The following program
discusses sensitive issues.
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Parents are
cautioned that some material
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may be too candid
for younger children.
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Welcome to "The New Journey."
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The program where we
meet real life people
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with real life testimonies,
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with real life
working ministries for Jesus.
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Today, we'll meet a man
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that spend more than
half of his life incarcerated,
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but now serve Jesus
actively in prison ministries.
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We learn how he found Jesus
and how no matter the crime,
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God does not
forsake us nor leave us.
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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 program.
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Today our guest is
Brother Steven Radford.
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Welcome to the
program. Brother Steven Radford.
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Thanks for having
me. Thank you. Thank you.
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We're going to talk about
two aspects in this testimony.
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We gonna talk
about your testimony
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and also we gonna talk about
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how you got involved
with prison ministries.
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First we're gonna start
off with your early life.
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What was your early life like?
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Give us a background,
some background information
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on your early life?
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Well, I'm from
Birmingham, Alabama.
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Okay.
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And there were seven people
in my family, my grandfather,
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mother and father,
had two older brothers.
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Okay. And a younger sister.
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Okay.
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My grandfather was an alcoholic.
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Okay.
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My dad was also an
alcoholic, a drug abuser.
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He spent time in prison.
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Was it tough as a young person
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seeing your
father as an alcoholic,
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using drugs and
seeing him away for prison?
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Well, I didn't understand
that it should have been tough.
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I didn't know
what actually to expect
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because that was all I saw.
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I thought that we were poor.
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We lived in a house that
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they used to call them
double tinned-up houses.
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They were like three rooms
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and you could
stand on the front porch
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and look in the backyard.
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But fortunately, my
mother who is alive today,
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I thank God for.
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She demanded that my
brothers and my sister
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and I attend the church.
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And we did up
until we decided that
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we didn't want to
go to church anymore.
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Okay.
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And in the
neighborhood that I grew up in,
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there was vice all around.
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There was whiskey
drinking, gambling
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and so you could say
truthfully that my environment
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had an effect on some
of the choices that I made.
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Okay. Okay.
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So you grew up kind of
in a rough environment.
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There were
things going on around
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that the drinking, the drugs,
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so many different
things that going on,
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your
neighborhood was a rough area.
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Was it tough growing up
in this particular area?
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You know, contrary to problem
opinion, it actually it wasn't.
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Most of the people
in the neighborhood
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were kind of like family.
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Okay. Everybody knows everybody.
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Everybody knows everybody,
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but everybody was
doing their own thing
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and nobody got in
anybody else's business.
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Okay.
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But I didn't have to
deal with gangs or bully,
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any type of bullying
and things of that nature.
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Now, you stated that you were
going to church at a early age.
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Was your home a Christian
home? What was it like for you?
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Was your mother around
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and going to
church things like that?
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Yeah, she, my mother
is a Sunday church goer.
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And she went every Sunday
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and her rule was
that we would go too.
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Okay, if she go, you go.
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Yes. Okay.
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And so we were like go
to church every Sunday,
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you know, I
really thank God for her
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because I understand the Bible
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when it says in
the Book of Isaiah 55
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that the word of God
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will not return to Him void,
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but would accomplish
what is being sent out to do.
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I made-- I begin to
violate the law of God
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very early in my life.
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I started smoking when
I was about 10 years old.
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I started drinking when
I was about 10 years old.
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I was smoking marijuana at 12
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and about the time
I was 14 years old,
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I believe I was an alcoholic.
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Okay. Okay. Okay.
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So you were on several
different types of drugs.
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You were on
marijuana, you were on alcohol,
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you were smoking
cigarettes at the time.
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Was it hard to cope
with all those things
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in the system because
it's foreign to the body?
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Was it hard on the mind?
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Was it hard on the body
taking these different drugs?
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What was the feeling of it?
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Well, it was a feeling
of excitement, glee out,
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you know, most of
the times what it did was
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what I wanted to do.
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As a matter of
fact, I was taking
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different kinds of pills.
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In that particular
time, they had pills
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that would take you up
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which was described as P
and PO that will take you down
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which would kind
of put you to sleep.
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So I was into, you
know, just all over it.
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You know, I really get into it
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because I was
dare by one of my peers
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and because of that,
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I found myself doing things
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that other
people expected me to do
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and not doing what I
knew was right to do.
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You know, I can
testify to the fact
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even in my own life,
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you mentioned some
of the drugs are upper,
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some of the
drugs are down earth.
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You know, and I
spent so much time
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on a lot of the upper drugs,
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I took some down earths as well
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but you know, you tend to see
people out there on the streets
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that kind of look like zombies
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where their eyes
are really beady,
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hair is all
types of different way,
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looks like they've been up,
you know, for weeks at a time.
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And I can testify to the fact
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that on all
these types of uppers,
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it is to have you
awake for days at a time.
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Did you ever experience
that in your own life?
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Yes, I did.
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And if you noticed
there was a progression.
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Yeah. Yeah.
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I started smoking. Okay.
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And then I
started drinking. Yeah.
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It's like one leads to the next.
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One leads to another.
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It's like, you're
looking for something else
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that you're not
getting from the one
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that you started with.
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And you know that's where I was,
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just trying to find something
that I could really never take.
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Okay, now, eventually
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you got involved in
criminal activities.
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Speak a little bit
about what criminal activities
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you were involved in
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and eventually
you were incarcerated.
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Talk a little bit
about those instances?
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Well, I-- the first
time I think I remember doing
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something actually
wrong was I stole some money
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that was placed in the house.
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Okay.
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You start out with
something simple, didn't you?
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Well, no, it
wasn't really simple,
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I just thought it would.
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And it just kind of like
gravitated to other things.
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Now, I was in
school and you know,
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I was getting my
lesson, I was passing my grades.
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Matter of fact I
graduated from high school
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and I went on to do a stint
in United States Air Force.
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But all the time I
was smoking and drinking.
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While you were in the military?
While I was in the military.
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My criminal
activity was not that much.
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Okay.
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I was arrested for being
with my older brother once
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when I was about 16 years old.
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And later on, you
know, I was released.
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Okay.
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But as far as you
know me just being active,
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you know, in
the criminal element
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that I grew up in the streets.
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And I live by the
rules of the streets.
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And so therefore for me
it really wasn't nothing
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that I probably
wouldn't have done.
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Because the drugs and
alcohol had just numb me
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to the values that
we have in society.
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Oh, yes, you know, I know how--
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you know, a lot of
people get involved in crime
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and you know, I did myself,
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I didn't start off
with something big,
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I didn't start off
with grand theft auto,
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I started off
with something simple
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as a small charge, just take
a little toy from the store.
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Take a little
candy from the store
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and things like that.
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And what happen
is it became a habit,
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it became a habit,
it became something
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like you get a thrill
out of doing this thing.
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And next thing you know
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you lead the way
to bigger things.
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You start taking the cars,
you start breaking into houses,
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things like that.
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so a lot of times, it's like
this tumbleweed effect in life.
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We start off with something
small just like with drugs,
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we may start off with
what they call the gateway
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to all
marijuana and then we say,
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well, you know,
what I want to progress,
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I want
something a little better.
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I want some more
thrill out of it.
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and then it leads to
way to different drugs,
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different types of
crime, things like that.
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You know, now eventually
you serve some time in prison,
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I want to spend a
little bit of time here
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talking about your prison time.
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How long did you
actually spend in prison?
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I spend a total of 31
years. 31 years. You know what?
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That's longer than
I've been alive, 31 years.
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How was it being in
prison for 31 years?
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Well, to begin
with I was in prison
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because there was a life taken.
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And I did not do anything
to prevent to take another life
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and when I was asked a
question by the authorities,
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I lied about it.
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I was arrested and
then I was deemed as guilty
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as the person that
actually committed the crime.
00:09:41.38\00:09:43.48
Thirty one years in prison is--
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are you talking about 31
years of somebody telling you
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what to do, what
to wear, when to eat,
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where to go and
you know, at times
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I thought that the possibility
of me not able to getting out,
00:10:00.36\00:10:04.57
you know, was a reality.
00:10:04.60\00:10:07.30
Now, what was
your original sentence?
00:10:07.34\00:10:09.04
What were you
originally sentenced to.
00:10:09.07\00:10:10.77
My original
sentence was life in prison.
00:10:10.81\00:10:12.97
Life in prison.
00:10:13.01\00:10:14.34
With the possibility of parole.
00:10:14.38\00:10:15.74
Is even a testimony that
you're even out right now
00:10:15.78\00:10:18.75
because there is a possibility
there is that small possibility
00:10:18.78\00:10:21.55
where you could still be
00:10:21.58\00:10:22.92
incarcerated to this day, right?
00:10:22.95\00:10:24.29
Absolutely, I
noted the only reason
00:10:24.32\00:10:26.86
that I'm out right now
00:10:26.89\00:10:28.69
is because of the
love and power of God.
00:10:28.72\00:10:31.16
Praise the
Lord. Praise the Lord.
00:10:31.19\00:10:32.53
So what year did
you get incarcerated in?
00:10:32.56\00:10:35.96
I was arrested in April of 1975.
00:10:36.00\00:10:40.54
And I was
released in April 2006.
00:10:40.57\00:10:45.27
Now to from 1975 to 2006
that is a large, large gap.
00:10:45.31\00:10:51.95
When you got out of prison,
00:10:51.98\00:10:54.28
how was it or how is it
00:10:54.32\00:10:56.12
still trying to
read just to society
00:10:56.15\00:10:58.52
because when you went in,
00:10:58.55\00:10:59.89
that was a much slower
pace society at that time.
00:10:59.92\00:11:02.39
Then you come out in 2006.
00:11:02.42\00:11:03.99
People got iPhones, iPads
00:11:04.03\00:11:05.89
and all these
electronical things now.
00:11:05.93\00:11:08.13
How was it or how is it
00:11:08.16\00:11:09.73
readjusting to society even now?
00:11:09.76\00:11:11.47
Well, I gave my
life to the Lord in 1990.
00:11:11.50\00:11:15.47
I was in the home
00:11:15.50\00:11:17.74
and that's
prison inside of prison.
00:11:17.77\00:11:20.31
There you go, okay.
00:11:20.34\00:11:21.68
It's where they take people
that have disciplinary problem
00:11:21.71\00:11:25.05
or take people
there for their lives
00:11:25.08\00:11:27.78
or take people that
they want to investigate.
00:11:27.82\00:11:29.68
I was on the investigation
and during my time there,
00:11:29.72\00:11:32.95
I began to look at my life.
00:11:33.96\00:11:36.39
And it was not turning
out like I wanted it to be.
00:11:36.42\00:11:39.39
Yeah. Okay.
00:11:39.43\00:11:40.76
And, you know, that's why
I'm so thankful for my mom
00:11:40.80\00:11:44.40
because the word
that she demanded
00:11:44.43\00:11:46.63
I go to church and get
began to come alive in my life.
00:11:46.67\00:11:50.71
And, you know, I didn't know
00:11:50.74\00:11:53.48
at that particular time
of any formal way to pray,
00:11:53.51\00:11:57.55
so I talked to God and
I asked God to forgive me.
00:11:57.58\00:12:02.68
You know, I told Him
that I wanted something
00:12:02.72\00:12:05.05
different in my life.
00:12:05.09\00:12:06.76
And, you know, the thing about
God is that He doesn't wait
00:12:06.79\00:12:10.86
to answer our prayer.
00:12:10.89\00:12:12.56
What the Bible says
00:12:12.59\00:12:15.00
that "If you call on
Me, I will answer you
00:12:15.50\00:12:18.60
and I will show you
great and mighty thing."
00:12:18.63\00:12:21.00
When I pray, God
answered me. Amen.
00:12:21.04\00:12:24.21
And He forgave
me and then He began
00:12:24.24\00:12:27.71
to give me that new heart
00:12:27.74\00:12:29.08
that the Bible
talks about in Ezekiel.
00:12:29.11\00:12:31.58
You know, the
Bible also talks about
00:12:31.61\00:12:33.72
if any man be in Christ, in Him,
00:12:33.75\00:12:35.95
2 Corinthians 5:17,
he is the new creature.
00:12:35.98\00:12:38.95
So God began to
transform my mind.
00:12:38.99\00:12:41.69
Okay.
00:12:41.72\00:12:43.06
And so my
attitude began to change,
00:12:43.09\00:12:45.56
my talk began to change.
00:12:45.59\00:12:47.56
The people that I was
around began to change.
00:12:47.60\00:12:50.27
You know, God began to
come alive for me in my life.
00:12:50.30\00:12:54.00
In your own personal
life? In my personal life.
00:12:54.04\00:12:55.70
Okay. Okay.
00:12:55.74\00:12:57.07
You know, I
think one of the reason
00:12:57.11\00:12:58.81
I had stayed
away from Christianity
00:12:58.84\00:13:00.61
and accept Jesus
Christ as my Lord
00:13:00.64\00:13:02.18
and Savior was
because of what I was seeing.
00:13:02.21\00:13:05.28
I was seeing people that were
saying they were serving God.
00:13:05.68\00:13:09.68
And they were
doing another thing.
00:13:09.72\00:13:11.05
Absolutely. Okay.
00:13:11.09\00:13:12.42
So that was kind of hard
on you, you're seeing this.
00:13:12.45\00:13:13.92
You know, even
in my own instance,
00:13:13.96\00:13:15.79
I remember growing up
00:13:15.82\00:13:17.16
and so many people would
try to in essence save face.
00:13:17.19\00:13:20.80
They would go to
church not because
00:13:20.83\00:13:22.20
they wanted
anything out of church.
00:13:22.23\00:13:23.73
It was just basically,
00:13:23.77\00:13:25.10
I want to go just
to kind of save face.
00:13:25.13\00:13:26.80
And here I'm, I'm
drinking, smoking,
00:13:26.84\00:13:29.00
doing all these
things like that.
00:13:29.04\00:13:30.81
And people would look down on me
00:13:30.84\00:13:32.41
because, well,
you're coming to church,
00:13:32.44\00:13:34.38
you're doing all these things,
00:13:34.41\00:13:35.74
but then come to
find out these ones
00:13:35.78\00:13:37.18
that were put on the front,
00:13:37.21\00:13:38.55
they were doing the
same things as I'm doing.
00:13:38.58\00:13:40.42
But what they'd try to do
is heave all the blame on me
00:13:40.45\00:13:43.65
all that you're bad,
you're this, you're that.
00:13:43.69\00:13:46.02
Not knowing that they're
doing the exact same thing
00:13:46.05\00:13:48.82
that I was doing.
00:13:48.86\00:13:50.19
That's why the
world is saying today,
00:13:50.23\00:13:52.36
I'd rather see a
sermon than hear one.
00:13:52.39\00:13:54.50
Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, exactly,
00:13:54.53\00:13:55.93
You know, it's
much more powerful,
00:13:55.96\00:13:57.83
like I say action
speak louder than words.
00:13:57.87\00:14:00.14
It's much more powerful
00:14:00.17\00:14:01.57
to see a person
living the Christian walk
00:14:01.60\00:14:03.94
than just talking it
and living totally different
00:14:03.97\00:14:06.94
than what their Christian
life actually professes.
00:14:06.98\00:14:09.78
Now, in relation to
the long period of time
00:14:09.81\00:14:13.65
that I was in prison.
00:14:13.68\00:14:15.92
When I got out of prison
a lot things had changed.
00:14:15.95\00:14:19.35
Oh, yeah.
00:14:19.39\00:14:20.72
I mean I was riding in the
car and they had changed so much
00:14:20.76\00:14:24.73
that I didn't know
how to get out them.
00:14:24.76\00:14:27.36
And I had-- you
know, I went to a place
00:14:27.40\00:14:29.70
to use the restroom
00:14:29.73\00:14:32.53
and, you know, normally
the restroom had handles
00:14:32.57\00:14:38.84
so after I finished,
00:14:38.87\00:14:40.24
I was looking for
the handle to flush it,
00:14:40.28\00:14:43.61
but I didn't see one, right.
00:14:43.65\00:14:45.45
And I didn't see one and
thus, you know, began to look,
00:14:45.48\00:14:48.52
you know, over, so I
just backed away and said,
00:14:48.55\00:14:50.89
well, maybe they'll come in.
00:14:50.92\00:14:52.62
Maybe they'll come
in to flush them so.
00:14:52.65\00:14:53.99
And flush them so.
00:14:54.02\00:14:55.36
And when I backed
away, you know, it flushed
00:14:55.39\00:14:57.76
and I went like wow, it's--
00:14:57.79\00:14:59.29
I'm adjusting and
I believe, you know,
00:15:01.33\00:15:03.80
God has given me an
attitude of learning.
00:15:03.83\00:15:06.57
Since I'm born
again, I'm a babe,
00:15:06.60\00:15:11.81
so there's a lot of
things that I've got to learn
00:15:11.84\00:15:14.11
and God is, He has
given me the patience,
00:15:14.14\00:15:16.04
you know, to be able
to learn 'em, to sit back
00:15:16.08\00:15:18.48
to listen, you
know, to be observant
00:15:18.51\00:15:21.28
and in just, you
know, allow His Spirit
00:15:21.32\00:15:23.28
to manifest itself in my life.
00:15:23.32\00:15:25.59
Do you feel that after
spending 31 years in prison
00:15:25.62\00:15:28.69
that you were institutionalize,
00:15:28.72\00:15:30.19
you know, you hear so
many stories of people
00:15:30.23\00:15:32.49
that have spend time in
prison and they come out,
00:15:32.53\00:15:35.46
it's hard to readjust.
00:15:35.50\00:15:37.40
Their mind state is
prison, prison, prison
00:15:37.43\00:15:39.70
because this may have
been all they known for years.
00:15:39.73\00:15:41.90
I know even for myself I
spend a little time in prison
00:15:41.94\00:15:45.14
and when I got out, I
was still in the same habits
00:15:45.17\00:15:47.41
of doing some of the same things
00:15:47.44\00:15:48.88
that I was doing
while I was in prison,
00:15:48.91\00:15:50.95
in terms of
eating with the spoon
00:15:50.98\00:15:52.61
instead of eating with the fork,
00:15:52.65\00:15:53.98
that's one of the habits
I still have to this day.
00:15:54.02\00:15:56.32
And even washing my
clothes and the showers
00:15:56.35\00:15:58.49
and the toilets
things like that.
00:15:58.52\00:16:00.09
It took me a little
bit to readjust to being
00:16:00.12\00:16:01.79
able to wash my
own clothes myself.
00:16:01.82\00:16:04.09
Was it similar to
you, for you for that?
00:16:04.13\00:16:06.49
In my case, I had to say no.
00:16:06.53\00:16:08.56
and the reason I do is because
while I was incarcerated.
00:16:08.60\00:16:13.37
At course I just mentioned
that I gave my life to the Lord.
00:16:13.40\00:16:16.91
And what God did was enabled me
00:16:16.94\00:16:19.24
to see reality
for exact what it is.
00:16:19.27\00:16:23.85
And when He did that, you know,
00:16:23.88\00:16:25.51
I began to not
do time but use it.
00:16:25.55\00:16:28.72
Okay. Great.
00:16:28.75\00:16:30.09
And that's where I
think narrow minds come from
00:16:30.12\00:16:31.82
when we just do time.
00:16:31.85\00:16:34.56
I began to read
00:16:34.59\00:16:36.19
and try to be
aware of the going zones
00:16:36.22\00:16:38.36
in the world.
00:16:38.39\00:16:39.73
And so and then
you'll have to get out,
00:16:39.76\00:16:42.96
I had a good support system.
00:16:43.00\00:16:44.33
Amen. Amen.
00:16:44.37\00:16:45.70
My family was there
and the church was there
00:16:45.73\00:16:48.27
and my spiritual family.
00:16:48.30\00:16:49.64
You know, I had a lot of people
00:16:49.67\00:16:51.01
that were there to
hit me along the way.
00:16:51.04\00:16:53.17
There's only one thing that
I used to do that I still do.
00:16:53.21\00:16:57.05
What's that?
00:16:57.08\00:16:58.41
And that's I have a
tendency to go to bed early
00:16:58.45\00:17:01.15
and get up early.
00:17:01.18\00:17:02.52
Nothing wrong with that.
I love going to bed early.
00:17:02.55\00:17:03.99
Nothing wrong with
that. That's great.
00:17:04.02\00:17:05.35
You know, being in
prison, they tell you
00:17:05.39\00:17:07.16
when to go to bed,
00:17:07.19\00:17:08.52
what time to eat,
when they get dressed,
00:17:08.56\00:17:10.33
it's a lot of rules
of, you got to do this
00:17:10.36\00:17:12.73
at this time, this
time, and this time.
00:17:12.76\00:17:14.70
And, you know, when
you come out to society,
00:17:14.73\00:17:16.90
you're still in those same
00:17:16.93\00:17:18.27
kind of habits for little while.
00:17:18.30\00:17:19.63
So I could testify
to that fact as well.
00:17:19.67\00:17:21.64
You know, now
what's interesting is
00:17:21.67\00:17:23.47
while you were prison in
1990 you started to read,
00:17:23.51\00:17:27.01
God started to
open up your mind,
00:17:27.04\00:17:28.54
you started to draw
closer to Jesus Christ.
00:17:28.58\00:17:30.41
He was working on
you. He was changing you.
00:17:30.45\00:17:32.71
Now, you're actively
involved in prison ministries.
00:17:32.75\00:17:35.72
I want to spend some time
00:17:35.75\00:17:37.09
with your involvement
in prison ministries.
00:17:37.12\00:17:39.15
You work with UPMI Ministries,
can you, can you delve
00:17:39.19\00:17:41.92
into that
information a little bit?
00:17:41.96\00:17:43.56
Well, when I gave
my life to the Lord,
00:17:43.59\00:17:46.43
I was really on fire.
00:17:46.46\00:17:48.86
I wanted to tell
everybody about Him
00:17:48.90\00:17:51.00
and tell about the love
and forgiveness that He has,
00:17:51.03\00:17:53.60
so I start to read my Bible,
00:17:53.64\00:17:55.44
and I start to go to
church every night in prison,
00:17:55.47\00:17:58.21
they had service every night.
00:17:58.24\00:18:00.11
My problem was that I was
hearing different ideologies.
00:18:00.14\00:18:04.71
I was hearing
different doctrine.
00:18:04.75\00:18:06.08
I was hearing
things that was not in line
00:18:06.11\00:18:08.45
with the word of God.
00:18:08.48\00:18:10.02
And one day I was in the prison
00:18:10.05\00:18:12.55
and I told one of
the other Christian guys
00:18:12.59\00:18:15.89
about my
predicament and he invited me
00:18:15.92\00:18:19.09
to United Prison Ministry
International Bible study.
00:18:19.13\00:18:22.80
And I went to that Bible study,
00:18:22.83\00:18:25.43
and the first thing I heard of
00:18:25.47\00:18:27.37
when I went is I
want you to know,
00:18:27.40\00:18:30.81
that you cannot trust me.
00:18:30.84\00:18:33.21
The founder Richard
Bland, that's what he said,
00:18:33.24\00:18:36.01
and when he said that I
kind of sat up in my seat
00:18:36.44\00:18:39.11
because in the world
you can't trust people.
00:18:39.15\00:18:42.35
Yeah. Yeah.
00:18:42.38\00:18:43.72
Now, here it is, I
have a Christian telling me
00:18:43.75\00:18:46.25
that I can't trust him.
00:18:46.29\00:18:48.02
But the thing about it was that
00:18:48.06\00:18:50.33
he supported it
with what the Bible say.
00:18:50.36\00:18:53.16
You know, United Prison Ministry
00:18:53.19\00:18:54.60
International's
motto is we go by the book.
00:18:54.63\00:18:58.87
And when he went into the Bible
00:18:58.90\00:19:00.97
and he use a
scripture to show us that,
00:19:01.00\00:19:04.51
you know, the Bible
say you can't trust man
00:19:04.54\00:19:07.51
and the Bible says to trust God.
00:19:07.78\00:19:09.94
So when he did, you know,
00:19:09.98\00:19:11.51
I knew that I was in
the right place to hear
00:19:11.55\00:19:15.15
and learn some
truth of the word of God.
00:19:15.18\00:19:17.82
Okay. Okay.
00:19:17.85\00:19:19.19
So you met
Richard and Carolyn Bland
00:19:19.22\00:19:21.19
while you were
actually in prison.
00:19:21.22\00:19:23.06
These are the leaders
00:19:23.09\00:19:24.56
of United Prison
Ministries International.
00:19:24.59\00:19:26.90
How long now when
you got out in 2006,
00:19:26.93\00:19:29.73
how long has it been now
since you've been working
00:19:29.76\00:19:31.77
with United Prison
Ministries International?
00:19:31.80\00:19:33.80
For five years. For five years.
00:19:33.84\00:19:35.20
Okay, so
immediately when you got out,
00:19:35.24\00:19:36.67
you started working
with UPMI Ministries.
00:19:36.71\00:19:38.47
Almost immediately.
About 90 days after I got out.
00:19:38.51\00:19:41.94
Now, were you baptized
while you were in prison
00:19:41.98\00:19:44.41
or did you get baptized
when you came out of prison?
00:19:44.45\00:19:46.51
I got baptized when
I got out of prison.
00:19:46.55\00:19:48.48
Okay.
00:19:48.52\00:19:49.85
I want you to talk a little bit
00:19:49.88\00:19:51.22
about that
experience of baptism,
00:19:51.25\00:19:52.59
the feeling that
you feel going down
00:19:52.62\00:19:53.96
into that watery grave.
00:19:53.99\00:19:55.32
What does it feel
like getting baptized?
00:19:55.36\00:19:57.79
Let me tell to you
00:19:57.83\00:20:00.00
how I believe I
got out of prison.
00:20:00.03\00:20:02.03
Okay.
00:20:02.06\00:20:03.80
When I was in prison,
you know, I questioned God.
00:20:03.83\00:20:07.24
I often time asked
Him, what's going on
00:20:07.27\00:20:09.64
and I was
reminded that God's love
00:20:09.67\00:20:14.11
the Ten
Commandments is my gauge,
00:20:14.14\00:20:17.11
that's my standard I'm to live.
00:20:17.15\00:20:19.81
But I noticed
that I was not abiding
00:20:19.85\00:20:22.35
by one of those laws and
that was God's Sabbath day.
00:20:22.38\00:20:26.19
And when that
was revealed to me,
00:20:26.22\00:20:27.99
I began to set
aside God's Sabbath day
00:20:28.02\00:20:32.66
for fellowship
and worship with him.
00:20:32.69\00:20:35.16
And when I-- when
I stood up for God,
00:20:35.20\00:20:38.30
He stood up for me.
00:20:38.33\00:20:39.87
And then I was
released from prison.
00:20:39.90\00:20:41.50
Amen. Amen.
00:20:41.54\00:20:42.87
I know that had to
be a great feeling,
00:20:42.90\00:20:44.84
a great feeling,
trusting in the Lord,
00:20:44.87\00:20:46.74
seeing where the
Lord will take you
00:20:46.78\00:20:48.11
and even being
involved in ministry right now.
00:20:48.14\00:20:50.38
It's amazing what the
Lord will do, isn't that right?
00:20:50.41\00:20:52.15
Absolutely.
00:20:52.18\00:20:53.52
So I get out of prison
00:20:53.55\00:20:55.78
and I began to
search for a home church.
00:20:55.82\00:20:59.72
And I found a church in the city
00:20:59.75\00:21:02.19
I was living in
Birmingham and I went in,
00:21:02.22\00:21:05.46
I was really
greeted with a lot of love.
00:21:05.49\00:21:07.76
It was a
Seventh-day Adventist church.
00:21:07.80\00:21:11.07
And the reason I had, you know,
00:21:11.10\00:21:13.40
ended up at that
church is because
00:21:13.44\00:21:16.27
the Seventh-day Adventist
00:21:16.30\00:21:18.44
are living the
truth in accordance
00:21:18.47\00:21:21.08
to what I
understand the Bible to say.
00:21:21.11\00:21:23.08
Okay.
00:21:23.11\00:21:24.45
And so I went to this church
00:21:24.48\00:21:25.81
and I was just
welcomed with open arms
00:21:25.85\00:21:27.38
and, you know, people
loved me and, you know,
00:21:27.42\00:21:30.29
I began to go on a regular basis
00:21:30.32\00:21:32.19
and even God told me, you
know, Jesus has set the example,
00:21:32.22\00:21:36.89
you need to be baptized.
00:21:36.93\00:21:38.36
Okay.
00:21:38.39\00:21:39.73
And so I talked to, you
know, the elders in the church
00:21:39.76\00:21:41.76
and I was
baptized and I'll tell you,
00:21:41.80\00:21:43.87
right now I'm so excited.
00:21:43.90\00:21:46.84
And, you know, it has been
described as a watery grave.
00:21:46.87\00:21:52.31
Okay. Yeah.
00:21:52.34\00:21:53.68
And I knew that when I
went down in that water
00:21:53.71\00:21:56.14
and when I came up,
00:21:56.18\00:21:57.78
that my whole life in
being would be different.
00:21:57.81\00:22:01.08
Okay.
00:22:01.12\00:22:02.45
Yeah, I mean the excitement
is a small word to describe
00:22:02.48\00:22:05.15
how I felt when I was baptized.
00:22:05.19\00:22:06.72
Oh, yeah.
00:22:06.76\00:22:08.09
I knew it was just like,
you know, the heavens open
00:22:08.12\00:22:10.26
and God looked on Jesus
and said, this is my son
00:22:10.29\00:22:13.40
in whom I-- I, you
know, I experienced that too,
00:22:13.43\00:22:16.06
God loves me just that much.
00:22:16.10\00:22:18.30
So, you know, that's
kind of excitement that I felt
00:22:18.33\00:22:21.04
when I was baptized.
00:22:21.07\00:22:22.40
You know, what's interesting
in the Bible in Luke 15
00:22:22.44\00:22:24.77
it says that all
a heaven rejoices
00:22:24.81\00:22:27.28
over that one soul
that comes back to--
00:22:27.31\00:22:29.94
comes back to God.
00:22:29.98\00:22:31.31
Now that's, when
you think about that,
00:22:31.35\00:22:33.21
all a heaven rejoicing.
00:22:33.28\00:22:34.92
You read in the
Book of Revelation
00:22:34.95\00:22:36.32
that is thousands of
thousands and ten thousands
00:22:36.35\00:22:38.72
and thousands of
thousands of angels.
00:22:38.75\00:22:40.92
So you think
about a basketball game.
00:22:40.96\00:22:42.79
You got to NBA game or NFL game
00:22:42.82\00:22:45.29
and you see the
50,000 screaming fans there,
00:22:45.33\00:22:48.43
rooting for their favorite
team to beat the other team.
00:22:48.46\00:22:51.03
And you take
that and you say, hmm,
00:22:51.07\00:22:53.00
all a heaven is
rejoicing over just one.
00:22:53.03\00:22:55.97
And you know it's way
more than 50,000 screaming fans
00:22:56.00\00:22:59.67
for their team, but
if all a heaven rejoicing
00:22:59.71\00:23:03.04
for that one soul
that has come back to Jesus
00:23:03.08\00:23:06.08
and all the heaven
was doing that for you.
00:23:06.11\00:23:07.68
All the heaven
was doing that for me.
00:23:07.72\00:23:09.12
That is amazing.
00:23:09.15\00:23:10.69
So once you got out of prison,
00:23:10.72\00:23:12.05
you found a Seventh-day
Adventist church in Birmingham,
00:23:12.09\00:23:14.29
how long was it
before you got back to
00:23:14.32\00:23:16.42
where Richard and Carolyn Bland
and started working with UPMI?
00:23:16.46\00:23:18.96
Approximately 90 days. Okay.
00:23:18.99\00:23:21.53
Well, in terms of
my parole was that
00:23:21.56\00:23:25.00
I cannot leave the city that
I was staying in for 90 days.
00:23:25.03\00:23:29.34
Okay.
00:23:29.37\00:23:30.94
God had already
moved in my heart
00:23:30.97\00:23:33.71
and He also directed
the Bland's to contact me
00:23:33.74\00:23:38.11
and they did and you know,
prayerfully the season was,
00:23:38.15\00:23:41.68
you know, came upon prayerfully.
00:23:41.72\00:23:43.25
I went to work with United
Prison Ministry International
00:23:43.28\00:23:47.22
after those 90 days were over.
00:23:47.26\00:23:48.69
Okay. Amen. Amen.
00:23:48.72\00:23:50.29
Now, United Prison
Ministry International
00:23:50.33\00:23:52.26
is pretty
extensive prison ministry
00:23:52.29\00:23:54.73
and you offer some resources,
00:23:54.76\00:23:56.60
the ministry
offered some resources.
00:23:56.63\00:23:58.07
Can you talk a little
bit about those resources
00:23:58.10\00:24:00.04
that the ministry has?
00:24:00.07\00:24:01.40
Sure, one of the most books
and the most important book
00:24:01.44\00:24:04.61
I think that we
provide is a Bible.
00:24:04.64\00:24:07.44
Okay. Okay.
00:24:07.48\00:24:09.28
Because this is our foundation.
00:24:09.31\00:24:12.51
This is the basis of
everything that we stand on.
00:24:12.55\00:24:14.92
Remember, our motto
is "we go by the book."
00:24:14.95\00:24:17.35
Go by the book.
00:24:17.39\00:24:18.72
And this is a
precious promises edition
00:24:18.75\00:24:21.92
and in saying that,
00:24:21.96\00:24:23.76
the promises that
God has made to us
00:24:23.79\00:24:26.49
in this
particular edition is shaded.
00:24:26.53\00:24:29.26
We also offer a
32 lesson Bible study
00:24:29.30\00:24:34.40
that answer some of the--
most often asked questions
00:24:34.44\00:24:38.27
that we have as Christian
and it revealed to us the truth
00:24:38.31\00:24:42.04
what does saith the Lord.
00:24:42.08\00:24:43.68
For example, it talks
about the Sabbath day, you know,
00:24:43.71\00:24:47.28
and it touches on
the State of the Dead
00:24:47.32\00:24:49.55
and ask somebody as about
who committed the first sin
00:24:49.58\00:24:51.99
and some other.
00:24:52.02\00:24:53.36
We also offer the
book The Desire of Ages.
00:24:53.39\00:24:56.79
Great book.
Excellent. Excellent book.
00:24:56.83\00:24:59.63
If you're having
problems understanding Jesus
00:24:59.66\00:25:02.06
and His life, read
The Desire of Ages.
00:25:02.10\00:25:05.27
And we also
have this small book,
00:25:05.30\00:25:08.60
Bible questions answered.
00:25:08.64\00:25:10.37
It's got 14
different lessons in it.
00:25:10.41\00:25:12.67
It also touches on
the State of the Dead
00:25:12.71\00:25:15.38
and some other things so.
00:25:15.41\00:25:17.41
Okay.
00:25:17.45\00:25:18.78
This is just some and it
isn't all the resource material
00:25:18.81\00:25:20.95
that we offer inmates
throughout the country.
00:25:20.98\00:25:25.45
Okay. Now, those are some
great resources that you have.
00:25:25.49\00:25:29.06
How can people get a hold
of these particular resources?
00:25:29.09\00:25:32.19
They may want a Bible,
they may want that book
00:25:32.23\00:25:33.90
Desire of Ages,
00:25:33.93\00:25:35.26
they may want some
other material that you have.
00:25:35.30\00:25:37.00
How can people
get these resources?
00:25:37.03\00:25:39.20
Well, they can email
us at office@upmi.org.
00:25:39.23\00:25:44.34
Okay.
00:25:44.37\00:25:45.71
Or they can call
us at 205-755-4744.
00:25:45.74\00:25:51.88
Or they can write us at United
Prison Ministry International,
00:25:51.91\00:25:55.75
PO Box 8,
Verbena, Alabama 36091.
00:25:55.78\00:26:00.76
Okay. Okay.
00:26:00.79\00:26:02.12
So do you encourage people
to get a hold of this material?
00:26:02.16\00:26:04.59
This is like a
must have, isn't it?
00:26:04.63\00:26:06.16
Absolutely. Okay. Okay.
00:26:06.19\00:26:08.00
Well, we get letters
regularly from people
00:26:08.03\00:26:12.63
throughout, you know,
00:26:12.67\00:26:14.00
not just inmate,
inmate's families
00:26:14.04\00:26:16.00
that telling us how
this particular book
00:26:16.04\00:26:19.14
or lesson has helped
them in their relationship
00:26:19.17\00:26:22.04
where God has
revealed things in them,
00:26:22.08\00:26:24.05
helped them to understand
the Sabbath and another things
00:26:24.08\00:26:26.25
about the truths of God's word.
00:26:26.28\00:26:28.18
Okay. Okay.
00:26:28.22\00:26:29.55
Now, what I want you to
do is talk a little bit about
00:26:29.58\00:26:32.05
your feeling, just a
few seconds of your feeling
00:26:32.09\00:26:34.72
of going back
into the prisons now
00:26:34.76\00:26:36.93
and working with inmates.
00:26:36.96\00:26:38.86
You spent 31 years in
there, now you're back in there
00:26:38.89\00:26:41.63
ministering to others.
00:26:41.66\00:26:43.00
Talk about that feeling?
00:26:43.03\00:26:44.37
Well, you know, there's a
book on ministry of healing,
00:26:44.40\00:26:47.37
certain Ellen White
wrote it on page 143.
00:26:47.40\00:26:50.97
She talks about Christ
method being the best method.
00:26:51.01\00:26:55.28
So being able to
go into the prisons
00:26:55.31\00:26:59.58
to connect with the
people to understand their needs
00:26:59.61\00:27:04.72
and being able to
provide for their needs.
00:27:04.75\00:27:06.32
You know, one of the most things
00:27:06.35\00:27:07.69
that people in
prison want or need is love.
00:27:07.72\00:27:11.39
That's true. That is true.
00:27:11.43\00:27:13.43
Not necessarily a
book, but they need our love.
00:27:13.46\00:27:16.56
But just going back in
there is a blessing to me.
00:27:16.60\00:27:20.27
You know, sometimes we think
we're doing that kind of work
00:27:20.30\00:27:23.17
that we're blessing others.
00:27:23.20\00:27:24.84
But God blessed me as He
enabled me to go back in there
00:27:24.87\00:27:27.98
because it's
strengthening for me.
00:27:28.01\00:27:29.64
It helps me to remember
that I'm representing God.
00:27:29.68\00:27:34.62
And then I'm representing
the whole lot of people
00:27:34.65\00:27:36.79
that are still incarcerated.
00:27:36.82\00:27:38.15
Amen. Amen.
00:27:38.19\00:27:39.52
I want you to
look into the camera,
00:27:39.55\00:27:40.89
talk to the viewer
right now they're struggling,
00:27:40.92\00:27:42.46
they needs a
relationship with God.
00:27:42.49\00:27:43.83
Take about five
seconds to talk about this?
00:27:43.86\00:27:47.76
I am a living witness
and testimony to the power
00:27:47.80\00:27:52.67
and love of God.
00:27:52.70\00:27:54.40
And I'll say to you that
if you are feeling hopeless,
00:27:54.44\00:27:59.21
if you feel like
you have something
00:27:59.24\00:28:01.54
that you cannot
be delivered from,
00:28:01.58\00:28:03.51
Christ is the answer.
00:28:03.55\00:28:06.15
Thank you so much,
Brother Steven Radford
00:28:06.18\00:28:08.38
for being on the program.
00:28:08.42\00:28:09.98
We love to have
you back sometime.
00:28:10.02\00:28:12.05
You've been
watching the New Journey.
00:28:12.09\00:28:13.62
We encourage you
to tune in next time
00:28:13.66\00:28:15.82
for more
stories of amazing grace
00:28:15.86\00:28:17.93
and also powerful
ministries for Jesus Christ.
00:28:17.96\00:28:20.70
Be blessed.
00:28:20.73\00:28:22.06