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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Today we'll meet a young man
who beat the odds of the street
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and now he is
serving Jesus Christ.
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Be sure to tune
into today's New Journey.
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Thank you for tuning
back into today's New Journey.
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For today we have
an exciting program
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with a young man by the
name of Michael Shepperd.
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Michael, we like to thank
you for being on the program.
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I'm greatly
privileged. Thank you.
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Praise the
Lord. Praise the Lord.
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For general information
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how old are you
and where are you from?
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I'm 32 years old. I'm
from Wilmington, Delaware.
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Okay.
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What's it like growing up
as a young African-American
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in Wilmington, Delaware?
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Well, Wilmington, Delaware
is a little whole in the world.
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It's small, our
claim to fame is no taxes.
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Okay.
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It's really a melting pot
of all the surrounding states,
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Philadelphia, New
Jersey, and New York.
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It's a melting pot and
also surrounding big states
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and a lot of
people come to Delaware
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to get away from the
kind of hustle and bustle
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of the big states
and come to Delaware.
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It's more lay back and low key.
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Okay. Okay.
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Give us a little information
about your family background,
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your mother, father, siblings?
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Give us some details on that?
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I grew up in a
single family home.
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Okay.
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My father was around
but he wasn't around.
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If I needed to get in
contact with him, I could.
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Okay.
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And he, you know,
he is a street hustler,
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he ran the streets,
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and I can remember
vividly visiting him in jail.
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I thought it was his home.
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I was little, very
little at the time.
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I thought it was
his home for vacations
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but I didn't
really know what it was,
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I didn't think about.
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I was too young to
really understand the whole jail
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and being locked up,
that whole understanding.
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So he was locked up
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and then we would go visit
him, me and my little brother.
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I have six
siblings all together.
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One older brother that I
grew with him in a same home,
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we had the same
mother and father.
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And I have a three half-sisters
and I have one half-brother.
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Okay.
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So I would, I grew
up with the one brother
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we would go visit my father
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and we will visit
him periodically in jail.
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As I got older, I
realised we were going to jail.
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Okay. Okay.
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That it wasn't
actually the home on a vacation.
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Right. Right. I
realised he was locked up.
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He after a while,
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he would tell me his stories
and everything in, you know,
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of course I understood
clearly that he was locked up,
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you know, as I got older.
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And he would
share with me stories
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about his
experience in the street,
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which kind of kept me at bay.
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You know, from
going too far out there.
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Get too far or caught
up in the whole street life
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from his experiences.
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And so that, yeah, that really
helped me going forward to get,
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you know, to get kind of
my bearing in order to wear,
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you know, I didn't
go too far out there.
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You know, his
experiences kind of help me.
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So what the devil
had for bad for my dad,
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really the Lord
had for good for me.
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Yeah. Okay.
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I could have
really going out there
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and really not even
been able to be pulled out.
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You know, so far really
deep in the streets that.
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You know, I could end up,
yes, I mean, left out there,
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you know, and
just with no direction.
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But my dad gave me direction
and I appreciate it all the,
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even to this day.
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The point he has
given me and being a man,
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even though he
wasn't always around there
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to give me pointers and
teach me how to be a man.
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Okay.
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And so I'm greatly, and
my mom's worked two jobs,
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to care of me and my brother.
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Okay. And I'm just.
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I'm thankful for her.
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I mean a real
strong black woman.
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You know, did
all what she could do
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to take care of
me and my brother,
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make sure we had all we needed
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and some also our wants as well.
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A lot of time make sure
our wants were taken care of,
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or more so our needs.
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And I'm so...
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I can't complain and say,
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"I didn't have a
father in my life."
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He was in my life and
a strong black mother...
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Okay. That was
there to support me.
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They even to this day support me
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as I could tell you in
my journey now spiritually.
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Okay.
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So what eventually lead
you to gravitate towards drugs
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even though on a few
drugs that you're on,
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even though you had a father
who had been incarcerated,
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who used drugs and
kind of share with you
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the negative
aspects of the street life?
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Number one, what drugs
did you get involved with?
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And number two, why did
you kind of gravitate that way?
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I got involved with
marijuana and then alcohol.
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Okay. I began to...
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by the time I was 16, I
was a full blown alcoholic
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and I was because I
was a weed head, you know,
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I was hooked on
weed and alcohol.
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And I was 15, when I
started smoking weed.
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And then eventually transitioned
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and I've taken alcohol as well
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and it really was peer pressure
and it really was two things
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really that kind of
led me into that direction.
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Peer pressure and
also the rap music.
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Okay.
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And we'll talk a
little bit more later on
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about the
influence of rap music.
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Because it was very
strong in my life as well.
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Right. Right.
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So we'll get to that.
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What prevented you though?
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What do you think prevented you
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from using some
of the harder drugs
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like cocaine, ecstasy
various things like that?
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Well, I had seen people
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who were strung
out on "Harder drugs."
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You know, so I figured that
marijuana was a softer drug.
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And alcohol,
you know, it wasn't,
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it didn't seem as extreme.
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You know because I would
see somebody high on weed
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and seems like they were
more laid back and at ease.
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But when I would see...
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I've been around
various individuals
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who were strung
out on the hard drugs.
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Okay.
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And they looked
totally just disordered.
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Yeah. They had no appeal to you.
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Yeah. No, appeal
to me at all. Okay.
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Heroin or the
cocaine, look I said,
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"I won't go that far."
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So I basically had
this frame of mind,
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I was trying to balance sin.
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Yeah. And how do you do that?
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Now my whole understanding
or trying to balance sin,
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in my frame of mind
which I know wasn't right,
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but I figured long as
my good outweighs my wrong.
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Yeah. Wow.
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Long as I do
more good than wrong,
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you know, I'm
gonna do some wrong.
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But long as my
good outweighs my wrong,
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I'm in right relation with God.
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You know, and
I'm not a bad person.
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Okay. Nobody is perfect.
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Yeah.
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My dad's experience
he was, he shared with me
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about the street
life and everything.
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I was in tune to that.
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Now listen, there's
pointers and so I was careful.
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I was careful to not get too far
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but I wanted to, I was curious.
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I had a love of curiosity. Yeah.
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You know, I was
curious about the street life
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to see what it
really had to offer.
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What was really out there?
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I mean, I had to
experience for myself,
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my dad would tell
me, now, look son,
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"I'm gonna tell you
what you should not do
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because I was out there."
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You leave it alone, you
know, it's no good for you,
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I'm in and out of
jail, I'm in and out of jail
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and just, you can
caught up in all kinds of,
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all kinds of issues
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and all kinds of
problems came his way.
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And he would share with me
these problems, these issues
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and, you know,
elaborate on them.
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It's something's that he
kept back from telling me.
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But he shared with me,
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what he thought
I needed to hear.
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Okay. And so I
took heed to that.
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But at the same
time my dad was like,
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"Look, you gonna
have to be your own man."
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Yeah. Make your
own cottage. Right.
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Yeah. Okay.
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Why do you think that many
people glorify the street life,
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the drugs and
being incarcerated?
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I mean, your father
was pretty much giving you
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the reality of the streets.
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But why do you think some
people actually glorify it?
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I think because of the
just the reputation you get in.
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Just to basically the...
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How can I put it, in the
most and the clearest way?
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You get recognised. Yeah.
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I mean, it's just as level.
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People like that kind of
popularity type thing, yeah.
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Yeah. Love of recognition. Yeah.
00:07:48.56\00:07:49.90
And it's the shame how
one who seeks to live right,
00:07:49.93\00:07:53.00
people look down on.
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If you do all wrong it's like
that, that's highly publicized.
00:07:54.54\00:07:57.41
Like that's the
coolest thing to do on earth.
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That's highly
publicized when you do wrong
00:07:59.27\00:08:00.71
but when you do right, you know,
00:08:00.74\00:08:03.35
people tend not to pay attention
00:08:03.38\00:08:05.31
to those who do right.
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They call them squares. Yeah.
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You know, and so
one thing is that
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I didn't wanna be a square.
00:08:09.45\00:08:10.79
Yeah. I don't
want to be a square.
00:08:10.82\00:08:12.15
I want to be a part of in crowd,
00:08:12.19\00:08:13.52
I want to stand
out amongst my peers,
00:08:13.56\00:08:14.89
make a name amongst myself,
00:08:14.92\00:08:16.26
amongst my peers, you
know, and it was the end thing.
00:08:16.29\00:08:17.63
I mean, just being a
square and doing right.
00:08:17.66\00:08:19.16
You know, I'm gonna
brass it to us, said,
00:08:19.19\00:08:20.53
"I would never smoke weed."
00:08:20.56\00:08:21.90
I was like, I'd never
smoke weed, that is idiotic.
00:08:21.93\00:08:24.50
I would never smoke weed,
00:08:24.53\00:08:25.87
I would never put
any poison in my body,
00:08:25.90\00:08:28.24
I would never do
anything like that.
00:08:28.27\00:08:29.67
That's crazy. But
eventually you did it.
00:08:29.70\00:08:31.07
And eventually some years
later I ended up doing it,
00:08:31.11\00:08:33.48
peer pressure caved in on me.
00:08:33.51\00:08:36.01
And then I perhaps seen it
just being around a wrong crowd.
00:08:36.04\00:08:39.45
You know, I hanged
around those who are...
00:08:39.48\00:08:41.48
when I was younger, I hanged...
00:08:41.52\00:08:42.85
I stayed around those
because I was in the basketball.
00:08:42.88\00:08:44.45
Okay. I thought
I would be in NBA.
00:08:44.49\00:08:46.05
As most young black males,
00:08:46.09\00:08:47.76
you know,
basketball or football,
00:08:47.79\00:08:49.32
you know, pretty much all of us.
00:08:49.36\00:08:50.69
I had hoop dreams. Okay.
00:08:50.73\00:08:52.23
You know, I love
playing basketball.
00:08:52.26\00:08:53.60
I'd travel for miles
just to go play basketball.
00:08:53.63\00:08:56.53
You know, nearest court,
00:08:56.56\00:08:59.20
you know, "Hey,
let's have game."
00:08:59.23\00:09:01.54
Okay.
00:09:01.57\00:09:02.90
And so I thought I was going
to be in NBA, that was my aim.
00:09:02.94\00:09:06.17
Now did you play
basketball in high school?
00:09:06.21\00:09:07.88
No. No. Okay.
00:09:07.91\00:09:09.24
See, high
schools were to down it.
00:09:09.28\00:09:10.61
Well, talk about
your high school,
00:09:10.65\00:09:12.35
what was going on,
you know, from before,
00:09:12.38\00:09:14.98
the troubles that you had
and can you talk about that?
00:09:15.02\00:09:16.35
As soon as, I
mean, when I was 15.
00:09:16.38\00:09:18.05
Started high
school when I was 15
00:09:18.09\00:09:19.42
and not too long after
getting in high school,
00:09:19.45\00:09:21.12
you know, you got
the older kids in there
00:09:21.16\00:09:23.09
and then you,
then the peer pressure
00:09:23.12\00:09:24.46
really just
seemed to cave in on,
00:09:24.49\00:09:25.83
I was never big academically.
00:09:25.86\00:09:28.60
You know, I was never
real good academically.
00:09:28.63\00:09:30.10
I remember
daddy just say, "Look,
00:09:30.13\00:09:31.47
can you just
bring home the C, son."
00:09:31.50\00:09:33.37
My attention span
was just very low.
00:09:33.40\00:09:36.27
Very low when it came to school.
00:09:36.30\00:09:38.41
And then when I
got to high school
00:09:38.44\00:09:39.77
it just really went downhill.
00:09:39.81\00:09:41.31
And just getting
around the wrong crowd
00:09:41.34\00:09:43.75
and then it's just
not too long after.
00:09:43.78\00:09:46.58
I actually, when my
first semester nice I did well.
00:09:46.61\00:09:49.18
I did very well
but then after that
00:09:49.22\00:09:50.99
I kind of ease
back a little bit.
00:09:51.02\00:09:52.79
You know, I said, "Okay."
00:09:52.82\00:09:54.36
I was doing well and I think,
00:09:54.39\00:09:56.02
I just kind of just
lost sight of staying focused
00:09:56.06\00:09:58.76
and, you know,
doing what I need to do
00:09:58.79\00:10:00.60
you know, to
plan for the future.
00:10:00.63\00:10:01.96
I started to
living for now, you know,
00:10:02.00\00:10:04.10
instead of
planning for the future
00:10:04.13\00:10:05.47
and then just getting
around the wrong people.
00:10:05.50\00:10:06.94
So wrong people
started to come into my life
00:10:06.97\00:10:08.54
that are spread
out, that I embraced.
00:10:08.57\00:10:10.24
And they brought me down.
00:10:10.27\00:10:11.61
And then I was 15 a
guy introduced me to weed.
00:10:11.64\00:10:14.68
Yeah.
00:10:14.71\00:10:16.04
That moved into
the neighbourhood.
00:10:16.08\00:10:17.65
And so, you know, I
started out smoking out with him
00:10:17.68\00:10:20.58
and I got so bad that...
00:10:20.62\00:10:25.35
I say about that time I was
16, I was full blown weed head.
00:10:25.39\00:10:28.19
Okay. You know,
hooked on marijuana.
00:10:28.22\00:10:30.69
I can remember being in almost
a cipher or a circle around,
00:10:30.73\00:10:35.96
I've circle of friends.
00:10:36.00\00:10:37.33
I mean, maybe 7
or 8 of us... Okay.
00:10:37.37\00:10:39.00
And we're just passing
weed, I mean, blunt after blunt.
00:10:39.03\00:10:41.27
Blunt after blunt, yeah.
00:10:41.30\00:10:42.64
You know, blunt is
for those who don't know
00:10:42.67\00:10:44.01
blunt is a cigar or a
weed wrapped in cigar paper.
00:10:44.04\00:10:47.58
Yeah. Exactly.
00:10:47.61\00:10:48.94
And so I was just, I'll
be with a circle of friends
00:10:48.98\00:10:51.15
and we'd be smoking
weed blunt after blunt.
00:10:51.18\00:10:52.65
I mean, we
rolled and I'm smoking,
00:10:52.68\00:10:54.02
I'm sitting like, man,
what in the world am I doing.
00:10:54.05\00:10:56.25
You know, we
can't get any higher.
00:10:56.28\00:10:57.69
I mean, it's like
the weed was multiplying.
00:10:57.72\00:10:59.55
Oh, yeah.
00:10:59.59\00:11:00.92
And so, you know, I would
cut school and I'd leave out.
00:11:00.96\00:11:04.53
I will leave out and
I'm just 16 years old.
00:11:04.56\00:11:06.90
I will leave out of the house
and make my mama watch to see,
00:11:06.93\00:11:09.93
make sure, you
know, we're gonna school.
00:11:09.96\00:11:11.30
She peak out the
window here and there.
00:11:11.33\00:11:12.67
So just to be on a safe side,
00:11:12.70\00:11:14.04
I made sure I went
straight to the bus stop
00:11:14.07\00:11:15.40
but, not too long after
I would turn the corner,
00:11:15.44\00:11:18.01
I'll cut school, I'll
cut school all together
00:11:18.04\00:11:20.04
and just go
hangout with my friends
00:11:20.08\00:11:22.01
and, you know, maybe try
to hook up with some females.
00:11:22.04\00:11:24.68
Had some weed, get
some weed, get some alcohol
00:11:24.71\00:11:27.22
and just cut school all together
00:11:27.25\00:11:28.58
or I would go in
late... go to school late.
00:11:28.62\00:11:29.95
I got to a point where
I could not go to school
00:11:29.98\00:11:31.45
as I was intoxicated.
00:11:31.49\00:11:32.82
Yeah. Wow.
00:11:32.85\00:11:34.19
You know, I had to be
high, or I had to be drunk.
00:11:34.22\00:11:35.56
I'll be sitting in class
00:11:35.59\00:11:36.93
and like I just
said I had to be high.
00:11:36.96\00:11:38.33
So I was either
high, it got to point
00:11:38.36\00:11:39.69
where I was either
hard drunk in the school.
00:11:39.73\00:11:41.16
Yeah. One or the two periods.
00:11:41.20\00:11:42.53
One or the two, but I get in
maybe third or fourth period,
00:11:42.56\00:11:44.57
you know, not
enough to get my high on
00:11:44.60\00:11:46.30
because I couldn't
stand sitting at school.
00:11:46.33\00:11:47.87
Yeah.
00:11:47.90\00:11:49.24
That got so bad that my mom,
00:11:49.27\00:11:50.94
she had to just
pop up on me in school
00:11:50.97\00:11:52.57
because she was getting reports
00:11:52.61\00:11:53.94
and report card was
saying, I wasn't showing up.
00:11:53.98\00:11:55.31
Well, I'm like, I don't
know what they're talking about?
00:11:55.34\00:11:56.68
I'm going to school.
00:11:56.71\00:11:58.05
You see me go down to
the bus stop, you know,
00:11:58.08\00:11:59.41
and I don't what
they're talking about?
00:11:59.45\00:12:00.78
And she popped
up on me one time.
00:12:00.82\00:12:02.15
Oh, man, I could
remember like it was yesterday.
00:12:02.18\00:12:03.65
I was 16 years old, I
was, you know, 'cause...
00:12:03.69\00:12:07.19
It just all happened that I had,
00:12:07.22\00:12:08.62
I did not go to
school that day high.
00:12:08.66\00:12:11.99
May be that was Lord's mercy.
00:12:12.03\00:12:13.36
'Cause mom would have my...
00:12:13.40\00:12:14.73
She would have my head. Okay.
00:12:14.76\00:12:16.10
If she caught me high on drug,
00:12:16.13\00:12:17.47
so I went to school on time too.
00:12:17.50\00:12:18.90
God made me with
the class on time,
00:12:18.93\00:12:20.57
got to school on time
00:12:20.60\00:12:21.94
just that day I just
skipped the weed and alcohol.
00:12:21.97\00:12:23.51
And I sat down
00:12:23.54\00:12:24.87
and a girl was in the
back of me talking to me,
00:12:24.91\00:12:27.78
trying to get my attention.
00:12:27.81\00:12:29.14
I turned around to her
00:12:29.18\00:12:30.51
and my mom was
all way in her back.
00:12:30.55\00:12:31.88
In the back of the school,
00:12:31.91\00:12:33.25
I mean, at the
back in the classroom.
00:12:33.28\00:12:34.62
And so she came to make sure
00:12:34.65\00:12:35.98
she walk me through four periods
00:12:36.02\00:12:37.35
just to make sure I
was going to school.
00:12:37.39\00:12:38.72
And that was so embarrassing,
the whole boys and my friends.
00:12:38.75\00:12:42.52
They came, "Hey, man,
what you're doing man?
00:12:42.56\00:12:44.46
Your mom is in
school you're in class.
00:12:44.49\00:12:46.09
I told my mom, I said,
look, mom, it's lunch next,
00:12:46.13\00:12:49.73
I have lunch
next, you can leave now.
00:12:49.76\00:12:53.40
And so she stuck with me
like four periods and left
00:12:53.44\00:12:55.47
and I said, "Wow,
it's getting that bad."
00:12:55.50\00:12:57.54
Okay.
00:12:57.57\00:12:58.91
So what influence you
talked about her briefly
00:12:58.94\00:13:00.51
but how strong of
influence do you think
00:13:00.54\00:13:02.91
your friends was on you
as well as the hip-hop music?
00:13:02.94\00:13:06.68
Let's talk a
little bit about that?
00:13:06.72\00:13:08.12
And how strong of a pool
hip-hop music has on people,
00:13:08.15\00:13:14.02
secular hip-pop music,
go into that information?
00:13:14.06\00:13:16.69
Yeah.
00:13:16.73\00:13:18.06
I believe firmly
what the Bible said
00:13:18.09\00:13:20.10
you change by beholding or
whatever you lend your ears to,
00:13:20.13\00:13:22.63
your minds to, your
mind to, you ears to,
00:13:22.66\00:13:25.50
you will be affected by it.
00:13:25.53\00:13:26.87
Okay.
00:13:26.90\00:13:28.24
It's a Satan.
00:13:28.27\00:13:29.60
I mean, you will
be affected by it.
00:13:29.64\00:13:30.97
And I'm gonna
tell our young people
00:13:31.01\00:13:32.34
you will be affected by it.
00:13:32.37\00:13:33.71
Without question,
it will affect you.
00:13:33.74\00:13:36.21
I mean, I had my ears
fully in tuned to the rap scene
00:13:36.24\00:13:39.28
and a host, you
know, just a whole,
00:13:39.31\00:13:41.22
that whole genre of music.
00:13:41.25\00:13:45.89
And it really affected
me and it really affects you
00:13:45.92\00:13:49.29
what you lend
your mind and ears to
00:13:49.32\00:13:50.96
and it will come
back to haunt you
00:13:50.99\00:13:52.33
even when you
want to give it up.
00:13:52.36\00:13:53.70
Because even now to this day,
00:13:53.73\00:13:55.06
you know, sometimes those
old rap songs, I may be...
00:13:55.10\00:13:56.70
Oh, yeah. Yeah. I
may be riding the car.
00:13:56.73\00:13:58.40
And somebody pull
and plays old rap music.
00:13:58.43\00:14:00.17
And you know, you
start bobbing here,
00:14:00.20\00:14:01.54
oh, got to catch yourself.
00:14:01.57\00:14:02.90
No one help me,
you know, I was like,
00:14:02.94\00:14:04.27
man I should never
led my mind over to it
00:14:04.31\00:14:05.64
and it takes me
back to where I was.
00:14:05.67\00:14:07.24
That lifestyle
or that way of life
00:14:07.28\00:14:09.38
that I did not agree with that,
and I was not happy in living.
00:14:09.41\00:14:13.01
Yeah. It's a very...
00:14:13.05\00:14:18.59
Has a very strong
affect. Yes, it's very heavy.
00:14:18.62\00:14:21.32
And it had the same thing to me,
00:14:21.36\00:14:23.99
music was very,
very strong in my life.
00:14:24.03\00:14:27.50
You know, I would
see to music videos
00:14:27.53\00:14:29.70
when I was young,
the hip-pop music videos
00:14:29.73\00:14:31.80
and on BET and things.
00:14:31.83\00:14:33.64
And I will want
what they were showing,
00:14:33.67\00:14:36.91
you know, and I
didn't realize at the time
00:14:36.94\00:14:39.17
that a lot of that money
00:14:39.21\00:14:40.54
they're throwing
around isn't even real.
00:14:40.58\00:14:41.91
Isn't even real.
You know, it's not real.
00:14:41.94\00:14:43.45
A lot of the cars are rented,
a lot of the jewelry is rented,
00:14:43.48\00:14:47.35
you know, but they give this
00:14:47.38\00:14:48.82
basically this false
hope or this false scene.
00:14:48.85\00:14:52.39
And you think,
"Man, I want that."
00:14:52.42\00:14:54.49
You know, and a lot of my
life was influenced by friends,
00:14:54.52\00:14:58.33
yes, but music as well.
00:14:58.36\00:15:01.86
And it was so hard for
me to let go off the music.
00:15:01.90\00:15:04.53
So very hard. Yes. Yes.
00:15:04.57\00:15:05.90
Because it's like
it has a satanic pool.
00:15:05.93\00:15:08.40
And it's even interesting that,
00:15:08.44\00:15:09.87
you know, one of
the things that Satan,
00:15:09.90\00:15:11.87
then Lucifer did
when he was in heaven was,
00:15:11.91\00:15:14.68
he orchestrated music.
00:15:14.71\00:15:18.11
So when he was
kicked out of heaven
00:15:18.15\00:15:19.48
he didn't
necessarily lose his power.
00:15:19.51\00:15:21.08
Right. His name
changed to Lucifer.
00:15:21.12\00:15:23.12
But he could
still orchestrate music
00:15:23.15\00:15:25.89
in different things like that.
00:15:25.92\00:15:27.72
And when you hear
the background stories
00:15:27.76\00:15:30.99
of a lot of music
artists they say, you know,
00:15:31.03\00:15:33.70
we pray to the devil that
we will have a hit record,
00:15:33.73\00:15:37.60
we got high on x amount of drugs
00:15:37.63\00:15:39.30
or these types of drugs,
00:15:39.33\00:15:40.67
so that we will
have a hit record.
00:15:40.70\00:15:42.10
We made deals and
pacts with the devil
00:15:42.14\00:15:43.81
to have a hit record.
00:15:43.84\00:15:45.31
And these things are
seem to help with the record.
00:15:45.34\00:15:47.91
So when you're listening
00:15:47.94\00:15:49.48
it has this
satanic pool upon you.
00:15:49.51\00:15:52.11
You know, what can you
say to young people to,
00:15:52.15\00:15:55.98
yeah, the music is good.
00:15:56.02\00:15:57.35
You know, you're bobbing
to it and things like that.
00:15:57.39\00:15:58.72
But what can you say to
them to try to break them
00:15:58.75\00:16:02.32
away from that music?
00:16:02.36\00:16:04.56
I would say that
young people should...
00:16:04.59\00:16:07.26
I would say, well,
the way that older people
00:16:07.30\00:16:11.10
or that individuals
should encourage young people
00:16:11.13\00:16:14.60
what should be helping
them to understand that
00:16:14.64\00:16:18.14
at the end of the day
there is no benefit in it.
00:16:18.17\00:16:20.21
I mean, there is
no real positive...
00:16:20.24\00:16:23.88
You make, now the devil mingles,
00:16:23.91\00:16:25.78
you know those
good things with bad.
00:16:25.81\00:16:27.55
But at the end of
the day you say, "Okay.
00:16:27.58\00:16:28.98
Well, how was this
making me a better person?"
00:16:29.02\00:16:32.35
Yeah. Yeah. "What
this is benefiting me?"
00:16:32.39\00:16:34.59
Okay.
00:16:34.62\00:16:35.96
"And how was
this benefiting me?"
00:16:35.99\00:16:38.19
And so I would
encourage young people
00:16:38.23\00:16:39.56
laying your minds over to that,
00:16:39.59\00:16:40.93
which will
uplift and build you up.
00:16:40.96\00:16:42.46
Because at the end of
the day when you get older
00:16:42.50\00:16:44.33
and you're through decades,
00:16:44.37\00:16:46.13
let me tell you, you
will get tired of it.
00:16:46.17\00:16:48.60
Oh, yeah.
00:16:48.64\00:16:49.97
You will get tired of
it and it will get old.
00:16:50.01\00:16:52.24
And all of that junk
that you stuffed in your mind,
00:16:52.27\00:16:55.68
it comes back to haunt you.
00:16:55.71\00:16:57.38
Come back to haunt
you and it irritates you
00:16:57.41\00:16:59.05
because I'm
still dealing with it.
00:16:59.08\00:17:00.42
And at the end of the
day, yeah, that is okay.
00:17:00.45\00:17:02.32
How is this
drawing me closer to God?
00:17:02.35\00:17:04.19
How is this
making a better person?
00:17:04.22\00:17:05.55
Okay. Okay. You know.
00:17:05.59\00:17:06.92
It's a down pull... Oh, yeah.
00:17:06.96\00:17:09.72
As suppose to
uplifting, you know.
00:17:09.76\00:17:11.59
And I would say,
encourage young people in that,
00:17:11.63\00:17:14.96
which is positive.
00:17:15.00\00:17:16.60
And we need to
encourage young people to...
00:17:16.63\00:17:18.47
We need to
involve the young people
00:17:18.50\00:17:20.04
in more positive things.
00:17:20.07\00:17:21.40
Community service
and certain things
00:17:21.44\00:17:22.97
such as that nature.
00:17:23.00\00:17:24.34
Okay, you know, you said
something very interesting
00:17:24.37\00:17:25.71
a little bit ago.
00:17:25.74\00:17:27.08
You said about by
beholding we become change.
00:17:27.11\00:17:28.94
Right. That's
what the Bible says.
00:17:28.98\00:17:31.01
And this is so very
true because what you look at
00:17:31.05\00:17:35.08
or listen to or what you read,
00:17:35.12\00:17:36.99
you eventually become like that.
00:17:37.02\00:17:39.42
The more time
you're spending with God,
00:17:39.45\00:17:40.99
the more you become like God.
00:17:41.02\00:17:43.39
The more time you spend
in secular hip-hop music
00:17:43.43\00:17:45.96
or whatever, the more you'll
be kind of become like that.
00:17:45.99\00:17:48.86
You'll start to say the words,
00:17:48.90\00:17:50.23
those actions,
or things like that.
00:17:50.27\00:17:52.73
And you mentioned about
where the things to uplift,
00:17:52.77\00:17:56.47
the music isn't necessarily
uplifting that person.
00:17:56.50\00:17:59.51
And I notice with my own self
00:17:59.54\00:18:01.64
as I was getting
deep in a hip-hop music,
00:18:01.68\00:18:03.48
it wasn't uplifting it
sounded good, of course.
00:18:03.51\00:18:06.78
But it was actually
changing my image of who I was,
00:18:06.82\00:18:09.88
you know, how I
dressed, how I carried myself,
00:18:09.92\00:18:13.29
and eventually I had
got a tattoo on my face.
00:18:13.32\00:18:16.56
I had a tattoo
covering about a portion
00:18:16.59\00:18:18.99
on the right side of my face.
00:18:19.03\00:18:21.06
Which I have actually
being getting laser removed.
00:18:21.10\00:18:23.60
But it was like the
demons of music in it,
00:18:23.63\00:18:26.23
demons of life were starting
00:18:26.27\00:18:28.04
to manifest
themselves on my face
00:18:28.07\00:18:30.74
because what I had
was this scary face on it
00:18:30.77\00:18:34.41
and it was like
my internal face,
00:18:34.44\00:18:36.75
though I have a smile on
my normal face, internally,
00:18:36.78\00:18:39.21
I felt like this thing that
was on my face, this tattoo.
00:18:39.25\00:18:43.22
And I believe that, you know,
it was the demons inside of me
00:18:43.25\00:18:47.52
beginning to manifest themselves
00:18:47.56\00:18:49.22
in all the music
that I had listened to
00:18:49.26\00:18:52.83
and that was
ingrained in my head.
00:18:52.86\00:18:55.20
And so it has a
very powerful pool.
00:18:55.23\00:18:57.30
Now let me ask you this though,
00:18:57.33\00:18:58.67
let's switch gears a little bit.
00:18:58.70\00:19:00.14
You didn't grow up as
Seventh-day Adventist?
00:19:00.17\00:19:01.57
No. No, I didn't.
00:19:01.60\00:19:02.94
How did you become a
Seventh-day Adventist?
00:19:02.97\00:19:05.51
Okay, now I just fast forward
in 15 by the time I was 18...
00:19:05.54\00:19:08.34
Okay.
00:19:08.38\00:19:09.71
I was through with the,
00:19:09.74\00:19:11.08
I pretty much was through 19
00:19:11.11\00:19:12.68
I was done with
the marijuana, alcohol.
00:19:12.71\00:19:14.55
Okay. And I had
got my life together.
00:19:14.58\00:19:16.45
I actually dropped out of...
00:19:16.48\00:19:17.82
Just real quick, I
dropped out of high school.
00:19:17.85\00:19:19.19
Okay.
00:19:19.22\00:19:20.56
I got so better
job at high school,
00:19:20.59\00:19:21.92
I went to job core, I
got kicked out of job core,
00:19:21.96\00:19:23.32
I got caught with
marijuana, they kicked me out.
00:19:23.36\00:19:25.16
And so, you know,
00:19:25.19\00:19:26.76
but I was able
to graduate on time.
00:19:26.80\00:19:29.30
You know, I got kicked
out and then I was like,
00:19:29.33\00:19:31.03
what I'm gonna do?
00:19:31.07\00:19:32.40
My dad's won't get
GED but mom stepped in
00:19:32.43\00:19:33.94
and said, "No,
you're going go back
00:19:33.97\00:19:35.30
and get your
high school diploma.
00:19:35.34\00:19:36.67
Okay. So I got
high school diploma.
00:19:36.71\00:19:38.04
And I got my high
school diploma, graduated,
00:19:38.07\00:19:40.58
by the time I was 19,
00:19:40.61\00:19:42.01
I was through with
this terminal body.
00:19:42.04\00:19:43.55
Now what made you wanna...
00:19:43.58\00:19:44.95
What made you wanna stop
00:19:44.98\00:19:46.31
and step away from
everything at 19 years old?
00:19:46.35\00:19:48.12
Well by the time...
00:19:48.15\00:19:49.55
I think it's just coming of age.
00:19:49.58\00:19:50.92
Okay.
00:19:50.95\00:19:52.29
You know, I think
I just came of age.
00:19:52.32\00:19:53.66
You know, I just got to a
point where I just got tired,
00:19:53.69\00:19:55.32
you get old and you
say, okay, enough already.
00:19:55.36\00:19:56.69
Okay, enough.
00:19:56.73\00:19:58.06
You know, I mean,
it doesn't take me long
00:19:58.09\00:19:59.43
to smart enough,
that's one thing.
00:19:59.46\00:20:00.90
I mean, may be gift
from God or Holly Spirit,
00:20:00.93\00:20:02.73
it didn't take me
long to smart enough.
00:20:02.76\00:20:04.10
I don't needed be out
there not to knock anybody.
00:20:04.13\00:20:05.93
For 10 or 15 years, I'm
like, "Okay, I get the point."
00:20:05.97\00:20:07.84
Yeah. Okay.
00:20:07.87\00:20:09.20
You know, I just
got old, I got tired to
00:20:09.24\00:20:10.57
where I got
tired of getting high.
00:20:10.61\00:20:11.94
I'm just smoking because this is
00:20:11.97\00:20:13.44
what we do with my friends.
00:20:13.48\00:20:14.81
So what else do I do?
00:20:14.84\00:20:16.18
We get high, and try
to get a woman hook up,
00:20:16.21\00:20:17.55
or woman and get drunk
and messing around drugs.
00:20:17.58\00:20:19.41
So I'm like, you
know, what I'm through.
00:20:19.45\00:20:21.75
And I'd be taking out to pull
when I was around my friends
00:20:21.78\00:20:24.19
and they will be smoking
and God was holding me though.
00:20:24.22\00:20:26.42
I will be around
them in a circle,
00:20:26.45\00:20:28.22
you know, they would be smoking,
00:20:28.26\00:20:29.59
I would be one
that would not smoke.
00:20:29.62\00:20:31.49
You know, and I
shouldn't have myself
00:20:31.53\00:20:32.86
in that atmosphere though
00:20:32.89\00:20:34.23
and though I
was through with it.
00:20:34.26\00:20:35.60
But it is like
my boys we hang out,
00:20:35.63\00:20:36.97
these are my partners.
00:20:37.00\00:20:38.33
And they would say, hey,
man, don't even bother passing
00:20:38.37\00:20:39.70
the weed to
Michael, he won't smoke.
00:20:39.73\00:20:41.07
Okay. You know.
00:20:41.10\00:20:42.44
But after a while, I began
to distance myself from them
00:20:42.47\00:20:43.81
because that would
eventually brought me back down.
00:20:43.84\00:20:46.27
And so fast
forwarding, flash forwarding.
00:20:46.31\00:20:47.91
Okay.
00:20:47.94\00:20:49.54
Got me good job
in medical field,
00:20:49.58\00:20:51.08
making good money,
I finally moved out
00:20:51.11\00:20:52.45
and this is the
point where transition
00:20:52.48\00:20:53.82
where I began to come into
right relationship with God.
00:20:53.85\00:20:56.58
Okay.
00:20:56.62\00:20:57.95
By the time I was in
my early 20s I moved out,
00:20:57.99\00:21:01.22
got my own apartment, I was 25.
00:21:01.26\00:21:03.43
So at 25, I've
got my own apartment,
00:21:03.46\00:21:04.79
had a good paying job
and I got my apartment.
00:21:04.83\00:21:07.86
I still had trouble
with the women though.
00:21:07.90\00:21:09.40
Okay.
00:21:09.43\00:21:10.77
I still hadn't shaken that yet,
00:21:10.80\00:21:12.47
you know, the
immoral life frame my mind.
00:21:12.50\00:21:15.34
I wouldn't put no poison
in my body but hey to woman.
00:21:15.37\00:21:17.61
Okay. That's all another issue.
00:21:17.64\00:21:20.34
And so, the Lord
that was the final,
00:21:20.38\00:21:21.88
really the final
deliverance was that.
00:21:21.91\00:21:23.58
You know, where I
could fully just have
00:21:23.61\00:21:24.95
let God have his way with me.
00:21:24.98\00:21:27.28
I was 25, and I
moved out and I said, okay,
00:21:27.32\00:21:29.32
I got my own
place, I got my own space,
00:21:29.35\00:21:30.89
I may have the
ladies coming through
00:21:30.92\00:21:32.42
all to make up with single man.
00:21:32.45\00:21:34.19
You know, now I was
going to really just had them
00:21:34.22\00:21:36.06
for just to have my
fun with the ladies.
00:21:36.09\00:21:39.56
And come to find out
it was God set that aside
00:21:39.59\00:21:43.53
so He can get intimate with me.
00:21:43.57\00:21:44.90
Yeah.
00:21:44.93\00:21:46.27
And so I was on my
dad's, I was on my mom's house.
00:21:46.30\00:21:49.80
So I went to go
see, go stop by her house
00:21:49.84\00:21:51.44
and my dad was over there.
00:21:51.47\00:21:52.81
I was big in physical
conditioning at this time.
00:21:52.84\00:21:56.31
Because I have put my
body and I really got into
00:21:56.34\00:21:58.21
my physical workout
plan, very routine with it.
00:21:58.25\00:22:02.15
Where I hit the
cardio, lift the weights up,
00:22:02.18\00:22:04.12
I mean, I got about
180 pounds solid muscle.
00:22:04.15\00:22:07.46
I was really in
to my workout routine
00:22:07.49\00:22:09.29
and on it every
consistently on a regular basis.
00:22:09.32\00:22:12.49
And I was on my dad's
house, I mean, my mom's house,
00:22:12.53\00:22:14.43
my dad came to stop by
and the Lord spoke to my dad
00:22:14.46\00:22:17.40
and I was using my testimony.
00:22:17.43\00:22:19.23
Now, look, the Lord
spoke to my dad that night,
00:22:19.27\00:22:21.50
we're watching basketball.
00:22:21.54\00:22:22.87
Okay.
00:22:22.90\00:22:24.24
He knew I was in
my workout routine
00:22:24.27\00:22:25.74
and I would go with
my mom to workout at time
00:22:25.77\00:22:27.58
she had a basement bench.
00:22:27.61\00:22:29.98
So, actually I took the
bench over my house though.
00:22:30.01\00:22:33.05
I was still working out in...
I had it in my own apartment.
00:22:33.08\00:22:35.28
But I used to
workout on in her basement
00:22:35.32\00:22:37.52
and I just went
over to visit her
00:22:37.55\00:22:39.32
and my dad happened to be there
and we were watching basketball
00:22:39.35\00:22:41.72
and he just turned to me
and said, "Man, you know,
00:22:41.76\00:22:46.26
you're big on your
physical condition,
00:22:46.29\00:22:47.66
you workout routine."
00:22:47.70\00:22:49.03
I forgot exactly
how he phrased it
00:22:49.06\00:22:50.40
but it was on
that level and I said,
00:22:50.43\00:22:52.67
and he said, he
says, "Son, you know,
00:22:52.70\00:22:54.40
you need to study the Bible."
00:22:54.44\00:22:55.77
Yeah. Wow. Out of nowhere.
00:22:55.80\00:22:57.27
Was he into the
Bible at that time?
00:22:57.31\00:22:58.64
That's the amazing thing. Yeah.
00:22:58.67\00:23:00.68
He wasn't into Bible
himself at that time, now he is,
00:23:00.71\00:23:03.55
but then he wasn't.
00:23:03.58\00:23:05.11
And, you know, as far as,
00:23:05.15\00:23:06.48
you know, giving me
that kind of advice.
00:23:06.51\00:23:07.85
Yeah.
00:23:07.88\00:23:09.22
You wouldn't
expect that from him.
00:23:09.25\00:23:10.59
Yeah, and he just turned
out, I was in the kitchen.
00:23:10.62\00:23:12.25
I can almost see it
like it was yesterday,
00:23:12.29\00:23:13.66
May 2006 when his
spiritual journey began.
00:23:13.69\00:23:16.52
May 2006, he
turned to me and says...
00:23:16.56\00:23:18.19
We're watching basketball,
00:23:18.23\00:23:19.56
I think it was
LeBron James playing
00:23:19.59\00:23:20.93
and he turned to me and he says,
00:23:20.96\00:23:22.30
"Son, you need
to study the Bible."
00:23:22.33\00:23:25.60
"Son, you need
to study the Bible."
00:23:25.63\00:23:26.97
And I said, "Wow."
00:23:27.00\00:23:28.34
And a couple of years ago a
girl I was dating, she tried,
00:23:28.37\00:23:30.01
she laid out a
plan for me and say,
00:23:30.04\00:23:31.37
"We need to start
studying the Bible together."
00:23:31.41\00:23:32.74
Let me have it, and so I
said, "I can't get into it."
00:23:32.77\00:23:37.25
I couldn't even quote John 3:16.
00:23:37.28\00:23:39.08
If you told what
does John 3:16 say.
00:23:39.11\00:23:41.22
I'm like, "I don't know." Yeah.
00:23:41.25\00:23:42.58
I didn't know that it
meant be the Christian.
00:23:42.62\00:23:43.99
You know, my mom she
raises up, me and my brother
00:23:44.02\00:23:46.62
were Christian
morals and principles.
00:23:46.65\00:23:48.02
I remember Sunday school
bus used to come to the hood
00:23:48.06\00:23:49.66
and pick me and my brother.
00:23:49.69\00:23:51.03
Okay.
00:23:51.06\00:23:52.39
But it wasn't nothing in that,
she wasn't dogmatic about it.
00:23:52.43\00:23:54.10
Yeah. Okay. You know.
00:23:54.13\00:23:55.63
And I wasn't real
serious about God.
00:23:55.66\00:23:57.63
Just figured as along as
I'm a good person, I'm good.
00:23:57.67\00:23:59.00
Yeah. You're right. Okay.
00:23:59.03\00:24:00.37
I'm not out
trying to kill anybody.
00:24:00.40\00:24:03.47
And so I began to, "Oh, my dad."
00:24:03.51\00:24:06.57
Yeah, so I'll be just going back
00:24:06.61\00:24:08.11
what I said about my girl friend
00:24:08.14\00:24:09.98
at couple years
prior they tried to get me
00:24:10.01\00:24:11.61
into the studying the Bible.
00:24:11.65\00:24:13.65
I couldn't get
into it, I opened it up,
00:24:13.68\00:24:15.02
just fasten open
up, I close and said,
00:24:15.05\00:24:16.38
"I can't do, I can't do this."
00:24:16.42\00:24:17.75
Put away the planner
00:24:17.79\00:24:19.12
and said, "I'm just not
in to, I can't understand."
00:24:19.15\00:24:20.49
Okay. You know.
00:24:20.52\00:24:21.86
But God didn't
stop then He said,
00:24:21.89\00:24:23.22
"Let's try it again."
00:24:23.26\00:24:24.59
Couple of years later
He came back with my dad.
00:24:24.63\00:24:25.96
Okay.
00:24:25.99\00:24:27.33
And my dad say, "You
need to study the Bible,
00:24:27.36\00:24:28.70
with the Holy
Spirit and hindsight I see
00:24:28.73\00:24:30.10
what the Holy
Spirit get through him.
00:24:30.13\00:24:31.63
And so I couldn't shake that
voice man, I couldn't shake it.
00:24:31.67\00:24:34.24
"You study the Bible,
you're on your physical routine
00:24:34.27\00:24:36.67
and you don't really
have a purpose in life.
00:24:36.71\00:24:38.67
Well, what is your
purpose in the life?"
00:24:38.71\00:24:40.04
And that's the
thing that hit me out.
00:24:40.08\00:24:41.41
What is my purpose, I'm
like, what is my purpose
00:24:41.44\00:24:43.24
filled is like, you know?
00:24:43.28\00:24:44.91
And I just, I want to understand
00:24:44.95\00:24:46.38
why am I here and
who better to turn to.
00:24:46.41\00:24:48.78
I believe that there is
a God, who better to turn
00:24:48.82\00:24:50.45
to one I believe
created all things
00:24:50.49\00:24:51.95
called me to existence.
00:24:51.99\00:24:53.32
So if you're real, I couldn't
even testify God was even real.
00:24:53.36\00:24:55.42
I believe he was real
but I had no experience
00:24:55.46\00:24:56.86
to express of His reality.
00:24:56.89\00:25:00.73
So I began to study that
night, it was a Saturday night
00:25:00.76\00:25:05.80
and that Sunday
morning I said, "Okay.
00:25:05.83\00:25:07.80
I'll give you a
half hour everyday."
00:25:07.84\00:25:09.17
Okay.
00:25:09.20\00:25:10.54
I'm gonna give
half hour everyday God
00:25:10.57\00:25:11.91
and I'm gonna start
00:25:11.94\00:25:13.27
and we'll see where it is going.
00:25:13.31\00:25:14.64
Half hour and I
was on a clock to.
00:25:14.68\00:25:16.01
I get up in the beginning,
00:25:16.04\00:25:17.38
God, I started
studying Genesis 1:1
00:25:17.41\00:25:18.75
and from there I've
been studying ever since.
00:25:18.78\00:25:20.12
I haven't missed
a day ever since.
00:25:20.15\00:25:21.48
Great. And so May of 2006.
00:25:21.52\00:25:22.85
So I got up and started reading,
00:25:22.88\00:25:24.22
started
reading, started reading.
00:25:24.25\00:25:25.59
And I'm getting
into that Adventists
00:25:25.62\00:25:26.96
when I got transition
00:25:26.99\00:25:28.32
but God brought me
to the Bible first.
00:25:28.36\00:25:29.69
Yeah. Yeah.
00:25:29.72\00:25:31.06
And so I began to read
and just learn of Him, read
00:25:31.09\00:25:33.09
and at certain
point I don't know
00:25:33.13\00:25:34.83
when it hit and triggered,
it became the living word.
00:25:34.86\00:25:37.03
Okay.
00:25:37.07\00:25:38.40
It became the living word
and at certain point that word
00:25:38.43\00:25:40.54
is more than just
acorn paper to me.
00:25:40.57\00:25:41.90
Yeah. It became the living word.
00:25:41.94\00:25:43.67
I don't know
what it is. Oh, yeah.
00:25:43.71\00:25:45.04
I started wrestling, wow,
00:25:45.07\00:25:46.78
and it just
started with just reading.
00:25:46.81\00:25:48.14
I was on a clock half hour
I'm done, half hour I'm done.
00:25:48.18\00:25:50.48
And so, you know,
and I began to study
00:25:50.51\00:25:53.92
and then I learned
about the state of the dead.
00:25:53.95\00:25:56.62
Okay. Is what brought me in.
00:25:56.65\00:25:57.99
I learned about
the state of dead
00:25:58.02\00:25:59.35
and watching Doug Batchelor,
00:25:59.39\00:26:00.72
I call him a
burning bush experience.
00:26:00.76\00:26:02.22
And I watch Doug
Batchelor he was on BET.
00:26:02.26\00:26:03.89
I call him on
burning bush experience,
00:26:03.93\00:26:05.26
I was flipping through BET,
00:26:05.29\00:26:06.63
Black Entertainment
Television channel.
00:26:06.66\00:26:08.56
And I was flipping through
and I saw the Doug Batchelor
00:26:08.60\00:26:10.60
and he was talking
about state of the dead,
00:26:10.63\00:26:12.63
and that brought me in,
that really got my attention.
00:26:12.67\00:26:14.67
He said the dead
don't go straight to heaven.
00:26:14.70\00:26:16.44
And then he broke it down
00:26:16.47\00:26:17.81
and showed it
from scriptures John 5
00:26:17.84\00:26:19.17
where you hear my
voice come from the grave,
00:26:19.21\00:26:20.71
they'll come from the grave.
00:26:20.74\00:26:22.08
"Oh, when you die
you go to the grave."
00:26:22.11\00:26:23.58
That makes sense when Christ
is coming back to resurrect us.
00:26:23.61\00:26:25.81
Then the Sabbath
truth I learned about.
00:26:25.85\00:26:27.55
You know, through
the course of my study
00:26:27.58\00:26:28.95
and then came...
00:26:28.98\00:26:31.75
I thought
Sabbath was Sunday. Okay.
00:26:31.79\00:26:34.12
But I learned that it was
the seventh day of the week.
00:26:34.16\00:26:35.89
I'm just doing my biblical study
00:26:35.92\00:26:37.73
and talking to
people and research online.
00:26:37.76\00:26:39.76
And then my mom said that
00:26:39.79\00:26:42.26
the Seventh-day
Adventists keep the Sabbath.
00:26:42.30\00:26:43.63
Okay.
00:26:43.67\00:26:45.00
And so I began to look
into the Seventh-day Adventists.
00:26:45.03\00:26:46.77
And everything checked out.
00:26:46.80\00:26:48.30
I never heard them before. Okay.
00:26:48.34\00:26:49.67
I said, "What is this
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:26:49.70\00:26:51.04
Can you spell
it?" Sound like occult.
00:26:51.07\00:26:52.41
Yeah.
00:26:52.44\00:26:53.78
You know, so I
started looking into it
00:26:53.81\00:26:55.14
and I said, "Man, everything
00:26:55.18\00:26:56.51
that they
believe and checked out."
00:26:56.54\00:26:57.88
And then I found a
local church and I joined.
00:26:57.91\00:27:00.72
Okay. Praise the
Lord. Praise the Lord.
00:27:00.75\00:27:02.22
So you got into the
Seventh-day Adventist church
00:27:02.25\00:27:04.09
and now you're
actually a theology major
00:27:04.12\00:27:06.12
at Oakwood University.
00:27:06.15\00:27:08.09
Yes, yes, yes.
Which is a great blessing.
00:27:08.12\00:27:10.59
What I want you to do
00:27:10.63\00:27:11.96
for these last
couple of seconds.
00:27:11.99\00:27:13.36
I want you to
look into the camera
00:27:13.40\00:27:15.36
and I want you to
appeal to the young people
00:27:15.40\00:27:17.13
that have been in or
have been in your situation
00:27:17.17\00:27:20.87
and need that hope,
that encouraging words.
00:27:20.90\00:27:22.80
Speak to them.
00:27:22.84\00:27:24.17
Well, what I would say to
all my young people out there
00:27:24.21\00:27:26.47
the Lord has inspected in,
00:27:26.51\00:27:28.31
Jeremiah 29:11 He has
inspected in for us all.
00:27:28.34\00:27:31.68
And the younger you are,
00:27:31.71\00:27:33.05
when you
surrender you heart to God,
00:27:33.08\00:27:34.42
your staying
power is much greater.
00:27:34.45\00:27:36.15
Your staying
power is much greater
00:27:36.18\00:27:37.59
because when
that concrete sets in,
00:27:37.62\00:27:38.95
it's hard to break it up.
00:27:38.99\00:27:40.39
You know, many
older folk can tell you
00:27:40.42\00:27:42.06
and testify who've
been out there in the world
00:27:42.09\00:27:44.16
for so many years
00:27:44.19\00:27:46.29
and then they want to
give their heart to God,
00:27:46.33\00:27:47.66
or when they getting to old age.
00:27:47.70\00:27:49.03
You pick up so many
habits out there in the world.
00:27:49.06\00:27:50.40
It's hard to break when you
want to get serious about God.
00:27:50.43\00:27:52.77
And so I'll say
surrender your heart.
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The Bible says,
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"It's good for the
youth to bear the yoke,
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to bear a yoke
when they are young."
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And I would say just
surrender your heart to God
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and allow God to
have His way with you.
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And He we will work through you
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and you will fulfill
your divine purpose in God.
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Thank you, Michael,
for being on the program.
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Thank you, viewers,
00:28:10.25\00:28:11.59
for tuning into the New Journey.
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Be sure to tune in next time.
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