15:54.02
you not gonna be
happy and so you do things
00:15:54.03\00:15:57.48
that try to make yourself happy
00:15:57.49\00:15:59.26
when what you really want is joy
00:15:59.27\00:16:01.29
because nobody's
happy all the time.
00:16:01.30\00:16:03.63
Nobody's happy all the time.
00:16:03.64\00:16:05.22
Even people who
smile all the time,
00:16:05.23\00:16:07.18
they're not happy all the time,
00:16:07.19\00:16:08.62
because you cannot
be happy all the time.
00:16:08.63\00:16:10.84
There are too many things
that affect your happiness.
00:16:10.85\00:16:12.86
You can just have
a bad biological day.
00:16:12.87\00:16:15.42
You know, biorhythms just off.
00:16:16.58\00:16:18.49
Some days you get up and some--
00:16:18.50\00:16:19.95
it's in you and bothering you,
you're just not gonna be happy.
00:16:19.96\00:16:24.11
But the Bible
says, you can have joy
00:16:24.12\00:16:28.20
even when you're not happy,
00:16:28.21\00:16:31.28
because joy
comes from Jesus. Amen.
00:16:31.29\00:16:35.87
The Bible says, in His
presence is fullness of joy
00:16:35.88\00:16:40.55
and as long as you
got joy you got Jesus
00:16:40.56\00:16:44.39
and joy together even
when you're not happy.
00:16:44.40\00:16:47.42
You know, several
years ago my dad passed.
00:16:47.43\00:16:51.70
And we were at his funeral
and folk were so interested,
00:16:51.71\00:16:57.74
"why are they so
giddy? Why are they not sad?
00:16:57.75\00:17:04.41
Why-" My sister
and myself, my mom,
00:17:04.42\00:17:07.20
"why are they so excited
at the loss of their dad?"
00:17:07.21\00:17:12.77
See, what they didn't
know is that my father
00:17:12.78\00:17:14.91
ran from the
Lord all of his life.
00:17:14.92\00:17:19.14
Turned his back on the Lord.
00:17:19.15\00:17:21.31
Tried to live his own life.
00:17:21.32\00:17:23.66
Got into a little hot water,
00:17:23.67\00:17:25.78
came out but
just had a rough time.
00:17:25.79\00:17:30.91
But about a
month before he died,
00:17:30.92\00:17:35.91
I flew home and
baptized him myself.
00:17:35.92\00:17:40.00
And then one month
later, 30 days later,
00:17:40.01\00:17:43.15
he had a stroke, died.
00:17:43.16\00:17:46.57
He didn't know he
was gonna have a stroke.
00:17:46.58\00:17:49.49
He didn't know he was even sick,
00:17:49.50\00:17:52.06
had never spent a
day in a hospital,
00:17:52.07\00:17:54.40
just had a stroke and died.
00:17:54.41\00:17:55.95
And my mother said come on home,
00:17:55.96\00:17:57.70
your father has died.
00:17:57.71\00:17:59.92
But we were joyful
00:17:59.93\00:18:03.72
because he died in Jesus.
00:18:03.73\00:18:08.04
And Jesus says, if you
live in me and die in me,
00:18:08.05\00:18:14.21
you gonna live forever.
00:18:14.22\00:18:16.18
So we were thinking
about the forever part. Amen.
00:18:16.19\00:18:20.13
Not just the temporal part.
00:18:20.14\00:18:22.69
So we sang and praised God,
00:18:22.70\00:18:25.14
because the man who ran
from the Lord for 87 years
00:18:25.15\00:18:31.06
only got 30 days in Jesus.
00:18:31.07\00:18:36.74
But the Bible says he's
going to get the same eternity
00:18:36.75\00:18:39.54
as somebody who had been
in Jesus all of their life.
00:18:39.55\00:18:41.51
And then my wife comes along
00:18:41.52\00:18:42.98
and her father beats that.
00:18:42.99\00:18:44.38
Her dad was 91 years of age.
00:18:44.39\00:18:47.12
Three months ago, she went home.
00:18:49.17\00:18:52.67
Now this is the
fellow who didn't even like
00:18:52.68\00:18:54.77
the word Jesus
mentioned in his presence.
00:18:54.78\00:18:58.91
Didn't want to hear
anything about the Lord.
00:18:58.92\00:19:01.90
She went home in December
00:19:01.91\00:19:02.90
because his kidneys began
to act up just a little bit.
00:19:02.91\00:19:07.09
And two weeks before he died,
called his family together.
00:19:07.10\00:19:11.50
And gave his heart to the Lord
and confessed all of his sins.
00:19:13.45\00:19:18.74
Gentlemen, he
confessed all of his sins.
00:19:18.75\00:19:23.44
He confessed some stuff
00:19:23.45\00:19:26.04
he probably
shouldn't have confessed.
00:19:26.05\00:19:28.21
He confessed
everything he did from a child,
00:19:28.22\00:19:31.58
gave his life to he Lord
and then two weeks later,
00:19:31.59\00:19:36.61
my wife is trying
to help him in the bed.
00:19:36.62\00:19:38.84
He had his arms around her neck
00:19:38.85\00:19:41.48
and his arms dropped to
the side and he was gone.
00:19:41.49\00:19:45.87
And my wife called me
from Panama and she said,
00:19:45.88\00:19:51.44
"I lost my dad.
But I feel all right."
00:19:51.45\00:19:57.16
Now she wasn't happy.
00:19:57.17\00:20:00.20
She'd been with
that man 91 years.
00:20:00.21\00:20:03.01
But she had joy, because
he went to sleep in Jesus.
00:20:04.67\00:20:09.60
You see, happiness is
paid to your circumstances.
00:20:09.61\00:20:14.85
It's got to be. Somebody
says something nice to you,
00:20:14.86\00:20:18.30
does something nice
for you, you're happy.
00:20:18.31\00:20:20.15
Somebody says
something bad to you,
00:20:20.16\00:20:21.71
does something bad
against you, you're not happy.
00:20:21.72\00:20:24.38
Chasing happiness is
like chasing your tail.
00:20:24.39\00:20:27.10
You're never gonna catch it.
00:20:28.69\00:20:29.69
You're going around and around.
00:20:29.70\00:20:31.21
Some days you're
happy, some days you're not.
00:20:31.22\00:20:32.92
But you can have
joy even on the days
00:20:32.93\00:20:35.80
when you're not
happy, gentlemen,
00:20:35.81\00:20:37.38
because that's
what Jesus offers you.
00:20:37.39\00:20:40.26
He offers you joy.
I got a good friend.
00:20:40.27\00:20:44.52
He bought a Cadillac
Escalade, kind of creamy white.
00:20:44.53\00:20:50.94
The antitheft
system on it was $4,700.
00:20:53.15\00:20:58.04
It is so
technologically advanced,
00:21:01.31\00:21:04.59
you don't have to touch the car,
00:21:04.60\00:21:06.03
you just stand near the car.
00:21:06.04\00:21:08.65
And the car will say,
"Get back! You're too close."
00:21:08.66\00:21:14.75
You know where
that car is today?
00:21:14.76\00:21:17.68
Well, if you do, I
wish you'd tell him
00:21:17.69\00:21:18.96
because he doesn't have a clue.
00:21:18.97\00:21:20.36
Gone. It came and got it.
00:21:23.05\00:21:26.39
Came and got it.
Somebody took it in the night.
00:21:26.40\00:21:29.48
His wife said, you know,
he loves that car so much,
00:21:29.49\00:21:31.49
if could drive that thing in
the bedroom with us at night,
00:21:31.50\00:21:33.47
he would do so. Loved that car.
00:21:33.48\00:21:36.06
Had it forty days. Gone.
00:21:36.07\00:21:39.80
And when they took
it, he wasn't happy.
00:21:41.94\00:21:44.75
But he had joy,
amen, and insurance.
00:21:46.36\00:21:50.47
Praise the Lord.
00:21:52.16\00:21:53.68
See, joy is your insurance,
00:21:53.69\00:21:57.32
so that even when
bad stuff happens to you,
00:21:57.33\00:21:59.83
you can be happy in Jesus.
00:21:59.84\00:22:01.83
Now I'm gonna give you
three characteristics of joy,
00:22:01.84\00:22:05.38
then I'll let you go.
Number one, joy lasts.
00:22:05.39\00:22:13.10
What did I say? Joy lasts,
good, bad, hot, cold, joy lasts.
00:22:13.11\00:22:18.94
It lasts forever.
00:22:18.95\00:22:20.95
Two, joy looks for
reasons to rejoice.
00:22:22.18\00:22:27.95
It looks for reasons
to enjoy, to rejoice.
00:22:27.96\00:22:30.47
So like I said when my dad died,
we found a reason to rejoice,
00:22:30.48\00:22:34.59
because he had
gone to sleep in Jesus.
00:22:34.60\00:22:37.64
That's a reason to rejoice,
00:22:37.65\00:22:39.33
because the Bible says he
gets all eternity with Christ.
00:22:39.34\00:22:44.16
Same with my wife. So joy
looks for reasons to rejoice.
00:22:44.17\00:22:49.81
Number three, you got
to watch out for this one.
00:22:52.02\00:22:55.29
Joy celebrates the
blessings of others.
00:22:56.62\00:23:01.04
Joy celebrates the
blessings of others.
00:23:03.33\00:23:07.32
So when someone else does good,
00:23:07.33\00:23:11.61
joy rejoices with them. Amen?
00:23:11.62\00:23:16.51
So when one
little boy gets a bike,
00:23:16.52\00:23:19.91
and the other
brother doesn't get a bike,
00:23:22.08\00:23:24.19
the brother who
didn't get a bike
00:23:26.18\00:23:28.42
celebrates with the
one who got the bike. Amen.
00:23:28.43\00:23:33.87
Amen. That's what joy
does, joy doesn't sit and say,
00:23:33.88\00:23:38.99
"I didn't get no bike."
00:23:39.00\00:23:42.02
It celebrates the
other person's bike.
00:23:42.03\00:23:45.70
It's like if a husband buys
a new car, the wife rejoices,
00:23:45.71\00:23:53.09
because she's going to
ride in that car, amen. Amen.
00:23:53.10\00:23:56.93
Amen. That's the
way it's supposed to be.
00:23:57.96\00:24:00.82
So joy rejoices in the
good fortune of others.
00:24:00.83\00:24:05.41
That's what joy
does. Number one, it lasts.
00:24:05.42\00:24:08.46
Christ says abide in me.
00:24:08.47\00:24:10.62
The word abide
simply means "stay".
00:24:10.63\00:24:12.85
That's all. Just stay in me.
00:24:12.86\00:24:14.28
Don't just pass by.
Don't just visit me.
00:24:14.29\00:24:17.30
Abide in me. So, joy
lasts and you need something
00:24:17.31\00:24:21.63
to last in this world
that we live in today.
00:24:21.64\00:24:24.36
Two, joy looks for
reasons to celebrate.
00:24:24.37\00:24:28.69
It wants a reason to celebrate.
00:24:28.70\00:24:31.71
You know, what we
found out in the Bible?
00:24:31.72\00:24:34.25
That every time a
sinner brings his broken down
00:24:34.26\00:24:38.47
carcass to the
Lord, angels rejoice.
00:24:38.48\00:24:42.30
Angels rejoice. You
can live your whole life
00:24:45.01\00:24:48.19
wasting your
life and you come drag
00:24:48.20\00:24:50.53
into Jesus at the very end.
00:24:50.54\00:24:54.15
And heaven throws a party.
00:24:54.16\00:24:55.55
So glad to get you--
00:24:56.82\00:24:58.23
you've given most of
your life to the devil.
00:24:58.24\00:25:00.95
Wasted your
youth and your strength
00:25:00.96\00:25:03.02
and you come
dragging in at the very end,
00:25:03.03\00:25:05.27
and heaven throws a party.
00:25:05.28\00:25:07.75
Just so glad to get you, looks
for a reason to rejoice, amen?
00:25:07.76\00:25:14.33
That's what,
that's what true joy does.
00:25:14.34\00:25:17.53
And last, but not least,
00:25:17.54\00:25:20.40
joy keeps you
when you're all alone.
00:25:22.47\00:25:27.98
How many have ever been alone?
00:25:29.78\00:25:30.98
You can be sitted--sitting
in a crowded room and be alone.
00:25:32.72\00:25:38.02
You know that.
00:25:38.03\00:25:39.07
Have a million people
around you and you're all alone.
00:25:40.22\00:25:45.83
Joy gives you the certainty
00:25:45.84\00:25:49.89
that you're never ever alone.
00:25:49.90\00:25:54.36
Because joy is in
Jesus and when you got Jesus,
00:25:54.37\00:25:59.53
you got joy and
when you got Jesus,
00:25:59.54\00:26:03.55
you're never, ever, alone.
00:26:03.56\00:26:07.48
One of the very first
texts that I committed to memory
00:26:07.49\00:26:10.95
when I was in
school, Joshua 1:9,
00:26:10.96\00:26:13.83
"Have I not commanded thee?
00:26:13.84\00:26:15.08
Be strong and of a
good courage; be not afraid,
00:26:15.09\00:26:18.57
neither be thou
dismayed for the Lord thy God
00:26:18.58\00:26:21.87
is with you
where so ever you go."
00:26:21.88\00:26:26.62
That's an ironclad promised.
00:26:26.63\00:26:28.28
That's Old Testament, you
want one in the New Testament?
00:26:28.29\00:26:30.88
Almost the same quote.
00:26:30.89\00:26:32.46
Hebrews, chapter 13:5-6.
00:26:32.47\00:26:35.31
God says, "Whatever
situation you find yourself in.
00:26:35.32\00:26:39.88
Don't let the
situation be your master."
00:26:39.89\00:26:42.95
You master the situation.
00:26:42.96\00:26:44.98
For he has said, "I will never
leave you, nor forsake you."
00:26:44.99\00:26:49.47
Exact same words,
right by your side.
00:26:49.48\00:26:51.49
Then he says, to
put sort of a cherry
00:26:51.50\00:26:54.09
on top of the sundae, he says,
00:26:54.10\00:26:56.15
"So you can boldly
say, God is your helper.
00:26:56.16\00:27:01.34
What can man do to
you?" That's a powerful text.
00:27:01.35\00:27:05.68
When stuff comes down on you,
00:27:09.05\00:27:11.55
you can-you don't
have to timidly say,
00:27:11.56\00:27:13.42
you can boldly
say, "God is my helper.
00:27:13.43\00:27:17.97
Man can't do anything to
me, because I'm in Jesus."
00:27:17.98\00:27:21.95
I have a sermon, I
can't preach it right now,
00:27:21.96\00:27:24.60
that I call bulletproof.
00:27:24.61\00:27:27.33
Even if they take your
life, when you're in Jesus,
00:27:27.34\00:27:30.66
they haven't hurt you, not
really, because Jesus says,
00:27:30.67\00:27:34.66
"those who live
in me and die in me
00:27:34.67\00:27:39.30
are gonna live forever", amen?
00:27:39.31\00:27:42.20
And that gentlemen is a
reason for joy, God bless you.
00:27:42.21\00:27:48.95
Down 37 years.
Thirty seven years ago.
00:27:55.65\00:27:57.95
Thirty seven
years. Here in February.
00:27:57.96\00:27:59.67
And you say you've
seen a lot of church groups
00:27:59.68\00:28:01.33
through here, but what?
00:28:01.34\00:28:02.54
This is the first time I've
ever seen anything like this,
00:28:02.55\00:28:04.65
and especially a testimony.
00:28:04.66\00:28:06.70
That's the first time you've
ever seen anything like this.
00:28:06.71\00:28:08.68
Like this, yeah.
00:28:08.69\00:28:09.75
So, you know what? It's
not me though, man. I'm just--
00:28:09.76\00:28:12.65
All I could tell
you by your testimony--
00:28:12.66\00:28:14.09
I mean, yeah. I mean, it's
the Lord working in our lives.
00:28:14.10\00:28:17.93
And He will do for
you what He's done for me.
00:28:17.94\00:28:21.02
He will do for me
what he did for Noah.
00:28:21.03\00:28:23.42
He will do for you
what he did for Danny.
00:28:23.43\00:28:25.73
And so, there's no
limitations on God.
00:28:25.74\00:28:28.47