Participants: C.A. Murray (Host), Lemuel Vega (Host), David Singer, Chas Singer
Series Code: FIN
Program Code: FIN000020
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00:13 I'm Free Indeed.
00:18 When Lemuel Vega, was inmate here 00:20 in that particular house right there so many decades ago. 00:24 He had no idea how God was going to use him and change his life. 00:28 And now that Free Indeed and Christmas Behind Bars 00:30 have come back to this facility, we have no idea how lives 00:34 are going to be changed. 00:36 We just know that when you bring Christ into a place, 00:39 into a life something happens. 00:41 Lives are changed, destinies are rearranged 00:45 and men become free in Christ Jesus. 00:57 Well, and I play in the band and I started, 01:00 I started taking lesson here from a guy at rack, 01:03 spending my life as an introvert, 01:05 anything than being in front of people, 01:07 I mean my first time doing, I mean I was shaken, 01:09 I almost passed out, I was so scared 01:11 and so I began and it made me feel good about myself 01:16 and it made me believe the things were possible. 01:20 I have an older brother and served 20 plus years 01:24 in prison and has many, many more to go but I couldn't 01:29 be prouder of him because of the changes 01:31 that had taken place in his life, 01:33 his faith he has put in Christ 01:36 and the corporeal, the real, the tangible difference 01:41 that it's making in his life and then watching him making 01:45 that same difference in other people's life. 01:47 My childhood was very confusing. 01:51 There was no stability. 01:53 My mom remarried several other times. 01:55 I didn't feel loved so, it was hard 01:57 for me to accept love, and it's hard for me to accept 01:59 Gods love because I was sort of raised where love 02:03 was something you had to earn. 02:04 You either had to be straight A's 02:06 or you got be great in sports or some if you want 02:08 any kind of positive attention. 02:11 You had to do something remarkable for anybody to notice 02:14 you and I didn't really tried that hard, 02:18 I was just-I mean I probably could have more, 02:20 but I spent most of my childhood day dreaming just escaping. 02:24 Yeah, but when I really began to see a change in David's life, 02:29 in a really quick downward and spiral was, you know, 02:32 when he was introduced to alcohol and drugs. 02:36 The things that--he was always a kind of a trouble kid. 02:41 You know, just never felt like he fit in. 02:43 He had friends but you know not a lot of friends 02:45 and that sort of things and so, 02:48 you know, he kind of struggled 02:49 with some of that fitting in. 02:53 But, you know, one thing is that alcoholics 02:56 and druggists everybody fits in. 02:58 you know, if you got money to buy, you're their buddy. 03:01 And so immediately I got all these buddies, 03:03 I get all these friends to get on, 03:05 I'm totally accepted and so he really began, 03:08 really went head over hills into the hole. 03:10 You know, we are talking early 70's 03:14 so the end of the drug culture and of course 03:16 then the inhibitions are just gone. 03:19 There was a party going on and my mom and my step dad 03:23 were out of town and I just, I didn't care anymore. 03:26 I said, I just like I was mad at God, 03:29 you know, and I started getting high 03:31 and once I started that, I mean I took 03:35 to that like a fish to water. 03:37 And before that I was like, I would never drink 03:38 and I was like Mr. Straight, you know, just didn't do, 03:41 I was in the sports and working out 03:43 in school and all that stuff. 03:45 I just went to whole hogged to other direction. 03:47 Just like I don't care about anything anymore 03:49 and so when I finally, I reached a point like after 03:55 I got arrested I was in jail, and I was planning suicide 04:01 and I had money, so I was buying all these, 04:04 they wouldn't give me, they know I was suicidal, 04:06 my warden said, he's suicidal, 04:08 I attempted suicide a couple of time also, 04:10 so they wouldn't give me any antidepressants 04:12 or any of that stuff. 04:13 So I'm buying these antidepressants from other guys, 04:17 so I can sleep plus I'm saving them all, 04:18 my plan was I'm going to go to sensing, 04:21 I want to make my statement, I'm gonna apologize 04:22 for everything, then I'm going to come back 04:24 and life would be over now, I won't feel any more pain. 04:27 I mean I had cursed God out. 04:30 Got mad, looked up at the sky 04:32 and just cursed at Him, told Him, I hated Him. 04:34 I said kill me and stuff, and doing all these crazy things 04:38 and this guy-there was this one person came in, 04:41 he was different than these other guys. 04:42 A lot of guys, you know, jailhouse religion 04:44 and this one guy and he was just different 04:46 and he started talking to me and I said look, 04:49 I said I understand what you are saying. 04:51 I believe in what you said, but I can't 04:53 ask God to forgive me. 04:54 I said, there is no way He could, 04:55 and even though God kept giving me opportunities 04:58 and I kept rejecting them. 05:00 He kept showing me mercy, He never gave up on me 05:03 and I have thanked Him so many times 05:05 to say thank you Lord for never giving up on me. 05:10 God never gives up on us. 05:11 And no matter who you are, what you have done. 05:17 I know that every person has had to have heard that voice inside. 05:23 Who am I, that the lord of all the earth 05:29 Would care to know my name 05:33 Would care to feel my hurt? 05:38 Who am I, that the bright and morning star 05:44 Would choose to light the way 05:48 For my ever wandering heart? 05:54 Not because of who I am 05:58 But because of what you've done 06:01 Not because of what I've done 06:05 But because of who you are 06:10 I am a flower quickly fading 06:14 Here today and gone tomorrow 06:18 A wave tossed in the ocean 06:22 A vapor in the wind 06:26 Still you hear me when I'm calling 06:29 Lord, you catch me when I'm falling 06:33 And you've told me who I am 06:38 I am yours That's right, that's right 06:41 Hallelujah, Hallelujah. 06:44 It seemed like there was times and there was actually 06:47 I can remember a time, you know, God was always 06:50 trying to break through and like I said different times 06:53 I would and there was actually a time before 06:55 I even got arrested, 06:57 you know, while I was going to end up doing that. 06:59 And I would hear God's word so clearly said, 07:02 "Dave, you got to stop, stop now." 07:07 When I would hear I was like... and it was so clear 07:11 and I just and I'd say, man that's right, I got to. 07:14 And then the next day it would be like, 07:16 right back in the same thing but God never stopped. 07:20 That's the thing that amazed me about God is no matter 07:22 how much I rejected Him, every chance 07:25 where I was in a certain state of mind, 07:27 where His voice can get through and I could hear. 07:30 He spoke to me and He tried everyway 07:33 to stop me to make me turn this way, 07:35 turn that way to just, and you know, 07:39 I look back at all those times when I would only listen. 07:42 If I would only just, because He was right, 07:44 He is always right. 07:54 Who am I, that the eyes that see my sins 08:00 Would look on me with love 08:03 And watch me rise again? 08:09 Who am I, that the voice who calmed the sea 08:15 Would call out through the rain 08:18 And calm the storm in me 08:24 Not because of who I am 08:28 But because of what you've done 08:31 Not because of what I've done 08:35 But because of who you are 08:40 I am a flower quickly fading 08:44 Here today and gone tomorrow 08:48 A wave tossed in the ocean 08:52 A vapor in the wind 08:55 Still you hear me when I'm calling 08:59 Lord, you catch me when I'm falling 09:03 And you've told me who I am 09:08 I am yours 09:20 The day my life changed, 09:23 it wasn't like I went to all church 09:25 that the sinners pray and do other things like people. 09:27 I just said, God you really forgive me. 09:31 And there is a resounding yes, 09:32 and I heard His voice so clear, Yes. 09:35 It's all he could wait for me to do as you say, 09:37 can you really and my life began to change, 09:41 you know, because I realized God borrows 09:45 my mind because after all I had is, 09:47 I'm still here for you, I still love you, 09:50 that makes no sense to me, no logic or sense. 09:56 Not because of who I am 09:59 But because of what you've done 10:03 Not because of what I've done 10:07 But because of who you are 10:11 I am a flower quickly fading 10:16 Here today and gone tomorrow 10:20 A wave tossed in the ocean 10:24 A vapor in the wind 10:26 Still you hear me when I'm calling 10:30 Lord, you catch me when I'm falling 10:34 And you've told me who I am 10:39 I am yours 10:41 I am a flower quickly fading 10:45 Here today and gone tomorrow 11:08 I am yours 11:12 I am yours 11:16 I am yours 11:19 I am yours 11:23 Whom shall I fear? 11:25 Whom shall I fear? 11:28 'Cause I am yours 11:31 Whom shall I fear? 11:33 Whom shall I fear? 11:34 'Cause I am yours 11:38 Whom shall I fear? 11:40 God is in my life 11:42 Jesus does it through me 11:44 Whom shall I fear? 11:45 Whom shall I fear? 11:47 'Cause I am yours 12:16 I am yours Hallelujah. 12:25 I don't know how much time I have, 12:27 so I want to just share a little secret text, 12:32 it's one of those shouting kind of text 12:34 when you really understand it. 12:36 It doesn't look like much of a text. 12:38 If you have a Bible, go to Hebrews 11, 12:46 and I'm gonna start with verse 40 then I'm gonna backup, 12:50 then I'm gonna go forward, then I'll back up some more, 12:51 I'll go forward some more. 12:53 Hebrews 11:40, doesn't look like much of a text, 12:58 till you play with it just a little bit. 13:00 Let's pray Father God, 13:02 we need You to speak to us again. 13:04 You spoke into us so eloquently this morning through the music 13:08 and the testimonies but we want You to speak to us just, 13:13 just one more time and we promise Lord 13:17 that we will hear and we will 13:20 do in Jesus' name. Amen. 13:26 I'm-- well let's look 13:31 at verse 39, Hebrews 11:39. " 13:34 All these, having obtained a good testimony, 13:38 I mean in the New King James, through faith, 13:41 did not received the promise. 13:45 God having provided something better for us, 13:50 that they should not be made perfect apart from us." 13:55 It's a nice little text till you realize where it sits. 14:01 Now let's go on to Chapter 12. 14:04 "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded 14:07 by so great a cloud of witnesses, 14:11 let us lay aside every weight, 14:13 and sin which so easily ensnares us." 14:18 Now, you may have beset us, depending upon your translation. 14:22 "And let us run with patience or endurance 14:27 the race that is set before us." 14:31 Now, to get the context for 39 and 40 you got to back up, 14:35 so let's back up to verse 32 14:38 this how you study the Bible, find the context. 14:44 So, Paul is saying to the Hebrews 14:46 "And what more shall I say? 14:50 For the time would fail me to tell you of Gedeon 14:53 and Barak and Samson and Jephthah also of David, 14:56 and Samuel, and the prophets, 14:58 who through faith subdued kingdoms, 15:02 worked righteousness, obtained promises, 15:04 stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, 15:08 escaped the edge of the sword, 15:10 out of weakness were made strong, 15:11 became valiant in battle, 15:14 turned to flight the armies of aliens. 15:17 Women received their dead raised to life again. 15:19 Others tortured, not accepting deliverance 15:22 that they might obtain a better resurrection. 15:24 Still others had trial of mocking and scourging, yes, 15:28 of chains and imprisonment." 15:29 This is tough stuff they went through. 15:33 "They were stoned, they were sawn in two, 15:37 were tempted, were slain with the sword. 15:40 They wandered about n sheepskins and goatskins, 15:44 being destitute, afflicted, 15:46 tormented of whom the world was not worthy. 15:55 They wandered in deserts and mountains, 15:57 in dens and caves of the earth. 16:00 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, 16:05 did not receive the promise." 16:08 Now what is the promise? 16:10 Well you got to back up to verse 16. 16:16 Same Chapter Hebrew 11:16. 16:19 "But now they desire a better, 16:24 that is, a heavenly country. 16:28 Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God." 16:32 Now let's stop right there. 16:33 That nobody in here this morning who is in here because 16:38 you stole paper clips from your boss. Amen. Amen. 16:45 If you are in here, you are in a maximum security institution 16:50 because you did a little something 16:52 more than steal paper clips, amen. 16:57 And yet God is saying, 17:00 I'm not ashamed of you. 17:05 Your family may be ashamed, your friends may be ashamed 17:09 but God says, I'm not ashamed. 17:13 I'm not ashamed we called you a God 17:16 because you are not ashamed of me. 17:20 So I'm not ashamed of you, in fact I love you, 17:24 because you are not ashamed of me. 17:27 So, the promise Christ says Revelation 22:12, 17:32 "Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me." 17:36 What's the reward? 17:38 Well, it's right here. 17:41 "For he, I'm in verse 16, 17:44 has prepared a city for them." 17:49 That's the promise. 17:52 The promise is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 17:55 Now, go back to 11:1. 18:00 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, 18:02 the evidence of things not seen. 18:05 For it the elders obtained a good testimony." 18:08 Then you got what we call the wall of faith, 18:11 the hall of faith, the super hero list of faith. 18:15 "By faith Abel, I'm in verse 4, verse 5 "By faith Enoch." 18:21 Then that great text "Without faith it is impossible 18:26 to please Him, for he who comes to God 18:28 must believe one that He is, and two that He is a rewarder 18:33 of those who diligently seek Him." 18:35 So you need both, first you got to believe 18:36 that when you fall in your knees and talk to God, 18:39 there is somebody up there on the other end of your prayer 18:42 who is listening for you. 18:45 Then you got to believe not only does He hear you, 18:47 but that He will honor and listen 18:50 to your prayers, so you need both. 18:51 You got to believe that He is and that He cares. Amen. 18:55 All righty. Then, "By faith Noah, 18:59 By faith Abraham, By faith I'm in verse 11 Sarah. 19:07 These all died in faith, I'm in verse 13 19:10 not having received the promise." 19:13 17, "By faith Abraham." 19:18 20, "By faith Isaac." 19:20 22, "By faith Joseph." 19:22 21 "By faith Jacob." 19:23 23, "By faith Moses." 19:28 It's going down, going down, going down, 19:30 "By faith of rehab, by faith the wall of Jericho, 19:34 by faith they passed through Red Sea. 19:38 And then he says I talked about that what more can I say? 19:41 These are great men who have done great things. 19:45 Then comes this little text. 19:47 "All these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, 19:52 did not receive the promise." 19:54 All of these people, who did all of these 19:57 great things didn't get the promise. 19:58 What's the promise? 20:00 Promise is eternal life in heaven. 20:02 Now, here is the text you need to underline 40. 20:07 "But God having provided something better for us, 20:15 that they should not be made perfect apart from us." 20:19 You note what that little text is saying? 20:21 As good as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Rehab, 20:26 as good as all of those were, God has made you a promise. 20:31 They are not going to get theirs before you get yours. 20:36 That's what that text is saying. 20:43 He is saying, look at how great 20:45 these people were, look at all of the wonderful 20:48 stop lion's jaws, defeated armies, 20:51 took down kings, did great things for the Lord. 20:59 But here is your promise? 21:01 They are not going to get theirs before you get yours. Amen. 21:06 God has provided, that's how much God loves you 21:10 in Jesus all of these haven't doubted 21:13 in their faith didn't get in heaven. 21:15 So on today you get yours they will get theirs 21:20 and not one day before. 21:22 Amen, that's powerful, that's powerful. 21:26 That's God's guarantee of His love for you. 21:30 You didn't sit in anybody's lions' den. 21:35 Anybody been in a fiery furnace, or sometimes you like 21:38 you're in a fiery furnace, 21:40 you know, but you haven't been in a fiery furnace. 21:44 But Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 21:47 while their real names are Hananiah, 21:48 and Azariah and Mishael, and Shadrach, 21:50 Meshach is a Chaldean name. 21:53 They are not going to get their before you get yours. 21:56 God has provided something better, 21:58 that we all going to get it together. Amen. 22:02 That's how much God respects your love for Him. 22:07 So Christ says, "If your are not ashamed of me, 22:08 I'm not going to be ashamed of you before My Father." 22:10 And then God says, "I'm not going 22:11 to be ashamed to be your God." 22:15 I'll tell the universe, those are my children. 22:19 They belong to me. 22:21 Now let me close with just a sermon I heard a little story 22:24 I heard in the seminary 22:27 and I have carried it all these years. 22:33 There was a farmer who lived on a farm, 22:38 his wife had died, 22:40 children had grown up, moved away. 22:42 So he had this fairly big farm, 22:45 lot of animals but for some reason 22:48 he had a pet goat that he just seemed to bond with. 22:56 He had a dog and the dog was nice 22:58 but there is something about this goat, 22:59 so he would leave food at the back door 23:01 and everyday like clock work at 4 o'clock 23:05 this goat would come, 23:06 eat food and it was just the goat, 23:09 following him around and helping him out on the farm, 23:11 he just, just kind of like this goat. 23:15 He had a well on the farm that had dried up and really 23:22 he needed to fill it in with dirt. 23:26 But you know sometimes you make a pledge to yourself, 23:28 I'm going to do it but you never get around 23:29 to do in it so just kind off sits there, 23:31 you know, year after year kind of sits here. 23:33 He had fenced it often, the sheep didn't stay 23:36 in their pasture, the cow stayed in pasture, 23:38 but this goat had to run in the farm and he said, 23:40 you know I need to fill in that well because one day 23:44 this nosey goat, is going to nose around 23:46 and fall on it, I think hurt himself 23:48 and he meant to do it but he never did it. 23:50 So, one day on a weekend, he put the food out 23:53 there and 4 o'clock comes and no goat, 23:56 4:30, 5, 5:30, quarter to 6, no goat. 23:59 He said, let me go and look into, 24:00 so he looks all over the farm can't find him. 24:03 And he says, now, let me go look down this well, 24:09 just in case and sure enough he shines his flashlight down 24:12 there at the bottom of the well is the goat. 24:16 And he said, you know, I should have, 24:18 I should have taken care of that long ago. 24:22 So now he get his tractor and he says, 24:24 this well would be his tomb, 24:27 I'll just bury it and do now 24:30 what I should have done years ago. 24:33 So he turns on the engine and he is beginning 24:36 to dump the dirt down, but you know 24:37 the goat wasn't dead, just had been stunned 24:42 by the depth of the fall. 24:49 So basically now he is burying his pet goat alive, 24:55 but you know that goat had been around humans a long, 24:57 that goat was no fool. 25:00 He knew a couple of things, so every time a shovel full 25:05 of dirt came down, the goat would shake it off 25:12 and pack it down. Amen. 25:18 He just shake it off, pack it down, 25:23 and every time he shook it off and packed it down, 25:27 he rose up a little higher. 25:32 It just shake it off and pack it down, 25:35 rose up a little higher. 25:39 And after a while he got up high enough 25:43 that he could be heard and rescued. Amen. 25:48 Now, I taught about that story from years ago in a seminary 25:53 because it's talking about goats 25:54 but it's really respecting humans. 25:58 In your life you go and meet people 26:03 who want to throw dirt on your aspirations. 26:06 They gonna tell you, you can't do it, 26:08 you're too old, you're too dumb, 26:11 you're too black, you're too white, 26:13 you're too fat, you're too thin, 26:14 you're too stupid whatever. 26:17 Why should you carry around 26:19 the weight of their disappointment? 26:24 Why should you be saddled with their dirt? 26:27 When people try to heap dirt on you, 26:29 shake it off, pack it down, 26:35 you rise up a little higher. Amen. 26:37 Amen. I'll carry that dirt? 26:46 I'll carry that dirt? 26:49 Shake it off, pack it down and you rise up a little higher, 26:55 you rise up in your heart, you rise up in your mind, 26:59 you rise up in your soul, and you get so high 27:03 all you can see is Jesus. 27:06 You can't see anybody else, I say pause, pause it, 27:10 I'm determined to know nothing. 27:12 I don't want to know your dirt say Jesus Christ 27:17 and him crucified. Amen. 27:22 So, when they tell you can't, 27:23 listen the next time they tell you, 27:26 you can't tell them, oh, yes I can. 27:30 The next time they tell you that you won't yeah I will. 27:36 Amen. Shake if off, pack it down, 27:40 and rise up a little higher. God Bless you. 27:54 When Christmas Behind Bars first partnered with 3ABN, 27:57 we never imagined the blessing or the beauty that God 28:01 would bring out of this endeavor working together 28:04 for the kingdom of God, bringing hope 28:06 to our brothers and sisters behind bars. 28:08 And now our brother and sisters behind bars 28:11 are actually bringing hope and encouragement 28:13 to our viewers around the world. 28:16 God bless you and we look forward 28:18 to you partnering with us, christmasbehindbars.org. 28:23 Blessing to you until we meet again. |
Revised 2014-12-17