The transformative concept of being "a new creature in Christ" encapsulates the profound metamorphosis that occurs when one accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior. This episode delves into the remarkable journey of personal redemption, emphasizing the radical change that accompanies a genuine faith in Christ. Through the testimony of Jay Jay, we explore how a life once mired in adversity and turmoil can be rejuvenated and redirected towards purpose and hope. This discussion serves not only as a testament to individual transformation but as an encouragement to all believers that spiritual renewal is attainable. Ultimately, we invite our listeners to reflect on their own experiences and the continuous journey of becoming who God created them to be.

Takeaways:

• The transformation into a new creature in Christ signifies the profound change that occurs in a believer's life, where old habits and sins are replaced by a renewed spirit and purpose.
• In the journey of faith, we are reminded that God works in mysterious ways, often using our past struggles to shape our future and help others who may be in similar situations.
• Baptism serves as a public declaration of faith, symbolizing the believer's commitment to follow Christ and marking the beginning of a new life filled with hope and direction.
• The process of sanctification is ongoing, indicating that even after accepting Christ, believers continue to grow and mature in their faith, striving to embody Christ-like characteristics in their daily lives.
• Through sharing personal testimonies, we can encourage others, showing them that redemption is possible regardless of their past, and highlighting the hope found in a relationship with Jesus.
• God places significant individuals in our lives, such as mentors and friends, who can guide us through our spiritual journeys, demonstrating His provision and care during our times of need.

Links referenced in this episode:

• Abundant Life Podcast
• Canilu Air
• Lamp Light Ministries
• Gospel Talks Podcast

Foreign.

Welcome to the Abundant Life Podcast, bringing you encouragement and challenging believers to spiritual change and growth by applying biblical principles to everyday life. And now your hosts, Sasso Mendez and Ben Arellano. Welcome, everybody, to the Abundant Life Podcast. This is episode number 68.

I'm here with my good friend and faithful servant in the faith, Sasso Mendez.

What up, Ben? We have a special guest today, sir.

When you want to introduce him?

All right, we have JJ coming all the way from. I don't know, where'd you come from, jj?

Down the street.

Down the street. Okay. Did you even walk, though? Did you?

No, it's 14, 15 minute drive.

Oh, okay. Do you live on this side of town or.

Yeah, 75th Ave. Oh, okay. 75th and Bell.

All right, cuz I seen you at the fries on 67th. 67th. Thank you. So you're close to that? Yeah, close to the mall.

Like three minutes from there.

All right, nice. You have a nice view for the fireworks coming up on the fourth.

Oh, yeah, that's right.

Yeah.

Sports complex.

Yeah, right there.

Yeah.

Okay. Well, we talk about food during this time. Is there a particular food you like or your favorite type of food or favorite food?

I eat everything. I love steak, but I also love ramen noodles.

I just. My daughter likes to go eat ramen, but it's like 20 bucks when you go eat it because it has pork belly.

But I'm like, I don't like to pay 20 bucks for something that you can buy it. 3, 4.99 or something like that.

Be like 10 cents a packet, bro.

I know.

Inflation, bro.

With the bugs in them. Yeah. For free.

I seen that video. That's pretty crazy.

With the microscope.

Do you think that's real?

No, no, no. And plus, you put boiling water.

That's what I was going to say. Yeah.

Like some of the stuff we eat.

Yeah. You cook it anyways.

Yeah.

So do you eat it with an egg or do you just eat it? Just ramen noodles.

So I can. I ate ramen noodles for 14 years every which way possible. So I can make you some ramen noodles that you would just be just flabbergasted by it.

Like, how'd you make this? You know? Can make you ramen noodles with summer sausage, with beans, with cheese, in a taman.

What that is, it's cutting edge. Would you consider opening your restaurant?

No.

Ramen Every which way.

JJ's ramen.

I'm trying to lose weight.

Well, you don't have to get high if your own supply, you know.

It happens.

Do you put an egg in there or no egg?

I have boiled eggs.

Yeah, yeah, this is the best.

Yeah, yeah. Put boiled egg in there, some hot pepper flakes, some cheese, some crunched up tortilla chips.

Like a wonton.

Because I got a buddy that, you know, he's doing some time and they have, like, Saturday nights is Chinese night, and they make orange chicken out of orange packets from somewhere.

Yeah, I've seen them do it with. They got a whole with mackerel fish and Mackerel fish and Kool Aid packs and. Yeah, they're creative in there.

I was surprised he said, yeah, it's a pretty big deal that we have on.

Yeah.

On Saturday nights. So. So you like. So what, what's your favorite food? Like you're on death row.

My favorite food. I like king crab legs, oysters.

It's your man of the sea steak.

I like steak too. Like turf.

Like, what's your favorite steakhouse, would you say?

Favorite steakhouse? I think my wife makes pretty good steak. It's hard to do, but she's making on the grill or on the stove. Yeah, like sear it.

She sears it and cooks it in the oven.

Make it.

Yeah. But I think the best steak I've had was probably at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in Vegas. It was a five wagu with a foie gras on top. That was.

Sounds good.

Yeah, sounds pretty fancy. I thought you're gonna say Texas roadhouse or something delicious.

No, Texas roadhouse is good, though.

I'm hungry. It's four hours away, bro. You know, we could hit that podcast.

You know, can we look up some flights here on. Catch a quick flight, head back, get a waymo over. Yeah, I gotta bring my computer. I'm working from home today. All right, well, you know, we.

We call us the Taco twins. Ben's more of a street taco guy. I like hard. You know, hard shell. That's. I grew up with hard shell tacos.

Taco Bell, actually.

I grew up with Hardshell, believe it or not, too. But when I got to Phoenix and I learned about street tacos because we don't have those back home.

Where are you from?

New Mexico.

I was born in New Mexico.

Oh, really? Where at?

Hobbs.

Okay, cool. Silver City.

I don't know nothing about it. Which is. I was there for like three months, and then they. We moved over here to Tucson.

Okay. Yeah, that's the crazy part, cuz. Tony was there, you know, in Silver City, my hometown.

Mexico, too.

Where, Where. Where's that at?

It's a southwest Corner. So if you're. It's kind of off the beaten path a little bit. So if you're going through, like, Lordsburg.

Okay, so I was over here in this corner closest to Texas. You're over here, closer to Arizona.

Exactly.

Okay.

Yeah. So. But yeah, I grew up with hardshell tie. That's what my mom made. So when I came here, I learned about street tacos, man. I love street tacos, man.

Street tacos are al pastor.

It's my favorite.

It's pretty good.

Yes. It's got to be on the trompo. It's got to have the pineapple on top.

Do you like tripas?

I love tripas.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, me too.

I have to take him.

I said. I saw a smile come on his.

Face, like, oh, because we're gonna take him to Guadalajara.

Because I tell Alex about it, and she's like, can't do it. I'm like, why not? She's like, it's count testing. I'm like, it's. It's good. It's like it's cooked, you know?

Yeah. It's crunchy.

Especially if they crunch it. Yeah. Make it crunchy.

It's a delicacy.

It is.

I feel like the, you know, no shade on the. The lighter skin, the less melanin people. But they don't like three paws or menudo. Like, it's.

It's chicharronas and ramen.

Oh, interesting. That's like pork baked pork belly, bro. But it's, you know, a little crunchy. Pork belly.

Get the red pork rinds from the store.

The hot ones.

Get a summer sausage. Chop it up, dice it up, put it in your ramen.

Pretty legit.

Yeah. Yeah.

The. The pork rinds with the red powder on them.

What a trip.

Never thought of that one. I love those. Chichat one too. Those are good. My wife loves them.

That you shout on.

Yeah. When we go on a road trip, that's. That's what we.

I got a Sam's big thing like this at my desk, and it's like, this much now. I think people have been dipping in there.

Yeah, it's probably Gustavo, bro.

He said it's disgusting. I won't eat that.

Yeah, but as soon as you walk away.

Yeah. He goes to Taco Bell. He's no prejudice about food.

The first time I went to freedom, that last, you had brought somebody, one of your co workers with you.

That's Gustavo.

Oh, okay.

Kind of tall guy.

I can't remember.

He listens to the podcast I got to keep. I gotta keep it pg. So, yeah, that's Gustavo. He's. We've been doing the exchange and he's stuck on lesson three, so he can't get to that. Did you.

Have you redone the exchange or no. Okay. Just a four week Bible study and progressively, you know, get you to make a decision about whether you accept Christ or whether you won't.

And just a little plug. We were actually on Pastor George's podcast talking about the exchange a couple weeks ago. And so check it out.

I think it's Gospel Talks is the name of the podcast.

Is the exchange like something from Freedom that last.

No, there's a man named Jeff Musgrave that puts. Puts the material out. And Freedom at last is a man named Jim Berg. I think they're two different circles. I don't think they're separate gangs.

Christian gangs. They roll different sets, you know.

Yeah, George has a podcast, too.

He does the. The exchange podcast. Gospel Talks. Gospel Talks. And so he does. With the. The topic of the exchange.

So people that couldn't figure that last that want to do Bible study, we typically will do it with them. Like those two gentlemen that came on Friday. Prime, like people for the. Because people will mostly do like, hey, I want to do Bible study.

The two people that came that I was sitting next to, Cor, that lives like one block away. Okay.

I don't know if I can say the name, but you know what I'm talking about.

Yeah.

Just because they, like most people will come and they'll be interested in doing a Bible study, and that's a good, you know, way to get to know them and then a way to introduce them into the gospel. And some people, like the one of the guys that came on Friday said he's never heard a Bible verse in his life.

He was like, I don't know what you're talking about. Like, I've never seen a Bible verse. Like, wow.

Yeah.

Living a block from the church his whole life, never heard about.

Wow. Yeah.

That's crazy.

Shame on us. Or shame on him. I don't know which one, but I was kind of blown away by that.

I mean, it's a thing, you know?

Yeah. I mean, even in America, we have access to Bibles. It's not common as we think.

How many do I have sitting on the shelf right here? You know what I mean?

I know.

Yeah.

I was telling JJ to get to your house. You could just walk through the church if you could, you know, and you'd be right here.

Yeah.

Other side of the mountain Y. Yeah, Just bring your trekking poles and you'd be. You'll be here.

Ben said he's still late for church.

I am.

I am.

You know, it's like we live like literally two, three minutes away.

And you're not as late as I am, though. You know what I mean? I was like nine, ten o' clock. I was there. Church.

I kind of wish Tony would show up early because, you know, Tony would, like, clog up the row, you know what I'm saying? Because I sit there and people kind of still look over me and stuff. But Tony's sitting there, bro.

They.

They don't even want to mess with them.

No.

They're like, no, let's go to the next road.

Yeah.

Careful, honey.

He makes a church, like, hold on to your purse. Half eclipse, you know what I mean? When he stands up. You know what I mean? £330.

I know, man.

It's a lot of.

It's all among the Jews, bro. I'm telling you.

I just remember when he sat down, he's like, dang, that chair's strong.

Well, it's funny because I saw him sitting. He was. He sat one in this time. So he was sitting between you and someone else, right? So like.

Yeah, Isaiah.

That was Isaiah. Well, that's okay because Isaiah, like, takes up half a seat. You know what I mean?

It's £110.

Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, no big deal there.

His whole body's one cheek for Tony, pretty much. You know what I mean? It's pretty bad. Pretty bad, but yeah, well.

So how far does Tony live from here?

Tony lives on 23rd in Glendale. So not close, but not too far, ladies.

He's single.

Just saying.

Yeah, he is single.

Just throwing that out there.

I'm not even going to say his pickup lines, but yeah. Oh, no.

And you should have seen what he sent me today on. On YouTube. Like, bro, come on.

Okay. The guy.

It was hot dogs. Yeah. Well, no. Yeah. Something different. Okay, I'll show you later.

He's. He's out of bounds sometimes with these.

Yeah. I'm like, bro. I was like, that's funny. But, yeah, I was wrong on so many levels, dude. Like, why you send that to me, Dude?

He's. He's growing through the sanctification process.

Yes.

He's not there yet.

He's. We're all there, right? We're all. We're all being sanctified, man.

So.

And just to transition into. I mean, I know you got something to say. As far as before we get into the content of the podcast, but, you know, I was really.

You came to freedom that last. I really, I mean, I didn't know you per se and I mean, I seen you around, but. And then you just kind of shared your testimony in group.

And I think Tony was fairly new. He had just started coming at that point and he wasn't saved. Right. And so, you know, that night is.

I kind of, you know, I could see like, I understood like what he was saying. And some people you bring and they're just like, you know, Bible verses is just foreign idea too.

Right.

And then Tony was kind of hungry. He'd kind of been, yeah, yeah, he's hungry. Yeah, he was hungry for it. So he was kind of set up for it.

But that's why I said, man, we got to have JJ on the podcast. And then you got baptized and yeah, we had somebody over last week and they're like, yeah, that was a great testimony that blessed me.

I said, well, we're gonna have them on the podcast next week. So you can list the podcast and like, and subscribe if you want to and grow the show. But go ahead, Ben. The.

Yeah, I would just say too, you know, JJ and I were talking too about Tony and just the difference we've seen in the past year because he saw him at that point when he first came and then to see him now, you know, to where he's at after, even after salvation. Like, I mean, it's just night and day and obviously he's on the sanctification, you know, train, you know, but.

But yeah, but it's a night and day difference, so it's really cool. And I know we talk about Tony a lot, but it's just, it's really neat to see God working in his life. But yeah, no, I'll just a quick intro here.

You can Visit us at AbundantLife FM. We do have a donation option and I just implemented a recurring donation option.

So for those of you that would like to donate on a recurring basis, you can do that now. And you can also visit us at. What is it? Facebook and Instagram. We got some cool content coming out.

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So definitely check us out and you can get, you can get pretty much like our, our podcast content in little bite sized snippets. You know, it's kind of more of a, a bait and switch. I want you to actually listen to the whole episode, but you can.

You can go get an idea of what the. What the podcast is about.

You're hungry, you loan cash, you go to Costco, you get little appetizers, right? You just. And you go around again. That's exactly your kids.

I love it. It's the Costco advertiser.

Yeah, exactly. A little bit. Get a little piece, and hopefully you go and buy the product. Right? Exactly.

Exactly.

The whole. The whole process of it. So. And thank you, Kennaloo Air, for your donation. And Cody.

Yes, absolutely. Thank you.

I appreciate it.

I do think. Thank you for that. And, yeah, so let's. Let's jump into some content here. I think Sasso's got a key verse for today, and we'll jump in.

Judge, we just said this verse. Second Corinthians 5, 17. The Bible says, therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away.

Behold, all things are become new. We say this every Friday. Freedom at last. That's one of our key verses.

Because really, your baptism, right when you came out of the water, it's, behold, all things come, come to you.

And it's not like a, you know, physically you've changed, per se, but it's just showing the world, like, hey, I have decided that, as our shirts would say, to follow Jesus. So if you want to just share, like, hey, how has God worked in your life since, I guess, since birth, Right. To bring you here to this chair?

Oh, yeah. You could just talk about your childhood a little bit. Like, how was it like growing up? And, you know, there's a lot there.

I know my. My childhood involved gangs, drugs. It's a rough, rough childhood, I guess, for some people. I got jumped into a gang at seven or eight years old.

You know, I was. Jump out my window in the middle of the night and go hang out with friends and do drugs.

And, you know, I think when I was 12 years old, I ended up going to juvenile for a year and a half for assault on my principal. Two stolen cars. Two or three stolen cars.

And when I was in juvenile at Adobe Mountain, yeah, we'd go to church, and we'd have these ministers come over and talk to us.

And.

I had this couple, Ed and his wife Tony, that took a liking to me, and they would come see me every. Every week. You know, they'd give me stuff to read in the Bible. I'd go to my cell and, you know, for that week, I would just dive into it.

And the next week, I'd go and see them at church and we'd go over what I read and that's how I started knowing God. And.

Was that your first introduction to spiritual things or had your parents ever taken you to church prior to that?

No, never. We weren't a church family. You know, they're Mexican.

So, you know, everything for Mexican is, you know, God willing and thank God and con el FA bor de Dios, you know, But I mean, they, I don't know if they've ever stepped into a church, but everything for them is, you know, somewhere along the lines of thank God and God willing and pray, mijo, pray. Even though I've never seen them do that. But. So, yeah, that was the first time.

And then when I got out, Ed had went and visited me at my house, like the day that I got out and took me to the church and showed me the people that he said were praying for me the whole time that I was in there. And 21 days later, I ended up back in jail for stolen car and a high speed chase. And I ended up going back for another year and a half.

And that's just been my life. In and out of jail since I was 11, 12 years old.

And you know, when I became an adult, 18 years old, I got out of juvenile with the, with a warrant and started the whole process again. Ended up going to prison for 14 years. Had a drug habit in there.

And I think it was nine years into my sentence, I was just at an all time low that I hadn't ever seen before.

And I just remember praying, just praying hard, you know, every night on my knees, just asking God to help me, to save me, to, to give me the strength, just give me the strength to just, you know, get sober in there. And a couple weeks later we, A couple weeks later I ended up in the hospital for, for a number of things.

I had a valley fever, pneumonia, endocarditis. One of my heart valves was infected.

And when I went to medical, they had, I was like, I got a fever, just give me something to knock my fever down and put me back in my cell.

And it was shift change, so I had all the nurses from day shift and all the nurses from night shift and I had the provider there and they're like, dude, you got a heart infection probably from doing drugs. And I was like, oh, you, you're incompetent and you don't know what you're talking about.

And only reason you're working out of prison is because you couldn't cut it in, in the hospital.

Yeah, let's help this guy.

Yeah. And I'm like, no, I'm not going to the hospital. I'm like, put me back myself. And I'm like, you don't know what you're talking about.

And she's like, all right, you don't. You don't have to go, but you're gonna go on suicide watch. And I was like, suicide? What are you talking about? And she's like, yeah.

She's like, I have the power to put you in suicide watch because you're not taking care of yourself, and we have to keep an eye on you. And I was like, oh, man. I'm like, suicide watch. I'm like, that's like 72 hours. I'm like, with nothing in my cell, and it's gonna be cold.

I'm like, like, I go to the hospital, you know, Prove her wrong and send me right back. I'm like, all right, fine. I'll go to the hospital, you know?

And I went to the hospital, and they ran some tests, and they came back, and they're like, I don't know how you're walking, you know, they're like, you got valley fever. You got pneumonia. They're like, and you're. You got a heart infection. And I was like, all right, so what's the next step? You know?

And then they're like, oh, we're gonna run some pretty heavy antibiotics through your body, and if. If that works and gets you cleared up, they're like, we'll send you back. I'm like, that's gonna work.

You know, it's like, antibiotics, like, cure everything. And I think, like, a day or two later, they're like, it's not doing anything. They're like, we're gonna have to do heart surgery on you. And I was.

I was 32, and I was like, heart surgery? I'm like, man, nobody even knows I'm here. I'm like, not a family member, not a friend, not even my neighbor in the prison that I had just.

I was just at. You know, I was like, nobody knows what's going on. And I was like, well, can I make a phone call?

Like, just let somebody know, you know, just in case I die. Like, they know, like, what happened. And they're like, yeah, sure.

So they pushed my heart surgery back one day because I wanted to make a phone call, and nobody answered. I couldn't get a hold of anybody. And so the next day, they came to do. Pulled me out for my heart surgery, and again, I was like, no, no, no, no.

Hold on. Let me make A phone call, you know, and again, couldn't get anybody.

And finally the insurance people came in, and they're like, either you go in for this surgery or, like. Or you go back to prison. I'm like, fine, I'll go back. I'm like, what's gonna happen if I go back? They're like, you're gonna be dead in a day. Wow.

So I was like, all right, I'll do the heart surgery. And I did it. And they fixed me up. I came out with no extra parts or anything, and. And I just remember laying in my.

My bed at the hospital, like, recovery or.

Yeah, well, I had valley fever and pneumonia, too, so if everything would have been fine, I would have been able to go back to the infirmary in prison, like, a day or two later. But after their surgery, my whole body swelled up, and they couldn't figure out what it was.

So they went, put me back down again, put a camera down my throat, looked at my heart to see if they messed something up. And they're like, your. Your heart's leaking still. It's got, like, a little whole. They're like.

But shouldn't be anything to where your whole body's swelling up. And they ended up taking, like, three liters or, like a liter, then like, two more liters of fluid out of my lungs from the pneumonia.

And so I ended up staying at the hospital for, like, three weeks. And. And they're like, you're costing us a lot of money. And they're like, brass tax. Yeah. They're like.

I'm like, all right, well, send me back, you know, and. But I remember laying in the hospital and flicking through channels. You know, I had two guards on me, and I'm eating good food.

You know, that hospital had, like, a chef that knew what he was doing, and I just had, like, a. A peaceful, like, calm feeling just sweep over me, you know? And I just remember laying in bed, and it just hit me. I was like, oh, I prayed for this.

You know, I. I prayed. I've been praying hard, like. Like, I'm finally sober. Hadn't been sober in years. And it was just like, you're real. You know, it's just like.

You know, a lot of times you pray, and, you know, you don't hear God talk back to you or, you know, you're looking for a sign, you know, that, like, just let me know you're real. Let me know, like, you're listening. And for me, he, like, spoke loudly. He's like, all right, you know, like, I heard your Prayer and I answered it.

I wasn't expecting heart surgery, you know, but you know, they say God works in mysterious ways. And for me I was like, dude, I'm like, I prayed for this.

I'm like, he answered my prayer, you know, and I went back to prison and still slipped back to my old ways a little bit. But by that time the transformation had already started.

And probably a couple years later I ended up walking away from gangs and getting myself ready for, for when I was getting out, you know, mentally preparing. And I was just talking to my father in law about this the other day and like, I don't, I don't really deal with addiction like a lot of people do.

Like it's just not anything that I ever think about, you know.

And for me it's like I just feel like God just cured me on, on that level to where it's not something that I struggle with, it's not something that I think about. Like yeah, it was a big part of my life, but it's just like he erased it. Just took it all away.

Hi, my name is Nicole Mercado, co founder of Cannaloo Air.

We are a Christian family owned H vac and plumbing contractor specializing in residential and light commercial services from AC maintenance, repair and full system replacement to duct cleanings. We've got you covered.

And I got out and I was working in behavioral health and psych and detox.

And were you drawn to that because of your past or.

No. I didn't even know what psych and detox was really. I didn't know they had facilities like that that help people.

I got out, I was working with a friend of mine, he works in like hot rods, like wiring cars and stuff. And, and my cousin was working at, at one of these facilities and he showed him the Check that he was making.

And it was during COVID So, yeah, I was making like, I don't know, thousand dollars every couple weeks or something, you know, and he was making a lot more than me. And I was like, how do I get into that? You know? And he's, I can get you in. He's, I'll just, just apply. And I did.

So that's what initially drew me to that. But then once I started working there, I was just really good at it, you know, I was just really good at it.

A lot of it was being able to relate to, to these people, you know, and the facility that we worked at works a lot with the homeless community, you know, and a lot of the homeless community comes from, you know, prison culture, bad childhood, like trauma. And so when people would come in on drugs, you know, I was able to talk to them, relate to them. Some of them would come in wilding out.

And, you know, for a lot of staff, some staff that don't know how to deal with that kind of aggression, you know, it's pretty scary. But for me, come. I'm like, bro, chill out. You know, I'm like. And you know, some of them see me and they're like, come here.

Like, I'll talk to you, you know, so.

So I think in some sort of way it was like therapy for me too, just to see people and what people are going through and to see, you know, how God has blessed me and, you know, where I'm at in life now and where I could be, you know, I'm like, that could be me right there, you know, and it's not. So I did that for four and a half years. That's where I met my wife Alex. Worked side by side for about four years.

And about a year ago, last year, met Ivan and Karen, my. Her parents, and they invited me to church and it was something that me and Alex were looking for.

So, yeah, it was last Easter and we've been going strong ever since. And it's just for me, it's, you know, God's been with me and working with me even when I wasn't working on myself.

You know, it's just that he's just been showing up in my life at, you know, key points and putting people in my life that, you know, now I have a church family and never had that before. And now I'm a stay at home dad, you know, just stay at home, take care, take care of my son.

And. And then you had mentioned the other night when you.

Freedom, the last right you had made a testimony and you just said, I'm thankful for my family, thankful for, you know, because the way things are, because it's not, not been that way. In what ways has it changed from. Or would you look back at your life and say like I can look back and say I couldn't imagine myself where I'm at now.

Like what has God done in your life?

These just changed my whole outlook on, for one, I'm a lot more patient, a lot more mature. I just, I'm just grateful. You know, before I think I was a little ungrateful, you know, just bad kid, you know, I had no respect for a lot of things.

And you know, now, you know, taking me from being in a 7 by 11 cell, pretty much, you know, know a, a bathroom to where now I got a, I got a wife, I got a family, got people that care about me. And that's just something that I don't want to lose.

You know, I feel like I have a good relationship with God right now, that, that I don't want to mess up either.

You know, I don't wanna, you know, mess anything up with him or feel like I'm, you know, spitting in his face and being, you know, disrespectful for, for anything. He's, he's been so good to me. Yeah, I think I'm just able to see these things now. I wasn't mature back then, you know, and. Yeah.

Do you feel you came to Christ when you were in the hospital? Like that was a moment where you accepted him?

I think so, yeah.

I can't give you like an exact date, but I think for me that's when I think he started working on me from when I was, you know, 12 and you know, the gospel came to me and in bits and pieces, nieces along the way. And then I think for me that was a key moment in my life.

And did you have a Bible? Did they give you a Bible when you were 12 years old?

Yeah, I did. When I was younger in juvenile, I used to read as an adult when I went to prison, I didn't read it for a long time.

And so as you look back on your life, I mean, what, what would you say to somebody that were, that was you when you were a kid?

Like if you could talk to yourself, the, the, the, the new creature, the mature JJ, talking back to that 8 year old when you got jumped in, like, what would you say to that kid?

And you kind of will, right? Because you have, you, you have a newborn. So that's what you're going to.

Right, Right.

Man, I don't know.

I think I would just tell him, you know, you're going to have some people that come into your life and, you know, try to, you know, some people that come into your life and want good for you and, you know, share the good word with you and, you know, just listen to those people and just stick by those people, you know, like, everything was there for me. You know, somebody took an interest in me and, and, and.

And try to mentor me at an early age, and all I had to do was just behave and stick by them, and I think my life would have been different, you know?

Do you still have contact with them at all?

Oh, I tried to look them up. I couldn't find them.

Well, if they're listening to the podcast or somebody. Somebody knows these people.

Yeah, that would be pretty cool.

Get them up.

Yeah.

And it's funny because we. You came on Friday and you're like, hey, how do you know. You know Joseph, right?

And I'm like, it's funny how you, you know, how small, as you said, the world is and that. That's kind of something Tony said, too. Like, the, you know, that kind of world is smaller than what you think. There's not a whole lot.

And people know about other people and.

Yeah.

And the circles that you go, yeah.

Yeah, it's a small world out there, you know, and. And, you know, for a lot of people, that's all they know.

And if they just, you know, just take one step further this way, there's like a whole new world, you know? But I had a friend that just got out the other day after 19 years. That was my buddy. You know, he's.

We literally partners in crime back then, you know, but me and Alex, we went and we, you know, took him out to eat and, you know, just check up on him and just tell him, like, just do good out here, you know, like, meet whatever they need you to do and, you know, start. Start experiencing things, you know, Bum.

I went and picked him up on the reservation and I drove him back to our house, and he was like, where are we at? Like, Peoria, the west side? He's like, man, bro. He's all, I've. I've never been out here. He said, I've never been out this far.

He said, the only place I've been is to the Res in, like, central Phoenix. And I'm like, I'm like, we got to get you some places, bro.

Yeah, there's.

There's better Places too, you know, I'm like, we'll start by taking you fishing or something, you know, he's all like, I remember I. I used to like fishing as a kid. I'm like, we'll take you to Showo or Woods Canyon or something, you know? Sounds good right now. Cool up there. Yeah.

I'm like, that's. That's what somebody did for me when, you know, when I got out and I started working at.

At that facility is we have some friend that just loves to go fishing all the time. He always takes everybody.

So took me to show low, took me skiing, and just for me, it was like new experiences and meeting new people, you know, And I think if you just stay stuck in that area, eventually, like, it's gonna consume you, you know, that's all.

You know, you're just trying to love on them at this point, you know, Just.

Yeah, just let them know, like, bro, that life's played out. Like you're too old, you know, like, you go back now, you. You're never gonna get out, you know? Yeah.

So I think just that trying to help somebody, you know, I got help, so I think that's pretty good.

I think that's the beauty of. To me, salvation and sanctification is so you get out of hell, right? That's what some people get saved for.

But then you get that relationship where he's there with you every day. And you had said, I think, you know, immature Christians, they. We do, right, because we want things or we want God's blessing.

And then the more mature you get, you do things because you don't want to break the relationship, just like your wife, right? You don't want to harm that what you got because, you know, it's good. And, you know, whatever else is out there is just a fool's gold.

It's not really. It's not real, to be honest. Like drugs, right? It's there and it's. It vanishes away. So do you have for.

For our listeners that are listening to your story? And how would you say God's working in your life, like, today? Like, what is. What does that look like? Like, what do you have?

I don't know, a mission or a goal or I want to reach my friends, or I just, you know, I'm trying to be the best Christian and develop.

I think he's definitely, you know, he's never gonna put you.

Put more on you than you can handle, you know, and he took me out of a bad place, a place where there's a lot of people that are stuck in right now, you know, and they. They don't know how to move forward from that. And I think he has a plan for me and to reach some people, you know, I just don't.

Don't know how yet, but. But I. I reach out to some people that, you know, I'm like, if he could just do good, you know, and I could help somebody.

And I think I'll be doing my. My part, you know, One. One big thing is when I got out, I got pulled over by a gang unit. And.

When you got out of prison?

Yeah, I got put over by the gang unit, and in Mesa, I was on a. On a motorcycle, on a little crotch rocket, and. And the person that pulled me over, like, where are you coming from? I'm like, the Res.

And he's like, okay, he caught another unit, somebody else that was familiar with the Res. And he said, what's your name? And I was like, jj. He says, erasmo. I'm like, man, how do you know me? I'm like, I've been. I've been gone for 14 years.

I'm like, I'm not a part of anything. I'm like. Like, I walked away from that life, you know? And he was just like, man, he's. I can't believe I'm hearing you talk like this.

He said, you used to be crazy, dude. I'm like, yeah, man. I'm like, not a part of that, you know? I'm like, I'm just looking for the barbershop. And. And he asked me to.

If I'd be willing to talk to his officers, like, rookie officers that have, like, an interest in gangs or.

Or just want to understand it better, and that I would be helping them, because when they pull over, somebody that looks like me, not everybody's doing bad things, you know? And turns out he's a Christian, and he was there when I got baptized.

So he came to your baptism?

Yeah, he's my friend, and I've done talks with him at police academy. We went and talked to at risk youth at high schools, some human trafficking programs.

But it's just another example of, you know, God putting these people in my life like, that are Christians, that it's just by chance that it's just that's the way it worked out. You know, My friend that picked me up, he's always been a believer and a brother in Christ and.

And then, you know, a cop, somebody that was on the other end of things, you know, he was there. He's like, dude, he's like, I know your whole history, like your stuff from this city to that city.

He's always there when you got arrested and, and now, you know, we make dinner plans and go see him and his wife and, you know, know he was there for. When I told him I was getting baptized, he's like, he said, I wouldn't miss that, you know, he said, I'll be, I'll be, I'll be there, you know.

Yeah, so.

So he's seeing the transformation.

Yeah.

From.

Yeah, yeah.

I'm Rebecca Mendez with Lamplight Ministries, where I serve the Lord by loving others. Through biblical counseling and workshops. Every day we're reminded of our fallen world, world through disappointment, grief, fear, despair.

We need a Savior. And in Jesus Christ, we have that Savior. He came to rescue us, offering his spirit to guide us and his word to comfort, correct and lead us.

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I mean, I think, you know, you kind of already said it.

It's your story, it's your experience and everything that encapsulates your past that you can share with other people and relate to people and then bridge that gap between where they're at and Christ like that. I think that's kind of where God has put you.

I mean, you're saying, like, you're talking to cops, you're talking to people in juvie, you know, maybe in, maybe in prison or, or, you know, somebody on the streets or even, even when you had, you know, you were working at, at the behavioral health, you know, you could relate to these people.

And I don't know how much, you know, you can talk about Christ in that, you know, in that, in that realm or whatever, but I think God's put you in a pretty interesting position because you have a platform because of, because of where you've been and what you've done. And like you said, you're not glorifying any of that, but you can, you can bridge that gap because you can relate to people.

And I think that's powerful. This story is powerful. Even this podcast is going to go out. I mean, people are going to hear it and be able to share that because people will relate.

Or maybe they know a family member, you know, somebody's in, in gangs or in drugs or you Know, into. Into some crazy stuff, and they'll share the podcast, you know, So, I mean, it's. It's powerful, bro. Like, your story is very powerful.

God's transformed your life. I mean, he's. He's giving you new life, and he's giving you an opportunity now to. To share your story.

Yeah, I think a lot of people, too, that know me from back then, and, like, my. My friend that I went and picked up the other day, we took him out to eat.

He just kept telling my wife, he's like, I don't know this dude right here, you know, he's like. Like, he wasn't like this before, you know, And I'm like, man, like, you can do it, too, you know, Like. Like, just stop.

You know, like that life's, you know, behind you and. Or like Tony, you know, like, when I seen him the first time I had freedom, that last.

It just somebody that you could relate to that's, you know, it's like, oh, that dude's like me, you know, and he's talking different stuff than what you would think would come out of my mouth, you know? Know, I just think it would help.

Some people, and I think that night you shared your testimony, too, and I thought that was powerful, and he related to that, and. And I think that's what God. God saves everybody.

Some people, you know, maybe Ivan didn't do all these crazy things, but God still saved him from something himself, right? And God gives us. Gives everyone a story to relate to different people. And so just a quick question. Why did he pull you over?

Why did the cop pull you over?

They were doing a. A sting. They were doing an investigation on the Hell's Angels, on the motorcycle gang.

And here I am, full of tattoos on a motorcycle, and I had pulled over into an empty parking lot to Google and address the barbershop. So I'm on a motorcycle, so I had it in my waistband. So I got out and I, you know, googled the address, and I'm like, oh, okay, I know where it's at.

There's only one car in the parking lot, but it was dusty and dirty, and I didn't know anybody was in it. It was an undercover car. So when I started the motorcycle up to leave, I felt like somebody walking up on me. And I turned, and it was.

It was a gang unit. And I was like. Like, I was like this. I was like, oh. Like, I. I was just looking for the barbershop. I'm like.

Even though I wasn't doing anything wrong, it Was just old habits. Like, just I was like, oh man, you know.

And yeah, so he's a good friend of mine now, my father in law, he's played a big role since he's came into my life. Him and Karen, my mother in law, they've just been very warm and welcoming to me and have never made me feel any kind of way.

You know, sometimes, you know, I still walk into some places and I know how I look and I know the looks I get and try to smile at people. People like, you know, it's okay, you know, like he doesn't bite. Yeah. Just here to get some groceries, you know. Yeah. So I think that's pretty cool.

And you know, the church ever since, you know, I don't think anybody at church looks like me, you know, so. And everybody, everybody's just been very warm and welcoming and just makes you feel comfortable, you know. I think that's pretty big too, is like.

So I told Alex, I'm like, oh, I like it here. You know, I feel comfortable. Like I don't feel no pressure and anybody, you know, treats me any different.

You know, I don't think God would have us to treat people because he doesn't see you different. Right. He sees you as a born again child of God. Right. Which we all are, whether we have a suit on or whether you come in shorts and man judges.

But God looks on the heart. Yeah. As you know, he did, David. And I think of Romans 8:28, that all things work together for good to those that love God. Right.

So that, and then the Romans 8:29 talks that we might be conformed to the image of his son, that he allows things in our life to conform us and even our sin of our past, he's able to use those tools to shape us and to use it for his glory. And just for you to look at your younger self, right.

You're 12 years old and you're saying, one day I'm going to be back here talking to, you know, other people just like me. You would like. No, that's, that's never going to happen.

But how he is just awesome at restoring life and using you in ways that you never would have thought he would use you.

Yeah, yeah. I hadn't, I hadn't made, I had. Haven't made it to talk to the kids at juvenile.

But the opportunity did sort of present itself through my, my friend Crossle, the, the detective. He's like, hey, would you be interested in talking to. Going up to Adobe Mountain? And I'm like, yeah, I'm like.

It's like my childhood right there, you know, I'm like, I spent like, three and a half years of my life in there. I'm like, to go back and.

And to talk to these kids and tell them, like, just stop right now, you know, and just show them that, you know, what God has done for me. And, I mean, crossload, too. You know, he's. He's going to school right now. He just texted me earlier. Forgot what he's going for.

He's going back to school for his Master of Arts and religion with an emphasis on pastoral counseling, so. So he's looking to do good, too, you know, And. And just if me and him could go talk to people, you know, I think that's.

To see, you know, both sides of. Of the coin, you know. You know, law enforcement with, you know, somebody with, you know, my criminal background.

I think that for a lot of people, just, like, how'd you guys end up together? You know?

God.

Exactly, exactly, exactly.

Just as he pulled you over, right? That's not a mistake that God had you pull over, pull out your phone. God planned all that.

Yeah, that's crazy time. Yeah, we talk about that all the time. We go out to eat, and he's just. He just tells me, you know, he's like, I'm grateful for. For our friendship.

You know, he says, this is not normal. You know, this is not a normal thing. And. And, yeah, you know, he says, I just. Same thing. He said.

I always just think, like, what are the chances of all these things that happen to. To line up the way they did? It's just. God, you know, you can't. There's no other explanation for it.

I remember me and Alex, we were originally planning on getting married in Italy, and he was going to go and fly out and officiate the wedding. Wow. And we wanted to send him the wedding invitation, but at this point, I only had his work phone. And I'm like.

I'm like, how do I ask him for his address? I'm like. Or do I tell him, like, just meet up and just drop the card?

I'm like, I don't know if he wants me knowing where he lives, you know, and I'm just gonna ask him and see. See what he says. And I'm like, hey, Cross. So we have this invitation for you. You want us to mail it to you or drop it off at the office?

Or like, how do we do this in. And he sent me his address. And I was like, oh, you know, I was like, we're friends.

Yeah, you're in, bro.

Alex. I'm like, I have his address. I'm like, he gave me his address. And, yeah, I think we were both, like, just shocked.

And we're like, he let me know where he lives, you know, and then it's just another big moment. And then one day he says, hey, dude, don't. Don't text that number no more. He's like, this is my personal number.

I'm like, another milestone, you know?

Was that like, his work phone or.

Yeah, it was his work phone. And he went from working in the gang unit and then to some sort of, like, peer support program for. For cops.

I don't know exactly the details of it, but, yeah, so gave me his personal number, and I was just. Another milestone.

Like, when he was going to officiate the wedding, though, he had to get, you know, permission from his boss because can't be, you know, socializing with criminals, you know, and. And they're like, yeah, they gave him the okay and they said, yeah, no, I think this is. This is good. You know, it's something healthy. And.

Yeah, just pretty big.

What a mind blow, right. To think that the guy that would be there for some of your arrest would be the one that would marry you.

Yeah.

And give you his personal photo.

We didn't make it to that. We ended up changing the whole plans, but just the fact that he.

He was willing to go and that he was going to do it and, I mean, just drew us so much closer. That's cool.

And he watched your baptism? Came.

Yeah, yeah, he came for that. Then we went out to eat after that, and he. He gave me a Bible, so I thought that was pretty cool.

Just another thing, you know, that I'm grateful for, and I just don't want to mess up, you know, I'm like. Like, these are good people that I got in my life that I didn't have before. You know, my sister for the longest. I'll text her in the morning.

I'm like, hey, good morning, sis. How you doing? She's like, are you okay? Is everything okay? What happened? I'm like, nothing.

Say good morning.

Yeah, I'm like, I've been out four years now. Like. And she's like, oh, okay. So, good morning.

She is like, ptsd, high alert.

Yeah, she's a stress bull box anytime.

Just send her good morning. Send her a Bible verse. You know what I mean?

If I'm texting you, we're. We're good.

Yeah. Yeah.

That's cool.

Do you do you.

You meet with Ivan Pretty fre. I know Ivan. You know, he's pretty. Very, very knowledgeable with the scriptures. And he's a good teacher, too.

I mean, I meet with him on Sunday night sometimes, and I do.

He. He's. He. He's been a big influence in my life in the last year. You know, meet up every Monday, comes over for Bible study.

Yeah, he's father figure in my life right now. You know, something that I've never had, you know, somebody take that kind of interest in me and just, like, really care for me, you know? Yeah.

Anything you want to. Any final thoughts you want to share about your life or about advice or.

No.

Well, I mean, that's a powerful story, man. I mean, I think you have a. Quite an amazing testimony and, you know, we talk about it all the time.

You know, it's whether you have a past like you do, or you have a past like, say, Pastor Shaw, where he got saved when he was four years old. I mean, in either scenario, before Christ, you're dead. You know what I mean?

Before Christ, you need a savior, and it doesn't matter what your past is, but I think your story is very powerful in the fact that you can relate to a lot of people in the culture that's out there right now, and you. It's something you can share. I think God's got some. Some big plans for you, bro.

Yeah. Yeah. Hopefully, you know, hopefully I can get out there and help some people and, you know, bring them to Christ, and I just.

Maybe it's ahead, you know?

Well, and he's already using you, right? I mean, that's. I don't want to walk past that either, where he's already.

Oh, yeah.

And he's orchestrated all these things in your life, right to this.

Yeah. I just think there's a. There's still a bigger plan out there that I just haven't seen yet. You know, I'm just. Just. I'm taking it all in as I go.

And that's what Proverbs 3, 5, and 6, right? We trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not to our own understanding.

And then he says, in all thy ways, acknowledge him, and he will direct your path. And he doesn't promise to. To be a spotlight, but he does promise to be a light.

And if you're holding the flashlight, I mean, I just did the Grand Canyon pitch black and. Right. You can only see not too far in front of you, but he knows that whole future, but he just guides the step for today.

The step for tomorrow, the step for the day after. And it's just every day. And how just. I mean, looking. If I were you looking back, I'd be blown away by. I never would have thought.

I am. Yeah.

It's crazy. Yeah.

Alex has went and done.

When she's went with me to their police academy, when I went to go talk to officers, and she's went with me to high school, to where I talked to like four or five classes, just back to back. It was a little redundant. But Crosser was telling her, did you know all this about him? Because, you know, he puts my picture up on a.

Like on a slide, a PowerPoint or something. Yeah. And then we just go back and forth and he tells Alex, like, you know, she's like.

He tells me like, I know, but I just can't picture him doing any of this, you know, just because it's. It's not me anymore, you know, that new creature. Yeah. It's just a rare thing. Yeah.

Any final thoughts?

No. I really appreciate you coming on and sharing your story and your testimony. And this podcast is to give.

Encourage believers, but also give people hope.

So maybe they have somebody that they know in their life that they quit praying for because they feel like it's a hopeless situation and it's not right.

As long as you have air in your lungs, God is able to work even from a hospital bed where you thought you were okay, and a day later you would have been dead. But God says, nope, that's not the end for you and prison will not end for you either.

And I even think my own, you know, family that, you know, it's just funny how that's. It's full circle. And I even shared with you, like, hey, my older cousin that you used to hang out with got saved and sent you his baptism and that's.

That was mind blowing when he came to Christ. And then people probably feel the same about you. So just. Our God is awesome.

Amen. Well, thanks, everybody, for listening.

If you do us a big favor and, like, subscribe if this podcast episode's been a blessing to you again, you can Visit us at AbundantLife FM and thank you for listening and we'll see you in the next episode.

And if you know JJ from back in the day, 12 years old, hit us up.

Say what's up. Thanks, guys.

We'll see you later.

Thank you for listening to the Abundant Life podcast. We pray you were blessed by today's episode. Please visit us online at AbundantLife FM. Until next time, May God bless you.