The Bryce Crawford Podcast - How Jesus Saved Boonk Gang (EP 42)

Episode Date: August 28, 2024

In this video, Holy Gabbana shares how he came to Christ Filmed By; Josh Rodriguez @whitehorse.studios MERCH👉 https://www.jesusinthestreet.com subscribe for more! Sow Into My Ministry One-Time or Monthly! Visit 👉 https://www.equipnet.org/missionaries/bcrawford (all donations are tax deductible) Download Our FREE Bible Plan https://growinfaith.readytoconnect.com/join-the-one-year-bible-challenge follow me on other platforms! Podcast Instagram 👉https://instagram.com/brycecrawfordpodcast Personal Instagram 👉 https://instagram.com/brycecrawford Merch Instagram 👉 https://instagram.com/ilovejesus Tiktok (main) 👉https://www.tiktok.com/@brycecrawford Tiktok (2nd) 👉 https://www.tiktok.com/@adventuresofbryce Snapchat https://snapchat.com/add/brycecraww Twitter 👉 https://twitter.com/ibrycecrawford #christianity #christian #Jesus #BryceCrawford #christiantiktok #christianvideos #holyspirit #Jesusheals #viral #christianvideo #venicebeach #evangelism

What's going on, guys? Welcome back to another episode of the Bryce Crawford podcast. I'm Bryce. And today, really, really excited for today's guest. This was last minute. It wasn't expecting it. My new friend John, aka Holy Gabana. Formerly known as Boone Game. He's going to share his story with us and kind of tell us like how he surrendered his life to Jesus, what that process was looking like. Is there like a meaning behind Holy Gabana, or is it just? Well, holy stems from God because he tells all of his children to be holy because he's holy. And Gobana, it just means a creative person. Oh, okay, cool, cool.

So that's just the new name. I'm excited to hear about that. I remember being younger and seeing your old videos when you were Boon Kang, and you were like stealing stuff from people, right, and like going into the malls and stuff. Let's backtrack actually back when you were very young, like when you were first born. What was it like growing up? Where'd you grow up? What was your environment like?

Jacksonville, Florida, and I would save my environment. It was my mom just trying to, you know, build a regular home, you know, do house. But it was a lot of brokenness in my crib. And just her brokenness manifested through her actions, how she treated us, through her words. And, you know, so I grew up just like when you were sharing your testimony with me, with being shaped by my mom's brokenness. Dang. So.

Yeah. So, but I understand, excuse me. I understand she did her best. And I believe at the very, uh, underneath the pain that she loved the children, it's just she parented through brokenness, through hurt through pain that, you know, that was, uh, so. But that was, uh, so. But that was me.

But, you know, I played a little sports, football, baseball, ran track. I was in two Christian schools. But that was it. So you grew up playing sports. Your mom was in the picture. Your dad was he in the picture? My father was in jail and sleeping with other women.

My stepdad was there. But he died when I was 14 due to blood of cancer. Oh, wow. So once he died after 14 years old, it was no man in my life. There was no man. And that's like, I feel like 14 is a crucial age to need a father in your life. So would you say around 14 years old is when you started dabbling in the violence and things like that? So how exactly, before the videos and everything, how did you even get involved in theft, violence, all that?

After my stepfather died when I was 14, I was going to Eaglesview Christian Academy. My mother, the school that I attended, they found out about my stepfather's death, and they did a fundraiser to get me and my family Christmas. After that, that was the last holiday that I seen or that my family had, like, celebrated. before then there was some birthdays my mom missed due to financial lack but after that that was like 15 I wore my stepdad's hand me downs 16 I'm like I can't go another year wearing hammery downs yeah I'm getting older I hit the streets I start stealing clothes out of like Kmart or Target, Walmart, start stealing shoes.

And then 17, I was a senior, 17, you know, I was stealing candy, sell it, still in school. So it honestly, my theft, it came from a place of lack, not having, but wanting. Right. So it wasn't like for fun. You were like, no, I just need. this stuff. I need clothes. I need the food. You're like, you were even just selling it to make money, so you could eat. You know? So you were doing that at 17. And out of that place of lack, did you ever

become affiliated with a group or anything or anything like that? You were just doing it because you needed it. And then after high school, where did the transition go, I guess? Because a lot of people, like you said, they know you for the videos that you made, boom gang, stealing stuff. You were taking videos, did it turn from a, like, how did that even come about? How did you start making it? Did the first video go viral? How did that come about? But also underneath that, like, did you start recording it because you wanted to make money through social media? Or did you start recording it because you were looking for affirmation deep down from brokenness? Or what was that whole? No, I wanted to make some money from social media but the thing is is when I did gain a following and I started

gaining fame it's like this it's like this dude when you you get money you start getting money you start getting fame whatever who you are at your core the money is literally going to it's going to spark what what's who you are at your core you feel me yeah yeah so you get if you are given person if you get the more money you get you're going to just give more right at my core it's like I was so selfish from a little bit I was selfish I was hungry I had a desire to have because I like I lacked for so long so I had a desire to have right so it's uh when I when I when I gained the following it's like I couldn't see what I had

it's like I just still had a desire to have. It's just so blinded me. It blinded me from so much. But it just still from wanting to make money from social media because even though, say, my mom, she did the best she could. She had me in private school for a year or two. I never had a desire to be a Christian,

even though I was around it a little bit because my mom, she would profess the faith, but at home she lived life on her own terms. I always seen a body. of people professor faith they never lived up to. Dang. So it's like all I'm at home seeing a regular secular life. Well, a secular life that I thought was normal life.

Right. I go to church. You sit here trying to tell me about some rules and everything. It's like, bro, I don't even want to be here. So I'm just seeing my lenses of the faith was just a body of people who just trying to live, living by so many rules. But over here at the house, I get the freedom, on the streets, freedom, freedom. So when I first started making the bunk game videos, I just wanted to make money to be somebody

because underneath everything, all the brokenness that I've experienced from my mom, underneath the loss of my dad underneath the in and out on the streets underneath not having underneath of being homeless and having to still and sleep in the streets I knew I was somebody and that's just it I knew deep down inside I was somebody no matter the circumstances that was happening

on the external I knew I was somebody and I just felt led to go through social media to be somebody. And as I was becoming somebody, because who I was at the core and I didn't have a foundation

due to not being important to me, I didn't have a mom be like, this is how you spend money, I didn't have a dad, this is how you, this is what you do with money, this is how you treat people, I didn't go through that. At home, I come home from school, my mom in her room, the rest

you know, everything I'm learning is partners, friends, circumstances school that's all I'm learning so that's what shaped who I was before so you know and I know that none I just went off talking no no that was that was fire yeah man that's necessary like understanding where you came from I feel like everybody's trying to be somebody yeah you know and like whether they look forward in substances whether they look forward in social media the approval from other people and that was actually something I struggled with I was a big people pleaser

Like I would be different people to everybody around me because I just wanted, I thought that their affirmation would make me feel loved. Even if that meant me being nice to you and then me going to dawn and like putting you down to dawn if that made me look better in his eyes. That's how I used to live my life because I was like, dang, I just want to feel loved. And so I totally understand. I think that's necessary for people to know like social media, substances, anything you do, it'll fill it for the moment, right? Like you even said, like, there was a want because you had been stealing for so long. You were like, even though I was making money through social media, like, I kept doing it almost like, it feels good for the moment. And then after you do it, it's like the only way to get that feeling to come back is if you do it again.

Rather than now, like, when I got Jesus, I felt like I got that to quench the thirst I had in my heart. And then I haven't had to go, like, come and go to it. It's just, it's quenched my thirst since. And that's like, how you just explained it is, is. is very intelligent, intellectual, profound. And that's exactly it. And the thing is, it's like, because I only knew one thing, I thought I was just supposed to just keep chasing it,

just keep going. You know, I didn't know how to, and then I had nobody in my circle to guide me in the right direction, though. Right. They were just bad influences. Yeah, you explained it perfectly. So, okay, so you graduated high school,

you started making these videos. Let's talk about, like, the quote-unquote, rise of Bunking, what was happening in those videos, them catching traction, what that was like. And then I know you mentioned earlier, I'm excited to dive into, you said you went to prison and you found God in prison. So let's talk about the rise of what that was like, the adrenaline, and what was the breaking point for you? And what was that encounter like with God in jail? What was the first question you asked about the videos? Yeah, how was it the rise? Was it out of nowhere? Was it steady? Was it a lot on your shoulders? Did you feel press?

Yeah, it was a grind. It was definitely a run because I was really out here being destructive and reckless for real. And it's like I'm gaining a following from being reckless. But in the real world, you have million dollar companies, million dollar businesses. Like, man, we can't work with this person, which I didn't see. The only thing I saw was I'm gaining the following, so I'm going to continue doing this. So I'm completely blinded from the truth and the reality that a million-dollar company is not going to collab with me because I'm literally showing the world that I'm reckless and I can't be trusted. So it was a grind. And, but for some reason, it's just like I believe like, okay, just keep going. Just keep being reckless. Just keep being reckless. Just keep being reckless. And one day a billion-dollar company is going to work with me.

So for the people that may have not seen your videos, right, new people, what were some of the things that you were doing in these videos? I just promoted a life of crime, death, promiscuity, and heavy drug use. Wow. Violence. And so you were saying, like, hey, I'm just making these videos. And if we're being real, like you said, you were doing that stuff before the camera was on. So really, you were just being yourself. You were trying to do social media to make money.

And now you're making videos, being yourself. Maybe looking for some validation through social media gain of following, but now it's like the outlet that you're going to use to make money, nobody's working with you. But you're gaining this following. You're promoting violence and drug use and things like that. What led up to, how did you end up getting arrested? What was the breaking point? So, and living that lifestyle, just as we described it, I end up, I wake up from being high by the head of Denny's. And I don't think my hi had anything to do with this.

But the night before this happened, I was high in the mug. I wake up. I get in the car with my producer and the chick. I'm in a mazorati. I press the gas. As soon as I press the gas, the car lose control. And I just hit the car. Just hit, I mean, not the car.

I hit many cars. Just bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. So like I I don't even think I still Paying for that But I beat up so many cars Like just think of how many Random people just

Just a person Wake up and then boom see Their car just dent in Destroyed Like that's so crazy I drive I see the car The car smoking and it's putting

And I'm like Oh man I can take this to the plug Where I got it from and I could exchange this car and just get a new car because when I did get a following, now the streets, the business just weren't messing with me,

but the streets was messing with me. So, you know, I had connections in the streets. Right. But at some point, it's like, in my mind, I'm like, man, I'm trying to get to real work. So I see the car.

I get this to the plug. I get it to them. So I drive. As I'm driving, the car really not moving. nowhere. So I parked behind the gas station. Man, I tell you probably like five, ten minutes. I don't even know if I waited that long. A team of cops just come pull up on me and withdraw their guns and, you know, they put me in cuffs.

And so I'm guessing like the civilians, other civilians, they made a call. They see the car beat up and I'm trying to drive it on the street. So they made a call, gave him my location. They came, they got me, and they found a gun and some drugs in the car. So they put me in the backseat. I didn't confess to the gun or the drug. They put me in the backseat. They arrested my producer.

And they're like, hey, man, we see a gun in here. We see the drugs. Who stuff is this? I don't know. My producer, like, man. Officer, like, so Chetnissot. I'm gonna leave. I'm gonna let y'all figure this out.

When I come back, you know, I need to give me a name. Somebody need to own up to it. He left. My producer, he like, what you want me do, brother? You want me to take it? I said, yeah, take it. I want you to take it. That was my mindset then.

I was, what, 21 years old, 22. Me now at 28 years old, I'm not going to be in that position. But even if I was in that predicament, I'm just going to own up to everything. Right. But back then, you know, on my mindset, it's like I just got famous. I'm already in a lot of trouble. To that point, I was already in. I had some cases against me.

And then I'm like, yeah, take it. He could take it. So, obviously came back. The producer owned up to it, and they put the hit and run on me because I was the driver. Oh, wow. Rightfully so. So I went to jail, and my producer was in there with me. I bond out.

I bond him out. I get released hours before him. I go online. I say, free my dog. He took my gun charge, man. Free my dog, man. He took my gun charge. gun charge.

Confessing on video, man. He took my gun charge, man. They took my little gun, but they didn't take my big guns. I pulled out the AR, detect, like this, flexing it. And then the police built the case on me.

They was watching my Instagram, my social media, and I didn't, I wasn't aware of it. I didn't know. I didn't know. And like a week later, Two weeks later, next thing I hear. LAPD, open up.

I say, oh, snap. I start running. I take the clips out of the guns, throw it up. Then, you know, I got less time for doing that, separating the clip by the gunning, and I didn't know that I just did it instantly. I was just trying to hide everything. And then I ran to my bathroom,

tried to jump out of the window real quick, but I'm like, I can't get out of here. It's too small. So I just, they. LAPD, open up. I'm going to give you such and such time to open up. If not, we're coming in. You know, I couldn't find a way out, so I just opened up the door.

Whoa. They said, hey, we're looking for John Hill? I said, yeah, that's me. They, uh, they, they, uh, they, uh, they, uh, they, they, uh, they cuffed me. They took me out. They went in. they flipped my whole crib, flipped everything, and they took my guns out, and they took me to jail. I bonded out, but I was going to trial every month.

And my case started out to a minimum of three years in prison. So about the time I got to trial And even Bryce, even in the midst of all this It's like I could see how God was working in my life Because I could have been sentenced at any time At any time I could have been sentenced But I was sentenced at the end of the year

And when I got sentenced I got sentenced five months county time And it started out three years But honestly when I went to go turn myself in, because I was out on bond, but when I went to go turn myself in, I was looking at six months counting time. I got a chance to talk to the DA. They gave me five months.

I said, ma'am, I know I messed up, but I want to change. You know, I have a following, and I want to do the right thing, and be a good influencer. Then, you know, they gave me five months. When I went to jail, all the inmates, they were so excited to see me. Oh, we locked up with Bunk Gang. And then, but the way they was reacted, it alarmed the CEOs. So the CEOs, they put me in solitary confinement. And I spent a week in solitary confinement.

They would have kept me in there. But I spoke up for myself, and I said, hey, I want to leave. I don't, I didn't do nothing to be here. Y'all need to get me out of this hell. Like, get me out of here. And they interviewed me. and it was like, are you in fear for your life and this and that? Because when they was alarmed by the way the CEOs reacted,

they knew that, well, you got inmates reacting over you. I don't know if you're terrorists or this or that, you know, start this, but then they found out that I had celebrity status. So, you know, are you a fear for your life? This and I'm like, nah, y'all can just move me. I'm good. I don't got nothing to worry about. So when they moved me, my cellmate, he's on the jail bars.

He just posted up. I walk in. He said, get on the top bunk. He said, that's you. I get on the top bunk. I'll start watching TV. I'm excited because I just been without a TV. And the next question he was out, he's like, man, what's your name?

Like, I'm John. And he's like, I'm Josh. He said, do you believe in Jesus? I said, Your cellmate asked you this. Yeah, my cellmate. He's like, do you believe in Jesus? I said, yeah, I believe in Jesus.

And then, uh, up to that point, Bryce, I've always believed in Jesus. I had, I've had, I've had, let me put it like this. I always believed in Jesus that Jesus was God because that was taught to me as a kid. but when it come to the faith and Christian politics I never I was always against that because I never had a real understanding of it and I never understood how the Christian faith and politics and stuff aligned with Jesus right I just knew Jesus was God so I believe God. So I was there. That was your understanding at the time.

Jesus is God. I believe in God. Right. The politics, the scripture, everything else, the faith, the religious stuff. I didn't, I seen all that is just religious stuff. So I said, yes, I believe in Jesus. And every, but after that moment, it's like he began to, to give me scripture, to show me love, to help me understand who Jesus truly is. I didn't even know who Jesus truly was.

I just knew Jesus was God, and I believe in God. Right. But I began to see a true picture of who he is through the scripture that Josh was feeding me. So every day, man, I'm like, wow, Jesus did that? Okay, wow. Okay, Jesus, he washed feet. He fed 5,000 people. people okay wow Jesus is king okay wow and it's like I got I have a baby understanding of it

got to a point where he's like okay you know try to read on your own but I could never read the Bible I just can't understand it right but my heart was beginning to change because this man was teaching me that God came into the world he took the power of death like defeated sin and we have forgiveness and we could receive eternal life just by confessing our sins. Up to that point, I've done so much wrong. Even after gaining fame, like, I've just, like, life got really dark for me. I've done wrong outside of gaining the name. I was in the streets, robbing, like, doing some horrific stuff,

but it got worse when I got into the industry and began to be around. other celebrities who was corrupted themselves. Yeah. Like the stuff got done. And they were like encouraging you almost in it. Yeah. And so you feel like for the first time in jail, you're actually confronted by your actions. And your cellmates like instead of condemning you or encouraging you like people with status were,

he meets you in the cell and goes, here's the love of Jesus. Yeah. That's powerful. Yeah. Here's the love of Jesus. And so you got that. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. So you got that.

He's telling you the love of Jesus and you're processing it in this cell. Yeah. In this moment, he hands you a Bible. You can't read it. You can't understand it. Was Josh like discipling you in jail? Almost. Whoa.

Yes, he was. So what happened after that moment? Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, but I want to keep letting you go. What happened after that moment? So as he was, you know, guiding me and teaching me the word, one night I took it upon myself to sing out to God

to sing out to Jesus Jesus loves you for he died on the cross far as sins he's always with you from beginning to the end Jesus loves you

for you died I was just singing that and I was just singing that and I was just singing that and I was just singing for he died on the cross far of sins He's always with you From beginning to the end

And then I lay down And I felt the sadness Just come over me And I was just crying And I was just in my cover just crying But then the presence of love Came over me And filled me with joy

It took my sadness away and made me happy And I couldn't explain it And it's almost Like was downloaded through in my spirit and I knew to just keep my eyes closed and to embrace the moment. So I did just that and I embraced it and I just began to smile and to be cheerful. When the when the love physically, when I couldn't physically feel it anymore because I physically felt the presence just grafts me when I couldn't physically feel it no more, I jumped off my bed and I immediately woke myself made up.

I say Josh, wake up. Whoa. I say, Josh, wake up. I was just singing. I was crying, Josh. I felt sad. I just started crying. I'm like, Josh, look.

It's like trying to show him my tears. But something came over me and it filled me with joy. Something came over me. And it was just like a presence of love. he sent we sent just like this he was on my right side he looked at me and he said he just had an encounter with the Holy Spirit

I'm like wow Josh man sing with me he started singing with me but what even led me to to sing it's just

I was I was bought to a place of humility because I had five minutes followers in the world and I thought I was the man. I thought I was a hot shot. Jesus is king of the world. He said that he come to serve and not to be served. I'm like, who am I? Wow. So my heart was just being moved man. It was just being moved after that encounter. A seed was planted. And I didn't I mean, I didn't immediately give my life to God in that moment after that, but the seed was planted, and my eyes were now open to a new way of life. Wow.

And so because of Josh's obedience in that jail cell, talking to you, I mean, gosh, I can't even imagine what it was like feeling encouraged in every other way of living. And now Josh invites you into this new life. So eyes are open, you start seeking out Jesus. How much time did you end up doing in jail? And then when you got out of jail, what was the transition like going from Boon King videos to now Holy Gabana, who we know John to be today? So I started out, the case started at three years in prison. I was sentenced five months county time. I did half of five months.

Whoa. And I got out three years of probation. Whoa. So after that, after I got out of jail, Josh was still in there, and he gave me his wife's number to keep in contact with him. Over time, it began difficult to stay in contact with him because his wife was going through it. But when I was out, I just continued to seek after what I knew. and that was focusing on me, my name, my status, my way of living, which was get money, and, you know, that's it, just get money, try to keep this fame going, and sex and drugs.

What I was promoting on social media, it was no longer that. But because when I started out, Boone Gang promoted that lifestyle. Right. When I got out of jail, I no longer promoted that lifestyle, but I was still living. Whoa. And I end up going on YouTube to how to save money because I was in a messed up position. And I'm, what, 22 years old, just got out of jail. Yeah, I was 2019.

I think I was 22, going on 23. I'm looking up how to save money. The internet leads me to how to manifest money. So I'm seeing how to manifest money. That leads me to how to be higher yourself, how to reach it, how yourself. Then it teaches that led to God is not real. God is the energy waves in the universe. which we refer to God as.

Then that led to now we do rituals and to thank our ancestors. So all that stem from me trying to figure out how to save money. Right. And I just begin to, so now I'm following the New Age religion. Whoa.

And I'm not knowing it. Dang. And I get, I'm thinking, I say, okay so maybe that was my grandma who passed away that came to me and my jail cell whoa so you started associating your encounter with Jesus with this new age religion that you just been learning through YouTube yes whoa how long did that go on for about I say about the year and then how did you get out of that and come back to this realization of no that stuff's demonic like Jesus is the way so before I came on the internet

And people got the Jesus version of me. While I was following the New Age religion, just trying to figure out how to save money and be financial literate, I go to North Carolina to record a video. Leaving from North Carolina, I'm coming back home to Jacksonville. My cameraman is like, I'm in Atlanta. I say, okay. But he said, if you come to Atlanta, I shoot your music videos for free.

I say, cool. So I call a friend in Atlanta, and I said, hey, man, do you mind if I stay at your house for a couple of days? I have some business to do out there. He said, well, let me get back to you. Within a week, he called me. He said, you could come over. I book your tickets. I say, well, I don't need you to book my tickets.

I just need you to let me stay over your house for a few days. He said, you could come. just tell me when you book your tickets and I'll pick you up from the airport I say cool so I get to Atlanta he picks me up he says as soon as I get in the car he's like what's up Johnny he called me Johnny my name's not Johnny I say what's up Johnny I say what's up man I say uh what Nero that's his brother he said Nero why you ask for Nero you're all family I know both y'all you say yeah that's right that's right well He got shot.

And he was pronounced dead. My heart sunk. He said, what? What's you talking about? He said, Nero was involved in the drug deal that went bad. He got shot and died. But he's at the house and he'll tell you everything. I was like, what?

I'm like, oh, what are you talking about? He said Nero was at the house. and he'll tell you everything what happened. We get to his house. I see Nero come out of the room. I look at him. You see Captain America? Yeah.

You seen how he was before he blew up? Yeah. Nero was just like that. But he used to be healthy, but he'd come out small. I say, Nero, man, what happened? Are you okay? Tell me what happened? He said, come here.

I give him a hug. He said, come on, let's go to the table. We sit down at the table. I say, Nero, tell me everything. He said, well, man, I had a lot of dope on me. You know, you know how on the plug. He said, I was at a park. I was serving some chick.

And she, like, I got somebody else who wanted to buy something from me. And I said, let, bring them through. Now, I'm telling you this. He didn't tell me this, but I'm telling you this. Just think. how his desire to get money the wrong way but the desire to get money blinded him from the reality that he put himself in a dangerous situation well oftentimes our desires that's rooted to get things that's rooted in evil blinds us to the reality of what could happen our desire

to sleep with a chick have illicit sex she looks good oh look at that big booty that desire us to the reality that once I sleep with her I could catch a STD I just want to feed my desire and sleep with her feel pleasure But God says don't have illicit sex don't have casual sex To protect us from the dangers right from the reality of the world right this man desired to get money blinded him From the reality that he just invited his killer into his space Wow He said, Bet, bring that man through.

Bring him through. Made me some money. She'd get out the car. The man come through and shoot him up. Shoot this car. Oh, my gosh. But he's telling me this. He's like, yeah, I told her to come through.

He's just so soft-spoken. Tell him to bring him through. He comes, he shoot up the car. You know, he shoot him the car. The bullets go through the car. Two bullets go through me. I drive off I call my mom

and I say mom I just got shot I'm sorry but his mom say call on Jesus you better call on Jesus he called the rest he tried to call the rest

his family he'd get out the car and try to walk to the nearest house to get help he couldn't walk any longer he'd fall on his knees

Jesus forgive the shooter forgive me for my sins his life his spirit left his body And whatever life he experienced, once he confessed his sin, I believe my Bible. And my Bible says that once you confess your sins, that you are forgiven.

Right. Like the thief on the cross. I believe my Bible. This man said Jesus forgive the shooter and forgive me for my sins. And he just coughed and he experienced in the new world. whatever this man experienced he experienced God up to this point before he's telling me his testimony my belief in Jesus was like this because I thought Jesus was this

suen son and God was the energy waves in the universe right I had an encounter but the enemy tried to literally twist confuse me from it right and I always had doubts as I was following the new age religion I had doubts because I'm like my cellmate told me me that I had an encounter with the Holy Spirit. Right. What I felt was love.

It was unlike anything that I ever felt. It was unlike any how I've ever experienced. Right. But I believed everything that I seen on the Internet because it had millions of views and millions of other people following it. Right. So I believed it.

But it wasn't the truth. What saved me was another man's testimony. Someone who I loved. Someone who I knew. And the everything. evidence was I got to see his body. I got to hear the voice recording of him and his mom. I got to see his medical records of how he was pronounced dead. But man doesn't have the last say so over your life. Come on. God has to last say so. So as I'm in front of him, I said, Nero, what did you see? He said, it was so many castles. I said, you see people? I don't even know if I could say people. But it was so many. of him just hugging me.

Did you see God? Do you see Jesus? John, I was just on my knees just crying, overwhelmed with love. Whoa. I say, tell me what happened. He said, John, I can't even really explain it. I just know everybody welcomed me.

Love it on me. And I was just overwhelmed with love. And I was just on my knees crying. I say, was you walking around? What was you doing? I don't know if I could say I was walking. I was just, I can't explain it.

I can't really explain it. And I don't want to look at, I don't want to try to research it because I don't want to see what's out there on the Internet and it mixes up my story. But all I know is where I was, I'd rather be there than here right now. I say, what? I say, are you serious?

Are you for real? He said yes. I say, look at me in my eyes. Are you serious? He said, John. But where I was, I'd rather be there than here. Whoa. I say, what?

What does all this mean? John, Jesus is real. I say, narrow. Men Jesus is real? He said, yes, Jesus is real. I say, Nero, Jesus's real. And the reason why I asked him like 10 times, like five times. Nero, Jesus's real.

Yep, he's real, John, yep. Nero, Jesus is real. He's real. Yep. And the reason why I was like that is because I had an encounter with Jesus when I was in jail. but I following the world I was brought down to a place of unbelief but there was a little

it was a little it's like this much belief in Jesus that was like fire that God was doing that through his testimony just sparking it I'm like Jesus real he's real

he's real all the lies that I was just following was just like being cast it down don't Reach your higher self, deny yourself. Whoa. All the lies. Just your ancestors, let the dead bury the dead.

Your ancestors, no, pray to Jesus. Don't do rituals. Nero, Jesus is real. John, what I just experienced, Jesus is real. Wow. Man, I ran up to the room, confessed my sins, and ever since then, you got this version of it. Come on.

of John. Come on. You got this version. I didn't, it's like, Jesus showed me who he was. He showed me, he showed me his reality. That he's real.

Wow. But it's like, in trying to follow the world, trying to follow the world, I began, I got confused. I didn't know the truth. But that little,

that encounter that I had in jail, it was like, it was, it was something that I was holding on to. It's like, because my experience, I know what I experienced. Right. I know what I experienced. Yeah.

So even in following the world, stuff wasn't in line enough. I was questioning it the whole time. But the only reason why I was following it because I see it got millions of views and a whole other, a lot of people following it. Right. So, but what is telling me about God and Jesus, it was just wanting to add up because I know what I experienced. Yeah.

but through my broh testimony man my faith just boom I'm like I refuse to be lied to again I refuse to be tricked again I refuse to be confused again

God is not the author of confusion the truth is the truth and in the truth there would be no error in truth because the truth will remain the same the truth will never be changed I just oh my gosh

I had like 5,000 followers on social media because when I got out of jail I didn't have a social media because I made a porno on my Instagram account that had 5 million followers so they banned

then it took work for me to even have an account again and when I finally did I was no longer uploading game content no more I would just posting pictures and music but the people who did see me because my account

would have like 10 million profile views but nobody was following me so people were seeing me but they wasn't interested in what I was promoting anymore so but I was able to get the 500,000

I took that 500,000 and I said y'all see my face I know I'm covered in tattoos but God he doesn't see the surface he sees my heart and I said

Jesus Christ in my heart. I sub- Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. A month after that, I don't even know if it was a month. I set the phone up, and I just started crying. I never told nobody about the account that I had when I was in jail.

But I became bold. Because the only thing that mattered to me was Jesus. My brother experienced death. My good friend experienced death. But if that was me on the other side, experienced death, I don't know if I would have had a friend or my mom or anybody to be like, call on Jesus.

Wow. That wouldn't have been my experience. No, no, no, no, sir. No, sir. Because even though I believe that there was Jesus, Jesus wasn't inside of me. Wow. I had head knowledge, but no heart change. Dang.

I believe in God. What does God say about Luke warmness? He has spirit yatchel. Wow. So many people would say they've done miracles and this in God's name, but nothing was changed inside of me. I just knew there was a God. Wow. But up to that moment when death played the picture, when somebody I love said, I just died and I have proof that I died and I have proof where I was, I experienced God, I experienced love. And this is it, John. Jesus is real. I said, the only thing that matters is I have to know God because when I am. leave my body I want to make sure I have a home because any time before now with all the

decisions I've done I wouldn't have had no home I would experience real death with their separation from God I don't want to do that I don't want that experience yeah so that that boldness it came from seeing the reality that it don't matter about the following It doesn't matter how big my name is. It doesn't matter about the money. It doesn't matter about the material world, the external. It doesn't matter because the reality is you could have all that in today's world. But one day, you have to leave your body.

One day, that's promise. Death is promise to every man. Death is promise. You have a promise that you're going to leave your body one day. But there's a bigger promise that if you accept Jesus. Lord and Savior that when you do leave your body, that you have a home. Wow. Which is your real home.

Hold on to, I had to hold on to that bigger promise. I had to, I got to hold on to that bigger promise because I don't know where I'm going when I die. Just by faith, I have to believe that when I do die, I'm going to be with God. And that's a good thing. Because God created me. So I had nothing to fit. I got nothing to worry about. So I have safety and confidence that when I do leave my body,

That guy was going to be like, welcome home, John. What's up? Wow. But before then, the only promise I had was death. Whoa. That's real. Somebody need to hear that today. For real.

And when death came to play, seeing somebody I know, I love, experience it, but he received the bigger promise just from confessing his sins, I needed that. Wow. And there was nothing, nobody. and there was nothing nobody in this world that was going to stop me from telling everybody else in humanity that Jesus is real.

Come on. That's powerful. Thank you for sharing your story, John. I really appreciate it. I guess to end, let's say now, now like you were on that side of death, let's say right now, the you now is here, and you were able to leave everybody with one message. What would you leave everybody?

everyone with. I was deep in my mess when I encountered Jesus Christ. You could be deep in your mess and still in the count of God. God didn't say, hey man, you're dirty. I'm going to wait till you clean yourself off before you come to me. He didn't say that. He didn't say, hey, man, go clean your face off. Go remove them face tattoos. I don't want you to have tattoos. He didn't say that. He said, I see your heart. I see that you've been through trauma. I see that you've been through pain. I see that you're broken on the inside. I see that the world laugh at you and think you're a fool. I see all the names that the world is telling you, all the limitations that the world is putting on you. I see that. But I say, you're worthy. That's what God said. To me, that's what he says to everybody else

that he loves and guess what he loves all of humanity unfortunately all of humanity doesn't love him wow you could be deep in your mess and still decide

to give your life to God still decide to make it change all you got to do is just come to him seek him pursue him and he'll clean you off he'll wash you clean when I fully surrender myself to God

fully surrendered my life to God I was still struggling with promiscuity I desire to live holy to not fall into sexual sin, but sometimes I fail. But guess what? God was working on me, and I knew that because when I did have sex outside of marriage, I felt horrible. That's a sign that God is working. How I know. Because when I used to sleep with so many chicks, I didn't feel a thing.

I celebrated. but now I feel bad man that means God is working he's doing a good thing and I had to get to a point that okay

this thing is daily this thing has to be daily you're not going to be perfect right away it's a sanctification process and you don't know how long your process needs to be for you to be clean and reflect the reflection of uh to be the reflection of jesus you don't know how long that be in my early on of being a christian i accepted jesus and i wanted to be changed and a new person

right away but there was so much hurt and brokenness i got angry why am i not changed this yet why am i am i still falling why am i professing jesus here in the front on the surface but on the back, I'm falling. But now I could see. You don't think God knew every fall that you would have before he calls you? You may fall. But God knows that. Before you surrender your life to God, before you decide to give your life to him, he knows every mistake you're going to make. So you don't have to beat yourself up. You got to be gracious to yourself. Bryce, if you came to me and you said, John, man, I just fell short. I would say, let's repent. Let's pray. Keep on going.

Go and send them on. Well, it's powerful. But sometimes us will beat ourselves up. But we'll show love and compassion to the next person. Show love and compassion to you, too. Give yourself grace. Give yourself grace. Because God didn't say, I see the end, I see the beginning, I see everything in between.

He's going to make these mistakes. Nah, not him. No, he didn't say that. He said, he said, I see the end, I see the beginning, I see everything in between. You're worthy. Wow. He saw all my mistakes.

He still saying worthy. So before I fell, God seen that before I even knew I was going to do it. Wow. So I have to trust him and continue every single day to pursue it. The righteous will fall seven times, but will continue getting back up. Continue getting back up. I fail, I fell, I fell, I fell, but I'm going. I fail, I fail.

So be patient. All this is aligned. There's one big message. Don't think that you're too deep in your mess to go to God because you're not. Be patient with yourself. Continue every single day and trust his process because God says that he will finish what he started. And it's only by the Holy Spirit that anyone is able to say Jesus is Lord. So if you're able to say Jesus is Lord, you have the Holy Spirit.

All you got to do is just trust the process. Trust God's process and continue every day in seeking him because it's not a I'm going to attend church Sunday Wednesday and live life how I want to. I'm going to church Sunday. Nah, you don't go to the gym workout one day and expect to come out as Arnold Schwarzenegger. You don't do that. You go to the gym every single day. You rip the muscles and you keep going and over time you come on. You have to outside of the church at your home, your home, your.

personal life you have to do church live follow God outside of the church building at home in your private time you have to be seeking him you have to be praying you have to be praying you have to back company corrupt good character remove people out of your life love from a distance if they don't reflect God if they don't draw you closer to God they push you further away you got to remove them I love you but God has called me and I need to pursue God. Come on. And I would love this for you, but right now you don't love this for yourself, so I just can't

be around you so I could thrive in my relationship with God. Come on. So that's my message. Amen. Dang. John, thank you so much for coming on and sharing your story. That encouraged me. That was powerful.

Yes, sir. Appreciate it. Guys, thank you so much for watching. We're going to put John's Instagrams and everything in the bio. Please go check him out. Go support him. I've been so encouraged by John and your story and just even hearing you share outside of the conference. That was awesome too.

Yeah, man. Thank you for having Bryce. You're a young man. You have a humble. You have a good heart. And I know that God is going to do great things in you and through you. Thank you, man. I appreciate that.

Thank you guys so much for watching and listening. If you guys enjoyed, subscribe to the podcast, we're on Spotify as well. Love you guys. See you guys next episode.