Participants: Aaron Chancy (Host), DeMarrus Miller
Series Code: TNJ
Program Code: TNJ000065
|
00:01 The following program discusses sensitive issues.
00:03 Parents are cautioned that some material 00:04 may be too candid for younger children. 00:10 Welcome to The New Journey, 00:11 a program where you'll meet real life people, 00:13 with real life testimonies, 00:14 doing real life ministry for Jesus Christ. 00:17 I'm your host Aaron Chancy, 00:18 come join us on The New Journey. 00:51 Well come back to The New Journey. 00:53 On today's broadcast with us, we have DaMarrus Miller. 00:56 DaMarrus, we like to thank you for being on the program. 00:58 Thank you for having me. All right, I appreciate it. 00:59 Just some general information if you can provide us 01:01 with your age and where you're from? 01:03 I am 34 years old. Okay. 01:06 I'm from Springfield, Massachusetts. 01:08 You didn't ask me but I just want to tell you, 01:10 I love the Boston Red Sox, I love the Boston Celtics, 01:13 I'm a New England Patriots fans, 01:15 I even like Boston Bruins, that's where I'm from. 01:16 Hmm, wow. Massachusetts all the way. 01:19 All the way. Okay. 01:21 If you could describe for us your early home life, 01:23 what it was like growing up in your home? 01:25 For me I must be honest, my early home life 01:28 was like the Huxtables. 01:29 Okay, okay. What do you mean that? 01:31 My dad was there, my mom was there. 01:32 I had two older brothers, very close knit family, 01:36 we did a lot of things together. 01:38 My father is really strong and strict on education, 01:41 as well as Christian values. 01:43 My mother was very motherly, 01:45 even though she dealt with boys and, 01:46 you know, the only woman in a house, 01:48 she was strong, but she was still sweet 01:50 and she was still very motherly in nature 01:53 nurturing to us boys, 01:54 so we had a very good Christian foundation 01:56 growing up. 01:58 Okay, so did you grow up 01:59 in the Seventh-day Adventist church 02:00 or another denomination? 02:02 Born and raised 02:03 in the Seventh-day Adventist church. 02:04 And my mom was a new convert when she met my father. 02:06 Okay. 02:07 But we were raised Seventh-day Adventist, 02:10 I mean busy bee, adventurous, pathfinders, 02:13 I mean we were... 02:14 I am all the way Adventist. 02:16 Okay, okay. 02:17 What were some of the positive influences 02:19 growing up in your life? 02:20 I will be honest, 02:21 one of the most positive influences for me 02:23 was my father. 02:25 Okay. 02:26 My father was a superman, man, he is a super dad. 02:28 I have so much respect even to this day for him. 02:32 His father wasn't there for him and the one thing he said 02:35 he would do is make sure his boys 02:37 grew up with their dad. 02:38 And so he did everything, 02:40 he was our coach for all sports, 02:43 he was our pathfinder director, our choir leader, 02:45 I mean he made sure that Sabbath wasn't issue for us 02:49 and because of that he would be in 02:50 different leadership positions to make sure 02:53 that his boys can have a life without having any issues, 02:57 did with the Sabbath and stuff like that, 02:58 so I played AAU ball, I played summer leagues, 03:01 I played church leagues, 03:02 I mean I did a lot of things 03:04 and my father made sure that 03:06 he would be a part of it as a leader for him 03:08 to make sure that we gonna have. 03:09 Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. 03:11 How much of an impact do you think it was, 03:13 how important it is do you think 03:15 to have a father in the home, 03:16 because, you know, there are some fathers, 03:19 they have children and they leave the home, 03:22 but, and we live in a society where that happens, 03:24 it's recurring constantly, and you know, 03:28 it needs to be some encouragement 03:29 for the fathers to stay home. 03:31 Why do you think it's so important 03:33 for the father to be in the home, 03:34 whether he has sons or whether he has daughters? 03:38 For me and I can only speak as a son, 03:40 not a daughter, but for me, 03:42 I would be nothing without my father. 03:44 Okay, wow. 03:45 Literally he not only told me the right things 03:49 and the wrong things but he told me 03:50 why not to do and why to do those things. 03:53 I can remember early in my life at two and three, 03:56 my dad will just pick me up and say, 03:58 you're a man, you're man of God. 04:00 He poured in so many different nuggets and jewels in our life 04:04 as young men, as young black men 04:06 as well that you're not gonna carry yourself anyway. 04:08 You're miller, but not only you're miller, 04:10 you're a man of God. 04:11 So at early age, man, he said you walk a certain way, 04:14 you talk a certain way, you treat women a certain way. 04:16 You just treat your community a certain way, 04:19 and so I can honestly say without my father, 04:22 and of course my mother but for me, 04:24 I was a daddy's boy. 04:26 I'm the youngest. 04:27 People say the baby, 04:28 I just say the youngest of them. 04:30 Where my father was, that's where I was. 04:32 I was on his hip and he would take me places 04:35 and introduced me to people 04:37 and everywhere I went people spoke 04:38 so highly of my dad, that's one thing 04:40 I want the people to speak of me. 04:42 I wanted people to say, man, I like that guy, 04:44 I don't know him but I like him... 04:46 I like him. Amen. 04:47 I mean, that's something my father did for me, 04:48 it's intangible. 04:50 Now you had a father in a home 04:51 just like I had a father in a home, 04:53 but for those don't... 04:55 those don't have a father in a home, 04:56 how do you think it affects them 04:58 in their view of God 04:59 being that God is to be our heavenly father. 05:01 How do you think they are affected by that? 05:03 I think each person is affected differently based off 05:07 their own experience, based off their own upbringing. 05:10 I might have some family members and friends 05:12 who don't have a father in their lives 05:14 and they understand the importance of God, 05:16 the Father... 05:17 Okay. 05:19 So I think it just depends on 05:20 that person's experience in life... 05:22 Okay, okay. 05:23 Cultural, you know, their upbringing 05:25 on how they view God the Father. 05:27 Okay, okay. You know. 05:29 Definitely, definitely. 05:30 What do you think, you mentioned 05:31 some of the positive influences in your life being your father, 05:34 what were some of the negative influences in your life 05:36 you think? 05:37 I must be honest with you and for me... 05:39 Okay. 05:41 It was myself... 05:42 Okay, wow. 05:43 My mind... 05:45 I was the kid that had a vivid imagination 05:48 where I would be one place 05:50 but my mind will be somewhere totally different. 05:53 I was a kid that was always in the crowd 05:55 but always felt alone. 05:56 So for me, I yearned 05:58 and had desire for the street life. 06:01 Okay, okay. 06:02 It was always close to me. 06:04 We were raised in the projects but I didn't know it. 06:05 Yeah. 06:07 One of those situations, it was always close to me, 06:09 always at my reach, but I can never get to it. 06:12 And so, in my mind, I began to yearn, 06:14 I began to imagine how would be to be a gangster. 06:19 So, I'm probably one of the guys 06:20 you'll call a veggie thug. 06:21 But not veggie thug as it 06:23 I'm a punk but veggie thug as in, 06:24 I was close to the thugs but I wasn't the thug. 06:27 Okay. 06:28 So my family members, my mom and dad saw, 06:30 you know, they were killers but I wasn't a killer. 06:33 You know, but I went and spend time with my mom, 06:35 you know, my church was right in the hood, 06:37 Shiloh Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Springfield 06:40 where we reached out to the community 06:42 a lot of drug dealers would come and pray, 06:44 we had a gym in our church, 06:46 and, you know, it's very rare to find that 06:48 but we had a full core gym in our church 06:50 and we would open up to the community, 06:52 and there was so many gangsters 06:53 and so many drug guys will come and play basketball in. 06:57 As a young kid, my father would open a gym for them 06:59 and I would just watch them. 07:01 I watched the guy coming in drunk to play basketball. 07:04 Okay. 07:05 I watched the guy smelling like smoking marijuana 07:08 coming and playing ball, 07:09 and I begin to imitate those things in my mind. 07:12 Yeah. Wow. 07:13 And so, sometimes I would pretend to be high 07:15 when I wasn't. 07:16 Yeah. Wow. 07:17 That my eyes all, you know, squinched in, 07:19 you know, talking on, but I wasn't. 07:20 Yeah. 07:21 And so for me, my greatest enemy was myself, 07:23 was my mind. 07:25 Yeah, okay. Now did you see those things? 07:26 Did you view the smoking, the drinking as being cool? 07:31 See, there is a difference between being cool 07:35 in a way of life. 07:36 Okay. That was just the way of life. 07:37 Yeah. You drink, you smoke. 07:39 You know that's just what you did 07:41 and so my community, 07:43 my environment outside of my house. 07:45 Family on my mother side and father side, 07:46 that's what they did. 07:48 So family reunions, just going over cousin's house to eat 07:52 and stuff like that, you saw different things. 07:54 Okay. 07:55 That for me was intriguing. 07:57 Yeah. Wow, wow. 07:58 So you eventually got involved in drinking, smoking, 08:00 drugs or whatever. 08:01 At what age did you start 08:03 that as well as what were some of the narcotics 08:05 that you got involved with? 08:07 For me, um... 08:08 I can remember this like it was yesterday. 08:10 Six grade I graduated from the Dare program. 08:13 Okay. I came home. 08:14 But you're talking about the Dare to Say, No to Drugs. 08:16 Dare to Say... 08:17 Okay. Yeah. 08:18 I graduate from the Dare program, 08:20 came home that evening 08:21 and I've seen one of my close relatives, 08:26 sibling of mine... 08:27 Okay. My brother was smoking weed. 08:30 Okay. 08:31 I caught him, I couldn't believe it. 08:33 I said, you gonna die, don't you know, 08:35 I just graduated from the Dare program. 08:36 What you're doing? 08:38 And so, he begin to tell me, he said, 08:41 who do you know ever died of smoking weed. 08:42 Yeah, wow. 08:44 At that time, Aaron, I didn't know anybody who died. 08:45 You know I was in sixth grade. 08:48 And I begin to think, I don't really know anybody. 08:51 the Dare program taught me that tobacco use 08:54 is lung cancer. 08:55 Yeah, would cause cancer. 08:57 And cigarettes would cause lung cancer, 08:58 but marijuana, I didn't really hear too much about it. 09:00 Okay. 09:02 So, I remembered my brother saying, listen, man, 09:04 don't go tell mom and dad, but think about it, 09:07 who do you know died of smoking weed. 09:09 Yeah. 09:10 My brother even went to say, it's from the herb, you know. 09:11 Wow, wow. 09:13 And so, it's what we grow here. 09:15 And at sixth, sixth, in sixth grade 09:17 that my mind began to turn. 09:18 Okay. 09:20 Seventh grade had a best friend, 09:22 his name is Master Mercy. 09:24 First name Master, last name Mercy. 09:27 That was his real name or nick name? 09:28 Real name. 09:29 Government name, Master last name Mercy. 09:32 Wow. 09:34 Seventh grade I remember like it was yesterday, 09:35 we were in recess, Phillie Blunts was just out... 09:39 Okay, okay. 09:40 And it was like, we gonna get high. 09:42 Recess now, even though I know something is wrong, recess. 09:44 Yeah, you smoking in recess. 09:45 In recess, brother, you know. 09:47 And so we went to the corner of the field 09:48 and he began to roll up the Phillie Blunt 09:51 and he messed it up, 09:52 I mean it was just tear holes into it, broken up, 09:56 and so being determined person that I am, 09:58 I said that can't stop us, we gonna get high at that. 10:01 Wow. Run to bathroom. 10:03 I remember, even the teaches said, 10:04 "Why you comes to the bathroom? 10:06 You know, it's recess." 10:07 I said, "I got to use the bathroom." 10:09 And you know, we only got a brown paper towel. 10:10 You know, it look like the Phillie Blunt. 10:12 Yeah, yeah. 10:13 And we roll that thing. It was about this long. 10:18 And I remember like it was yesterday. 10:20 The first hit I took I almost died. 10:23 I felt like my lungs came out my mouth, 10:25 I was just coughing up, and my boy was like, 10:27 "Man, this is a good stuff." 10:29 Little did I know I was smoking all those fumes out of there. 10:32 Out of paper towel. 10:34 And I had a bad experience, but I made in my heart 10:38 that I'll have a good experience with the weed. 10:40 Okay. 10:41 And so after that, that first time 10:44 may be twice a week in recess we'll smoke. 10:48 Wow. 10:49 Began to smoke so much, 10:51 you couldn't tell that I was high. 10:52 Yeah, okay. I was active smoker. 10:56 That was seventh grade, eight grade, ninth grade, 10:58 tenth grade, active smoker. 11:00 I was so good with it, I always had cologne. 11:04 Okay. 11:05 I used to brush my lips. 11:07 You know why I brush my lips? 11:08 Because, I'm a fair skin brother 11:10 and you know, black lips, 11:11 that tells you that you've been smoking. 11:13 So I would brush my lips. 11:14 I always kept Visine. Just about to say that. 11:16 And so I was moving in ways 11:19 that I could be an active smoker 11:20 and still keep up with my life. 11:22 I play basketball, I was into sports. 11:24 Some of my "best games" I was high. 11:28 I scored 32 points in one game 11:32 and I was so high in that game. 11:34 I mean, I was doing stuff I never thought of it. 11:36 All my friends like, "Man, you doing so good." 11:39 But they don't know I was smoking, 11:41 because all my friends known I was in church. 11:43 And so they protect me from some of the things 11:46 that they were doing, so I had to smoke by myself. 11:48 So I create a habit, 11:49 after smoking with Master Mercy, 11:51 I created a habit that I only smoke with myself 11:53 because I didn't want people to really know. 11:55 So I wanted, I wanted the feeling of it, 11:57 I wanted the craving of it, I wanted to be down 12:01 but I didn't want nobody to know. 12:02 Yeah, Okay. Okay. 12:04 And so I... 12:05 you remember the game, on the river, on the bank? 12:06 Yeah, yeah, definitely. 12:08 I was on the river, I was on the bank. 12:10 That's the way I lived. 12:12 And so that was my first start in narcotics 12:16 and drugs and marijuana. 12:17 Okay. 12:18 Now, you eventually got involved in selling narcotics. 12:21 That's correct. 12:22 What led you to get involve in selling 12:24 as well as what were you selling? 12:26 Master Mercy. Okay. 12:29 Best friend. Choose your friends wisely. 12:31 Amen. Amen. 12:33 Master mercy came to school in ninth grade 12:36 with a wad this thick. 12:37 Okay. Of money? 12:39 Of money. Okay. 12:40 The first time in my life I seen $100 bills. 12:42 Wow. 12:43 My dad never showed me $100 bills. 12:44 I've never seen a $100 bill in real life. 12:48 And so I was just captivated, I was just like, dude, 12:52 "What are you doing?" 12:53 And he began to tell me how he would sell drugs. 12:57 And during that time in the early '90s 13:01 it was all right to be on blocks. 13:03 We used to stand up on a blocks and you be there all night. 13:05 And you sell dope, you sell weed, you sell crack, 13:08 whatever you sell all night. 13:09 I mean, cops knew what you were doing, 13:10 that was your block, you protected your block. 13:12 Your got certain drugs on your block. 13:14 And he began to tell me those things and I was just like, 13:16 "Man, I want to do it, 13:18 but my mom's not going to allow me to stay out 13:21 past the lights." 13:22 You know, when the lights come on, I go tot go inside. 13:24 Yeah, definitely. 13:25 And so I always had that in my mind 13:27 that I wanted to sell weed. 13:29 Twenty one, moved out the house, 13:33 experience some things in my life. 13:34 Friend came into my life, 13:36 it was like, man, you know, you're a good guy, 13:39 man, you should sell weed. 13:41 That was interesting, all the bad things that I did, 13:42 they came to me say, "Because, you're a good guy. 13:44 you should do this." 13:46 Kind of go figure and... Wow. 13:47 So I started to sell weed, I sold weed for about a week. 13:50 And you know what happened, 13:52 when you smoke more than you sell... 13:54 You going to make nothing. 13:56 Not going to make nothing. 13:57 But enemies and beat. 13:59 Luckily it was my cousin who was providing, 14:00 he kind of understood, 14:01 well he said, this is not for you. 14:03 Okay. 14:04 So I dealt with that for a week. 14:05 Like I said, I smoked up most of my, 14:07 I think I have five bags, smoked four of them so... 14:10 You didn't make anything from it. 14:11 Didn't make no money at all. 14:13 And so that was in my early 20s and then about 24, 14:18 I met up with another gentleman. 14:20 I'll leave his name out. 14:23 And he knew I was in church. 14:26 Matter of fact, we will party on Friday nights 14:28 and he would say, 14:30 "You got to be home back 2:00 because you gonna... 14:32 you have to be at church on Sabbath." 14:34 They always knew what I was doing, 14:35 I told you, I was in the river, on the bank at the same time. 14:39 All the my friends knew, 14:40 everybody knew that was what I... 14:42 who I was. 14:43 And so, he came to me one day and he was just like, 14:46 "You know, you got suits, right, when you go to church?" 14:49 I said, "Yeah." 14:51 "I need you to do me a favor." 14:52 I said, "What's... what do you need?" 14:54 He said, "Well, you know, I'm moving cooperate now." 14:59 "What do you mean, moving corporate?" 15:01 He said, "You know, I sell coat to the lawyers 15:04 and to the bankers now." 15:06 You know, he said, "I sell to them 15:07 because they have more to lose than I do. 15:10 So get careful in what they do." 15:11 Oh, yeah. 15:13 And so, Aaron, light bulb went off my head 15:14 that I can be now a real thug with a suit, 15:19 because that was in my lifestyle. 15:21 Wasn't going to be... 15:22 I didn't want to carry no guns, I didn't want to... 15:24 I was too scary for that stuff. 15:25 But I can walk up in a Bank of America with this suit on. 15:29 Briefcase, switch out, 15:31 act like I'm doing an account and move out. 15:33 I got so good that security guards would know me 15:36 and just buzz me up. 15:38 I began move a lot of weight like that 15:41 until one day, my friend... 15:44 it was too much just for me to move it. 15:46 He said that he was going to do run for me. 15:48 Okay. 15:50 And he's dead 15:55 and my boy that was with him is paralyzed. 15:57 Wow. 15:58 And so when I look back at it, Aaron, I really see how God... 16:03 Intervened in that. Intervened in that. 16:05 I wanted to go. 16:07 Matter of fact, I was mad because that was going to... 16:10 I would made like $6,000 just on, just moving it. 16:14 I dint touch nothing, I didn't cut nothing, 16:16 just handing it to one person, that was going to be six, 16:19 but that was too much for me, you know. 16:21 So, matter of fact, I remember briefing with the guy, 16:23 I was like, "Man, you don't trust me? 16:25 What you trying to say?" you know. 16:26 I've been doing all this work for you, 16:28 now on the bigger one you wanna... 16:29 you know, so things went wrong and lost one friend 16:34 and the other one is paralyzed. 16:36 And when I look at that I just... 16:39 I'm sad, but I'm so happy 16:42 because if it weren't for His grace, His mercy. 16:45 Amen. 16:46 And it chokes me up because we're all friends, man. 16:50 You know, these are good guy just got caught up. 16:53 You know, one, the friend that's paralyzed, 16:56 he had a mentally ill brother that he took care of. 16:59 I paid his mom's bills. 17:01 It wasn't just to flash, it wasn't for the bling, 17:04 it was almost selling for a cause. 17:06 And so in my mind it wasn't, you know, these are good guy, 17:10 you know, that just caught up in that fast money. 17:12 And so one again, like I said, my heart goes up, my heart sad, 17:15 but I'm so happy that God's grace and mercy kept me. 17:20 Defiantly. 17:21 How much of the impact do you think that music, 17:25 hip-hop music had upon your life? 17:26 Because, you know, for many of us 17:29 that's' where a lot of it starts. 17:30 You know, listening to the music, 17:31 as you stated it a second ago, 17:33 you saw your friend with that wad of money. 17:34 And it's like, you know, 17:35 we know that God enters into the heart 17:37 while Satan, he just breaks down to five senses. 17:40 And it seems like everything we see, 17:42 everything we do has either 17:44 negative or positive effect upon us. 17:46 So how much of an impact do you think 17:47 hip-hop music played your like. 17:50 Aaron, I must be honest with you, once again, 17:51 I'm probably little different than most 17:54 typical African-American males. 17:56 My fellow brothers would, they would get a... 17:58 they would pick on me. 18:00 I like the R and B, I dint like crap. 18:01 Okay. 18:03 I'd like the soft rock. 18:04 Okay. Okay. 18:06 You know. 18:07 I see you smiling, don't judge me. 18:09 Okay, that's all right. 18:10 But these are the things that I like. 18:12 But that type of music made me want to be a lover man. 18:16 Made me want to have a lot women. 18:19 I was listening to R. Kelly, my mind's telling me, 18:22 you know, my body is telling me yes. 18:24 You know, I was listening to H-Town's 18:26 "Somebody Knocking The Boots.". 18:27 I know. 18:29 I was listening to Jodeci. 18:30 You know, and I was engulfed in R and B, man, 18:33 I wanted to be the lover man. 18:35 At that time 18:38 fair skins brothers where in style, 18:42 you know. 18:43 So I was getting all types of attention 18:45 with that from that female 18:46 as well as I move smooth 18:49 because I'm not rough around the edges, I wasn't gangster. 18:52 Now I listen to some rap Nas, and Biggie and Tupac. 18:56 But for me, it was R and B. 18:58 And for me, it was, I wanted to be the smooth operator. 19:03 Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, okay. 19:05 Looking back over your life, 19:07 how have seen the hand of God in your life, 19:09 just protecting different things, 19:11 where one thing could happen, 19:12 like, you mentioned that stories a second ago, 19:13 with your friends. 19:15 And just a various time, 19:16 you know, it's interesting how when we change our life, 19:18 we can look back and say, 19:19 wow, I see the hand of God in that, 19:21 and just see how he protects were that could have been me. 19:24 So looking back, what are some instants 19:26 that you seeing like that? 19:27 One particular that just was the... 19:31 "the straw that broke the camel's back.". 19:33 Okay. 19:35 In 2003, I was driving from TGI Friday, 19:38 I remember that because yesterday I was in Charlotte, 19:39 North Carolina. 19:40 Made a right on to the street called Independence Boulevard. 19:43 Me and my boy was their, coming from the restaurant, 19:47 100 yards down the roads 19:48 we seen a bunch of smoking break lights. 19:50 I remember this like it was yesterday. 19:51 As we drove closer, we realized that we are first 19:54 on this car accident, the scene. 19:56 Hoped out the car, I told my boy, "Call 911." 19:59 Aaron, I remember that like it was just that I began to walk 20:02 toward the van that was smashed up. 20:05 As I got closer to the van, 20:07 there was two young ladies crying, rolling their eyes out. 20:09 And so I began to act smart, 20:10 "You okay? Is everything all right?" 20:12 And they point out to my right. 20:14 I remember this like it was yesterday, Aaron, 20:15 and look to my right, 20:17 and this accident was a head-to-head collusion. 20:20 And because of the forces of impact, 20:23 the front of this car was now pushed to the back. 20:26 I began to walk toward this car, 20:28 not knowing that these next moments will change my life. 20:31 And I seen, Aaron, a arm hanging out back window. 20:34 Wow. 20:35 As I got closer, 20:36 not knowing that these moments will change my life, Aaron. 20:40 I looked in and I saw the young ladies 20:42 who was the driver and because of the forces of the impact, 20:46 her seat was snapped in half, her seatbelt was shredded. 20:49 I remember like it was yesterday. 20:51 She was the driver but because of the forces of the impact 20:54 she was in the back seat, 20:56 hand smashed through the window. 20:59 I remember like it was yesterday, 21:00 I seen her coughing up blood, Aaron, 21:01 and I began to act as if she was all right. 21:03 I've never seen blood, 21:04 I don't like that type of stuff, 21:06 to be honest with you. 21:07 So I did, the first thing I've seen on television, 21:09 I began to tell her to squeeze my fingers. 21:12 I said, "Hold on, help is on the way." 21:14 I began to ask her name 21:15 and as she would try to talk to me, 21:17 she will caught up more blood. 21:18 So I said, "Baby, go just chill, 21:21 you know, help is on the way.". 21:22 Okay. 21:23 Aaron, I remember, her grip getting loose 21:26 and looser on my hands. 21:29 And I did what I should have done in the beginning. 21:34 I laid down cross on the ground, 21:35 I began to cry out to God, "Just save her." 21:40 I remember this like it was yesterday, 21:41 someone tapping on my shoulder, it's the paramedics. 21:44 He said, "Son, we have it from here." 21:47 And so I get up, I leave. 21:48 That next day I'm driving, I ran into one of my boys, 21:51 he's driving the other way, and I called him on my phone, 21:53 I said, " Darius Dfunk." 21:54 I said, "Where are you going?" 21:56 He said, "You wont believe it, 21:57 my best friend's sister got killed last night." 21:59 Oh, wow. 22:00 I said, "Oh, I am sorry to hear that." 22:01 I said, "How?" 22:03 he said, "It was head-to-head collusion." 22:04 I said, "Wait." 22:06 I said, "Was that at Independence Boulevard?" 22:07 He said, "Yes." I said, "No, no, no, wait." 22:09 I said, "Was it by TGI Friday?" 22:11 He said, "Yes." 22:12 I said, "Derek, I was their.". 22:14 Wow. 22:15 "I was their till the paramedics came, 22:16 I prayed for her." 22:18 Her brother was in the car with him, 22:19 he hands the brother the phone, 22:21 I began to tell the brother the story. 22:22 The brother says, "They pronounced her dead 22:24 before she makes it to the hospital." 22:26 She leaves two twin boys, she's 18 years old. 22:30 She works third shift because she's at school during the day 22:33 and she has two twin boys, not even one years old. 22:36 Aaron, I remember like it was yesterday. 22:38 "Got off the phone, I pulled into a McDonald's parking lot 22:41 and I began to curse God. 22:43 I began to yell at Him as if He was stranger on the street. 22:47 "Why would You let me see that God? 22:49 I prayed for You to save this young lady. 22:51 Why would you do that?" 22:53 And, Aaron, just as clear as you hear my voice, 22:57 for the first time I heard God speak to me to me. 22:59 Wow. 23:00 And He said, "DaMarrus, tomorrow is not promised, 23:04 give your life today." 23:08 And I remember chills going through my body 23:13 but also peace that came through it. 23:16 And I remember saying, I have to make a change today. 23:20 Interesting, two weeks later, 23:22 my father who's all into church, 23:24 now volunteers me to preach for Youth Day. 23:27 I am like, man, I am still rough around the edges, 23:30 I am still clubbing. 23:33 Of course, when your father volunteers you, 23:34 there's ain't no, it's like you got to do it. 23:37 Preach the sermon, man, 22 kids came down for Christ. 23:41 I said, God, you used a sinner like me? 23:44 I'm messed up, I smoke, I drink, 23:47 I was fornicating at the time. 23:49 Lord, you gonna use someone like me? 23:51 And He began to say, you know, I don't call to qualified, 23:56 but I qualified to call. 23:58 Amen. Amen. 23:59 Yeah, it's been... 24:01 Now talk about where you're at now. 24:03 You're starting your own ministry, 24:04 and if you could shed some light upon that 24:06 and how that helps young man, young people everywhere. 24:09 Aaron, I'll be honest with you, 24:10 I am so glad you asked that question. 24:12 I don't know about you, but I am tired of failing. 24:15 I'm tired as a husband, I am tired of making mistakes 24:20 that are just terrible for my family 24:24 Defiantly. 24:25 I am tired of falling to the same things. 24:28 And what I realized as men, 24:30 we don't talk about some of the same issues. 24:32 I guarantee, some of my issues 24:33 that I keep it myself you're going through. 24:35 And want I wanted to start was a ministry from men, 24:39 the ministry is called Mending Men Ministries, 24:42 where we're going to deal with, man, 24:43 what you do when it's you fault? 24:45 When you do when it's your... 24:46 when it was your fault, when you made the mistake, 24:48 how do you forgive yourself? 24:51 I am learning that God will expose us for eternity. 24:55 He's not exposing us to save your marriage, 24:58 He's not exposing you to save your ministry, 25:01 He's exposing you to save your life. 25:03 And so I've started a new ministry 25:06 called Mending Men's Ministry 25:07 where we're dealing with finances, we're dealing... 25:10 one of the topic is, 25:13 some of the things that they never told us. 25:14 Okay. 25:15 I have a father in my life. Okay. 25:17 He did the best he could, 25:18 but there are some things he didn't tell me. 25:20 Yeah, yeah, definitely. 25:21 And so we're gonna deal with those things, 25:23 it's a one-on-one healing men ministry, mending Men Ministry. 25:26 Amen. 25:27 Now looking back on your life and where you are now 25:29 with a relationship with Jesus, how important is it you 25:33 or how, what's the difference feeling that you have 25:35 between now versus the life when you were drinking, 25:38 and smoking, and clubbing? 25:39 Pain is still there, hurt is still there. 25:42 Okay. 25:43 Disappointment still there, I just fell better about it. 25:47 I know it sounds funny 25:48 but I don't walk with my head down like that anymore. 25:52 I made a mistake, I pray for forgiveness, 25:54 I acknowledge it and I keep it moving. 25:56 Amen. 25:57 In the streets, during that time, 25:58 I never forgave myself. 26:00 I didn't know that God will forgive me. 26:02 I knew but I didn't believe it. 26:04 And so I walked around with guilt on my back, 26:05 I walked around with stress on my back, 26:07 so I had a bad attitude. 26:08 I was snappy at people. 26:11 And so for me, I won't say, 26:13 as a Christian, life gets better. 26:16 For me, when I accepts the Jesus and I start to go, 26:19 totally, with my... still have falls, still fail. 26:23 Ask my wife, she will say, I probably got issues, 26:25 big issues. 26:28 But now, 26:29 I just have a different peace about my issues. 26:30 Yeah. Amen. 26:32 You know, have a different peace of mind. 26:34 I was reading Psalms 51 where David says, 26:36 I was shaped in an equity, that's the reality. 26:39 We're born in this thing. Defiantly. 26:41 And not until Christ purges us, 26:44 you know, and we testify to others 26:46 about we've been through. 26:47 Amen. Amen. 26:48 Is until we can have that feeling. 26:50 I want you to take a few moments 26:51 to look into the camera, 26:52 I what you to talk to that young person 26:54 that is dealing with the same issues 26:55 that you dealt with while you were young, 26:56 and I want you to speak to that person 26:58 about how they should choose Jesus. 27:02 John 10:10 says, "The thief comes in order to steal, 27:06 kill, and destroy, 27:08 but I've come that they may have life 27:10 and have it more abundantly." 27:12 Young people, young men and women, 27:15 I must be honest with you, 27:16 Satan hates you. 27:18 Satan's strategic plan is to steal, kill, and destroy, 27:23 that's it, that's his total agenda. 27:26 But I'm here to let you know that we have a God, 27:29 we have savior, we have a Christ, 27:31 we have a friend that wants to give you life more abundantly. 27:34 Amen. 27:36 Choose today 27:38 for the rest of your life to follow Christ. 27:41 That doesn't mean you'll be perfect, 27:43 that doesn't mean you wont make mistakes, 27:45 that just means that we have a savior who died for us. 27:48 Amen. Amen. 27:49 I want to thank you, DaMarrus, for being on the program. 27:52 You've been watching The New Journey, 27:53 be sure to tune in next time for an exciting program 27:55 of The New Journey. |
Revised 2016-06-09