Hi, I'm C.A. Murray
and this is Free Indeed,
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a different kind of ministry.
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The men and women
that you will meet
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in this particular
program have found Jesus
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in very trying circumstances.
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They are going to
tell you their story,
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their own personal
journey of their walk of faith.
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We haven't changed their music
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and we haven't
changed their words
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because it's their
personal testimony.
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It's their walk of
faith with Jesus Christ.
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So you're gonna
meet some people,
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some men and women who've made
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some mistakes in their lives,
but they're trying to change
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that through the
power of Jesus Christ.
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You will meet men
and women who've found
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as we have found that
freedom is not really,
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doesn't have much to
do with where you are.
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It is more what you are.
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You'll find as they
have found that in Jesus,
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you can indeed be free indeed.
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What do you see when
you look in the mirror?
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Do you like what you see
when you look in the mirror?
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Do you want to
change what you see?
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Would you like to alter
what you see and how important
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is the image that
stares back at you
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from your mirror each day?
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Is that more
important than what's inside?
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On today's program,
we travel once again
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to the Women's
Prison in Indiana.
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We wrestled with
this idea of self image.
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Do you like what you see?
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What length will you go to,
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to change what
you see in the mirror?
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In this country, cosmetics is
a multi-billion dollar industry,
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plastic surgery,
makeup, so many, many things
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we do to change what's
on the outside when perhaps
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we ought to spend a
little more time looking
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at and concerning ourselves
with what's on the inside.
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Today, we meet
Michelle, we meet Joetta
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and we hear
ministry from Shelley Quinn.
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Joetta spends a
little time telling us about
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the after effects
of a visit by 3ABN
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and Christmas Behind Bars.
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How is the life of
the prison changed?
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How are the lives of
those inmates changed
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once we leave, is it
good, is it bad, is it better?
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And then, Michelle
talks to us about self image
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and Shelley speaks to us
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about a positive self
image in Jesus Christ.
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You want to stay by.
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This is a--
powerful presentation
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from a Women's
Prison, here on Free Indeed!
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Today, we have
Michelle Jones with us
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and it's just been
blessing to work with her
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in the music time
that we spent here
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going over the songs and stuff.
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Michelle, is this
your first time in prison?
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Yes, sir. And how long
you have been locked up?
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14. 14 years. Yes.
You look almost too young
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to have 14 years in, in prison.
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My grandmother's
genes that's all I can say.
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Well, I'll tell you
what, at some point, you shared
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with me that you were ready
to check out, yes sir, of life.
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Yes, sir. I was
completely trapped in a very,
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very bad relationship and--
I was using drugs and alcohol
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to numb out so
much so that, you know,
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my child died in the
process from my neglect
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and I, I'm here now for that
and it was tremendously hard
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because I wanted this person.
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I had made this
person my everything,
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instead of making
God my everything.
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I made this one man my
everything and when he ceased
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to be that perfect image
that I had setup, I crumbled.
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I completely collapsed
and I caused a very, you know,
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a heartfelt
horrible situation in my life
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and my son died as a
result of my neglect.
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And it was, it was traumatic.
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It's the worst thing I've
ever been through in my life.
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Would you look out there,
Michelle, and would you share
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with those people in the world
today as this goes literally
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around the world that there
is a message of hope for them,
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because many people feel
like checking out especially
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in this time of earth's history.
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For me, when I felt like
giving up, completely giving up,
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there was some still
voice, small voice inside me
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that was God that said,
you know, get up, get up.
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And when I came to prison, I
really did not want to get up.
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I laid in that
bed. I took my Prozac.
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I took my Paxil. I
did not want to live
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and God sent someone to
me and said get involved
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and I chose one
thing that I could do.
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And God let me
learn from that experience
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that there are more
than one, more than one thing
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that you can do, Michelle.
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You can do this
and you can do this.
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So I would say to
them, find that one thing
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you know that
lights up your spirit,
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that lights up your
heart, that fills you with joy,
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go out and do that.
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And when you find that
you are in service to others,
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God begins to reign
down blessings on you.
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And the next thing you know,
you've got a support system
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or maybe money comes
and a check is coming,
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mail or job opens
up or you find housing.
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So find that
thing, give it to God.
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Do that work and give it
to God and watch the blessings
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reign down 'cause
that's what's happened for me.
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I will give up or give in
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I'm holding on to thee
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I will be
steadfast, I move above
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Always abounding in you
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Lord, I'm staying in your will
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I will give up or give in
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I'm holding on to thee
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I will be steadfast I move above
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Always abounding in you
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Lord, I'm staying in your will
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I'm staying in your will
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I'm staying in your will
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I'm staying Lord
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I'm staying in your will
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I'm staying
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I'm staying in your will
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I'm staying Lord
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Said, I'm staying in your will
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I'm staying in your
will I'm staying Lord
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I'm staying in
your will I'm staying
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I'm staying in your
will I'm staying Lord
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Said, I'm staying in
your will Promise you Lord
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I'm staying in
your will, your will
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Promise you Lord
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I'm staying in
your will, your will
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Promise you Lord
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I'm staying in
your will, your will
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Promise you Lord
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I'm staying in
your will, your will
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Promise you Lord
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I'm staying in
your will, your will
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Promise you Lord
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I'm staying in
your will, your will
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God has done so much
for me that I cannot,
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I cannot, even with
the loss of my only child
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I'll ever have, I cannot
sit here and not be thankful
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for what God has done
and not tell you that God
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is moving in my life and--
blessing me and changing me.
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Even with everything that's
happened. I couldn't do it.
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Today, we're at the Indiana
Women's Prison and we have
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our guest
speaker is Joetta Walls,
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also knows as Lady out
there in secular society,
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but today you
carry the gospel message
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for Jesus Christ in prison.
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Joetta is this your
first time in prison?
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Yes, this is.
First time in prison,
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how long have
you been in prison?
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I've been
incarcerated seven years.
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Seven years,
what message of hope
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would you like to
share with the world?
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You are not
just talking to your,
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to your co-inmates here,
but you're talking to the world.
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What message of hope
would you have this afternoon
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for those people
in the free world?
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The message of hope I
have today for the world
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is that Jesus Christ is the way.
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He is the truth
and he is the life.
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He saved me out of a
place that I didn't think
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I could be reached.
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I didn't think anyone cared.
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I felt abandoned and
rejected most of my life
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from my family, friends,
people who were close to me.
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I just felt unloved.
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But He reached down
from His Holy Sanctuary
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and He picked me up
in the palm of His hand
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and He shared His love with
me as He does this very moment
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that I stand here
with awesome breath of life
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that He fills me with.
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So you if you're feeling
like I did for so many years,
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I'm 47 years old by the
grace of God and I thank Him
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for each and every breath
that I breathe and everyday
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that I live to see
because this is a gift from Him.
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If you are feeling abandoned,
rejected, nobody wants
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to be around you, no one
likes you, then just praise God
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and thank Him for it,
because He set you apart
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for His purpose and for
His reason and for His glory.
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He is making you for Himself
and I had to be incarcerated
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to come into the
truth of that knowledge,
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but I'm so thankful for
the time that I've been here.
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I'm thankful for the people
he's brought into my life,
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the women here,
the administrators,
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the medical staff, all the--
ministers as Brother Lemuel
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and the other
ministries have come here
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to minister to our hearts.
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I'm just thankful
for God's goodness
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and for His faithfulness.
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So like I said,
if you feel that way
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and you feel that
there's no hope for you,
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Jesus Christ is the living hope.
00:10:41.22\00:10:43.34
Let's talk about
the anger and revenge.
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You told me that played a big
part in your life at that time.
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There is a lot
of anger and revenge
00:10:48.39\00:10:50.12
going on in the world today.
00:10:50.13\00:10:51.10
What would you share
to the people that can't
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find that forgiveness?
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As the sister who
just spoke before me,
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my encouragement for
you is to surrender that.
00:10:56.92\00:11:00.30
Give that to the Lord,
because He knows your anger.
00:11:00.31\00:11:02.57
He knows those
feelings that we think
00:11:02.58\00:11:04.54
we can hide from everyone else.
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You might say
all the right things.
00:11:06.15\00:11:07.86
You might play the part
you might look the role,
00:11:07.87\00:11:10.27
but God says, He is
the searcher of hearts.
00:11:10.28\00:11:12.80
He test the hearts
and He searches the mind
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and there is
nothing hidden from Him.
00:11:14.60\00:11:16.28
So my suggestion to you
and not only my suggestion
00:11:16.29\00:11:19.03
but my encouragement
to you is to surrender
00:11:19.04\00:11:21.30
that to the Lord, so
that He can heal your heart
00:11:21.31\00:11:24.08
of those wounds
that you are carrying,
00:11:24.09\00:11:25.58
all that pain from years
ago, so that you can forgive,
00:11:25.59\00:11:28.62
because without Jesus Christ
and the power of the Holy Spirit
00:11:28.63\00:11:31.21
working in you,
it cannot be done.
00:11:31.22\00:11:33.29
So you came from a background
00:11:33.30\00:11:34.71
of a lot of shame and guilt.
00:11:34.72\00:11:36.92
There was some
sexual abuse in that--
00:11:36.93\00:11:38.93
but through this journey,
you've been able to find
00:11:38.94\00:11:41.23
that hope and forgiveness.
Yes. And you'd recommend
00:11:41.24\00:11:43.35
for that people in
society as well. Yes,
00:11:43.36\00:11:45.99
I highly recommend
that you seek help,
00:11:46.00\00:11:48.21
two words, seek help.
00:11:48.22\00:11:50.16
Jesus says if you come into Him,
00:11:50.17\00:11:51.70
He will give you rest
from all of your burdens.
00:11:51.71\00:11:54.02
But He also sets
people in your life that
00:11:54.03\00:11:56.21
you can go and talk to
and that you can speak to.
00:11:56.22\00:11:58.05
All of us have
different callings.
00:11:58.06\00:11:59.62
All of us have
different purposes,
00:11:59.63\00:12:00.83
but we are all the same
at the foot of the cause.
00:12:00.84\00:12:03.01
And so, I just encourage
you to go and seek help.
00:12:03.02\00:12:04.99
I didn't do that when I
was younger because of shame,
00:12:05.00\00:12:07.18
because of
stigmatisms, because of the way
00:12:07.19\00:12:09.33
society sets you, sets you
in categories in little clicks
00:12:09.34\00:12:12.87
and it kind of keeps
you out of what you might
00:12:12.88\00:12:14.72
want to do or you
think so at the time.
00:12:14.73\00:12:16.53
I encourage
everyone to seek help.
00:12:16.54\00:12:18.27
If you've been abused,
whether it's a family member
00:12:18.28\00:12:20.12
or someone close to
you, a stranger, seek help.
00:12:20.13\00:12:22.81
Go and talk to
someone about that,
00:12:22.82\00:12:24.49
because there is hope
for you. Amen, in closing,
00:12:24.50\00:12:26.73
what is a Bible
verse, I know, you have many,
00:12:26.74\00:12:29.18
but what is a Bible verse
that you would like to leave.
00:12:29.19\00:12:31.50
Yes, that's kind of
hard to choose from,
00:12:31.51\00:12:33.03
but the Lord places
on my heart and today
00:12:33.04\00:12:36.13
is just my living testimony
that the Lord is my strength
00:12:36.14\00:12:40.39
and He is my song.
00:12:40.40\00:12:41.94
He is my God and
I will praise Him.
00:12:41.95\00:12:44.02
He has become my salvation.
00:12:44.03\00:12:45.82
He is my Father's
God and I will exalt Him.
00:12:45.83\00:12:48.40
You'll praise
Him no matter what.
00:12:48.41\00:12:49.69
No matter what, "For Christ
I live and for Christ I die."
00:12:49.70\00:12:53.24
Thank you. Thank you.
00:12:53.25\00:12:56.82
That just blows me away.
That's just so awesome to me
00:12:59.81\00:13:02.41
how God uses you
when you feel like,
00:13:02.42\00:13:05.06
you were the
second rate citizen.
00:13:05.07\00:13:07.72
There was no
value left in my life.
00:13:07.73\00:13:10.26
Thrown off to the side.
00:13:10.27\00:13:11.53
Nobody wanted me.
00:13:11.54\00:13:13.72
He showed me
how much He loved me
00:13:13.73\00:13:16.34
and He wants me.
00:13:16.35\00:13:19.18
He showed me the
hope that is in His son
00:13:19.19\00:13:22.61
and the reason why he sent Him
00:13:22.62\00:13:24.42
because how cruel
we are to one another.
00:13:24.43\00:13:27.24
No matter what type
of job that you have,
00:13:27.25\00:13:29.40
no matter what type
of house you live in,
00:13:29.41\00:13:31.19
or what kind of car you drive,
00:13:31.20\00:13:32.71
or which school your
kids go to, that we're all cut
00:13:32.72\00:13:36.90
from the same rug.
00:13:36.91\00:13:39.79
And it has to be
washed in the blood
00:13:39.80\00:13:42.24
of Jesus Christ
when it's still dirty.
00:13:42.25\00:13:46.19
And that's what
gets me through the day,
00:13:46.20\00:13:48.29
each day knowing
how much God loves
00:13:48.30\00:13:50.01
not just me, but all of us.
00:13:50.02\00:13:53.13
It's so beautiful and
it's just so wonderful
00:13:53.14\00:13:57.08
and so I tried to let
that light that's in me,
00:13:57.09\00:14:00.78
shine so that others can
see how much God loves them.
00:14:00.79\00:14:04.98
No matter how you look,
can be either someone who looks
00:14:04.99\00:14:09.01
on a magazine cover or a
person that's walking next
00:14:09.02\00:14:12.24
to you to the
left or to the right.
00:14:12.25\00:14:14.26
The only thing that--
matters is the reflection
00:14:14.27\00:14:15.97
that you see in that
mirror when you look.
00:14:15.98\00:14:18.18
Who do you see when
you look in the mirror?
00:14:18.19\00:14:20.49
Do you see Jo Walls?
00:14:20.50\00:14:22.89
Or do you see, Christ?
00:14:22.90\00:14:27.18
I see Christ.
00:14:27.19\00:14:30.14
I see Him reflecting His image,
00:14:30.15\00:14:32.86
because now I can
look in the mirror again.
00:14:32.87\00:14:34.58
It was years when I
didn't even look in the mirror.
00:14:34.59\00:14:36.71
I know how to put make
up on without looking at.
00:14:36.72\00:14:38.73
I can put on
lipstick in the dark.
00:14:38.74\00:14:40.84
I didn't look in the
mirror, because I didn't knew
00:14:40.85\00:14:42.52
who that person was
that was in the mirror.
00:14:42.53\00:14:44.99
I didn't know who that was
looking back at me because--
00:14:45.00\00:14:46.86
it was a scarred person.
00:14:46.87\00:14:48.57
It's kind of like you pickup
a dirty penny off the street
00:14:48.58\00:14:52.05
and you don't know it's a penny
00:14:52.06\00:14:53.17
till it gets all
washed off and clean again.
00:14:53.18\00:14:56.22
That's what God did to me.
00:14:56.23\00:14:57.41
He picked me up,
He cleaned me up.
00:14:57.42\00:15:01.10
And He reminded me who I
was and where I was from,
00:15:01.11\00:15:03.71
that I belonged to him
00:15:03.72\00:15:06.59
and that I'm His
daughter and He loves me.
00:15:06.60\00:15:09.20
And no matter where
I'm in and what I've done,
00:15:09.21\00:15:14.55
mercy doesn't
remember any of that.
00:15:14.56\00:15:16.27
When I look at
a crowd this size,
00:15:17.37\00:15:21.09
I know that there is
more than one person in here,
00:15:21.10\00:15:23.86
there is probably many
people in here who were told
00:15:23.87\00:15:27.12
as a child you're worthless,
00:15:27.13\00:15:29.46
you'll never amount to anything.
00:15:29.47\00:15:33.79
You know, you're no good.
00:15:33.80\00:15:35.80
And I want to
tell you something.
00:15:35.81\00:15:36.87
That is-- a lie of the devil.
00:15:36.88\00:15:39.09
He is-- the father of lies,
00:15:39.10\00:15:40.65
he has lied from the--
beginning and that is a lie.
00:15:40.66\00:15:44.79
To each and every one of you,
whether you've accepted Christ
00:15:44.80\00:15:47.79
as your Savior or
not, let me tell you this.
00:15:47.80\00:15:50.65
You are worth
nothing less than the price
00:15:50.66\00:15:53.98
that He paid for you
00:15:53.99\00:15:55.85
with the blood of
His only begotten Son.
00:15:55.86\00:15:59.35
A God who'd humble
himself, become human,
00:15:59.36\00:16:04.69
show up as a baby.
00:16:04.70\00:16:06.04
If I was God, I'd be coming
in as a King, but he showed up
00:16:06.05\00:16:09.53
as a baby, so that he
could lead a life and understand
00:16:09.54\00:16:14.06
everything that--
you're going through
00:16:14.07\00:16:15.75
and experience every temptation.
00:16:15.76\00:16:18.34
God showed us how much He
loved us by sending His Son
00:16:18.35\00:16:21.23
into the world to die for us.
00:16:21.24\00:16:24.47
And you know, the
Bible is very clear.
00:16:24.48\00:16:27.02
He says in Ephesians 2,
verse 4 beginning there.
00:16:27.03\00:16:31.29
This is what Paul says,
God is so rich in mercy.
00:16:31.30\00:16:34.88
He loved us so much that
even though we were dead,
00:16:34.89\00:16:39.35
spiritually dead, because
of our sins, He gave us life
00:16:39.36\00:16:44.53
when He raised
Christ from the dead.
00:16:44.54\00:16:47.09
It's only by grace that
you've been saved. When--
00:16:47.10\00:16:52.70
I grew up with a
great fear of abandonment
00:16:58.20\00:17:01.02
and a fear of rejection.
00:17:01.03\00:17:03.55
And I had even as a Christian,
I had an identity crisis.
00:17:03.56\00:17:08.33
I didn't know who I was.
00:17:08.34\00:17:11.76
And I can imagine that--
most of you coming in here
00:17:11.77\00:17:15.27
have experienced
that identity crisis.
00:17:15.28\00:17:18.24
You know, the Bible tells
us in Second Corinthians 5:17
00:17:18.25\00:17:23.01
that we are new
creations in Christ Jesus.
00:17:23.02\00:17:26.37
When you accept
Christ, the old is gone
00:17:26.38\00:17:29.39
and the new is come.
00:17:29.40\00:17:31.92
Now, I don't know about
you, I claim this promise
00:17:31.93\00:17:36.87
and I claim along
with it Philippians 1:6
00:17:36.88\00:17:39.50
that God is faithful and that
He will complete the good work
00:17:39.51\00:17:42.88
He has begun in me.
00:17:42.89\00:17:44.04
But I don't always
feel like the old is gone
00:17:44.05\00:17:47.51
and the new has come.
00:17:47.52\00:17:49.69
But I confess it
over my life because--
00:17:49.70\00:17:52.51
Romans 4:17 says that
God is a God who gives life
00:17:52.52\00:17:56.47
to the dead and
calls things that are not
00:17:56.48\00:17:59.72
as though they already were.
00:17:59.73\00:18:01.44
He can do that because He knows
00:18:01.45\00:18:03.76
the end from the beginning.
00:18:03.77\00:18:05.98
And you know what,
you can know the end
00:18:05.99\00:18:08.04
from the beginning
too, because it is written.
00:18:08.05\00:18:11.83
Everything in this book
is written for your benefit
00:18:11.84\00:18:17.93
and you will
become what you behold.
00:18:17.94\00:18:21.54
Let me read you this
scripture from the Amplified,
00:18:21.55\00:18:23.67
it say in Second
Corinthians 3:16.
00:18:23.68\00:18:26.72
It says,
"Whenever a person turns
00:18:26.73\00:18:29.44
that means to
repent return to the Lord,
00:18:29.45\00:18:34.57
then the veil is stripped away."
00:18:34.58\00:18:37.96
That veil of identity crisis
when you look in the mirror
00:18:37.97\00:18:42.89
and think who is this
that's looking back at me.
00:18:42.90\00:18:45.94
Have your ever felt like that?
00:18:45.95\00:18:47.91
Who is this?
What's wrong with me Lord?
00:18:47.92\00:18:52.02
But it says, "The
Lord is the Spirit,
00:18:52.03\00:18:55.19
and where the
Spirit of the Lord is,
00:18:55.20\00:18:57.07
there is liberty."
00:18:57.08\00:19:00.16
You can be free
from your bondage
00:19:00.17\00:19:02.30
and it goes on in verse 18.
00:19:02.31\00:19:04.35
It says, "All of
us with unveiled face,
00:19:04.36\00:19:07.18
because we continue to
behold as in the Word of God
00:19:07.19\00:19:12.91
as in a mirror
the glory of the Lord,
00:19:12.92\00:19:15.75
we are
constantly being transformed
00:19:15.76\00:19:19.28
from one level of
His glory to the next."
00:19:19.29\00:19:22.95
From glory to glory.
00:19:22.96\00:19:25.12
You become who you behold.
00:19:25.13\00:19:28.71
That's why some of you are here.
00:19:28.72\00:19:31.19
You became what you
beheld in your own home.
00:19:31.20\00:19:36.54
But you can have a different
life by looking into this word
00:19:36.55\00:19:41.87
and knowing that--
God's promises are yours
00:19:41.88\00:19:45.37
and beginning to
claim them and confess them
00:19:45.38\00:19:48.02
over your life and
God will change you.
00:19:48.03\00:19:51.26
There is transforming
power in the word of God.
00:19:51.27\00:19:54.93
James 1:21 says that
this word, when it's planted
00:19:54.94\00:19:58.78
in our hearts, has the--
ability to save our souls.
00:19:58.79\00:20:04.86
In second Peter 1:3
through 4, some of my most
00:20:04.87\00:20:09.11
favorite
scriptures, and it says this,
00:20:09.12\00:20:16.07
"God's divine power
has given to us all things
00:20:16.08\00:20:20.47
that pertain to
life and godliness."
00:20:20.48\00:20:23.61
Everything we
need, God provides.
00:20:23.62\00:20:25.85
God doesn't tell
you to be something
00:20:25.86\00:20:28.01
that he doesn't call you
to be something that he won't
00:20:28.02\00:20:31.75
cause you to be if
you learn to rely on Him.
00:20:31.76\00:20:36.66
It goes on and says,
"He has given us all things
00:20:36.67\00:20:40.72
that pertain to
life and godliness,
00:20:40.73\00:20:42.29
through the knowledge of
Him who called us by glory
00:20:42.30\00:20:45.26
and virtue, by which,
by his glory and virtue,
00:20:45.27\00:20:49.46
have been given
to us exceedingly
00:20:49.47\00:20:52.01
great and-- precious promises."
00:20:52.02\00:20:54.65
So that through these
promises, the Bible says,
00:20:54.66\00:20:58.58
you can become a partaker
of the divine nature and escape
00:20:58.59\00:21:04.84
the corruption that's
in the world through lust.
00:21:04.85\00:21:08.43
I cannot tell you how
much it means to me when God
00:21:08.44\00:21:13.00
first taught me to take
scripture and to pray it back
00:21:13.01\00:21:17.87
to him to claim it
over my life, to tell Him,
00:21:17.88\00:21:21.37
Lord I thank you,
that I'm the righteousness
00:21:21.38\00:21:26.28
of God in Christ Jesus.
00:21:26.29\00:21:28.10
I thank you that
I'm a new creation
00:21:28.11\00:21:30.48
and He taught me to
do this and one day,
00:21:30.49\00:21:32.64
after He had given
me a bunch of promises,
00:21:32.65\00:21:35.20
and I wrote them all
out, beginning with I'm.
00:21:35.21\00:21:38.66
The Lord told me to go
and look into the mirror
00:21:38.70\00:21:42.23
and speak these
promises over my life.
00:21:42.24\00:21:44.44
You know what, it
was easy, somewhat easy,
00:21:44.45\00:21:47.15
for me to have
these promises written out
00:21:47.16\00:21:49.95
and to claim
them and to pray them.
00:21:49.96\00:21:51.94
But when I went to
look in the mirror,
00:21:51.95\00:21:53.91
I want to read you this, this
affirmation that I was reading
00:21:53.92\00:21:57.09
in the mirror.
00:21:57.10\00:21:59.62
Here's what the Lord
gave me and it came from
00:21:59.63\00:22:01.52
Ephesians 4:30 in
First John Chapter 5.
00:22:01.53\00:22:05.34
The affirmation said, I'm sealed
for the day of redemption.
00:22:05.35\00:22:10.40
God has given me eternal life
and this life is in His son.
00:22:10.41\00:22:14.44
As long as I abide in Jesus, I
have assurance of my salvation.
00:22:14.45\00:22:20.65
That's what the
promises are from Ephesians 4:30
00:22:20.66\00:22:23.26
and First John 5:11 and 12.
00:22:23.27\00:22:26.68
And I had this
written out on paper.
00:22:26.69\00:22:29.09
I was praying it.
00:22:29.10\00:22:30.55
I was speaking it. But God
said go look in the mirror.
00:22:30.56\00:22:35.58
And when I looked in the mirror,
00:22:35.59\00:22:38.29
and I said to,
looking into my own eyes,
00:22:38.30\00:22:41.45
I am sealed for
the day of redemption.
00:22:41.46\00:22:46.11
All of a sudden,
what was written on paper,
00:22:46.12\00:22:50.86
the light of God's word actually
00:22:50.87\00:22:53.18
entered into my heart,
into the deep recesses,
00:22:53.19\00:22:57.41
the dark recesses of my
heart, because I had never had
00:22:57.42\00:23:01.31
assurance of
salvation until I did that.
00:23:01.32\00:23:06.87
When you take what the Bible
says and apply it personally,
00:23:06.88\00:23:12.50
don't think his promises
are too great for me because
00:23:12.51\00:23:15.61
He says in
Second Corinthians 1:20,
00:23:15.62\00:23:18.03
All of His promises
are ours in Christ Jesus
00:23:18.04\00:23:21.67
and as you do that, as you
learn as Proverbs Chapter 3, 5
00:23:21.68\00:23:27.97
through 7 says,
"To trust in the Lord
00:23:27.98\00:23:31.04
with all of your heart."
00:23:31.05\00:23:33.88
He is trustworthy, he
loves you--He cannot lie.
00:23:33.89\00:23:38.84
He has totally
separated from evil.
00:23:38.85\00:23:41.25
There is not
anything evil in God.
00:23:41.26\00:23:43.78
And the Bible
says trust in the Lord
00:23:43.79\00:23:46.35
with all of your
heart and lean not
00:23:46.36\00:23:49.27
on your own understanding.
00:23:49.28\00:23:51.03
Well, if we're not going
to lean on our understanding,
00:23:51.04\00:23:53.27
whose
understanding would we lean on,
00:23:53.28\00:23:55.50
God's and where do we find it?
00:23:55.51\00:23:57.19
In the Bible. And then,
He says, acknowledge Him
00:23:57.20\00:24:02.84
in all of your ways and
He will direct your pasts.
00:24:02.85\00:24:08.58
Please, understand that
as you look into this word,
00:24:08.59\00:24:14.96
what you will see is
who you are in Christ Jesus.
00:24:14.97\00:24:20.16
We have an identity crisis.
00:24:20.17\00:24:23.35
You're not the only ones.
00:24:23.36\00:24:24.53
There're so many
people in the church
00:24:24.54\00:24:26.52
who don't understand
who they are in Christ.
00:24:26.53\00:24:29.20
But God wants us
to get into His word.
00:24:29.21\00:24:31.89
Let the word get into us,
and to begin to understand
00:24:31.90\00:24:36.53
that someone quoted
earlier, Romans 8:28,
00:24:36.54\00:24:41.70
"All things work
together for good for those
00:24:41.71\00:24:43.89
who love the--
Lord and are called
00:24:43.90\00:24:45.32
according to his purpose."
00:24:45.33\00:24:46.81
You cannot
disconnect that from Romans 8:29
00:24:46.82\00:24:50.26
because his
purpose it goes onto say,
00:24:50.27\00:24:53.66
is for those He
foreknew, He predestined
00:24:53.67\00:24:57.60
to become like Jesus.
00:24:57.61\00:25:00.89
Your destiny is to be
like Jesus and when you look
00:25:00.90\00:25:05.48
into the mirror of
the word, you will see
00:25:05.49\00:25:08.77
who you really are in Christ.
00:25:08.78\00:25:11.92
Thank you all
so much for coming.
00:25:11.93\00:25:13.91
The importance of programs
coming in like Free Indeed
00:25:20.40\00:25:24.47
is huge for the women
here and for myself personally.
00:25:24.48\00:25:27.65
We had this wonderful day
and all these people came in
00:25:27.66\00:25:33.58
from Free Indeed and we
were able to pray and worship
00:25:33.59\00:25:37.07
with them and the--
someone was able to sing
00:25:37.08\00:25:41.56
and Pastor Vega was able to
preach, and it was a wonderful
00:25:41.57\00:25:47.03
coming together of people
and I love when volunteers
00:25:47.04\00:25:51.48
come in personally
because of their openness
00:25:51.49\00:25:55.51
and willingness to
share their lives with us.
00:25:55.52\00:25:57.87
They don't treat us as
if we are junk or garbage
00:25:57.88\00:26:01.40
or throwaways or
castaways or outcast people
00:26:01.41\00:26:07.89
and we are people. We
are people who need to hear
00:26:07.90\00:26:10.06
the word, Lord.
00:26:10.07\00:26:11.18
We are the people who need
to find our way back to God,
00:26:11.19\00:26:16.42
because I don't believe
there is any real separation
00:26:16.43\00:26:19.22
between ourselves and
God is always present,
00:26:19.23\00:26:21.56
always in our lives,
ever present in everything
00:26:21.57\00:26:23.76
and sometimes we need
to have people come in
00:26:23.77\00:26:29.09
who can help us remember
that and have opportunity
00:26:29.10\00:26:32.16
to express that in a
open way, to pray and worship
00:26:32.17\00:26:37.08
and shout and say
thank you in an open way
00:26:37.09\00:26:40.18
and when Free Indeed came
in, there was such a spirit
00:26:40.19\00:26:43.19
of revival in the women.
00:26:43.20\00:26:45.18
Women were raising
their hands and clapping
00:26:45.19\00:26:48.82
and standing up and
testifying and crying out to God
00:26:48.83\00:26:51.92
and so whenever
volunteers come in like that
00:26:51.93\00:26:56.07
with their hearts
open, ready to share,
00:26:56.08\00:26:58.45
ready to worship,
its transformational,
00:26:58.46\00:27:00.75
its transformational.
00:27:00.76\00:27:02.90
Some of you may know,
my name is Lemuel Vega
00:27:02.91\00:27:05.12
and I work with
00:27:05.13\00:27:06.10
Christmas Behind
Bars Outreach Ministry,
00:27:06.11\00:27:08.00
which carries the gospel message
00:27:08.01\00:27:10.00
literally around the
world, 365 days a year.
00:27:10.01\00:27:13.61
We've come to a
really critical point.
00:27:13.62\00:27:16.13
We need Bibles at this point
00:27:16.14\00:27:18.10
and we are asking for your help.
00:27:18.11\00:27:20.21
Do you have any
idea as how we can get
00:27:20.22\00:27:22.12
700 Bibles every month to
put in these people's hands?
00:27:22.13\00:27:26.45
We have a
warehouse that's been donated
00:27:26.49\00:27:28.63
and we have skids of
material in that warehouse.
00:27:28.64\00:27:32.44
Bibles, the skid is empty.
00:27:32.45\00:27:34.51
700 every month
and we need your help.
00:27:34.52\00:27:36.55
A new Bible costs
$3, 3 simple dollars
00:27:36.56\00:27:39.81
to put a brand new Bible
into these people's hands.
00:27:39.82\00:27:43.32
Is there anybody here
that would like a Bible,
00:27:43.33\00:27:47.37
but don't have one?
00:27:47.38\00:27:48.81
We're trying to get
more Bibles brothers.
00:27:54.66\00:27:57.45
So if you don't
have one, please pray
00:27:57.46\00:28:00.95
that we can get more Bibles.
00:28:00.96\00:28:02.71
At this point,
we're asking for your help
00:28:02.72\00:28:05.40
combined with God's grace,
00:28:05.41\00:28:07.40
I know that the word
of God and these inmates,
00:28:07.41\00:28:09.38
many of them, will be
in the kingdom of heaven,
00:28:09.39\00:28:11.66
because you are willing
to serve in this capacity.
00:28:11.67\00:28:14.04
Thank you very much.
00:28:14.05\00:28:15.91