Welcome to The New Journey:
the program where we meet
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real life people
with real life testimonies
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with real-life
working ministries for Jesus.
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Today we meet a pastor
out of Memphis, Tennessee,
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that is pleased with
his prison ministry team
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because they're
on fire for Jesus.
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We'll also meet a man
that lived a life of crime
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but was led to Jesus
through prison ministries.
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I'm your host Aaron Chancy.
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Come join us on The New Journey.
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Welcome back to The New Journey.
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Today we have with us
in the studio Bro. Alvin
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and we have Pastor
Owens. Welcome to the show.
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Good to be here. All
right, we want to find out
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some information from you
all today. We want to start with
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Pastor Owens. Pastor
Owens, how long have you been
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pastoring as well as how
long have you been at the
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Longview Seventh-day
Adventist Church in Memphis?
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All right. First of
all, good to be here again.
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I've been pastoring
for about 14 years now.
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OK. And I've been specifically
pastoring the Longview Heights
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Seventh-day Adventist Church
in Memphis for about 5 years.
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About five years. OK, so
you've put a little bit of time
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into pastoring,
correct? Yes. OK, OK.
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Now being involved in prison
ministries, how much of an
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impact have you seen
that having an active church
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in prison ministries has
been on your congregation?
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Well it's very good
to see an active church.
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It's been a great
impact. When members are busy -
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OK - then it's a
blessing to the church.
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I've noticed that the
busy members - those who are
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involved in some type of
ministry - they tend to be
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the happiest members. OK.
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God did not ordain for the
members to just sit in the pew
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and listen to the
preacher, say "Amen, "
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critique the
sermon, and go home.
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That's correct. We are to go to
church and listen to the sermon,
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get equipped, and go
out there into the world -
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that's right - and
minister to people -
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at different
levels, different needs -
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and just reach out to the world.
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OK. You know after all in
the Great Commission it said
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"Go ye therefore... " Yeah.
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That means we have to
get up, we have to go,
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we have to go do
something, correct?
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Yeah go...
that's an active word.
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"Go... " That
means we have to go.
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That's exactly right. Come...
and we go. That's exactly right.
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Now how about church growth?
Due to your prison ministries
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team how about has the church
grown since prison ministries
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has been involved in your
church? All right, as far as
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church growth, the Lord
has blessed tremendously.
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We have had... for
example last year we baptized
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124 total. OK.
29 of those baptisms
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came through Revelation
seminar, Amazing Facts seminar,
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Sabbath preaching,
and just reaching out.
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OK. The other 95 came
through the prison ministry. OK.
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So it's been a powerful team,
and they're faithful to God
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every week. Very powerful.
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OK. So you've had 124
baptisms just recently.
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124 baptisms...
that's a lot of baptisms.
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You know, we're going to
talk more about the baptisms
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at your church to encourage
others to even get in this work.
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But first I want to deal with
what kind of impact have you
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seen for those incarcerated...
that this prison ministry work
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has had on them. OK,
those who come out of prison,
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when they to come to church
- OK - I've seen that they are
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more on fire. Some of
them have become elders.
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OK. The folk love
to hear them preach.
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They become productive people.
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And just seeing
that excites you.
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I mean, it's
great! OK... Amen, Amen.
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You know, many
churches aren't as fortunate
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to have a prison ministry team,
an active prison ministry team.
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You know, I know for
myself with my church
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we don't necessarily have
an active prison ministry team
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as yet. So that's a real
blessing for your church,
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isn't it? Yeah,
they go into the...
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they've been doing it
for about 30+ years now. OK.
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And they go into the prison;
they give the Bible studies...
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Amazing Facts or so forth;
and they will let us baptize
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right in the jail...
right in the prison. Amen.
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As a matter of fact,
when I first got to Longview
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Elder Tate, personal ministry
leader - OK - he asked me to
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lead out in a baptism.
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OK. And they do it
most of the time...
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but it was just good to
actually be in the prison - OK -
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baptizing people. Amen,
Amen. It's a good experience.
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You know, what I want you to
do right now, Pastor Owens, is
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take out your Bible and I
want you to turn to Matthew 25.
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You know, Matthew 25,
viewers, deals with God
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where He sets on the
right and on the left.
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He takes the sheep on the
right and the goats on the left
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and He says something to them.
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And we're going to have
Pastor Owens read some very
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key words and expound
upon what's in those verses.
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OK. First off,
Matthew 25 verse 32. OK.
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Says: "And before Him
shall be gathered all nations
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and He shall
separate them one from another
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as a shepherd divideth
his sheep from the goats. "
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Notice you have two
categories of people here.
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You have sheep
and you have goats.
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And then the Lord begins
to say certain things to them.
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In verse 35 He says: "For I was
a hungered and you gave Me meat.
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I was thirsty and
you gave Me drink.
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I was a stranger
and you took Me in.
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Naked and you
clothed me" in verse 36.
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And then He says in verse 36:
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"I was sick and you visited Me.
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I was in prison
and you came unto Me. "
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Now that told to me right
there He identifies Himself
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with those who have
been misfortunate. Oh yes.
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Those who have made
mistakes. Even those who may be
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in prison unjustly.
Yeah. 'Cause there's some folk
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in prison and they
don't deserve to be in prison.
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They're in prison...
it's like a Joseph situation.
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Yeah, yeah. But the Lord says
"I'm related to these folk. "
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And that's why one time I
even challenged my church...
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I said: "I don't want the Lord
to say to me - neither you -
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that when I was in
prison you visited Me not.
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And we have a big
prison ministries team.
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So I'm challenging
every church member
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to at least go to the prison
at least one time this year. "
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Amen. I did that this
year to all the members.
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I said: "At least go one
time so Jesus will not be able
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to say to you "When I was in
prison you didn't visit Me. "
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Yeah, that's
great... that's great!
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How have you noticed so
far that your members have been
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taking that challenge? Some
of them have gotten on board.
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Some of them
have gotten excited.
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We have a big group
that goes regularly.
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Some have committed... we have
one couple that committed to
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go once a month.
OK. Do what you can.
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Everybody can't do every
week but do what you can.
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OK. But I don't see how you
can not go at least one time
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out of the year... and
just get that experience.
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Yeah, everybody needs
to get that experience
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because folk are going
through and they need a visit.
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Sometimes they don't have family
folk - yes - to visit them.
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You know, and that's an
interesting point is that
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many inmates incarcerated
don't necessarily have family.
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They don't have
loved ones out there.
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They don't have
anybody to send them a letter,
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to send them some
money, to do anything for them.
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And you know what? To have an
active church that is involved
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in prison ministries and you're
ministering to people that
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you don't even know.
They have no clue who you are.
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You have no clue who they are.
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But you know what?
It's a blessing to them
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and I know it's a
blessing to each of you.
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They look forward...
Some of your best audiences
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as far as listening to sermons
- OK - come through the prison.
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They... As soon as you come
in sometimes they're cheering
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for you. Amen. Amen.
What words do you have to say
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to us today? I mean, I mean,
and they're eating up the words.
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They're not like sometimes
in church you have some folk
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hard to keep them up.
They're dozing sometimes...
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yeah, they're dozing in
church... unless youre'jumping
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up doing - you know - kicks
or something... wake them up.
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But man, these folk are thirsty
for the Word of God. OK. OK.
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I think it's... and I'm hearing
some things about churches
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here and they're getting excited
about prison ministries -
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and - OK - it's just a
blessing for the church. OK.
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You know what I want you
to do right now, Pastor Owens?
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I want you to look into the
camera and I want you to give
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a challenge to the
viewers. Challenge them to...
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It may not even be prison
ministries work, but it may
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be a challenge to just
get up and do something.
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You know after all, the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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is a God-ordained
church. We're a movement.
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The very word
movement starts out with move.
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An action verb: get
up, move, and do something.
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Challenge the viewers right now
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to get involved
in ministry work.
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Those who are
listening right now:
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I want to challenge you
to do something for God.
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We're told that no sooner
than when one is converted
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he wants to reach out and he
wants to be a witness for God.
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He wants to go.
It's almost like Jeremiah
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when he heard God
say: "Whom shall I send?
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And who will go for us? "
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Jeremiah said: "Here
am I, Lord, send me. "
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And we need Jeremiahs
today who will be willing
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to respond to the
challenge of God to go out.
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And you know, we often
pray for the Holy Spirit.
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We are doing it moreso now.
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But the Holy Spirit
likes to be used in a sense.
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Uh, don't pray for the
Holy Spirit if you don't plan to
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go out and do something for God.
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God says: "I will give
you My Spirit, but My Spirit
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wants to witness
through you, talk through you,
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uh, work a
ministry through you. "
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So if you want the Holy
Spirit you have to be willing
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to go out into God's vineyard.
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The laborers are few
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and we must pray for
the laborers to become great
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so that we can see the coming
of Christ very soon. Amen, Amen.
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Now viewers, you've
heard the challenge.
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You've heard the challenge:
"Here am I... send me. "
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You may be one that has
not gotten actively involved
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in any type of ministry.
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Well, you need to say
just as the Bible says:
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"Here am I... send me. "
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Now I want to talk a little
bit more, Pastor Owens, about
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those baptisms.
Baptism is an amazing thing
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when a person decides to
give their life to Jesus;
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they decide to go
down in that watery grave.
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Talk a little bit
about the feeling of baptism
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because many that are watching
do not know what it even
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feels like to give
their heart to Jesus.
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Know what it feels like to
go down in that watery grave
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and to rise up
into newness of life.
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Talk a little bit about that.
Baptism is a very special thing.
00:10:01.22\00:10:03.06
Matter of fact, when you brought
it up it made me remember
00:10:03.17\00:10:06.13
when I was baptized -
OK - at the age of 16.
00:10:06.33\00:10:08.40
I was in the Pentecostal Church.
00:10:08.60\00:10:10.66
And from the Pentecostal Church
I got convicted on certain
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truths of the Bible - OK -
in regards to God's Sabbath,
00:10:14.29\00:10:17.57
the Ten Commandments,
other things in the Bible
00:10:17.77\00:10:19.76
that this church teaches. OK.
Literally got convicted. Amen.
00:10:19.86\00:10:22.89
A while... I fought
it for a little bit.
00:10:23.09\00:10:24.88
OK. But after a while I accepted
it and I got baptized at 16.
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And man, it was a blessing
to go down with the anticipation
00:10:30.44\00:10:35.22
of coming up being
a new creature. Yeah.
00:10:35.42\00:10:38.12
I know... we know this is
symbolic, baptism is symbolic.
00:10:38.22\00:10:40.74
But I do believe that
when you go down you come up
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I believe God does put
a special anointing on you
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that you normally wouldn't
have if you were not baptized.
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A special anointing. Oh yes.
Like when Jesus was baptized
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the Bible says that
the dove came upon Him
00:10:53.67\00:10:56.13
and then a voice came
down from heaven saying:
00:10:56.33\00:10:58.32
"This is My beloved Son
in whom I am well pleased. "
00:10:58.42\00:11:01.30
So it's a blessing.
And it is symbolic because
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once you're baptized
you're telling the world
00:11:03.88\00:11:06.41
"I'm burying my old
way; I am a new creature.
00:11:06.61\00:11:10.70
When I come up out of
this water I'm coming up new. "
00:11:10.90\00:11:14.07
And you're
starting a new journey.
00:11:14.17\00:11:15.26
I'm starting a new
journey. I went down one way,
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I'm coming up by
faith another way. Amen.
00:11:18.65\00:11:21.39
And if you're nervous
while you're going down
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that you may not be converted,
while you're down there
00:11:23.28\00:11:26.01
you'd better say:
"Lord, before I come up
00:11:26.21\00:11:28.01
please convert me
because when I come up
00:11:28.21\00:11:30.66
I don't want to come
up the same old person
00:11:30.76\00:11:34.14
with the same old
situation, the same old habits.
00:11:34.34\00:11:37.45
I want to come up brand new. "
00:11:37.65\00:11:39.58
The Bible did say: "If any
man is in Christ, he is a new
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creature. Old
things have passed away.
00:11:42.91\00:11:45.19
All things have become new. "
00:11:45.39\00:11:47.24
He is new... he or she is new.
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Not perfect but new.
The thoughts are different.
00:11:49.57\00:11:52.06
Things are different;
it's real exciting. It is.
00:11:52.27\00:11:54.18
One of the best, the
most exciting thing in my life
00:11:54.39\00:11:56.73
was when I was
baptized. OK. It was exciting.
00:11:56.83\00:11:59.71
It's a terrible
thing to fight against God.
00:11:59.81\00:12:01.35
Yeah. But when you're
baptized you're telling God:
00:12:01.55\00:12:03.22
"Lord, I finally
stopped fighting against You.
00:12:03.42\00:12:05.92
I surrender all. I'm
dropping down my sword.
00:12:06.12\00:12:08.48
I surrender all. You are my
Lord and You are my Savior. "
00:12:08.68\00:12:10.96
Amen. "I'm getting
baptized because I love You
00:12:11.17\00:12:13.30
and I want to
follow You. " Amen.
00:12:13.50\00:12:14.94
Viewers, you've
heard that good news
00:12:15.14\00:12:16.57
of the feeling
of being baptized.
00:12:16.67\00:12:18.26
Maybe you haven't had a chance
to go down into that watery
00:12:18.46\00:12:20.87
grave. Well I tell
you, all you have to do:
00:12:20.97\00:12:23.18
find your local church, find
a Seventh-day Adventist church
00:12:23.38\00:12:25.99
and ask the pastor. "Look,
I'm ready to change my life.
00:12:26.02\00:12:28.83
I'm ready to
take that new journey.
00:12:29.03\00:12:30.60
Can I be baptized?
00:12:30.80\00:12:31.80
Can I come up that new
man in this newness of life? "
00:12:31.90\00:12:34.12
Well what I want to do
right now is transition over to
00:12:34.33\00:12:36.52
Bro. Alvin. And we want to
get a little information about
00:12:36.73\00:12:39.03
Bro. Alvin. Thank you for
being on the show Bro. Alvin.
00:12:39.23\00:12:41.29
Could we get a little bit
of information dealing with
00:12:41.42\00:12:44.10
your early upbringing?
How old you are right now.
00:12:44.30\00:12:46.75
You are a direct
result of prison ministry.
00:12:47.05\00:12:50.50
The product of...
Been in prison yourself.
00:12:50.70\00:12:53.53
Prison ministry team
came and visited you.
00:12:53.73\00:12:56.47
As a direct result
you're in the church now.
00:12:56.67\00:12:59.09
Talk about your
early childhood experience.
00:12:59.29\00:13:01.63
Well, I wasn't
raised in the church.
00:13:01.83\00:13:07.73
OK. My parents
didn't go to church.
00:13:07.93\00:13:11.95
OK. So I wasn't affiliated...
didn't know anything as far as
00:13:12.15\00:13:15.82
about church. I... - OK
- you know, I just grew up
00:13:15.92\00:13:18.76
like every other kid that didn't
know anything about church.
00:13:18.86\00:13:21.31
And I came to know
the Lord years later.
00:13:21.42\00:13:26.28
OK. As I got
grown... as I got older
00:13:26.48\00:13:30.50
I got into a
little bit of trouble. OK.
00:13:30.70\00:13:33.34
And you know, as
most young teenagers do,
00:13:33.54\00:13:38.19
they get in trouble they
get afraid. Yeah, that's true.
00:13:38.39\00:13:40.82
Especially when you know
they've got time on their hands
00:13:40.92\00:13:42.81
or expecting to do
some time. Oh yeah.
00:13:43.01\00:13:44.62
Oh yeah. They say "do
the crime, do the time. "
00:13:44.92\00:13:47.24
Well you know, my
mom... she was a praying lady.
00:13:47.44\00:13:53.10
I mean, she wasn't a church-
going lady but she prayed like
00:13:53.30\00:13:55.45
most mothers do.
She prayed for me,
00:13:55.55\00:13:58.54
and of course my
crime that I committed
00:13:58.74\00:14:03.53
which was strong
arm robbery... OK, OK.
00:14:03.73\00:14:06.84
Now 1978 you were
charged actually with strong arm
00:14:07.04\00:14:10.32
robbery. You were sentenced
to 5 or 10 years in prison.
00:14:10.42\00:14:13.48
Right. I want you to spend
a little time talking about
00:14:13.68\00:14:15.87
what were some of the underlying
factors in your life at that
00:14:15.98\00:14:18.56
point that led you to
committing that armed robbery,
00:14:18.66\00:14:21.48
led you to a life of crime.
00:14:21.58\00:14:22.76
Well, at the time I was...
At that time I had been working
00:14:22.96\00:14:26.64
at Dewpoint. I was
working as a custodian.
00:14:26.84\00:14:31.62
OK. In other
words, a janitor. OK, OK.
00:14:31.82\00:14:34.15
Um, I worked... and the
company went out of business.
00:14:34.29\00:14:39.26
And as a young man, you know,
00:14:39.56\00:14:42.40
not making any money - uh-huh
- kind of got discouraged.
00:14:42.60\00:14:46.42
OK. That kind of put me on
a corner which, at that time
00:14:46.62\00:14:52.04
I had an automobile,
had a condo payment. OK.
00:14:52.24\00:14:55.30
I was... The bills
were piling up. Right!
00:14:55.60\00:14:59.67
I was kind of confused -
OK - and you know how it is
00:14:59.87\00:15:03.05
when you don't have any
money - yeah - you kind of
00:15:03.25\00:15:05.91
begin to wonder - OK -
your mind kind of drifts.
00:15:06.11\00:15:08.83
But I committed that
crime and that's what led me
00:15:09.03\00:15:13.22
to be locked up. OK, now
you did 5 years in prison
00:15:13.42\00:15:17.55
on that 5-10 year sentence.
You were released in 1983.
00:15:17.75\00:15:20.87
Correct. Now at that point, what
was going through your mind?
00:15:21.08\00:15:24.21
When you were about to get
out what was... what were the
00:15:24.41\00:15:26.42
thoughts? What were
the feelings at that point?
00:15:26.52\00:15:28.35
Had you found Jesus
while you were incarcerated?
00:15:28.55\00:15:30.88
Was it a while before you
found Jesus when you got out?
00:15:31.08\00:15:33.48
Talk a little bit about that.
00:15:33.68\00:15:34.82
Well, no, I got saved
while I was doing time. OK.
00:15:35.03\00:15:38.56
Um, the Lord saved
me. Praise the Lord!
00:15:38.76\00:15:41.50
Uh - praise the Lord; Amen
- I didn't know at the time
00:15:41.70\00:15:46.87
that God would put
me in this position -
00:15:46.97\00:15:49.85
uh-huh - to bring
me to this point. OK.
00:15:50.05\00:15:52.75
But I knew that I wanted to
make a difference in my life.
00:15:53.05\00:15:56.17
OK. So all the things that I did
prior to getting to where I was
00:15:56.38\00:16:01.35
I started giving
up. You know: drinking,
00:16:01.38\00:16:04.51
smoking
cigarettes. All those things.
00:16:04.71\00:16:07.76
Now was it easy to
give those things up?
00:16:07.86\00:16:09.17
Was it kind of like
immediately? I know for myself
00:16:09.27\00:16:12.45
when I began to change my life
it was to get off the cocaine,
00:16:12.65\00:16:16.18
the ecstasy, the
marijuana, the alcohol,
00:16:16.38\00:16:18.74
prescription pills... the many
different drugs that I was on.
00:16:18.94\00:16:21.43
I hear stories of people that
say: "Immediately I was able
00:16:21.63\00:16:24.23
to give it up. " For me it
took a good 2 or 3 months or so.
00:16:24.33\00:16:27.70
But as I was coming to the
cross, as I was coming to Jesus,
00:16:27.90\00:16:30.56
I noticed that this had
to stop, this had to stop,
00:16:30.70\00:16:32.97
this had to stop as
I was coming to Jesus.
00:16:33.17\00:16:35.18
And He was changing me; I
wasn't trying to change myself.
00:16:35.38\00:16:38.39
That's right. How was it for
you? Was it easy to give it up?
00:16:38.59\00:16:41.07
Or? Talk about that a
little bit. Well, at the time,
00:16:41.27\00:16:43.70
you know, of course I was at
the... I was in the correctional
00:16:43.91\00:16:48.34
facility in Memphis - OK -
at the Shelby Co. Correctional
00:16:48.44\00:16:53.29
Center. OK. Um, at that time
you know we were still getting
00:16:53.39\00:16:58.14
marijuana - yes -
gettin' things in jail. OK.
00:16:58.24\00:17:02.58
Of course we
would buy cigarettes.
00:17:02.61\00:17:04.96
OK. I had access to these things
which at that time I did have.
00:17:05.16\00:17:10.87
But at that same
token, God was working on me.
00:17:11.37\00:17:15.67
I was reading my Bible. OK.
00:17:15.77\00:17:16.97
And the Lord was
showing me that these changes
00:17:17.17\00:17:20.94
that I was going to have to make
to become that new creature -
00:17:21.14\00:17:25.13
OK - I was... Now,
did you have that feeling
00:17:25.33\00:17:27.82
of "I need to get myself
together first before I come
00:17:27.92\00:17:31.56
to the Lord? Or... you
were still doing things
00:17:31.66\00:17:34.29
but you were reading
and studying the Word of God
00:17:34.39\00:17:36.46
and noticing that
God was changing you?
00:17:36.66\00:17:39.14
Well, in reality yes. At
that time God was changing me.
00:17:39.34\00:17:43.46
OK. I mean, I was
giving those things up -
00:17:43.66\00:17:46.22
OK - at that time - OK.
00:17:46.42\00:17:47.85
I'm not going to say that they
all just fell off all at once.
00:17:48.06\00:17:51.05
No... I'd be telling a lie.
00:17:51.26\00:17:52.84
OK. Cigarettes... it
took me a little while.
00:17:53.04\00:17:56.07
You know what's
interesting about cigarettes?
00:17:56.27\00:17:58.39
For me that was the
hardest thing to get off.
00:17:58.59\00:18:00.81
You know, the
heroin, the cocaine,
00:18:01.01\00:18:03.16
the alcohol, and even statistics
show that nicotine by far
00:18:03.37\00:18:07.79
is the hardest thing to get off.
00:18:07.99\00:18:09.23
And what's
interesting is... it's legal!
00:18:09.33\00:18:11.59
It's the hardest thing
to get off but it's legal.
00:18:11.79\00:18:14.00
Just like alcohol
they are hard to get off.
00:18:14.20\00:18:16.16
They cause so much damage:
00:18:16.26\00:18:17.58
lung cancer, so many
accidents, things like that.
00:18:17.78\00:18:20.25
But it's legal. Right.
You know, it's strange.
00:18:20.46\00:18:23.23
So it was a battle for you
getting off of these. Correct.
00:18:23.33\00:18:25.81
OK. I uh... After getting
the victory over cigarettes
00:18:26.01\00:18:30.31
which means that I
stopped smoking after one night.
00:18:30.41\00:18:32.87
God blessed me where I
laid on my bunk one night
00:18:33.07\00:18:36.80
after I made my mind up I
wasn't going to smoke any more.
00:18:36.90\00:18:38.94
OK. And, you know, after
dinner... normally that's when
00:18:39.14\00:18:43.96
you crave the cigarettes
the most. Yeah, oh yeah.
00:18:44.06\00:18:45.92
And when I came
back to my dormitory
00:18:45.95\00:18:48.26
I laid there and I prayed. I
said: "Lord, if You could just
00:18:48.46\00:18:51.90
help me conquer
these cigarettes... " OK.
00:18:52.00\00:18:54.97
And believe it or not I
dozed off and went to sleep.
00:18:54.98\00:18:57.09
Uh-huh. And I thought
about it after I woke up about
00:18:57.29\00:19:00.80
12 or 1 o'clock the next
day. I said: 'I didn't smoke! "
00:19:00.91\00:19:04.56
Amen. And so with that one
victory over that one night
00:19:04.76\00:19:07.94
that's what gave me the
victory and from that point on
00:19:08.14\00:19:11.06
I have never
smoked another cigarette.
00:19:11.26\00:19:13.54
So you started to
challenge yourself basically?
00:19:13.74\00:19:15.64
Oh, most definitely. OK.
You know, I remember for myself
00:19:15.74\00:19:18.47
even so where I
said to myself...
00:19:18.67\00:19:20.93
I said: "You know what,
I'm going to try going one day
00:19:21.13\00:19:22.79
without a cigarette.
Let me try one day. "
00:19:22.89\00:19:24.30
I've been smoking for 10 years
now. Let me see if I can go
00:19:24.41\00:19:26.50
one day without a cigarette.
" I began to challenge myself.
00:19:26.60\00:19:28.79
And I said: "OK, I
made one day. " You know...
00:19:28.82\00:19:30.39
let me try two days. "
00:19:30.59\00:19:31.62
You know, the thing about it
is even for a mountain climber
00:19:31.82\00:19:34.49
like if they want
to climb Mt. Everest.
00:19:34.59\00:19:35.96
You don't climb a
mountain in a day. Right.
00:19:36.06\00:19:37.61
It's a process...
it's... steps to it.
00:19:37.71\00:19:39.17
So I took steps. And I
said: "Well you know what?
00:19:39.37\00:19:41.70
One day; two days. "
Next thing you know it
00:19:41.90\00:19:43.88
turned into a week. I said: "OK,
a week, I had no nicotine. "
00:19:43.98\00:19:46.53
Then two weeks,
three weeks. Then I noticed
00:19:46.73\00:19:49.20
months and months went past.
Now it's been over 3 years.
00:19:49.40\00:19:51.82
You know, the goodness
of God; the goodness of God.
00:19:51.92\00:19:53.78
So you were searching for Jesus
while you were incarcerated.
00:19:53.98\00:19:57.65
You were searching
for Jesus. Definitely.
00:19:57.85\00:19:59.28
As you were searching
for Him fasting and praying,
00:19:59.48\00:20:01.64
trying to learn
about this Jesus,
00:20:01.78\00:20:04.07
this good God that we serve,
00:20:04.21\00:20:05.68
unbeknownst to you there was
actually a prison ministry team
00:20:05.88\00:20:08.70
coming into your prison, kind
of like the prison ministry team
00:20:08.90\00:20:11.51
that Pastor Owens
has at his church.
00:20:11.61\00:20:13.25
Was coming into... Talk
about that process how you got
00:20:13.45\00:20:16.77
involved with that. Well
actually it's some of the
00:20:16.87\00:20:19.50
members that were at Longview -
00:20:19.60\00:20:21.79
OK - that were coming in.
00:20:21.99\00:20:23.58
Amen, Amen. Ron
Taylor and Glen Parham.
00:20:23.79\00:20:28.09
OK. These were the men that
were coming out on weekdays.
00:20:28.29\00:20:33.03
OK. That came in
and did Bible studies.
00:20:33.23\00:20:35.93
All right. Of course, we
had Granny and Jerry Wilson.
00:20:36.13\00:20:41.95
And Granny which
is Huley... Sr. Huley.
00:20:42.15\00:20:45.17
OK. She's the mother -
Amen, Amen - the mother
00:20:45.37\00:20:48.03
of the church. I
mean... Amen to that.
00:20:48.23\00:20:50.90
She's the one
that... She's the mother.
00:20:51.10\00:20:55.23
OK. She's the one
that was always there.
00:20:55.43\00:20:58.25
You know, if I needed any
questions, you know, she just
00:20:58.45\00:21:01.40
encouraged me to
keep going you know.
00:21:01.50\00:21:03.70
Amen. But Ron
Taylor and Glen Parham
00:21:03.90\00:21:08.47
were the two that - OK - really
00:21:08.68\00:21:11.28
kind of set the ground for
me because the lesson studies...
00:21:11.48\00:21:15.66
I went to all denominational
churches, you know, doing the
00:21:15.86\00:21:18.94
studies while I was locked
up. And the Lord revealed to me,
00:21:19.04\00:21:23.75
uh-huh, after about a week and
a half of fasting and praying
00:21:23.95\00:21:27.84
I was searching for...
"Lord, where should I go? "
00:21:28.04\00:21:31.50
Amen. And the Lord revealed
to me through Ron coming out,
00:21:31.70\00:21:35.95
you know, studying
with me that the answer was
00:21:36.15\00:21:38.81
through what they
were teaching. OK.
00:21:39.01\00:21:40.95
OK, OK. And so I gave...
that's where I gave my heart
00:21:41.15\00:21:46.35
to - AMEN - where the
Lord had led me to. Amen.
00:21:46.55\00:21:49.64
And I knew then that
this was the truth. Amen.
00:21:49.67\00:21:52.73
Uh, I was
confronted by various churches.
00:21:52.96\00:21:57.28
A lot of people
wanted me to join.
00:21:57.48\00:22:00.15
But I made a choice that I
was going to do God's will...
00:22:00.45\00:22:05.56
which was the right thing. Yes.
I wasn't going to join people's
00:22:05.76\00:22:08.42
churches just to be a front.
00:22:08.52\00:22:10.11
Yes. 'Cause people
wanted me to come to be a pastor
00:22:10.31\00:22:12.85
to their churches - OK -
and it wasn't about that.
00:22:13.05\00:22:15.98
It was about being
sincere and honest.
00:22:16.28\00:22:18.09
And the truth of the
matter was that I told the Lord
00:22:18.29\00:22:21.01
when I got saved that I
want to make it to heaven.
00:22:21.11\00:22:24.99
OK, OK... you want to make
it to heaven. I want to be...
00:22:25.19\00:22:26.72
I want to be
serious about this. OK.
00:22:26.82\00:22:29.17
This is not about, you
know, money or about fame
00:22:29.37\00:22:33.47
or anything of that nature. OK.
00:22:33.67\00:22:35.70
OK. It's about, you know,
getting all the way through.
00:22:36.00\00:22:38.10
Not part of the way but all
the way. All the way through.
00:22:38.30\00:22:42.15
You know, Pastor Owens,
let me talk to you one thing.
00:22:42.29\00:22:44.52
You know, it must be exciting
to work with individuals
00:22:44.72\00:22:48.77
to see
testimonies like Bro. Alvin...
00:22:48.97\00:22:51.09
to be involved in this
work and hear stories like that.
00:22:51.39\00:22:53.97
It must be very exciting.
Yeah, you can't argue with...
00:22:54.07\00:22:56.14
you can't argue with the proof,
the fact. You can't argue with
00:22:56.34\00:22:58.72
that. Amen. It brings a
smile to your face to know...
00:22:58.82\00:23:01.92
and this is proof that
prison ministry can work. Yeah.
00:23:02.05\00:23:04.89
It may not work for everybody.
00:23:05.03\00:23:07.41
Some folk who get
out may go back in. Yeah.
00:23:07.61\00:23:09.98
That's true. But some will get
out and will become productive.
00:23:10.18\00:23:13.84
Yeah. According to how much,
you know, they're worked with
00:23:14.05\00:23:16.21
and so forth. A whole
lot of factors to consider
00:23:16.31\00:23:18.92
which you will
probably talk about later.
00:23:19.12\00:23:20.77
But this man right here is proof
00:23:20.97\00:23:24.26
that prison
ministry does work. Amen.
00:23:24.46\00:23:27.07
And the fact that
Jesus mentioned it - yeah -
00:23:27.18\00:23:29.18
means that He was
letting us know right there
00:23:29.38\00:23:32.21
2,000 years ago that
prison ministry is going to be
00:23:32.42\00:23:36.40
a great thing. Amen.
And that some folk will
00:23:36.50\00:23:39.52
go to jail, either because
they purposely made a mistake
00:23:39.72\00:23:43.47
or because of a
situation where they were framed
00:23:43.67\00:23:47.33
or something. Yeah. Yeah
sure. But we all will get close.
00:23:47.43\00:23:49.74
I've never been in jail
but I came pretty close.
00:23:49.84\00:23:52.36
I understand you. It
was not a good feeling.
00:23:52.56\00:23:53.87
I remember I was
visiting somebody in jail that
00:23:53.97\00:23:56.40
was accused of
something that he did not do.
00:23:56.60\00:23:58.87
OK. I was visiting
and they gave me problems
00:23:59.07\00:24:01.17
just for visiting.
Yeah. One time, man,
00:24:01.27\00:24:03.56
nine security guards
jumped me. Jumped you?
00:24:03.76\00:24:07.34
Right there... surrounded me.
00:24:07.44\00:24:09.28
And I said: "Man, I don't know
what it's like to go to jail
00:24:09.48\00:24:12.06
but I felt so
scared at the time. "
00:24:12.26\00:24:15.23
That was while I was in
the ministry, just beginning.
00:24:15.43\00:24:17.44
Wow! One almost called
for backup. Can you imagine?
00:24:17.64\00:24:21.00
But sometimes folk fall
into situations like that.
00:24:22.12\00:24:25.34
Yeah, yeah. Thank God
He delivered me from that.
00:24:25.54\00:24:27.72
But some folk
don't get delivered.
00:24:27.92\00:24:29.80
They have to be
like a Joseph. Yeah.
00:24:29.91\00:24:31.32
But if folk who are in prison
right now that are listening
00:24:31.35\00:24:35.36
to this, if they just hold
on like Joseph and just keep
00:24:35.46\00:24:38.72
praying and believing,
God can set them free.
00:24:38.82\00:24:41.58
Those who
purposely made a mistake
00:24:41.78\00:24:43.49
they can't continue
to just live in that -
00:24:43.69\00:24:46.26
yeah - because God
says: "That's the past.
00:24:46.47\00:24:48.63
I want to build
you up here on out. "
00:24:48.83\00:24:50.49
And so don't
feel guilty about it.
00:24:50.69\00:24:51.98
If you've actually given this
the Lord washed away your sins
00:24:52.18\00:24:54.67
and it's the past as far
as He's concerned - Amen -
00:24:54.87\00:24:58.04
then we ought to
forget it and go forward.
00:24:58.14\00:24:59.80
I mean, before... while we
were getting ready for this
00:25:00.00\00:25:02.43
yesterday we went out to dinner.
And we bumped into a lady
00:25:02.63\00:25:05.45
that said she was
in jail for ten years.
00:25:05.55\00:25:08.00
Wow! And she said:
"I made a mistake. "
00:25:08.20\00:25:11.28
She said: "I'm not
ashamed of. I made a mistake. "
00:25:11.48\00:25:13.46
But she has the determination
where do I go from here?
00:25:13.66\00:25:17.45
Yeah. It was good to
see that she was productive
00:25:17.65\00:25:19.59
and going on from here. OK, OK.
00:25:19.79\00:25:21.63
I don't want to talk
it all... Amen; Amen.
00:25:21.73\00:25:23.62
Bro. Alvin: I want
to come back to you.
00:25:23.82\00:25:25.82
You know in the book Ministry
of Healing there's a chapter
00:25:26.02\00:25:28.73
entitled "Saved to Serve. "
00:25:28.83\00:25:30.92
"Saved to Serve.
" God often saves us
00:25:31.12\00:25:33.18
and then turns around
and puts us into service. OK.
00:25:33.38\00:25:36.14
Now you're involved
in prison ministries.
00:25:36.24\00:25:37.91
You learned the truth
while you were in prison.
00:25:38.01\00:25:39.82
Um-hmm. You were baptized
while you were in prison.
00:25:40.02\00:25:42.78
Now you're involved
in prison ministries.
00:25:42.98\00:25:45.14
Talk about your experience of
going back into the prisons now.
00:25:45.34\00:25:47.49
Well, the Lord has
impressed on my heart
00:25:47.69\00:25:50.49
to go back and give to the men
- OK - what He has given to me.
00:25:50.69\00:25:54.71
Amen. He has blessed
me in my profession. OK.
00:25:54.94\00:25:59.80
Over the years I have
learned to do home remodeling.
00:26:01.20\00:26:04.62
OK. And it has taken
time to get to this point,
00:26:04.92\00:26:07.49
but God has blessed me to
be a provider for my family.
00:26:07.69\00:26:10.92
Amen to that. I've
been married now 26 years.
00:26:11.02\00:26:13.70
Amen. My... I have four kids.
00:26:13.90\00:26:18.34
Of course I have
three boys and one girl.
00:26:18.54\00:26:20.67
My youngest baby is 16.
00:26:20.97\00:26:23.62
OK. I have one that
just came out of high school.
00:26:23.82\00:26:26.29
One is in the Navy;
and then I've got one
00:26:26.49\00:26:29.25
going to the Marines.
OK. I'm proud of my kids.
00:26:29.35\00:26:33.43
I thank God that He
blessed me to get to this point
00:26:33.83\00:26:38.86
so that I can continue to
do what He's called me to do.
00:26:39.06\00:26:41.89
OK. I've been
working in the prison.
00:26:42.09\00:26:44.94
I think when I go in
and most of all when I
00:26:45.24\00:26:50.63
testify to my own -
OK - personal experience
00:26:50.83\00:26:55.51
the guys, you know, they kind of
get kind of excited because they
00:26:55.71\00:27:00.19
see there's somebody
that's been where they are now.
00:27:00.40\00:27:02.51
Somebody can identify.
00:27:02.72\00:27:04.23
That's true. And I tell them
all the time that, you know,
00:27:04.26\00:27:08.41
being a Christian is not
just... it's not a bed of roses.
00:27:09.97\00:27:13.50
Yeah. That is
true; that's very true.
00:27:13.70\00:27:15.39
It's a challenge. Yeah.
You have your good days;
00:27:15.59\00:27:17.86
you have your bad
days. It's like that in the
00:27:18.06\00:27:20.37
Christian walk.
You're going to have to...
00:27:20.47\00:27:22.41
you're going to have to be
first honest with yourself.
00:27:22.61\00:27:25.26
OK. And... You know what?
You know what I want you to do
00:27:25.46\00:27:28.20
right now, Bro. Alvin?
00:27:28.40\00:27:29.57
You're saying
some real good things.
00:27:29.77\00:27:30.99
You seem sincere about the work.
00:27:31.19\00:27:32.69
I want you to take some
time and look into the camera
00:27:32.89\00:27:35.16
to the viewer. To
the mother, the father,
00:27:35.36\00:27:36.90
the individual
that is incarcerated.
00:27:37.10\00:27:39.01
I want you to talk to them.
00:27:39.11\00:27:41.02
Give them some
words of encouragement,
00:27:41.32\00:27:43.22
some words of hope. Speak into
the camera and let them know.
00:27:43.32\00:27:45.92
John 16:33.
00:27:46.12\00:27:48.15
Jesus said: "In me
you should have peace
00:27:48.35\00:27:50.89
but in the world
there shall be tribulation.
00:27:51.09\00:27:53.67
So be of good cheer for I
have overcome the world. "
00:27:53.87\00:27:57.59
Amen. Amen. Amen.
00:27:57.79\00:27:59.46
Viewers: you've heard
these words of encouragement.
00:27:59.56\00:28:01.88
You've heard the
stories of the baptisms.
00:28:02.08\00:28:04.19
You yourself may not
have been baptized before.
00:28:04.29\00:28:06.66
You may not have
even chosen Jesus.
00:28:06.86\00:28:08.78
I encourage you to
choose Jesus Christ.
00:28:08.98\00:28:11.39
You will not go
wrong. You may have bad days
00:28:11.59\00:28:14.50
but Jesus is "the Way,
the Truth, and the Life. "
00:28:14.70\00:28:17.23
You've been
watching The New Journey.
00:28:17.43\00:28:18.82
Join us next time. God bless.
00:28:19.02\00:28:20.82