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
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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...
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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...
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my parents... after
watching us go to Church...
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they started
coming to Church, Okay...
00:08:24.67\00:08:27.57
so, my father started coming,
and my mother was coming,
00:08:27.60\00:08:30.74
and after a while
they got so involved
00:08:30.77\00:08:32.57
and they got re-baptized
and they got dedicated...
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and by the time I got to
Junior High School though,
00:08:35.71\00:08:38.78
the music was in
my system... Hmmm...
00:08:38.81\00:08:41.28
as one of the old
songs used to say,
00:08:41.32\00:08:43.69
"Must be the music... "
and the music was in my system
00:08:43.72\00:08:48.46
and during that time,
in Junior High School...
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that's when a new type of
music was coming on the scene,
00:08:51.79\00:08:55.06
music by the name of hip-hop...
00:08:55.10\00:08:56.93
that took the rhythm from
reggae and some of the lyrics
00:08:56.97\00:09:01.77
and put that together,
00:09:01.80\00:09:03.54
over what's called the "groove"
00:09:03.57\00:09:05.77
in the song... that's
where the part of the song jams
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and it grabbed me...
it arrested my attention
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because you take simple lyrics,
and put it to the right beat,
00:09:11.81\00:09:15.82
and it drives it
in like a hammer...
00:09:15.85\00:09:18.69
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...
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I see how
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hip-hop and rap music
00:09:32.23\00:09:34.10
have decimated our Communities
00:09:34.14\00:09:36.07
Absolutely...
because... just what you said,
00:09:36.10\00:09:39.31
you take the rhythm
and you take the rhyme...
00:09:39.34\00:09:42.48
and you put it together
00:09:42.51\00:09:44.28
in such a way...
that it gets into your
00:09:44.31\00:09:45.95
sub-conscious mind
and shapes your values...
00:09:45.98\00:09:48.85
Absolutely... and
that is one of the
00:09:48.88\00:09:51.19
big things to
me... that's going on
00:09:51.22\00:09:53.46
in our Communities right now,
00:09:53.49\00:09:54.79
the music that makes
people objectified...
00:09:54.82\00:09:59.23
the opposite
sex... Absolutely...
00:09:59.26\00:10:03.30
so that there's
all this fornication,
00:10:03.33\00:10:05.23
all the adultery, the violence,
00:10:05.27\00:10:07.47
all of these things are going
on because people are being
00:10:07.50\00:10:10.84
influenced by the music...
00:10:10.87\00:10:12.41
Absolutely... you
know, what I realize
00:10:12.44\00:10:15.81
because being there and
watching... hip-hop take form
00:10:15.84\00:10:19.78
meaning watching the very first
founding fathers of this thing
00:10:19.81\00:10:23.59
starting it... you see Satan
00:10:23.62\00:10:26.69
in hindsight at work
00:10:26.72\00:10:29.12
Hmmm... hmmm...
hip-hop started as, you know,
00:10:29.16\00:10:31.09
happy, fun, you
know, they spoke about
00:10:31.13\00:10:34.60
socializing...
getting along together,
00:10:34.63\00:10:36.77
and that's how it started...
00:10:36.80\00:10:37.93
so everyone got drawn out
to have fun in the summer time
00:10:37.97\00:10:41.24
and after a while... the
message begins to change,
00:10:41.27\00:10:45.97
Hmmm... and it begins to be,
00:10:46.01\00:10:47.74
"Hey, look at this
one... look at that one... "
00:10:47.78\00:10:50.68
and then it changes
again... and it begins to be
00:10:50.71\00:10:53.55
you know, "Hey,
look what I have...
00:10:53.58\00:10:55.48
what you don't have
and look what these drugs
00:10:55.52\00:10:58.19
can get me... " and
it begins to shape that
00:10:58.22\00:11:00.82
message... and
now you begin to see
00:11:00.86\00:11:03.43
things through the eyes of
the person who was "ministering"
00:11:03.46\00:11:07.66
Hmmm... unknowingly for Satan...
00:11:07.73\00:11:09.93
through that song...
and so we looked at women
00:11:09.96\00:11:13.34
in a certain
way... after a while
00:11:13.37\00:11:15.04
we looked at
drugs in a certain way
00:11:15.07\00:11:16.71
we looked at
money in a certain way,
00:11:16.74\00:11:19.14
we looked at
Church, in a certain way...
00:11:19.17\00:11:22.48
and that music and
that lifestyle gets in...
00:11:22.51\00:11:25.71
music is a spiritual thing,
it is... music... it reaches you
00:11:25.75\00:11:31.15
in a certain place
that mere words cannot...
00:11:31.19\00:11:34.39
Absolutely... So
music can either draw us
00:11:34.42\00:11:37.59
to God... Hmmm... hmmm..
00:11:37.63\00:11:38.83
or away from
Him... Definitely...
00:11:38.86\00:11:40.70
and that's one of the things
that hip-hop and rap music
00:11:40.73\00:11:44.87
is doing... just like you said,
00:11:44.90\00:11:46.97
it started out...
just like television...
00:11:47.00\00:11:49.40
Yes... we could never have shown
00:11:49.44\00:11:52.07
the stuff that's
on television now...
00:11:52.11\00:11:53.51
if television had come out
with explicit sexual things
00:11:53.54\00:11:57.25
we could have never
have shown that stuff
00:11:57.28\00:11:58.78
when it first came out...
Yes... I remember when they had
00:11:58.81\00:12:01.18
a rule that when
two folks were in a room
00:12:01.22\00:12:03.49
husband and wife...
their hands had to be
00:12:03.52\00:12:05.69
on top of the
sheets and those things...
00:12:05.72\00:12:07.96
and now... there
were separate beds...
00:12:07.99\00:12:10.19
Yes... I Love Lucy...
00:12:10.23\00:12:14.23
and now...
00:12:14.30\00:12:15.46
the whole transformation...
00:12:15.50\00:12:16.40
and that's what the
book of Jude says...
00:12:16.43\00:12:18.07
"they creep in unawares" Hmmm...
00:12:18.10\00:12:20.80
the book of Jude
said... Hmmm... Hmmm...
00:12:20.84\00:12:22.47
when I do a music
ministry, evangelism program
00:12:22.50\00:12:25.11
I speak about the
fact that the root meaning
00:12:25.14\00:12:27.71
of the word
"music" means "to muse"
00:12:27.74\00:12:31.41
which means "to think
deeply" and "muse" also means
00:12:31.45\00:12:34.78
"the art of the muses"
which are the spirits that
00:12:34.82\00:12:38.15
inspire the song
in the first place...
00:12:38.19\00:12:39.89
Hmmm... very deep stuff...
00:12:39.92\00:12:42.49
Hmmm... very deep...
00:12:42.52\00:12:43.59
so, you got involved
with the fathers... of hip-hop
00:12:43.63\00:12:47.76
Absolutely...
Tell us about that...
00:12:47.83\00:12:49.23
Well, you know, going
into that hip-hop scene
00:12:49.26\00:12:52.40
and seeing early fathers...
guys like Grandmaster Flash
00:12:52.43\00:12:56.67
and half of the folks
00:12:56.71\00:12:58.77
watching this... might
not recognize those things
00:12:58.81\00:13:00.78
but these are
folks who started it
00:13:00.81\00:13:02.48
Our young people know though...
00:13:02.51\00:13:04.15
Yes, and we got
really interested in it...
00:13:04.18\00:13:06.28
by the time we
got to high school...
00:13:06.31\00:13:07.68
now... I was in high
school in Music and Art
00:13:07.72\00:13:10.05
Oh... You know the movie
00:13:10.09\00:13:11.65
"Fame" had come
out... and you know...
00:13:11.69\00:13:13.42
we were popular and so...
00:13:13.46\00:13:15.12
I got involved
in a young group...
00:13:15.16\00:13:17.63
that we started together
to write these rhymes...
00:13:17.66\00:13:20.13
and we formed
00:13:20.16\00:13:22.50
a style of hip-hop
00:13:22.53\00:13:23.70
known as the art
of storytelling...
00:13:23.73\00:13:25.37
where now, you can intentionally
take something that you want
00:13:25.40\00:13:29.00
to say... and
put it into the song
00:13:29.04\00:13:31.91
and speak a story...
and those songs became
00:13:31.94\00:13:37.68
very popular... a
guy by the name of
00:13:37.71\00:13:39.98
Richard Walters
who went on to be
00:13:40.02\00:13:42.18
known as hip-hop
storyteller Slick Rick...
00:13:42.22\00:13:45.02
Oh, I've even heard that
name... became really popular
00:13:45.05\00:13:48.66
and another guy by
the name of Dana Dane...
00:13:48.69\00:13:51.69
became popular... and
we all started that Group
00:13:51.73\00:13:54.63
and they went on
to become world famous
00:13:54.66\00:13:57.23
and I dipped out at
that time because God had
00:13:57.27\00:14:01.40
run an interception in my life.
00:14:01.44\00:14:03.41
Okay... well
let's talk about that...
00:14:03.44\00:14:04.97
Okay, so you got into
this whole hip-hop scene...
00:14:05.01\00:14:11.05
which involved everything
that the "Scene" involved right?
00:14:11.08\00:14:16.79
Yes... Tell us
a little bit about
00:14:16.82\00:14:18.55
there... because we need to
know where God brought you from
00:14:18.59\00:14:21.12
to this place... You
know, what the "Scene"
00:14:21.16\00:14:23.93
involved was that...
you know, when you sign
00:14:23.96\00:14:26.93
a contract... to a
recording company...
00:14:26.96\00:14:29.80
there are particular things
that they want to project...
00:14:29.83\00:14:33.23
there are
particular things that sell...
00:14:33.27\00:14:36.04
that if you fit
that image, that is what
00:14:36.07\00:14:38.77
is going to be projected...
00:14:38.81\00:14:39.94
and also... you are responsible
for being creative...
00:14:39.97\00:14:43.75
in things that you
believe people would sell
00:14:43.78\00:14:47.18
and as the saying goes...
"Sex sells... money sells...
00:14:47.22\00:14:52.69
fame sells... " and we
would write songs about
00:14:52.72\00:14:56.12
these things and, you know,
00:14:56.16\00:14:58.53
and you have to go
to the environment...
00:14:58.56\00:15:00.66
just like when you are in Church
00:15:00.70\00:15:02.00
you come to an
environment that's conducive
00:15:02.03\00:15:04.90
to learning things
for that particular
00:15:04.93\00:15:07.70
business...
00:15:07.74\00:15:08.90
as Jesus said, "I must be
about my Father's business... "
00:15:08.94\00:15:10.94
Right... when we came to the
00:15:10.97\00:15:12.34
music industry...
we had to write things
00:15:12.37\00:15:14.24
and do things that are
conducive to that business...
00:15:14.28\00:15:17.88
that message...
that lifestyle...
00:15:17.91\00:15:20.85
so, when I compared it to Church
00:15:20.88\00:15:24.52
at eyes-view it
was phenomenal...
00:15:24.55\00:15:27.06
you know, the parties... so
to speak... never stopped...
00:15:27.09\00:15:29.96
and the money is coming
in... the friends and...
00:15:29.99\00:15:32.49
you know, we're catching planes
and we signed a contract...
00:15:32.53\00:15:35.60
we signed a
contract with a couple of
00:15:35.63\00:15:37.57
different Record
Companies... and got advances of
00:15:37.60\00:15:41.37
tens of thousands of dollars
00:15:41.40\00:15:42.80
and go out and
buy cars with cash and
00:15:42.84\00:15:45.34
get women at the parties...
00:15:45.37\00:15:46.51
and I just got so
caught up in that...
00:15:46.54\00:15:49.81
Hmmm... that if
nothing stopped me...
00:15:49.84\00:15:53.05
I don't think... I
wouldn't be sitting here
00:15:53.08\00:15:55.85
right now... I got
so caught up in it...
00:15:55.88\00:15:58.59
As is... because I was
in the music business too...
00:15:58.62\00:16:02.52
and I truly know
that it is so seductive
00:16:02.56\00:16:05.43
that little by little...
it just sucks you in...
00:16:05.46\00:16:08.83
you just get sucked
into it, Hard to come out...
00:16:08.86\00:16:12.23
and it's hard to
come out... so how did God
00:16:12.27\00:16:15.24
start bringing you
out... what did you do?
00:16:15.27\00:16:18.14
Oh Wow, the first
interception I call it...
00:16:18.17\00:16:20.98
it's like
you're playing football
00:16:21.01\00:16:22.18
and the devil throws you a
pass and you're about to make
00:16:22.21\00:16:24.71
the goal and God
says, "No, interception... "
00:16:24.75\00:16:27.02
Yes... yes... and the
first interception I got
00:16:27.05\00:16:29.25
I was coming out
of high school...
00:16:29.28\00:16:30.79
and but still kind of visiting
Church every now and then...
00:16:30.82\00:16:34.66
but by this time... God
was not even in my mind...
00:16:34.69\00:16:38.26
even though I was
going to Church...
00:16:38.29\00:16:39.46
and through the
whole womanizing thing...
00:16:39.49\00:16:43.37
and the way
women were treated...
00:16:43.40\00:16:45.03
I ended up getting
one of the young ladies
00:16:45.07\00:16:48.37
in the Church
pregnant... and it was a
00:16:48.40\00:16:51.64
huge shock... and then
my father did something
00:16:51.67\00:16:55.48
in my life...
that his father did...
00:16:55.51\00:16:57.01
he grabbed me and said,
00:16:57.05\00:16:59.28
"You, are going to work...
00:16:59.31\00:17:01.48
you are not going to
be an irresponsible father
00:17:01.52\00:17:04.55
you're going to work...
you're going to get a job... "
00:17:04.59\00:17:07.39
so now... I have to work,
you know, you're trying to go
00:17:07.42\00:17:10.19
to the Studio...
you know the Studio time
00:17:10.23\00:17:12.16
is we're there till 2
or 3 o'clock in the morning
00:17:12.19\00:17:15.23
and then you got to
get up to go to work...
00:17:15.26\00:17:16.33
and it just staggered
me... and I couldn't put out
00:17:16.36\00:17:20.94
as much as I wanted
to... so that contract
00:17:20.97\00:17:23.71
had to be put to the
side... and it slowed me down
00:17:23.74\00:17:27.81
not knowing... it was God
putting some reins on me...
00:17:27.84\00:17:31.91
That's right...
putting some reins on me...
00:17:31.95\00:17:33.52
that was His first interception,
and after that, you know,
00:17:33.55\00:17:36.45
at the job now... the
devil did his work again...
00:17:36.48\00:17:39.49
so what, you got more money
now, you can go to more clubs
00:17:39.52\00:17:42.86
and more women and you
can write more songs...
00:17:42.89\00:17:45.09
pay for more Studio
time... I did that...
00:17:45.13\00:17:47.40
I totally forgot about
my daughter that was born...
00:17:47.40\00:17:50.00
absent from her
life... and more womanizing...
00:17:50.03\00:17:53.13
more money... and
growing in the Corporate World
00:17:53.17\00:17:56.27
at the same time...
00:17:56.30\00:17:57.44
Hmmm... it's so
interesting to me...
00:17:57.47\00:18:00.31
that... wherever you're planted,
you throw yourself into that
00:18:00.34\00:18:06.68
Yes... so, you threw yourself
00:18:06.72\00:18:08.58
into the music industry
and you were getting paid,
00:18:08.62\00:18:12.22
then you threw yourself
into Corporate America...
00:18:12.25\00:18:17.19
and you started getting
paid... so, it attests to
00:18:17.23\00:18:21.63
the character... that
you have... meaning...
00:18:21.66\00:18:24.40
you're
focused... Hmmm... hmmm...
00:18:24.43\00:18:26.37
but you were
misfocused... Yes...
00:18:26.40\00:18:29.04
how did God...
turn your focus to Him?
00:18:29.07\00:18:32.17
you know, I got to
the point in my life...
00:18:32.21\00:18:35.24
where I saw the
huge opportunities...
00:18:35.28\00:18:39.18
both in music in Corporate...
I saw musically where
00:18:39.21\00:18:43.49
this hip-hop thing
and then after that...
00:18:43.52\00:18:45.75
the reggae dance whole thing
00:18:45.79\00:18:48.72
that I got
immersed into as well...
00:18:48.76\00:18:50.03
I saw it was trending...
and how huge it was getting...
00:18:50.06\00:18:53.33
and I would listen to
other folks' things and say,
00:18:53.36\00:18:55.80
"That's what they're
getting million dollars for...
00:18:55.83\00:18:58.27
we can do that... "
and I was getting ready
00:18:58.30\00:19:00.54
to do that... and
also Produce some folks,
00:19:00.57\00:19:02.74
and then Corporately, I
was beginning to grow...
00:19:02.77\00:19:06.04
because, you know,
what I learned about Satan
00:19:06.07\00:19:08.44
is that he's so
successful because he uses
00:19:08.48\00:19:10.81
God's principles... Hmmm...
00:19:10.85\00:19:13.15
"Whatsoever your
hands find to do... "
00:19:13.18\00:19:15.22
"do it with all your might... "
00:19:15.25\00:19:16.45
so we were doing
everything with all our might
00:19:16.48\00:19:19.19
but for the wrong
reward... Right...
00:19:19.22\00:19:21.69
and the successes in
that world were coming...
00:19:21.72\00:19:24.36
and so I got to a
six-figure salary...
00:19:24.39\00:19:26.90
and, you know,
got to the contracts
00:19:26.93\00:19:29.43
that were making
me some good money...
00:19:29.46\00:19:32.00
and after that...
00:19:32.03\00:19:33.67
I said... you
know, "I'm going to...
00:19:33.70\00:19:35.07
I want to start my
own Record Label...
00:19:35.10\00:19:36.47
I don't want to be
working for Pharaoh anymore... "
00:19:36.50\00:19:39.67
I would build my own Egypt...
and I was on my way to do that
00:19:39.71\00:19:43.18
and God knew that...
00:19:43.21\00:19:45.45
as deep as I go...
00:19:45.48\00:19:47.65
I couldn't go any
further than that...
00:19:47.68\00:19:49.28
so, I was reading a book...
a Time Management book...
00:19:49.32\00:19:52.95
by a gentleman by the
name of Hyrum Smith...
00:19:52.99\00:19:54.49
who worked with Stephen Covey...
00:19:54.52\00:19:56.46
"The 7 Habits of
Highly Effective People"
00:19:56.49\00:19:58.13
Oh yeah... yes...
there's a book called the
00:19:58.16\00:19:59.69
"10 Natural Laws of Successful
Time and Life Management"
00:19:59.73\00:20:02.80
so, going through the book
and the first thing I run into
00:20:02.83\00:20:05.63
is... I want to thank my
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...
00:20:05.67\00:20:08.34
and I say,
"What? skip over it... "
00:20:08.37\00:20:12.07
and I go into this
book and it says...
00:20:12.11\00:20:15.38
"You have to know
what your values are
00:20:15.41\00:20:17.98
in order for you to
manage your time... "
00:20:18.01\00:20:20.68
Ah ha... so it
gave us an exercise...
00:20:20.72\00:20:23.39
write down what
your values are...
00:20:23.42\00:20:26.29
so you can manage
your time better...
00:20:26.32\00:20:29.42
No problem... Life,
money, cars, girls...
00:20:29.46\00:20:32.49
and I'm writing these down...
and I hear a little voice
00:20:32.53\00:20:35.36
in the back of my mind say,
00:20:35.40\00:20:36.70
"Shouldn't you
put God on that list?"
00:20:36.73\00:20:39.70
Hmmm... now this
must be something
00:20:39.73\00:20:42.00
that was ministered
to me years before...
00:20:42.04\00:20:44.24
and it was
bothering my conscience...
00:20:44.27\00:20:46.41
and I was sitting at my
desk in my Corporate Office
00:20:46.44\00:20:49.18
and I said, "Tsk...
15 years... I haven't
00:20:49.21\00:20:53.75
even looked at God
or gone to Church... "
00:20:53.78\00:20:57.09
and the voice came back again,
00:20:57.12\00:20:59.05
"Shouldn't you at least
put God on your 'values list?'"
00:20:59.09\00:21:03.66
Hmmm... and I was
ignoring it then...
00:21:03.69\00:21:06.19
and so it spoke
"Business Language"
00:21:06.23\00:21:08.40
because I was
now a businessman...
00:21:08.43\00:21:10.60
and the business language
that, what I know now know
00:21:10.63\00:21:14.34
as the Holy Spirit, spoke was,
"Listen, shouldn't you at least
00:21:14.37\00:21:19.04
hedge your bet...
because one day, if you die,
00:21:19.07\00:21:23.01
and there is a
God... forget it...
00:21:23.04\00:21:25.75
you're living as
if there's no God...
00:21:25.78\00:21:28.38
but shouldn't you at
least hedge your bet...
00:21:28.42\00:21:30.59
play safe... put God on the
list just in case there is... "
00:21:30.62\00:21:33.12
I said, "that
makes little sense... "
00:21:33.15\00:21:36.06
and then,
something that the Bible says
00:21:36.09\00:21:37.99
also happened... my
boss who was the first
00:21:38.03\00:21:40.96
Senior Afro-centric
Senior Vice President
00:21:41.00\00:21:43.90
at the Company...
00:21:43.93\00:21:45.03
I went to see him one day,
00:21:45.07\00:21:46.37
and he gave me that statement...
he said, "You know Lance,
00:21:46.40\00:21:49.57
I've heard it said,
it's better to live your life
00:21:49.60\00:21:51.91
as if there is a God,
and find out there's not...
00:21:51.94\00:21:54.24
than to live your
life as if there's no God
00:21:54.28\00:21:57.28
and find out that
there is... " Hmmm...
00:21:57.31\00:21:58.95
so I went right back
and put God on my list.
00:21:58.98\00:22:00.88
Hmmm... Then
exercise number 2 came,
00:22:00.92\00:22:03.15
Each day... if these are
the things you really value
00:22:03.18\00:22:06.45
you have to do
something towards that...
00:22:06.49\00:22:09.36
so now, God is on my list
and I have to do something...
00:22:09.39\00:22:13.36
and for weeks, I'm
skipping over God's name...
00:22:13.40\00:22:16.06
Hmmm... hmmm... doing
more things for my wife
00:22:16.10\00:22:18.73
and children... until one day
I get that voice come back again
00:22:18.77\00:22:23.07
you haven't done
anything for God yet...
00:22:23.10\00:22:25.81
so, I said, "Okay,
what am I going to do?"
00:22:25.84\00:22:29.88
and I heard the voice say,
00:22:29.91\00:22:31.88
"Whatever you do,
tell the truth... "
00:22:31.91\00:22:34.42
"Whatever you do,
tell the truth... "
00:22:34.45\00:22:36.89
I'm lying in bed, it's
3 o'clock in the morning
00:22:36.92\00:22:39.82
my wife, at the time,
is lying next to me...
00:22:39.85\00:22:42.66
I said, "What am I going to
do? I haven't been to Church,
00:22:42.69\00:22:47.00
I haven't prayed
to God for 15 years...
00:22:47.03\00:22:48.43
I don't even know... " I
didn't even know if there
00:22:48.46\00:22:50.20
is a God... I don't even know...
00:22:50.23\00:22:52.63
if there is a God...
and if there is a God...
00:22:52.67\00:22:54.30
who is He or She or It,
because I wasn't just going
00:22:54.34\00:22:58.57
to be... I wasn't just
going to super-impose...
00:22:58.61\00:23:02.44
Right... you know,
00:23:02.48\00:23:04.11
what I had been
taught, not even upon myself...
00:23:04.15\00:23:06.82
Right... you know,
so, if I've never seen
00:23:06.85\00:23:09.75
God, how do I know it's a man...
00:23:09.78\00:23:11.35
maybe we're looking at it
from a male-dominated society
00:23:11.39\00:23:13.62
and, I heard the
voice come back again...
00:23:13.66\00:23:16.19
and it said, "Well, whoever
God is or whatever God is...
00:23:16.22\00:23:20.20
don't you at least know
that you should tell the truth
00:23:20.23\00:23:24.13
because if God is
God, shouldn't He know
00:23:24.17\00:23:27.30
exactly what
you're thinking?" Hmmm...
00:23:27.34\00:23:30.41
and I said, "That makes sense"
I said, "you know there is a lot
00:23:30.44\00:23:35.38
of things I always wanted
to say... always wanted to say
00:23:35.41\00:23:36.98
some tough things...
but always wanted to say...
00:23:37.01\00:23:38.98
and I went and did that...
00:23:39.01\00:23:40.68
I knelt down on my
knees, I said, "God,
00:23:40.72\00:23:43.65
first of all,
00:23:43.69\00:23:44.72
I don't even know if
I'm going crazy right now...
00:23:44.75\00:23:45.99
because I don't know
if I'm talking to myself,
00:23:46.02\00:23:48.32
I don't know if
that voice I'm hearing...
00:23:48.36\00:23:50.49
is you... or if it's
me... wanting to force myself
00:23:50.53\00:23:54.56
to believe that you're there,
00:23:54.60\00:23:55.86
I don't know if
it's a voice I'm hearing
00:23:55.90\00:23:57.53
because I was hypnotized
by some religious thoughts
00:23:57.57\00:24:00.10
that my grandparents
and parents put in... "
00:24:00.14\00:24:01.97
I said, "but here's what I
believe... as a businessman
00:24:02.00\00:24:05.74
the Bible, I
view, as a contract...
00:24:05.77\00:24:08.31
and if you wrote
something in this contract...
00:24:08.34\00:24:11.18
if it really is
your book, and you wrote
00:24:11.21\00:24:13.21
something that I remember,
00:24:13.25\00:24:14.98
that you shall search for
me and you will find me...
00:24:15.02\00:24:18.99
when you search for
me with all your heart...
00:24:19.02\00:24:20.39
if you did really write that...
God, I would like to know
00:24:20.42\00:24:24.56
two things and two
things only, number one...
00:24:24.59\00:24:29.00
'Are you really
there?' I don't want to go to a
00:24:29.03\00:24:31.47
Bible Study...
because I don't even believe
00:24:31.50\00:24:33.84
the Bible necessarily I
don't know if it's true or not
00:24:33.87\00:24:36.10
I don't want the
Pastor to preach to me...
00:24:36.14\00:24:38.27
because what do
I have to do now...
00:24:38.31\00:24:39.61
do I have to go to
every single religion
00:24:39.64\00:24:40.91
and find out... I
don't have time for that... "
00:24:40.94\00:24:42.51
I said, "God, if you are God,
two things I want to know only,
00:24:42.54\00:24:47.95
'Are you there?'
and 'Who are you?'"
00:24:47.98\00:24:51.69
Hmmm... wow... and...
00:24:51.72\00:24:56.06
And that's what you told
God on your knees that night...
00:24:56.09\00:25:01.73
That's what I told
God... and I heard the voice
00:25:01.76\00:25:04.47
come back to me and
say, "Well, if I am God...
00:25:04.50\00:25:07.14
for us to have this conversation
come clean with me...
00:25:07.17\00:25:10.01
try this and see if it works. "
00:25:10.04\00:25:12.71
I remember reading
years later Sister White says,
00:25:12.74\00:25:15.54
"We need to have an experimental
knowledge of God... "
00:25:15.58\00:25:18.01
Hmmm... hmmm... You don't know
00:25:18.05\00:25:19.88
if the formula works
unless you try it exactly
00:25:19.91\00:25:22.68
as the formula
says... Hmmm... hmmm...
00:25:22.72\00:25:24.72
so God said,
"Tell the truth... "
00:25:24.75\00:25:26.65
and I remember an old
movie called "A Few Good Men"
00:25:26.69\00:25:29.52
and I said, "God, can
you handle the truth?"
00:25:29.56\00:25:32.29
and I heard the voice
say, "Just tell the truth...
00:25:32.33\00:25:35.40
just say it with respect
tell it with your whole heart. "
00:25:35.43\00:25:38.90
I said, "God, to be honest,
I've never seen an angel,
00:25:38.93\00:25:42.34
I've never seen a miracle,
I heard all these grandmothers
00:25:42.37\00:25:45.14
and folks
testifying what they've seen...
00:25:45.17\00:25:47.64
I've never seen it...
I've never heard your voice
00:25:47.68\00:25:50.35
speaking to me... you
know, I don't even know
00:25:50.38\00:25:52.88
if you are
speaking to me now," I said,
00:25:52.91\00:25:55.05
"in fact, I don't know
if you are He, She or It...
00:25:55.08\00:25:58.92
I don't know if you're
Black, White, Purple or Plaid...
00:25:58.95\00:26:01.29
God, I don't know... " I said,
00:26:01.32\00:26:04.06
"but what I do
know... if you do exist...
00:26:04.09\00:26:06.03
if you are a God, there
should be nothing impossible
00:26:06.06\00:26:09.93
for you to do...
if you are God...
00:26:09.96\00:26:12.23
and so, I'm not
going to tell you...
00:26:12.27\00:26:14.47
what to do... to
show me that you exist...
00:26:14.50\00:26:17.11
you created me...
you know me better
00:26:17.14\00:26:19.64
than I know
myself... so, I don't even know
00:26:19.67\00:26:21.61
what to ask you to
do... I'm skeptical...
00:26:21.64\00:26:23.51
I live in New York... I'm
skeptical about everything
00:26:23.55\00:26:26.75
so God, whatever it is
you know that I need to see...
00:26:26.78\00:26:29.95
to know that you
exist, do that... "
00:26:29.98\00:26:33.36
Wow, and tell us...
we have about a minute
00:26:33.39\00:26:36.36
I cannot believe
that... that's all we have...
00:26:36.39\00:26:39.59
what did God do... in
terms of your ministry
00:26:39.63\00:26:42.26
and we're going to put
your contact information up
00:26:42.30\00:26:44.93
so that people can reach you...
00:26:44.97\00:26:46.97
what are you doing for God now?
00:26:47.00\00:26:48.64
Oh, wow, after God
gave me all the evidence
00:26:48.67\00:26:51.84
that I needed to
see... because the Bible says
00:26:51.87\00:26:54.28
He would do that... I
am preaching, teaching,
00:26:54.31\00:26:56.71
sharing, helping
people in business...
00:26:56.75\00:27:01.08
getting folks to get jobs,
practical, daily, tangible...
00:27:01.12\00:27:06.02
"can I see God in
the daily works" thing...
00:27:06.05\00:27:08.79
so God inspired me to
start a ministry called
00:27:08.82\00:27:11.46
SeekNSave Ministries...
not just on the spiritual side
00:27:11.49\00:27:14.46
but also on the
physical... Yes...
00:27:14.50\00:27:16.20
side as well
too... and God has blessed
00:27:16.23\00:27:18.57
I've been able to go to
different places in the world
00:27:18.60\00:27:21.97
churches, schools, businesses,
and people's homes...
00:27:22.00\00:27:25.31
And if they reach out to you...
people reach out to you...
00:27:25.34\00:27:28.11
you will respond
and let them know
00:27:28.14\00:27:30.85
that you can come and
minister to their churches
00:27:30.88\00:27:33.35
and young people... Yes...
00:27:33.38\00:27:34.72
I can't believe
our time is up...
00:27:34.75\00:27:36.92
this has been so good...
and I know that there is more
00:27:36.95\00:27:39.69
to the story... so,
you know, we're going
00:27:39.72\00:27:42.06
to have you come back again...
Oh... God willing, God willing
00:27:42.09\00:27:43.66
and give us Part 2...
00:27:43.69\00:27:45.29
yes... thank you so
much... for being with us...
00:27:45.33\00:27:48.96
God bless you... Amen...
00:27:49.00\00:27:50.17
Well, that's the end of
our Program for today...
00:27:50.20\00:27:52.77
I don't even know
where the time went...
00:27:52.80\00:27:54.80
but we know that God is good...
00:27:54.84\00:27:56.60
and God blesses...
00:27:56.64\00:27:57.77
Thank you so
much for tuning in...
00:27:57.81\00:27:59.44
join us next
time... you know what...
00:27:59.47\00:28:01.04
it just wouldn't be
the same without you...
00:28:01.08\00:28:03.91