Stay tuned to meet a
man that got caught up
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in the Music Industry as
well as Corporate America
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and walked away
from God for 15 years...
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hear his story of
Restoration and Redemption...
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My name is Yvonne
Lewis and you're watching
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Urban Report.
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Hello and
welcome to Urban Report.
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My guest today is Lance Brown
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Evangelist,
Musician, and Businessman...
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Welcome to Urban
Report Lance... yeah...
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Praise God... amen... I
got my New York brother here
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Amen... amen...
It's so good have you...
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God is so
good... God is so good...
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God is so good... you
know when I read your Bio
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I had no idea
about your journey...
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and once I read it...
I know that our viewers
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are going to be blessed...
because, He has brought you
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such a mighty long
way... Absolutely...
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God is good... Isn't He?
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So let's talk a bit
about your journey...
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Where were you born? I
was born in a small island
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by the name of Jamaica...
Jamaica... the island...
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Yes... amen... amen...
And were you raised in a
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single-parent family
or a double-parent family?
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I was raised in a
double-parent family...
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both mother and father
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emigrated here
to the United States
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and raised myself and
3 of my other siblings
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Yeah... yeah... and so
you were born in Jamaica
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how did you end
up in the States?
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Well, you know, after
my parents left Jamaica
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to come here
for a better life...
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they left us
with our grandparents
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and after they established
work and felt comfortable
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enough to bring us,
then they brought us here...
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What kind of
influence did your grandparents
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have on you? Wow,
a huge influence...
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you know, we lived in
the country in Jamaica,
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my grandfather was a
farmer and also a preacher...
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Okay... and he
would preach the Word
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but more than
that... he would live it...
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Was he an Adventist?
Yes... he was a Seventh-day
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Adventist... We have a picture
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of you and the family...
so we'll put that up...
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Yes... that's my grandfather,
my grandmother who was the
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accountant for the
Church and also a seamstress...
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and they taught
us so many values
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just in that quiet
country environment...
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Yes, so you grew
up with a grandfather
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that was a preacher... Yes...
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and a grandmother
who was a woman of God...
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Yeah... amen... And
so, during your childhood
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did you feel that
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connection that
children sometimes
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have with God or were
you just kind of going along
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with your grandparents?
During our childhood,
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we didn't have... I
didn't have a connection
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as much but one
thing I remember was
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admiring my
grandfather... Hmmm...
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I admired, you know,
not the religious God-things
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about him but I
admired his diligence...
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things that he lived
out, from what he preached...
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you know, he would go
around the neighborhood
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and just help
people, and that's what
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gave me that initial
thought towards God...
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I can't remember a
thing he preached...
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Wow... but that I remember...
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Isn't that interesting,
so it wasn't what he said
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so much as what
he did. Absolutely...
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how he lived his
life... Absolutely...
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That's great... so
what about your parents...
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what kind of
lives were they living?
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Well, after my
parents came here...
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my dad backslid a
little bit and he and my mom
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would not go to Church...
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do some partying
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and things of that
nature, got caught up
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in the life in the
United States you know...
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making that shift... and
my grandfather brought us
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here... and said to his
son, "I raised these children as
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Adventist Christians
and they need to become
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Adventist Christians
while they're here... "
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Hmmm... so your grandfather
kind of laid down the law
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for your dad... Laid
down the law for his son
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you know, it's one of
those parent-thing... where it's
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"I don't care how old
you are, as long as I'm alive
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and I'm your parent, this
is what I need you to do. "
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Isn't that true
though... it's like,
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"I don't care how old you are,
you never get too old for me
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to tell you, I'm your
parent, and this is what
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I want you to do... "
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Amen... I had to call my mother
to check in this morning...
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Amen... Amen...
that's a good mom
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right there... so,
your parents kind of
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backslid... Yes...
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and your
grandparents were in Jamaica...
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Yes... so they couldn't kind of
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keep an eye... on
what was going on...
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so, what happened to
you? Well, you know, my dad
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is a pretty shrewd
guy... he's smart...
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you know... his
father said to him,
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"Make sure these
children go to Church... "
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so he listened and said,
"Well, I have to make sure
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they go to
Church... " so, each week...
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they would send
us off to Church...
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and we'd go to
Church in the day time...
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and there were so
many mothers and fathers
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in the Church there...
and they were so trusting
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of that... they
would send us off to Church
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this was from 1971
on... and we'd come home
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and they'd have their
party at someone's house
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they'd like to go to... folks
who we'd call aunts and uncles
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like we do in the Church...
and so we'd go to Church
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in the morning and go
to Uncle so-and-so's house
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in the evening... to a party...
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in that environment...
So, you know, it strikes me
00:05:38.52\00:05:42.88
that there is a
stark contrast here...
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you don't remember
what your grandfather said,
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but you remember what he
did, but your father heard
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what your grandfather
said, and your father...
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did otherwise...
his life was different
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from his father...
Yes... for that portion
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of his time...
absolutely during that time...
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so it kind of brought you
into a place of slipping away,
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too... did it not?
Yeah... I remember from very
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early... the atmosphere...
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the atmosphere
created by the party...
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it was dim lit... you know...
kind of... you see the...
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I remember the
smell of the alcohol...
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one of my uncles was a
pretty heavy drinker...
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that whole atmosphere...
was introduced at that age
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and I believe
being the youngest child,
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it influenced me the most,
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not that... my parents
weren't bad parents in the sense
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that they would intentionally
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just do that... but
they were not the kind
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who would just leave
their kids at home...
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and go party... Right...
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you know... my
father is a family man...
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wherever he goes... his
family is going with him...
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That's great...
and it wasn't in an
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irresponsible way... it
was "Hey, we're going to
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Uncle so-and-so's
house... they drink...
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there's music they
play and folks are dancing
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we'd go there...
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Yeah... so you were about
how old when this started...
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when you started
observing the party life?
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About age 5... about
age 5 when I came here
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from Jamaica... all through
my elementary school years...
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and as they would watch
us go to Church each week...
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Wow, so you're going to
Church, but then, after Church,
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it was just business as usual...
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Saturday
morning, Sabbath School...
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Saturday afternoon... MV...
Missionary Volunteers used to be
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Yeah... MV...
wow... going back...
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got your MV cap...
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people thought you
worked for Motor Vehicle...
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and then... we'd go wherever
they were going that evening...
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my father was not going to
leave us home by ourselves so...
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we'd go wherever
they were going...
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See, that's to be admired though
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because your dad,
though he was making
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some mistakes at that
point, he still was keeping
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his family together...
he still was the husband...
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the house-band...
That's what stuck in my mind
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a lot... from those
days... to this day...
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still the
same... still the same...
00:08:10.47\00:08:13.72
so, where did you
begin to go astray...
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well, after going to
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those parties for those years...
00:08:20.78\00:08:22.02
my parents... after
watching us go to Church...
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they started
coming to Church, Okay...
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so, my father started coming,
and my mother was coming,
00:08:27.73\00:08:30.85
and after a while
they got so involved
00:08:30.89\00:08:32.70
and they got re-baptized
and they got dedicated...
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and by the time I got to
Junior High School though,
00:08:35.83\00:08:38.86
the music was in
my system... Hmmm...
00:08:38.90\00:08:41.36
as one of the old
songs used to say,
00:08:41.40\00:08:43.79
"Must be the music... "
and the music was in my system
00:08:43.83\00:08:48.53
and during that time,
in Junior High School...
00:08:48.57\00:08:51.86
that's when a new type of
music was coming on the scene,
00:08:51.89\00:08:55.17
music by the name of hip-hop...
00:08:55.20\00:08:57.03
that took the rhythm from
reggae and some of the lyrics
00:08:57.07\00:09:01.88
and put that together,
00:09:01.92\00:09:03.64
over what's called the "groove"
00:09:03.68\00:09:05.87
in the song... that's
where the part of the song jams
00:09:05.91\00:09:08.65
and it grabbed me...
it arrested my attention
00:09:08.69\00:09:11.90
because you take simple lyrics,
and put it to the right beat,
00:09:11.93\00:09:15.92
and it drives it
in like a hammer...
00:09:15.96\00:09:18.76
and I began to become
really disinterested in Church
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at that point...
You know Brother Lance,
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this is one of my
big, big, issues...
00:09:25.35\00:09:28.42
I see how
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hip-hop and rap music
00:09:32.34\00:09:34.20
have decimated our Communities
00:09:34.24\00:09:36.17
Absolutely...
because... just what you said,
00:09:36.20\00:09:39.43
you take the rhythm
and you take the rhyme...
00:09:39.46\00:09:42.56
and you put it together
00:09:42.60\00:09:44.39
in such a way...
that it gets into your
00:09:44.43\00:09:46.04
sub-conscious mind
and shapes your values...
00:09:46.08\00:09:48.95
Absolutely... and
that is one of the
00:09:48.99\00:09:51.27
big things to
me... that's going on
00:09:51.30\00:09:53.55
in our Communities right now,
00:09:53.59\00:09:54.88
the music that makes
people objectified...
00:09:54.91\00:09:59.33
the opposite
sex... Absolutely...
00:09:59.36\00:10:03.40
so that there's
all this fornication,
00:10:03.44\00:10:05.34
all the adultery, the violence,
00:10:05.37\00:10:07.59
all of these things are going
on because people are being
00:10:07.63\00:10:10.95
influenced by the music...
00:10:10.98\00:10:12.50
Absolutely... you
know, what I realize
00:10:12.54\00:10:15.92
because being there and
watching... hip-hop take form
00:10:15.95\00:10:19.90
meaning watching the very first
founding fathers of this thing
00:10:19.93\00:10:23.67
starting it... you see Satan
00:10:23.70\00:10:26.77
in hindsight at work
00:10:26.81\00:10:29.20
Hmmm... hmmm...
hip-hop started as, you know,
00:10:29.24\00:10:31.19
happy, fun, you
know, they spoke about
00:10:31.22\00:10:34.71
socializing...
getting along together,
00:10:34.75\00:10:36.88
and that's how it started...
00:10:36.92\00:10:38.17
so everyone got drawn out
to have fun in the summer time
00:10:38.21\00:10:41.35
and after a while... the
message begins to change,
00:10:41.38\00:10:46.08
Hmmm... and it begins to be,
00:10:46.12\00:10:47.84
"Hey, look at this
one... look at that one... "
00:10:47.87\00:10:50.76
and then it changes
again... and it begins to be
00:10:50.80\00:10:53.65
you know, "Hey,
look what I have...
00:10:53.69\00:10:55.59
what you don't have
and look what these drugs
00:10:55.62\00:10:58.27
can get me... " and
it begins to shape that
00:10:58.30\00:11:00.91
message... and
now you begin to see
00:11:00.95\00:11:03.52
things through the eyes of
the person who was "ministering"
00:11:03.56\00:11:07.79
Hmmm... unknowingly for Satan...
00:11:07.83\00:11:10.04
through that song...
and so we looked at women
00:11:10.07\00:11:13.46
in a certain
way... after a while
00:11:13.49\00:11:15.14
we looked at
drugs in a certain way
00:11:15.17\00:11:16.81
we looked at
money in a certain way,
00:11:16.84\00:11:19.24
we looked at
Church, in a certain way...
00:11:19.28\00:11:22.56
and that music and
that lifestyle gets in...
00:11:22.60\00:11:25.81
music is a spiritual thing,
it is... music... it reaches you
00:11:25.85\00:11:31.24
in a certain place
that mere words cannot...
00:11:31.28\00:11:34.47
Absolutely... So
music can either draw us
00:11:34.50\00:11:37.66
to God... Hmmm... hmmm..
00:11:37.70\00:11:38.91
or away from
Him... Definitely...
00:11:38.94\00:11:40.78
and that's one of the things
that hip-hop and rap music
00:11:40.81\00:11:44.96
is doing... just like you said,
00:11:45.00\00:11:47.09
it started out...
just like television...
00:11:47.13\00:11:49.51
Yes... we could never have shown
00:11:49.54\00:11:52.17
the stuff that's
on television now...
00:11:52.21\00:11:53.61
if television had come out
with explicit sexual things
00:11:53.65\00:11:57.35
we could have never
have shown that stuff
00:11:57.39\00:11:58.89
when it first came out...
Yes... I remember when they had
00:11:58.93\00:12:01.30
a rule that when
two folks were in a room
00:12:01.33\00:12:03.58
husband and wife...
their hands had to be
00:12:03.62\00:12:05.79
on top of the
sheets and those things...
00:12:05.82\00:12:08.05
and now... there
were separate beds...
00:12:08.08\00:12:10.28
Yes... I Love Lucy...
00:12:10.31\00:12:14.36
and now...
00:12:14.39\00:12:15.59
the whole transformation...
00:12:15.62\00:12:16.65
and that's what the
book of Jude says...
00:12:16.69\00:12:18.20
"they creep in unawares" Hmmm...
00:12:18.23\00:12:20.92
the book of Jude
said... Hmmm... Hmmm...
00:12:20.96\00:12:22.56
when I do a music
ministry, evangelism program
00:12:22.60\00:12:25.21
I speak about the
fact that the root meaning
00:12:25.25\00:12:27.83
of the word
"music" means "to muse"
00:12:27.86\00:12:31.53
which means "to think
deeply" and "muse" also means
00:12:31.56\00:12:34.90
"the art of the muses"
which are the spirits that
00:12:34.93\00:12:38.23
inspire the song
in the first place...
00:12:38.27\00:12:39.97
Hmmm... very deep stuff...
00:12:40.00\00:12:42.58
Hmmm... very deep...
00:12:42.61\00:12:43.77
so, you got involved
with the fathers... of hip-hop
00:12:43.80\00:12:47.87
Absolutely...
Tell us about that...
00:12:47.91\00:12:49.34
Well, you know, going
into that hip-hop scene
00:12:49.38\00:12:52.52
and seeing early fathers...
guys like Grandmaster Flash
00:12:52.55\00:12:56.78
and half of the folks
00:12:56.82\00:12:58.87
watching this... might
not recognize those things
00:12:58.91\00:13:00.87
but these are
folks who started it
00:13:00.90\00:13:02.57
Our young people know though...
00:13:02.61\00:13:04.25
Yes, and we got
really interested in it...
00:13:04.29\00:13:06.40
by the time we
got to high school...
00:13:06.43\00:13:07.80
now... I was in high
school in Music and Art
00:13:07.83\00:13:10.16
Oh... You know the movie
00:13:10.19\00:13:11.76
"Fame" had come
out... and you know...
00:13:11.79\00:13:13.53
we were popular and so...
00:13:13.56\00:13:15.22
I got involved
in a young group...
00:13:15.25\00:13:17.72
that we started together
to write these rhymes...
00:13:17.75\00:13:20.22
and we formed
00:13:20.26\00:13:22.61
a style of hip-hop
00:13:22.64\00:13:23.80
known as the art
of storytelling...
00:13:23.84\00:13:25.49
where now, you can intentionally
take something that you want
00:13:25.53\00:13:29.11
to say... and
put it into the song
00:13:29.15\00:13:32.00
and speak a story...
and those songs became
00:13:32.04\00:13:37.77
very popular... a
guy by the name of
00:13:37.80\00:13:40.06
Richard Walters
who went on to be
00:13:40.10\00:13:42.29
known as hip-hop
storyteller Slick Rick...
00:13:42.32\00:13:45.11
Oh, I've even heard that
name... became really popular
00:13:45.15\00:13:48.76
and another guy by
the name of Dana Dane...
00:13:48.79\00:13:51.77
became popular... and
we all started that Group
00:13:51.80\00:13:54.75
and they went on
to become world famous
00:13:54.78\00:13:57.35
and I dipped out at
that time because God had
00:13:57.39\00:14:01.52
run an interception in my life.
00:14:01.55\00:14:03.51
Okay... well
let's talk about that...
00:14:03.54\00:14:05.09
Okay, so you got into
this whole hip-hop scene...
00:14:05.12\00:14:11.13
which involved everything
that the "Scene" involved right?
00:14:11.17\00:14:16.89
Yes... Tell us
a little bit about
00:14:16.92\00:14:18.64
there... because we need to
know where God brought you from
00:14:18.68\00:14:21.21
to this place... You
know, what the "Scene"
00:14:21.24\00:14:24.03
involved was that...
you know, when you sign
00:14:24.06\00:14:27.00
a contract... to a
recording company...
00:14:27.04\00:14:29.91
there are particular things
that they want to project...
00:14:29.94\00:14:33.35
there are
particular things that sell...
00:14:33.38\00:14:36.14
that if you fit
that image, that is what
00:14:36.17\00:14:38.90
is going to be projected...
00:14:38.93\00:14:40.10
and also... you are responsible
for being creative...
00:14:40.13\00:14:43.84
in things that you
believe people would sell
00:14:43.87\00:14:47.29
and as the saying goes...
"Sex sells... money sells...
00:14:47.32\00:14:52.79
fame sells... " and we
would write songs about
00:14:52.82\00:14:56.23
these things and, you know,
00:14:56.26\00:14:58.61
and you have to go
to the environment...
00:14:58.65\00:15:00.73
just like when you are in Church
00:15:00.77\00:15:02.10
you come to an
environment that's conducive
00:15:02.14\00:15:05.02
to learning things
for that particular
00:15:05.06\00:15:07.80
business...
00:15:07.84\00:15:09.07
as Jesus said, "I must be
about my Father's business... "
00:15:09.11\00:15:11.05
Right... when we came to the
00:15:11.08\00:15:12.46
music industry...
we had to write things
00:15:12.49\00:15:14.33
and do things that are
conducive to that business...
00:15:14.37\00:15:17.99
that message...
that lifestyle...
00:15:18.02\00:15:20.93
so, when I compared it to Church
00:15:20.97\00:15:24.63
at eyes-view it
was phenomenal...
00:15:24.66\00:15:27.14
you know, the parties... so
to speak... never stopped...
00:15:27.18\00:15:30.04
and the money is coming
in... the friends and...
00:15:30.08\00:15:32.59
you know, we're catching planes
and we signed a contract...
00:15:32.63\00:15:35.71
we signed a
contract with a couple of
00:15:35.75\00:15:37.67
different Record
Companies... and got advances of
00:15:37.70\00:15:41.49
tens of thousands of dollars
00:15:41.52\00:15:42.91
and go out and
buy cars with cash and
00:15:42.94\00:15:45.44
get women at the parties...
00:15:45.48\00:15:46.61
and I just got so
caught up in that...
00:15:46.65\00:15:49.91
Hmmm... that if
nothing stopped me...
00:15:49.95\00:15:53.14
I don't think... I
wouldn't be sitting here
00:15:53.18\00:15:55.94
right now... I got
so caught up in it...
00:15:55.97\00:15:58.66
As is... because I was
in the music business too...
00:15:58.70\00:16:02.61
and I truly know
that it is so seductive
00:16:02.64\00:16:05.52
that little by little...
it just sucks you in...
00:16:05.55\00:16:08.96
you just get sucked
into it, Hard to come out...
00:16:08.99\00:16:12.36
and it's hard to
come out... so how did God
00:16:12.39\00:16:15.36
start bringing you
out... what did you do?
00:16:15.39\00:16:18.24
Oh Wow, the first
interception I call it...
00:16:18.27\00:16:21.08
it's like
you're playing football
00:16:21.12\00:16:22.34
and the devil throws you a
pass and you're about to make
00:16:22.37\00:16:24.81
the goal and God
says, "No, interception... "
00:16:24.85\00:16:27.10
Yes... yes... and the
first interception I got
00:16:27.14\00:16:29.35
I was coming out
of high school...
00:16:29.39\00:16:30.86
and but still kind of visiting
Church every now and then...
00:16:30.90\00:16:34.75
but by this time... God
was not even in my mind...
00:16:34.79\00:16:38.35
even though I was
going to Church...
00:16:38.38\00:16:39.53
and through the
whole womanizing thing...
00:16:39.57\00:16:43.47
and the way
women were treated...
00:16:43.51\00:16:45.16
I ended up getting
one of the young ladies
00:16:45.19\00:16:48.48
in the Church
pregnant... and it was a
00:16:48.51\00:16:51.73
huge shock... and then
my father did something
00:16:51.77\00:16:55.58
in my life...
that his father did...
00:16:55.62\00:16:57.13
he grabbed me and said,
00:16:57.16\00:16:59.36
"You, are going to work...
00:16:59.40\00:17:01.60
you are not going to
be an irresponsible father
00:17:01.63\00:17:04.64
you're going to work...
you're going to get a job... "
00:17:04.68\00:17:07.48
so now... I have to work,
you know, you're trying to go
00:17:07.51\00:17:10.28
to the Studio...
you know the Studio time
00:17:10.32\00:17:12.23
is we're there till 2
or 3 o'clock in the morning
00:17:12.27\00:17:15.36
and then you got to
get up to go to work...
00:17:15.39\00:17:16.55
and it just staggered
me... and I couldn't put out
00:17:16.58\00:17:21.04
as much as I wanted
to... so that contract
00:17:21.07\00:17:23.81
had to be put to the
side... and it slowed me down
00:17:23.84\00:17:27.93
not knowing... it was God
putting some reins on me...
00:17:27.96\00:17:32.02
That's right...
putting some reins on me...
00:17:32.05\00:17:33.63
that was His first interception,
and after that, you know,
00:17:33.66\00:17:36.54
at the job now... the
devil did his work again...
00:17:36.58\00:17:39.59
so what, you got more money
now, you can go to more clubs
00:17:39.63\00:17:42.95
and more women and you
can write more songs...
00:17:42.98\00:17:45.16
pay for more Studio
time... I did that...
00:17:45.20\00:17:47.50
I totally forgot about
my daughter that was born...
00:17:47.53\00:17:50.11
absent from her
life... and more womanizing...
00:17:50.15\00:17:53.25
more money... and
growing in the Corporate World
00:17:53.28\00:17:56.39
at the same time...
00:17:56.43\00:17:57.53
Hmmm... it's so
interesting to me...
00:17:57.57\00:18:00.41
that... wherever you're planted,
you throw yourself into that
00:18:00.45\00:18:06.78
Yes... so, you threw yourself
00:18:06.81\00:18:08.68
into the music industry
and you were getting paid,
00:18:08.72\00:18:12.31
then you threw yourself
into Corporate America...
00:18:12.35\00:18:17.30
and you started getting
paid... so, it attests to
00:18:17.33\00:18:21.74
the character... that
you have... meaning...
00:18:21.78\00:18:24.52
you're
focused... Hmmm... hmmm...
00:18:24.55\00:18:26.46
but you were
misfocused... Yes...
00:18:26.50\00:18:29.16
how did God...
turn your focus to Him?
00:18:29.19\00:18:32.26
you know, I got to
the point in my life...
00:18:32.30\00:18:35.33
where I saw the
huge opportunities...
00:18:35.37\00:18:39.27
both in music in Corporate...
I saw musically where
00:18:39.31\00:18:43.57
this hip-hop thing
and then after that...
00:18:43.61\00:18:45.85
the reggae dance whole thing
00:18:45.88\00:18:48.81
that I got
immersed into as well...
00:18:48.85\00:18:50.13
I saw it was trending...
and how huge it was getting...
00:18:50.16\00:18:53.42
and I would listen to
other folks' things and say,
00:18:53.45\00:18:55.91
"That's what they're
getting million dollars for...
00:18:55.94\00:18:58.37
we can do that... "
and I was getting ready
00:18:58.40\00:19:00.64
to do that... and
also Produce some folks,
00:19:00.67\00:19:02.84
and then Corporately, I
was beginning to grow...
00:19:02.87\00:19:06.15
because, you know,
what I learned about Satan
00:19:06.18\00:19:08.54
is that he's so
successful because he uses
00:19:08.58\00:19:10.91
God's principles... Hmmm...
00:19:10.94\00:19:13.25
"Whatsoever your
hands find to do... "
00:19:13.29\00:19:15.30
"do it with all your might... "
00:19:15.34\00:19:16.53
so we were doing
everything with all our might
00:19:16.57\00:19:19.30
but for the wrong
reward... Right...
00:19:19.33\00:19:21.79
and the successes in
that world were coming...
00:19:21.82\00:19:24.44
and so I got to a
six-figure salary...
00:19:24.47\00:19:26.98
and, you know,
got to the contracts
00:19:27.01\00:19:29.56
that were making
me some good money...
00:19:29.59\00:19:32.10
and after that...
00:19:32.14\00:19:33.78
I said... you
know, "I'm going to...
00:19:33.81\00:19:35.20
I want to start my
own Record Label...
00:19:35.23\00:19:36.58
I don't want to be
working for Pharaoh anymore... "
00:19:36.61\00:19:39.77
I would build my own Egypt...
and I was on my way to do that
00:19:39.80\00:19:43.28
and God knew that...
00:19:43.31\00:19:45.55
as deep as I go...
00:19:45.59\00:19:47.76
I couldn't go any
further than that...
00:19:47.79\00:19:49.37
so, I was reading a book...
a Time Management book...
00:19:49.41\00:19:53.06
by a gentleman by the
name of Hyrum Smith...
00:19:53.09\00:19:54.57
who worked with Stephen Covey...
00:19:54.61\00:19:56.55
"The 7 Habits of
Highly Effective People"
00:19:56.58\00:19:58.20
Oh yeah... yes...
there's a book called the
00:19:58.24\00:19:59.78
"10 Natural Laws of Successful
Time and Life Management"
00:19:59.82\00:20:02.92
so, going through the book
and the first thing I run into
00:20:02.95\00:20:05.74
is... I want to thank my
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...
00:20:05.77\00:20:08.43
and I say,
"What? skip over it... "
00:20:08.47\00:20:12.19
and I go into this
book and it says...
00:20:12.22\00:20:15.48
"You have to know
what your values are
00:20:15.52\00:20:18.09
in order for you to
manage your time... "
00:20:18.13\00:20:20.79
Ah ha... so it
gave us an exercise...
00:20:20.83\00:20:23.48
write down what
your values are...
00:20:23.51\00:20:26.39
so you can manage
your time better...
00:20:26.43\00:20:29.53
No problem... Life,
money, cars, girls...
00:20:29.56\00:20:32.59
and I'm writing these down...
and I hear a little voice
00:20:32.63\00:20:35.46
in the back of my mind say,
00:20:35.50\00:20:36.80
"Shouldn't you
put God on that list?"
00:20:36.84\00:20:39.82
Hmmm... now this
must be something
00:20:39.85\00:20:42.12
that was ministered
to me years before...
00:20:42.15\00:20:44.34
and it was
bothering my conscience...
00:20:44.38\00:20:46.50
and I was sitting at my
desk in my Corporate Office
00:20:46.54\00:20:49.28
and I said, "Tsk...
15 years... I haven't
00:20:49.32\00:20:53.85
even looked at God
or gone to Church... "
00:20:53.88\00:20:57.17
and the voice came back again,
00:20:57.21\00:20:59.14
"Shouldn't you at least
put God on your 'values list?'"
00:20:59.17\00:21:03.75
Hmmm... and I was
ignoring it then...
00:21:03.79\00:21:06.29
and so it spoke
"Business Language"
00:21:06.33\00:21:08.50
because I was
now a businessman...
00:21:08.54\00:21:10.73
and the business language
that, what I know now know
00:21:10.76\00:21:14.45
as the Holy Spirit, spoke was,
"Listen, shouldn't you at least
00:21:14.48\00:21:19.16
hedge your bet...
because one day, if you die,
00:21:19.19\00:21:23.12
and there is a
God... forget it...
00:21:23.15\00:21:25.83
you're living as
if there's no God...
00:21:25.87\00:21:28.48
but shouldn't you at
least hedge your bet...
00:21:28.52\00:21:30.67
play safe... put God on the
list just in case there is... "
00:21:30.70\00:21:33.23
I said, "that
makes little sense... "
00:21:33.26\00:21:36.15
and then,
something that the Bible says
00:21:36.18\00:21:38.09
also happened... my
boss who was the first
00:21:38.12\00:21:41.08
Senior Afro-centric
Senior Vice President
00:21:41.11\00:21:44.00
at the Company...
00:21:44.04\00:21:45.13
I went to see him one day,
00:21:45.17\00:21:46.50
and he gave me that statement...
he said, "You know Lance,
00:21:46.53\00:21:49.68
I've heard it said,
it's better to live your life
00:21:49.72\00:21:52.02
as if there is a God,
and find out there's not...
00:21:52.06\00:21:54.33
than to live your
life as if there's no God
00:21:54.37\00:21:57.40
and find out that
there is... " Hmmm...
00:21:57.43\00:21:59.04
so I went right back
and put God on my list.
00:21:59.07\00:22:00.98
Hmmm... Then
exercise number 2 came,
00:22:01.01\00:22:03.24
Each day... if these are
the things you really value
00:22:03.27\00:22:06.53
you have to do
something towards that...
00:22:06.57\00:22:09.45
so now, God is on my list
and I have to do something...
00:22:09.48\00:22:13.43
and for weeks, I'm
skipping over God's name...
00:22:13.47\00:22:16.17
Hmmm... hmmm... doing
more things for my wife
00:22:16.21\00:22:18.84
and children... until one day
I get that voice come back again
00:22:18.88\00:22:23.18
you haven't done
anything for God yet...
00:22:23.22\00:22:25.93
so, I said, "Okay,
what am I going to do?"
00:22:25.96\00:22:29.97
and I heard the voice say,
00:22:30.00\00:22:31.96
"Whatever you do,
tell the truth... "
00:22:32.00\00:22:34.51
"Whatever you do,
tell the truth... "
00:22:34.54\00:22:36.98
I'm lying in bed, it's
3 o'clock in the morning
00:22:37.01\00:22:39.90
my wife, at the time,
is lying next to me...
00:22:39.94\00:22:42.76
I said, "What am I going to
do? I haven't been to Church,
00:22:42.79\00:22:47.09
I haven't prayed
to God for 15 years...
00:22:47.12\00:22:48.54
I don't even know... " I
didn't even know if there
00:22:48.58\00:22:50.33
is a God... I don't even know...
00:22:50.36\00:22:52.76
if there is a God...
and if there is a God...
00:22:52.79\00:22:54.42
who is He or She or It,
because I wasn't just going
00:22:54.45\00:22:58.66
to be... I wasn't just
going to super-impose...
00:22:58.70\00:23:02.54
Right... you know,
00:23:02.57\00:23:04.23
what I had been
taught, not even upon myself...
00:23:04.26\00:23:06.92
Right... you know,
so, if I've never seen
00:23:06.95\00:23:09.85
God, how do I know it's a man...
00:23:09.89\00:23:11.46
maybe we're looking at it
from a male-dominated society
00:23:11.49\00:23:13.73
and, I heard the
voice come back again...
00:23:13.76\00:23:16.28
and it said, "Well, whoever
God is or whatever God is...
00:23:16.32\00:23:20.29
don't you at least know
that you should tell the truth
00:23:20.32\00:23:24.26
because if God is
God, shouldn't He know
00:23:24.29\00:23:27.42
exactly what
you're thinking?" Hmmm...
00:23:27.45\00:23:30.51
and I said, "That makes sense"
I said, "you know there is a lot
00:23:30.54\00:23:35.49
of things I always wanted
to say... always wanted to say
00:23:35.52\00:23:37.10
some tough things...
but always wanted to say...
00:23:37.13\00:23:39.09
and I went and did that...
00:23:39.13\00:23:40.76
I knelt down on my
knees, I said, "God,
00:23:40.80\00:23:43.75
first of all,
00:23:43.78\00:23:44.83
I don't even know if
I'm going crazy right now...
00:23:44.86\00:23:46.10
because I don't know
if I'm talking to myself,
00:23:46.13\00:23:48.41
I don't know if
that voice I'm hearing...
00:23:48.44\00:23:50.60
is you... or if it's
me... wanting to force myself
00:23:50.63\00:23:54.69
to believe that you're there,
00:23:54.72\00:23:55.96
I don't know if
it's a voice I'm hearing
00:23:56.00\00:23:57.66
because I was hypnotized
by some religious thoughts
00:23:57.69\00:24:00.21
that my grandparents
and parents put in... "
00:24:00.25\00:24:02.07
I said, "but here's what I
believe... as a businessman
00:24:02.11\00:24:05.85
the Bible, I
view, as a contract...
00:24:05.88\00:24:08.42
and if you wrote
something in this contract...
00:24:08.46\00:24:11.28
if it really is
your book, and you wrote
00:24:11.31\00:24:13.31
something that I remember,
00:24:13.34\00:24:15.10
that you shall search for
me and you will find me...
00:24:15.13\00:24:19.09
when you search for
me with all your heart...
00:24:19.12\00:24:20.50
if you did really write that...
God, I would like to know
00:24:20.53\00:24:24.66
two things and two
things only, number one...
00:24:24.69\00:24:29.10
'Are you really
there?' I don't want to go to a
00:24:29.14\00:24:31.56
Bible Study...
because I don't even believe
00:24:31.60\00:24:33.95
the Bible necessarily I
don't know if it's true or not
00:24:33.99\00:24:36.23
I don't want the
Pastor to preach to me...
00:24:36.26\00:24:38.40
because what do
I have to do now...
00:24:38.43\00:24:39.72
do I have to go to
every single religion
00:24:39.76\00:24:41.02
and find out... I
don't have time for that... "
00:24:41.05\00:24:42.63
I said, "God, if you are God,
two things I want to know only,
00:24:42.66\00:24:48.04
'Are you there?'
and 'Who are you?'"
00:24:48.08\00:24:51.78
Hmmm... wow... and...
00:24:51.81\00:24:56.15
And that's what you told
God on your knees that night...
00:24:56.18\00:25:01.84
That's what I told
God... and I heard the voice
00:25:01.87\00:25:04.58
come back to me and
say, "Well, if I am God...
00:25:04.61\00:25:07.25
for us to have this conversation
come clean with me...
00:25:07.28\00:25:10.11
try this and see if it works. "
00:25:10.15\00:25:12.82
I remember reading
years later Sister White says,
00:25:12.86\00:25:15.65
"We need to have an experimental
knowledge of God... "
00:25:15.69\00:25:18.10
Hmmm... hmmm... You don't know
00:25:18.14\00:25:19.98
if the formula works
unless you try it exactly
00:25:20.01\00:25:22.79
as the formula
says... Hmmm... hmmm...
00:25:22.83\00:25:24.80
so God said,
"Tell the truth... "
00:25:24.84\00:25:26.74
and I remember an old
movie called "A Few Good Men"
00:25:26.77\00:25:29.63
and I said, "God, can
you handle the truth?"
00:25:29.66\00:25:32.39
and I heard the voice
say, "Just tell the truth...
00:25:32.42\00:25:35.51
just say it with respect
tell it with your whole heart. "
00:25:35.54\00:25:39.01
I said, "God, to be honest,
I've never seen an angel,
00:25:39.04\00:25:42.44
I've never seen a miracle,
I heard all these grandmothers
00:25:42.47\00:25:45.26
and folks
testifying what they've seen...
00:25:45.29\00:25:47.75
I've never seen it...
I've never heard your voice
00:25:47.79\00:25:50.43
speaking to me... you
know, I don't even know
00:25:50.47\00:25:53.00
if you are
speaking to me now," I said,
00:25:53.03\00:25:55.15
"in fact, I don't know
if you are He, She or It...
00:25:55.19\00:25:59.02
I don't know if you're
Black, White, Purple or Plaid...
00:25:59.05\00:26:01.36
God, I don't know... " I said,
00:26:01.40\00:26:04.15
"but what I do
know... if you do exist...
00:26:04.18\00:26:06.13
if you are a God, there
should be nothing impossible
00:26:06.16\00:26:10.04
for you to do...
if you are God...
00:26:10.07\00:26:12.34
and so, I'm not
going to tell you...
00:26:12.38\00:26:14.58
what to do... to
show me that you exist...
00:26:14.62\00:26:17.21
you created me...
you know me better
00:26:17.24\00:26:19.74
than I know
myself... so, I don't even know
00:26:19.77\00:26:21.71
what to ask you to
do... I'm skeptical...
00:26:21.75\00:26:23.62
I live in New York... I'm
skeptical about everything
00:26:23.65\00:26:26.85
so God, whatever it is
you know that I need to see...
00:26:26.89\00:26:30.05
to know that you
exist, do that... "
00:26:30.09\00:26:33.44
Wow, and tell us...
we have about a minute
00:26:33.48\00:26:36.45
I cannot believe
that... that's all we have...
00:26:36.49\00:26:39.69
what did God do... in
terms of your ministry
00:26:39.73\00:26:42.39
and we're going to put
your contact information up
00:26:42.43\00:26:45.06
so that people can reach you...
00:26:45.09\00:26:47.09
what are you doing for God now?
00:26:47.12\00:26:48.75
Oh, wow, after God
gave me all the evidence
00:26:48.78\00:26:51.96
that I needed to
see... because the Bible says
00:26:51.99\00:26:54.40
He would do that... I
am preaching, teaching,
00:26:54.43\00:26:56.80
sharing, helping
people in business...
00:26:56.84\00:27:01.16
getting folks to get jobs,
practical, daily, tangible...
00:27:01.20\00:27:06.09
"can I see God in
the daily works" thing...
00:27:06.16\00:27:08.87
so God inspired me to
start a ministry called
00:27:08.90\00:27:11.55
SeekNSave Ministries...
not just on the spiritual side
00:27:11.58\00:27:14.57
but also on the
physical... Yes...
00:27:14.61\00:27:16.31
side as well
too... and God has blessed
00:27:16.35\00:27:18.67
I've been able to go to
different places in the world
00:27:18.70\00:27:22.07
churches, schools, businesses,
and people's homes...
00:27:22.10\00:27:25.40
And if they reach out to you...
people reach out to you...
00:27:25.44\00:27:28.22
you will respond
and let them know
00:27:28.25\00:27:30.94
that you can come and
minister to their churches
00:27:30.97\00:27:33.44
and young people... Yes...
00:27:33.48\00:27:34.83
I can't believe
our time is up...
00:27:34.86\00:27:37.02
this has been so good...
and I know that there is more
00:27:37.06\00:27:39.76
to the story... so,
you know, we're going
00:27:39.80\00:27:42.15
to have you come back again...
Oh... God willing, God willing
00:27:42.19\00:27:43.75
and give us Part 2...
00:27:43.78\00:27:45.38
yes... thank you so
much... for being with us...
00:27:45.41\00:27:49.10
God bless you... Amen...
00:27:49.13\00:27:50.28
Well, that's the end of
our Program for today...
00:27:50.32\00:27:52.87
I don't even know
where the time went...
00:27:52.90\00:27:54.91
but we know that God is good...
00:27:54.94\00:27:56.70
and God blesses...
00:27:56.74\00:27:57.87
Thank you so
much for tuning in...
00:27:57.91\00:27:59.55
join us next
time... you know what...
00:27:59.58\00:28:01.16
it just wouldn't be
the same without you...
00:28:01.19\00:28:03.96