On today's program, we travel
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to the Putnamville Correctional
Facility in Indiana.
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Program has a lot to say,
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we have a
message from Lemuel Vega.
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Then we have an interview
with the program coordinator
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who sort of coordinates
the inmate population
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with people who come in
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and try to supply
services and programs to them.
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His name is Rick.
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Lemuel Vega gets a
chance to talk with him.
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We have found that
many of the individuals
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who are incarcerated have
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really quite outstanding
musical talent and ability.
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Some are singers, some
are singers and musicians.
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Some play piano,
many play guitar,
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others play various
kinds of instruments.
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Well, there is a
surprising wealth of talent
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that is behind these bars
and in these institutions.
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We get to meet one
today one such young man,
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his name is
J'arius. He is a singer.
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He is a songwriter.
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He has a very
interesting message.
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He's gonna sing a
song called "Use me Lord"
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and one of the
things that he says
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is that he used to
sing for the wrong reasons.
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Now he's singing
for the right reasons.
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He is singing
indeed for Jesus Christ.
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We meet Chaplain Joe.
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We meet Kenneth and Tim.
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We meet Sydney
who has a lot to say,
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who gave his heart to the Lord
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through Christmas Behind Bars
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and through contact with 3ABN.
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And of course we meet George.
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We've got a good program.
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We've got a lot to say to you.
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Listen and give
ear, you'll be blessed.
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I'm reminded of John,
the Gospel of John in 14,
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Jesus really
starts talking about how,
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"If you love me, you'll
keep My commandments." Amen.
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And He goes through
that, and He talks about
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His peace being in us and
our joy, His joy being in us.
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And somewhere and
about the middle of 15
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and He says that
joy will be complete.
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But when you take all
that within its context,
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it's serving like Christ
did as where you get the joy
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and where you get the peace.
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You know we work
with a lot of people
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and we've all
experienced trying to get joy
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outside of Christ
and that's what sin is.
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Taking joy or peace or comfort,
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and chasing after
anything before Christ
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and then when you
really do, you know,
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because of His love,
love Him back and by doing,
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that's where you really get joy,
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and that's where you
really get the peace.
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And if we watch your
DVDs, you see that in the people
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that are putting
those sacks together.
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I mean it's a joy
just to watch them.
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When you can get 350
people together in a warehouse
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and put together 15,000 packages
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and fill three
or four semi trucks,
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that's amazing. Yeah.
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But here's where the
rubber meets the road
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is once the packages are full
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and the trucks
are full, we come down
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and ask you if we
can come into your prison
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then you have to
coordinate dates,
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extra staff and
all kinds of things.
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So we thank you in
the volunteer position,
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we thank you and we wish you
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God's rich blessings. Thank you.
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I've been struggling,
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trying to do things on my own
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I've been now,
lots of up and down
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Seen the whole world
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come to the ground
But this is what I did
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Fellows you got to mind
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Give it to the
Lord Give it to You Lord
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Everything,
everything I'm going through
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Yes I did So give it to the Lord
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Give it to You
Lord All the problems
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that seem so small
How many don't know
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You can fix them all
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I don't know about
job But I just want Him
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to have His way
in this place Lord
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Here in Love At this
very second till now,
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I'm standing in the need
of a blessing right now Lord
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Have Your way, have Your way,
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have Your way till
now In this very place,
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no matter who's
looking, who's watching
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have your way till now
And if You don't mind--
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Before we guys came
in, you know I've done
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several live shows on a street
but my heart wasn't right.
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I was just up there playing
the music, mike goes smoke
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and we don't bite, honestly.
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So when I heard you
guys were coming to us,
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so this would be the first time
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I've actually get to
look over my heart is right
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and I'm dong this
for the right reason.
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So, you know, when I heard
this opportunity was coming,
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I just had to
give all thanks to God.
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You know that
actually I'm doing it
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for the right reason this time.
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And since you guys
have been doing this,
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God gave me just so much favor.
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I've been just over
in teachings things,
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I've never thought I'll ever be
able to doing leadership roles
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and the plus
program that were made,
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you know, I've been
doing so many things
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that I used to see
other people doing,
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but I was like, oh he is police
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or why would you
want to do that in prison.
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Now God is just
using me as vessels.
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It's hard to explain
but I'm so free right now.
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It's just--it's hard to
say when you guys come in
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to see out of those barbed wires
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but just to know
that I've a out day coming
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real soon and know
that I could be free
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and now my heart
is right, thank God
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that I wasn't
free before this time.
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Today...Lord,
please use me, Lord.
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Use me Lord.
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God Be the Glory.
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The value that
you've sensed over these
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many, many hours and days
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that we've been in this prison,
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share with me the value of
this program, "Free Indeed!"
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Well, what I
like most about it is
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the fact that when you come in
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you really show that you care.
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I mean you take time
to meet with these men,
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I mean, I see you when
the cameras aren't rolling.
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You interact and
you listen to needs
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and you make a
connection on a personal level
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as really a friend, as a person
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who has a bond in Christ,
really a brother in Christ.
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And I think that the
men really appreciate
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that the most.
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But beyond that a lot of times
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it's also the gifts
that they never get.
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I mean it's the
Bibles, it's the books
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that are brought in
for Christian growth
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and commitment and
it's the, you know,
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the food, the hygiene articles
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that they often
really need because
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they don't often
have a lot. Right.
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So you are saying the
value of the gift packages
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and the sponsorship for
those packages are worthwhile?
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Very much so.
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I think that when
a gift is brought in
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and it supports
the caring approach
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that you have for these men.
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I think that it really
underlines the ministry
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that you have for them
and the men don't forget it.
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And you deal with
that and you know bring
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the good news of Christ
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and the blessing of forgiveness
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really to
everybody, you know the word,
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we challenge
people with the word
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and with what they need.
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You know the
commitment to Christ but then
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at the same time the
message of forgiveness
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and the cross is always crucial
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to every single
person that I talked to,
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both on the
outside and on the inside.
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So they can be free indeed
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even though
they're incarcerated.
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Yes. Christ makes us free.
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That's the key thing. Amen.
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Okay, brothers, I don't
know what you come to do,
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but I come to praise the Lord.
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Amen. Amen.
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Okay, if you came
to praise the Lord,
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who do I have
out here that wants
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to come up and praise the Lord?
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Come on, big guy.
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Who do I got over here
that wants to praise the Lord?
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Okay, come on up here.
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Now we did not talk before,
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he don't know
me, I don't know him.
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But he said he
came to praise the Lord.
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So we just want a message
of hope to go to the world.
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Because we're tired
of this way of life.
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And there's a
suffering society out there,
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suffering, pain
and it's terrible
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and it's getting worse.
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9/11 was a symptom of a
problem a long time ago.
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We had the oil
spills and we got all kinds
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of trauma going on
in our world today.
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What is your name?
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My name is Kenneth Hopkins.
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Kenneth, is this
your first time in prison?
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No, it is not. It's
not your first time.
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How many times have you
been in prison, Kenneth?
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I've been in prison six times.
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Six times in prison.
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You know you don't
want to come back to prison
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after the first
time or the second time.
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What happened that
you got side tracked
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from your vision because
when a person's in prison,
00:09:03.22\00:09:05.78
they desire to be
with their family,
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they desire to be different,
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you don't want to
come back to prison.
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What has happened in your life
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that you went back to
prison second or third time?
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Well, first of
all, giving honor to God
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who is the head of my life.
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What caused me to come
back is simple, self will.
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Self will is what
caused me to come back,
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trying to do things
outside of God's will
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and once that happens
your flesh can lead you
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into some obstacles
that can be very difficult
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for you to come out yourself.
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Amen, without Jesus I
know that those obstacles
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can and will lead me
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into a state of
desolation and stagnation.
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Without Jesus.
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And then with that
desolation and stagnation,
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then comes the whisky bottle,
00:09:56.58\00:09:58.16
then comes the
needle in the arm,
00:09:58.17\00:09:59.89
the crack pipe whatever to
try to heal that brokenness
00:09:59.90\00:10:03.93
and it doesn't work, it
takes us farther down, amen.
00:10:03.94\00:10:06.34
Amen. Exactly what drugs is,
00:10:06.35\00:10:08.78
it's just simply
a cheap substitute.
00:10:08.79\00:10:12.16
Anytime you begin to
allow drugs to rule your life,
00:10:12.17\00:10:16.19
you give up your own life
00:10:16.20\00:10:18.12
and you succumb to the
things and the situations
00:10:18.13\00:10:20.63
and circumstances around you.
00:10:20.64\00:10:23.26
What would you
share with the person
00:10:23.27\00:10:24.73
in the world that's
still suffering today
00:10:24.74\00:10:27.12
with drug
addiction or alcoholism
00:10:27.13\00:10:28.87
but really the sin problem?
00:10:28.88\00:10:30.80
Well, what I would share
to you is simply two words
00:10:30.81\00:10:34.79
and these words are found
in the Book of Saint John,
00:10:34.80\00:10:39.82
and that's Jesus Christ, amen,
00:10:39.83\00:10:42.42
because Jesus, the Bible says,
00:10:42.43\00:10:44.55
"Whom the son sets
free, amen, is free indeed."
00:10:44.56\00:10:50.30
Somebody ought to say amen.
00:10:50.31\00:10:52.06
Amen.
00:10:52.07\00:10:53.76
Kenneth, Kenneth,
let me ask you, let me,
00:10:56.53\00:11:00.90
you need to let these
people know Jesus Christ,
00:11:00.91\00:11:04.46
that they don't have
to get all cleaned up
00:11:04.47\00:11:06.27
before they
come to Jesus Christ.
00:11:06.28\00:11:08.06
Amen. Now you
can't clean yourself up.
00:11:08.07\00:11:11.35
Amen, if you could
clean yourself up, amen,
00:11:11.36\00:11:14.29
it would be no need for Jesus.
00:11:14.30\00:11:16.61
But the Bible says, amen,
for--the Bible says, for God
00:11:16.62\00:11:22.13
so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten son
00:11:22.14\00:11:26.19
that whosoever shall believeth
in Him, amen, not outside
00:11:26.20\00:11:30.82
of Him, not just
believing that He exists
00:11:30.83\00:11:33.78
but you got to believe in
Him, in the realm of Salvation,
00:11:33.79\00:11:38.23
in the manipulation
of the power of God,
00:11:38.24\00:11:41.46
causing the blood to
wash away those things
00:11:41.47\00:11:44.56
that cause you to be caught up
00:11:44.57\00:11:46.35
in situations that you
can't get yourself out.
00:11:46.36\00:11:49.18
I wish I had somebody that
knows what I'm talking about?
00:11:49.19\00:11:52.05
Amen. Amen.
00:11:52.06\00:11:53.06
Share with me
John 3:17, John 3:17.
00:11:53.07\00:11:57.76
Share with me
that one in closing.
00:11:57.77\00:11:59.66
Amen. John 3:17, it says,
00:11:59.67\00:12:02.51
"For God sent not his Son
00:12:02.52\00:12:03.91
into the world" amen,
00:12:03.92\00:12:05.77
watch this now, he said,
00:12:05.78\00:12:07.28
"For God sent not his Son into
the world to condemn the world;
00:12:07.29\00:12:10.66
but that the world
through Him might be saved."
00:12:10.67\00:12:15.50
We have a
choice, we have a choice
00:12:15.51\00:12:19.45
who we will serve
and today there's nobody
00:12:19.46\00:12:22.57
in the penitentiary anywhere
00:12:22.58\00:12:23.88
in the world that's
satisfied serving sin.
00:12:23.89\00:12:26.90
Brother, thank you so very,
very much and God bless you.
00:12:26.91\00:12:29.92
God bless you.
00:12:29.93\00:12:32.08
Kenneth came
tonight to praise the Lord
00:12:38.39\00:12:42.03
and may his daily
life, a six time down,
00:12:42.04\00:12:45.70
society say we're
a three-time loser,
00:12:45.71\00:12:48.74
he's a double
negative by society
00:12:48.75\00:12:51.54
but yet he has
this Gospel message,
00:12:51.55\00:12:54.46
he made God use him
00:12:54.47\00:12:56.22
and each and everyone of you to,
00:12:56.23\00:12:57.71
to sound this
message to the whole world
00:12:57.72\00:13:00.34
wherever you go from this place.
00:13:00.35\00:13:02.10
That when Jesus comes,
many, hundreds and thousands
00:13:02.11\00:13:05.54
millions of people
will be ready on that day
00:13:05.55\00:13:08.37
to meet Him and
hear those words,
00:13:08.38\00:13:10.58
"Well done, thou good
and faithful servant."
00:13:10.59\00:13:17.42
Is this your
first time in prison?
00:13:17.43\00:13:19.04
No, sir.
00:13:19.05\00:13:20.10
It's not your
first time in prison.
00:13:20.11\00:13:22.42
Do you know that this can
be your last time in prison?
00:13:22.43\00:13:25.42
Amen.
00:13:25.43\00:13:26.58
How can this not
ever reoccur in your life
00:13:26.59\00:13:30.25
that you have to
come back in shackles
00:13:30.26\00:13:31.75
and chains but you may
come back as a volunteer?
00:13:31.76\00:13:34.52
Well, if I keep my
focus on Jesus Christ
00:13:34.53\00:13:37.10
and put him first.
00:13:37.11\00:13:38.86
Okay, put him first.
00:13:38.87\00:13:40.71
What people, group and society
00:13:40.72\00:13:42.87
would you like to
share a message of hope with
00:13:42.88\00:13:45.18
to let them know not to give up?
00:13:45.19\00:13:46.55
You are in prison with
nothing by society standards
00:13:46.56\00:13:50.11
but yet they're
free by society standards
00:13:50.12\00:13:53.29
but yet locked up inside.
00:13:53.30\00:13:55.43
Well, to all the
ones out there strung out
00:13:55.44\00:13:59.70
on dope like I was,
the ones in the street,
00:13:59.71\00:14:03.26
that think there is
no hope, there is hope.
00:14:03.27\00:14:07.07
I've been in a street.
00:14:07.08\00:14:08.20
I've been
showing out on every dope
00:14:08.21\00:14:11.25
there is, alcohol, all of it.
00:14:11.26\00:14:14.12
I was putting needles in
my arm when I got locked up,
00:14:14.13\00:14:17.91
raving people, I
mean I've done it all.
00:14:17.92\00:14:21.63
I've been to prison four times
00:14:21.64\00:14:23.51
because my focus was on drugs
00:14:23.52\00:14:27.04
and street life and
not on my Lord and Savior.
00:14:27.05\00:14:30.67
And now when you come here,
00:14:30.68\00:14:32.27
it gives you sometime to heal
00:14:32.28\00:14:35.23
if you seek His will
for your life, amen. Amen.
00:14:35.24\00:14:37.94
So even though
we're in prison with the,
00:14:37.95\00:14:40.24
God is in the business
of mending broken people,
00:14:40.25\00:14:43.12
of setting people free indeed.
00:14:43.13\00:14:45.69
But we have to continually keep
00:14:45.70\00:14:47.16
our hearts' door
open because he knocketh
00:14:47.17\00:14:50.17
but we're the ones
that have to answer, amen?
00:14:50.18\00:14:52.06
Amen.
00:14:52.07\00:14:53.07
We were born with a free
will and we want to surrender
00:14:53.08\00:14:55.76
that unto our
creator and our Lord
00:14:55.77\00:14:58.24
that he can be King of our life
00:14:58.28\00:15:00.02
and then our life will be
different on this earth. Amen.
00:15:00.03\00:15:03.75
I'd like to say I was
never free until I came here.
00:15:03.76\00:15:08.24
That sounds a
little strange, I know,
00:15:08.25\00:15:09.84
everybody is probably like free,
00:15:09.85\00:15:11.37
but yeah, I
wasn't free out there,
00:15:11.38\00:15:14.26
I was locked up,
I was, like I said
00:15:14.27\00:15:17.36
I was strung out on dope.
00:15:17.37\00:15:18.57
That was--I mean I
was a slave, slave to sin.
00:15:18.58\00:15:21.78
Now, I'm free, I'm free indeed.
00:15:21.79\00:15:24.18
Jesus Christ is
my Lord and Savior
00:15:24.19\00:15:25.94
and I'll always
be free through Him.
00:15:25.95\00:15:28.55
What would you share with the--
00:15:28.56\00:15:34.04
in closing, brother,
00:15:34.05\00:15:36.42
what would you
share with that person
00:15:36.43\00:15:38.71
that's perhaps
putting a needle in their arm
00:15:38.72\00:15:41.11
at this very moment,
that person that's seeking
00:15:41.12\00:15:44.07
that fix to get
the sick off of them?
00:15:44.08\00:15:46.81
What would you share with them?
00:15:46.82\00:15:48.27
Who
would--should they call out to?
00:15:48.28\00:15:50.35
Jesus Christ. You will never get
00:15:50.36\00:15:52.74
what you're looking
for through that needle.
00:15:52.75\00:15:56.82
You're looking
for the relationship
00:15:56.83\00:15:59.18
with Jesus Christ, He made us
00:15:59.19\00:16:01.32
to have relationship and
that's what we're seeking for.
00:16:01.33\00:16:04.65
We're looking
for to other things
00:16:04.66\00:16:06.57
but you're not gonna find it.
00:16:06.58\00:16:08.00
And I would like to
share Philippians 4:13,
00:16:08.01\00:16:11.15
He said do all
thing, we can do all things
00:16:11.16\00:16:14.47
to Him who strengthened us,
00:16:14.48\00:16:16.87
so as long as we focus on Him
00:16:16.88\00:16:19.33
and rely on Him,
we can do it all.
00:16:19.34\00:16:22.50
He says it.
Thank you so very much.
00:16:22.51\00:16:24.89
I love that Bible verse.
00:16:24.90\00:16:26.07
Thank you,
brother, so very, very much.
00:16:26.08\00:16:29.96
Brothers, I have to
confess to you something.
00:16:29.97\00:16:31.82
Philippians
4:13, six years clean,
00:16:31.83\00:16:37.30
somebody told me,
00:16:37.31\00:16:39.39
then in a prison 25
years on a life sentence.
00:16:39.40\00:16:43.23
He said, Vega, I owe you
00:16:43.24\00:16:45.11
'cause when you
got out of prison,
00:16:45.12\00:16:46.41
you would run a
Lincoln or a Cadillac
00:16:46.42\00:16:48.83
and you'll drive
to the neighborhood
00:16:48.84\00:16:50.45
and pick mama up,
which was 70 years old,
00:16:50.46\00:16:53.73
who didn't drive
and bring mama down
00:16:53.74\00:16:56.16
because the bus and the transit,
00:16:56.17\00:16:57.87
the transit system
didn't bring mama down
00:16:57.88\00:17:00.18
to the prison to see her son.
00:17:00.19\00:17:03.26
That dude stood
up for me in prison.
00:17:03.27\00:17:06.16
He told people, "see
mate you all leave Vega alone,
00:17:06.17\00:17:08.13
Vega don't bother
nobody, you leave Vega alone."
00:17:08.14\00:17:10.86
And I mean they
took it to the hilt
00:17:10.87\00:17:13.65
to leave Vega alone
and I appreciated that.
00:17:13.66\00:17:17.58
Then I took mama
down to the prison.
00:17:17.59\00:17:20.07
I met my partner after
I had five years clean.
00:17:20.08\00:17:22.96
I used to take
dope back to the prison,
00:17:22.97\00:17:24.85
money would come
in my post office box.
00:17:24.86\00:17:27.42
I would buy
schematics and convertibles
00:17:27.43\00:17:30.12
and all kinds of stuff,
gold watches, many of them,
00:17:30.13\00:17:33.45
I don't even have a watch today.
00:17:33.46\00:17:36.04
Brothers, I'll tell you what,
00:17:36.05\00:17:38.19
I met my partner
and he thanked me.
00:17:38.20\00:17:40.47
He said, Vega,
whatever you want it's yours.
00:17:40.48\00:17:43.45
Gold, drugs
running around the room,
00:17:43.46\00:17:46.29
whatever you want it's yours.
00:17:46.30\00:17:48.59
I said no man,
don't you understand
00:17:48.60\00:17:50.16
I don't do that nomore.
00:17:50.17\00:17:52.28
He said, yeah, man,
one day you're a preacher,
00:17:52.29\00:17:54.09
one day you're a
doctor, he said, Vega,
00:17:54.10\00:17:55.71
whenever you want it, it's here.
00:17:55.72\00:17:58.80
And I begin to drive
home. I didn't have a T.V.
00:17:58.81\00:18:02.07
in my home because
I gave up caffeine,
00:18:02.08\00:18:04.00
nicotine, Hollywood, sexism.
00:18:04.01\00:18:07.22
I gave it up for Jesus
and I had been blessed.
00:18:07.23\00:18:10.76
My cup was full to
running over for Jesus
00:18:10.77\00:18:14.36
but yet on the way home,
I stopped at a garage sale
00:18:14.37\00:18:18.35
because I was
tired and I just went in
00:18:18.36\00:18:20.53
and I brought
three or four DVDs.
00:18:20.54\00:18:24.16
My wife is in
Chicago, two weeks on
00:18:24.17\00:18:26.00
two weeks off and
one night I was done
00:18:26.01\00:18:27.89
with my grocery business
00:18:27.90\00:18:28.93
and I went into the
room and I flipped in a DVD.
00:18:28.94\00:18:32.12
It was
recorded, home recordings,
00:18:32.13\00:18:35.45
Dennis Hopper flying drugs from
Miami or where Central America.
00:18:35.46\00:18:39.56
This drug, that
drug, this gangster show
00:18:39.57\00:18:43.93
and I began to watch that.
00:18:43.94\00:18:47.13
I said wow, I got clean
once, I could go back and get
00:18:47.14\00:18:51.74
clean again if I got
high for two, three months,
00:18:51.75\00:18:54.22
nobody would
know, I would hole up
00:18:54.23\00:18:56.26
somewhere and get a big pile
00:18:56.27\00:18:58.59
and nobody would know.
00:18:58.60\00:19:00.15
I could get clean again.
00:19:00.16\00:19:02.58
I made a decision that I
was gonna go get what was mine.
00:19:02.59\00:19:07.66
And I'll share with
you something, brothers.
00:19:07.67\00:19:10.12
I had a medical
person, doctor, if you will,
00:19:10.13\00:19:16.02
in theology but in
health and nutrition
00:19:16.03\00:19:19.31
and his wife spoke
at a meeting on cocaine.
00:19:19.32\00:19:22.86
How the mind is
like a--is like plastic.
00:19:22.87\00:19:26.40
How it's pliable and to
me, plastic is not pliable
00:19:26.41\00:19:29.95
and I didn't
understand what she was saying
00:19:29.96\00:19:32.31
and I waited in line
to talk to this person
00:19:32.32\00:19:34.66
and talk to this person.
00:19:34.67\00:19:35.82
And she was busy,
women were lined up to
00:19:35.83\00:19:38.02
talk to this woman.
00:19:38.03\00:19:39.83
And so I'd seen she was
busy and her husband says,
00:19:39.84\00:19:44.02
"Can I help you."
00:19:44.03\00:19:46.13
I said, yeah man, I
said I'm a drug addict,
00:19:46.14\00:19:48.66
I got six years clean
and I'm fixing to go back
00:19:48.67\00:19:51.28
and use but I don't want to.
00:19:51.29\00:19:54.10
And he had prayer with
me and I don't remember
00:19:54.11\00:19:56.10
what the prayer
was but I remember
00:19:56.11\00:19:58.08
the Bible scripture,
then I remember tears
00:19:58.09\00:20:00.61
streaming down my
face and I remember
00:20:00.62\00:20:02.68
what the Bible scripture
was and when he was done praying
00:20:02.69\00:20:05.48
I said what is
that Bible scripture.
00:20:05.49\00:20:07.40
And I remember
going out to my van
00:20:07.41\00:20:09.24
at night and
turning the light on,
00:20:09.25\00:20:11.01
and I looked up
Philippians 4:13 and it says,
00:20:11.02\00:20:13.71
"I can do all
things through Christ
00:20:13.72\00:20:16.53
which strengtheneth me."
00:20:16.54\00:20:17.92
And I want you to
know, brothers, its six years
00:20:17.93\00:20:20.17
into walking with Jesus.
00:20:20.18\00:20:21.53
I'd already
decided to go backward.
00:20:21.54\00:20:24.65
But I prayed
that night and I said,
00:20:24.66\00:20:26.93
dear Jesus, I'm sorry, help me.
00:20:26.94\00:20:32.06
It was undone what I
had already done in my mind,
00:20:32.07\00:20:35.61
so He will empower you.
00:20:35.62\00:20:37.84
Remember, brothers,
I, we, you, the world,
00:20:37.85\00:20:41.06
I, we, you can do all things
00:20:41.07\00:20:44.48
through Christ
which strengthen us.
00:20:44.49\00:20:47.27
Talk about free indeed,
00:20:47.28\00:20:51.80
that is the Gospel
message, that is the promise
00:20:51.81\00:20:55.09
for the whole
world that we can be free
00:20:55.10\00:20:57.99
in these troublest
times in earth's history.
00:20:58.00\00:21:01.76
Throughout my whole
drug addiction cycle,
00:21:01.77\00:21:04.95
I didn't really tell
too many people about it.
00:21:04.96\00:21:07.12
You know, I was
always, if you looked at me
00:21:07.13\00:21:10.33
and you ask me how I was doing?
00:21:10.34\00:21:12.70
Hey, I'm doing great.
00:21:12.71\00:21:13.70
You know, I'm doing
fine, I got a good job,
00:21:13.71\00:21:15.44
I'm paying my
bills and I'm doing fine.
00:21:15.45\00:21:17.79
But really under the
rug, I was kind of miserable.
00:21:17.80\00:21:21.99
It was only--I was almost
like I'm self destructing,
00:21:22.00\00:21:24.14
but wasn't even
admitting that to myself.
00:21:24.15\00:21:25.98
You know, I was like
I wanted to get caught
00:21:25.99\00:21:28.19
just because I just was
sick and tired off it all.
00:21:28.20\00:21:31.12
And I got caught, you
know, and the first time around,
00:21:31.13\00:21:34.61
I ended up getting
a three-year sentence.
00:21:34.62\00:21:36.61
And I remember it
was like the third night
00:21:36.62\00:21:38.74
that I was there, it
was actually day time
00:21:38.75\00:21:41.04
and I heard this tapping on,
00:21:41.05\00:21:42.48
I woke up from
out of a dead sleep
00:21:42.49\00:21:44.40
and I heard this
tapping on my, on the bars
00:21:44.41\00:21:48.68
and there were these
three men standing out
00:21:48.69\00:21:50.39
in front of my
cell and these guys were
00:21:50.40\00:21:53.08
just dressed
innormal street clothes.
00:21:53.09\00:21:54.37
They weren't
dressed in prison uniforms
00:21:54.38\00:21:56.67
and I'm like who are these guys,
00:21:56.68\00:21:58.01
you know, what
are they doing here?
00:21:58.02\00:21:59.28
And they told me
that there are from
00:21:59.29\00:22:00.63
"Christmas behind bars".
00:22:00.64\00:22:02.29
You know, and
they wanted to bless us
00:22:02.30\00:22:04.99
and they stood around the cell
00:22:05.00\00:22:07.20
for like probably
a good half an hour
00:22:07.21\00:22:09.70
talking about the
word of God to us.
00:22:09.71\00:22:11.69
Jesus Christ will change
your life, is that right?
00:22:11.70\00:22:14.83
You see, you got some
legend going through now.
00:22:14.84\00:22:18.72
He will bring you
through. He brought me through.
00:22:18.73\00:22:21.78
I remember being where you
are, exactly where you are.
00:22:21.79\00:22:26.97
I was facing a lot of
time, I got on my knees
00:22:26.98\00:22:29.72
and I prayed to God and
He brought me through here.
00:22:29.73\00:22:32.19
He'll do the same with you.
00:22:32.20\00:22:33.50
He's got respect for your heart.
00:22:33.51\00:22:35.87
And you want to know
something, it just--I felt
00:22:35.88\00:22:40.82
Jesus Christ, I
felt Jesus Christ.
00:22:40.83\00:22:44.66
These people
took their time out,
00:22:44.67\00:22:47.72
you know, to come
back, you know here,
00:22:47.73\00:22:50.39
you know and give me
this, not alone just me
00:22:50.40\00:22:53.39
but on the whole, already seen,
00:22:53.40\00:22:56.31
I don't know what
the population of RDC
00:22:56.32\00:22:58.31
but I think it's a lot.
00:22:58.32\00:22:59.39
You know, I mean, for
everybody, I mean that's,
00:22:59.40\00:23:03.00
that was a blessing I
mean, I couldn't, you know,
00:23:03.01\00:23:06.48
I wrote Mr. Vega,
there was this note
00:23:06.49\00:23:09.53
on the--in this thing
from "Christmas Behind Bars."
00:23:09.54\00:23:13.69
And Mr. Vega had
wrote us a letter
00:23:13.70\00:23:17.90
and I ended up writing
back to him twice actually.
00:23:17.91\00:23:21.69
And just saying
thank you and that night,
00:23:21.70\00:23:24.85
actually when I was, you know,
00:23:24.86\00:23:26.90
eating some of my stuff,
I actually got on my knees
00:23:26.91\00:23:29.35
that night and I've
always prayed to God
00:23:29.36\00:23:33.57
but I had so much sin in my life
00:23:33.58\00:23:36.76
that now I was afraid
is God even hearing me
00:23:36.77\00:23:41.40
and I have a wife and
son out there who need me
00:23:41.41\00:23:44.79
and I just want God to hear me,
00:23:54.29\00:23:56.16
you know, it was at that time,
00:23:56.17\00:23:59.01
you know, that I re-dedicated
my life to Jesus Christ.
00:23:59.02\00:24:04.57
You know and I
told him, you know,
00:24:04.58\00:24:06.33
I'm sorry, you know, it's not
00:24:06.34\00:24:08.23
about me
anymore, it's about You.
00:24:08.24\00:24:10.92
And I just--I thank the
Lord for changing my life.
00:24:10.93\00:24:16.39
I thank the Lord for giving me
His Holy Spirit within my life
00:24:16.40\00:24:19.95
because, you know,
there was one time in my life
00:24:19.96\00:24:22.88
where I was down
in Miami, Florida
00:24:22.89\00:24:24.33
and I remember
bullets flying over my head.
00:24:24.34\00:24:27.90
You know, and I don't
want that life anymore.
00:24:27.91\00:24:30.82
You know, I have,
yeah, family out there
00:24:30.83\00:24:34.79
who needs me,
you know, and I have
00:24:34.80\00:24:37.68
a bunch of
people in this world--
00:24:37.69\00:24:43.98
so many people need Jesus Christ
00:24:43.99\00:24:45.67
and I just want to be alive
00:24:45.68\00:24:47.11
and whatever I can do,
and whatever I can say,
00:24:47.12\00:24:49.05
however I can be led
by Him to touch people.
00:24:49.06\00:24:53.76
You know, I don't
know how He's gonna do it
00:24:53.77\00:24:55.17
but I know He's
gonna do it somehow.
00:24:55.18\00:24:59.25
Our next speaker
is Mr. George Whirley.
00:24:59.26\00:25:01.59
George, you were once
an inmate in this prison?
00:25:01.60\00:25:04.70
Absolutely, yes.
00:25:04.71\00:25:06.03
And now you're a Chaplain. I am.
00:25:06.04\00:25:08.09
Johns of Galadriel.
00:25:08.10\00:25:09.53
What qualified
you to be a Chaplain
00:25:09.54\00:25:11.41
when you were once an inmate?
00:25:11.42\00:25:13.48
Nothing qualified me.
00:25:13.49\00:25:15.26
I was unqualified.
00:25:15.27\00:25:17.04
At some point in your
life, some point in your life,
00:25:17.05\00:25:21.17
you heard about the Gospel
00:25:21.18\00:25:22.41
and some point in this facility,
00:25:22.42\00:25:24.33
you made a decision.
00:25:24.34\00:25:25.41
Would you share
with us about that?
00:25:25.42\00:25:27.17
Yeah, you know, I
had an encounter in a 8x8
00:25:27.18\00:25:30.54
at the Regional
Diagnostic Center.
00:25:30.55\00:25:34.15
And the encounter that
I had was a glowing Bible
00:25:34.16\00:25:36.71
sitting by a toilet, you know,
00:25:36.72\00:25:40.53
and I didn't
believe the glowing Bible.
00:25:40.54\00:25:42.82
I didn't believe the
voices that I was hearing.
00:25:42.83\00:25:45.31
I thought that I was being
attacked maybe by the devil
00:25:45.32\00:25:48.68
or some monster that was
interfering with my life.
00:25:50.22\00:25:54.38
But I got up and
began to read the Bible.
00:25:54.39\00:25:56.31
And it seemed to
not agree with me
00:25:57.94\00:25:59.70
so I put it back
where I found it.
00:25:59.71\00:26:03.25
And obviously at that
time I decided, you know,
00:26:03.26\00:26:05.72
that lifestyle wasn't for me.
00:26:05.73\00:26:09.25
Well, brother, I'm
gonna, I'm gonna just say
00:26:09.26\00:26:11.10
thank you for being willing
to pick it up and continue on.
00:26:11.11\00:26:13.78
Did that happen in this prison?
00:26:13.79\00:26:15.84
My encounter with
Christ happened in this prison.
00:26:15.85\00:26:18.16
I accepted Jesus
Christ at that order.
00:26:18.17\00:26:21.49
I was baptized in that drawer.
00:26:21.50\00:26:24.83
So for the world, it is possible
00:26:24.84\00:26:27.56
for these people to
change 'cause a lot of time
00:26:27.57\00:26:29.75
they write them off and
they come to prison, amen?
00:26:29.76\00:26:31.68
Absolutely.
00:26:31.69\00:26:32.84
Brother, what keeps you going
in prison ministries out there
00:26:32.85\00:26:36.83
on the street, volunteerism?
00:26:36.84\00:26:38.62
Because I'm able to share
with my brothers and sisters
00:26:38.63\00:26:43.26
that is
incarcerated, a glimpse of hope
00:26:43.27\00:26:47.01
that they may see the
light at the end of the tunnel,
00:26:47.02\00:26:50.32
that God-- Amen.
00:26:50.33\00:26:52.67
Can lift them up
in their time of need.
00:26:52.68\00:26:55.36
When the world is
trying to crush them down
00:26:55.37\00:26:57.85
and put him in a place,
00:26:57.86\00:27:00.64
where there seem to
be of no more value,
00:27:00.65\00:27:03.37
in society
whatsoever, God lifts you up.
00:27:03.38\00:27:06.50
Amen.
00:27:06.51\00:27:07.58
And brings the claws
of Christ to reality.
00:27:07.59\00:27:12.58
Absolutely, brother, thank
you very much for being willing
00:27:12.59\00:27:14.64
to come and share the Gospel.
00:27:14.65\00:27:18.84
When I got to RDC, it
was such a hard time for me.
00:27:18.85\00:27:21.47
I mean I didn't have any
money and I thought my life
00:27:21.48\00:27:24.43
was just in shambles.
00:27:24.44\00:27:25.54
I was there for three
days and I was so hungry.
00:27:25.55\00:27:28.39
I woke up in the middle
of the afternoon one time
00:27:28.40\00:27:30.65
in July and I heard, you
know, banging on my door.
00:27:30.66\00:27:33.72
And there were these
three gentlemen standing outside
00:27:33.73\00:27:35.94
of the door and they
handed me this bag and a Bible.
00:27:35.95\00:27:39.18
And inside of the bag,
from "Christmas behind bars,"
00:27:39.19\00:27:41.81
it was just full of
food and full of hygiene
00:27:41.82\00:27:45.01
and they actually gave
me a study Bible as well.
00:27:45.02\00:27:47.85
And let me just
tell you, I didn't have
00:27:47.86\00:27:48.98
any literature whatsoever.
00:27:48.99\00:27:50.76
And that was the
best gift I could possibly
00:27:50.77\00:27:53.03
have ever given at that time.
00:27:53.04\00:27:54.26
I mean I didn't have anybody,
no family, nobody writing
00:27:54.27\00:27:58.06
to me, nobody, you
know, looking out for me
00:27:58.07\00:28:00.16
and it just--it
touched my heart.
00:28:00.17\00:28:01.80
I was able to
study the word of God.
00:28:01.81\00:28:03.73
I mean at night
time you get so hungry
00:28:03.74\00:28:05.91
at RDC because you just
don't have that much food.
00:28:05.92\00:28:08.17
And I tell you
what just the gifts
00:28:08.18\00:28:10.05
that were given to
me, it touched my heart.
00:28:10.06\00:28:12.48
I felt Jesus Christ
in a lonely, lonely place
00:28:12.49\00:28:16.10
and I tell you, I
just, my heart goes out
00:28:16.11\00:28:18.49
to "Christmas behind bars."
00:28:18.50\00:28:20.02
And I'm just so grateful
for what they've done for me.
00:28:20.03\00:28:23.46