For one dollar. This man bought a prison, and we're in the prayer gardens right now that used to be what happened used to be where we're walking right now. It was a visitation room where the families come. To visit their loved ones who are serving time in prison. And now, after 80 years, This visitation room is now going to be a prayer garden.
Unreal. Down here in Monroe, Waxaw, North Carolina, below Charlotte. Cyril, God has used you in a mighty way. 22:6 Ministries, Proverbs. And we went to the welding shop.
Tell everyone, you're about to bring some students in here, man. Absolutely. By end of September, we should have twelve to twenty five students starting school here at this facility. And they'll spend twelve months And the last six months, like uh after twelve months, I'll get a job to go to the real job site and they will be supported for the first to six months on job.
Now I talked to you about this on the radio show, but now I'm here. It's unbelievable. What would inspire a man? To buy a prison for one dollar. Tell us the v grand vision.
Oh, the vision is like a, you know. In the country, 36 states in this country have more prisons and jails than colleges. And 16 states have more prison beds than college dome beds.
So this conversion of this prison Is not just a converting into a trade school, it's a statement. That did not come from the secular world. It came from the church. Wow. Wow.
We've got a group of folks with Energized Ministries. You're taking us up, I guess, to the next place. We've got some pastors here. What was it like to have those pastors pray with tears in that prayer garden? What was that like for you to hear that?
Absolutely. I mean, the thing is that, you know. This place Even after we build this into a trade school, It's like walking into like a promised land. We will still have to fight at Thirty-One Kingdoms, and this place needs prayer more. Than any other place because the kids are going to bring in heaviness of heart and they're going to bring in abandonment, spirit of abandonment, spirit of anger, spirit of like, you know.
Uh abuse. All those need to be broken and it can only be broken through the word. By the the men who are praying. All right.
Now, what part of the prison was this that we're walking to right now?
So, this is where their kitchen and the main buildings were. If we look at it, Anything on this side of the fence is going to be the phase two. Anything on the other side of the fence is going to be phase one. Right?
So here we have a kitchen. We have like a a place where they would go for medicine, cut their hairs. And the main you know, prison was here. This is where eighty years ago they started. And then they built that as an extension.
And thick walls and all that stuff, huh? Absolutely, sir. Come on over. Was to take that name of the prison down and put a five and two in there. Right?
Tell us what the five two is.
So it's the five loaves and two fish. And the reason why is because in John chapter 6 it says, the five loaves of barley bread. Because in those days the barley breads were given to the horses or people who could not afford the bread made out of wheat. And so, what we are doing here is like telling the children: your life may not be put together. Your father may be in prison, Your mom may have abandoned you.
Your bread may look like or made with barley, but if you open and give it to God, He will multiply and feed the 5,000. And so we took the name of the prison. and we created a tomb Stone right there.
So 50 years, 100 years from now. A kid's going to show up to know this was one time a prison, but now turned into a trade school. Yeah. All these barbed wires and the barbed Fences and uh You will feel the presence of incarceration here. They put prisoners in here.
Absolutely. There used to be 300 inmates serving time in this prison. You know, can you imagine? How much of prayer that would have gone in. But as you come here, I want to show you you can come inside.
Make sure you have a key if what we do if we shut that. Cyril. You can walk in here. This is how their bathrooms were: common bathrooms. You can go inside and see.
Wow. People can take shower inside. The common showers, common bathrooms. There was no window. I mean there's no door for any of them.
Okay. Power socks, you're the one that Galled all these guys together and these pastors in your bus, the Energize Bus Cyril has bought this prison for a dollar. What's going through your mind as he's touring us around what used to be? And oppressive Abandonment place where people were incarcerated for their crimes.
Now he's turning it into a school and a place of worship. It's of redemption. That's what I that's what you asked for a word, that's my word, redemption. And we had some prayer in the prayer garden. It was powerful to hear these pastors pray for that, wasn't it?
It was, I would say, it's a glimpse of the Father's love of what's to come. What did you think about when he said he's turning it all over to the churches? He wants the churches to get involved. What happens in a culture when the pastors in the churches start? Getting involved in forgiveness and start getting involved in bringing people to Christ.
How about just the fact that we focused on prayer, right? Like, prayer is the key, prayer is what unlocks the miracles of God. And the fact that he is embracing the power of prayer and asking people to pray, we couldn't be in greater support of it. Pastor Mike, what goes through your mind and heart as you're walking through this million square feet of prison space that is now used for ministry by Cyril, our host today, Energize Ministries, brought these pastors out. You, Pastor, and Martin.
So, what hits your heart as you walk through here? We need to dream these kinds of dreams. Because when we dream, we're freeing others. And that's what I'm. This guy is the real deal.
I mean, this is a bunch of. Corroded stuff, weeds, overrun bars. What do you do with old? What do you do with a big room with a bunch of bars and lockup and lockdown and barbed wire?
Well, he turns the barbed wire into a chandelier for light in the darkness. How about that? What's your thoughts on how we need more of that? We need to dream big dreams for God. I believe we need to be creative, and the more creative we are, the more people will win to Him.
And that's something. Can you see yourself coming to a place like this and sharing Christ with the students now that are going to be coming to a trade school that once was a prison? Of course, yeah. Church mission teams and others coming and serving for various things. Send into students.
from our community to hear. That would be incredible. What did you think when he said, We're going to turn this all over to the churches? We want churches to take over and reach these kids. He's got dreams, big dreams.
Some of those are issues, but at the same point, God can do more than. Yeah, maybe. Go to the So we just left the barn and you just gave us all a piece of uh Barbed wire on a piece of wood. That's the most unique gift I've ever given. Talk about the significance of that.
So, when the prison was built, the first thing that they do is like that they build. the prison with the barbed wire. It's a symbol of oppression. And so when we got it, the first thing we did we took all the barbed wires down. and tore it into small pieces.
and we're giving it to the churches to pray for this mission. Hallelujah. For us, and also, it's a sign that inspires people. Can you believe this is the first time in the history of America a prison is getting broken? To be turned into a trade school or a college or educational purpose.
And the barn is going to be used for worship services and things like that, right? Yes, and also we have a. Um um horses Coming. Oh nice.
So it will be for horse therapy. For these guys, when they come and join. And the chandelier that you first showed me when we walked in, the first building. Yes, sir. A chandelier of barbed wire.
I've never seen one of those. But there's some strong symbolism there, right, Brother Cyril? Because we want to take everything that is dark here. and turn them into light. I love it.
Amen. What's the website for folks to know about the Wood Ministry real quick? Five and two.
So, I'm going to go to the next one Dot or g Wow, praise the Lord. And what's just your point right there?
So here is the bus.
Next year, I'm taking this bus to go to all the 55 prisons in North Carolina. Oh, my soul. And I'm taking the movie. And we're gonna put the movie that you're gonna see today. Actually, all of those prisons will get the chance to see it.
So there's the bus. Bauer socks, you like buses. We came here on the Energize bus, and look at that bus right there. Break the cycle movie. And we will take this across the country at some point.
But uh over six hundred people have acted in the movie. The name of the movie and the significance of it.
So it's called The Break the Cycle. We're going to see that movie right now where. How the life of children were changed over the last 12, 13 years. Praise God. Amen.
Let's go.
Okay, wow. We saw the movie. Unbelievable, a lot of tear-filled eyes. David speaks, longtime friend and Truth Warrior, a lot of different levels. He saw it, emotional.
Cyril, what was it like when you first saw that movie, Break the Cycle? I was crying just like everyone else is because this is like a story relived again and again. Yesterday I was inside a prison in Renoke, and those guys were crying as well.
So there are moments here that people can feel that their hearts being Tagged. Yeah, and it really hits you at the very end when all the dads have these water basins and towels, and they kneel down and they ask for forgiveness of their kids and wash. Their kids' feet. What was that like filming that and seeing that? And you saw it in real time before there was any movie made about it.
Right. I mean, the thing is, it wasn't something like, you know, we wanted to make that moment light. Because when Jesus washed his disciples' feet, the disciples would never be the same afterwards. Same thing. Here, when the fathers wash their children's feet, they're going to the humblest most part of their life, telling their children, I want to serve you.
Well, yeah, they you tried the gift thing and they th the kids threw the gifts away because they were so mad at their dads and so anger and hurt and in pain. and wounded, but then they came back in and did the the foot washing thing That you hit the nail on the head, I guess. Absolutely. And then the five stories that you saw, the five kids in the movie, they were real-life stories we actually took and just. Plugged it in.
Yeah, but you are better looking than the actress here, I'll have to admit. Thank you. I mean, it is just like I was a little worried about the accent that he speaks, but the director said, no, no, no, that accent is going to bring people to know that you're Indian. Praise the Lord. What are people going to do to pray for you?
We're leaving this prison, the bus is cranked up. Energize Ministry. We came down here with a bunch of pastors with Bower Socks and the team What's your message to people out there is how they can support Proverbs 22:6 Ministries, this million square foot prison. There's more prisons you're going to take over. Your vision, real quick, where are you going and how can we pray for you, real quick?
Oh, from here we're going, there are multiple states offering their closed prisons.
So, we're going to go around the country and we're going to pick the closed prisons and we're going to turn them into colleges and trade schools. And so, we're excited about that one. But, what we can ask people for is like prayers. And also, they can tell the church to come and see because there's no way any video can give justice. to what I could speak.
Unless they come and see. Come and see. Yeah, and this million square foot prison could have been rotting and could have been nothing and could have been a big landfill, a dump of waste. But now God has raised it up and you've turned it into a. A training, a trade school for kids of prisoners to get jobs and to reverse the curse and to go back and be fruitful with all kinds of worship opportunities and getting local churches to really take ownership.
Amen. So the churches can come here to do services. When the school starts, they can come to their devotions in the morning. But also, we want the churches to come and pray over this place because we have had this prison, it was a prison for 80 years.
So many hurts, so many disappointments, so much of disagreements. That's all in the soil. The Bible says in 2 Chronicles 7:14, if my people, who are called by my name. humble themselves, seek my face, pray and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sins and I will heal the land.
This land needs healing more than any time in the history of this nation and this is one place where we can see healing happen and begin. I am in a big bus leaving prison right now. If I don't have your attention now, I'll never get it. The Energize Ministry bus Annie Bauer Sox. Annie, what is this just happened?
Just give a snapshot. We're going to talk about. Joy in Prison. We're talking about an uh unbelievable movie that Literally is about transformation, but what set the day up, and why were we here today? What went on?
So, I have to give a little confession.
Some of you guys know I lead a ministry that cares for pastors and their families. Today we did a special trip called Pastors to Prison. My confession is it wasn't going exactly as I thought it was going to when we started this event. But we all just got to witness this film called Break the Cycle, and it was just an incredible story about grit and determination. When God gives you something to do, puts a passion on your heart.
Um. It's our job to be faithful to it and let him do the heavy, hard work. And listen, you get a chance to see this film, Break the Cycle. It's worth every minute of it. Highly recommend.
Amazing, amazing day. And we're going to get some amazing feedback from some people that were there who are part of Energize Ministries, who are local pastors who prayed in the prayer garden. A place that was once where families visited the inmates 80 years. This prison has been going and it shut down a few years back and Cyril Bought it for a dollar. And now he's turning it into a trade school for prisoners' kids to reverse the curse.
Now, Dr. Joy Green is with us as well. Joytime Ministries. A lot of the Apostle Paul's letters were written. From prison.
And he talked a lot about joy in jail, didn't he? Dr. Green, your thoughts, you're kind of Fresh thoughts as we leave this prison right now.
Well, there were a lot of things that stood out to me, but To me, I'm a math person. I love stats. I love science, data.
So looking at the numbers, numbers never lie. and to think about how what percentage of kids who have a father in prison. How many of what percentage of those kids end up in prison? What percentage of those kids end up? in trouble.
All of that was very powerful to me to see the changes that's already happened in South Carolina and North Carolina with a number of inmates since this program started. It has decreased significantly to the point But there's another vacant prison now that they've offered to Cyril. Maybe for another dollar. I don't know about the price on that. But to see that Change can happen, but we just have to be willing to roll up our sleeves and do the hard work that God's called us to do.
Wow. And we were wiping tears off our eyes after watching that break the cycle movie. Wasn't that something? Steve Jumper, how did that hit your heart, buddy? Yes, Stu, it was really pretty great.
What I really The moment that touched me uh the most In the film was when they brought the families in. The men came in and they were each on each side of the room. The men had prepared For weeks to meet their kids. It wasn't just an overnight thing. They had studied the Bible and went through Bible training, and their hearts were melted, and to see, and when they called the names out, Called the father out, he came out to the middle, called the child out, and they embraced in the middle.
That was really touching. That was great.
Now, Crystal, you're with the uh ministry. Cindy. Cindy. Cindy, well, there might be a crystal with ministry somewhere, too. Cindy, Cindy, when you sent out an invitation.
Pastors to prisons. Pastors to prison. We weren't sure how to take that, but now leaving the prison after what just happened these last few hours we've spent there, this long drive down to Waxaw.
South Carolina or North Carolina on the edge of South Carolina. Tell us your thoughts, being in the ministry yourself, Cindy.
Well, I was just so impressed with How God gave him this vision. And it's like he sees it. In his mind, already finished and completed. He has that plan, and it's the only God that could do that and give him. And like so many times, God might ask us to do something.
And we don't always see. what that's going to turn out to. And yet also the other thing that struck me was like What happened is he was involved in an assault that happened to him. that gave him this heart. for this ministry.
So sometimes God allows things to happen in our lives and we have no understanding of why did that happen and yet God used that as the catalyst for giving him a heart for those in prison and those children of those prisoners. It's a great word. We're all on a bus. We were all just behind bars not too long ago. And I'm going to go toward the back of the bus here if I don't fall in.
Jake, the son of Andy, is driving. He's doing a fine job. Andy, we're all glad you're not driving. No comment on that. Pastor, you prayed for us in the garden, the vision.
What hits your heart? Like, what's the thing in your heart that you hear this? And give a shout out, Pastor Mike, for your church in Martinsville, Virginia, too. Yeah, I'm Michael Harrison, the Community Fellowship in Collinsville, Virginia, just outside. I think the thing that hits me is.
Giving People, the opportunity to dream dreams and to think outside the box of who they can be because of who they are in Christ. And I think this is a great ministry and the movie was really one of those that open that opportunity to think. beyond where you are and beyond what's happening around you today to who what what God wants to do. Y'all have got to see this Break the Cycle movie. It is just awful.
Don't y'all want everyone else to see this movie now?
Now that you've seen it?
Okay, I'm gonna work my way through. You guys don't have to, you know, know this is not mandatory. Like prison is, you know, back there. We're out of that. But David speaks, you were there.
What's your organic response this whole day and to being in that prison and hearing the vision of this Proverbs 22:6 ministry? Stuart, it was amazing. I mean, first of all, having to rehydrate after watching that powerful movie, it was amazing. And just to see the numbers, like Joy's talking about, to see how many, he's been doing this for 15 years. And to see that the prison populations are going down, there's a verse in Isaiah that talks about they beat their swords in the flow shares.
The real thing, they didn't need the swords anymore.
So they turn into it and they repurpose it. Isn't this a tremendous example of that? Where instead of needing a prison, now you're turning it into something that'll be an educational facility, give opportunity that'll just change futures. It's beautiful.
Okay, you guys want to make a quick comment?
Okay, go ahead, sir. Yeah. I had to hold back tears and I kept swallowing because for me, I grew up You know, without a mom and dad, and these young people that are gonna come to this facility, the hope it's gonna give them. the the chance for uh really uh Realizing opportunity and being all that they can be at a young age, and then learning a trade. This is an amazing act of God that has occurred and that is going to come.
Two. you know, fruition. Uh because they're just It's set up for so many of these young people to just be encouraged. and be know that they need to have a sense of being, a sense of uh love and purpose And all that's going to be offered there at this facility.
So, Cyril is just amazing with what God's laid on his heart.
So, I'm blessed to have gone today. right, how about you, sir? You wanna wanna wanna wanna say a quick word about how I touched you? What I was most impressed by was the uh The one guy that was a real hardcore criminal. He was kinda mean to all the other prisoners.
And um somehow God found a way to bring his two kids to him that he didn't even know existed. And it just uh that was the most impactful thing to me. Man, I know this guy was touched because you were staying. We had to drag you on the bus, you were praying with the staff. Take you more pictures.
What about that? What touched your soul about today being at that thing, real quick?
Well, my name is Jamal, and I just was blessed to be here. There's plenty of touching points in that movie. Um, the part where the fathers were dancing with the kids being reunited. the kids. And it shows what can be done.
through acts of pain. Cyril had a painful moment seeing this child separated from her father. And he said, I don't want this to happen to anybody else.
So when... You say that one person can't make a difference. Here's a situation to where one man can make a difference. Shutting down prisons, turning them into places where people get educated. This is the power of God right here.
So if you have a problem in society where your fatherlessness or overcrowding prisons, broken families. Ask yourself, is God in that situation? Put God in that situation and you see what can happen. We saw that in the movie today. Break the cycle, go watch it.
All right, and introduce this fellow to your right, this pastor. Who is he? And we're going to get him to give a word. This is my pastor, Pastor Matthew of the Great Pinedale Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Go check that out as well.
Pastor Matt, what's your take on this whole thing? Has the pastor seen all that? Honestly, that was more than I expected. I mean, I'm just gonna be honest, it was more than I expected. I was blown away.
And it was a good reminder. For me, for two things. First of all, I'm so touched by the story of somebody who steps out and does something that everybody else thinks is crazy, and then he meets God in the place of that obedience, and the Lord blesses that. I just think that's so powerful. And then the other thing is just a great reminder.
That where the gospel goes, God's heart is for people who are on the margins and who have been overlooked. And Jesus said, Those folks matter to me so much that when you serve them, you serve me. And I thought it was just a great reminder that that is what the gospel does, and it was beautiful. Hey y'all, can we give it a loud clap and shout out for Bower Sox and Team Energize. Can we give a little make a little noise on this bus?
Okay. Power socks. You did it again, buddy. What are your closest thoughts on this whole day, man? I feel like I'm taffed out here right now.
I'm with. Uh who who was, Jeff, did you say it about about uh just holding back the tears, right? Like, that was an amazing, touching film. And he's come down and visit 226-52 loaves. I don't know what the official name is, actually.
Ministry 5 and 2, 5 fish and 2 loaves.
Well, come down and visit Cyril and show him your support. And he's looking for a prison near you, so we may be doing this again. Coming to a prison near you, healing Dr. Joy Green. I just can't get.
My mind out of that verse: rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say rejoice. All this joy, like in Philippians, he's writing, he's in a prison. Like we were just in a prison, it was rough, it was dark, it was dank. We took a picture.
I don't know if it'll develop. Go to the Energize site because you do a lot of their social media. There's a picture of us in prison. Behind bars, and we were really glad that someone didn't shut that heavy door. Steel, thick walls.
But the prisons are designed to keep people behind, keep them confined, incarcerated, and all that. And just speak quickly just about the. Yeah. The emancipating power of the gospel and the joy that follows, will you, as we get out of here? Yeah, so I think we have to remember that joy doesn't come from our circumstances, but joy comes from Jesus.
It's a part of the fruit of the Spirit. And I like to think of it as the Holy Spirit is like a gardener who deposits those seeds inside of our spirit. But we have to nurture those seeds, water those seeds, be in the Word, repent, pray, serve, lay our lives down. And as we do those things that God has commanded us to do, He. Brings forth joy that only comes through Him.
So it encourages me to remember that no matter what awful thing can happen or what bad choice I make and suffer consequences from, the joy of the Lord is my strength, right? And joy comes from Him alone. And those words came from a prison. The Apostle Paul was in prison. It's interesting, most people.
in America. Are incarcerated rightfully. I mean, you know, I mean, for crimes. That's why I'm saying there are people wrongfully in jail, but the reason people go to jail in America is for crimes. The reason people go to Christians in jail in other countries in the third world are there because of their faith in Christ.
So it's a little bit different situation. A lot of people become Christians in jail. The people we met today in that movie in that facility. But you know, but The believers that are believers are in prison all over the world who we need to be mindful of. Whom?
Have been incarcerated just because of their faith in Christ. And they're tortured, and they're modern-day martyrs more today than they ever have been before.
So we need to remember them too. But isn't it awesome to see? We've got the cue card right there: whom the sun sets free is free indeed.
So there's freedom in Christ. And he can break every chain and he can set the captives free. And what a beautiful thing that Cyril is doing.
So be blessed, be praying for him. Proverbs22:6.org. No no uh Anything in there, just those three numbers in a row. Proverbs226.org is his website. Find out about the movie Break the Cycle and the ministry website for Joytime Ministries and for Energize Ministries.
I want everyone to know about your ministry and about Energize, the big bus we're riding on here, getting us to and from prison. Yeah, so it's just energizeministries.com.
So many amazing things that you can find on our website there. A lot of great resources for pastors and their families. And then JoyTime is a women's ministry and it's joytime.org. Shut up, why?
