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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doing real life
ministry for Jesus Christ.
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I'm your host
Pastor Marquis Johns,
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come join us on
"The New Journey."
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In the gospels Jesus
calls us to be disciples.
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Many are called few are chosen.
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But in between the call
and the answering of the call,
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the devil puts
in a call as well.
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On our program today
we have David Butler,
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someone who heard the
call but unfortunately
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for a time answered the
wrong call to discipleship
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and became a gangster disciple.
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David, how are you doing
today? I'm doing all right.
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How are you
doing? Good. Good. Good.
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Now, we've already kind
of talked about the fact
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that we just need
to know a few things.
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Have you actually
been to jail? Oh, no.
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No, I'm joking.
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You know, the
reality is our audience today
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needs to be aware of
the fact that there are
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and is the possibility
of having lived a life
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answering the call to Jesus
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and living a
completely different life.
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Tell us where you are from?
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I'm from Kankakee, Illinois,
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but I live in
Maryville, Illinois now.
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Okay. Okay.
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So at some point
again you heard the call,
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a call from
somewhere and it took a turn.
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Tell us about the turn?
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Tell us a little
bit about your story?
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Where you are from? Tell
us a little bit, come on?
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Okay, well, happened
when I was 15-years-old.
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I might have start
selling dope at a--
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I guess that's a
young age, you know.
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When I was
15-years-old I have my license
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so my dad-- I had
a Cadillac Brougham.
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Well, well, hold on.
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Cadillac Brougham
at 15? Yeah. Yeah.
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Oh, my goodness.
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This had to have-- this
led to a whole host of trouble.
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Yes, it did.
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That's why you
shouldn't let no kid
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drive or nothing
like that around me
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but I did but, like
I start selling dope,
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you know, got
start hanging around
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with the wrong
people, start drinking,
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start doing lot of stuff that
actually shouldn't been doing.
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Now did you start
doing these things
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because you felt like you have
something to prove to somebody?
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I mean, was your
family underprivileged?
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Where you in the ghetto?
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Why did you start selling drugs?
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Like I said, my dad
worked, he did drywall.
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So that's my trade but I
always been this rebellion,
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you know, what I mean.
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I have to do it,
I just did it. Okay.
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And the good thing
about I have my own money
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so I don't have
to front from nobody.
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Okay. Okay. You
know what I mean?
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So it's like I was
raised a certain way
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but I didn't want
to listen to this.
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I just went to the
bad and I've always been,
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I've never been the no follower,
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always been the
leader 'cause even though
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I was in a gang and,
you know, you get calls
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instead of you got
to live by I still,
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I'll be a renegade in a minute,
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you know, because I'm
a man before anything.
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Right. Right. So
let me ask a question.
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So you get into this lifestyle,
you start selling the drugs,
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you know, and you
just kind of walk through
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without any incident.
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Everything is okay.
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You sell drugs,
you stop selling drugs
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and you are here today.
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Where there anything,
anything that happened in life,
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in your life that
you could tell us about,
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I mean like I'm
looking at you, bro,
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and you got, you
got a hole right here
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and a hole right here.
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What happened?
How did you get those?
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Well, round the
time I was like 22, 23
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a gang shootout
with some Latin Kings.
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You got into a shootout? Yeah.
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With some Latin Kings
so-- Okay. Wait. Wait.
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So wait, we
need-- let's just do some
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a little
disambiguation if you will.
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You were a gang member,
what gang were you a member of?
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Gangster Disciples.
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Gangster
Disciples and so you said,
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you had a shootout with?
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Latin Kings.
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So you guys obviously
didn't like each other a lot?
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No, we don't like
each other. Okay. Okay.
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So you are 22, you are
23, there's the shootout,
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the Gangster
Disciples on one side,
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Latin Kings on the
other, pick it up from there?
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So, let's say, we
got in the shootout
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so when the shootout was
over with on the Saturday,
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Saturday came up,
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I went to a gun
archive to buy more guns.
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Bought a AK, bought in
a-- bought a and put beams.
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You know, how you got the
beams so I was going home.
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I left there
and I was going home
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to get these other guns that
I want to put these beams on.
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So I have, you
know, I got this--
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I had a-- Wait.
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Again, so you said beams,
just the infrared beams like
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the Marines the stuff had?
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So you are strapping up for war?
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Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Okay.
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So I left there and I
went to go get the other guns.
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So I'm in my Chevy Caprice
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and my other home
boys they are behind me.
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So I'm driving,
I'm doing like 90.
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You know, we got to
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and it's kind
of raining that day
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and I kind of lost
control and I hit a curve
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and went into air doing 90.
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I hit two cross, I hit
the front portion of a house,
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knock the whole
front portion of a house.
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So my car leaning
against the door of the house.
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Okay. So I jumped out.
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A friend of mine was here first
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and on the floor I put him
out he kept going in and out.
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I jumped out like this.
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So I just
thought I had whiplash.
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So come to find
out I have no license
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so I know I'm
going to go to jail.
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So police come, they asked
me do I want to go to hospital?
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I'm like, no, I'm all right,
so I'm going down to the car
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and they arrest me
but the grace of God,
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God kept having
the police asking me,
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"You sure you don't
want to go to hospital?"
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So I'm like, "Okay, I'll go."
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God figured if I
don't go right now
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I get arrested right now.
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So I pull over, ambulance
get me, get to the hospital.
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They x-rayed me, I
broke my C2 back here.
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Oh, wow.
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So I'm in a hospital
and he is telling my friend,
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"When you talk over make sure
you lean over him and talk."
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Because they said I ain't
gonna make it through the night.
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But they say, if I do
make it through the night,
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I'll be paralyzed
from my neck down.
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Mercy. But God
was merciful for me.
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So, so, so, so, let me
just paint the picture here.
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So again mortal enemies,
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Latin Kings, Gangster Disciples,
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you guys are getting
ready to get into a shootout.
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You are on your way
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with the intent to
take someone's life.
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You get into an
accident, go into the hospital
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and by the grace of
God, you are able to weather
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that storm and here you are
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because you
walked in here today.
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Right. Right. Right.
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You know, so you
walked in here today
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so is that when, is that
when God began to kind of work
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on you or did you have to
learn another lesson or two?
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He started but being a
hard headed person I am,
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I still had to
learn another lesson.
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Okay, so tell us
about that lesson?
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So this three,
four years, this--
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I'm probably, I'm in my 30s.
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For the first time in my
life, I don't have no job,
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even when I tried to
hustle that didn't even go good.
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Now, let me ask you a question.
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Were you trying
to get jobs? Yeah.
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Okay, did the tattoos
because probably at home
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you can see but you
have tattoos up to your neck.
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Did the tattoos kind of prevent
you from getting jobs maybe?
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I don't know. Okay.
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I don't know.
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I mean, when I look at it,
when I look back at it now.
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No, tattoo didn't stop.
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I know now God was like, no,
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because I believed the
Lord just had to break me.
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You know what I mean? I
had to be really broken.
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So like I say I
don't have no job,
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trying to hustle,
even that wasn't working.
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Okay. So all of a sudden--
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I'm in Phoenix,
Arizona at the time.
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All of a sudden, you
know, a friend of mine called me
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to come to Maryville, Illinois.
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So he is like, I
got a house you come
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and meet at his house.
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I said, okay.
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I leave, I leave Phoenix,
come to Maryville, Illinois
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and I did the
house may like 1600.
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Bought me a truck
after that no more jobs.
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Okay. No, nothing this time.
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But now I'm, now
even thought all the while
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the stuff that I did and I knew
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that I had to someway,
one day get right with God.
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So that kept on bothering
me. You know what I mean?
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So I'm standing
with his parents.
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So like I say, I wake
up seven in the morning,
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I'm drinking,
playing DMX, you know,
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I got the rap music
going, I got no food.
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So I just can't find no job,
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running out of
little money I got to live.
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So I'm thinking, I
say, "You know what,
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I'm just going to
start collecting cans."
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I say, "I'll
figure, I go late at night
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to Wal-Mart whatever looked
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through the
garbage collect cans.
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You know what I mean, I
was, I was really that point
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but I didn't want to
go back selling dope.
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I could make a phone call
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and I could have been
back on like I ever left.
00:09:05.77\00:09:07.81
I want to pause
just for a moment.
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You said, you
could make a phone call
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and probably pick up
right where you left.
00:09:10.58\00:09:11.91
Where, where-- do
you have any brothers,
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any siblings,
anything like that?
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Yes. Yes. It's 11 of us.
00:09:15.15\00:09:16.69
I got six sisters, I
got four other brothers.
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Where your brothers at
during this time and even today?
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Right now, I got one that been
in prison ever since he was 18.
00:09:23.36\00:09:27.33
He like 48,
49-years-old, he's in Texas.
00:09:27.36\00:09:30.20
I got another brother
that is in prison right now
00:09:30.23\00:09:33.20
and he imprisoned in
wheelchair with prostate cancer.
00:09:33.23\00:09:37.04
And he was in his 50s.
00:09:37.07\00:09:39.64
You know, I mean like
to say, all my brothers,
00:09:39.67\00:09:41.38
they have been in
and out all their life.
00:09:41.41\00:09:43.04
So that's another
thing I looked up,
00:09:43.08\00:09:45.41
even though I've
tasted, I was just trying to be
00:09:45.45\00:09:47.98
smarter, like I didn't
got time to be going to jail.
00:09:48.02\00:09:50.02
You know what I mean? Right.
00:09:50.05\00:09:51.39
So, you know, you go
through this terrible accident,
00:09:51.42\00:09:54.86
all your brothers,
you know, you got brothers
00:09:54.89\00:09:56.29
that you look up
to, they're in jail
00:09:56.32\00:09:58.29
and now here you are,
down on your luck if you will,
00:09:58.33\00:10:02.33
jobless and you
are out collecting cans
00:10:02.36\00:10:04.77
at the local Wal-Mart.
00:10:04.80\00:10:06.13
Pick up from
there? Right. So, okay.
00:10:06.17\00:10:07.97
I ain't start
collecting cans yet.
00:10:08.00\00:10:09.34
Okay. Okay. So
I've been drinking.
00:10:09.37\00:10:11.81
So I know outside of 'cause
I'm living in this trailer
00:10:11.84\00:10:17.61
and my homeboy
there in the house
00:10:17.65\00:10:20.95
but outside the
trailer is a garbage can.
00:10:20.98\00:10:22.88
So I said, okay,
I'm gonna collect cans.
00:10:22.92\00:10:25.05
I'm gonna start in the morning
00:10:25.09\00:10:26.42
and get all of these
cans since I've been drinking.
00:10:26.45\00:10:28.72
But some was urging me to go
and check the garbage can now.
00:10:28.76\00:10:31.29
I said, "Man, I can't do
it. I'll do it in the morning."
00:10:31.33\00:10:34.00
But it was "Do it now."
00:10:34.03\00:10:35.40
I like, "No, I'll
do it in the morning."
00:10:35.43\00:10:36.77
So morning came,
like I said I woke up
00:10:36.80\00:10:38.90
7 o'clock
drinking, get my rap music
00:10:38.93\00:10:41.10
going over to the garbage can.
00:10:41.14\00:10:42.77
And when I
opened up garbage can,
00:10:42.80\00:10:44.21
I found these two CDs.
00:10:44.24\00:10:46.51
So, well DVDs. Okay.
00:10:46.54\00:10:49.14
And the beers
on top of it. Okay.
00:10:49.18\00:10:50.95
So it say, Mafia 1,
Mafia 2, so I'm thinking like
00:10:50.98\00:10:53.55
"Oh, man, I'm gonna
watch some gangster movies."
00:10:53.58\00:10:55.15
Right. Right.
You know what I mean?
00:10:55.18\00:10:56.52
So I'm really hyped now. Right.
00:10:56.55\00:10:57.89
So I put Mafia 2 in
00:10:57.92\00:11:01.59
and it wasn't a DVD it was a CD
00:11:01.62\00:11:06.19
but that plays in a disk player.
00:11:06.23\00:11:09.20
You know, what I
mean? Okay. Okay.
00:11:09.23\00:11:10.57
So as it start
opening it up it was the--
00:11:10.60\00:11:13.64
it was a man from New
York City that was in the mob.
00:11:13.67\00:11:19.44
He was telling, he
was giving his testimony
00:11:19.47\00:11:21.08
how he met Jesus Christ.
00:11:21.11\00:11:22.44
My Lord.
00:11:22.48\00:11:23.81
And he was going
through everything,
00:11:23.85\00:11:25.81
his life was like mines.
00:11:25.85\00:11:27.45
And everything he was
going through is just see how--
00:11:27.48\00:11:31.35
even though he was
so messed up and lost,
00:11:31.39\00:11:33.25
God still love
him and pulled him
00:11:33.29\00:11:35.02
and may this test my
spirit so hard that man,
00:11:35.06\00:11:38.23
I just crying
like a little baby.
00:11:38.26\00:11:39.86
I go on my knees
and repented to the Lord
00:11:39.89\00:11:41.96
about everything.
00:11:42.00\00:11:43.77
You know what I mean? Wow.
00:11:43.80\00:11:45.20
So right then and
there, I know I was saved.
00:11:45.23\00:11:49.60
Mercy. Okay. So I
start going to Sunday--
00:11:49.64\00:11:54.51
Well, before we go,
there let's kind of,
00:11:54.54\00:11:57.08
so I want to
paint the picture here.
00:11:57.11\00:11:58.55
So we have this young man
15-years-old doing drywall,
00:11:58.58\00:12:02.38
so you have a trade if you will.
00:12:02.42\00:12:04.12
You are doing drywall, you know,
00:12:04.15\00:12:05.79
you don't want
to front for nobody,
00:12:05.82\00:12:07.22
you ain't try to
put on for nobody.
00:12:07.26\00:12:09.02
You decide just to
have some extra money
00:12:09.06\00:12:11.06
and so, you know, be
fly you start selling drugs.
00:12:11.09\00:12:13.80
As you start selling
drugs, you get into a gang,
00:12:13.83\00:12:15.86
Gangster Disciples,
mortal enemies, Latin Kings.
00:12:15.90\00:12:19.30
You guys are getting
into these skirmishes,
00:12:19.33\00:12:21.10
and these fights
and one day you decide,
00:12:21.14\00:12:22.70
you want to kill some of them.
00:12:22.74\00:12:24.07
Boom, you get
into a car accident,
00:12:24.11\00:12:25.44
you end up on your
back for a little while,
00:12:25.47\00:12:27.71
you get up and now
you're trying to figure out
00:12:27.74\00:12:29.38
how you can
live your life better
00:12:29.41\00:12:30.75
and you start saying to
yourself, hey, I need a job.
00:12:30.78\00:12:32.98
No jobs are coming. Right.
00:12:33.01\00:12:34.68
Decides you are
gonna look for cans.
00:12:34.72\00:12:36.72
Now all throughout
this, are you seeing again
00:12:36.75\00:12:39.72
because I just want
to-- I want us to begin,
00:12:39.75\00:12:41.52
it's a transition now,
are you seeing God's hands?
00:12:41.56\00:12:45.09
Are you seeing, like
before you even got the CDs,
00:12:45.13\00:12:47.70
were you able
to see God's hands?
00:12:47.73\00:12:49.06
Are you able to now look back
00:12:49.10\00:12:50.80
and see that the accident
may have even been God's hand?
00:12:50.83\00:12:55.30
Well, I'm getting now.
00:12:55.34\00:12:56.97
While I was
going through it now,
00:12:57.01\00:12:58.34
you can't-- I don't know,
00:12:58.37\00:12:59.71
when you're in
darkness you don't see none.
00:12:59.74\00:13:01.14
You can't see none. Okay.
00:13:01.18\00:13:02.51
You know, but
when I look at it now,
00:13:02.54\00:13:03.91
yeah, I see how God had His hand
00:13:03.95\00:13:06.98
in everything that I did.
00:13:07.02\00:13:09.02
Because had you gone
and killed some people,
00:13:09.05\00:13:10.49
you may not
have been here today.
00:13:10.52\00:13:11.85
You be doing prison
sentences like your brothers.
00:13:11.89\00:13:14.09
Right. Or I could
have died in my sin.
00:13:14.12\00:13:15.82
There you go. Even worse.
00:13:15.86\00:13:17.19
And so now, so
we are on our knees,
00:13:17.23\00:13:18.56
you are repented.
00:13:18.59\00:13:19.93
You say, "Lord, I
feel the Holy Spirit.
00:13:19.96\00:13:22.13
I'm saved."
00:13:22.16\00:13:23.50
Tell us now about
your journey to Christ
00:13:23.53\00:13:26.00
and what brings you here today?
00:13:26.03\00:13:28.07
Okay.
00:13:28.10\00:13:29.54
Like I'd say I was
start going to church
00:13:29.57\00:13:33.34
and started reading,
started reading my Bible.
00:13:33.38\00:13:36.71
So I really get in a
relationship with God,
00:13:36.75\00:13:39.58
I really start reading my Bible
00:13:39.61\00:13:41.35
and for the
first time in my life,
00:13:41.38\00:13:42.72
I read my Bible before
00:13:42.75\00:13:44.09
but for the
first time in my life,
00:13:44.12\00:13:45.72
I saw Jesus in new light.
00:13:45.75\00:13:47.32
Okay. So I'm like, okay.
00:13:47.36\00:13:50.09
So by this time I'm married now.
00:13:50.13\00:13:51.86
You know what I
mean, so I go to my wife
00:13:51.89\00:13:54.96
'cause I'm going
to her uncle's church.
00:13:55.00\00:13:56.80
So I'm like why ain't
we doing what Jesus doing.
00:13:56.83\00:13:59.10
Why ain't we, you
know, keeping the Sabbath
00:13:59.13\00:14:01.30
on the wrong day
because that would popped
00:14:01.34\00:14:02.87
in my head because
that what the Lord show me.
00:14:02.90\00:14:05.67
And doing more
studies He start--
00:14:05.71\00:14:08.34
He showed me about the
Sabbath, about the dead is dead
00:14:08.38\00:14:11.91
and about when Jesus come
back, how He gonna come back.
00:14:11.95\00:14:15.38
So wait a minute.
00:14:15.42\00:14:16.75
So you started
going through your Bible
00:14:16.79\00:14:19.65
and by yourself, I mean,
00:14:19.69\00:14:21.42
we know by the
power of the Holy Spirit
00:14:21.46\00:14:23.56
but by yourself, you were able
to come to these conclusions
00:14:23.59\00:14:26.06
that the Sabbath
was still binding
00:14:26.09\00:14:27.86
that the dead know not anything
00:14:27.90\00:14:29.86
and that there will be a visible
00:14:29.90\00:14:31.83
and audible
return of Jesus Christ.
00:14:31.87\00:14:34.04
I start asking people that
been saved for 30, 40 years
00:14:34.07\00:14:38.57
and they couldn't give
me no answer about none,
00:14:38.61\00:14:40.48
about nothing so, sort
of ray of light went on,
00:14:40.51\00:14:43.04
you know what I mean, I'm
more like served me right.
00:14:43.08\00:14:45.75
And I continue
praying and showing,
00:14:45.78\00:14:48.32
praying and reading
and God has truly shown me.
00:14:48.35\00:14:50.92
So one day I get in my
car to play, go on the radio.
00:14:50.95\00:14:56.32
Now this one
station I used to listen to,
00:14:56.36\00:14:58.23
they play nothing
but cuss rap music.
00:14:58.26\00:15:00.26
So I don't want
to hear that no more,
00:15:00.30\00:15:01.63
so I'm just going through it.
00:15:01.66\00:15:03.50
As I go I stop at a station,
00:15:03.53\00:15:05.17
could they tell about
Jesus, so I listen to it.
00:15:05.20\00:15:07.77
And the stuff
that I just learned
00:15:07.80\00:15:10.24
they start talking about it.
00:15:10.27\00:15:12.57
You know what I
mean, about the Sabbath day
00:15:12.61\00:15:14.51
and, you know, rapture,
you know, how it gonna come.
00:15:14.54\00:15:17.31
And that's the
first time I heard about
00:15:17.35\00:15:18.68
Seventh-day
Adventist, so I'm more like,
00:15:18.71\00:15:21.08
I never heard of them.
00:15:21.12\00:15:22.55
I never know what
that was about, nothing.
00:15:22.58\00:15:25.02
So I'm more like, "Yeah, that's,
00:15:25.05\00:15:27.36
that's where I need to go."
00:15:27.39\00:15:29.12
So now my--
where can I find one?
00:15:29.16\00:15:32.53
Then one day I'm as there's
a street out here called 013,
00:15:32.56\00:15:35.50
I'm driving down
013 and I'm going east
00:15:35.53\00:15:41.64
and my friend Dey who I used
to stay with, he going west.
00:15:41.67\00:15:46.34
And as we passed he got a truck,
00:15:46.37\00:15:48.44
he got all these boxes
in the back of his truck
00:15:48.48\00:15:50.61
and they flipped over.
00:15:50.65\00:15:51.98
So he pulled into this church.
00:15:52.01\00:15:53.35
So I pulled back
around to help him get out.
00:15:53.38\00:15:56.55
As I'm helping, I
look up and the church say
00:15:56.58\00:15:58.72
Mary SDA,
Seventh-day Adventist church.
00:15:58.75\00:16:01.36
So I say, "Oh,
okay, I'm coming here."
00:16:01.39\00:16:04.69
So I come to
like three weeks later
00:16:04.73\00:16:06.93
but I came and it was different
00:16:06.96\00:16:08.93
because I had been
in a Sunday all my life
00:16:08.96\00:16:10.97
so it's different that
to see how they pray first
00:16:11.00\00:16:15.00
and really ask
God to show them--
00:16:15.04\00:16:16.71
even when the whole
congregation get together
00:16:16.74\00:16:18.97
and how they pray
and got on their knees,
00:16:19.01\00:16:20.54
so I was scared at first,
00:16:20.58\00:16:21.91
I'm like, "I don't know
who they are praying to.
00:16:21.94\00:16:24.28
Hallelujah, I'm praying to You,
00:16:24.31\00:16:25.95
I don't know what they are doing
00:16:25.98\00:16:27.32
but I'm praying to You."
00:16:27.35\00:16:28.78
But ever since then, man,
00:16:28.82\00:16:30.15
God really been
sharing knowledge with me
00:16:30.19\00:16:33.25
and showing me things, so.
00:16:33.29\00:16:36.16
So again I just got
to-- I would like to picture
00:16:36.19\00:16:40.20
so we put-- you
know, God puts to death
00:16:40.23\00:16:42.76
the old life and you
began this new journey.
00:16:42.80\00:16:45.37
In this new journey,
you are reading your Bible
00:16:45.40\00:16:47.47
and as you are
reading your Bible,
00:16:47.50\00:16:48.84
you are coming into some
conclusions about the Sabbath
00:16:48.87\00:16:51.44
and the state of the
dead and the second coming
00:16:51.47\00:16:53.78
and sanctification and
you tune into a radio station
00:16:53.81\00:16:57.45
that is telling you about Jesus.
00:16:57.48\00:16:59.71
Now here's now-- this
is where I can be honest
00:16:59.75\00:17:01.92
about my own
story because the thing
00:17:01.95\00:17:04.25
that resonates about
your story is similar to mine.
00:17:04.29\00:17:07.16
That's why it resonates with me
00:17:07.19\00:17:08.52
is that here I had
been reading the Bible,
00:17:08.56\00:17:10.66
you know, reading the Bible
00:17:10.69\00:17:12.03
and I come to
some conclusions about,
00:17:12.06\00:17:13.70
"Hey the Sabbath
is still binding."
00:17:13.73\00:17:16.06
But here is something
that really that troubled me
00:17:16.10\00:17:21.17
and troubles me
even now as a pastor
00:17:21.20\00:17:23.91
is that typically no one is
going into the neighborhoods
00:17:23.94\00:17:28.34
that we sold drugs
in and where we gangbang
00:17:28.38\00:17:31.55
to tell us about Jesus.
00:17:31.58\00:17:32.91
How do you...
00:17:32.95\00:17:34.28
Right, not knowing that
00:17:34.32\00:17:35.65
they don't want to
talk to people like us.
00:17:35.68\00:17:37.72
You know what I
mean? Know what I mean?
00:17:37.75\00:17:39.15
I ain't judge
nobody but I'm just saying
00:17:39.19\00:17:40.79
I can understand
because it's wild over there.
00:17:40.82\00:17:43.06
It is. You know what I mean?
00:17:43.09\00:17:44.79
So but that's
our field like now,
00:17:44.83\00:17:50.57
I want to go back
to where I come from
00:17:50.60\00:17:53.44
and share like,
you know what I mean,
00:17:53.47\00:17:55.20
give glory to Jesus
00:17:55.24\00:17:56.57
and just let
them know the truth.
00:17:56.60\00:17:58.44
And let the
whole plant the seeds
00:17:58.47\00:18:00.31
so the Holy Spirit
could grow and bring them out
00:18:00.34\00:18:02.84
because they're still
God's children over there.
00:18:02.88\00:18:04.71
So that there is the possibility
00:18:04.75\00:18:06.21
and the potential for the
Holy Spirit to do his job.
00:18:06.25\00:18:07.95
The Holy Spirit
can reveal truth to us
00:18:07.98\00:18:09.65
without any human instrument
00:18:09.68\00:18:11.19
but then there should
be the human instrument
00:18:11.22\00:18:14.26
being used by
God as well, right,
00:18:14.29\00:18:15.89
so that once you
get that knowledge
00:18:15.92\00:18:17.79
and you are looking for
Seventh-day Adventist church,
00:18:17.83\00:18:19.73
the mandate that we
have been given by Jesus
00:18:19.76\00:18:21.96
is to go teach, baptize, teach.
00:18:22.00\00:18:24.27
And if somebody was
going or coming to us,
00:18:24.30\00:18:27.04
there is the possibility
that you wouldn't have had
00:18:27.07\00:18:29.00
to by-- well, it
wasn't by happenstance
00:18:29.04\00:18:32.01
but you could have
known that the people of God
00:18:32.04\00:18:34.58
with the light
that you now cherish
00:18:34.61\00:18:36.64
were right around the corner.
00:18:36.68\00:18:38.15
Right? Right.
00:18:38.18\00:18:39.51
So, okay, so now
you have this light,
00:18:39.55\00:18:41.35
you go to this church,
you are at this church,
00:18:41.38\00:18:43.32
so we know who you are,
we know where you've been,
00:18:43.35\00:18:47.36
we know how you got here.
00:18:47.39\00:18:49.69
Tell us a little bit about
where you see yourself going?
00:18:49.72\00:18:52.83
Man, I got the
passion, I just-- like I say
00:18:52.86\00:18:57.30
I just want to
preach the word of God.
00:18:57.33\00:18:59.27
I just want to let people hear
00:18:59.30\00:19:01.70
the truth especially
to the people like me.
00:19:01.74\00:19:04.64
You know what I me?
00:19:04.67\00:19:06.44
In the ghetto, in the projects,
00:19:06.47\00:19:07.84
you know, the
down and out folks.
00:19:07.88\00:19:09.21
You know what I mean?
00:19:09.24\00:19:10.58
To know the truth
because nobody else doing it.
00:19:10.61\00:19:11.95
You know, I like to go to--
00:19:11.98\00:19:14.58
man, I like to go
to Oakwood University.
00:19:14.62\00:19:17.79
You know what I mean?
00:19:17.82\00:19:19.35
I like to do whatever
the Lord want me to do
00:19:19.39\00:19:21.82
because like I said I
had been in the darkness
00:19:21.86\00:19:23.73
and I don't want
to go back there.
00:19:23.76\00:19:25.19
So now, I mean, Jesus
said, we had to serve.
00:19:25.23\00:19:29.03
So it's time for us
to get the understanding,
00:19:29.06\00:19:32.67
get the knowledge
and go back out there.
00:19:32.70\00:19:34.04
Right. You know what I mean?
00:19:34.07\00:19:35.40
I just want the Lord to equip me
00:19:35.44\00:19:36.77
so I could go back out there
00:19:36.81\00:19:38.14
and pull more
before probation close.
00:19:38.17\00:19:39.51
Right. Right.
00:19:39.54\00:19:40.88
So you are
saying, you want to go
00:19:40.91\00:19:42.24
and be equipped to be a minister
00:19:42.28\00:19:43.61
so that you can go back
00:19:43.65\00:19:44.98
to the Magnolia
Projects in New Orleans.
00:19:45.01\00:19:46.45
You can go back into Memphis,
00:19:46.48\00:19:47.82
you can go to South
Central, you can go to Queens,
00:19:47.85\00:19:50.19
you can go to those
places where no one is going
00:19:50.22\00:19:53.66
or people who have the knowledge
00:19:53.69\00:19:55.32
may just be and
rightfully so sometimes,
00:19:55.36\00:19:57.49
may be a little
afraid to go into those areas
00:19:57.53\00:19:59.73
because they don't know
what those areas are about
00:19:59.76\00:20:01.93
but you having been
there know what they are about
00:20:01.96\00:20:05.13
and you are now
saying, "Lord, equip me."
00:20:05.17\00:20:07.70
"Equip me so that I
can go and a young man
00:20:07.74\00:20:10.41
doesn't have to
start selling drugs at 15.
00:20:10.44\00:20:12.64
He doesn't have to
get into a car accident
00:20:12.67\00:20:14.21
while going to
kill some Latin Kings.
00:20:14.24\00:20:16.24
He doesn't have to
come to a point in his life
00:20:16.28\00:20:18.38
where he says I'm
gonna go into trash cans
00:20:18.41\00:20:20.78
in order to make a living
so that I don't sell dope."
00:20:20.82\00:20:22.72
You are saying
now, "Lord, equip me
00:20:22.75\00:20:25.52
with the
knowledge and the necessary
00:20:25.55\00:20:27.49
know how that I
can go and reach back."
00:20:27.52\00:20:31.19
And Jesus says in
the Book of Peters,
00:20:31.23\00:20:32.89
He says, "And
called out of darkness
00:20:32.93\00:20:36.16
into marvelous light."
00:20:36.20\00:20:38.07
And so now you are at church
00:20:38.10\00:20:39.87
and here you are
today telling us your story.
00:20:39.90\00:20:43.87
I mean, it's a remarkable story.
00:20:43.91\00:20:45.37
It's a remarkable story.
00:20:45.41\00:20:46.74
If you could, if there
was a young man right now,
00:20:46.78\00:20:50.18
a young man like
you that was right now
00:20:50.21\00:20:52.15
somewhere
listening to this program
00:20:52.18\00:20:54.48
watching this program.
00:20:54.52\00:20:56.18
David, if you could say
anything in the world to them,
00:20:56.22\00:20:59.79
I want you right now
to just look into the--
00:20:59.82\00:21:01.69
I want you to, I want
you to speak to David.
00:21:01.72\00:21:04.33
David Butler,
15-year-old David Butler.
00:21:04.36\00:21:06.59
I want you to look, I
want you to look right now
00:21:06.63\00:21:08.23
and I want you to speak
to 15-year-old David Butler
00:21:08.26\00:21:10.93
and I want you to tell him
00:21:10.97\00:21:13.67
what you wish
someone had told you.
00:21:13.70\00:21:17.81
Basically no matter
where you are at right now,
00:21:17.84\00:21:21.04
no matter what you
are doing in your life,
00:21:21.08\00:21:23.75
God love you, Jesus love you.
00:21:23.78\00:21:26.72
He didn't die for no reason.
00:21:26.75\00:21:29.55
You just got to,
you got a hold on,
00:21:29.58\00:21:32.12
stop what you are doing,
stop following the world,
00:21:32.15\00:21:34.12
stop following the trends.
00:21:34.16\00:21:35.59
You don't have to gangbang,
you don't have to drink,
00:21:35.62\00:21:38.53
you don't have to make babies
00:21:38.56\00:21:40.80
and leave in your
kids to be without a folk.
00:21:40.83\00:21:44.10
You got to do none of
that. You know what I mean?
00:21:44.13\00:21:46.74
But the Lord is here for us all.
00:21:46.77\00:21:49.54
All we got to do is
be brave enough to accept
00:21:49.57\00:21:52.84
and acknowledge
Him and walk into it.
00:21:52.87\00:21:55.41
But no matter
what you've done there,
00:21:55.44\00:21:56.78
I don't care what
you've done there,
00:21:56.81\00:21:58.15
Jesus love you,
He will forgive you.
00:21:58.18\00:22:00.52
You know what I mean,
but we just got to be careful
00:22:00.55\00:22:03.08
not to fall for
the tricks of Satan.
00:22:03.12\00:22:05.39
You know, and a lot
of us don't even know
00:22:05.42\00:22:06.76
is the Satan out there.
00:22:06.79\00:22:08.12
You know what I mean?
00:22:08.16\00:22:09.49
So a lot of us just deceive
about everything about life,
00:22:09.52\00:22:13.43
thinking that, we
just here to have a job,
00:22:13.46\00:22:15.26
make money, this and that.
00:22:15.30\00:22:16.63
We ain't here
for nothing of that.
00:22:16.67\00:22:18.00
We're just here--
this is the sin stage,
00:22:18.03\00:22:19.93
we're just here to get
all allegiance of Jesus
00:22:19.97\00:22:22.47
and that's it and go home.
00:22:22.50\00:22:23.84
You know what I
mean, but like I said,
00:22:23.87\00:22:25.21
lot of folks
don't even know that.
00:22:25.24\00:22:26.57
You know, they
just think go to work,
00:22:26.61\00:22:28.14
come home, pay the
bills and that's it.
00:22:28.18\00:22:30.35
It's way more in life than that.
00:22:30.38\00:22:31.78
That's not even
life. You know what I mean?
00:22:31.81\00:22:34.22
You dead already,
you just walking dead,
00:22:34.25\00:22:35.92
don't even know it.
00:22:35.95\00:22:37.29
You know, so...
00:22:37.32\00:22:39.15
Well, David, your
story, your story is,
00:22:39.19\00:22:41.22
is the story of many,
many African-American males
00:22:41.26\00:22:47.43
who grow up in the inner cities,
00:22:47.46\00:22:49.40
who grow up in the
urban areas of life
00:22:49.43\00:22:52.17
and who are afraid to dream.
00:22:52.20\00:22:55.34
And today you've shown
them that you can dare to dream.
00:22:55.37\00:22:58.91
You can dream.
00:22:58.94\00:23:00.28
Not only can you
dream because today
00:23:00.31\00:23:01.64
what I hear is, I
hear a change man saying,
00:23:01.68\00:23:03.35
"Lord, now take me and use me."
00:23:03.38\00:23:04.78
Almost as though like Isaiah,
"Here am I, Lord, send me."
00:23:04.81\00:23:08.68
And you are saying, listen,
send me from the gutter most--
00:23:08.72\00:23:11.19
send me wherever
You have to send me
00:23:11.22\00:23:13.25
because there is
someone out there
00:23:13.29\00:23:15.52
who needs to hear
what I've been through.
00:23:15.56\00:23:18.86
You know, David, that's my story
00:23:18.89\00:23:21.83
and that's a many people story.
00:23:21.86\00:23:23.43
I grew up in South
Central Los Angeles,
00:23:23.47\00:23:25.73
California and I had
to come to that knowledge.
00:23:25.77\00:23:28.74
I had-- I grew up, my
mom was a gang member.
00:23:28.77\00:23:31.21
You know, jail
seemed to be the only thing
00:23:31.24\00:23:33.71
that I could look forward to.
00:23:33.74\00:23:35.44
And somewhere in between
then and that, that reality
00:23:35.48\00:23:40.62
and now God intervene
00:23:40.65\00:23:42.68
and there is what I like
to call the but God moment.
00:23:42.72\00:23:45.29
You know, I was on
my way to do such--
00:23:45.32\00:23:47.12
I was on my way to
kill some Latin Kings
00:23:47.16\00:23:48.86
but God, you know.
00:23:48.89\00:23:50.26
I was laying on my back
in the hospital but God.
00:23:50.29\00:23:53.29
You know, I was gonna
listen to some rap music one day
00:23:53.33\00:23:55.43
on the radio but God.
00:23:55.46\00:23:56.93
And the but God
moment happened for me
00:23:56.97\00:24:00.10
and that was my mission,
that's what I wanted to do.
00:24:00.14\00:24:02.40
I wanted to go back.
00:24:02.44\00:24:03.77
You know, it
took-- it was a long road,
00:24:03.81\00:24:05.51
it was a long road
but I wanted to go back
00:24:05.54\00:24:07.74
and I wanted an
opportunity to share with people
00:24:07.78\00:24:11.25
that you can
come out of darkness
00:24:11.28\00:24:14.95
and walk in marvelous light.
00:24:14.98\00:24:16.32
Right. Yes, you can.
00:24:16.35\00:24:17.69
And not only
that you can aspire,
00:24:17.72\00:24:19.05
you can dare to dream
if you will to be a pastor.
00:24:19.09\00:24:21.86
I never would
have thought growing up
00:24:21.89\00:24:23.32
that I was gonna be a pastor.
00:24:23.36\00:24:24.69
Never would have thought.
00:24:24.73\00:24:26.06
And so, I'm sure that God
00:24:26.09\00:24:27.56
has some great
things in store for you.
00:24:27.60\00:24:29.50
You know, we operated
number of institutions,
00:24:29.53\00:24:31.10
you expressed some
desire to go to Oakwood.
00:24:31.13\00:24:33.07
I mean, what do you
think you could get--
00:24:33.10\00:24:34.44
what you think
you can get at Oakwood
00:24:34.47\00:24:35.80
that you don't already have now
00:24:35.84\00:24:37.17
that you can go and
tell somebody about?
00:24:37.21\00:24:38.54
Well, I...
00:24:42.01\00:24:44.35
Okay, so I'll just, I just knew,
00:24:44.38\00:24:48.38
I just want more knowledge.
00:24:48.42\00:24:49.75
You know what I
mean? More knowledge.
00:24:49.78\00:24:51.12
I just want more
knowledge. You know what I mean?
00:24:51.15\00:24:52.95
Just like when I
gang, when I live for Satan
00:24:52.99\00:24:55.26
I did it to the fullest.
00:24:55.29\00:24:57.03
So now as I'm on Christ side,
I got to do to the fullest.
00:24:57.06\00:24:59.83
Now I can't be
phony so I want to know,
00:24:59.86\00:25:02.90
I want to be equipped to
know what I'm talking about.
00:25:02.93\00:25:05.30
Had you already tried to
reach out to some people?
00:25:05.33\00:25:07.34
Oh, yes. Okay.
00:25:07.37\00:25:08.70
Tell us a little bit about
00:25:08.74\00:25:10.07
some people you
tried to reach out to?
00:25:10.11\00:25:11.44
I mean like my
wife for instance.
00:25:11.47\00:25:12.81
You know, she, she was
raised Sunday all her life
00:25:12.84\00:25:16.34
but due to Holy
Ghost and the grace of God,
00:25:16.38\00:25:18.61
she came on over to the truth.
00:25:18.65\00:25:20.75
She accepted the truth.
00:25:20.78\00:25:22.12
So me and wife
and my four daughters,
00:25:22.15\00:25:24.25
we all got baptized.
00:25:24.29\00:25:25.62
My Lord. You know, so--
00:25:25.65\00:25:27.82
And it's funny because I didn't
realized that but I was like,
00:25:27.86\00:25:30.63
"Okay, Lord, I got
one for You already.
00:25:30.66\00:25:32.66
I got one." That's a
start. You know what I mean?
00:25:32.69\00:25:35.40
So, and I still got
family members and friends
00:25:35.43\00:25:38.43
that I discuss and
talk with but it's not over.
00:25:38.47\00:25:42.70
As long I got breath,
I'm gonna keep on attacking.
00:25:42.74\00:25:45.44
Even my uncle,
you know what I mean?
00:25:45.47\00:25:46.81
Tried to get him to
come over but we had talks
00:25:46.84\00:25:49.01
but I can say
but plus I realized
00:25:49.04\00:25:51.65
it's the Holy Spirit
to convict and to change.
00:25:51.68\00:25:55.58
Okay, first I'll try
to do in David's fashion.
00:25:55.62\00:25:58.65
That's you can't do
it. So I'm learning.
00:25:58.69\00:26:01.76
So I'm just looking forward
00:26:01.79\00:26:03.19
to whatever God
got for me, you know.
00:26:03.22\00:26:05.29
So I'm just gonna stay humble
00:26:05.33\00:26:07.66
and do what the
Lord want me to do.
00:26:07.70\00:26:09.56
You know, so that's what I want.
00:26:09.60\00:26:10.93
Already bringing souls to Jesus.
00:26:10.97\00:26:12.93
You know, David, your testimony
is a powerful testimony
00:26:12.97\00:26:17.84
and again it is the
testimony of so many
00:26:17.87\00:26:20.38
who have lived that lifestyle
and who want to come out
00:26:20.41\00:26:25.61
but don't know that
there is something better.
00:26:25.65\00:26:28.25
We try our hand at sports,
00:26:28.28\00:26:29.78
we try our hand at entertainment
00:26:29.82\00:26:31.65
and when the
bottom falls out of that,
00:26:31.69\00:26:33.05
we are left
seemingly with nothing.
00:26:33.09\00:26:35.52
But God sometimes uses those
rock bottom moments to say,
00:26:35.56\00:26:39.46
"Here I am."
00:26:39.49\00:26:40.83
And when we give Him our hand,
He leads us to higher heights.
00:26:40.86\00:26:45.30
You know, David, I
believe that God is going to do
00:26:45.33\00:26:48.20
something
incredible in your life.
00:26:48.24\00:26:49.67
I believe He has
already something
00:26:49.70\00:26:51.04
but I can see you going
to-- going off to college
00:26:51.07\00:26:55.34
and then potentially pastoring.
00:26:55.38\00:26:58.71
Just continue to dream.
Just continue to trust Jesus.
00:26:58.75\00:27:03.22
Your testimony is
an incredible testimony
00:27:03.25\00:27:05.09
and I think that what we
have to have in our minds today
00:27:05.12\00:27:09.72
is that there are many
other David Butlers out there
00:27:09.76\00:27:12.83
and we as a Christian
people have to set ourselves up
00:27:12.86\00:27:16.70
in such a way
that we can go and win
00:27:16.73\00:27:18.30
and witness to
the David Butlers.
00:27:18.33\00:27:20.17
Jesus tells us in
Matthew 25:31 onward.
00:27:20.20\00:27:23.51
He talks about
separating the sheep
00:27:23.54\00:27:25.34
from the goat and what He does
00:27:25.37\00:27:28.28
and what He uses to determine
the difference between the two
00:27:28.31\00:27:30.91
is very important,
very poignant point.
00:27:30.95\00:27:34.25
He says, I was in
prison and you didn't visit me.
00:27:34.28\00:27:38.72
And in saying that He's saying,
00:27:38.75\00:27:40.12
"I was in the downtrodden
places that you didn't come.
00:27:40.16\00:27:42.72
And so, David, be
encouraged that God has seen you
00:27:42.76\00:27:46.29
and now He wants to
commission and to send you
00:27:46.33\00:27:50.30
and that is an
awesome responsibility
00:27:50.33\00:27:52.90
and an awesome opportunity.
00:27:52.93\00:27:54.50
It's a privilege.
00:27:54.54\00:27:56.20
I say this as we bring
this to a close, dare to dream.
00:27:56.24\00:28:00.14
Today we've seen and
heard the testimony of a person
00:28:00.18\00:28:04.61
who was a gangster disciple
00:28:04.65\00:28:06.61
and is now a disciple of Jesus.
00:28:06.65\00:28:10.05
God bless you.
00:28:10.09\00:28:11.42