Participants:
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY018036A
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00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Removing pain 00:23 Lord, let my words 00:29 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:39 Mending broken people 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:50 Mending broken people 01:10 Hello and welcome 01:11 to a very, very special 3ABN Today program. 01:15 My name is CA Murray, 01:16 and allow me once again to thank you for joining us 01:20 and for sharing your love with us 01:21 these 33 plus years. 01:24 Today's program is just a very special program, 01:28 so excuse me if I seem a little giddy 01:31 because of the subject matter and because of... 01:34 We use the term special guest a lot here, 01:38 but this is really a special program 01:40 with a very, very special guest, 01:43 our good friend, Lemuel Vega. 01:44 Lemuel, good to have you here, man. 01:46 It's a wonderful blessing to be here once again. 01:48 And you brought Donna with you, your wife is here. 01:49 Yup. 01:51 This is a special program 01:52 that deals with Christmas Behind Bars. 01:55 And when you think of Lemuel Vega, 01:57 they come in the same thought 01:58 and almost in the same sentence and the same breath. 02:01 So it's a Christmas Behind Bars program, 02:03 and if you can see 02:04 what's going on behind us, it is a... 02:08 We didn't go 02:09 to Christmas Behind Bars, Lemuel, 02:11 we kind of brought Christmas Behind Bars to us today. 02:13 Absolutely. 02:15 And there's an important aspect of that is 02:16 we want people to know that 02:18 they can do this in their church, 02:19 in their fellowship hall 02:20 that they can do this in their area 02:22 and bring hope to those incarcerated 02:23 in their community. 02:24 Yeah, and it's kind of fun, 02:26 you know, everybody work together, 02:27 it's kind of an assembly line process. 02:29 And as you see, behind us, the folk are having fun. 02:32 It's a little chilly in the studio today. 02:34 We kind of cooled it down 02:35 so that the workers wouldn't get too hot. 02:37 Little cool for us sitting here on set, 02:39 but they're having fun, aren't they? 02:40 Absolutely. It's a wonderful blessing. 02:42 And the church that's willing to get involved, 02:44 it's going to grow their church 02:46 those that come to speak in the prisons and jails, 02:48 it encourages their lives as well, 02:50 so it's more than just putting the bags together. 02:52 You know, talk to me a little bit, Lemuel, about... 02:54 I'm going to use a big 25-cent word reciprocity, 02:57 the idea that when you give, you get, 03:00 you know, when you give out, when you do this kind of work, 03:03 it's tough work because you're building bags, 03:04 you're doing things 03:06 but when you take these gifts to prisons, 03:09 there's something that God gives you back 03:11 that more than compensates for the energy that you put in. 03:13 Absolutely. 03:14 That's what Celestine shared that she goes to be a blessing, 03:17 but she comes home with a blessing. 03:18 And that's how it is. 03:19 And when someone looks at your eyes, 03:21 and they just shake your hand, and they say, 03:22 "Thank you, you made a difference in my life," 03:24 or they might say 03:26 that they've gotten bags three years in a row, 03:28 never paid any attention to the literature, 03:30 but now they read the Desire of Ages 03:31 or now, they read Steps to Christ, 03:33 and now it's made a difference in their lives, 03:35 so it's not about numbers and results today currently, 03:38 but it's for the kingdom of heaven, amen? 03:40 Yeah, yeah. 03:41 Now for those who may not know your history 03:43 because there are those who, 03:44 you know, we get a new audience from time to time, 03:47 you began this idea, 03:50 I guess appeared to you or occurred to you 03:51 when you were prison yourself. 03:53 Talk to us a little bit about that. 03:54 I was visited 03:56 when I was in jail, 18 years old, 03:57 looking at 10 to 20 years in prison, 03:58 a bond of $110, 000 04:00 which is a lot of money to bond out, 04:03 6 or 7 people came to sing a few songs to us in that jail. 04:07 I went to prison as a young man, CA, 04:09 and prison doesn't change one's life, 04:12 but again the volunteers that came to prison 04:14 set the stage of the value of someone giving up their time 04:18 to those that are incarcerated. 04:20 Sick and ready to die, 04:21 free from prison for 12 years 04:23 in a hospital room from drug addiction, 04:26 I kneeled down and I prayed, 04:27 and I simply asked God for help in my life, 04:33 and I said, "Dear Jesus, please help me. 04:34 I want to quit, but I can't." 04:35 The doctors and all their education and medication, 04:38 that's all fine and good, but without Christ, 04:40 there's no hope for internal change. 04:42 And I asked Christ for help in my life, 04:44 and it was the pastor's wife idea 04:47 at our local Seventh-day Adventist Church, 04:49 that had the idea making 04:50 some packages for the folks that are in jail. 04:53 And so the light went on 04:54 that these people would really appreciate it, 04:57 and so that's what we began to do 04:58 is make packages for these people, 05:00 and it's continued to grow across the country, 05:02 and we'd like to visit 05:04 more jails and more prisons in different states. 05:06 So you've been doing this a good little while now. 05:08 Probably over 20 years. Twenty years, praise God. 05:10 Right. This is your life? 05:12 It is, in Christ, yeah. 05:15 Because when we think about Christmas Behind Bars, 05:17 we think about Lemuel Vega. 05:18 Now a couple of things, 05:20 give me just some sense of the number of prisons 05:23 that you've been in and the states 05:24 and if you can give me a round number 05:27 about how many tens of thousands of bags 05:30 have you given out over those 20 years? 05:33 I don't have that number. 05:34 But I do know that my aunt told me 05:37 that she makes the literature, 05:38 she makes copies of the literature 05:40 that goes in the bag, 05:41 and she said she does about 50,000 a year. 05:42 Fifty thousand a year? That's the only number I have. 05:44 All right, if we just multiply that by 20 years, 05:46 you kind of get a number. 05:47 Well, I started with a First County Jail 05:48 with 350 inmates 20 years ago, 05:51 and then it went to 2 jails and 5 jails and 10 jails, 05:54 and probably about 12 years ago, 05:56 we started with the first prison 05:58 and that's the prison where I was incarcerated, 05:59 so about 12 years ago was a prison of 2,000 inmates, 06:04 and it was a blessing to go back 06:05 because there's still people in that prison 06:07 that I remember 06:09 when I was prison that there are still there, 06:11 and they didn't have the opportunity to go home 06:12 like I did. 06:13 Wow. Wow. How many states? Do you have any idea? 06:16 Probably 12 to 15 different states. 06:20 We just added North Dakota and South Dakota this year 06:23 for the first time. 06:24 Minnesota, Arkansas, Alabama, 06:27 Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, 06:29 Baltimore, Maryland, Ohio, 06:31 Florida, Indiana, Illinois, I don't know, many states. 06:34 And you went down 06:35 to Alabama fairly recently, I recall? 06:36 Yes, sir. Yeah, yeah, praise the Lord. 06:38 Give me sense, Lemuel, of how the administrators 06:43 in these various prisons receive 06:45 what you are doing. 06:46 Is it tough to get in? 06:47 Do they see the value of what you are doing? 06:49 What kind of flavor do you get 06:50 as far as the administration is concerned? 06:52 The administration says Kathy Griffin, 06:55 assistant superintendent at the prison 06:56 where I was imprisoned, 06:58 said that it makes a lasting impact for weeks 07:01 after we're there, the violence goes down, 07:03 the assaults on staff go down, and it's only God 07:06 that gets the honor and glory for that. 07:08 So it makes a huge difference in the jails and prisons. 07:10 Actually, the staff are glad, they say, 07:12 "We're glad you're back," 07:14 because it makes their job so much easier. 07:16 The inmates are... 07:17 They have a sense of someone cared, 07:19 there's hope for their life. 07:20 All right. 07:22 Tell me, in the Adventist bag, what's in the bag? 07:24 Maybe I can grab some of that. Let's do this. 07:28 Jeff, give us one of those bags. 07:32 Let me have a bag real quick. Okay. 07:36 There's a lot of neat things in those bags, CA. 07:38 So this is the size of the bag, very neatly done, 07:42 taped across the top, so inside this bag, 07:44 give me an idea of the kinds of things 07:46 that are in this bag. 07:47 It starts at the beginning of the line 07:48 which will, CA, starts with the Creation magazine, 07:51 it starts with Path to Peace. 07:53 Do you want an open one or a closed one? 07:55 Opened one is great. Yeah, thank you. 07:57 At the bottom of the bag, we have a Creation magazine, 07:59 we have an envelope with Bible studies, 08:01 and then it goes on down the line, 08:03 they have a Path to Peace which is Steps to Christ, 08:05 and then they have a Thinking of You card, 08:07 how many thinking of you card. 08:08 Oh, great. 08:09 It's worth is greater than gold because an inmate, 08:12 a lot of people don't get letters, 08:13 they don't have no one to call, they've been forgotten, 08:15 and then I have to look at the line, we go on down, 08:17 they have cheese curls, they have granola bars, 08:20 they have ramen noodles, 08:21 just things to bless them in a physical way, 08:24 but there's a spiritual application 08:25 that will give all year long. 08:27 Now these bags, then are transferred to, 08:29 if I can get camera to go over here, 08:31 to those bags. 08:32 That's correct. 08:34 Those bags, and about 08:35 how many of these bags fit into those bags? 08:36 There are six in each bag, and then those bags are loaded 08:39 into a box truck or a semi-trailer, 08:41 and then they're transported off to the prison. 08:44 We unload them in the prison, and then we have services 08:46 where the inmates come out to get the bag, 08:49 but it's not just about the bag, 08:50 everyone wants the bag, 08:52 so you got every culture in prison, 99.9%, 08:55 everybody, the whole prison comes out for the bag, 08:57 but at that time, 08:59 we're able to share with them the gospel messages, 09:01 hope for the life. 09:02 Amen, amen. 09:03 We don't preach down to them, 09:05 we don't condemn them because it says in John 3:17, 09:07 maybe you can quote that. 09:08 "For God..." 09:10 "For God send not His Son 09:11 into the world to condemn the world, 09:12 but that the world through Him might be saved." 09:14 And we want to connect them with Christ 09:15 that long after we leave 09:17 that it's Christ that gets the props, 09:18 the honor and glory. 09:19 Praise the Lord, praise the Lord. 09:21 But it's through viewers' sponsorship 09:22 that makes it possible 09:23 or we couldn't get the products to go in these bags. 09:26 This is one of those ministries 09:28 that is solely dependent upon your support, your cooperation 09:33 because these goodies, dare I say, 09:37 have to be purchased and they have to be bagged. 09:39 This is all volunteer labor. 09:41 Today, it's all 3ABN labor, but it is volunteer labor, 09:45 men and women are volunteering their time, 09:47 and they do so all over the country. 09:49 I remember several years ago, 09:50 we were in a warehouse in February, 09:52 and we stayed there from morning to night, 09:54 and we were all like popsicles at the end of the day, 09:57 but the energy was so strong and nobody complained, 10:00 nobody had any negative thing to say 10:02 because they were doing something for the Lord, 10:05 and that's what happens when do this kind of work. 10:07 That particular day, we bagged 15,000 packages. 10:10 We had over 300 volunteers 10:11 and that filled two semi-tractor trailer full 10:13 along with the box truck. 10:15 So it's amazing. 10:16 God is doing great, magnificent things in this time 10:18 which we live. 10:19 As you walk down the quarters of your mind, 10:25 give me one story of a person 10:27 that received a Christmas Behind Bars package 10:31 that it really had a major impact on their life. 10:34 CA, I'll give you two. 10:36 There's a man wrote to us and said 10:38 that he had a date set to commit suicide 10:41 and he said when he got the Christmas 10:42 Behind Bars package, 10:44 it gave him hope, and he never committed suicide. 10:47 The other story is there's a lady 10:48 that was incarcerated in the county jail 10:50 and someone told her about the Sabbath, 10:52 so she's in jail, 10:53 someone told her about the Sabbath, 10:55 brand new, for some reason, she got put in segregation. 10:57 So now she's in a segregation cell 10:59 by herself, okay, 11:01 and on the wall was written 11:02 that the Seventh-day Sabbath is Saturday, 11:05 and in her bag, 11:06 she received the book Ten Commandments Twice Removed, 11:09 she wrote us a letter and said, 11:10 "I now know through three different incidents 11:13 that the Sabbath is holy and it's a Saturday." 11:15 So praise the Lord. Amen? Praise the Lord. 11:17 That's exciting stuff. 11:19 We have a video roll now that sort of walks you 11:23 through the process, 11:24 and this will kind of let you know 11:25 that you can do this in any church, 11:27 your church can do this, 11:29 your group in the church can do this, 11:31 you can do this in your home or garage. 11:33 This is a little easier to do than you may think. 11:36 It's not as daunting a task as you may think. 11:39 So we're going to look at this roll 11:40 because it will give you sort of Christmas 11:42 Behind Bars 101. 11:45 The basic idea of what this is all about, 11:47 what happens before, during, and after 11:50 a Christmas Behind Bars event. 11:55 Today, 11:56 we're at the Correctional Industrial Facility 11:57 in Central Indiana. 11:59 We have a great group of guys here. 12:00 This is phenomenal because these guys here today 12:03 are actual putting together 2,500 gift packages 12:06 for inmates in another prison in a far away place. 12:12 In the journey of life 12:15 There are winding roads 12:20 Mountains high 12:24 Valleys low 12:29 Though the road ahead 12:32 May be unknown 12:36 I'm still focus on the prize 12:40 That worth pressing for 12:47 This is an amazing day, 12:48 Christmas Behind Bars has been putting 12:50 packages together for over 20 years 12:52 and bringing hope to the incarcerated 12:53 across the country 12:55 through your help and your sponsorship. 12:57 But today, these gentlemen 13:00 are in prison putting packages together 13:03 for inmates in another prison. 13:05 How cool is that? God is absolutely amazing. 13:08 It might be turmoil across the country 13:10 and this world in which we live, 13:12 but God is using your sponsorship 13:15 through items like this 13:16 to bring hope to prisoners across the country. 13:22 You know, the way you preach the gospel to people, 13:26 it's just so touching, 13:27 you know, and that's when after you came, 13:30 I was baptized for the first time in my life, 13:33 32 years old. 13:35 I already know that. 13:36 Yeah, and, you know, from there, 13:38 you know, I did my time, 13:40 and I kept meeting you every year 13:42 and things that you do, 13:43 and it's just so powerful, so moving, 13:45 I want to continue doing this. 13:48 What kind of time did you bring the prison? 13:50 I got 121 years. 13:51 A hundred and twenty one years, that's a lot of time. 13:53 Yes, it is. 13:54 You must've not been walk in the right road? 13:56 I wasn't. 13:57 And I want to ask you about the Bible. 13:58 Can you tell me 14:00 the value of an inmate receiving the Bible? 14:02 Well, I mean, just receiving a Bible 14:04 gives you a whole new insight 14:06 and bit of motivation in life now. 14:08 And you committed your life to Christ? 14:10 Yes, I have. 14:11 Yeah, you've been wanting a study Bible 14:12 for a long time, haven't you? 14:14 Yes. And you don't have one? 14:15 No. 14:16 But today, by God's grace, 14:18 I'm going to give you a study Bible 14:19 that's been given to us, 14:21 and I just pray 14:22 that you'll utilize this and read this. 14:23 Thank you. 14:25 My desire 14:28 Passionately 14:31 Is to be 14:33 What you called me to be 14:39 That's what I'll be 14:45 Oh, Lord, if any man be in Christ 14:50 He is a new creature 14:52 Old things are passed away 14:55 All things are become new 14:57 Oh, Lord, I'll say yes to Your Word 15:02 Only Your Word is true, Lord. 15:08 Thank you very much. 15:11 And it really means a lot for everybody to come together 15:16 as one whole to do what we do here, 15:20 and do what Brother Vega gets done, and the sponsors, 15:23 you don't even have a clue how much we appreciate this. 15:28 So when you started to talk about Christmas Behind Bars 15:32 and giving these packages, prison is a dark place, 15:37 and it reminds me of a story I read one time 15:41 where these scientists want to test these animals 15:43 on a different difficult circumstances. 15:46 So they took these rats 15:47 and put them in glass jars of water 15:50 and put them in a room of total darkness to see 15:52 how long they'd swim before they gave up 15:54 and allowed themselves to drown. 15:56 They only lasted for three minutes. 15:58 So they changed the scenario by shining a ray of light 16:02 in those glass jars to see how long they'd swim, 16:05 and they swam for 36 hours. 16:08 That's 700 times longer than the ones 16:10 in the total darkness because they... 16:12 What made the difference between the two groups? 16:15 The light and dark. 16:16 One was in total darkness, three minutes. 16:19 They shone a ray of light and they lasted for 36 hours. 16:23 How would you say 16:24 that Christmas Behind Bars is able to bring light and hope 16:28 into people's lives that are incarcerated? 16:31 Well, God is light. Amen. 16:33 And He shines that light, 16:34 and you brought that light into us 16:37 to help us keep swimming and not allowing us to drown, 16:39 and that's the fabulous thing about the Christmas Behind Bars 16:43 and shining that light into our hearts to let us know 16:46 that it's going to be okay, keep on swimming, 16:48 you're going to make it. 16:50 I've been receiving packages since my time in the old batch 16:52 which had been about 2003-2004 time. 16:54 So quite a few years you've been receiving packages? 16:56 Quite a few years. Yes, sir. 16:57 What would you say to our sponsors 16:59 literally around the world 17:00 that have helped make this program possible 17:01 through both the materials and the tangible blessings? 17:04 Your generosity has helped 17:06 reached thousands of incarcerated people 17:08 who may not have the heard the Word, 17:09 may not know what the Word's about 17:11 and gives us hope. 17:12 And let me tell, I'm a person who doesn't get visits, 17:14 I mean, very little visitation with my family. 17:17 So anything that shows people care means a lot, 17:20 it means a lot. 17:22 I want to thank everybody 17:23 who's donated and helped out with this whole project. 17:26 I think it's been a blessing to us everybody, 17:28 so I just thank you for doing everything possible 17:31 that you can. 17:33 All my life 17:37 I've been called unworthy 17:44 Named by the voice of my shame 17:49 And regret 17:55 But when I hear You whisper 17:58 Child lift up your head 18:01 I remember, oh, God 18:03 You're not done with me yet 18:09 I am redeemed 18:15 You set me free 18:21 So I'll shake off theses heavy chains 18:24 And wipe away every stain 18:27 Now I'm not who I used to be 18:31 I am redeemed 18:34 I don't have to be the old man inside of me 18:38 'Cause his day is long dead and gone 18:42 Because I've got a new name, a new life 18:47 I'm not the same and a hope that will carry me 18:52 Home 18:58 I'm an inmate here at CIF. 19:00 What Christmas Behind Bars means to us, 19:03 I can't really convey or communicate 19:05 what it means to the inmates. 19:07 Ever since I've been locked up, for about seven years, 19:10 every year, it makes such an impact on everybody. 19:13 They anticipate to this ministry, the food, 19:17 the preaching, the message, 19:20 the spirit of friendliness in giving that they convey... 19:24 I'm with an American legion, 19:25 we donated $1, 500 last year to Mr. Vega. 19:29 We're glad that that money 19:30 is able to translate to some bags 19:33 for women's prison we were informed. 19:35 So we're really lucky and fortunate, 19:38 we thank you guys in every possible way. 19:41 We're thankful and we're grateful every day 19:44 and every time of the year that this comes to us. 19:47 You now have been able to see the value of how God is working 19:51 in the midst of this world in which we live. 19:53 The Lord is using those that are incarcerated 19:56 to put packages together 19:57 and bring hope to another prison 19:58 in a far away place. 20:00 And we're asking you today 20:02 to continue to sponsor this ministry, 20:04 Christmas Behind Bars, Free Indeed, 20:06 with your financial sponsorship, 20:08 your love, and your prayers. 20:10 We wish you God's blessings. 20:17 May god redeem 20:31 Wow, Lemuel, 20:33 that's kind of like a walk down memory lane 20:34 from Free Indeed. 20:36 Now you've got a letter from one of the persons 20:39 that we saw in that video clip. 20:41 Absolutely. 20:42 The mice continue to swim longer, the rats, 20:45 when there was light, 20:46 and we want to bring light and openness to dark places. 20:49 This letter came, it says, 20:50 "Thank you for shedding some light in our dark times. 20:53 We are ever grateful for the kindness of all those 20:55 who help set this up. 20:57 May God repay you for your work, 20:59 truly a blessing to know 21:00 there's good people in our world today." 21:02 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. 21:04 One of the things that we see is that these gifts 21:07 are responded to in a very, very positive way. 21:10 Tell me about this idea, 21:11 there are some prisoners who get no letters, 21:13 who get no gifts or get no visits, 21:15 they don't really get too much of anything, 21:16 family kind of steps away from them. 21:17 Absolutely. 21:19 And this is where the rubber meets the road 21:20 to bring them hope throughout the whole prison. 21:22 That's amazing. Praise the Lord. 21:25 One of the things we saw in that video clip, 21:28 the group from Pendleton, kind of our buddies, 21:31 that we saw in Pendleton, that we saw on Free Indeed, 21:33 how are those guys doing? 21:35 Oh, they're doing really, really good. 21:36 And we're looking forward to season three, Free Indeed, 21:38 a lot of people are asking about it, 21:40 our viewers are asking about it, 21:41 so we hope to get that up and bring that to our viewers. 21:44 Yeah, yeah. It's coming. 21:45 Believe me, it's coming, some editing issues. 21:49 Some of these programs seem easy to put together, 21:51 but they are quite difficult 21:52 because we want to be authentic, 21:54 we want to get the whole flavor 21:55 what's going on in these institutions, 21:59 so it's coming, so hold on. 22:01 It'll be very, very soon. 22:03 Now, Lemuel, we've talked about 22:04 how long you've been doing this. 22:07 If a person sees this, they are inspired, 22:10 they want to kind of bring this... 22:11 Well, two ways, they may want to replicate this, 22:14 they may want to do like a franchise 22:15 or Christmas Behind Bars or they may want you to come 22:19 and help work with their particular prison. 22:21 So how will they do that? 22:22 They can contact us at Christmas Behind Bars 22:24 or if they want to Mitch and Glenn 22:26 in Kentucky, Tennessee or Debbie in Minnesota. 22:28 So absolutely, contact us, and we'll try to walk them 22:31 through wherever they're at in the process. 22:34 And we'll have that contact information up 22:36 just a little bit later in the program. 22:38 But just now, 22:39 we did some interviews, Lemuel, you and I, 22:41 of individuals here, again, all volunteer staff, 22:45 these are all people who volunteered, 22:46 nobody's getting paid for this. 22:48 The payment is the joy that you get from knowing 22:51 that you're being used of God to touch people's lives. 22:55 And we've had baptisms, haven't we, 22:56 in some of these institutions? 22:57 Absolutely. 22:59 So people have made decisions, they received Bibles, 23:00 and down the road, they made that decision 23:03 and it reflects on the ministry, 23:05 Christmas Behind Bars, so we're grateful. 23:07 God gets the honor and glory. Praise the Lord. 23:08 Praise the Lord. 23:10 We did some interviews with some of our staff here 23:12 and some of the volunteers that came with Lemuel, 23:15 and we want to go to that just now 23:16 so you can get little flavor of the joy 23:18 that they have not only from doing this work 23:20 but then going to the prisons 23:22 and distributing the Christmas Behind Bars gifts. 23:25 Amen. 23:28 Christmas Behind Bars and 3ABN has a unique partnership. 23:32 Prison ministry has grown here at 3ABN 23:35 since we've partnered together, 23:36 how can you share a little bit about that? 23:38 Well, it all started when someone 23:41 within my family became incarcerated. 23:43 Okay. 23:45 And it opened my eyes to a whole new area of ministry 23:48 that I had never recognized before. 23:50 Now you've traveled many, many miles 23:52 with Christmas Behind Bars to share hope 23:54 with someone else's children that's incarcerated, 23:56 and you've shared with them 23:58 that our world is incarcerated because of a problem with sin. 24:01 That's right. 24:03 And we need help, 24:05 and we need someone who loves us 24:07 and shows us that He loves us, 24:09 and that's our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ. 24:12 And Christmas Behind Bars, 24:13 I guess, is an exemplification of that bringing hope 24:17 to those who are incarcerated. 24:18 That's exactly right. 24:20 It's been a wonderful privilege to see 24:22 how this program impacts so many people. 24:27 You know, we go in services every week, 24:30 but we only impact maybe 30 at a time. 24:34 This impacts a whole prison, 2,400, 3,000 at a time. 24:39 Well, we want to say thank you so much 24:41 for sponsoring 3ABN and the ministry, 24:44 Christmas Behind Bars that these men and women 24:47 can actually be Free Indeed in Christ Jesus, amen? 24:50 Amen. Amen. 24:51 In fact, they can be freer on the inside 24:54 than many are on the outside. 24:55 Amen. Amen. 24:56 Thank you so much, Mr. Hamilton, 24:58 and God bless you. 24:59 God bless you, too. 25:01 Celestine Dickens is a church secretary, 25:04 but she also is part of 25:05 the Christmas Behind Bars ministry. 25:08 Celestine, when did you get started? 25:10 How long have you been working with Christmas Behind Bars? 25:13 Oh, wow, I think, I remember, at 2012 25:17 if I'm not mistaken, 2012. 25:20 So that's been a little while? Yes. 25:22 Now you also help... 25:24 You're the singer, you're the angel 25:26 that does the singing in the prisons. 25:28 Tell me the response 25:29 that you get when you minister for the Lord using the gift 25:32 that God has given you, your voice, 25:35 how is that received when you go into the prisons? 25:38 Wow. 25:41 It's very touching and moving 25:45 when you're like just singing 25:48 and then everybody is like crying 25:50 and then they're like very thankful 25:56 that they hear the Word of God through music. 25:59 And it's such a blessing to be a part of the prison ministry, 26:04 I just love it, to see smiling faces, 26:09 especially when they receive the Word, the testimonies, 26:13 and the music, and the packages. 26:17 Man, you should see their faces, 26:18 it's just like lit up. 26:21 That's rewarding for me. 26:22 It's just wonderful, wonderful ministry. 26:25 I'm going to toss a word at you and the word is reciprocity, 26:29 and by that, I mean, when you give, you also get. 26:32 Now you go into the prisons to give, 26:34 you give the packages, 26:36 you give up your voice, you give your ministry, 26:38 but isn't there an exchange that when you give to them, 26:42 you also receive from them? 26:45 Yeah, it seems like we go there to bless them, 26:50 but then we ended up getting blessed more. 26:53 I don't know if that's how you say it, 26:54 but that's I feel like, "Man, I get more blessed, 26:59 you know, than I think bless them or something." 27:04 That's it. 27:06 There's a lot of activity here, 27:07 but the bottom line is you go in to give a blessing, 27:11 and you receive equal or more than you give, 27:16 that's how the Lord does it. 27:18 When you go to give, 27:20 you also receive, you are blessed. 27:22 That's why there are so many volunteers 27:24 because they know behind each box, 27:26 each bag, each piece of literature 27:29 is a blessing that goes out and a blessing that returns. 27:32 Amen. 27:34 Mitchell, I want to say thank you 27:35 for taking the time to make the miles 27:36 to come here to 3ABN Today. 27:38 Lemuel, it's a blessing for us also. 27:39 We have traveled many miles together to visit prisons. 27:42 Where all have we traveled together? 27:44 Well, we've been to Ohio, Indiana, Georgia, 27:47 South Carolina, and mostly, all Kentucky. 27:50 So your ministry is based at Kentucky, 27:52 and you do have a prison ministry 27:53 there in Kentucky with your church. 27:55 What Church are you part of? 27:56 Lafayette. Lafayette. 27:58 Lafayette. Seventh-day Adventist Church. 28:00 Praise the Lord. 28:01 So your little church has helped sponsor 28:03 many, many packages to go across the country. 28:04 Praise the Lord. Yes, yes. 28:06 Now, you know, you have 28:07 a special interest in prison ministries 28:09 because you started basically a relationship 28:11 with the Lord where at? 28:13 Well, it actually began at a graveyard, Lemuel. 28:15 A graveyard? 28:16 So you were walking around a graveyard 28:18 and began to talk to Jesus. 28:19 No, I actually crawled into the graveyard. 28:21 What happened there? I was at a beer joint. 28:23 And we got into this fight, and I got shot in both legs, 28:26 and by the time I got to the graveyard, 28:28 I couldn't even run. 28:30 I started crawling. 28:31 And what made it so bad was my wife 28:34 was in the hospital next town over with our first child. 28:38 And I realized leaving the graveyard 28:40 that I was in trouble. 28:43 I wasn't religious. 28:44 My mother was a good religious lady. 28:46 And I made a pitiful cry. 28:48 My head was spinning, and I said, 28:50 "Lord, if You get me out of this situation 28:52 and let me get my wife and child home, 28:53 I'll serve you forever." 28:55 So you're in a graveyard, dark place, late at night... 28:57 2:00 in the morning. 28:59 So you tell these people that are in jail and prison 29:01 that there's hope for their life 29:03 as you found Christ in a hopeless situation, 29:06 that began a relationship. 29:07 How do you see that Christmas Behind Bars 29:10 has been able to bring hope in the dark places? 29:12 That's all it is, Lemuel. It's not some great thing. 29:14 It's a small thing that happens in your life, 29:16 you know what I mean? 29:18 And we see these prison inmates, 29:20 their eyes will glow. 29:21 These little gifts they get, the packages they get, 29:24 and we tell them, 29:25 it's over $200 worth of material 29:27 they can receive free, and these envelopes, 29:31 they get to see that some might just cure out there. 29:33 So they get more than just the snack item? 29:34 Oh, yeah, yeah... 29:35 For sure. If they take advantage. 29:37 What would you share with our churches and people 29:39 that are thinking about going to a place 29:41 maybe like you never was in prison 29:42 but yet you found Jesus, and we all need Jesus. 29:44 Right. 29:46 What would you share with our church people 29:47 and people contemplating doing this in their area? 29:50 I would think that most people are probably afraid, 29:52 but once you get your foot in 29:54 and see the response of the people, 29:56 your church will be blessed. 29:58 It'll give a sense to get involved, 30:01 and that's what our church is lacking everywhere anyways, 30:03 getting involved, but once you see one respond, 30:06 it just turns you on, 30:08 it just has a different meaning. 30:09 For real. 30:11 Your church has helped raise funds 30:12 that we can continue to grow 30:13 not only in Kentucky, in your area, 30:15 but other places as well. 30:17 What would you share with our viewers 30:20 that it's worthwhile to sponsor this ministry? 30:23 Seventh-day Adventism is worldwide. 30:25 And that's when you get a sense of a family 30:28 when you recognize 30:29 that you're sending money over to Africa 30:31 or anywhere it goes to, and you're helping 30:34 an individual get to know Christ, 30:35 that gives you a sense of identity, 30:37 you know what I mean, and people really respect, 30:39 and it gives you encouragement to continue on. 30:41 Mitch, in closing, 30:43 I would like you to look into this camera, 30:44 this is your camera here, 30:45 I'd like you to look into this camera, 30:47 and I would like you to share hope 30:48 with that person that maybe feels like 30:49 they're in that graveyard or they're in prison today 30:52 that there's hope through Jesus, 30:53 what would you share with them? 30:54 My favorite text I'd like to share is John 6:37, 30:58 "Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." 31:00 I don't care what you've done in the past 31:02 or where you're going or what you're been doing, 31:04 you can always come home 31:06 because Jesus Christ has made it possible. 31:08 Mitch, thank you for making the miles, 31:10 and God's rich blessings to you until we meet again. 31:12 Thank you, brother. 31:13 I believer you will see many people 31:14 in the kingdom of heaven 31:16 because of your dedication for Christ. 31:17 Thank you. Amen. 31:18 I'm here with Jason Bradley who works for 3ABN, 31:20 but he is also intimately involved 31:22 with Christmas Behind Bars. 31:24 Jason, I want you to give me 31:26 some sense of how you got started with this? 31:28 What was your motivation? When did you get started? 31:31 Well, you know, God gave me a second chance at life. 31:35 I got arrested like 10 years ago 31:37 or 11 years ago, 31:39 and that was a turning point for me. 31:41 And so since then and changing my life, 31:44 I remember coming to 3ABN, and then meeting Lemuel, 31:47 and I got a call from Lemuel to go into a prison 31:51 which I thought I would never go back 31:53 behind one of those doors 31:54 that locked you, but I went to this prison, 31:58 and I had an opportunity to speak to these ladies 32:01 and share what God has placed on my heart. 32:04 And it was an amazing experience, 32:08 one that you want more of. 32:12 You've been involved 32:13 in this aspect of the Christmas Behind Bars experience, 32:17 but you've also been involved in the delivery aspect. 32:20 Give me some sense of the kind of response you get 32:22 when these bags are taken in to men and women 32:25 who are incarcerated. 32:27 They're so grateful to have us there 32:30 to see volunteers 32:31 because they know that you're there 32:33 because you care about them. 32:35 You're not there to take anything from them. 32:37 You know, a lot of them have seen 32:39 just a take, take, take relationship, 32:42 you know, where people have constantly taken from them, 32:45 but they're happy to see you there 32:47 and pouring into their lives 32:48 and bringing them tangible gifts. 32:50 I mean, it's really practical Christianity. 32:54 You are one of the younger persons here, 32:55 when I look at the group, they're a little bit older, 32:57 you're a young person who could be outdoing 32:59 other kinds of things during this time. 33:01 Talk to me about the value 33:03 of a young person getting involved 33:05 in a ministry like this, and then finally, 33:07 the addictive aspect of service and ministry for those 33:11 who cannot help themselves. 33:12 Well, the only thing that separates us from them 33:14 is the choice, 33:16 and this is what Jesus would have us to do. 33:18 You know, faith without works is dead, 33:20 so if we just see a need, and we don't fulfill that need, 33:24 and we're able to do so, 33:26 then that's not practicing Christianity. 33:29 That's not practical Christianity. 33:31 We need to see, if we see our brother suffering, 33:33 we need to meet those needs. 33:35 And so going in there and speaking 33:37 and seeing them touched by the messages 33:41 that are shared, the gifts that they receive, 33:44 knowing that they're getting spiritual gifts, 33:47 it's such a blessing and it serves a purpose, 33:50 a higher purpose than ourselves. 33:52 So I mean, it definitely is an addicting type of work. 33:58 Love it. Amen and thank you. 34:00 Thank you, Jason. 34:01 Lemuel's got someone that he wants to talk to 34:04 and interview part of this wonderful group 34:06 that is doing the bagging preparatory 34:08 to the actual giving 34:09 at one of the prisons in this area. 34:12 It sure is a blessing to have people to travel 34:13 many, many miles. 34:15 Gwen has traveled all the way from Kentucky, and she's here. 34:17 And, Gwen, we thank you for coming here today 34:19 and helping us out. 34:21 How did you hear about Christmas Behind Bars? 34:23 Well, we've been doing jail ministry for about a year. 34:27 And I think the second year, 34:28 I came home after jail ministry on the Sabbath, 34:30 I turned on 3ABN, and there you were. 34:33 They were interviewing you about prison ministry, 34:35 and I watched, and I watched, and I thought, 34:37 "He needs to come to my jail." 34:39 So I called you right then and there. 34:40 I mean, I didn't even turn the TV off. 34:42 I got on the phone, 34:43 and I called you and left a message, 34:45 and you called me back, and I said, 34:46 "I need you to come to my jail." 34:47 And you said, "Okay," and that's how we started. 34:50 And how that starts for viewers at home, 34:52 we find out how many people 34:54 are in your jail or in your prison, 34:55 and then we talked, and we made packages, 34:57 and we came down to your jail. 34:58 That's right. 35:00 How was that received and what was your thought 35:01 from what you saw on 3ABN 35:03 to where it's actually we began to work together? 35:05 Well, you know, in that area, 35:07 there had been no kind of program 35:08 like that ever, ever. 35:10 And when we talked to Sergeant Rackie, 35:12 who was over the... 35:13 One of the first jail we started at, 35:15 she couldn't believe it, and she just loves us, 35:18 and she gives us extra special care, 35:20 and lets us do things. 35:22 She doesn't let anybody else 35:23 just because she sees how good we are to the prisoners, 35:25 how faithful we are every week to be there, 35:28 and how it's impacted the jail. 35:29 So Christmas Behind Bars came to your jail, 35:33 how many inmates did you have to come out 35:34 to your services 35:36 'cause you were going on a regular basis? 35:37 Did you see it increase? 35:39 Well, it's kind of often and when we first started, 35:41 we just filled the room they gave us. 35:43 They gave us a big room and it was filled 35:45 and then, you know, there's people would go home. 35:47 It might be a small group, 35:48 and it's just always up and down. 35:49 You can't count on numbers really. 35:51 So the staff appreciates your ministry there 35:53 and Christmas Behind Bars as well? 35:54 They do. 35:56 And since that time, 35:57 you know, we started off with one jail, 35:58 we have four jails. 36:00 And we're just a small church of 30 members, 36:02 and we take care of these jails every Saturday. 36:05 So you go once a week to four different jails? 36:07 No, we got different people who break up. 36:10 Oh, praise the Lord. 36:11 Can you share with our viewers 36:13 if they'd be thinking about doing this program, 36:14 how evangelism is going to continue 36:17 to grow their church? 36:18 Well, if you're a dead church 36:20 and a lot of churches are out there dead today, 36:21 you need something to get you going. 36:23 And I'll tell you, 36:24 prison ministry can do that for you, 36:26 and it can bring you together and give you a common goal, 36:28 and I just encourage you. 36:30 If you're not involved, be involved. 36:32 You know, except 36:33 for the grace of God, go there... 36:35 You know, these people are in prison 36:36 because they made a wrong choice. 36:38 You know, we could've done the same thing. 36:39 So we need to care about them 36:41 and go and show them God's love 36:42 so maybe they can get on a better path. 36:44 Maybe there's some people today 36:46 that maybe physically can't go to a jail or to a prison, 36:48 what would you share 36:50 if they'd like to help sponsor this ministry? 36:52 You know, give money to Christmas Behind Bars, 36:54 you know, they supply 36:55 all of these things, free books, 36:57 Bible studies, you know, 36:58 all these little snacks they get. 37:00 And, you know, they need the funds to keep going, 37:02 and going to different jails in different states, 37:05 and without funds from people like you, 37:07 they can't keep doing it. 37:09 Well, as it continues to grow, we wish you God's blessings, 37:11 and we pray that you'll see many people 37:13 in the kingdom of heaven 37:14 because you're willing to help, you're willing to go, 37:16 you're willing to give Bible studies, 37:18 and you're willing to sponsor the ministry, 37:20 Christmas Behind Bars. 37:21 Thank you and God bless you. 37:23 Gwen, thank you for making the miles, 37:24 and God bless you. 37:25 We sure appreciate you and your ministry. 37:27 Jill Morikone 37:28 is an administrator here at 3ABN, 37:29 but she also finds time to serve 37:32 at Christmas Behind Bars. 37:34 Jill, I know just recently, you went into a women's prison, 37:37 give me some sense of the response 37:40 that this kind of giving elicits 37:44 from the inmates and those who are incarcerated. 37:47 Absolutely, pastor. 37:48 We went in just over a year ago 37:49 to the Logan Correctional Institution. 37:51 It was here in Illinois, and it was a women's prison. 37:54 I have heard about the ministry of Christmas Behind Bars 37:56 for many years 37:58 because 3ABN has had the privilege of partnering 38:00 with Christmas Behind Bars for many years 38:02 with Free Indeed and many other programs, 38:04 but it was my first time to experience it first hand, 38:08 to see what happened, 38:10 we had all of the gifts packaged in their paper bags 38:13 and they're set there, and the women came in. 38:15 And to see, it was a freezing cold day. 38:17 I think it was December, and it was freezing cold, 38:20 and they are outside waiting in line so excited. 38:23 And when they walked in, and they got their package, 38:26 and it was close to Christmas time, 38:28 and they are away from their kids 38:30 and they're away from their family. 38:32 And they received something, and it's a gift of love. 38:34 It's a gift that shows 38:36 "someone loves me, someone cares for me." 38:39 And it was an incredible experience. 38:40 They would grab it. 38:42 They would hug us, they would hug the bag, 38:44 many would break down in tears. 38:46 Yeah, praise the Lord. Yeah. 38:47 Now we've got all of these goodies here. 38:49 But I want you to talk to me 38:50 for just a moment about those boxes there on the end 38:55 which hold the religious material, 38:57 which hold the Steps to Christ and the other books. 39:00 Talk to me about the value of putting this in with this. 39:04 These things that they're looking for, 39:06 and these things 39:07 which they may not be looking for 39:09 but which they certainly need. 39:10 Absolutely. 39:12 You know, I mean, the goodies are fun 39:13 and the goodies are nice, 39:14 but the spiritual things last long 39:17 after something is eaten, 39:19 long after something is already thrown in the trash, 39:21 and they still have that. 39:23 They hang onto that. 39:25 They have the Bible correspondence 39:27 so they can reach out to someone, 39:29 and they can sit down, 39:30 and they can read spiritual material 39:32 because they're all alone. 39:34 I remember walking down those halls, 39:36 and we went into lockup, 39:37 and the girls are behind the doors and you can't... 39:40 They can't even get out. 39:41 They can't even get that human contact, 39:43 and yet they can sit, 39:45 and they can read, "Jesus loves me. 39:47 He died for me." 39:48 And what an incredible thing to be able to reach spiritually 39:53 into the lives and hearts of people 39:55 who are hurting so much. 39:57 What would you say in closing to a person 39:59 who may be a little lethargic there? 40:01 Their spiritual life may be a little down, 40:03 could this kind of ministry jumpstart 40:06 their own spiritual walk? 40:07 Oh, absolutely. 40:09 It's revolutionary to feel like 40:11 you can go out and you can have an impact, 40:12 and you don't have to know how to give a sermon, 40:15 you don't have to know how to give Bible studies, 40:17 but yet you can partner with Christmas Behind Bars, 40:20 and you can help get the gospel, 40:22 get this truth into people 40:23 who may not have any other opportunity. 40:27 And I just want to say a shout-out to Lemuel 40:29 and his wife Donna. 40:31 You know, when we were there, behind the bars, 40:33 you know, there in the prison system itself, 40:36 just to watch God work through this man to see 40:40 the anointing of the Holy Spirit 40:42 as he reached out and as he ministered. 40:44 At 3ABN, we really stand 40:46 behind the ministry of Christmas Behind Bars. 40:48 Praise the Lord. Thank you. Back to you, Lemuel. 40:51 CA, I want to say thank you so much. 40:53 It's been a blessing to work with you 40:54 and your crew here at 3ABN. 40:56 I have a volunteer coordinator here Debbie. 40:58 Debbie, where are you from? Minnesota. 41:00 Minnesota. 41:01 How long have you been doing prison ministries? 41:03 I've actually been doing it for 35 years, 41:06 but I had 22 years 41:08 that I've been going inside of the state prisons. 41:10 So 35 years, 41:12 you've never been incarcerated yourself? 41:13 No. 41:15 But you have an opportunity to reach out those inmates. 41:16 Can you tell me how long have we been working together, 41:18 Minnesota Adventist Prison Ministries? 41:21 Since... 41:22 Well, it was actually the first contact 41:24 I had with you was in 2010, December, 2010. 41:27 So many years ago? Yes. 41:29 And you brought in the first packages to Minnesota 41:31 in December of 2011. 41:35 Can you tell us how working with Christmas Behind Bars 41:37 that your prison, 41:39 your already existing prison ministry has grown? 41:41 Yes, we were able to get opening doors 41:45 to two different jails and one state prison. 41:48 So it opened doors 41:50 that we could not have opened otherwise, 41:51 plus we've had more requests for Bible studies 41:54 by mail that have come because of these packages. 41:57 Now how many county jails 41:58 did we do this year in Minnesota? 42:00 Thirty-two county jails, plus we had a homeless shelter, 42:06 we had two youth group homes, and two state prisons 42:12 which included one was the intake place 42:14 and one was the maximum security. 42:16 Also North Dakota and South Dakota, 42:18 through your ministry in Minnesota 42:19 has now been added, 42:21 what would you share with our viewers 42:22 that this is a worthwhile ministry 42:24 to be involved in? 42:26 It is such a valuable ministry. 42:29 I just get breath taking away from me 42:32 because it has grown our ministry 42:35 in Minnesota tremendously. 42:38 We were at St. Cloud prison 42:40 after the packages were delivered, 42:42 and the guys just clapped. 42:43 They were so thankful for those packages. 42:47 And when I read those letters, 42:49 those thank you letters that come back saying about 42:53 that they cried and that, "We were not forgotten." 42:56 They just impact me so much, 42:58 "And we're also getting literature out 43:02 where we would not get it elsewhere," 43:04 and it's like the light shining out 43:05 between all those different counties. 43:07 So those prisons are being saturated, 43:10 every inmate receives a package, is that correct? 43:12 Yes, that is correct. 43:13 We have to have one for everyone 43:16 that is in the facility. 43:17 You cannot just do it for part of the inmates. 43:21 It has to be for the whole facility. 43:23 Can you tell us how it's been received 43:24 by the staff and prison officials? 43:27 Yes. 43:28 I was just at the St. Cloud prison 43:30 for appreciation dinner, 43:32 and I had the program director that I deal with came up to me 43:36 and gave me a hug, 43:37 and that's the place 43:39 where we've had him in since 2011. 43:41 And he's so totally onboard. 43:43 He said it just makes 43:44 such a difference there in the facility 43:46 and at the Albert Lea jail, 43:49 we've had, where she said, 43:52 the program director, for three weeks, 43:55 it was just quieter in that jail. 43:57 So that makes a difference? Makes a difference. 43:59 And Jesus says, 44:00 "As you've done it unto one of the least of these, 44:02 my brethren, you've done it unto Me." 44:05 Debbie, thank you for driving through this, 44:06 for the terrible weathers 44:08 that you've experienced coming here, 44:10 thank you so much for coming all the way from the Minnesota. 44:12 And we want to come to your state 44:14 wherever you are located 44:15 and bring the ministry, Christmas Behind Bars, 44:17 and bring hope to those who are incarcerated. 44:18 God bless you and thank you for being part of this program. 44:22 We are really grateful to be here at 3ABN Today, 44:24 and I'd like to introduce to you my wife, 44:26 which maybe you're not familiar with. 44:28 We've been married for over... 44:29 Thirty-three years. Thirty-three years. 44:31 It's been a joy to work for Christ. 44:33 We've been doing Christmas Behind Bars now for how long? 44:35 I think 20 years. No, over 20 years. 44:39 Can you share with our viewers how Christmas Behind Bars 44:42 can be an active part of their church? 44:46 Yes. It's very easy. 44:48 As you see all these people putting bags together. 44:52 If you just go down to your county jail 44:54 and make a day, put some bags together, 44:58 and go and tell the inmates 45:01 that God loves them, they have purpose. 45:05 Now you tell the inmates on a daily basis 45:07 that there's hope for their life 45:08 and that they have purpose? 45:10 Yes. How do you do that? 45:11 I write letters to inmates. Hundreds of letters. 45:14 But that's not all you do. 45:16 Donna is taking care of all the paperwork 45:18 for Christmas Behind Bars, 45:20 we volunteer our time for this ministry, 45:23 and we want to say thank you for your sponsorship 45:24 because without it, 45:26 we don't get paid for what we do, 45:27 but yet God blesses just in numerous ways, 45:30 and we're very grateful. 45:31 Numerous ways, yes. 45:32 What would you share with our sponsors 45:34 that may be would like to help out? 45:37 It's a blessing. It's a blessing. 45:41 When you help a ministry, when you help an inmate know 45:46 that God loves them, that they matter, 45:49 so many think that they're worthless. 45:53 Now we have trucks and trailers, 45:55 but we're in need of something really special, 45:57 what would that be? 45:59 We come to the point that we need our own warehouse. 46:02 So we need a warehouse. 46:04 You know, it's been a blessing to serve Christ 46:08 and we're grateful to be a part of 3ABN 46:10 and Christmas Behind Bars and Free Indeed, 46:12 and we want to say thank you to all of you around the world 46:16 for bringing hope to those who are incarcerated, 46:18 seemingly forgotten without hope or purpose, 46:22 but we know that lasting positive changes 46:24 is not only available, 46:26 but it certainly is attainable. 46:28 That's right, in Jesus. That was fun. 46:32 You can see the joy that is given to those 46:36 who are giving out, they're getting joy back, 46:38 and everybody's excited about what they're doing. 46:40 Amen. Absolutely. Praise the Lord. 46:41 It's a fun time. 46:42 Lemuel, search your mind a little bit and give us 46:44 just one more story of someone that stands out in your mind 46:47 that this program has been a particular blessing too. 46:50 You know, CA, over 3,000 inmates in a prison, 46:54 suicide attempts are prevalent, 46:57 I mean, people get despaired, discouraged, 46:59 feel like given up, there's no hope. 47:01 Over 3,200 inmates in this prison, 47:04 and they said that once they knew Christmas 47:06 Behind Bars was coming to their prison 47:09 that there was no suicide watches initiated 47:11 during that time. 47:12 And the reason 47:14 is because they were looking forward 47:15 to Christmas Behind Bars. 47:17 They were looking forward to something. 47:18 They were looking forward to receiving a gift, 47:19 and there were no suicide watches 47:21 'cause they were looking forward. 47:22 Amen? Praise the Lord. 47:23 So one of the great advantages of Christmas Behind Bars, 47:25 it changes the culture, the feel, 47:27 the texture of what's going on in the prison. 47:28 The flavor, absolutely. Yeah, yeah, yeah, well said. 47:30 And the staff really appreciate it. 47:32 You quoted and texted me 1 John 1:9, 47:35 "If we confess our sins, 47:36 He is faithful and just to forgive." 47:38 But I want to quote a text 47:39 that is just two verses before that, 47:40 1 John 1:7 says, 47:42 "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, 47:45 we have fellowship one with another." 47:47 See that's what you're seeing behind us. 47:49 You're seeing fellowship. This is fellowship. 47:51 They're fellowshipping one with another. 47:53 They're building memories. 47:55 They're increasing friendship, 47:56 and they're working together for a common cause. 47:59 The text says, 48:00 "We have fellowship one with another 48:02 and the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sins." 48:05 So you get the cherry on the sundae, 48:06 you get fellowship here on earth, 48:08 and you get your sins cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. 48:11 Now hopefully, 48:13 you have been impressed and inspired 48:16 by what you heard and seen today. 48:19 Again, you can do this in your own church, 48:23 in your own home, in your own community, 48:26 you can make these kinds of contacts 48:27 and that will be great or you can ask Lemuel to come 48:31 or you can facilitate what he is doing. 48:35 The needs are... 48:36 And we'll talk about this over and over again. 48:38 The needs are Bibles, 48:39 the needs are a new permanent warehouse 48:42 because they're in sort of a vagabond situation, 48:45 and going from place to place to place, 48:47 and he would like to have a permanent structure 48:49 that he can work out of, and then we need literature. 48:52 There's never... 48:54 You can never have too much literature. 48:55 It is a good thing. 48:58 Lemuel, the vendors have been very kind here. 49:01 Absolutely. 49:03 There's tons and tons and tons of things 49:05 to give away, and that's good. 49:07 But getting good solid Christian literature, 49:10 you can't go every place for that because, first of all, 49:12 you want doctrinally sound literature, 49:14 you want things that they can read 49:15 that would draw them to Christ. 49:17 There's a lot of spurious things going around, 49:19 so I know you check 49:20 and go over everything that you pass out. 49:21 Absolutely. 49:23 And even Bibles, you want a Bible that is solid, 49:26 that is doctrinally pure, 49:28 doesn't have a lot of excess commentary on it. 49:30 You want them to get the truth, the whole truth, 49:32 nothing but the truth. 49:34 And we need Jesus, 49:35 you know, we're sharing hope in these bags 49:37 about Jesus Christ. 49:39 And wherever you are in the world today, 49:40 how is your relationship with Jesus? 49:42 You may not be in prison, but today, 49:44 we're asking you to contemplate your own life personally, 49:47 and there's hope only through Christ, 49:49 and you'll grow in the wisdom and knowledge of the truth. 49:51 So thank you so much for your sponsorship with 3ABN 49:54 and Christmas Behind Bars. 49:55 And, CA, it's just been a joy to be here. 49:57 Oh, it's been fun. It's good fun. 49:59 It's a joy. 50:00 I can hardly think of a better way 50:02 to spend your money than to support a ministry 50:06 that is doing what this ministry is doing. 50:10 So many of these men and women feel 50:12 that they are thrown away, 50:14 they are left, no one cares about them, 50:15 but when Lemuel Vega and Christmas Behind Bars 50:18 makes their entrance 50:19 into that prison, into that jail, 50:21 into that correctional facility, 50:23 they know something good is going to happen, 50:25 they know they're going to get something good to eat. 50:27 What they may not know 50:29 is they're also going to get the gospel, 50:31 the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. 50:33 Now you've heard the pitch, and now you need to know 50:37 where you can contact Lemuel Vega, 50:40 so the address roll is coming. 50:41 This will give you the information 50:43 that you need to support 50:44 or to get him to come to speak to your group, 50:47 and he will be glad to do just that. 50:51 Christmas Behind Bars 50:52 has a variety of ministry needs, 50:54 and you can make a difference. 50:56 Visit their website 50:57 and find all the ways you can help, 50:59 including donations for Bibles, gift packages, 51:03 transportation needs, or assistance for inmates 51:05 and their families upon release. 51:07 Their website is ChristmasBehindBars.org. 51:11 That's ChristmasBehindBars.org. 51:15 Call them at (260) 827-8835 51:20 or toll free at (888) 536-8342. 51:26 You can write them at Christmas Behind Bars, 51:29 PO Box 474, Bluffton, Indiana, 46714. |
Revised 2018-05-30