Participants:
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR190003A
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00:01 Stay tune to meet a man
00:02 who went from gang banging to baptizing. 00:05 My name is Yvonne Lewis-Shelton. 00:07 And I'm Jason Bradley, 00:08 and you're watching Urban Report. 00:36 Hello, and welcome to Urban Report. 00:38 Our guest today is evangelist Billy Mirander. 00:42 Welcome to Urban Report, evangelist Billy. 00:46 Thank you very much. 00:47 I'll wave at you because you're little far from me. 00:51 It is so great to have you to join us today 00:56 because we have a testimony for you that is so powerful. 01:01 Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. 01:03 Our guest today has written a book. 01:05 And I happened to meet his wife at Oakwood University. 01:10 And she gave me a copy of the book to review. 01:14 And as I read it, it's just powerful. 01:18 So we invited for the Billy 01:20 to come and share his testimony with you. 01:24 So we thank you just to keep me from having to say, 01:27 evangelist Billy, 01:28 I'm just gonna call you, Billy, is that all right? 01:29 That's okay. All right. 01:31 So you grew up in Jamaica, West Indies, right? 01:34 Yeah. 01:36 Tell us about your early years there? 01:37 Well, thank you very much for having me. 01:41 I grew up in Jamaica in St. Catherine. 01:43 I was born in Spanish town. 01:45 And I grow up in the Parish of St. Catherine and Kingston. 01:50 And while growing up, I grew up with my mom, my dad. 01:54 At a very early age, 01:56 between probably were just born until around five years old, 02:01 my mom and my dad broke up very early. 02:04 Their love affair didn't last for a long period of time. 02:08 And so there was a split. 02:10 My mom took us away from him. 02:12 And we went to reside with our grandparents, 02:16 which is her mother. 02:18 And we had other siblings who were living at the house, 02:22 along with my other aunties and my uncle. 02:25 So grew up an extended family home. 02:28 And life was very interesting at my grandmother. 02:31 My mother used to work in a bar, 02:34 where they sell alcohol beverage. 02:36 She used to work there 02:37 and she used to come home like 2-3am in the morning. 02:40 So in a very early age in my life, 02:43 my grandmother was the one who when my mom gone to work, 02:46 she'd be the one looking out for us. 02:49 You know, cooking the meals, 02:52 discipline, whenever beaten is to be given, 02:55 lashing, we get all those stuff 02:57 but I really loved for my grandmother. 02:59 Life was great growing up. 03:01 I never had anything to do with negative life 03:03 except positive in a strong family home, 03:07 but I never had a father figure in my life. 03:08 Right. 03:10 So after your dad left, 03:12 was there any more contact with him? 03:14 Did he kind of look in on you or was he just gone? 03:18 He was just gone. 03:19 My mom would send us sometimes to go to the house to for, 03:23 you know, financial support as my father. 03:26 Most of the times, he is not there. 03:28 But sometimes he's there and we'll get like, 03:32 you know, something very small. 03:34 But we always go there to ensure that we have something. 03:37 And then as a result of that, I remember now 03:41 growing up the last child for my grandmother, 03:43 which is my Aunt Maria Celestine Forte. 03:48 She had a, 03:49 was in a relationship at a time with a gentleman 03:52 she loved very much. 03:54 They got three beautiful kids overall produced together, 03:57 but at a very young age 04:00 they were together from high school days. 04:02 But he was very abusive. 04:04 And he used to beat my aunt almost every single day. 04:07 Did they live together? 04:08 Yes. Mm-hmm. 04:10 In the same family home 'cause my aunt had a own room 04:13 so he would come and sleep there. 04:15 Okay. 04:16 And the beating, the hitting was so much. 04:20 Her mother said to her "Maria, you need to leave this guy. 04:24 Yes, he's is gonna kill you." 04:25 And she replies to her mom, "Mom, he won't kill me, 04:29 he loves me that's why beats me." 04:31 Oh. Wow. 04:32 She thought that beating was love. 04:34 But he was obsessed, 04:35 my aunt used to work at the time in Old Harbor, 04:39 a plaza in Gateway Plaza. 04:41 She was working with wholesale where they sell grocery, 04:43 like a supermarket, 04:45 and he would pay people to watch her at her workplace. 04:47 He will pay men to watch her. 04:49 Wow. 04:50 And if her phone rings, and a male caller, 04:53 anyone calls or texts her who is a male, 04:56 someone of the opposite sex, 04:58 he will beat her, beat her, beat her, like this. 05:02 And she continued the relationship 05:04 after having the first child with him. 05:06 The second child he continues, but life became very dark. 05:12 Because her mother said to her, 05:14 "Maria, you need to leave this guy. 05:17 He's gonna kill you." 05:19 And so after that, the table of life changes. 05:23 I was at Old Harbor, as in the kindergarten school. 05:26 And my father was not a Christian, 05:28 but they love self for education. 05:31 So I went to the kindergarten's first 05:33 and then after that now was Old Harbor Primary School. 05:37 Being at Old Harbor Primary School now, 05:38 which is a public government school, 05:40 I remember transiting from there. 05:43 It reached a stage going towards a second grade, 05:46 third grade, fourth grade. 05:48 My life was a very interesting one. 05:50 I always those days used to enjoy 05:52 the company of older people 05:54 because I never had a father figure, 05:56 especially men who are older men. 05:59 I enjoy senior person's conversation. 06:02 So I'll be seen around those persons. 06:04 So I needed a father figure in my life, 06:06 I needed a bigger brother. 06:08 So anyone who I find as an older male figure, 06:12 I held them dear respectively. 06:14 But my grandmother was the champion, 06:17 you know, back in Jamaica, when most parents are working 06:21 there's always the grandparents taking care of the kids. 06:23 So the grandma really 06:24 held it together, held the family together. 06:26 Yes. 06:28 And so I love my grandmother very much, you know, 06:30 we had a great relationship together 06:32 but things changes because it's along the journey, 06:36 she ended up, she had cancer, found that she had cancer. 06:39 And when she had cancer now in the period of time 06:42 before that my mom has lost her job 06:45 while she was working in Kingston at a bar, 06:48 gunman came and rob the bar one of the night. 06:50 And she used to wear those, you know, 06:52 big earrings in all the ears and, 06:55 you know, they pulled out the ear's ring, 06:56 you know, 06:57 and she, it was really a traumatizing experience. 07:01 He pulled out. 07:02 He pulled out the ears. He's gonna split her ears. 07:03 Oh! 07:05 On both sides. Yeah. 07:06 And so when that happened now, she decided to give up the job. 07:09 And she decided to buy some clothing 07:13 and do sell enough clothes. 07:15 So she was in home with us again. 07:17 And so my grandmother took since she had cancer. 07:20 And between six to nine months she struggled 07:23 with the cancer back, you know hospital how? 07:26 But I remember something significantly, 07:28 she said, which is very crucial. 07:31 She called us in a room with all of us, 07:34 who are the other time are kids and grandkids. 07:37 When she look at daughter and said to her in the room, 07:39 "Maria, for the last time, I'm warning you, 07:43 you need to leave that guy, he's gonna kill you." 07:46 She pointed a finger to her, like this and said, 07:48 he's gonna kill you. 07:49 She replied again, "Mom, 07:51 he loves me that's why he beats me." 07:54 My grandmother went to the hospital all the time. 07:56 And a week later, my mom went to see her. 08:00 And it was a Sunday. 08:02 My mom said, she was there praying on the bed. 08:05 But after 08:06 she went to use the bathroom when she came back, 08:09 you know, she stopped breathing. 08:10 So she died, 08:12 when my grandma died was the first time in my life 08:15 I will recall as a young man crying. 08:17 How old were you? 08:19 When my grandmother died I was around 11-12 years old 08:23 when she died. 08:24 It was a very traumatizing experience 08:26 because I missed her very much. 08:27 Right. 08:29 And by God's grace, I'm hoping to see her 08:31 when Jesus come, but then it transit... 08:34 Now the year after my aunt finally 08:37 broke up the relationship with the same guy. 08:40 But he said, "If he can get her back, nobody else can get her." 08:44 And so she moved on with her life now. 08:47 But what happened interestingly when my grandma died, 08:49 the family split-up. 08:51 She was the one person who kept the family together. 08:54 Right. Right. 08:55 So when she died, everyone gone East, West, South, North. 09:00 So the family was split. 09:02 And as a result of that now 09:04 things transit where everyone lives different places. 09:08 So my aunt was living with her father. 09:11 And he decided to come by the house and make trouble 09:15 because he wanted back a relationship with her. 09:17 And... 09:19 Your aunt went to live with... 09:21 Her father. 09:22 Her father, and the man in her life 09:25 came back to try to have relationship with her? 09:27 Yes. 09:28 So he came to the father's house? 09:29 Yes. Okay. 09:31 To make trouble. Okay. 09:32 But she said no. 09:34 But he said, what, you know, what, 09:35 "If I can't have you, no one else can have you. 09:37 I need to have you back." 09:39 And he will do everything. 09:40 So he stopped giving her financial support 09:42 because she has three kids with her, just to get her. 09:45 So that didn't work because she was very independent lady. 09:48 So they went to court. 09:50 And my grandma told me, which is my grandmother sister, 09:53 that on the way out, he said to her, my aunt. 09:57 This will be the last time we go into a court case. 10:01 And normally, 10:02 I was at that time I went to Old Harbor High School, 10:05 I was in high school on seventh grade 10:06 in St. Catherine, Jamaica. 10:08 Every evening after school 10:10 I go to track and field training, 10:11 I was an athlete then. 10:13 Then I will accompany her, I go by workplace, 10:16 accompany her to get a cab to go home 10:18 or sometimes she walked go home, it's not far. 10:23 And so that particularly evening, 10:25 that was Thursday evening in November 2005, 10:28 as I was, I went to her workplace 10:30 she said to me Bonton, she called me that nickname. 10:33 I said, okay, aunty. 10:35 She said, this evening you can leave me, 10:37 you don't have to stay with me this evening. 10:38 I said, okay. 10:40 She said because I'm gonna stay a little later this evening. 10:43 I left her, 10:44 I went home with all my cousins will go together. 10:48 My aunt left work on a way going home 10:51 when two men approached her 10:53 and gave her two shot on her head and one at her back. 10:55 Oh, man. 10:57 And then we heard the news, we run to the crime scene. 11:00 My aunt was lying down there in a pool of blood 11:03 and she was pronounced dead. 11:08 Were these two men associated with the guy that was pursuing? 11:13 Very interesting question. 11:14 One of my classmates at a time in school, 11:17 I had several classmates, 11:18 and one of them lived in the community 11:20 where she was killed. 11:21 So at the crime scene, she pulled me aside and said 11:25 it was not secret. 11:27 Because the police saw it afterwards, 11:29 the night before my aunt was going home. 11:31 She overheard a conversation 11:33 with a gentleman saying to two men 11:35 who she knew from the ear, 11:36 I'm gonna pay you $40,000 to take out this lady. 11:40 She's my children's mother. 11:42 She don't want me back. 11:44 And I can't afford to live without her. 11:46 So if I can't have her, so he paid someone like $300. 11:50 40,000 Jamaican dollars is like, 11:52 depends on the rate but most times like $320. 11:56 So he paid to have his own children's mother killed. 12:00 And then the story of my life took a dark turn. 12:04 That death was one of the most darkest month, 12:09 dark year, a dark time in my life as a young man. 12:14 And then I remember, I cried for almost one and half years, 12:18 and meditate deeply about the death of my aunt. 12:22 She was the last child for my grandmother. 12:24 In Jamaica, the last child for the parent is called 12:28 a term they use wash-belly. 12:30 That was a very popular term used. 12:32 That means that, that is a prize person, 12:35 the person who the mother gives the most attention to. 12:38 So she was loved by the family. 12:40 So when she died, she was not even 30 years old. 12:43 She was a young lady. She died. 12:45 So my life became very bitter, 12:47 I had no more love in my heart for anyone. 12:50 All was in my heart was blood in my heart, blood in my eyes, 12:54 just revenge. 12:56 So when that happened, 12:58 how were you feeling towards God? 13:01 At the time, I have nothing where God is concerned. 13:04 My life was just going down to darkest part. 13:06 Dark, dark, dark, 13:08 until it reach a stage, you know, where 13:10 I went to a certain era in Jamaica 13:13 the time where it's well known as ever, gang-banging area. 13:18 I was spending time there, 13:19 during the time my aunt was killed over year. 13:23 And when I went to spend all day there, 13:24 I met this guy, he's a deceased now Entegee. 13:27 And then I told him what happened to my aunt. 13:29 I said to him, I need a firearm for myself. 13:33 I need to be able to learn so I can actually take revenge. 13:37 Because this guy's not gonna kill my aunt 13:40 and get away with it. 13:42 What was your plan to get the guy 13:44 who hired the two and the two or the guy, 13:48 what was your plan? 13:50 I plan my only, on my heart revenge 13:52 was the two main persons. 13:53 The one who pulled the trigger, and one who pays the money 13:56 which is her children's father. 13:58 So my ultimate desire was those two person's life. 14:02 I pledge that they're gonna die. 14:06 And so Entegee now said to me, 14:08 well, you can be a part of the gang. 14:10 But in order for you to be a part of this gang, 14:12 very vicious one, 14:14 you have to go through a series of experience. 14:17 And when you go through the series of experience 14:19 and you pass the test, 14:20 will give you own firearm, and you can take revenge. 14:24 And that is when I receive my first, 14:27 I went to a series of tests. 14:29 So I met this gang, these men are human being, 14:33 but they have the heart of animals. 14:35 They believe in torturing, these men are vicious men 14:38 who has no heart, human heart. 14:40 This is the gang, gang leaders? 14:42 Yes, the gang leaders, a very deadly gang, you know, 14:45 and so was so terrible to the point where in Jamaica, 14:49 they were creating havoc all over the various areas. 14:52 And so I know as a young man 13 plus, 14 years old, 14:55 they're involved. 14:56 So the first thing I had to do, 14:58 at the first year my don's turf. 15:01 The term Don is used in Jamaica, 15:03 a lot of phrase for a gang leader. 15:05 So I'm still on this turf 15:07 and watch until before day and the morning, 15:09 so I used to stay up like from 8 o'clock in the night pm 15:13 till 5 am the next morning 15:15 and watch this turf to pass a test. 15:18 If the enemy trespassed on the turf, 15:21 their gun battle goes on. 15:23 You prove yourself 15:24 and my mother never see her son come home until 4-5am. 15:30 Imagine you have a 14-year-old son. 15:31 Wow. 15:32 You don't see come home so late into the morning. 15:36 I miss my first session of class 15:38 every day of that time in that shift. 15:41 And it became deadly now in the gang war. 15:44 I start after I pass the tests, 15:47 they allow me know to get very deep involved 15:49 with gang violence in the most vicious way 15:52 beyond human understanding. 15:54 So dangerous things start to happen now, 15:56 where I went into gang life for one purpose. 16:00 Take out two persons, take out two men. 16:03 But I want to pause to say, to every young people 16:06 they ever want to cross 16:07 who are struggling with certain type of desire about sin. 16:12 Sin has no limit where it will take you. 16:15 You cannot go in evil and say, hold on 16:17 I'm gonna do one thing, 16:19 and then get out tomorrow morning. 16:20 I went for one purpose, 16:22 but I now get caught up with the lifestyle there. 16:25 And so I started to do dangerous stuff, 16:27 I felt powerful now. 16:28 Because these men are men who control turfs 16:31 control businesses. 16:33 These are powerful men. 16:34 Remember, I never had a father figure in my life. 16:36 Right. 16:38 So in my family now 16:39 everyone gave upon me completely. 16:42 Every single person except for my mother. 16:44 They told my mother to kill me in my sleep. 16:46 Wow. 16:48 They told my mom to poison me, 16:49 they told her to send me to prison. 16:50 Because remember, I was dangerous 16:53 in the outside part in the gang, 16:55 inside school I became a don for my school, 16:59 my gang leader for my school. 17:00 So having those young men, 17:02 I'm teaching them about gang violence, 17:04 training them, all because of one revenge. 17:07 So my life was very vicious and deadly. 17:11 And then now from a gang-bang being so vicious and deadly, 17:15 involved in lot of, you know, dangerous stuff with guns. 17:17 It reached a stage where I was locked up, 17:20 you know, several... 17:21 That means going out police officers 17:23 while I was in school. 17:25 I was suspended from school actually every week. 17:28 So I used to damage students because I learned karate, 17:30 I could fight very well. 17:32 I trained boxing because I just want to take revenge. 17:36 So everything that you did was really based on, 17:40 I'm gonna get revenge. 17:41 Yes, I want to learn. 17:43 I can't believe we're coming down so late in time... 17:45 I can't either. 17:47 And there's so much more to your story. 17:49 And we've got to find out how God took you out of that. 17:52 Okay. 17:54 We got to jump to there 17:55 and I know there's a lot in between 17:57 and I wish we could cover it 17:59 but you can give us like a little synopsis 18:01 and then go to what God did to get you out of there? 18:04 Okay, just quickly. 18:07 So after the gang won, 18:08 we get deep involved in the spiritism 18:10 because of how deep I was at the gang, 18:13 they introduces to demonic worship where we have to go, 18:16 where take off our clothes, you know, 18:18 put, they put a basement underground, 18:20 filled the base with water, 18:22 they sprinkle liquid inside the basin. 18:24 They spin you around, 18:25 we went through a series of rituals 18:28 that was very dangerous that we have to do. 18:30 And then we actually see the manifestation of demons. 18:32 So been so deep, 18:35 every morning when I reach home 5 am, 18:38 my mother was on her knees praying for me. 18:41 She prayed every single day. 18:45 Sometimes she wait until I reach home 18:46 before she starts to pray. 18:48 So I would hear exact word she's saying to God. 18:51 She prayed, she prayed, she prayed, she prayed, 18:54 no changes visible. 18:56 But in my book I wrote 18:59 even in a darkest hour 19:01 when a mother's praying for her wayward son or daughter 19:05 and there seems to be no changes, 19:07 angels of God and the Holy Spirit 19:09 is working behind the scenes. 19:12 My mother prayed, prayed and then she starts to cry. 19:16 She wasn't a Christian. 19:18 But she prayed. 19:19 She cried, she cried, she cried, she cried 19:22 until it reached a stage where God allow me, 19:27 I never had no knowledge where God is concerned. 19:29 But very soon, very quickly, what happened is that. 19:33 I was at home one day when my greatest idol, 19:37 who I respect a lot came to me and said to me, 19:39 "Billy, look at all that you have been through." 19:42 With all of yours shootout, 19:45 all of your stuff you have been through. 19:47 Do you know that there's a God in heaven? 19:50 This is a secular person, wasn't a Christian. 19:52 That shocks me so much. 19:54 And then I talked about what he said to me 19:56 because he was my great, my best, a very good friend 19:59 and then I decided to search our Bible 20:03 because at that time my step-father had two house, 20:06 the one other house by itself, 20:08 I was alone there because everyone left me there. 20:11 So I was giving all the trouble. 20:12 My mother was the only one who would come and visit me 20:15 and make sure my food is cooked and everything. 20:17 She was like that. 20:18 So you lived alone at this point? 20:20 Yes, because I was by the home I always was by myself, 20:22 smoking every morning. 20:23 So I searched that house, I found the Bible. 20:26 And that's my first conviction now. 20:29 I opened the Bible in Psalm 20:30 because he told me to read Psalms. 20:32 And each verse I read, I paused, 20:34 take a puff of my marijuana 20:36 and I read the Bible verse by verse. 20:39 And those were my first sort of experience, 20:41 my mother's still praying until it reached a stage where 20:45 I start to experience some serious toothache pain, 20:48 serious demonic attack. 20:50 And in those moments is when my mother, 20:52 she was praying for me. 20:54 God revealed to me plainly for one moment 20:59 where I felt that my head was coming off my body. 21:02 With this toothache? Yes. 21:03 And I remember I said, God... I cried out. 21:07 Are You really, real? 21:09 I said God if You're real please I'm asking You, 21:13 I'm begging You, 21:15 pause this pain and immediately the pain paused. 21:19 Those are the first conviction I got 21:21 and then another quick part 21:23 towards the conversion at Old Harbor High School. 21:26 I was so wayward in the school but at that time, 21:31 I told God I can't accept him when I saw those results. 21:34 That is maybe real. 21:36 I needed a firearm to always protect me. 21:38 So I would never serve God without a firearm. 21:41 That same period of time now, 21:44 some of my enemies attacked me one evening with knives, 21:47 screwdriver, ice breaker, tall stuff a tall pointed stuff 21:51 that they used to chip ice. 21:53 And to be honest with you, it was so strange like a dream. 21:57 They stabbed me all over my body, 22:00 pushed the knife all over me. 22:02 And after they stabbed me for over 10 minutes 22:04 that I spread the knife, the scissors. 22:07 When the senior don, 22:09 for the senior gang leader for the area, 22:10 his son came and saw them 22:13 and he made a call, "No one touch him." 22:16 Then everyone left me so I felt like I'm dying now 22:20 because I feel all the stabs. 22:21 Right. Right. 22:23 When I reached to the police station, I took off my shirt. 22:25 I saw not one blood, no bruise at all on my body. 22:28 And they said... No, no cut? 22:30 No, one cut, 10 minutes of knife stabs, 22:34 had several persons did this weeks at a time. 22:36 And so that was... 22:38 In my book I titled that part, "The Three Great Miracles" 22:42 and one of the miracles what led me to said, 22:47 "God, You're real for true." 22:49 But in those moments when God finally, 22:53 I remember after that experience in the summer, 22:57 the principal asked me to do some work for him, 23:00 some volunteer work. 23:02 And as I was assisting him, 23:04 I used to have attended demonic ritual four times a week. 23:07 But the volunteer work on the school grounds 23:10 have caused me not to participate 23:14 in the ritual for one week. 23:15 Normally, the policy is you missed one week, 23:18 they killed you. 23:19 They just kill you? 23:20 They kill you because you can't leave your oath, 23:22 you're part of the demonic ritual, 23:24 you have to practice it every single, 23:26 four times a week. 23:27 If you miss one week, you're dead. 23:30 So what I miss it for two weeks, three weeks, 23:33 and I work voluntarily for four to five weeks. 23:37 And the demons came back for me. 23:38 It was a very frightening experience, 23:41 where the last night before 23:42 I decided about going to church. 23:44 When God revealed to me in a mighty way 23:46 how he powerful would stop him and other things. 23:50 But I just want to cut this part short. 23:52 But then now 23:53 what really stood out for me was a night before 23:57 after I miss the ritual, 23:59 I lost clothes, I lost the money I had 24:01 everything because I'm no longer part of it, 24:04 and they threatened to come back to kill me, 24:05 the demons, the ritual people. 24:07 So I was so frightened. 24:09 I said to myself that night, I couldn't breathe. 24:13 I felt my breath was leaving my body. 24:15 I felt that someone put a block on my head. 24:17 But I knelt down on the floor and I said will last 24:22 but I felt like I was breathing. 24:24 I said, "God, if You're real, 24:27 please don't allow me to die like this. 24:30 If You give me the final chance, 24:32 I'm gonna stop smoke. 24:34 And even though my enemy is coming back to kill me, 24:36 I'm gonna stop smoke, and I'm gonna serve you." 24:39 And then I felt something lift off my head. 24:42 And I felt something come straight from my stomach 24:45 come up straight up, I vomit afterwards. 24:48 And then the next day, I said, "Lord, I'm confused." 24:52 I want to know which church do You want me to go to. 24:55 I'm now convicted that You're real 24:57 and everything You're really powerful, 24:59 but I need to know which church do You want me to go to, 25:03 even though the enemies are coming back to kill me, 25:06 and I decide the time I woke up, 25:08 I was studying the Bible. 25:10 And I fell asleep in the couch. 25:13 And I heard a loud sound on the outside. 25:15 And immediately I went outside, I saw no one 25:18 but I heard the voice said, take up your Bible, 25:21 and go to the extreme side of the house. 25:23 As I went, I sat down at the manhole, 25:26 and I opened my Bible. 25:28 And then I saw text about the seventh-day Sabbath. 25:32 I said, "Lord, who do I now go to Sabbath church?" 25:36 And heaven be a witness as I sat there. 25:40 I remember, I saw a bright light like the sunlight 25:43 it's got bright in my face. 25:45 And then immediately, when I look, 25:48 I saw a guy by the name of Dirk Tomsey. 25:51 He cuts grasses, you know, in Jamaica 25:53 because people lawn in for them. 25:55 I saw him stand before me, and I said, 25:57 he goes to our Sabbath church. 25:59 And the voice said, "Yes ask him." 26:01 And immediately, as I got up, 26:03 I was gonna asked my mom for his number. 26:05 And when I reached to the back of the, 26:07 back of the home, 26:09 my mom was close to the line because in Jamaica, 26:11 we don't have dryers like here. 26:13 Yeah. 26:14 And as a result of that, right there at that time, I saw him. 26:18 I said, I'm coming to church this Sabbath with you. 26:20 That's where it started. 26:21 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. 26:23 And now he's, now you're preaching and baptizing people 26:26 and all that things. 26:27 That's interesting. Yeah. 26:29 How, you know, you exerting influence over people. 26:33 You know, when you're out for revenge, 26:34 you're exerting an influence 26:36 and getting people to join the gangs. 26:38 Now you're getting people to, 26:41 by the grace of God surrender their lives to Christ. 26:44 Amen. 26:45 And you have his book right there. 26:47 This book is excellent. 26:48 I know you're gonna want to know the end of the story, 26:50 the rest of the story, 26:52 rather 'cause the end of the story is still going. 26:54 So you must get this book. 26:55 You can go on Amazon and get it. 26:57 It's called "The Billy Mirander Story." 27:00 And it's one of those books 27:02 that you're not gonna want to put down. 27:04 I assure you it's really, really interesting. 27:07 So we thank you and you are a student at Oakwood University. 27:10 Yes. 27:11 And your plan is to? 27:14 Finish school at Oakwood University 27:15 and continue to preach the everlasting gospel. 27:19 And I thank God for my wife, my daughter, 27:22 God has manifested my life so powerfully, 27:25 and now from a life of violence, 27:28 to a life of grace. 27:29 Thank, God, for my praying mother. 27:31 Yes. 27:33 Never underestimate the prayer of a mother 27:35 and so to all mothers who may have the wayward sons, 27:39 the wayward daughters, 27:40 I say to all mothers never stop praying 27:43 for your wayward children. 27:45 After my conversion, almost my entire family 27:48 baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 27:50 including my mother. 27:52 There's power in prayer. 27:53 Amen. Amen. 27:54 Thank you so much for being with us. 27:56 May God continue to richly bless you 27:59 and thank you for being with us. 28:01 Join us next time 'cause you know what? 28:03 It just wouldn't be the same without you. |
Revised 2019-04-08