God’s Provision: Incarceration, Call, and the Covenant of God

By Vernell Lumbus-Young

My book is about incarceration, call, and the covenant of God through His Word. During incarceration, I wondered how I let myself get back into prison. The Holy Spirit revealed to me that my problem is “relationships,” and that God wants me (us) to build a relationship first with Him. The Word of God says, “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Then, I read in the bible, “7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for you reap what you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit” (Galatians 6:7-8). My book is about how God provided me with everything that I needed, including a mate after release from prison which is not the topic of this book. But, it is an allegory of how God brings all things together for the good and for His glory. My book is about the covenant of God with His people and that He is faithful to us even if we are not faithful to Him. The Word of God says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 Indeed by faith, our ancestors received approval. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible” (Hebrew 11:1-3).

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781973641650

Vernell Lumbus-Young

“Wherefore, if God so clothe grass of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith” (Matthew 6:30, KJV). “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Vernell Lumbus-Young was born in Cleveland, Ohio in the U.S A. Vernell entered into a life of crime for eighteen years. In the early 1980’s, Vernell had a dream of leading women out of prison. It was not until 1986, that Vernell rededicated her life to Christ while she was incarcerated during an earthquake at the Justice Center in Cleveland, Ohio. In January 1990, she started working for the Community Re-Entry program performing and supervising daily survival services for seniors for eleven years. Through the years, Vernell has won several leadership recognitions and awards…. To name a few, She received scholarship funds from the Lubrizol Foundation through CR and graduated from Cleveland State University with a BA in social work. In 1999, she received an award for speaking in prisons 100’s of times from CR’s Friend –to-Friend program. Later, Vernell received scholarship funds from Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio and graduated with a Master’s of Divinity degree in 2007. She is currently studying for a Doctor of Ministry degree at ATS/McCreary Center’s African American Religious Studies. In 2007, she received an “Outstanding Leadership Award from ATS. She is a prophet¸ preacher & teacher, prayer warrior and dream interpreter. She has learned Hebrew, Greek, and Spanish languages and received the gift of speaking and interpreting tongues as the Holy Spirit gives utterance.

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 Vernell Lumbus-Young.

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Scripture marked (KJV) taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4164-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4166-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-4165-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018912997

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/06/2020

Dedication

My book is first dedicated to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who given me Godly love. My book is also written and dedicated to inmates and former offenders, our families and prison ministry supporters all over the world. I especially dedicate and thank the State of Ohio Furlough Board/ Ohio Adult Parole Authority whom have given me parole at a furlough hearing. Last, but not least, to my husband Rhett Young who has given me unconditional love, support, and encouragement in the writing of my book via ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

About the Author

My wife and I have gone through many milestones during our lives. I am amazed at her servitude by the leading of the Holy Spirit. This book is a part of her that I have come to accept. Through my own prayers, I was sent to become part of her life and share in the blessings of God. in the challenges that we both had faced in the past and through life, God have brought us through. I have learned that prayer is the key in the commitment that we made to each other.

In spite of the tactics of the devil that tried to divide us, we have stayed together because for one, we love each other, and because of the call on both of our lives. I believe that my call is behind the scenes, more so, for her protection and presence. The Holy Spirit has spoken to me on her behalf. Plus, I had a vision that she would be speaking to thousands of people. She was at a very large stadium and I was there sitting with the rest of the people. She had all white on. The Holy Spirit allowed me to see it in a vision.

Although, I have been part of most of the things that she has accomplished because we both worked for the same organization; I know that this book has been in the leading of the Holy Spirit.

I remember when she walked into my life. Vernell had this beautiful smile. But, it was mostly an aura that my (then friend) wife has. It was a divine light on her. I had never seen anything like it before. I knew that she was my soulmate.

One of our first dates was at a revival. It was the Holy Spirit that brought us together. The book that she wrote is not solely about us or our marriage¸ but the covenant of God and His relationship with His people. We are first connected to God and then to one another .I have been to many places and seen many things myself, but I have also seen the anointing of God on my wife in our relationship.

The people in prison are also the people that God has chosen for Vernell to minister to, to experience His power. We think that we are going to complete our tasks without God, but it will never happen that way. Our past catches up with us eventually.

I knew my wife 20 years before we were married. We went to the same church when she was only 4 years old and I was eight. Only I did not know her then.

I know my wife’s story and the story of this book and she has my support in this endeavor. I only hope and pray that with the blessing of God, that it reaches others who may be struggling with their relationship with God first and then in their relationships with others.

It is an excellent book especially for those who are incarcerated and for those released from jail, or prison. It will open the eyes of some, and plant a seed for others.

Often times, we think that we know God, but how can we know Him if we have not read His Word.

I salute my wife and will continue to support her, especially because of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Although God’s provision has been across the board, it is His spiritual blessings that have sustained us. God has provided us with everything that we need and some of the things that we desire.

By Rhett Young

Epigraph

24 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 25 Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap, or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith … 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matt. 6:24- 33 NIV).

INCARCERATION

Jesus replied, "Very truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son [or daughter] belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:34-36 NIV).

CALL

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor (Luke 4:18).

COVENANT

God’s says concerning His covenant with us …the days are surely coming says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to leave them out of the land of Egypt – a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days says the Lord. I will put my new law within them, and I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, know the Lord for they shall know me from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord, for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more" (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Contents

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1     Relationship

Chapter 2     Incarceration

Chapter 3     Home Again

Chapter 4     God’s Provision

Foreword

Concerning my incarceration, call, and covenant with God, I have learned that God has ministered to me through His Word. In the process, through the Holy Spirit, I was supplied with everything that I needed.

My family, as well as, inmates had blessed me with money, clothes, shoes, food, stamped envelopes, cigarettes, and commissary. Also, some of the correction officers had found favor with me with their humor, advice, and treatment. I believe that my provision came because of my faith in God. Furthermore, I had faith that God would deliver, heal, and provide me with my freedom after giving up cigarette smoking, through prayer and fasting.

It was after I repented, and confessed my sins to God, that I found peace. Each time I prayed and read God’s Word, I started feeling relieved and liberated. I had thoughts that if I could start my life over again, I would do things different. Then, I read about how God would throw my sins into the sea of forgetfulness. God would not remember my past sins. I thought that my record will be clean once again. I read in the Word of God: "He will again have compassion upon us; he will tread our iniquities under foot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea" (Micah 7:19).

I believe the laws of man would have a different record of me from my record with God. But, I would test the Word of God to see if it is true; and I would test the Word of God by doing what it says in the bible. Remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope without God in the world (Ephesians 2:12-13).

Remembering the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, God’s covenant is brought to me through the cross by the blood of Jesus Christ. Through the blood of Jesus, I am in the kingdom of God. I am related to Him through His blood. It was hard to understand, but I would have to see for myself and build a personal relationship with God during my imprisonment.

I have been ashamed of not building a relationship with God who I was introduced to at a very young age. In my younger years, I had no idea who God was and is. I had been distracted by money, material things, and building relationships with other people and even in marriage. After being incarcerated, I realized that without freedom, money became less valuable.

The Word of God says, What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? (Matthew 16: 26 NIV).

My hope is to see that the testimony of Jesus Christ is worth more than money and materialistic things. My hope is to first be delivered and healed from many things in my connection with God. My hope was that God would put the pieces of the puzzle of my life together again. It was like the childhood fairy tale when Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty back together again.

However, somehow I felt that only God could help me now through