Stay tuned to meet a man
that has an amazing story
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of redemption to tell.
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You won't want to miss it.
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My name is Yvonne Lewis and
you're watching Urban Report.
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Hello and
welcome to Urban Report.
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My guest today is
Michael Harris: singer, author,
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and speaker. Welcome
to Urban Report, Michael.
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Thank you for
having me here, Yvonne.
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Oh it's great to have
you. Listen to that voice.
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Already you can tell
that this man is a singer.
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I've always enjoyed this
telecast though. Great job.
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Well praise the Lord.
God is really so faithful.
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And you know that - yes,
oh yes - because you know
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where He's brought you from.
I am blessed and highly favored.
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Yes... yes... amen... amen.
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Let's talk about
where God brought you from.
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Well, I was born in
Indianapolis, Indiana,
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but I was raised in Chicago.
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The south side of
Chicago... a place where you
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probably wouldn't want to have
an accident or a flattened tire.
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It was a very gang and
drug-infested community...
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a place where I practically
had to fight my way to and from
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school every single
day. You know, Michael,
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I was watching some documentary
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or some program not too long
a... Oh, it was a program on
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another Christian network
where they were talking about
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this family in Chicago and
how they lost both of their sons
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in the span of like three weeks
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to gangs. Yes, the
death rate is so high
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on the south side of
Chicago. Every weekend
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gang violence.
And I say right now:
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"Stop the violence and
we need to come together.
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Come up with a conclusion
to all this pain and hate. "
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Yes. So many young
black kids and Hispanic kids
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who are just falling by the way-
side because of their decisions
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to be a part of gang activity.
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And a lot of those guys
are not involved in gangs.
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Some of them are just
going to and fro like I was
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trying to do in my life.
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I was constantly
approached by "gangbangers"
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because of my size... my height.
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But thanks be to God, He was
with me every step of the way.
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Yes... amen. You know, the pull
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is so strong on our young men.
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Well, it's all about decisions
so - yes - what... which...
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the Bible says "Choose
you this day" - that's right -
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"who you will
serve. " That's right.
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"Me and my house I
choose to serve God. "
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It's all about
choices. Amen; amen.
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If we make the wrong choices,
we can find ourselves in a very
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bad predicament. I'm so glad
that I decided that I didn't
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want to be a
part of gang activity.
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So how did you avoid that?
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Well, I played
basketball in high school.
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OK. I stayed busy by doing that.
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But even there I had to
come back and forth on the bus.
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I had to travel several
miles from school back to home.
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And I was approached
many many nights just walking
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from the bus stop to my home.
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But I decided I didn't
want to be a part of gangs.
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So I just flat outright didn't
like what they represented,
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the things that they were
doing, and so I made a decision
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after I was...
after I graduated.
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I had several
scholarships, but choices again.
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My grade average wasn't that
great because of the choices
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that I made, and I
started using drugs
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at a young age as well.
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Now let's talk about
that. How did you start?
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How did you fall into that?
Well I started using what I
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call "gateway" drugs. OK.
The cigarettes; the alcohol;
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the marijuana. How old were you?
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I was probably around 12 or 13
years old when I first started
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using marijuana. And I'm not
sure if I used it as a crutch
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because of the turmoil
around me. I'm not sure why.
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I'm not sure if it
was peer pressure, but
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I know that I used drugs
just to make me feel better.
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And actually, I
wasn't feeling better.
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It's like... have you ever seen
a dog chase its tail around -
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yes - in circles? It
was like "grasping the wind"
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as Solomon
says... King Solomon says.
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I couldn't get any satisfaction.
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But I continued to
use drugs, and I must say
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to our young
people today: be smart
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and don't ever start because
drugs can and will kill you.
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You see, our God has a wonder-
ful plan laid out for our lives,
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and if we just
take that opportunity.
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And I wish that would have
listened earlier in my life.
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Yeah. I went through
so much pain and trouble
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because of drugs. But
God was even still with me.
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Even with the choices
that I was making at that time
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God continued to
love me - yes - anyway.
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Isn't that? That is
what's so great about God.
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No matter what we do
His love never falters.
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Never fails. We walk
away from Him - exactly.
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He never walks away from us.
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He's constantly beckoning
us to come to Him. Yes! Yes.
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And what you said just
a few minutes ago about
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God having a plan...
we always talk about that
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on this program. Yes. God
has a plan for each person.
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Every person has a specific
plan for their lives that God
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wants to give them...
the abundant life - yes -
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but choices make a difference.
You know, I have several nephews
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who are incarcerated today.
And I am constantly writing them
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letters and I send
them money occasionally.
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But I tell them the
story about two wolves.
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There's an Indian chief that
was telling his grandson a story
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about two wolves. One wolf
represented the fruits of the
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Holy Spirit...
you know: peace, love.
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And the other wolf represented
the evil of the principalities
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of this world. And they
fought and they tussled.
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And the grandchild
finally said: "Grandpa, which...
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which wolf won? "
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He says: "The
wolf that you feed. "
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Oohh... And we must
concentrate, be very careful
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of what we allow in our
minds. Careful where we walk,
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where we go. We must constantly
listen for the voice of the
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Holy Spirit to
lead us, to direct us.
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I have a couple nephews
who are incarcerated because of
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drugs on the south
side. They thought that they
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were going to
take the easy way out -
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um-hmm - and make
all kinds of money.
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I never saw them drive a limo
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or I never saw them
living in a house on a hill.
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They're constantly
in and out of jail.
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And I encourage our young
people: don't turn to drugs.
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Absolutely. That's part
of the devil's trap. Um-hmm.
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So he sets up this
illusion - yes - of wealth
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and everything is great.
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If you're a guy...
"I'd rather do this
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than to work at McDonalds and
make $4 an hour or whatever. "
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Until they're locked up.
Exactly. And then they'll:
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"Why did I? Why
did I go for this? "
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Yes. "Why did I choose this? "
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Those drug dealers who
claim that they love them?
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Where are they once
they're incarcerated?
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They don't come and make
sure that they're visiting them
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at the penitentiaries
that they are going to. Um-hmm.
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They go and they find
another kid to take prey on.
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So I encourage our young
people: drugs is not the answer.
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Selling drugs is not the answer.
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Using drugs is not the answer.
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The only solution
is Jesus. That's right.
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And unfortunately,
many times you can't...
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you can say that - um-hmm
- but the person won't get it
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until they hit rock bottom
- yes - and then they realize
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"Man, I have made the
wrong decisions here. "
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Where else can they
go? It's at that point
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that they realize: "Man, I
need something different. "
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Tell us what happened to
you. Did you hit rock bottom?
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Well I hit rock bottom, yes.
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One day I looked in the mirror -
now this was after several years
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of using drugs, of course.
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Now first of
all, I left Chicago -
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OK - by way of the
United States Navy.
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And when I was in the Navy
all I did was play basketball.
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OK, OK. What I was
supposed to do in college.
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No drugs. No drugs. No no
no no, I was still using drugs.
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Oh! I was still
using these gateway drugs.
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I wasn't into the
heavier drugs like the cocaine.
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So they don't test Navy? Well,
when I was in, no they didn't.
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They didn't start
testing until after I got out.
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OK. Back in the Vietnam times...
It was mostly guys that were
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high on drugs in
the Vietnam era. Yeah.
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But I used these drugs
throughout the military.
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But one day I looked
in the mirror at myself
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and I finally saw
what I had become.
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And I was tired of breaking
the heart of people who I loved
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the most. Yes. I was
just tired of being tired
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of outright being tired.
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And I cried out: "Dear
God, what have I done to myself?
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I've tried to stop using
drugs so many times in my own
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finite strength, but I
just can't seem to do it.
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I need Your divine
power to come into my life. "
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At that point, you were
beyond the gateway drugs.
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Oh yes. By that time I
graduated from the marijuana
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and a couple of
glasses of wine and beer
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to smoking crack
cocaine and snorting cocaine,
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and finally I began to
intravenously use cocaine.
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So had you lost the weight
that often goes with that?
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You were just looking
really gaunt and sick?
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Or were you? No, no.
Actually I thought that I was
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in control. In fact, I felt
like I was in total control.
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But yet I was
totally out of control.
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And these are the lies
that the enemy will tell you.
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That's right.
"You're in total control. "
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I didn't start
actually looking at myself
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until my body
started to fall apart.
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And I started to hear things
and I became schizophrenic
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and paranoid.
Anything that moved in the room
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I saw it move. Even if didn't
move, I thought that it moved.
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Yeah. I began
to become paranoid.
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I thought that
everyone was against me.
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I started hearing
voices. I was chasing around.
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Like I said, that dog chasing
his tail around in circles.
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And finally I looked at myself
and I saw for the first time
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what I had become. I saw
something looking back at me
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from the reflection in that
glass that I didn't care for.
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I began to reflect on
all the time that I wasted.
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All the scholarships that
I passed on because I was...
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the drugs were leading
me away from the classrooms
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as opposed to
into the classrooms.
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So many missed opportunities
and relationships that were
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and broken hearts that I
just got tired of being tired.
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Yes, yes. So let's go back
a little bit before the armed
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services. Tell us where
you hit your lowest point.
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Where were you at that point?
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You know, I had
several low points in my life.
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Even still today I have low
points, because the enemy is
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constantly... Every morning that
we wake up we have to expect
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an attack by the enemy. That's
true. God has given me wisdom
00:10:21.61\00:10:24.91
in my old age to know
that I must seek His face
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in order to
combat all those attacks.
00:10:29.21\00:10:31.33
But one of the down plays of
my life that stands out the most
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I guess - this is prior
to me going into the military
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of course. I was
around 11 or 12 years old
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and we didn't have
a father in our home.
00:10:41.01\00:10:44.05
But I had a strong
black woman as a mother.
00:10:44.35\00:10:47.76
She raised my 7
sisters and my brother and I.
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She didn't "take
no stuff" either.
00:10:50.58\00:10:52.78
When she said
something you had to do it -
00:10:53.19\00:10:54.72
all right - otherwise
you were in big trouble.
00:10:54.93\00:10:56.16
All right. But I didn't
have a father in my life
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at that time. My mother
was my mother and my father.
00:10:59.25\00:11:02.63
But she made an announcement
we were going to go visit
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with Mr. Harris. And I always
wondered why they had separated
00:11:06.27\00:11:09.87
you know. And I was born in
Indianapolis as I said earlier.
00:11:09.98\00:11:13.43
So we had to travel back
from Chicago to Indianapolis
00:11:13.73\00:11:16.32
to visit with him. And as
we were going down the highway
00:11:16.42\00:11:19.77
in my mind I began to
wonder what would we talk about.
00:11:19.97\00:11:22.11
Would he play
basketball with me?
00:11:22.31\00:11:23.82
These are the questions that
were roaming around in my brain.
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Did you know who Mr. Harris was?
00:11:26.33\00:11:28.28
No, I had never met him. OK.
At least I didn't remember him.
00:11:28.48\00:11:31.74
I didn't remember. So when
she said you were going to meet
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Mr. Harris did she
tell you who he was to you?
00:11:34.62\00:11:37.75
No, she just says
"We're going to visit dad. "
00:11:37.95\00:11:40.04
Oh, OK. So then
you started wondering
00:11:40.34\00:11:42.87
what you were going to
do when you visited dad.
00:11:43.07\00:11:45.43
What would we talk
about? I was really excited
00:11:45.53\00:11:47.02
because I was in desperate
need of a father you know.
00:11:47.22\00:11:49.14
Of course. When my
mother took us from Indianapolis
00:11:49.17\00:11:52.13
and dropped us right smack
dab in the middle of gangbangers
00:11:52.33\00:11:54.76
and drug dealers...
But today as I look back
00:11:54.86\00:11:58.87
I realize that God
loves even me amongst them.
00:11:59.07\00:12:01.70
But anyway, I always
wondered why my sisters and I...
00:12:02.34\00:12:07.66
At this particular time
there were only three of us
00:12:07.76\00:12:09.58
in the family. Now
there's nine of us.
00:12:09.68\00:12:11.47
But we didn't look anything
alike and I always wondered why.
00:12:11.67\00:12:14.98
My oldest sister, Gloria...
she wrote a song for me
00:12:15.41\00:12:17.78
and it went something like this:
00:12:17.98\00:12:19.19
First there was Gloria Steen.
Then there was Virginia Ann.
00:12:19.39\00:12:22.10
And then we found
Michael in a garbage can.
00:12:22.40\00:12:24.82
Because I looked so
different, you know?
00:12:25.12\00:12:26.70
We finally arrived in
Indianapolis, and I was so
00:12:29.22\00:12:32.68
excited I ran into the house
even while the car was still
00:12:32.78\00:12:35.28
slowly moving to the parking
space. And I sat on the floor
00:12:35.39\00:12:37.80
waiting for him to
arrive. And my two older sisters
00:12:38.00\00:12:40.27
followed me, and they sat
on the sofa across the room
00:12:40.37\00:12:42.18
from me. And shortly
afterwards in walked Mr. Harris.
00:12:42.28\00:12:44.72
And as he walked into the
room he was so excited to see
00:12:45.02\00:12:47.52
Gloria and Virginia. In
fact, he embraced both of them.
00:12:47.72\00:12:50.23
And as he was embracing
them I saw that glimmer of pride
00:12:50.33\00:12:52.73
in his eyes. By
now I'm so excited.
00:12:52.93\00:12:55.06
And finally he turns to
me and he has this angry look
00:12:56.58\00:13:01.50
on his face. And he uttered off
these words: "I remember you. "
00:13:01.60\00:13:05.69
And I was wondering why
was this man speaking to me
00:13:06.09\00:13:08.85
this way. What did I ever
do to him to deserve a greeting
00:13:08.95\00:13:11.24
such as this? The father
that I traveled so far to meet
00:13:11.44\00:13:15.37
and the father I waited so
long for is now rejecting me.
00:13:15.57\00:13:18.97
Why? We came to find
out later... They said...
00:13:19.21\00:13:22.00
They said that
I was an accident.
00:13:22.20\00:13:24.85
They said I was a big mistake.
00:13:25.25\00:13:27.59
But I know that God
don't make mistakes.
00:13:28.80\00:13:30.91
No. Every man, woman, boy,
and girl in this entire world
00:13:31.11\00:13:34.18
has an awesome
purpose in Christ Jesus.
00:13:34.38\00:13:36.20
So don't ever let
anyone ever tell you that
00:13:36.51\00:13:38.22
you'll never amount to nothing
because my everlasting Father,
00:13:38.42\00:13:40.85
my heavenly Father,
has a different opinion.
00:13:41.05\00:13:43.40
God had me in the
palm of His hand -
00:13:43.80\00:13:48.82
absolutely -
when I was conceived.
00:13:49.02\00:13:52.23
And He has an awesome
plan, not only for my life
00:13:52.43\00:13:54.74
but for your life
and everyone's lives.
00:13:54.94\00:13:56.84
And that was one of the
biggest let downs in my life.
00:13:57.14\00:14:01.42
But you know, I grew
older and I was about 15 or 16
00:14:01.82\00:14:05.40
playing basketball in
high school, and I remember
00:14:05.50\00:14:06.95
all of my friends would bring
their fathers to the basketball
00:14:07.05\00:14:08.94
games. And I
wanted that so much.
00:14:09.04\00:14:11.38
But my mother was always
working so she never had time.
00:14:11.78\00:14:14.09
And it's
different. Yes. It's different
00:14:14.49\00:14:17.28
with your mom going
to your games - um-hmm -
00:14:17.49\00:14:20.65
from your dad going
with you to your game.
00:14:20.85\00:14:23.11
Yes, it means a lot.
The thing that is so...
00:14:23.21\00:14:25.60
Oh, my heart just
aches because I know how
00:14:25.70\00:14:30.69
much this impacts the
black community. Oh, yes.
00:14:30.90\00:14:35.03
Yes. Period. Fatherlessness
is a huge, huge issue.
00:14:35.33\00:14:40.38
And as I listen to you... the
pain that you must have felt -
00:14:40.58\00:14:45.06
oh yes, when your dad
did not acknowledge you.
00:14:45.26\00:14:48.73
He rejected me. But
you know, came to find out
00:14:48.93\00:14:52.70
that Mr. Harris was
not really my father.
00:14:53.00\00:14:55.60
And that's why
he reacted that way.
00:14:55.90\00:14:58.80
And that's why my mother
and Mr. Harris were separated.
00:14:58.91\00:15:00.94
And that's why
we moved to Chicago.
00:15:01.14\00:15:02.57
But I believe that the next that
I journey to meet my Father,
00:15:03.87\00:15:06.50
the next time that I journey
to meet him, he's... I believe
00:15:08.03\00:15:10.29
He's going to meet me
and He's going to greet me
00:15:10.39\00:15:12.57
and He's going to tell
me that I'm His very own.
00:15:12.77\00:15:14.39
But my only prayer as I
sit here with you today is that
00:15:15.38\00:15:18.23
when I finally see my
heavenly Father face to face
00:15:18.43\00:15:21.80
I pray that He will have that
glimmer of pride in His eyes.
00:15:22.20\00:15:26.55
There you go. That He
will whisper in my ear
00:15:26.75\00:15:28.63
"Well done, good
and faithful servant. "
00:15:28.83\00:15:31.39
Yes. You were no mistake.
00:15:31.59\00:15:34.53
No. Your life... The
fact that you're here
00:15:34.84\00:15:38.24
is no mistake. Amen; amen.
00:15:38.44\00:15:41.02
God's plan for you is
that you will take this message
00:15:41.22\00:15:45.30
because so many - as you
know - so many of our young men
00:15:45.51\00:15:48.88
who are
incarcerated or who are in gangs
00:15:49.08\00:15:51.57
or who are in the
inner city caught up in crime
00:15:51.77\00:15:54.57
they don't have a dad
- an earthly dad - yes -
00:15:54.78\00:15:57.85
so they don't
know how to be a man.
00:15:57.95\00:16:00.01
They find out how to
be a man in the streets.
00:16:00.31\00:16:02.04
In the streets! And there's
a lot of mothers with broken
00:16:02.34\00:16:05.18
hearts out there because
their sons are incarcerated.
00:16:05.28\00:16:07.52
You know, I always thought
00:16:08.12\00:16:14.03
that I was being cheated out of
a relationship with my father.
00:16:14.24\00:16:16.77
Mmmm. But He was there...
my heavenly Father was there
00:16:17.08\00:16:20.55
with me the whole time.
That's right. All those times
00:16:20.65\00:16:23.01
when I was in my closet using
drugs, the massive amount of
00:16:23.11\00:16:27.34
drugs I was putting in my body
I should have killed myself.
00:16:27.44\00:16:29.88
I should have died... I
shouldn't even be sitting here
00:16:30.01\00:16:31.52
right now. But He was
there with me all the time -
00:16:31.55\00:16:34.27
that's right -
because you see He saw me
00:16:34.31\00:16:36.12
right here sitting next
to you today. That's right.
00:16:36.15\00:16:39.25
So when you see
someone that's out there
00:16:39.39\00:16:40.79
who you think...
Don't give up on...
00:16:40.82\00:16:42.42
Don't ever give up on anyone
because we don't know what
00:16:42.73\00:16:45.58
God's purpose is
in that person's life.
00:16:45.68\00:16:47.85
That's right. What would
you tell a young man right now
00:16:48.05\00:16:51.83
that's caught up
into that lifestyle?
00:16:52.03\00:16:54.75
That has no
father... no earthly father...
00:16:54.95\00:16:57.35
that feels that
no one really cares.
00:16:57.55\00:17:00.99
Look into that
camera and tell that person
00:17:01.19\00:17:05.13
just what is on your heart.
00:17:05.33\00:17:08.08
We have a Father in heaven
00:17:09.17\00:17:12.16
that longs to be
your Father on this earth.
00:17:12.36\00:17:16.23
He's hope to the hopeless;
00:17:16.67\00:17:19.30
He's power to the powerless;
00:17:19.50\00:17:21.54
and He's a Father
to the fatherless.
00:17:21.94\00:17:24.67
And it's His desire
that none of us will perish
00:17:25.07\00:17:28.65
and He wants us all
to experience this joy
00:17:28.88\00:17:30.96
that surpasses
all understanding.
00:17:31.09\00:17:32.75
You can never
find that joy in drugs.
00:17:33.05\00:17:36.00
You can never find
that joy out in the street.
00:17:36.30\00:17:38.81
There's nothing that compares
with what Christ can be to you
00:17:39.11\00:17:44.00
if you would only allow
Him in your heart today.
00:17:44.20\00:17:46.15
Even if you're sitting
in a penitentiary right now
00:17:46.55\00:17:48.86
we have a God... He's
a God of second chances.
00:17:49.16\00:17:53.68
I'm on my sixth or
seventh chance right now.
00:17:54.08\00:17:56.60
That's how merciful... how
He's shown in my life today.
00:17:56.90\00:18:01.58
So I pray that
you will look to Jesus
00:18:01.82\00:18:03.68
and give Him all that you have
00:18:03.88\00:18:06.61
because He loves you with
a love that will never stop.
00:18:06.64\00:18:09.15
And I can honestly say to
you that I may have never met my
00:18:09.45\00:18:13.93
earthly father, but I
have the greatest Father
00:18:14.13\00:18:17.17
in this entire
universe: Jesus Christ.
00:18:17.38\00:18:20.37
He means everything to me.
00:18:20.68\00:18:22.71
Thank you. I
mean, if our young men
00:18:23.01\00:18:26.02
could just know that
they're not a mistake.
00:18:26.23\00:18:29.77
That there's a plan for them.
00:18:29.97\00:18:31.51
I was talking to a young
man, Michael, one time that
00:18:31.71\00:18:34.66
was 17. And he
was part of a gang.
00:18:34.86\00:18:38.23
And he told me: "I
don't care if I die. "
00:18:38.53\00:18:40.74
"I don't care... "
It's like there's no value
00:18:41.04\00:18:43.97
placed on life because they
don't have anybody to kind of
00:18:44.17\00:18:47.46
walk them through. But
Jesus will walk you through
00:18:47.56\00:18:51.09
if you just get
to know Him. Amen.
00:18:51.19\00:18:53.44
And all that pain
that you're suffering...
00:18:53.64\00:18:55.82
It's evident there's pain
that they're experiencing.
00:18:55.92\00:18:58.68
That's why they turn
away from their family,
00:18:58.98\00:19:00.51
they turn away from the
church, and they turn to drugs.
00:19:00.71\00:19:02.86
But they need to
turn BACK to the family,
00:19:03.16\00:19:05.17
turn back to the church. Yes.
That is where they will find
00:19:05.47\00:19:08.28
that peace - that's right
- and that joy that surpasses
00:19:08.38\00:19:10.62
all understanding. That's right.
You know, there's no drug...
00:19:10.72\00:19:13.29
I can say right
now I'm high right now,
00:19:13.49\00:19:16.36
but it's no drug
I'm high on, right.
00:19:16.56\00:19:18.24
I'm on... My high is Jesus.
That's right; that's right.
00:19:18.54\00:19:21.66
I always have a
smile; I'm always happy.
00:19:21.89\00:19:22.99
I'm always rejoicing
because I find that peace
00:19:23.21\00:19:26.28
that only He can give. Yes, yes.
00:19:26.38\00:19:28.60
So how did you find Him?
You were in the midst of...
00:19:28.95\00:19:32.17
After you dealt with that rejec-
tion and then you went into...
00:19:32.27\00:19:36.90
you started using crack
and all that - yes, yes, yes -
00:19:37.00\00:19:39.54
you went into the military,
how did you find Jesus?
00:19:39.64\00:19:41.99
Well I knew that I couldn't
keep going in the direction
00:19:42.29\00:19:45.27
I was going in.
My health had failed
00:19:45.37\00:19:47.54
because of the
drugs that I was using.
00:19:48.47\00:19:51.23
And God kind of
got my attention.
00:19:51.53\00:19:52.94
Sometimes He allows
things to happen, you know.
00:19:53.14\00:19:55.18
God has nothing to do with
our misery and our sorrow today.
00:19:55.38\00:19:58.50
That's all of the
enemy. But sometimes God will
00:19:58.60\00:20:01.12
allow certain things to happen
just to get your attention
00:20:01.32\00:20:04.13
briefly. Yes He will!
Sometimes you will end up
00:20:04.33\00:20:07.09
in a penitentiary somewhere.
Moses... he had to go out
00:20:07.30\00:20:10.39
into the wilderness
to understand more about
00:20:10.49\00:20:12.24
what God's plan
was for his life.
00:20:12.34\00:20:13.92
Sometimes the penitentiary
can be your wilderness.
00:20:14.22\00:20:16.97
But I say this much: you
must take advantage of that
00:20:17.27\00:20:19.53
wilderness that you're in
because that wilderness can be
00:20:19.63\00:20:21.94
can turn around and make your
life something very wonderful -
00:20:22.04\00:20:25.27
yes - that Christ
has in store for you.
00:20:25.47\00:20:27.57
So you can actually be
free even while you're in the
00:20:27.78\00:20:31.11
penitentiary.
Oh yes, definitely.
00:20:31.21\00:20:32.34
You know what
bothers me the most?
00:20:32.44\00:20:34.29
See, I go to different churches.
00:20:34.59\00:20:36.51
I'm in a different
church every Sabbath
00:20:36.71\00:20:38.61
and a lot of Sundays as well.
00:20:38.81\00:20:40.43
And I go into schools. And
I love going into the schools
00:20:40.63\00:20:43.96
but I especially love
going into the prisons.
00:20:44.16\00:20:45.91
But the problem I have
here is sometimes I go into a...
00:20:46.01\00:20:48.98
I go into a school and
I will go into a prison
00:20:49.28\00:20:52.90
a year or two later and I
will see some of the same faces
00:20:53.10\00:20:56.93
that I saw in our schools. Yes.
00:20:57.13\00:21:00.17
Incarcerated.
Locked up... locked down.
00:21:00.27\00:21:02.17
And we must find a solution.
00:21:02.47\00:21:06.88
And as parents we must -
even if you're a single parent -
00:21:07.08\00:21:11.42
we must strive harder
to give our lives to Christ
00:21:11.52\00:21:15.31
that they may see a
legacy being left behind.
00:21:15.51\00:21:19.04
Yes. And we also need for
our men that are in the church
00:21:19.34\00:21:23.97
to take an interest in
some of these boys - yes, yes.
00:21:24.17\00:21:27.16
And one of the things that
scares you 'cause you don't want
00:21:27.36\00:21:30.69
pedophilia and all that so
you get freaked out about that.
00:21:30.79\00:21:33.76
But our godly men...
if they would mentor -
00:21:33.96\00:21:37.81
um-hmm - some of
these boys who don't...
00:21:38.01\00:21:39.99
I was watching... As
you can tell, I watch TV.
00:21:40.09\00:21:43.43
I was watching a program...
Well you have to stay abreast.
00:21:43.63\00:21:45.47
I do! Well, see,
that's the thing.
00:21:45.67\00:21:47.57
So I was watching, and
Steve Harvey was talking about
00:21:47.60\00:21:49.80
a camp that he has for boys
00:21:49.90\00:21:51.93
and how they have to
teach the boys how to tie a tie.
00:21:52.23\00:21:56.53
And tears came to my eyes
because these are daddy things.
00:21:56.83\00:22:00.32
How to respect women. Yes!
How to be in a relationship.
00:22:00.52\00:22:03.83
Yes, yes. How to deal with
a person of the opposite sex.
00:22:03.94\00:22:07.44
Um-hmm. How do you
become a man? Yes, yes.
00:22:07.74\00:22:10.73
And a woman, I'm convinced...
You can have the greatest mom
00:22:10.93\00:22:15.72
in the world, but a woman
can't teach a man to be a man
00:22:15.92\00:22:19.22
because she's not a
man. Yes. Just like a man
00:22:19.32\00:22:21.77
can't teach a
girl to be a woman.
00:22:21.87\00:22:24.14
You need the pair.
00:22:24.45\00:22:25.88
All the relationships
I've ever had in my life
00:22:25.98\00:22:27.69
going back to when I
was dating in high school
00:22:27.99\00:22:29.81
I've always looked at a
woman as a precious jewel.
00:22:30.01\00:22:33.59
Because I have a mother.
That's right. And my mother
00:22:33.90\00:22:36.77
was a precious
jewel. I have seven sisters.
00:22:36.97\00:22:40.05
I saw each one of them
go through their different
00:22:40.15\00:22:41.52
turmoils with their
boyfriends or their husbands.
00:22:41.62\00:22:44.30
So I know that women
are very valuable to us
00:22:44.70\00:22:49.74
and we must respect
them with all that we have.
00:22:49.94\00:22:52.13
'Cause God has placed us
in dominion over everything
00:22:52.43\00:22:55.28
so we have to be that
godly man in a woman's life.
00:22:55.48\00:22:58.65
And if you have God in your
life, if you are seeking first
00:22:58.85\00:23:01.69
the kingdom of God and
all of His righteousness
00:23:01.79\00:23:03.58
all these other things
will be added unto you.
00:23:03.78\00:23:05.50
That's right. You will be
that representative for Him
00:23:05.70\00:23:08.96
in the family, in the household.
Even as you're walking
00:23:09.16\00:23:11.27
throughout your community -
yes - and at your work place.
00:23:11.47\00:23:13.44
Yes. That's why we must
seek God with all of our heart
00:23:13.64\00:23:16.41
and all of our
soul... all of our mind.
00:23:16.61\00:23:17.81
Absolutely. And if you
don't know how to do that
00:23:18.11\00:23:20.48
you just get on your knees
and say: "God, I want to know
00:23:20.68\00:23:23.40
You better. Show me
how to know You better. "
00:23:23.50\00:23:25.80
And get a Bible and
begin to read that Bible
00:23:26.00\00:23:29.46
and God will
reveal Himself to you.
00:23:29.66\00:23:31.77
We're promised. And your
life will be so much better.
00:23:32.07\00:23:34.81
Amen. So... back
to my other question.
00:23:35.11\00:23:37.42
How did you find Jesus?
00:23:37.62\00:23:39.17
Well I... Like I said I
looked in the mirror at myself
00:23:39.37\00:23:42.58
and I saw what I had become
and I was just tired of being
00:23:42.78\00:23:45.50
tired. And I
cried out: "Dear God,
00:23:45.70\00:23:47.45
what have I done to myself?
00:23:47.55\00:23:49.04
I need You in my life today.
" Because see as a young man
00:23:49.35\00:23:52.55
growing up, you know, I was
always moved from my mother's
00:23:52.65\00:23:55.76
house to one of my auntie's
house because of the gang
00:23:55.86\00:23:58.09
violence in Chicago.
00:23:58.19\00:23:59.35
And I was living
with my auntie who is a...
00:23:59.55\00:24:02.48
In fact, she's going to
be 90 years old in June.
00:24:02.68\00:24:04.55
I'm going to go to
Chicago and visit with her
00:24:04.75\00:24:07.33
and celebrate her birthday.
00:24:07.36\00:24:08.68
She's a little Pentecostal lady.
00:24:08.98\00:24:10.58
Ninety years old, and she goes
to this little storefront church
00:24:10.78\00:24:13.55
on the south side of Chicago and
she wears these big big hats.
00:24:13.75\00:24:16.52
And I remember smelling the
corn bread and collard greens,
00:24:16.92\00:24:20.33
sweet potato
pie. Oh yeah; oh yeah.
00:24:20.53\00:24:22.25
You know, cooking in the house.
00:24:22.46\00:24:24.02
But I saw that this woman
had an awesome relationship
00:24:24.22\00:24:27.72
with Christ and she
sang like Mahalia Jackson.
00:24:27.82\00:24:30.99
So she was a good foundation
for me for my spiritual walk.
00:24:31.10\00:24:35.15
And I saw how joyful she was
00:24:35.45\00:24:37.21
as a young man growing
up, and I reflected back
00:24:37.41\00:24:39.94
on all the seeds that
she had planted in my life
00:24:40.14\00:24:42.44
up until that point,
and I realized that I needed
00:24:42.54\00:24:45.48
Jesus in my life. I
wanted what my auntie had.
00:24:45.59\00:24:48.42
Yes. What has still still today.
00:24:48.62\00:24:50.40
And that's how I
made my turn-around.
00:24:50.59\00:24:52.11
I knew that there was a
way out and Christ was my way.
00:24:52.21\00:24:55.25
And how old were
you at this point?
00:24:55.55\00:24:57.59
Well, I gave my life
to Christ as a teenager
00:24:57.89\00:25:01.07
but then by now
I'm like in my 30's.
00:25:01.27\00:25:03.29
And I reflected back on
what my auntie had said -
00:25:03.42\00:25:06.31
had taught me -
um-hmm - about Christ.
00:25:06.51\00:25:08.14
She said: "Michael, you
know if you cry out to Jesus
00:25:08.34\00:25:10.75
and you have the
faith of a mustard seed
00:25:10.95\00:25:12.65
and you cry out to that
mountain to move it will move. "
00:25:12.85\00:25:15.04
Uh-huh. I said: "No, that
mountain's not going to move. "
00:25:15.24\00:25:16.89
She said: "Well no, it's
not going to move literally
00:25:17.09\00:25:19.11
but circumstances
will change for you. "
00:25:19.31\00:25:21.90
And I remembered all those
Bible stories that she would
00:25:22.10\00:25:24.77
tell me. And when I
was in my pit of despair
00:25:24.87\00:25:27.01
I cried out to
Jesus and He heard my cry.
00:25:27.21\00:25:30.34
And He began to pull me
up our of a horrible pit.
00:25:30.75\00:25:32.78
Out of the miry clay -
amen - and He placed my feet on
00:25:32.98\00:25:35.47
the solid rock and He
put a new song in my mouth
00:25:35.57\00:25:38.84
to sing praises to His
holy name. Praise the Lord!
00:25:39.04\00:25:41.47
So many people
might want to contact you
00:25:41.87\00:25:44.44
to get you to come to their
church and give your testimony
00:25:44.74\00:25:48.66
and sing. How can
they get in touch with you?
00:25:48.76\00:25:52.29
I think they've got some
information on the screen,
00:25:52.49\00:25:53.98
I'm not sure. But
you can contact me at
00:25:54.08\00:25:55.95
restorationintheson@yahoo. com
00:25:56.05\00:26:00.44
Great. And I look forward
to all of the inputs or invites
00:26:00.74\00:26:05.24
or whatever. God has blessed
me. You know, I went from
00:26:05.34\00:26:06.94
being locked up in my bedroom
poking needles and doing drugs
00:26:07.14\00:26:10.51
to getting on an
airplane every weekend.
00:26:10.71\00:26:13.26
I've gone to 50 states
and 25 countries. God is good.
00:26:13.46\00:26:17.65
God is so good.
And so briefly tell us:
00:26:17.75\00:26:20.63
how did you become an Adventist?
00:26:20.84\00:26:22.18
Oh, I lived just a couple blocks
00:26:22.38\00:26:27.17
from the Shiloh SDA Church
on the south side of Chicago.
00:26:27.37\00:26:30.33
Oh! I had never heard
of the Adventist church.
00:26:30.53\00:26:32.47
And when I went overseas
there was a group of Adventist
00:26:32.77\00:26:36.72
people. You know, in Chicago
the only people who knocked
00:26:36.82\00:26:38.34
on my door were
Jehovah's Witnesses.
00:26:38.45\00:26:39.73
But I went overseas and
I was surrounded by these
00:26:41.03\00:26:43.05
people who I
thought were quite peculiar.
00:26:43.15\00:26:45.48
But they showed the love
of God and I had never seen it
00:26:46.71\00:26:49.77
demonstrated that
way since my auntie
00:26:49.87\00:26:51.79
and other relatives that I have.
00:26:51.99\00:26:53.60
And I realized that
these people were sent from God
00:26:53.90\00:26:57.76
to me. But they started
talking about worshiping on
00:26:57.96\00:27:00.26
the Sabbath... on a Saturday.
And for some reason, I couldn't
00:27:00.36\00:27:03.51
figure that one out. But I
began, because of their love,
00:27:03.71\00:27:06.44
I was drawn to sit down
and Bible study with them.
00:27:06.65\00:27:08.79
And I began to
understand God's truth.
00:27:09.09\00:27:11.10
And I began to understand
how much God loved me as well.
00:27:11.40\00:27:14.04
And that just
reinforced my walk with Christ.
00:27:14.35\00:27:16.87
And now today I've been
worshiping on the Sabbath
00:27:17.07\00:27:19.83
for like 28 years
now, so... Praise the Lord!
00:27:20.03\00:27:22.85
Doesn't it make a difference,
Michael, when you know you're
00:27:23.05\00:27:25.47
valued in Christ. It makes
all the difference. Oh yes!
00:27:25.57\00:27:29.41
It raises the
standards in your life.
00:27:29.51\00:27:32.06
Not only in your life
but other people's lives
00:27:32.26\00:27:35.10
because people will see the
Christ in you. That's right.
00:27:35.30\00:27:37.96
We may be the only Bible
that some people may ever read.
00:27:38.16\00:27:40.55
That's right. If
we're walking with Christ,
00:27:40.75\00:27:42.16
we can witness
without even talking.
00:27:42.36\00:27:45.32
That's right. Your life
is a sermon. Amen; amen.
00:27:45.52\00:27:47.55
Well thank you so
much for being with us.
00:27:47.65\00:27:49.57
You have blessed
us. You've blessed me.
00:27:49.67\00:27:51.93
Well praise the
Lord, praise the Lord.
00:27:52.13\00:27:53.62
That's the end of
our program for today.
00:27:53.82\00:27:55.61
Thanks so much for tuning in.
00:27:55.81\00:27:57.31
Make sure to join us next
time 'cause you know what?
00:27:57.52\00:27:59.73
It just wouldn't be
the same without you.
00:27:59.93\00:28:02.90