Participants: Yvonne Lewis (Host), James Van Etten
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR000180A
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00:01 From an addict, ex-convict,
00:03 and drug dealer to a man of God. 00:05 Stay tuned to meet a man whose life 00:07 was turned around by the power of God. 00:09 My name is Yvonne Lewis, 00:11 and you're watching Urban Report. 00:36 Hello, and welcome to Urban Report. 00:38 My guest today is James Van Etten, 00:40 a man whose journey has been full of ups and downs. 00:43 But God has shown Himself to be present 00:45 and powerful in his life. 00:47 Welcome to Urban Report, James. 00:49 Glad to be here. 00:51 Well, when I first heard your testimony, 00:54 I was just so riveted because God has just 00:58 brought you through everything. 01:01 From this place to this place to this place 01:04 and I thought whenever I hear good testimony, 01:07 I want our Urban Report viewers to hear it too. 01:09 So thank you for being here to share it with us. 01:11 Glad to be here. 01:13 So let's get started because your journey is just, 01:16 is just really interesting. 01:18 Where are you from, first of all? 01:19 Vicksburg, Mississippi. 01:21 And you were born there? Born there. 01:22 What kind of family did you have? 01:24 I had a good family life, uh, 01:26 up till I was about 11years old. 01:28 My mother and father started having problems. 01:30 But up, poor they are. I was also a baseball player. 01:34 You know, first-string football player 01:36 and in high score in basketball, you know, 01:39 who won a long while in track, you know, 01:42 I was pretty active in sports. 01:44 And my father always bragged on me, 01:47 every time he is seeing my name in a paper 01:49 for some home run and then hear it some, you know, 01:52 and it was amazing, you know. 01:55 But then all of a sudden, all this stopped. 01:59 My daddy and mamma started having problems. 02:01 I started acting out before you know it. 02:04 You know, I jumped on my daddy and got kicked out 02:06 of the house and... 02:08 How old were you when you jumped on your dad? 02:11 13. 02:13 So you got into an... 02:14 a physical altercation with your dad. 02:16 Yeah, I worked him pretty bad. 02:18 At 13? Yeah. 02:19 Where you a big guy at a 13 'cause you're a tall guy? 02:21 I was 6' 1". I was 6'1". 02:23 I was same height that I am now. 02:24 I just want this, "what?" 02:28 So, you were about 6' 1" at 13, 02:31 and you physically fought your dad? 02:33 Right out and went to Taekwondo, 02:35 I had been to boxing training, and stuff like that. 02:37 Done some Koni's wrestling, you know, 02:40 I was pretty active. 02:42 And people in the neighborhood, 02:43 they didn't mess with me, so you know what I mean. 02:46 When I started acting out, it was because, 02:49 stress, you know, doing that acid. 02:51 I actually not marijuana, not anything else, 02:53 just one, the plain acid. 02:55 How did you get caught up in the acid? 02:57 Just the kids in the neighborhood, you know, 03:00 just somebody said "try these" and I tried these 03:03 and I liked it and we started taking trips 03:06 never leaving the farm. 03:10 Yeah, I hear you, I hear you. 03:12 So you were 13, you fought your dad 03:15 and you were put out of the home. 03:16 Right. Where did you go? 03:18 I went to New Orleans. 03:19 Alone like... where was your mom? 03:21 Yeah, Hitchhike... my mom was... 03:22 well, at that time they were separated, 03:24 and daddy had remarried. 03:27 And, and, and my step momma resident. 03:30 You know, at that point, I didn't realize, 03:32 how much she was trying to help me, I mean, 03:34 I was singing in the quiet church 03:36 and all ledged up. 03:37 But yet, you know, the rules were changed. 03:40 Everything was against what I was brought up 03:42 to believe. 03:43 I could do the stuff and I jumped on my stepbrother, 03:46 then on my daddy and I was out of house, you know. 03:50 My momma was living with another man 03:52 and I didn't see that right, you know, so, 03:54 I wouldn't go stay there, you know. 03:56 So, I went on my own, I tried to stay 03:58 with different relatives, but I had a problem 04:01 of authority, you know. 04:03 With that problem of authority, I couldn't stay anywhere. 04:06 I didn't want to go by anybody rules but my own. 04:09 And that pretty much put me on my own, you know. 04:12 So at 13, you left your dad's home 04:15 and you went by yourself, to where? 04:18 Hitchhiked in New Orleans, Louisiana. 04:20 Hitchhike? Which is super dangerous. 04:21 I slept on a park bench at the Jackson Square. 04:25 And at the Jackson Square, 04:26 New Orleans are lot different then, 04:27 than it is now. 04:29 They made a big improvement done there now. 04:31 They got backed in that park benches 04:33 down the river. 04:34 And a river walk like deal. 04:36 And they had the Square itself for the bands 04:38 and stuff played. 04:39 Well, you know, we panhandled around the square. 04:42 So we could go to busters to get a pair of ribbons 04:44 and rives for 35 cents, which you know, 04:47 that will tell you how long the load was. 04:51 But, while we were sleeping, we just go down on park bench, 04:54 down about the river and sleep, you know, 04:56 we would fight mosquitoes all night 04:57 and get up and go panhandling. 04:59 Well, I learned... 05:01 I met a black guy, he taught me how to sale dope. 05:05 And at that point, that was, you know, 05:09 to me I didn't trust anybody. 05:11 You know, but at that point, 05:13 when I started learning to make money, 05:15 I got wow... 05:17 full along, I had an apartment 05:19 and I had everything I wanted, you know, and then... 05:24 By the time I got 16 years old, I had done, 05:27 altered my birth certificate so it showed me to be 18. 05:30 You know, and I went and joined the draft, 05:33 sat and registered at the draft 05:36 when I was 16 saying I was 18, 05:38 I joined the army and then, you know... 05:40 And they didn't know that you had doctored the... 05:42 They didn't know, I was in army. 05:43 I got discharged from the army on August 23rd of '73. 05:50 I was actually 17 at the time when I got discharged. 05:54 Wow, did you have an honorable discharge? 05:56 No, it was undesirable. 05:57 So what happened? Why did you get-- 05:59 I got busted... well, methamphetamine. 06:03 So what's happening now is, you leave home, 06:08 you go and you live on the streets basically. 06:11 You learned about drug dealing. 06:13 So, you start dealing drugs, you making money, 06:17 you not going to school, right? 06:18 No. So, you dropped out of the school? 06:20 Didn't have your high school diploma 06:22 or anything like that. 06:23 Dropped out of the school, selling drugs, 06:26 then you decided to go into the service. 06:28 Right. 06:29 What made you decide to do that 06:31 since you were making money in the street? 06:32 Well, I was trying to-- 06:33 Jobs that I tried to get 06:35 required a high school education. 06:36 Well, I didn't do any. 06:38 And I knew that I could get my GED 06:41 through the military. 06:42 So I joined the service. 06:44 Well, I was in trouble with the authorities, 06:46 they gave me an option. 06:49 To join the military or go to jail. 06:52 So I went to military. 06:55 Then they don't do that option no more, 06:56 back then they would. 06:59 So I went to Mere church, trying to go to Vietnam 07:01 all the way. 07:02 Well, of course by the time I get in there... 07:04 You were trying to go to Vietnam? 07:05 Right. I wanted to go to fight. 07:07 Wow. So you have lot of anger? I was stupid. 07:11 Well, you know, unfortunately before Christ... 07:14 that's how we are, I mean... 07:16 thank God, you're a new creature in Christ. 07:19 But you had a lot of anger, it sounds like? 07:23 Mom and daddy brought me up in church. 07:25 I went to Sunday school 07:26 like vacation type of a school, stuff like that. 07:30 I mean, that was given, when I was five, six, 07:33 seven, eight year old, even up to nine 07:35 I think I stayed in it, right up till I got to 07:39 with my trainer, 07:40 when I got kicked out of karate school 07:41 because of my anger. 07:43 They you know, I have just got... 07:46 kind of getting away with everything, you know, 07:48 we got away from everybody and I started 07:51 doing it on my own way. 07:53 And in my own way was worst way in the world. 07:57 I ended up in the training school at 18, 07:59 where I should... 08:01 What kind of training school? 08:02 Oakley Training School for boys. 08:04 Is that a reform school? 08:06 Yeah, I went to reform school. 08:08 Okay. 08:09 But I was 18 years old and just got... 08:11 It was in a military. 08:13 At that time, well, I just got discharged from military. 08:17 And... 08:20 when I take it back, I wasn't 18, 08:22 I was 17 and I was on a Wolfram military 08:25 whenever they want the assignment 08:27 to the training school. 08:28 Did they know that you were in the military, 08:31 when they sent you to the training school? 08:32 Yeah, when the judge Garry said, 08:34 he gave me an opportunity to go back to military, 08:36 but they wouldn't take me as long as the charges 08:37 were pending. 08:38 I see. 08:40 And if he dropped the charges, 08:41 they would let me comeback. 08:43 But if they didn't, he wouldn't hold 08:44 and drop the charges and let me go back. 08:45 So I ended up going to training school. 08:47 Well, I escaped seven days later. 08:49 You escaped? 08:51 Yes. Wow. 08:52 By yourself or... 08:53 Right. 08:55 Oh, yeah, I was real good... 09:00 I'd guess you call a good criminal mind. 09:03 Rebellious ah? Right. 09:05 So you escaped from reformed school, 09:07 training school, where did you go from there? 09:10 Well, I went back to New Orleans 09:12 and then we went to Las Vegas, 09:13 and I worked at there for a man named, 09:15 Darren Pollard. 09:18 We painted houses. 09:20 Probably, I stayed there for a while 09:21 and then I got picked up and sent back to the military 09:26 and they put me in a stockade and I got undesirable 09:29 discharge for being AWOL. 09:31 Then I tried to go back home, and when I did, 09:34 they left me back in the training school again. 09:37 And I escaped from the training school 09:39 the next day from that 09:42 and five and half months later I went, 09:46 found the judge, and he gave me a discharge from there. 09:48 Told me, "Next time, it would be penitentiary." 09:50 I told "There won't be next time." 09:52 I got my girlfriend pregnant and we got married 09:56 because I wanted to do right thing. 09:58 Moved to Brookhaven, Mississippi and we were 10:01 having our Christmas party taking pictures and stuff. 10:05 She bought a TV and a camera from somebody 10:09 that came back with cases of grocery 10:12 and she paid $50 for it, got a receipt for it 10:16 and all that, come home. 10:17 She was all proud by what she done now. 10:21 Pregnant she was, we took pictures, 10:23 now I try to tell her, I said "baby this camera 10:26 and this TV gotta be hot, it's too cheap, 10:29 it's color TV, it's a photographer's camera, 10:33 you know, I said, it's gotta-- 10:34 Well, I got a receipt. 10:35 Well, I said, "I don't care what you got, 10:38 the police is trying to put me in jail for long time. 10:41 We can't keep this, 10:42 I don't know we got to keep it." 10:44 Well, I, instead of arguing with her 10:46 and making her take a rid of it, 10:48 I just showed my hands up and walked away. 10:51 Well, we've been smoking marijuana 10:54 and the next door neighbor complained about the smell. 10:58 Police after came up the next morning. 11:00 The camera was sitting on the counter, 11:03 TV was sitting in the corner and they just 11:06 walked into my house. 11:07 And walked straight back at to it, 11:09 no search warrants, no nothing. 11:11 One day they asked me about where did I get this? 11:13 I told them "We bought it." 11:16 "Let me see your receipt." 11:17 I showed them the receipt. 11:20 They put handcuffs on me 11:23 and they told me to get my wife up, 11:24 put handcuffs on her, of course. 11:27 I tried to-- I was gonna resist 11:29 whenever they started telling about putting us in jail, 11:31 but when Burton pulled pistol on me 11:35 and stuck it at the side of my head 11:36 and put my handcuffs, 11:38 hands back and he put handcuffs on me. 11:40 I made him stand up there while 11:41 my wife got up and got dressed and they put handcuffs on her 11:45 and they took us to jail. 11:47 Well, I couldn't let my baby be born in jail, 11:50 you know, and they kept on saying 11:53 "We know you're done here." 11:54 I said, "Man, you see her receipt, 11:56 my wife ain't done anything wrong. 11:58 Why you got her here?" 11:59 You know, anyway it was such a bad experience 12:04 that I want to plead guilty 12:05 to charge to get her out of jail. 12:07 Ended up doing a four year sentence 12:09 in penitentiary for something I didn't do. 12:11 So they made a deal with you to... 12:14 if you would say you'd done it, then she could go. 12:18 Right. Even though... Right. 12:21 They knew you didn't do it or you said you didn't do it. 12:23 And I tried to go back on a deal 12:25 when I stood in front of the judge, 12:26 I told the judge that, 12:28 we had bought that, but in order for me 12:30 to get her out of jail, I had to say this. 12:33 And he said "Are you pleading guilty or not?" 12:36 I said "Well, yeah, I have to." 12:40 "So, you being forced to do this?" 12:43 I said "No". 12:46 I mean I am being coerced into it. 12:49 He said "Will you won't plead guilty 12:51 or not" I said "Yes, I plead guilty." 12:53 And he sentenced me for four years to penitentiary, 12:55 you know, I have been arrested... 12:56 I don't know, probably... 12:58 just to be on a safe side 12:59 I would say 150 times in my life. 13:03 You know, I was in penitentiary six different times. 13:06 Now were you... 13:08 in all fairness... were you at those times, 13:10 did you deserve to go to jail? 13:12 Every other time I was deserved to go to jail. 13:14 No, one other time I went to jail 13:17 for burglary of an SSW warehouse, 13:20 that I copped out in charge 13:22 because a friend of mine, who had done it, 13:24 wife was pregnant, for him to have a kid, 13:26 and I would... 13:28 didn't want him to go to jail. 13:30 I didn't want his kid to be born 13:31 without his daddy. 13:32 And I knew I can make it, he couldn't. 13:35 You know, that's twice though that I... 13:38 and I have my cousin one time, went back for him, 13:42 but as a violation, that's pro violation. 13:45 So what do you think... why do you think 13:49 that you were so caught up 13:53 into that life Vs a life 13:56 that where you weren't doing that? 13:58 What do you think was besides the obvious satin? 14:02 But what do you think was the obvious, 14:04 were the obvious reasons 14:06 why you got caught up into that... 14:08 'cause you ended up 14:09 going to jail a lot of different times 14:11 for the things you have admitted, 14:12 Right. you've done? 14:13 Why do you think you are caught up into that life? 14:17 I was a drug addict. 14:18 Okay. 14:19 You know, I was strung out on speeding, cocaine, 14:22 stuff like that, you know. 14:24 I like to stay awake. 14:25 I didn't want to miss on that thing. 14:27 When I was out on the street, 14:28 I said, "Well, I'm gonna do as much as I can, 14:30 party as long as I can till I go back." 14:32 Because I knew I was going back, 14:34 because I wouldn't know conformed to this system. 14:37 You know, I had been so-- 14:40 I mean, I'm a machinist, 14:41 I grew up in a machine shop, you know. 14:44 I can weld, I'm an ace carpenter, 14:47 a journeyman painter, I mean, 14:50 I've made hot dollars everywhere I work. 14:52 I was mostly supervisor 14:54 on just about every job I ever went on. 14:56 So it wasn't like you were trying to work, 14:58 it wasn't like you weren't trying to... 15:00 you had traits, you had different traits, 15:03 but you were an addict. 15:05 I was an addict. 15:06 So how did God get you, how did he change your life? 15:11 Well, from 1993 to 1998, 15:16 I had three wrecks, 15:18 all three of them, sure have killed me. 15:21 It didn't stop me. 15:22 It didn't make me change, but it shook me. 15:27 'Cause the first one, I had my ear cut off 15:31 and glass pulled out lot of my throat, 15:33 my head and all. 15:35 And I was walking around when all of a sudden my truck 15:37 looked like a horse shoe around the front of the car 15:40 while I was in tent. 15:41 My bed was knocked 50 foot to other side, 15:45 above where we sat, they skidded 50 foot 15:47 before they hit me. 15:49 But I was walking at ambush driver 15:51 and said "Sir, would you stand still, 15:52 so we could put you in stretcher." 15:55 That didn't wake me up, the next moment 15:58 was when I was driving on road, I hit backend of an 18 wheeler, 16:01 pitch black at night, 16:03 he didn't have no tail lights and I ploughed into him, 16:05 and then split my sternum. 16:08 Motor's sitting in the front seat with me. 16:10 I kicked the door open, 16:11 got out and was walking around 16:12 when I almost got there. 16:14 The next one, I was on the side of the road 16:16 changing the chain of my motorcycle, 16:18 a drunk guy run off the road and hit me. 16:22 It lacerated my son's liver and spleen. 16:26 It cut my nephew's leg off, 16:28 my wife was running around trying to help us all... 16:32 and it crushed this leg, you can see that. 16:39 Oh, yeah... 16:42 But I'm still walking. 16:44 My leg was laid inside, 16:45 my bone's sticking out of the pants 16:47 and I want to, when I almost got there, 16:48 I'm seeing is at my leg, you know. 16:51 That didn't wake me up. 16:53 What woke me up... 16:55 as I was sitting in the jail and Brookhaven, 16:58 Mississippi, I had charges 17:01 pending for possession of methamphetamine, 17:05 possession of precursor with the intensive manufacture, 17:08 possession of over three grams of methamphetamine, 17:12 possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, 17:16 and I had the same charges in Vicksburg. 17:19 I had grand arsony charges in Jackson. 17:22 I had suspended license charges and car thefts 17:24 and I was out on three bonds. 17:26 When I finally come to a halt and I'm sitting in the jail. 17:30 My son has been arrested, my nephew has been arrested, 17:33 my wife has been arrested, all behind me. 17:37 And I'm sitting there on the side of my bed. 17:40 My head hung down and I'm thinking "Oh, my God, 17:43 what have I done," you know, 17:46 my bond is $250,000. 17:49 They booked me in as a John Doe, 17:50 because I had so many different IDs 17:53 and I heard a little voice said, 17:55 "God answers prayer," it was so audible. 17:58 So I looked around to see who said it, 18:00 and there wasn't nobody there. 18:02 Then I thought, what have I got to lose. 18:06 So I got on my knees, I said, "Lord, 18:08 I come to you in the name of Jesus. 18:09 And I'm not coming to you for me, 18:11 because I know I'm not worthy. 18:13 I'm coming to you for Marsha. 18:15 I'm asking you, Lord, let me settle, 18:17 it's gonna be all right. 18:19 Let me better know when we take this. 18:24 I feel her tears, Lord. 18:26 I don't know what to do. 18:30 Just let me tell her Mary Christmas 18:32 and I love her." 18:34 Jesus named my prayer, Amen. 18:36 And I stood up, well, this jail hated me. 18:40 I went back to this jail start giving a cigarette 18:42 breaks twice a day. 18:44 I then made them, take us to the yard 18:47 for an hour every day. 18:49 I made them take me across the street three times a week 18:51 to the law library 18:52 so that I could do my legal work. 18:55 I was a... 18:57 jailhouse lawyer and the jail hated me. 19:00 They would had standing orders in the tower, 19:03 under no circumstances was anybody allowed 19:06 to pass notes for me and Marsha. 19:09 If any inmate was caught passing the note, 19:11 they would be locked up and sent to prison. 19:13 If any officer was caught allowing us to communicate, 19:15 they would be fired on the spot. 19:18 So I knew, I didn't have any help coming, 19:19 nowhere. 19:21 And then I, I made a little prayer, 19:24 it's day before Christmas. 19:26 Christmas morning, by 8' o clock at morning, 19:31 the officer coming at door says "Smoke right" 19:34 and take us all downstairs, 19:35 now says "Smoke." 19:38 I get up to get my two cigarettes, I said, 19:40 "Aren't you going to get women next", he said, 19:43 "Yeah." 19:45 I said "well, let me go around with you man 19:48 and tell my wife Merry Christmas." 19:51 He said "Can't do that man, I'll lose my job." 19:54 I said "Well, I won't let you lose your job, 19:55 I don't want to lose your job." 19:57 So I got my cigarette, went over the line to get 19:58 swollen smoking. 20:02 After everybody got up and we had to go back upstairs, 20:05 some tells me stand back. 20:08 So, I stand back. 20:11 Officer gets to everybody in and I walk up to him 20:13 and said "Aren't you get to women now?" 20:15 He said, "Yeah." 20:17 I said, "Let me stand over by the door 20:19 when she comes too, 20:20 I'm gonna tell her Merry Christmas 20:22 and love her." 20:23 He said, "You can't do that man, 20:24 I'll lose my job." 20:26 I said, "Well, Sir, I don't want you to loose 20:27 your job." 20:28 I said, "Well, I get behind the door 20:31 and if anybody asks me, I'll tell them, 20:32 I hid from you." 20:34 And I don't know how to explain the way he acted. 20:37 I don't know how to explain what happened, 20:39 but all I know is, his whole body anguished 20:41 everything all at once, he just looked at me 20:43 and he smiled. 20:45 He said, "All right, man." 20:46 And I knew right then, God did answer that prayer. 20:49 Yes... yes... yes... 20:51 I knew it right at that point, 20:52 that was an answered prayer. 20:55 Is this the first time that you ever really 20:57 reached out to God? 20:58 Yeah. Wow... 21:00 And many times somebody would come to jail, 21:02 try to talk to me about Jesus, 21:04 I quote them John 3:16, 17. 21:07 And I'd tell them "I don't know what the Bible says. 21:09 But I can't take Jesus from going." 21:11 You know. 21:14 But when she walked through that door, 21:16 she was looking in a glass to see 21:18 if you've to waive it, like she always did. 21:21 And... I would never share my voice from behind... 21:25 I said, "Merry Christmas, baby, I love you." 21:28 She saw me, she smiled around and she dove into my arms 21:32 and she was just trembling and shaking and crying. 21:36 And I was trying to let her know, 21:38 it's gonna be all right. 21:39 And officer finally tapped on my shoulder 21:41 and said, "You got to go." 21:42 I said, "Yes, sir. 21:44 Don't worry, Mr. Woods, I know what you've done, 21:46 if anybody asks, I hid from you." 21:48 And I literally had to pry her arms 21:50 loose from me. 21:52 And I said, "Baby, don't worry, 21:53 you'll be home next year." 21:56 And she went on downstairs, I walked back into the cell, 21:59 and I was so antsy, I didn't know... 22:02 I didn't really know what to do, 22:03 I was just sitting there and I finally look up 22:05 and I said... 22:06 I look over around my bed and there is a Bible laying there, 22:09 because I always know, I would like to read Bible, 22:11 I just never did do anything to see it. 22:13 And I looked the Bible and I looked up, I said, 22:16 "Lord, show me new world, what I got to do to follow you. 22:20 And I'll do my best, 22:21 and with your help I can do it." 22:24 And I opened my Bible to Romans Chapter 8, 22:27 where He is speaking about walking in a spirit. 22:30 And it was like God was talking to me. 22:32 Yes... yes... 22:34 At that point I said, "Wow, so from there on, 22:40 and that day forward, I have done everything I could. 22:43 I prayed, I didn't ask God to take drugs away from me. 22:47 I didn't ask him to take them away at all. 22:50 I asked God, "Take the desire for drugs away from me." 22:54 And He did it? And He did it. 22:56 How did He lead you into the Adventist church? 22:59 Well, that was a... 23:03 see, when I walked into court room, 23:05 I walked into court room on January 23rd, 23:08 supposed to get sentence for seven years. 23:10 And the judge sentenced me to 60 years 23:13 and $750,000 fine, and it still took me back... 23:17 60, not 16 but 60? 23:18 No, 60, six zero. 23:21 Wow... And I laughed at him. 23:25 And he said, "What so funny?" 23:27 I said, "The Lord has been asking me 43 years, 23:30 now He's got me, He won't let me to die in prison." 23:33 And I still had my faith right then 23:36 and instead of taking me back to the jail, 23:39 they took me back downstairs at the jail, 23:41 loaded my stuff up in a car and took me straight to... 23:46 Rankin county correctional facility, 23:48 locked me in maximum security and locked me down for 89 days. 23:51 It was like they were trying to get me back, 23:53 he knew how to change and he's trying to give me 23:56 back for I ever got in. 23:57 You really need knowledge about it doing to avoid me. 23:59 Yes... 24:01 But I didn't slack up, even in hoe, 24:04 I didn't have Bible and then first time 24:06 a preacher come by, I went banging on the door 24:07 and said, "Bring me Bible, bring me Bible." 24:10 So, I finally got my Bible. 24:13 89 days later I got put into population in. 24:15 I was sitting back and reading my Bible every day. 24:17 Me and couple of guys... 24:18 I got this guys, I am teaching them 24:20 do legal works right because you know, 24:22 my hands just got to the point, I boxed, you know, 24:25 all that stuff of my life and that point, 24:27 my hand just started getting little arthritis. 24:31 So, I was teaching this guy how to do this stuff, 24:33 he hit me with it and he watched me every day, 24:36 we're getting up my Bible study and everything 24:38 every morning and every evening, 24:40 and lunch time stop and I always stopping 24:43 to read my bible. 24:45 Finally walked up to me and said, "James!" 24:49 he said, "I see you reading Bible everyday" 24:52 he said, "You're gonna take it with you 24:53 when you leave or you're gonna leave it, 24:55 just to get you like dress them do?" 24:58 I kind of laughed, I said, "No man, 25:01 I wouldn't leave it, brother, 25:02 God showed me real, 25:04 I can't turn my back on him now." 25:05 It's kind of ironic because, headman a week before, 25:09 I've made three gangsters catch out, 25:11 because they stole cigarette lighters 25:13 on from me. 25:14 I can't remember what was it for, 25:15 but I ran out of my zone, you know. 25:18 And every time somebody says to me, I tell them, 25:20 "Well, I'm kind of like Paul, I'm learning to get there, 25:23 I haven't got there yet, so if you slap me, 25:25 I'm gonna slap you back." You know. 25:26 Oh, my goodness. So you were in row. 25:29 We don't have much time left, I can't believe our time is up. 25:33 So there was an inmate there though. 25:36 Did he tell you about the Sabbath or--? 25:37 Right. 25:38 So he asked me, he said, "Let me ask you this one. 25:41 What denomination are you?" 25:44 I said, "Well, I'm grew up baptism Presbyterian, 25:47 being cast to all lead of churches, 25:49 kind of got confused." 25:50 Reached out to my Bible 25:51 and said "This is what I believe." 25:53 He said, "Is Bible 25:54 your sole source of information?" 25:55 I said, "Yes, sir." 25:58 He smiles and says, "Why don't you 25:59 go to church on Sunday?" 26:01 That felt like he slapped me. 26:03 You know, I had always been at church on Sunday, 26:04 I never heard of Seventh-day Adventist, 26:06 you know, and he said... 26:10 I said okay, you know. 26:13 So I said, "Anyway," I told him, I said, 26:15 "Well, I always have, Bible teaches that." 26:19 He said, "No, it don't, let just show me". 26:21 I said, "Okay." 26:22 So instead of me showing him wrong, 26:25 I showed him to be right and I wanted to know why, 26:28 and he wouldn't tell me. 26:30 So he made me do my own studies, 26:31 so I studied the history of church, 26:33 had a little lady in there called Miss Pat. 26:35 She was a Seventh-day Adventist, 26:36 she gave me The Great Controversy ended. 26:38 And I was all up to praying. Praise the Lord. 26:42 Brother James, thank you so much. 26:44 Thank you so much for sharing your story. 26:47 It's... God is just, he's got obviously 26:51 has had a plan for you, all along. 26:54 And God has a plan for you. 26:57 Keep praying, reading the word 26:58 and seeking God's will for your life, 27:01 and he will never leave you, nor forsake you. 27:03 Well, I can't believe our time is up, 27:05 thanks for joining us. 27:07 Join us next time, because we wouldn't be 27:08 the same without you. |
Revised 2016-04-14