Invest In The Lord
Testimonies of former mobsters, gang members, criminals, addicts, and drug dealers — each powerfully changed by Jesus Christ.
Invest In The Lord
Lost in Chaos, Found in Christ: A Gangster’s Redemption | Dave Evans
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Welcome back to another powerful testimony. Today, I have the privilege of speaking with Dave Evans. Dave is a former prison gang member who struggled with addiction but found salvation through the Lord. In this heartfelt conversation, Dave opens up about his childhood and the choices that led him down a destructive path. Today, Dave is an active member of the Gangsters for Jesus ministry, a group whose inspiring testimonies I have been honored to hear.
The demon of the enemy is there. He always tried to remind me of my past. He tried to tell me, man, you're not worthy enough to follow. But it's like, you know what? Get away from me. You're beneath me, not above me. I prepare myself with scripture now. And this ministry is my family. If one of us falls, they're there to uplift you. They're there to guide you instead of kicking you when you're already down. I don't speak negativity. It's not in this temple anymore. This temple has been liberated and I'm free and free indeed. So with that being said, anything that occurs that I might not think is right, I speak life. I speak life because love will conquer anything in this world. If you know how to love yourself first, then you can love anything that comes after.
SPEAKER_02Welcome back to another powerful testimony. Today I have the privilege of speaking with Dave Evans. Dave is a former prison gang member who struggled with addiction but found salvation through the Lord. In this heartfilled conversation, Dave opens up about his childhood and the choices that led him down a destructive path. Today, Dave is an active member of the Gangsters for Jesus Ministry, a group whose inspiring testimonies I have been honored to hear. Prepare yourself for an emotional and deeply moving journey as David shares his story. If you're moved by this testimony by the end of this video, please consider subscribing to my channel for more testimonies. Alright, everyone, welcome back to another testimony. David, thank you for coming on today. I really do appreciate you taking out some time.
SPEAKER_00Oh, thank you. Thank you for having me on.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well, uh, yeah, well, I'm you have uh been another guest that Isaiah Blancas has connected me with, and I do appreciate that. So shout out to him and uh the Gangsters for Jesus. You're part of that ministry. So for the people watching, they know who you are and a little bit of background of where we connected and um you know just the ministry and stuff that you're connected with, but it is a really cool ministry, so it's very unique. So I'm I'm very grateful that Isaiah made this happen. So um, yes, uh, thank you for coming on, man.
SPEAKER_00Likewise, thank you, thank you, gangster preacher.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, well, uh um, yeah, man, if you're ready, let's go, let's get into your story though. What uh what was it like for you growing up?
SPEAKER_00Okay, well, me me growing up, um my childhood um my childhood destruction started at a young age. You know, I was getting into trouble in in grade school. Um it was I went as far as getting in trouble just just to get attention, you know, from from my mother. And um, you know, my m my mother uh she gave me uh tough love to to begin with. You know, she she uh she was kind of um upset of me had she having having to go to school, you know, because I was always in trouble. And you know, and it was just I I was just looking for you know for love, you know, and I was looking for it in all the wrong places, getting in trouble and not not not being the the child I should have been for for my mother, you know, being the oldest and uh her her you know having to go through turmoil through you know going having to put in her face for the in front of the school because I was always in trouble at a young age, you know, it wasn't it wasn't nice. So um uh at a young at a very you know not too long after that, um her her one of her brothers um found it funny to get me high on pot. And uh so he would get me high at a young age. I'm probably 10, 11 years old at that time. And uh you know, I I I just I took a liking to it. So I I I was always over there at her mother's house, which is my grandmother, trying to, you know, trying to be run around my uncle, you know, so he can get me high, you know. And um not too long after that, um I got molested. I got molested and um that turned me uh that that that that that m it messed me up, you know, because I I was I was innocent, you know, I didn't I didn't I didn't know nothing about that and uh and uh when that happened, you know um I I turned more to the drugs. It started I started popping pills. I started popping pills and uh and uh it just got worse. It just got worse and the life of crime it really grew in me, you know. Um since I was hurt, I wanted to hurt, you know, so I I I I hurt people, you know. And as I got a little older and 13, 14, you know, age, uh I I get with any any any girl that would just just sleep with me, you know, not knowing that um that wasn't the love. You know, I was searching for that love because I even though I I was molested, I I um I I I I didn't it didn't it didn't pr proceed with that one that molested me and and and uh she was a a female and uh and so I I in turn took took it in as as um any female I could get, I I was gonna try to get just to feel that love, you know. But it really wasn't love. I didn't I didn't know how to love and I just turned harder into the to the drugs and my mother gave me that that hardcore tough love, you know. She she was she I was disgusted. She was disgusted by just me being around, you know. And uh I turned to the streets probably at 13, 14 years old, I was already in living in the streets, you know, having having a good home. But uh, you know, I had I have three sisters, two were two were in the picture, and uh, so she put her attention to my sisters, and uh I just lived in the streets, and every every now and then I'd go with my grandmother, which ended up becoming my mother, um to for help, you know, when I was hungry or I it was too cold for me to be out there, I'd I'd go over there and and I can remember she came she came upon and she told me that uh I couldn't be there no more, that I wasn't gonna put her mother through the heartache, I would put put her and and uh believe it or not, she was the only one that I would listen to, you know, and she'd tell me, hey, don't do this, and I wouldn't do that. So um with that being said, you know, my my my my grandmother she she didn't close the doors on me, but she told me she couldn't open the door, you know. She told me if you if you're gonna get in here, get in here at night, and you know, there's a window over there by the by the kitchen, it doesn't lock, you know that. So, you know, just tell you like giving me the okay, you know, and um so I did that for a while. And well, I think my mother found out about it, and she threw me out, threw me out. And uh one one time I was I was in the streets and uh it was it was cold and I was looking for a place to go make a bonfire where I could lay down. And uh so uh my grandmother saw me. My grandmother was she didn't drive, so when one of my uncles was driving her, I come from a big family, so she's like, What are you doing out here, uh Davy? And I said, Oh I'm looking for a place to warm up. She goes, Get in the car, you're going home with me. So she took me in. That was when she fully took me in, and and uh she was the only person that showered me with love, and the only person I listened to. And and if she told me don't do this, I didn't do it. And uh, you know, so that that was my childhood growing up, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And so I mean, just a lot of um just chaos kind of stuff going on, and I mean what uh you know on the street, what were the things that you were doing, like that you were wanting not to go home? Like what things did you do as an alternative instead of going home?
SPEAKER_00So I looked for the older crowd. I looked for the older crowd, and you know, they were out there gangbanging, you know, you know, drinking beer, alcohol with women, and you know, since I was molested by a woman, that's what I wanted to be around. I wanted to be around an older woman, you know. And um, so I I I did I did a lot of I did a lot of those things, and you know, since I was a younger, the younger, the younger guy, I was the one doing the beer runs and you know, hey, we gotta hurt this guy, this well, let's go, you know, and and um we just putting in that putting in that evil work, you know, hurting people.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so you ended up joining a gang and all that then?
SPEAKER_00Yes, yes, at a young age. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02How old were you?
SPEAKER_00I was about 13, 14 when I was running around with the gang. Dang.
SPEAKER_02So did you end up getting in any trouble with the law then around this time, or did that come later?
SPEAKER_00You know, um, there was trouble uh that occurred, but I was the fortunate enough one that didn't get caught. I didn't get I didn't even get getting caught until I was um uh 17, um almost 18 when I uh I got caught. I got my first uh offense was uh aggravated assault with a motor vehicle. So um some guys tried to jump me and um I ended up I ended up breaking both his legs with one of the vehicle I was in. I ran and ran him over. And um that was my first offense. And and that when I did that, my parents were out of town, so I I ended up stealing their car and enjoy riding and you know, doing things that that I didn't even care if they found out or not, you know, it's because you know I didn't I didn't have the love. So it wasn't a bother to me to for them to get upset over things I was doing.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I mean, how long did you end up getting locked up for that one then?
SPEAKER_00Um so my since it was my first offense, uh my my father's brother knew knew of an attorney, and um he uh he charged him I think about eight grand at that time, and uh he got me off with uh with nothing. I was I was clean. Yeah, I was I was but that so that with that being said, that I I got off of that one. The the life of crime just kept growing, and I didn't I didn't I'm like well I got away from this one, let's go for the next.
SPEAKER_02So it built up like some kind of you know ego or you know just no consequence kind of thing.
SPEAKER_00There you go, yes. No consequences, no consequence, ain't nothing gonna happen to me.
SPEAKER_02Uh so what did that evolve into then?
SPEAKER_00So it it evolved into uh you know start from there that one uncle that um that introduced me to marijuana, it started me to start selling it, start selling marijuana. You know, the the the area I grew up, the area I lived in, which was uh one way in, one way out. So back then when they were when they were running the streets, the cops wouldn't even come in there. The cops would just come down a certain way, turn around back and go go out that way, you know, unless they were called on something that happened in in in in the barrio. So they were you know, I saw all that, you know, so it made me it made it a lot easier for me to get to to commit a crime because I I knew they weren't gonna go up in there.
SPEAKER_02No, no way at all. I mean, so no uh no law enforcement around at all either. So I mean, just pretty open wide open to do whatever you wanted them.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yes, correct.
SPEAKER_02So did they ever come around and harass you then or not? I mean, they were doing their job, I guess, in a way, obviously, but did they come out and try to you know book you or anything, or did you close cows?
SPEAKER_00No, not really, unless I got unless I got caught out of my of the of the area. If I got caught out in the street, yeah, they they they mess with me, you know. Some of them, some of the lawmen roughed me up, you know, because you know that they were, you know, I got away from them, so you know they they were they were mad, you know, when they when they caught up to me, they're like, hey, you're gonna keep running, this is gonna happen to you every time, you know. They and they were they wouldn't hit they wouldn't hit my face, but they they body blow me, you know. So that just made me more angry against the cops, you know. Whenever, whenever they come in, I I throw cocktails at them, you know, life cocktails, you know, because I knew they were gonna come go around and they they they would come come back with with backup, but by that time, I'm already on top of a roof from down the canal out the way, you know, where they they they couldn't catch me.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so far away by then that time. So that uh that just kind of built up like another hatred and then fueled at them, cops versus the gang and all that. And what time was this? Like, what was the year during this time?
SPEAKER_00This is probably when I'm like 17, 18, 19, that in that in that era in that era.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and what was it the like nineties or eighties or something back then?
SPEAKER_00It w it was in the uh late 80s.
SPEAKER_02Late 80s, oh okay. So that's when things were a lot different than back then, um security cameras and stuff. So you're doing just kind of kind of whatever back then then?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, well, because back then there was no cameras. Yeah, there was there was no cameras back back when I was committing crime.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. So what did this uh I mean, you know, kind of to uh go deeper into your story, what uh what transformed with you in like the crew that you were around? Like did people were people aware with you? I mean the cops kind of knew who you were, and I mean, how did you continue to level up in this or did you I I I inst I instered fear.
SPEAKER_00I I I was real good with my hands. So and uh I instered fear and if and if and if I couldn't get you with my hands, well then you know I I I didn't like guns back then, so I I would I'd stab you, you know. And so with with a few some of the work that I put in, people my name grew, you know, like hey, you gotta watch out with that guy, man. That guy, he's dangerous, man. You know, he'll come at you, you know. He he's got knives, you know. So that's how I grew up in rank with with the the people I was running with, because uh, you know, I steered fear into people. You know, if I if I could steer fear with you and fear in you, then I I knew I had you. You know, I knew that you know you'd obey what I was gonna tell you to do, you know. And that's that was within the group and that's out of the group. You know, when uh when the drive-by started happening, which was in the late, late late 80s and early 90s, um, I wasn't the type. You know, I was like, nah, man, I'm not I'm not I'm not for that. You know, you guys are gonna go go shoot up, go drive by and shoot somebody, man, and nah, walk up on them and shoot them, you know. You know, you know, that's that's that's the type of stuff I was into. I wasn't into that that those drive-by stuff.
SPEAKER_02So eventually, like you just continued to just go down this path. And did you lead you to like a long jail or prison stent eventually?
SPEAKER_00So what led me to a long prison stent was um well and in that time I kept going for for years, and and then uh I uh one of my neighbors um he used me as a mule. He used me as a mule to carry um marijuana from from El Paso to Tennessee. And uh I I I I got into it real real hard. And uh he tried he tried to cut me out of the picture because um at the time that he was he was uh had me muling uh he had he had the dope and uh when he tried to cut me out of the picture, I had that one uncle I was telling you about, I had him hook me up with his friends. And um his friends were straight straight hardcore from Chihuahua. And uh he told me, look, man, if I take you over there and and you burn these guys, they're you're you're gonna get you're gonna get hurt. They can they'll kill you. And I said, you know what, that's not my intentions. My intention right here is to make money. So I was able to um cut the main guy out of the picture, which I was his mule, right? So I met I met the guy in Tennessee. So I made a trip over and let him know that I could I could uh I could supply him. So from there, it's I I I made I made a lot of money, a lot, a lot, a lot of money. And that money got got to my head, you know. Plus, I'm already a feared person in the streets with this money, you know. I just started buying guns and putting people out to work for me that I knew that were were true soldiers. And uh it lasted, it lasted. I was I started in '91 and it lasted till 96. And um that was my first offense going to prison. I went I went straight to a federal penitentiary. I went to um USP Lewisburg. And uh I I woke up. I said I said, I'm like, man, what did I do to get here? You know, and um it was it wasn't a it wasn't a pretty picture because I'm in a penitentiary with a with a baby sentence. And um I so happened to get get caught up in uh there was a murder there that happened, and uh it was it wasn't far far away. I wasn't far away from it. I just I just froze. And so with that being said, they they lowered my points and they sent me to a medium high that was actually going a lot harder than that penitentiary. And um I met I met uh I met an organization that I that I ran with uh that was local here in El Paso. And uh since I was already a feared gang member in the streets, you know, I put in work for this family and and uh I started to get a little bit of rank, you know, go going up the ladder there. And uh it was something that uh that I didn't I didn't fear. I didn't fear being locked up. I didn't, I you know, it was like like being in a college campus with a bunch of men that were hardcore, you know. So it I I just I I grew criminally meant, criminally minded. You know, I I I I I was around all these criminals, so I was able to learn from this guy, learn from that guy, learn from this guy, because when I got out, guess what? I was gonna hit him again. You know, and I did that when I got out doing five a five-year sentence. I only lasted four years in the streets. Um due to because of the the family I ran with. Um I started putting in work for them. And uh I I I got I got caught again with with with uh cocaine this time. And um there I go back. I go I go back to kill my number and I get out because it's my first time in the state. I get out and um they uh they gave me a a probation period because it's my first time, right? And uh I I broke that. I broke that and ended up going going back for four years.
SPEAKER_02Wow, how do you feel being back in there for four years?
SPEAKER_00Well now this was the hard time that I I I I uh I did because uh since I was already a uh a known um gang member uh affiliated with organized crime, they uh they locked me up. So out of those four years, I did eight months, I mean three years, eight months in uh what they called a special housing unit. It's uh it's a SEG. And um that that that there uh it was it was it was hard time, you know. So um I just got I just got more angry at the world. I got more angry at and life. So I'm in there doing a 23, sometimes 24 hour lockdown. You know, I'm I'm pumping up getting my body prepared for the for the world, you know. Like there's no stopping me when I get out. You know, I'm gonna go hard. And uh at towards the end of my sentence, you know, I I was still I was I was angry. I was I was full of hate. I had a black heart. And at the same token, my mother is coming close to me because my on my first number, my mother didn't want anything to do with me. On this second number, my mom was trying to get me to keep my cool with one of my uh one of my brother, brother-in-laws. Uh, he well, he wasn't my brother-in-law then, but he's my brother-in-law now. And uh we left with animosity, and my thing was to come and hurt him. You know, my mom was telling me, you know, I gotta let bygones be bygones, and and uh I gotta forgive. And uh I said, all right, mom, you know, all right. When I was about to get out, she told me, hey, I said, you know what, mom when I do this for you. In my heart, I didn't want to do this, but for her, I said, I'll do this for you because our relationship grew while I was in those, when I was in the that ad seg for those years, and I was in there, our relationship grew. She started showering me with love, showing me love. And I started I was accepting it, but I wasn't fully there yet, you know. So, you know, I got out, I did good for a few months, and then I went right back. I went right back into the life of crime. And uh I went so hard that uh um you know i was doing a smoking crack and you know chasing women because that was my that was my thing to chase women even though i had you know i was married already and and i lost my first wife because of because of chasing women and i met my second wife and and things went well for the first couple of years and then things started going bad because i started i i wouldn't leave the women alone i kept chasing the women and chasing the the life in the streets with organized crime and um she she she went on for it went on for years until she she just finally had enough and threw me out in the streets and when I went to the streets uh myth became a part of my life i got I got hooked on meth and um I was running around lost in this world uh I was riding riding around in a on on a motorcycle in a Harley wearing two guns and uh looking for looking for anybody to cross my way so I could take them out because that's what I had planned I had planned to rise through life taking somebody's life I said you know what people are gonna fear me even more and I didn't care you know um as I got out the lawman left me alone because I wasn't in their in their vicinity anymore so I kept low key and um I ran around from bar to bar you know doing all this illegal activity man it wasn't any good and and I didn't care if I lived or died you know I I I told myself if I get chased by the cops I'm gonna make them kill me because I'm not going back to prison and if I can I'm gonna take some with me so little did I know that um all this time that this is going by that um that the Lord was upon me. Now I didn't know this okay but the Lord was upon me and and as I say this is because I went to my my um my wife's nephew he owns a place here on a on a main boulevard that um he sells washers and dryers and and a bunch of stuff and I I I uh went over there one day and asked him hey hey me who can I get high here man and um of course he he he knew of me but he didn't know what crazy it was and he he knew I was I carried guns and whatever and what have you and he's like you know what man um I really do I really don't want you to man but I mean do what you gotta do I said all right so you know I went to get high at his in his yard a few times and uh one of I think I think it was on the third time that I went over there he's like hey man uh I said hey can I get high he says hey man uh yeah you can man but uh you're gonna have to give up your guns man I said what do you mean I'm gonna have to give him my guns so he showed me these cameras and uh I was pacing back and forth with the with with both guns drawn because I was hearing things and he tells me uh you can't you can't do that bro you know I got I'm I'm afraid you're gonna shoot somebody that you're not supposed to shoot and uh he said but you can stay here just let me have your guns so I turned the guns over and uh I went and got high a little bit and when I came back he's uh he's telling me hey man uh you know Jesus loves you and I smiled at him I said man Jesus don't want me bro you don't even know man I says no bro so he he he he walked me into the prayer salvation you know and I'm I'm high out of my wits I don't I don't know what's what you know what's going on I just want to get high and he's telling me hey man uh there's a retreat man uh I'd like for you to go would you go and I said the retreat what's that he says it's an encounter with God man I said man God don't want me bro you don't understand he said man I just told you bro that you're forgiven of your sins man you believe in Christ right and I told him yeah I believe in Christ you believe he died for you and went to heaven correct I said yeah I do he said well you're forgiving man but you you gotta put your part in now I tell him all right man yeah yeah he says will you go and I says yeah I'll go man he said and he he he he jumped up and looked at me out like I'd done something he's like you go bro you go I said yeah I'll go bro I told you I'll go so he went to his truck right away he brought me a form and he I signed the form at the very bottom I see it's a $200 fee right and he tells me uh this is $200 man I said yeah but you don't worry about it I got you I said now bro I don't need your money man here goes the hundred dollars I'll give you the other hundred when when it's time to go so this is in about August some some sometime in August and this is uh two years ago okay so he tells me uh bro this is not you're not gonna ever for regret spending this money man this is the best money you're ever gonna not even the stuff that you have in your hand right now is is worth what you're gonna pay right now and I say no bro it's it's all good man he says but you're gonna go right I'm looking at him telling him bro I'm going bro I'm going man if I give you my word I'm going now when you give somebody your word your word is your bond because I did so much time in the streets and in prison my word was worth more than money you know so I tell him I'm giving you my word bro I'll go so the retreat wasn't gonna happen until November so I went I just kept going harder with with the with the meth you know I I got high every day you know I was it was a point in my time when I was getting high on that math I didn't sleep for a whole month and two weeks I didn't close my eyes I was up for a month and two weeks doing destruction you know sleeping with prostitutes you know just getting high in a in a trailer that I had a an RV that I parked on the side of my sister's house and my sister was so terrified of me she just let me let me be me and um that's why I was getting high most of the time but I felt that somebody was was uh after me or looking at me or trying to rob me so I I'd stay in the trailer with gun down and I mean there was times that I shot at the floor you know make sure that nobody was outside you know and um so when November came around three days prior to me going to this retreat um I just stopped I just said you know what I want to see if I can break on my own I can't I can't go to this place high this is the Lord's place you know I respect that and even when I was in prison I didn't I didn't um associate with with the word of God because I wasn't I wasn't a hypocrite I wasn't gonna play with it I was my mind was somewhere else my mind was for evilness it wasn't for for for goodness so you know I had already hit rock bottom by this time that the by the three days is going that I'm going over here my sister finally you know grew enough courage to tell me you know what brother um I can't have you here no more man you know you you you're you you're you're killing yourself and I don't want to watch you die and uh I said all right I mean well I got my RV I got a place to stay it's not like I'm in the streets and um a few days later she called she called the city on me so I had to have my RV move from there. So I ended up moving it down down the valley and when I tried to go out there it's like no man this place I don't I'm gonna end up killing somebody and I don't I don't I don't want to do that myself you know so I moved on I moved on to the streets I was just living in the streets again and and uh that's right before I went to the retreat okay so that's where I'm that's where I'm getting back so when I went to the retreat um one of I went to one of my cousins that was uh was in a biker uh a biker group here in El Paso and um he had changed his life like three three years before I did and he kept trying to get me to go to one of those retreats and I and I tell him nah primo I'm not ready yet you know I'm not ready man you know I'm not gonna I'm not that hypocrite brother and so I wanted to go give him the news that I was going to this retreat and tell him hey primo I'm going to this retreat man and right away like where so what church so you know investigating like like you know like a high ranking member would like what do you what are you doing what do you mean you know so I tell him and he tells me who who you going with I said it's my my wife's nephew uh that's who I'm going with he tells me they call him on the phone I'm like man you you eager to find out that if it's true or not I'm telling you truly the truth bro I'm going to this yeah just call him on the phone I want to talk to him so he he talks to my he talks to my nephew and he tells me hey hey primo can I take you I says well you know what bro I need a ride man I'm not gonna ride my hearty over there bro you want to take me you want to take me yeah you can take me he says all right primo I'm gonna uh uh you know you're not gonna run right you're not gonna hide right I said no primo I'm gonna go man I already gave I'm giving him the my well word I'm giving you my word I'm going so my sister finds out and she she she has me she has me come back to the house for those few days and she tells me hey hey brother you got to cut your hair man you know you gotta shave you know you know because I I know I sent you some pictures of where I was I looking rough you know so that's that's when the that's before the retreat and um I tell my I tell my sister yeah yeah I got you and so the day comes and uh my phone believe it or not my phone ran out of battery so there's no way they can get a hold of me and they're they're blowing out my phone and they're he calls my sister and I end up I end up walking through the door when he's on the phone with my sister and they're like where are you at? I come here to answer your phone I said believe it or not my phone's dead and she says well you got Jesse he's already look he's already looking for you he's looking for you all the spots you go to I said tell him I'm right here at your house I gotta go make my bag I want to be ready for the retreat so um made my bag they they got there and uh he he put it he put in a put on a song for me you know he put on a song for a spiritual song you know you know it touched me and I guess in the middle right now because I see I I know I see what the Lord has done for me but at that moment I I I knew I wasn't I knew I was going somewhere good because I never cried in front of another man that was a sign of weakness so I never did that that that that weakness was was if I saw you cry I didn't want you around me because that that was a sign of weakness and uh I'm trying to hide these tears from him I'm looking out the window and and uh he looks at me and he cranks up the music a little louder and then he he he tells me it's okay primo it's okay to cry I tell him I'm not gonna cry fool I'm not gonna cry and he tells me man you're ready he says when you go in there bro I'm gonna ask you one thing man give it all to God he'll take it from you but you got to give it all to him I says all right cuz all right I got there and uh the first day the first day I was there you know we we got introduced to the to the to what we were gonna do and and you know I I was going to withdraws you know I kept smoking cigarette after cigarette after cigarette trying to you know trying to keep keeping in one you know and the very next day they gave us an encounter where it was just you and God and maybe you know and I was one of the one of the ones that was like in the middle because it was like maybe like 30 of us and um they had to get another room so they could keep going because I was in there over an hour. I got on my hands and knees and I cried like a baby like I never cried before asking the Lord that if he was real and wanted me and wanted to help me he would liberate everything from me he would take everything away from me I didn't want that life anymore because I was already on the rock bottom you know I was tired of the way I was living I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. So I told him please Lord please help me if you if you if if you want me please help me you'll liberate me from everything that I'm going through and let me tell you something I was in there over an hour and when I thought it was time to get up because I was in a fetal position on the floor crying crying my eyeballs out snack coming out my nose you know the vial the vial in my stomach coming out you know and um I even pooped on myself you know that's how that's how bad it was man and um yeah I tried to get up off the floor you know now I'm gonna see how I can get to the shower without being embarrassed because all this is going on right and it it wasn't happening. The Lord didn't let me up off the floor it's like some force is holding me down and um I cried some more I cried some more and and I asked for for the forgiveness but I asked for forgiveness of everything that I could remember all the the the people I hurt everything that was in my life at that time I I asked for it for forgiveness for forgiveness of those people that I hurt and um sure enough man uh when I came out when I was able to get up and come out um all the axe brothers because this was an axe retreat all the axe brothers were were out there and they they they they walked you know I'm telling them hey man you know I uh I I pooped on myself and and uh just let me go to the bathroom and like no bro they walked me they walked me to the bathroom they had they they they they they were trying to undress me and I'm like hey hold hold them up hold them up hold them up uh I can do this I can do this and I got into the shower and and when I got out of the shower and dressed they were all around me they circled me and they prayed for me man and I'm like wow I don't deserve this you know I don't deserve this so the third day when they when they reenact they reenact the the the lashing of Jesus boy I wasn't I was I was in tears I didn't care who saw me I'm like thank you Lord thank you Lord and I I wanted to get up and fight you know I wanted to get up and fight for the Lord hey man don't be doing that you know but I contained myself because I knew it was a reenactment but because of that reenactment in my spirit it was trying to get like get me out of the chair and like go go lash in for him you know hey leave him alone you know but um I I I went good after after the third day I I came out I came out a new man and uh I was walking I was walking I was walking and going to church every Sunday going to church every Sunday and um little did I know after three months I get enticed by a woman I get enticed by a woman and um she was my sister's friend and I'm and um I'm living with my sister at the time matter of fact and my sister tells me no this is another sister okay and she tells me hey somebody wants to say hi to you so I say hi and oh who's this is Julie I said oh Judy with the big old booty I said oh yeah where you at are you gonna come have a beer with me yeah well tell me where you at I'm coming so I ended up getting intoxicated and uh my sister takes me takes me home to my other sister's house and my sister has she's furious she's she's getting upset with my other two sisters telling her how could you do this to him he's doing so good you know that he that he can't have alcohol why'd you bring him this way and wah wah and while they're they're arguing I'm going inside to get the keys to my dad's truck because my dad's truck was sitting at my sister's house so I grabbed the keys and all I can remember is my sister trying to wrestle those keys out of my hand and uh I called her every name in the book and pushed her out of my way got in the truck and made it two blocks down and I wrecked I wrecked and I tore my dad's truck up I'm glad I didn't kill nobody but I I was able to get away I was able to get away because I'm a I was a type that I ran from crying so I was able to get away from that and uh uh it took me a couple of days to calm down because I was I was actually getting the truck and I was on my way to the dope connection I was gonna go buy some dope to to get level from the alcohol but I never made it and uh I made it to my homegirl's house and my homegirl came out and she she was matter of fact she was already outside when I pulled up she like man you sound like a free train I popped all four tires I I was able to get away in the vehicle and she tells me man you messed that truck up and she goes get down so I tried to get off the vehicle and I make a long story short I was I I couldn't so when I when I woke up the next day she gave me the keys and my phone and she told me man you ran off your daughter your daughter came looking for you man I don't know why you did that she was trying to help you and you ran her off and I said well I don't remember anything and I of course I woke up still drunk and uh I I went and I I I I called one of my closest friends that's that's in the ministry I told him what happened and uh he tells me hey man uh you ought to come come out check out uh gangster for Jesus man and I says hey um I don't know bro he he he met me at the house and he tells me hey man there's some there's some uh there's some people you'll know man there's they're uh they're ex-members of the same organization you were you were with and uh I said man if they're ex or ex-members man this this can't be good you know this this is this can't be good man uh but uh you know I didn't tell them that of course right but I I'm thinking it in my mind I don't know this this can't be good man you know this is if we were a life of crime I don't think this is gonna be a good thing man but let me tell you something that was the best choice I ever made in my growth in my growth for Christ and spiritually that was the best choice I ever made because I got to meet Isaiah Blancas and Evelyn Blancas and let me tell you um he broke down that that I can't remember the scripture that he was giving but the scripture he he gave he broke it down and I understood it I'm like man I need this I want this that's food for me but when he turned it over to his wife and she she walks in that spirit boy let me tell you something she had me trying to stick my head under the table because I couldn't hold the tears from from rolling down my face and she scolded me she told me no no don't you do that David that's the Lord cleansing you you cannot do that you know and and and I and I obeyed you know I'm like all right and and she's like who we around here we're not people to judge we we're we're not people to look at you any different you let that out and boy let me tell you when I get to praise and worship in the church that we do and and the sisters start to sing those tears keep rolling down my face they keep rolling down my face and I stop from understanding why it's because the Lord is cleansing my spirit my soul he's cleansing it from all the wrongdoing that I did all the people that I hurt um from my mother to my children you know it's something that I'm that I that that I stopped asking him why Lord why you make me a crybaby why you make me a big crybaby now I'm not a crybaby I wasn't a I wasn't a crier then why you making me a cry now but see it's the spirit that's in me that he's cleansing and I love it it's it's something that that I go and I let the people know you know what if you allow the Lord to enter your heart he'll cleanse you and it's the truth it's nothing but the truth wow man it sounds like you have you went through so much in order to finally encounter have that personal encounter and that personal relationship with Christ man and like all the things that you had to go through and and you had your slip ups but when you found your place and you learned
SPEAKER_02Through all your, you know, your navigations and stuff you had to go through. It sounds like you really found you know your your church that you wanted to be in that that's gonna help you grow spiritually and continue to uh strengthen your relationship. That that's awesome because you know the you you're a little hesitant at first, right? Because this is like this X group of guys that you used to hang out with to do all these crimes and stuff with, but it was nothing like you would have could have ever imagined.
SPEAKER_00Yes, yes, amen. You know, um what the what the enemy helped me destruct in this life, the Lord is giving it back to me little by little. You know, my wife is back in my life, you know, um, when she didn't want nothing to do with me. Um my kids are gradually coming back. The one I live with now is my baby, the youngest. And um, he came about a month, two months ago, two months ago. He came and he he he tells me, I want to talk to you. Uh I says, Yeah, so I'm thinking he needs financial help. You know what I mean? Because that's all I was there for him. You know, it's like what you need some money? What do you need? He says, No, I want to talk to you. I said, Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Told me, I forgive you. I forgive you, I forgive you for everything you've done wrong to me. And he he embraced me in a hug and told me he loved me.
SPEAKER_00I never told that to my son, I love you. I never told him I love you, and now I do it every time I see him. Why? Because I walk in love now. When I was able to love myself in the beginning, I had to love myself because I didn't love myself. If I couldn't do that, I couldn't do anything for anybody, and I learned how to love myself. Forgiveness. I have a scripture here of forgiveness. It says, if if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear, I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sins and I will heal their land. And I'm like, wow, wow, you know, forgiveness. I just barely forgave myself after all these years. I just barely forgave myself on October on the retreat that Gangsters for Jesus had. I was able to for to really forgive myself so that I could grow. And let me tell you something, I'm growing daily, I'm growing in the word. It's I'm hungry for it. It's it's a hunger that I have, like a hunger that I had for destruction. It's a hunger I have for good to let the people know in this world of sin that there's a way out, but you have to allow Christ in in you. You have to accept Christ in you, and he'll do the rest. It's a that little that little mustard seed that they planted in me, the Lord watered it. He kept adding water, and he's he's adding water to it, and and he's adding water to it, and and it's growing in me. I never knew that the Lord never left me. You know, the the times that I was out there in the world, riding around in that Harley, like not going back, but going back to where I was a month and two weeks without sleeping. I'm riding around in this Harley, lost in the world, not knowing he had his hand upon me, not knowing he got me from point A to point B. But I'm out looking for the destruction. And when I when he was when I was able to accept him in my in my in my heart, it's the best thing I ever, the best choice I ever made. Why, you know, sometimes I ask him, why, Lord, why'd you make me wait so long? You know, why why why didn't you let me do it when I was in prison? You know, why why didn't you wait? Well, because I was stubborn, I was hard-headed, and and and he was gonna let me he was gonna let me be me until until I hit, you know, the second that was the second time I hit rock bottom. The first time I hit rock bottom, I didn't turn to Christ, but I got you know, he he liberated me. And this this time I turned to him, and it's something I'm never gonna let go. It's something that you know it's in my spirit wherever I may be. If I see somebody that's in need, because I peep, I can peep the game, I can peep what's going on in this world. And if the Lord has me in those places at that certain time, I let him lead me. I go to those people and I tell them, hey man, are you okay? You need some help? What do you need? You know, because that's the Christ-like love that he has for each and every one of us. And when when we're able to understand the love of Christ, we're able to do things for him and his glory. Now, and I know a lot of people say, Well, why does God let this happen? It's not God that lets that happen, it's not him that lets it happen. It's it's it's the enemy deceiving you and letting and making you think it's God, but it's not him. You know, and it's it's it's just it's just wonderful and beautiful how you're able to walk in love. I'm able to walk in love and really say I love you and mean it. Before those four little words that came out of my mouth is just okay, it just makes you feel better, and it's not like that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, that is truly amazing. Uh the the transformation from the stories that you told me from the beginning, how your life started, how you went to prison, and just how hard-headed you were at the time. I mean, you definitely had to make that personal decision to have the relationship, you know, to you know, to you had to have that interest, you know. So I think it was your nephew you said that, you know, I said that uh, you know, you want to go to this retreat, and you're like, okay, yeah, let's do that. You know, for whatever reason, the timing was right, it was God's timing. So and so you said yes, and you're like, you know, my word is bond, I'm going, I'm gonna do it. And your life ain't been the sin the same since. It's just like of course, everyone has slip-ups, you know what I mean? But it's changed your life in such a good way since after after you got away from all that, and you just continue to learn from it. But that's why, you know, hearing testimonies like yours, this is why I love doing this, because it just shows how much someone can change, and the you know, the emotion, the pain, and everything you went through. No one's too far gone, is what I always get from everyone's stories, and like how just like how you were saying with yours, like you were when you uh your nephew brought this to your attention, you know, about going to this, you're like, Man, no, you don't want to know about Jesus don't want me, or God don't want me, don't want nothing to do with me. Don't you know it that wasn't the case. I wasn't at all, you know. You you repented, you did all that. And I mean, look where you're at now.
SPEAKER_00Yes, it's amazing. You know, you know, the the deceaming of the the the deceaming of the enemy, it's it's it's it's there. He always he always he tries to remind me of my past. He tried to tell me, man, you're not worthy. You're not you're not worthy enough to follow. But it's like, you know what, get away from me. You're beneath me, not above me. You know, you know, it's uh I prepare myself with scripture now. You know, I I prepare myself in in the book because you know, if if I try to do this by myself, there's no way, you know. So I um all the doors that needed to be shut are now shut. And the doors that need to be open are open. And and this ministry is my family. They're they're my family. You know, we might not be blood, but we're family. It's a it's it's uplifting. If one of us falls, they're there to uplift you. They're they're there, they're there to guide you instead of kicking you when you're already down. You know, when when when I was in the world, uh, you know, I'm already suffering and I'm I'm getting kicked here, getting kicked there, you know, and and I'm like, well, you know, all right, you know, and and and and the words that came out of my mouth were were all vulgar and ugly. And to the day, I don't speak anything that's not life. I speak life. I don't speak, I don't speak negativity. It's not in my it's not in my it's not in this temple anymore. This temple has been liberated and I'm free and free indeed. So with that being said, anything that that occurs that I might not think is right, I speak life. I speak life because love will conquer anything in this world if you know how to love yourself first, then you can love anything that comes after. You know, I put Christ first, my family, then the ministry. And believe me, my ministry is my family. Um, I have my wife and I have my kids that I that I I attend to and I attend to them first. But as they live their lives, I go to around my family. I'm I'm I'm surrounded by my Gandhi council. I I don't I don't choose any other I'm not out with the people that I grew up with, with with even family members. I've learned to love family members from afar because they don't understand my change. They've only known David as David was in the world. Ah, he can you can have a beer? No, I can't have a beer. Yeah, you can have a beer with me. No, I can't have a beer with you. Um, you don't understand. It's it's gonna take me a place I don't want to go. So I had to just apart myself from that so that I didn't have to put them through that anymore. To where they were, you know, they felt obligated I had to have that beer because they don't they don't they don't uh understand my nose.
SPEAKER_02Well, David, and I do appreciate you sharing your testimony, man. Do you have any final thoughts or you want to you know end on a prayer before we wrap up here?
SPEAKER_00Yes, I would like this one one more verse, and this is in 2 Samuel. Um 2 Samuel 3 verse 13. Um 2 Samuel 12, 13 says, then David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. Nathan replied, The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die, but because by doing this you have shown utter comf content for the Lord, the the son born to you will die. So you gotta you know you gotta die in the flesh to be born in this to be born again. You know when I took the the the the the the leap and the faith to be baptized through the ministry, through gangsters for Jesus, Isaiah and Pastor Evelyn, I I I I I I I I died. I died there and was born again. So I'd advise you, family and friends, people of the world, let God lead your way, let the Lord lead your way, because He will, He will, listen, He will liberate anything that is not of this world because we don't belong here, we're here for a short period of time, and when the Lord puts his hand upon you, there ain't nothing stopping it. Nothing is gonna be able to stop that. When you you give yourself to Christ, there ain't no stopping that. He once he sets his emotion, it's over with. You're gonna get liberated. So I'd advise you to love yourself, find yourself, love yourself, accept Christ, let him do the work. Amen.
SPEAKER_02Dave shared a deeply heart-filled testimony about how the Lord transformed his life. He was once on a path of destruction with no clear direction, but through God's grace, Dave was saved and is now walking on a path filled with faith and hope. If you feel moved by his story, we encourage you to comment below. Please consider sharing this testimony with others who may benefit from it. Like this video to show your support. Don't forget to hit the notification bell so you never miss a new testimony. Be sure to hit the subscribe button for more inspiring testimonies. And at the end of this video, a testimony playlist will pop up where you can listen to all the other testimonies I've covered in the past. Thank you so much for watching, and of course, we'll see everyone on the next one.