Participants: Yvonne Lewis (Host), David Butler
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR000050
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00:01 If there were ever an example of a life transformed
00:03 by the power of God, our guest is it... 00:05 stay tuned to meet him and find out how God took him 00:08 from gangs to glory. My name is Yvonne Lewis 00:11 and you're watching Urban Report 00:35 Hello and welcome to Urban Report 00:38 My guest today is David Butler 00:41 former gang member and ex-offender. 00:43 Welcome to Urban Report David... 00:46 I am so glad to have you here. I have read and heard your 00:52 testimony and it is so powerful, and I feel like... 00:56 our viewers really need to know what God has done in your life. 01:01 So let's talk a little bit about where you come from 01:03 and how you grew up. Where are you from.. originally? 01:06 Well, I was born in Hanford, California. 01:08 Oh... California... OK... OK and did you come from a 01:12 two-parent household or a one-parent household? 01:14 Two-parent... Two-parent household... 01:16 Were your parents strict or how were they? 01:19 My parents... they were... my dad was strict... 01:23 and I was scared of my dad growing up... 01:27 he was strict... he was from Mississippi so he was 01:31 country boy he wouldn't play around with you 01:33 OK... My dad was strict... 01:35 OK... well... go ahead... Well, my mom... 01:38 she was more laid back... you know... 01:40 you know how mothers are... you all are just loving 01:42 Oh, with the nurture.. right... Right... right... 01:45 yeah, yeah, yeah, so your mom 01:48 was nurturing and your dad was strict 01:50 and how many brothers and sisters did you have? 01:51 Well, there were eleven of us, 01:53 six girls and 01:55 I got four other brothers. 01:57 And where were you in the birth order? 01:59 I'm number nine... Number Nine... OK... so you are 02:01 close to the end there Right... 02:03 Close to being the baby... Right, right... 02:05 So were you spoiled? Yes, 'cause you see... my dad... 02:11 he made these kids with two different women... 02:12 OK... So my mom only had four... 02:14 I'm the only boy and the rest are girls... so... 02:17 I was her only son... so... you know, I was spoiled... 02:20 Mothers and sons... there's a special deal 02:22 with mothers and sons... Yeah... yeah... 02:26 So, did you grow up in the inner city 02:29 or where you in the suburbs, what kind of socio-economic 02:33 level were you... It was both... 02:35 'cause my dad was in dry-wall, so... he was always in the city, 02:41 or we might be in a suburb.. so.. it was a mixture of both... 02:47 One minute we might be in LA, next minute... we might be in 02:52 Indio, California... So you moved around a lot... 02:55 Oh... we moved around.. a lot... OK... 02:57 I mean... I went to 14 different schools in 8 different cities 03:03 Wow... in how long a period? From Kindergarten all the way 03:08 to ninth grade... Wow... 03:11 Fourteen different schools, when I was growing up... 03:15 I went to four different High Schools 03:16 and I thought that was bad... but I don't have anything on 14 03:21 that was a lot... so how did that affect you 03:25 moving around a lot... like that how did that affect you? 03:28 Well, when I look back at it now I believe the reason why I... 03:35 I am a people person... I can go up to anybody 03:39 don't have to know them to talk to them 03:41 Hmmm... hmmmm... and I say that because 03:43 we moved around a lot... because I always had to meet people 03:46 always had to get new friends. Yes... 03:48 I truly believe that if I had stayed in one spot... 03:51 that would have made me... you know, I select myself 03:55 to other people... so that's really made me talk 03:58 you know... So, at what point did you start 04:03 getting involved in anti-social behavior? 04:06 At what point did you start going off to a... 04:10 I won't say to the left but.. going off and being bad... 04:14 I'd say... by the time I turned thirteen... 04:18 OK... When I turned thirteen, 04:19 it's like... manhood has hit me. How? 04:22 You know... I turned 13 and... when I turned 13 04:26 I said to myself No more whippings... 04:29 no more nothing... and nobody is going to 04:31 put their hands on me... without struggle... 04:34 without a fight... and it came from the music 04:37 I was listening to... 'cause... at that time, 04:40 a certain Rap group came out, and once I heard it... 04:46 and how they were living this gangster life... selling dope 04:50 and fights and all this... 04:51 I was stuck... 04:52 you know at least back in the day... 04:54 I had a Jheri Curl... so I had an LA Raiders hat on 04:58 and a fake gold chain on... and that was it... 05:02 you know... it really changed my life... 05:04 it took me down that direction. You know, David, 05:09 that's a great point, because so many people 05:11 don't understand the power of music, 05:13 and the power that it has 05:16 to change your mind-set 05:18 you know... just like... when we listen to music 05:21 about the Lord... it can change our mind-set 05:24 and direct our hearts toward Him so can music about anger 05:28 and violence and selling drugs... 05:30 that can change our mind-sets and turn our hearts 05:33 toward the enemy... Right... 05:35 And so, you're telling us that when you were 13 05:38 that's when, you started really listening to that music 05:41 and that's when your values began to change... 05:44 Oh yes... there were three different artists 05:47 that I listened to... that totally changed... 05:49 one... put down women... you know.. treating them real... 05:57 I mean... the way that you shouldn't treat a woman 05:59 so I listened to that... my whole attitude was 06:03 OK.. I'll tend to be a player... and do different things 06:06 like that... the other group... 06:08 they were like Pro-Black, you know, 06:11 so now... it made me have a more prideful self about being Black 06:16 and like... 06:17 I got along with everybody 06:21 but this made me 06:22 be more proud of myself in a negative way, 06:24 than in a positive way... Hmmmm... hmmmm... 06:26 and the other was, of course, that gangsta lifestyle, 06:28 I mean that totally changed me you know, 06:31 I wouldn't even play with my sisters anymore... 06:34 I got violent with them, you know, it really changed me. 06:37 Hmmmm... hmmm... ... you know... 06:38 How much time were you spending 06:40 listening to this music every day? 06:42 Oh.. every day.. all the time... Throughout the day... 06:46 Yeah, throughout the day, even when my mom... 06:48 'cause one side was called "Street Side" 06:50 and the other side was "Radio Side" 06:53 so the Radio Side... I had a cousin on that side... 06:55 so my mom... would allow me to play in the car with her 06:58 you know, as long as I listened to that side... 07:00 so this was... it really took over... 07:05 so at thirteen... that's when everything shifted.. 07:09 When did you start selling drugs? 07:11 At fifteen... OK... 07:13 At fifteen... 'cause you see, I had a dad.. so he taught me... 07:17 my dad was in dry-wall construction, 07:18 so that's why we moved around a lot, 07:20 so he taught me a trade... he taught me how to, you know, 07:24 be a man and work and stuff like that 07:26 So, when I turned 15... I joined this gang... 07:31 I always was hard-headed... you know, you can't tell me 07:36 about what you've been through, I got to learn for myself... 07:38 that was my attitude about it, so I joined this gang... 07:41 and at fifteen and after that... I just... 07:44 See... I always had my own money because I did dry-wall 07:46 so I didn't have to... like my friends... 07:50 they might get a front from the drug dealer... 07:52 I just went and bought it myself I didn't have to go through 07:56 I worked for myself... I didn't have to 07:58 do it like they did it... So, you were working at 15... 08:01 Oh yeah... I've been working since I was 12 years old... 08:04 Wow... I had my first Bank account 08:06 at 12 years old... Wow... 08:08 I was making $200 a week... At 12? 08:11 At 12... I didn't know what to do with it 08:12 so my mom said, "Put it in the Bank" 08:14 so she had to sign with me... but I had my own Bank account... 08:16 and it was kind of messed up because 08:18 if I asked her to buy me something 08:19 she said... "No" and I said... 08:20 "It doesn't matter 08:21 I got my own money. " 08:22 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah... I'll go... I'll buy it... 08:25 So.. let's... 'cause a lot of... including myself 08:29 a lot of our viewers don't really know 08:32 what the process is... with getting in a gang... 08:35 Like how... did somebody approach you? 08:37 Did you approached them? How did you get in the gang? 08:40 Well, I was approached by two different gangs... 08:44 The Vice Lords and the Gangster Disciples 08:47 So... for a whole week... the Vice Lords 08:50 they're trying to get me to join them... 08:53 How... When I'm with them... 08:55 hanging with them... and they're showing me their literature 08:57 now they are not supposed to show you the literature 08:58 because every gang got... like how the Bible got rules... 09:02 you know... God... They have written out guidelines 09:04 They got written out... a book written out 09:07 by-laws of how you got to do... 09:09 I did not know that... You know... 09:11 It was kind of organized... Oh yeah... it's organized... 09:14 it's organized... they got by-laws of rules that 09:19 you got to memorize and know... 09:20 you go to the meeting... you got to stand a certain way 09:23 at this meeting... and present these rules and 09:27 guidelines to it... and then... if... it's so organized 09:31 that if you messed up on something... 09:33 say you do something that goes against the gang 09:35 you get a violation you call it a violation 09:37 and you can get beaten up... you can get... 09:40 there... somebody will grab you and somebody'll just.. 09:42 you know for how many different minutes... 09:44 for however long it may be... so you got different stuff... so 09:47 it's really organized... Wow... so... you were hanging 09:52 with these two different groups and they were kind of wooing you 09:58 trying to get you to join them. Right... right... right. 10:00 Do both groups have the written out... 10:02 Yes... yes... they both got it... 10:04 they call it, you know, Literature... 10:05 it's called Lit... so... 10:06 So... I was with them... and then... my friend that was 10:09 already in G D and so I was hanging with him... 10:12 I was already going to side with being with "Folks"... 10:16 instead of being with the Vice Lords... 10:17 What's "Folks"? Well, that's just another name 10:20 you call it GD... Okay... 10:22 and Gangster Disciple 10:24 or another name is called Folks. OK... 10:26 Or you may hear me saying 7/4... 10:28 if you think about the alphabet, the 7th letter is a "G" 10:32 the fourth letter is a "D" so, if you hear somebody say 10:36 seven four... they're saying GD 10:38 I see... So they're saying what they are. 10:40 So... I sided with the Gangster Disciples.. you know... 10:44 So... So now, was the other gang angry 10:47 that you joined... Yeah... they were mad... 10:49 And would that be enough to make them want to 10:51 beat you up... or kill you... or anything like that? 10:53 Yeah... I mean... yeah... they could try... you know... 10:55 I mean... yeah... yeah... So... excuse my naieve... 11:00 but... I got to ask you this... because a lot of people... 11:03 like me... they don't know how this works... 11:05 So... it's almost any reason... you could get wiped out... 11:12 just like that... Oh yeah... any reason... 11:14 it's so funny... it's like... once you are part of the gang... 11:20 you hate whatever the gang hates... 11:22 Oh... Instantly... 11:24 you know... you never met this person... 11:26 you don't know these people... if you aren't GD... 11:29 I hate you... and if I see you... 11:32 it's on... you don't even know... 11:34 whether you're a man or a woman, you know... it's crazy... 11:37 when I look back now... that was just dumb... 11:39 Thank God that He... you know.. He watched over us... 11:41 and protected us... that's just... 11:42 Yeah... It's just dumb... 11:44 it's even worse... now... but that's how it is... you know 11:47 Yeah... yeah... so you joined the gang... 11:50 and what happened... once you joined that gang... 11:54 what does that mean... as far as... 11:56 who you are... is concerned? 11:58 Well, you know, basically I got someone 12:03 that can ride with me... 12:04 no matter what I get into... no matter what happens... 12:07 I got a group going to ride with me... 12:09 they aren't going to come and ask me "What you did?" 12:11 you know... how your parents... "What you did to deserve this?" 12:14 No... they're going to say... "What.. come on... let's go... " 12:16 So you have protection... Hmmm... hmmmm... 12:18 You have protection and then you have... 12:20 is it like you're looking for somebody to care? 12:24 Like they really care about you, like a family? 12:26 No... because I always... I came from a big family... 12:29 and I was spoiled... so I always had that... you know 12:32 So it wasn't about that? Hmm... hmmm... 12:34 it wasn't about that... it wasn't about money... 12:37 because my dad always had money so... truthfully... 12:40 I don't know what... When I really look back... 12:43 it's something that I had... I was hard-headed, 12:46 I got to find out for myself... 12:47 You know... 'cause you could tell me 12:49 not to do something... I'm like... "Why not?" 12:51 Then I ask the question... "Have you ever done it?" 12:53 and they tell me "No" and I say, "Wait... then... 12:55 you can't tell me that... " 12:56 because you haven't experienced it so what you know about it? 12:59 you know... so I had to figure it out myself... 13:02 Not realizing that it could have taken you out... 13:05 Right... ... forever... 13:06 and you wouldn't even 13:07 be here today... That's why... I'm glad the Lord 13:10 didn't let me die... Yes... yes... praise God... 13:13 So tell us some of the things that happened to you 13:15 while you were in the gangs... OK... 13:17 Gang life... there's... you know violence... fighting... 13:23 shoot-outs... got into a couple of shoot-outs 13:27 you know... even... Were you shot? 13:29 No... never been shot... Wow... 13:32 Praise the Lord... you know... never been shot... 13:33 almost... because I got in one shoot-out 13:35 with this gang called "Lion Kings" 13:38 and as I was in the car 13:42 we were at the Stop Light... we're in the car... 13:45 and they surrounded the car... throwing bottles... 13:48 and two of them had a gun on each side... 13:51 Now... the man on my side... 13:54 he was no farther than maybe three arm reach... 13:59 and I see him... I see the gun... 14:01 at his waist... he's trying to pull it out... 14:03 now... if you got a gun on your waist... 14:05 it's easy to pull it out... Right... 14:07 ...when I think back now... it's easy... 14:09 Right... I truly believe 14:11 that God sent an angel... because I'm seeing... 14:13 he got his hands on the handle he couldn't get it out... 14:15 Wow... I know God sent the angel 14:17 to keep it... because I'm like... 14:18 "Why isn't he shooting?" But this dude had his out 14:21 on this side... and he just started shooting... 14:23 But did he shoot the other guy that was in the car with you? 14:26 No... because I'm saying.. "Hey man" from the bus... 14:28 get down... and my friend is saying... 14:30 "Man he ain't gonna do... " and they started... 14:31 he started letting loose... so... nobody got hit... 14:36 and we left that scene... because earlier that day... 14:40 all day long... I was on the mission 14:42 to kill one of them... so I had my gun with me 14:44 earlier that day... and I was looking for them 14:47 I'm talking about... since 8 o'clock in the morning 14:49 till 3:00 o'clock... p. m... all day long... 14:52 and we passed... what had happened at was... 14:55 where they live at... so, all day long... 14:58 I was looking for these people, I got tired... put my gun up... 15:02 went to the liquor store... we listened to Tupac... 15:05 music again... we listened to Tupac... 15:07 and drinking... Hmmmm... hmmmmm... 15:09 So, passed the house... now, they're outside... 15:13 so I couldn't believe it... now, it's like 20 of them outside 15:16 so I'm all like... "Where you all was at all day?" 15:19 Wow... But you were looking for one person or... 15:23 No... I was after the bosses... as many as I could... no... 15:25 I was going to kill them... And if you went down in the 15:27 process... or... well? Like where is that concern 15:32 for your life? Like... where is that? 15:34 It's not there... 'cause my dad asked me... 15:37 I was 18 years old... 18... and my dad asked me... 15:41 How long do you want to live? and my dumb self at that time 15:46 said... "21 is a good old age to die" 15:51 A good old age to die... at 21... that's... 15:55 I'm 39 now... Praise the Lord... 15:57 ...that's stupid... I'm like... 16:00 I'm like Lord... because different stuff like, 16:03 one day I was at the park... 16:04 Yeah... ... And another gang... 16:05 The Stones... they were at the park... having a meeting 16:09 We... we... that made us mad... so... it was summer time... 16:12 see that's the... Satan loves summer time... 16:15 OK... Because summer time... 16:17 everybody is out... and it's nothing but a lot of killings... 16:21 you know... Yeah... 16:22 I mean... for no reason at all, just... killings... 16:24 I went to the house... I saw them having a meeting 16:27 we all broke up... went to the house to get my gun 16:30 so... I'm going to the house... my gun is under the couch... 16:34 my dad is sitting on the couch, I grabbed the gun... 16:37 He said, "What are you doing?" I said... well... I told him... 16:39 so he tried to talk me out... you know... talked to me... 16:42 this and that... we talked for a minute... 16:44 and I'm like, "Man... it don't matter" 16:45 and so that's when he asked me how long I wanted to live... 16:47 After I told him that... my dad went out 16:49 and put a big life insurance policy on me... 16:53 'cause he just figured... I'm not going to cash in 16:57 on my son because I already know because my other brothers 17:00 they've been in and out of prison, 17:01 their whole lives 17:03 I got a brother now... in his 50s... 17:05 still in prison... 17:06 I got a brother now... he's been in prison 17:08 since he was 18 and he's like 50 something too 17:12 he's still in prison... you know... 17:14 Yes... yeah... yeah... yeah... So it's like... it's crazy... 17:17 It is... it's such a web... that Satan, 17:22 you know... Satan weaves this web and we talk about it on 17:26 Urban Report all the time... there's God's plan 17:28 and then there's Satan's plan... Satan's plan... is to destroy... 17:32 and he'll give you the illusion of wealth... and stuff... 17:39 and sex... and anything... drugs... 17:43 anything that you might want and then you're just 17:45 sucked down into this... like the tub... 17:48 like the drain in the tub... 17:49 It's just like... as you see in the movie stars... right? 17:53 and the music stars... and the actor stars... 17:56 and all these stars... but in the hood... 17:59 you got ghetto stars... and I used to be a ghetto star 18:02 everybody knows you everybody wants a piece of you 18:06 you know what I mean... Yes... 18:07 everybody wants to hang around you... 18:09 everybody offers you all kinds of stuff... 18:11 so... you get addicted to that you know... you want that 18:14 no matter what you do... It's like celebrity... 18:16 Yeah... yes... Like being a celebrity... 18:18 people know you... they're drawn to you... 18:20 Right... right... .. and I had... I was talking to 18:23 a young man that is a gang member now 18:25 and he said... "Everywhere I go.. they know me" 18:28 they know me... like... "I'm the man" 18:32 and it's like... OK... but you put your life 18:35 on the line for that? Yeah... that's... 18:39 'cause it's like... they knew 18:41 how I act... now I've been skinny and little all my life... 18:44 but they knew... 18:48 not to mess with me... 18:49 you know what I mean... like if I got... 18:52 I'm going to have to kill him, 'cause he ain't going to go... 18:55 you know... he ain't going to stop... 18:57 he ain't going to go... so if I mess with him... 18:58 I got to kill this man... and I kept pistols on me 19:01 my dad... I grew up and my dad 19:03 always had guns... you know... so... 19:06 I always loved pistols... and like New Year's Eve 19:09 I used to take all the pistols put it in the car 19:12 just go to the Projects... or in the streets 19:15 there's shooting... and I tell you something... 19:18 it's dumb... I'm not proud of it but I'm in front of my dad's house 19:23 I got one of my dad's rifles... I got it loaded... 19:27 and... like a block away... maybe two blocks away 19:30 I see a man... just got out of his car... 19:32 standing at his car... right... 19:34 hmmmm... hmmmm... probably just got off work... 19:37 and my dumb self... standing outside 19:40 in front of my house started shooting at the man 19:45 I'm just "pow" "pow" "pow" you know... 19:48 and I know... he didn't fall but I know... 19:51 the Lord had just sent His angels to do whatever 19:54 with those bullets Yes... 19:55 you know... so it's like 19:57 you know... you get stuck on... we really didn't care 20:00 about what we're doing... 20:02 Yes... yes... you know at that time... 20:04 So how did God... get His hands on you... 20:07 what did He do... because our God is so awesome... 20:10 What did He do? 20:11 Oh... OK... so in 1997... got in a car accident 20:17 broke my neck... so after going through that 20:23 that sent me to the Church... so... went to the Church 20:28 started serving the Lord... 20:31 but the streets were still 20:33 holding on to me... so I went back into the streets 20:36 and I say it that way because I didn't have the truth... 20:43 Hmmmm... ... and I know now... 20:46 the only thing that can hold you is the truth... 20:49 you know... lies can't hold you. Right... 20:51 So now... it's like 2007... 20:56 can't get a job... 20:59 can't use my trade... 21:01 tried to sell dope... can't even do that... 21:04 can't do nothing... so.. I... nothing worked for me 21:07 a friend of mine... that lived in Marion, Illinois 21:10 called me to come do a job with him... 21:12 I come down and do the job with him... 21:14 What kind of job? Dry-wall job 21:15 Oh Ok... 21:16 So I went to the house with him 21:18 and I'm staying with his parents 21:21 I did the house... maybe $1,600 21:24 I bought a truck for $950, the rest of the money 21:26 I just drank it away... ate and drank... 21:29 so I'm down to my last $50 so now I'm all like... OK... 21:32 What am I going to do? I don't want to sell drugs... 21:36 I'm not going to do that... I got an idea... 21:39 I can start collecting cans... so I figure... I got a truck.. 21:42 I'll wait at night... go through the garbage at night 21:45 ain't nobody going to see me... I'll start doing that... 21:48 so I'm sitting at the table... I got all these beer cans... 21:50 because I'm drinking while I'm thinking this... 21:52 and something impressed me to go outside to the garbage can 21:55 and check the garbage... outside the trailer... 21:58 but it's like 10:30 at night... so I'm fighting with myself... 22:00 I said.. "No... I'm not feeling good... it's cold out there. " 22:03 So... I'm really having this conversation with myself... 22:06 Right... right... 22:07 I'm like... I'm not going to do that... 22:08 I said, "Look, I'm not going to do it... " 22:10 that's it... I went to sleep... woke up in the morning 22:13 got up at 7:00... put on my Rap music again 22:15 cracked a beer open... started drinking... 22:18 At 7:00 a. m. 7:00 a. m. 22:20 the family I was staying with... they're all off to work 22:23 said "Bye" to them... I said... "Let me check this garbage" 22:26 I checked the garbage... and go to get the cans... 22:28 but sitting on top of the cans I found... 22:30 at the time... I thought that it was a DVD 22:33 It said, "My Fear 1 and My Fear 2" 22:35 and so now I'm happy... I'm going to watch some killing 22:38 this morning... I'm going to see some violence 22:40 you know... I'm real happy... I mean... I'm yelling... 22:42 I'm so happy... right... I go back in the house 22:45 that's how happy I was... I go back in the house 22:48 I put them down, 22:50 grab another beer... boom... I put it in... 22:53 boom... nothing comes on TV... so... but I start hearing a 22:59 a person speak... so I find out... 23:01 that it was a CD... and it was this man 23:05 from New York... that was Italian... 23:08 that he was in a mob... and he was giving his testimony 23:11 on how he found Jesus Christ... so I'm listening to that 23:14 his life was kind of like mine, and it really touched my heart 23:16 it broke me down... and I started crying... 23:19 and I got on my knees... and repented of everything 23:23 that I could possibly remember you know... 23:25 I mean... I cried for over an hour... I mean... snot... 23:28 I'm huh... huh... huh... on of those... 23:30 Yes... you got convicted... Oh man... it was painful... 23:35 I just felt like I was going to die... 23:36 Like the Lord forgave me right now... 23:38 You know... so... I started going to Church 23:43 with my neighbors... and so I stopped drinking 23:47 stopped cussing... and where I was at... 23:49 the family that I was with... they're good people but 23:51 they're used to having me acting the fool 23:54 I wasn't acting like that... so they had a problem with me 23:57 Hmmmm... So now, I checked myself 23:59 into the Shelter so I was homeless 24:01 for like 3 months... still couldn't find a job 24:04 didn't know what to do... 24:06 But were you holding on to Jesus at this point? 24:09 Yes... yes... So my family is calling me 24:11 and telling me to come where they're at... 24:13 my friends in Chicago are telling me to come 24:14 where they're at... my other family in Mississippi 24:18 is telling me to come where they're at... 24:19 and I'd have been all over the place, 24:21 I never found Jesus in those places... 24:22 never found Him there... I found Him in Marion, Illinois 24:26 it wasn't even Marion, Illinois Yeah... 24:28 It was hard... I was homeless, no money, 24:31 no nothing, I mean, I had some crying nights 24:34 but I just knew... I got to stay here 24:37 I can't go... I know God is everywhere 24:40 Yes... yes... but until I figured that out 24:43 later on... I just knew.. He's right here... 24:45 so I wasn't going to leave... so... I met a young lady 24:49 and I was at her house and... 24:52 we were watching a TV show... and they were saying 24:56 "Don't blame God for nothing no matter what happened 24:58 in your life... " and I said, "Lord" 25:00 talking to myself... I said, "Lord, I believe that... 25:02 whatever happens to me from this point 25:04 I won't blame you... I know it was my decisions... " 25:07 soon as I said that at 10:30 my phone rang... 25:09 and it was a friend I haven't talked to 25:11 in three or four months... he said... 25:12 "You want a job?" His first words were 25:13 "You want a job?" I said, "Yes, I do. " 25:15 He gave me the number of his boss 25:17 I called him.. he gave me a job, so now... I got a job 25:20 Wow... Right, I go back to the Shelter, 25:23 they kicked me out the Shelter.. So now you're really homeless... 25:26 right... so I don't know why... so I went back to 25:28 the young lady's house, stayed over there 25:30 and... after that me and her... got married and... 25:37 Praise the Lord and I love your wife... she's wonderful. 25:41 Then... I started going back to Church with her and then 25:43 in one week... I re-dedicated myself to the Lord 25:47 started going to Church for a while and after that 25:50 on Monday I started reading the Gospels... 25:52 and Jesus started showing me... I saw... 25:54 He just started showing me Himself for the first time... 25:57 about the Sabbath... the Second Coming... 25:59 there's no Rapture... about Hell... 26:02 about The Mark of the Beast... Yes... 26:05 then I accepted all that truth. Praise God... 26:08 We have like one minute left... I can't believe this... 26:12 What would you tell a young man in 30 seconds or less 26:16 what would you tell... look into that camera... 26:18 and tell a young man what to do if he is caught up in a gang 26:21 what should he do... 26:23 The only thing that you can do is to get on your knees 26:27 and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior 26:29 He is your only way out... there's no other way 26:32 not even death... even if you think 26:34 the gang is going to kill me... that's not the way out 26:36 because you got to see Jesus in the judgment 26:39 so there's no other way out but Him... 26:41 and I guarantee... if you repent 26:43 of your sins and ask Him to come into your life 26:45 He will and He will change your life... 26:47 into something new the way He wants... 26:49 Thank you so much... so David... 26:51 where do you go from here... what is your plan... 26:55 what is God doing in your life with your ministry... 26:58 Well, now He opens the door where I can preach and 27:01 I'm a Literature Evangelist now, so my goal is to do whatever 27:05 He wants me to do... you know... 27:07 I lived my life and did my own thing 27:09 and that didn't work... so... whatever He wants me to do 27:12 I'm going to do it.. you know... just take the message... 27:15 Yes... yes... and you are such a tremendous 27:18 example of what God can do... Look at where God brought 27:22 you from... David is such a great example 27:24 of someone who found out that God had a great plan 27:27 for his life... He was on a 27:29 super-destructive path... and look where God has brought him. 27:33 This is the abundant life... if left up to himself... 27:37 David would now be either incarcerated or dead 27:39 but God had a better plan... and God's got a plan for you too 27:44 He wants to give you a better life... 27:46 ask Him to show you... what He wants you to do... 27:50 and watch what happens... David, thank you so much 27:53 for being with us... May God bless you and 27:55 your ministry... in all that you're doing for Him 27:58 Well, that's our program for today... 28:00 thank you so much for tuning in... 28:01 Join us next time... 28:02 It wouldn't be the same... without you. |
Revised 2014-12-23