Episode 100

This is the second in a two-part interview where the interviewers are being interviewed. The guest is none other than MCG, the muse and mastermind behind the podcast! MCG was born and grew up in the lovely Caribbean country of Antigua. His mother regularly attended Salvation Army ladies’ group and his uncle was a devout Rastafarian managing large flocks and herds of livestock. Though the barriers to salvation in his life were many, the Lord was faithful to remove each one. What does the Jesus of Nazareth film, an Adventist, a Moravian church have in common? Join us on this episode of the Removing Barriers podcast to find out!

And when he quoted that verse, he then simply asked, are you doing your duty? And it hit me like a rock, because I realized that even though I took the verse very literally, looking at myself as a man, even though I was still a little boy, pretty much, I realized I wasn’t doing my duty. And I remember grabbing onto the pew in front of me because I wasn’t going to go forward for salvation.

Thank you for tuning into the Removing Barriers podcast. I’m Jay. And I’m MCG. And we’re attempting to remove barriers so we can all have a clear view of the cross.

This is episode 100 of the Removing Barriers podcast, and this is a 30th in the series of how were your barriers removed? And in this episode, we will find out how MCG’s barriers were removed when he came to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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This is going to be so fun to say. But MCG, welcome to the removing barriers. Podcast. Why are you welcoming me? Since you’re on the other end of the mic now, I can welcome you. I’m really excited to hear your testimony, although I’ve heard it before, but for you to share it with our listeners.

So let’s jump right into it. What state or country were you born in? I was born and raised in the twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda.

Is it Antigua or Antigua? Unlike most Americans, it’s Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Barbuda.

So for those that don’t know, where in the world is that? Where in the Caribbean is that when we say Caribbean, most people think Jamaica, and that’s just about all they can find. But where in the Caribbean is Antigua and Barbuda? So if you go from the tip of Florida down to the Caribbean, the Caribbean is basically semicircle from the tip of Florida all the way to the northern tip of South America. If you follow that semicircle and you go to the very center of it, Antigua will be somewhere around in the center. And Barbuda there will be about 32 miles north of Antigua. I’ve been to Antigua. It’s absolutely beautiful country. There are times where I’ve asked MCG, why in the world would you come here? Leave paradise to come here. Absolutely beautiful country.

So what type of family were you born into, MCG? I was born in a broken family, to say the least. Was raised by a single mother. There were six of us. I have two older sisters, two older brothers and a younger brother. So I’m the fifth of six. Well, at least of what I know of. I heard through the great vines that my biological father may have another son. I’ve never met him, I’m just heard of him. But in terms of the siblings I grew up with and the children my mother has, there are six of us, and I’m the fifth of the six. My mother is from a very large family, though. She has about 29 siblings from my account. And my biological father has about 17. There about 17 of them. So all in all, I have about 50 plus aunts and uncles when we factor in great aunts and great uncles that I know of. Wow. And something like 100 plus cousins. Well, hundreds of cousins, actually. Well, more than 100, as a matter of fact. My brothers and I used to joke that we’ll never marry an antigen because they most likely will be a cousin. So very large extended family.

Okay. Before salvation, what were your life and upbringing like in your large family? Well, despite the obvious shortcomings fatherless home and stuff like that, I would describe my childhood as being a very fun one. I had Rastafarian uncle well, I had a lot more than one, but Uncle Eric was the one who lived right next door to us. He was Rastafarian. However, he had, I think, something like 300 sheep and probably 50 plus cattle. And we had to help him with those because he never got married, he doesn’t have any kids. But because of him we had access to horses and donkeys and stuff like that. So we were able to help him. But afterwards will race the donkey, will race the horses. We’ll race the donkey with the horses and stuff like that. We’ll go fishing. We’ll go hunting for fruits like mangoes and oranges, grapefruit, lime, lemon, coconut, guava, guinea dums, you know, and a lot more golden apple. There was so much fruit on the tropical island that you basically have at your disposal. So I would say it was very fun. Looking back on it, it wasn’t typical of the Antiquing kid. I would say at least the kid from the city area. We were more in what we call the country. And because of Uncle Eric, we had access to a lot of things that a lot of the kids probably didn’t have access to. So it was especially myself and my older brother, the one just above me. But, yeah, I will say it was pretty fun. So after we helped Uncle Eric we would basically roam, because no one does anything to kids in the islands, it’s kind of like you are 5, 6, 7, 8 and you can be on your own, miles away from your home, roaming in the great outdoors. And it wasn’t really a safety issue because no one really would harm a kid back then. It’s funny because I talked to my niece and nephews and their upbringing is nothing compared to what I had by that time, uncle Eric only had about 20 sheep, ten cattle, and he didn’t need as much help anymore. He didn’t have as much donkeys or horses anymore. So they didn’t get a chance to ride the donkeys and ride the horses and all that stuff. But yeah. So I will say my upbringing before salvation and my upbringing of a whole was a fun one because of Uncle Eric. Despite his weird belief, as I said, he was Rastafarian but despite his weird belief, we definitely had fun with him.

So even as a child, did you acknowledge you just called his belief a weird one? Rastafarianism, of course, compared to the gospel, is obviously not the truth. Did you realize that as a child? Or is that par for the course in Antigua? Are there a lot of Rastafarian or was that out of the norm? Your average American person probably has never brushed tails or brushed shoulders with anything Rastafarian apart from maybe Bob Marley’s music. So to have an actual practicing Rastafarian, I would say is out of the norm generally. Is that the same in Antigua growing up or are Rastafarian well represented in Antigua? I’m not quite sure if I would say well represented, but there are quite a few of them in Antigua and throughout the Caribbean, so it’s not something foreign to us. The thing about Rastafarian, and you will see in the US. Is that the reserve will grow their hair into a lock or what we call locks, but that is part of their religious outbringing. They will smoke weed as a part of their religious ceremony and stuff like that. And the very strict ones will actually move to the bushes on the mountains or whatever and live there, maybe live in a hotel or something. Some of them, the in between ones, will probably live in the communities, but they will give up anything that gets unnatural. So they will use clay pots and wooden utensils and stuff like that because they don’t want to use the metal ones and all that stuff. They have all these, we believe raspberry and basically they sworn to the navy, right? Vowel even think about Samson? They believe Samson in the Bible was actually a Rastafarian because the Lord told him not to put any razor on his head. So they use the king James Version and they will hold to the same vow that Samson had to hold to if you read the Bible, they were never really close, but they will tell you that they follow the vow of the neither, right? And anger. It was one of the oldest, at least in his area in the recipe community. So because of that, they call him Roots. And he kind of encouraged a lot of the young men coming up to join the Rastafarian movement.

Uncle Eric was, I would say, one of the strict ones in terms of that. As he gets older and older in the recipe and faith, he gave up woman. He decided that he’s not going to. They basically don’t participate in society, which is kind of weird because they don’t eat meat. They only eat plants, beans and stuff like that. Some of them actually eat fish and some of them don’t care and eat meat as well. But if you have the liberal Westerns and real strict ones just like any other religion but Uncle Eric didn’t eat meat in his younger age. He always cooking what we call a jabber, which is a clay pot. And what they do is that they get coconut, the giant coconut, and they will scrape the meat out of it or the cutting out of it and they will strain it and we will produce the milk and they will actually use the milk and cook. The food is actually very good. Uncle Eric would cook for us all the time. They don’t use salt in their food neither. Again, this is more uncle Eric believes some of them do it a little bit differently. But this is some of the stuff. Everything they will say will end with I. So they will say I and I Rastafari. If you ask them how they do it, they will say I do good. I use a lot of I in their vocabulary. Yes. And of course they believe that Jesus Christ will actually come back as Haile Salassie or Hail Salassi, as they will say. And they believe that actually Haile Salassie is the Messiah. And they believe that one day they will be going back to Africa. That’s the ultimate destination. They believe that Africa will be their guest, quote unquote heaven or Canaan. So when their Messiah returns, they believe that he will gather all of the rough safari’s and basically take them to Africa. Take them to Africa to live forever, basically. Okay, that’s basically they believe.

Again, there’s smoke marijuana or weed as a ceremonial practice and stuff like that. I know recently in the last couple of years, the laws have changed in Antigua where Rastafarians were complaining of being discriminated against because they were growing up. If you are racist, fear and you will kind of looked down upon because at least some of them were because a lot of them, they will always smell of weed or the sanitary conditions were not always up to power. I must say Eric was never like that in terms of a sanitary condition. But some of them, I mean, if they’re living out in the mountains and living yeah, but some of them were some of them didn’t have good hygiene practices for whatever reason, whether that’s part of their belief or not. They always look upon that you’ll either be poor or don’t really have a lot of money because some of them don’t participate in society in that way. On campus is a little bit different because he had all these animals, he will sell them. He will never butcher them for anybody, but he will sell them knowing that they will be butchered. But I guess at that point, he doesn’t care. That’s the way he would make money. He make money by selling his cattle and his sheep and stuff like that. So. Yeah, I grew up around Uncle Eric a lot. He and I have had several spiritual conversation. I think at some point he was probably disappointed when I got save and maybe didn’t go towards the recipe and fate, even though he never said that. But when I got saved, he and I would talk about the Bible a lot and of course, disagree a lot as well, because they, like any false religion, take a non literal view of the scripture. Okay? So he would tell her that Jesus Christ encourages disciples to smoke weed, because when he told them, sit down here. I think there’s a verse in John, because there were many grass around. The grass there, he believes is weed. Oh, there was a bunch of grass in the place, or that grass. It’s a figurative view of scripture. They’re not taking scripture literally. Of course, going back to the vow of another right is not the recipient vow, but they take it as that.

So you mentioned that Uncle Eric lived next door to you, but he didn’t live in the house with you. So in your home, apart from Uncle Eric’s influence with the Rastafarian and just who he was, would you say that your family was a religious one? Did you grow up going to church, or was church something that you started going to after you were saved? Or was it an atheistic home agnostic? What was the religious make up of your upbringing in addition to Uncle Eric’s? My mom has always been very religious, even though I’m not quite sure what she holds to growing up. She will go to the Salvation Army church, she will go to the Baptist church, and sometimes she will go to whatever church she was invited to. So she has always been religious. So we grew up going to the Salvation Army Sunday school that they will have in the community, and then sometimes she will take us to the Baptist church that I end up going after I got saved. But she has always been religious. I’m not quite sure she’s saved, but the atmosphere wasn’t Christian, if that’s what you’re asking. It wasn’t Christian. So mostly he was growing up, he was helping Uncle Eric, basically roaming the great outdoors, fishing, hunting for fruit, donkey racing, horse racing, playing sports like cricket, football, the real football stuff. American college football, basketball, and of course we also went to school. Okay. Yeah. So you had a very Opie tailorish upbringing. Go to school and then after that you’re free to roam the entire town or countryside. A very idyllic upbringing. I don’t know. I would say it’s Opie Taylor, but definitely it wasn’t necessarily restrictive in the sense that in the US, you have to have your yard fencing and make sure you keep your eyes on your kids and stuff like that. It wasn’t like that growing up. Yeah. Got you.

Okay, so you mentioned that your mom was very religious, but you went to different churches and there wasn’t anything particularly Christian about your upbringing. So then when was the first time that you recall that you heard the gospel? Yeah, I’m not sure the first time I heard the gospel. As I said, my mum has always been religious, even though I don’t think she saved. On Sunday afternoons, the Salvation Army would come to the community and they will send what we call a lieutenant. The Americans will sell. Lieutenant. Of course, Americans change all the words. So a lieutenant from the Salvation Army will come to the community and have Sunday school. Typical Sunday school will go with st, choruses, memorize, scriptures. A lot of those scriptures I actually still remember to this day. Also the same lieutenant will actually come back on Monday nights to have a woman’s group. Usually the lieutenant is a woman, and then also two of them would come and a guy would come as well, sometimes on Sunday for Sunday school. But the woman will come back on Monday evenings to have women’s group. And it was basically my mother and sisters will attend. As far as I know, they attended this thing for years, and they probably still do attended, even though it no longer takes part in our community. They have to gather in another community a couple of miles away now, but they will come every Monday night, they will do crafts, they will memorize scriptures, they will play games. But it was a bunch of unsaved women who were living their life of sin and never really heard the gospel. I think the Salvation Army did a great injustice to the community of women in my area and probably showed the islands that they had this thing. I’m really not impressed by what the Salvation Army did because there was just a group of women, their life never changed. Bunch of them have kids out of wedlock, multiple kids, and they never really heard the gospel. They still go to whatever church they want to go to and stuff like that. I remember that mom used to drag us to what they call home lead, actually call it home League. This woman’s group, and mom will jog us to that. And I remember the little kid. Even before I was saved. That they would sing songs and at the end of home League. They will hold hands in a circle and they will sing let’s be the tie that binds and then they will quote Proverbs 31:27 she looked at well to the ways of her household and either not the bread of idleness. even that verse, I knew it just because I was taking the home league so much. I’m talking about really young at this point and I heard them quote, but even though I didn’t have those kind of thoughts back then when I got saved and looked back on home league and stuff like that, because this went on for years as far as I remember, as I said, it might still be going on. I haven’t asked my mum about it in a long time, but I’ve never heard the gospel presented there or anything. As far as I know, none of the women that have gone to home league have ever gotten save. So it was just stuff that the Salvation Army was doing that really meant nothing.

But the Sunday school was a little bit different. Not that they presented the gospel there, but because it was kids and you’re teaching them scripture and you’re teaching them Bible history or what they call Bible stories, at least for me. A lot of them stop, but they never amounted to anything that I felt like I had a need for savior. I remember during the summer vacation, so in the islands we will get about eight weeks summer vacation and I remember that you will spend some of that time in the city with a great aunt of mine and her daughter and her kids because she had kids my age, and then we will go to their church. I remember I went to their church, which is an independent Baptist church, and I remember a missionary wife was teaching the Sunday school class I was in and they asked me to raise my hand for something. I didn’t really understand what I was raising my hand for, but they took me to a different room and we prayed or whatever the case may be. But I didn’t get saved then because I didn’t understand what was going on. They say, raise your hand, and I raise my hand as a kid. So the first time I heard the gospel, I’m not quite sure when, but I do remember going to the Salvation Army Sunday school, going to stuff like Bible clubs and stuff like that, and going to church with my great aunt daughter, which will essentially be my second cousin and her family. But outside of that, I can’t tell when I actually heard the gospel for the first time.

Okay, so do you have a particular crystallized memory? It doesn’t have to be the first time you heard the gospel, but do you have a memory crystallizing, your mind of hearing the gospel where it particularly stirred you or at least it was memorable, you remember it probably you didn’t get saved right at that point, but you remember that particular Gospel presentation? No, I can’t think of any time I heard the Gospel and really stuck, at least not in a church setting or anything. So I will say no.

So when then did you come to the full realization of your sin? So, a few years later, after I attended my great aunt’s church and I raised my hand and they took me to a different room to pray and stuff like that. I don’t remember how long after, because being that young years and stuff like that doesn’t really compute at times. But sometime after that, and I think it was probably a good four or five years after that, I was watching a movie by the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I remember, even though I did not know how to explain it then, I was on the conviction and I was on the conviction for about a year and a half after watching the movie Jesus of Nazareth. And during that time, I remember a number of folks actually witnessed to me, but I knew enough Bible because of the Salvation Army on the school to dismiss them. I remember one person was witnessing to me and telling me how to be saved, and I quoted John She’s, 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his own to be gotten, his Son that’s who believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life. And I told him that I believe so therefore I’m not going to perish. Wow. So the Salvation Army stuff actually inoculated you against the Gospel? Well, in some ways probably did. I’m not quite sure. I don’t think I would blame the Salvation Army. I think it was more that is my stubbornness and my headliness in that regard because to convince me then it was like, okay, you’re trying to tell me something from the Bible, and I’m telling you I know the verse and you’re trying to tell me, well, this is what the verse mean. Well, I’m like that’s what you say. But I also say though that and I think this is still the case in schools and in public schools in the islands, the Bible is read, so we will read the Bible. So I’m getting the Bible at Salvation Army on the school. We actually memorize scripture in school. So like I remember we memorizing Ephesians, chapter six, I think the first couple of verses and several other verses in school during praise times. So I was getting back everywhere I go.

I think in the public schools in Antigua, they still do what they call praise, where you read the Bible and have a time of prayer. So the Bible is still in public school in the island. So people grew up with a religious underpinning still. So it wasn’t just the Salvation Army, it was the fact that I knew the verses that the person was telling me and he was telling me what they meant and I was telling him, well, this is what he said believe. I believe. So what you’re trying to tell me? That basically was the discussion. But I think a lot was slowly putting people and circumstances in my part to draw me. I was resisting that conviction with every fiber of my being. I resisted becoming a Christian because even though as a kid I still knew, based upon the few Christians I fear on me, that my life would have to change. And I didn’t want that. So I was on a conviction for probably a year and a half to two years once I watch that movie Jesus of Natharette. So while I don’t like what the Salvation Army did in terms of home lead and stuff like that and even Sunday school, I don’t think one kid got saved in Sunday school. So I don’t think they presented the gospel in a way that people can create a gospel. But they did allow us to memorize Scripture and that’s a seed that was planted. So I have to give them credit for that. But definitely home league. I think they did a real disservice to the community with home league. But full realization of my sin, I think I would say was when I watched Jesus of Nazareth even though I wouldn’t say that it was so much my sin that was joining me or my sin that looked ugly to me. It was the fact that I wanted to be like Jesus. I remember watching the movie, I wanted to be like Jesus. But even though after that people witnessed to me, I still rejected them because I know that a lot would have to change if I become a Christian. And I was stubborn. I’m still stubborn, so I think that was the case there.

Besides stubbornness, you say not. I say besides the stubbornness that you mentioned and besides those other factors that prevented you from getting saved what barriers existed between you and salvation at this particular point in your life? You’ve watched Jesus of Nazareth, you see a portrayal of him, you want to be like Christ and yet you’re resisting because you know your life would have to change. So that’s a barrier, the stubbornness there. What other barriers do you think were preventing you from being saved? Definitely friends. I would say I joined the wrong crowd, but many times you mean in your neighborhood or in your school or both. Okay, but many times I was the wrong crowd. I can’t really put it on much, folks because usually I’m with my older brother, the one just before me. And of course because he’s older, he’s not with the older friends. So when I’m with people that’s younger I’m usually at least growing up in the community, I was usually the one that’s the oldest. So I’m quote, unquote, be the ringleader. Even though my mother did have a good friend who lives in the same community with us. And she had a son that was about my age as well. And we were known in the community to cause trouble. So when both of us were together, it was more, look out for MCG and this guy because they’re going to do some nonsense. And again, as boys growing up, we’re just mischievous. It wasn’t that we were doing anything, quote, unquote, really crazy. We’ll just keep an eye on them when you see them kind of thing, because they will do some nonsense, whatever the case may be. So I guess friends, I remember while under conviction, I was walking around a Pentecostal open air service, because in the islands, a lot of church will go maybe on a permanent street corner and basically have a church service there. And I remember I had to walk around them to get where I was going. And as I was walking around them, I remember the preacher says, do not let your friends take you to hell. And that hit me like a rock because that was me. I was resisting the spirit, joined because I didn’t want to give up the friends that I have, so to speak. And as you mentioned, as I mentioned earlier, of course, my stubbornness, I was or you can say still I’m still stubborn. I’m very hard to convince of something that I’ve already been convinced of sometimes to convince me, you might as well go kick rocks because that’s kind of just my personality. So as I say, folks attempt to witness to me. But my stubbornness was definitely one of the biggest barriers that I had. It was more of, oh, you’re telling me that I already know this. So whatever the case may be. So I think in order for me to be saved and get those barriers removed, I believe the Lord had to break my will, basically break my will.

How did he do that? Go into how those barriers were removed? Well, sometime after I watched that movie. Jesus, another word. And of course, on a conviction and stuff like that, sylvia is in the Holy Spirit because of my stubbornness. I don’t remember exactly when, but there’s a gentleman in our community, he got married to a Jamaican lady and she had her granddaughter living with them. And I don’t know if I befriended her or she befriended me. I don’t know exactly how the friendship started. But anyway, I end up and would go down to their home and her granddaughter and I would play together and stuff like that, just kids growing up. And I eventually start referring to her as my second mom. We became very close and stuff like that. Eventually, I think it was a year after or so that her daughter, the granddaughter mother and her husband migrated to antique of Jamaica as well. But they were Seven day Adventists, but they actually also professed Christians. So I was surrounded by my second mother, as I call her, And her daughter and her family who all profess to be Christians. And so the daughter and her husband and their family were severely Adventists. My second mom, she goes to Merivian Church so it’s kind of a mixed bag of everything. And then, of course, I’m going to the Salvation Army Sunday school. Anyway, sometime during that time my second mom invited me to an evangelistic meetings they were having at their church, morivian church. But he wasn’t at her church. He was either not a morivian church in a different community. So I remember going to the evangelistic meeting, getting ready, jumping on the bus with my second mom and everything and we go. But even before that, the day of, because I said I was on the conviction the day of, I actually remember going by myself and prayed. I was trying to to get the conviction to go away because I was carrying this thing for at this point a year and a half, wanted to be like Jesus but stubborn enough not to listen to anybody or to ask any questions. So it was just for it to go away. But it didn’t go away, of course, because I was using the Bible as aspirin basically because I want the conviction to go away. But anyway, that evening I went to the evangelistic meeting still on the conviction and it was Ute night and the pastor was preaching from Eclipse, chapter Twelve. And he went from first one he said remember now they’re creating the days of their youth while the eva days come not, nor the years June or daughter’s, they have no pleasure in them. Then from there he went from verse two until verse 13, kind of explaining why you should remember now the creating days of the youth.

Quite honestly, I didn’t really understand anything he was saying and quite honestly, I don’t remember anything he said until about verse 13 when he quoted verse 13 and said let us see the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. And when he quoted adverse, he then simply asked are you doing your duty? And it hit me like a rock because I realized then, even though I took the verse very literally looking at myself as a man, even though I was still a boy pretty much, I realized I wasn’t doing my duty. And I remember grabbing onto the PewDie in front of me because I wasn’t going to go forward for salvation. And I remember holding on to that until tears start flowing down again. My stubbornness was just kicking it. I was determined that I wasn’t going forward. And I think it was about, it seems like five minutes or more that I was dead of wrestling, I guess, with the Holy Spirit because I’m not going to be saved, I’m not going forward. And then as the tears were slowing down, I finally asked the folks in the pews to let me out. And I remember as I got out of the pool and turned to walk up, the entire conviction just went away. It was like the Lord just wanted me to submit. A lot of people say of course you have to pray for salvation and all this stuff. You know what, I felt like I was saved the very moment I stepped out in that puke and turned to walk up. The conviction just totally went away because at that point I believe in my heart, my spirit jumped across that chasm, that golf that was between me and Christ and cling to that cross and I was saved. I did went forward and I did repeat what the pastor was saying. Quite honestly I didn’t understand what he was saying, so I was just mumbling what he was saying. But I know at that moment when I surrendered and let go of that pew and give up some of that stubbornness that the Lord saved me. And I’m not preaching salvation by works or anything because the way I got saved was placing my faith and trust in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. But I think the Lord had to break that stubbornness that was in me and help me to surrender. I think salvation, you’re surrendering your life to Christ, you’re putting your faith and trust in him alone. And that’s what I did. It wasn’t a verbal prayer, open prayer that saved me, it was the fact that I surrendered to Christ and Christ alone. As I said, when the preacher asked the question are you doing a duty? It hit me like a rock. But I still had to make that final decision because I knew scriptures as I said, so I knew what I needed to do. But I think as a kid I see all myself as a man and I didn’t see myself as doing my duty. And with that I couldn’t resist anymore. So that night I was gloriously saved.

You’re listening to the Removing Barriers podcast and we are finding out how MCG’s barriers were removed. We’ll be right back.

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two Corinthians 5:17 says therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. So MCG, you let go of that pew. You threw yourself onto the cross that covered the chasm that separated you and God, and he saved you, gloriously saved you. What changes were evident in your life after that point? So besides not being on the conviction anymore, which is nice, I started sharing my faith almost immediately. It baffles me that Christians don’t share their faith, because once I got saved, I think it was immediate that I started share my faith. I don’t think there’s anyone that I went to school with that I was in class with that they can say that MCG never shared the Gospel with them. I remember literally when we had free time or a teacher in a short for class, for whatever reason, I will go from death to death and sit with my fellow student and share the gospel with them. I also started reading the Bible intensely. I read to the Bible several times in the first year or two after I got saved, I also started seeking to be discipled, so I mentioned my second mom daughter. They were Several Day Adventists, so they started discipling me. They actually gave me their old, what they call quarterly, which is basically a Seven Day Adventist devotional book. So once they’re done with the one that they’re using and they got a new one, they’ll give the old one to me. And I remember going through those books basically day by day, and I grew leaps and bound by it. It was more Christian living, more than doctrine, even though, of course, they did teach me their doctrine, like not eating pork and stuff like that, that served the Adventist teachers. I began to seek to attend church more regularly. I was going to attend a Morivan church because I got saved at the Morrievan Church. So I figured, well, I’m going to go to a Morivvan church, the same one my second mom was going to, and I was going to walk for Convocation. I actually don’t even know what convocation is, but that’s something my second mom told me, that it will be the next step. So I was going to work for convocation. And that’s when my mom actually stepped in and said, no, you’re not going to serve in Adventist Church. You’re not going to the Morivian church. You’re going to have to go to the Independent Baptist church that was within walking distance. Well, all of them were within a walking distance from where I live, but the Baptist church was the closest, and she said that I would have to go there. So I went to the Baptist church, not necessarily because of doctrine or anything, but because that’s the church my mom says I have to go to. And I still attended for a few years the Salvation Army, Sunday school. And how old are you at this point when you got saved? I think I was about twelve, probably. Okay. So also my language was cleaned up, the music I like change. And plus all those friends that were kind of preventing from getting saved, they kind of left. I guess they were tired of me preaching at them. So those are just some of the changes that were kind of immediate. Of course, as a songwriter, the Lord is still working on me to make me what I ought to be. So I’m not even close to what I should be at this point. But definitely after I got saved, I remember even though I theology wasn’t on point, I know I was sharing the Gospel with a bunch of friends to the folks around me.

So do you think that the way your barriers were removed, the way God removed the barriers in your life regarding salvation? Do you think that the way your barriers were removed would be effective in reaching people in the culture today? The culture, I mean, both here in America and in Antigua today? Well, actually yes or no? Yes in the fact that I believe Jesus is the ultimate barrier remover, but also no sense. I believe God use our unique personality or unique circumstances to meet us where we are. And just for me, what the Lord used for me would probably be different for what the Lord used for someone else. So yes, in the fact that Jesus is the one who actually removed barriers. Jesus is the one who save you what he has done upon the cross. But knowing the fact that my circumstances were probably unique to me and everyone else, circumstances will be unique to them, but end of the day, everyone is going to be saved to Jesus Christ. So yes or no? Of course, it’s funny enough that after I got saved and I’ve been reading my Bible, I actually watched the movie Jesus of Nazareth again and I didn’t realize how far away from scripture it was. I wouldn’t even call it biblically sound. Yeah. So I was surrounded with the Salvation Army, who never preached saint nor the Gospel. I was surrounded with Moravians, I was surrounded with Seven Day Adventists, I had a Rastafarian uncle, all of these religious beliefs around me, but the Lord removed all those. The Lord found and saved you anyway. Bring me to salvation. And if he wasn’t for my mom, I’ll probably either be a Morivian or Seven day Adventist today, who knows? But God is gracious and God is good.

Can you describe a little bit the Independent Fundamental Baptist Church that you ended up going to? When you look back on how they received you and taught you and disciples you pretty much the rest of your life until I met you. Could you describe how they shaped you into the Christian that you are today? I don’t know if it’s an Independent Fundamental Baptist thing or independent Baptist thing. I was hungry for the word and at that point I didn’t understand doctrine or understand that there’s a difference in doctrine where other churches preach. I knew at least when it comes to music, some churches had a little bit more lively music than others compared to the independent Baptist or even a Seven Day Adventist. I had an aunt and uncle who was actually Church of Christ, and I thought, they’re going to church. So they’re Christians. Even though certain Christ teach that baptism regeneration, which is falls in scripture, baptism doesn’t save, but they teach that. I think the first time doctrine actually came to the forefront for me was maybe a couple of months after I got saved or I really going to the Baptist church. And even though I was going to Baptist church, doctrine wasn’t still that important to me. But I remember I told my uncle in law that I got saved because I knew that they go to church and they profess to be Christians, but they go to the Church of Christ. And he was the first person I told that I got saved that I knew was a Christian. But he didn’t seem excited over the fact that I got saved. Everyone else that I know has professed Christians, and I told him that I got saved. They all rejoiced to the fact that I got saved and stuff like that. But he said, well, that’s what they taught you. And I was baffled, but he seemed a little bit missed, so I didn’t really ask him what he meant or anything. It wasn’t until I met someone from the Baptist church that we were going to and I told them what happened and they said, oh, it is because the Church of Christ teaches that baptism save. And I think that’s when for the first time, doctrine kind of became important to me because churches actually teaches different things, different things. And it kind of dawned on me then. So then of course, I went to the scriptures and searched the scripture to figure out, hey, how are you really saved and stuff like that.

What now are you doing personally in the area of evangelism, perhaps even in the area of discipleship to help remove barriers like the ones you faced in your life when you’re witnessing to or encountering others? Well, I think they share the gospel with every opportunity I get. I wish I could say share the gospel with every opportunity I get, but I do seek to share the gospel. Whatever patient I get. I lead out the soul winning group at my church. We go out twice a week to share the gospel, knock on doors or follow ups. Of course, we have this podcast removing barriers against quote unquote ministry that we use to share the gospel. I always seek to have checks on me as well. So I have checks in my car, checks at my front door, and wherever I go, I try to either verbally share the gospel or to hand out a track with someone. If I can’t share the gospel verbally. So as I said, when I get saved, sharing the gospel to me was a natural outpouring of it, right. Even though for me, which is kind of weird, I’m actually introvert. A lot of folks know you have a podcast and stuff like that. People think you’re extrovert or because you lead out the Solomons to your extrovert. I’m actually introvert by nature. Doing stuff like that is not natural for me. But those are things that I seek to do to share the gospel, because I never personally want to lose sight of what Christ did for me upon the cross of Calvary. I think that many times I’d like to go back there and realize in just, hey, what Christ did for you was nothing short of amazing. Nothing short of a miracle of amazing.

All right, we’re going to go now into a fun section. You obviously know this, but now it’s your turn. You’re on the other side of the mic and we get to ask you what are some of your favorites. First, what is your favorite Scripture verse? For now it is two Corinthians, chapter five and verse 21. For he had made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. What an exchange. Christ took my sins and placed me in his righteousness. That verse just wow me every time I read it, because he take my sins who knew no sin that I can be made the righteous of God in Him. I don’t think anyone else would do that for me besides my Savior.

What is your favorite historical biblical account? So my favorite book is Acts, but my favorite biblical history, I think, would be The Life of Joseph. I remember as a youth, I listened to a series of messages entitled living a Functional Life in a Dysfunctional World. And that was me. I was trying to live a functional life with the many dysfunctions that were around me. And I made a lot of decisions for the Lord listening to those messages. I think I had them and I used to listen to them. I don’t know what happened to them at this point. I don’t even know the name of the preacher. But I remember listening to those messages, taking notes, some of which I still have to this day. So I will say Joseph. Definitely all the life of Joseph would be my favorite Bible history just because of the many decisions I made during those messages as the preacher was going through his life.

What would you say is the most convicting scripture passage for you? Well, right now I would say it is Acts 17 and verse six. And when they found them, not the Jew Jason and certain brethren on to the rulers of the city crime, these that have turned the world upside down a come hither. Also, I marvel at how the apostles fall and the early church, the early apostles, early disciples of Christ were able to turn their world upside down with the Gospel and they did it with what they have. I can’t say that we have everything that they had and more. We have the power of the same God, the indwelling of the same Holy Spirit, the ability to be totally surrendered and obedient to God, but we apparently are doing a lot less. I know a lot of folks will say, oh well, the population of earth was small and stuff like that. Regardless, the Bible says that they turned the world upside down. And I wonder why is it that I cannot turn even my community upside down with the Gospel of Christ having more two? Peter, chapter one, verse 19 says we have also a more sure word of prophecy wherein we do dwell, that you take heed as onto the light that shine it in a dark place until the day dawn and the days that arise in your hearts. We have a completed word of God. They didn’t have the complete word of God and we have everything that they had back then, but yet we seem like we’re doing so much more. So it marveled me that they were able to turn at least their world, their communities upside down with the Gospel of Christ. And we can’t, and I can’t, and that would be aim of mine. How can I turn my community, my neighborhood upside down with the gospel of Christ? And I think if every Christian even seek to do that, maybe the country wouldn’t be in the state that it is in today.

What is the most comforting Scripture verse to you? Well, there’s so many comforting Scripture verses I don’t know if I could choose one. And of course my favorites change like the wind. But I will say Romans, chapter ten, verse 13 but who serve I shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Because I’m so glad that the Bible didn’t say might because I probably will not be saved at this moment if they said whose service shall call upon the name of the Lord might be saved, but the Bible says shall and that is definitely comfort. Romans eight, verse 15 but he has not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but he received a spirit of adoption whereby we cry a BA Father. I’m just glad that I can go to my heavenly Father directly to his throne like a son to a daddy. That’s a comfort to me. And of course I also say Galatians four, verse four to seven. But when the fullness of time was come, god sent for his Son made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoptions of son because he has sons. God sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying abba Father. Therefore thou art no more a servant, but a son. And if a son, then an ear of God through Christ. I remember when I was praying to the Lord to seek his face about who I should marry and to confirm UJ in my heart. The Lord used those verses to confirm that this is the woman and the wife that you have for me. So those verses are definitely a comfort. Praise the Lord.

What is your favorite hymn of the faith? Well, right now my favorite hymn I will say is the Old Worker Cross. Again, I like verses and songs that kind of remind me of the cross and remind me what Christ has done for me. So for now it’s the old Rod Cross. He said. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross the emblem of suffering and shame and I loved that old cross were the dearest and best for a world of lost sinners was slain to the old rugged cross I will ever be true it’s shame and reproach Godly bear and he called me some day to my home far away with his glory forever I’ll share so I’ll cherish the old rugged cross till my trophies at last I lay down I will cling to the old rugged cross and exchange it someday for a crown I would definitely say that right now that Sock would be my favorite. Wonderful. That actually surprises me. I thought you were going to say your favorite was Faithful Men by Ron Hamilton. I think it is. No, no, okay, I got it wrong. So, old rugged cross.

Okay, who is your favorite giant of the faith from the Bible? Is it Joseph like you mentioned before, or is it someone else? No, I wouldn’t say Joseph is my giant. The life of Joseph and those messages definitely would be my favorite biblical history. But there’s so many. Of course, Joseph can say Paul, but I think I would say J. Bez Jbez. Can you explain who he is and what’s his story and why he’s your favorite giant of the faith? Well, the Bible says in one Chronicles chapter four, verse nine to ten. So if you go to one Chronicles chapter four and you start reading is a bunch of genealogies, there’s a bunch of names that no one can really say except maybe for Alexander Scorby, who knows Alexander Scorby saying them correctly. But there’s a bunch of names. Then there’s this pause almost like a commercial break. And the Bible says in verse nine and Jaybez was more honorable than his brethren. And his mother called his name Jaybel’s. Saying. Because I bear him with sorrow and Jebel’s call under God of Israel. Saying. Oh. That thou would have blessed me indeed and enlarged my course. And that thine hand might be with me. And that thou wouldst keep me from evil. That it may not grieve me. And God granted him that which he requested. So the reason why I chose Jaybes is because despite his circumstances, despite the fact that his mother called him Sorrow what a name. Despite his outlook in life, he didn’t let that be his future. He didn’t let that keep him down. He rose above that and place his faith in God. There was a time in my life where I would actually pray the prayer of Jebus every day, and I actually believe the Lord answers those prayers. I believe the Lord have definitely enlarged my course, and the Lord has blessed me with blessings beyond my imagination as a child growing up. So when I look at the life of Jesus, I wasn’t born in the best of circumstances to a singer mother and whatever ideals that they should have been. But because the Lord saved me, he also allowed me to rise above all the things that should be keeping me down and all the things that I could claim to be a victim of. But the Lord, just like Jabbers, the Lord saved him, and he was able to rise above that. I think that with the Lord’s help, I can rise above whatever my path is.

I praise the Lord for that too, because I am a beneficiary of God’s manifold blessings in your life. And I tell people this all of the time that I definitely married up and I married well. And I really believe that God has given our four sons a phenomenal and wonderful role model and father in you. I am so looking forward to the future because of the many blessings that God has poured on you, made you the man that you are today, and subsequently, our sons are blessed for it. I’m blessed for it. I’m so grateful and proud and humbled to be your wife.

Well, now that I’ve embarrassed you sufficiently, let’s pull it all together. Let’s glorify the Lord, magnify him for what he’s done in your life, and tell everyone, tell us all of these barriers that we’ve discussed in this particular podcast, in your testimony and in your life. How can those barriers be removed in the lives of others? Well, I will go back to Ecclesiastes and present not the message that was presented to me, but the message of the Bible from Ecclesiastes. Starting in chapter eleven, verse nine to ten, the Bible says, rejoice all young men in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes. But no doubt that all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore, remove sorrow from thine heart and put away evil from thy flesh. But childhood and youth are vanity. I believe that Solomon wrote these verses in his old age while reflecting on his glorious youth when he was a youngster and his tragic failures he had. He’s saying, hey, young men, live how you want to live. Do whatever your heart is telling you to do, but know this God will bring into judgment. Then I think he aimed to convince the youth of the futility of worldly living. Solomon is saying here, hey, you can have a lot of fun, but it’s futile. Walk in the wave of thy known heart, but the judgment will come. So when he go into chapter twelve, which is where the preacher was at when I got saved, he declares, remember now that Creator in the days of their youth. So instead of walking in the wave of your heart and do whatever you want to do and be judged and face judgment, he said remember now that created in the days of that youth. That when you’re old, not when you have lived all your life, but in the days of their youth. And he says here while the even days come, not the years jaw nine, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them, while the sun or the light on the moon or the stars do not darkening, nor the clouds return after the rain. I think Solomon command c is to remember your Creator when you’re young. And he went on to explain why. In verse three to seven he explained why. And of course we know eclipses is a poetic book. I believe the Bible should be interpreted in the language it was written in. So Psalms proverbs eclipses are poetic books. And you can see in the psalm when David says that God will guide you, we honor his wings. Well, we know God doesn’t have any wings, but he’s a metaphor to our hands will guide his tricks of protection.

So when you read Eclipse, chapter twelve, realizing that his poetic Solomon is comparing the aging body to aging house, in Eclipses, chapter twelve, so I have to tell you to remember your Creator in the days of the youth. He went on to start explaining the deterioration of the body as you get older by using a house in verse three. He says, in the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders shall cease, because there are few and those that look out the window will be darkened. The keepers of the house here, I believe, represent the arms and the hands. The strong men are the legs, the grinders are the teeth, and the windows are the eyes. The Phalan is saying here they become a time of your life on your arms and your hands are going to tremble to become weak. The strong men, the legs shall bow themselves, the grinders are few. As you get older, you lose your teeth. And it says that those that look out to the window darkened. As you get older, you lose your eyesight as well. The Solomon is saying, hey, you’re going to get old and not going to be as strong as you are now, not going to. Have as much teeth as you are. They’re not going to be as handsome or beautiful as you are now, and you’re not going to be able to see as well. He went down even further. In verse four he says and the doors shall be struck in the street when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low. Here Solomon is saying the closing of the door represent the difficulty in speaking in the elderly. As you get older, people become more difficult. The sound of the music is low, representing the difficulty in hearing. The daughter of music shall be brought low that’s also represent the worsening or the weakness of the vocal calls. Solomon also highlight the difficulty in sleeping here as well. So as you get older, all these things start happening to yourself and say member know they’re creating the days of their youth, while the eva days come not. In verse five he says and when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and faith shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail. Because men go into his long home and the mourners go about the street, as you get older, they also develop a fear of height when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and also they have a fear of falling. A lot of elderly people walk really slowly and move really slowly because they have a fear of falling or they have an inability to protect themselves. The almond tree shall flourish. That’s talking about the gray hair that you get as you get older. And the grasshopper shall be a burden. You will be easily irritated. I don’t know how much old people you have been around, but as I said, as a mischievous kid growing up, I have encountered a lot of old people that were easily irritated by something that I was doing wrong. But that’s just a fact. As Solomon is saying here, desires shall fail that include many fatal desires. As they get older, those desires rage in one’s youth. They’re going to fade one day. And Solomon tell us, hey, finally, because men go to his long home and mourners go by the street, one day you will die. And that’s the crux of the message here. One day you will die.

You’ll remember your creator in the days of the youth and you think Solomon would end here. But he went on in verse 60 says or ever the silver coal be loose, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitch will be broken at the fountain, or the wheel be broken at the sustain. Palmer went on here to describing the deteriorating body. After that he said, even the silver cord will lose, representing the spinal cord, or the golden bowl be broken representing the brain, or the picture be broken at the fountain, representing the lungs, or the wheel be broken, representing the heart. All these things you’re dead. Now then in verse seven, Solomon finally say then child, the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spiritual returning to God who gave it to. Now you are dead and buried and life is over. Is that what life is all about? All of us? We are born someday we grow up, we get married, we have a bunch of kids, we have a good career and we die. Solomon finally cries out in verse eight vanity of vanity set the preacher. All is valentine. Salmon is saying here basically life is meaningless and worthless. But is it? There’s so much folks out there trying to find meaning and trying to find fulfillment in their career. And once their career is over, they have nothing to turn to. That’s why so much people get divorced after their kids grew up, because they live for their kids and they live to their kids. And when their kids grew up and leave the home, life become worthless. They have nothing. Is this the plight of the everyday man? You are born, you grow up, you get married, have a good career and you die. Thomas say vanity of vanities. All is vanity. Do we live, have a family, work all our lives and die?

There’s a poem that says whenever child, I laugh and wept. Time crap. Whenever youth I dream and talk, time walk. When I become a fully grown man, time run, when older I daily grew, time flew. Soon you shall find in traveling on time gone.

Friends, the Bible declare in Hebrews chapter nine and verse 29, and as it appointed unto man wants to die. But after this judgment, one day we all die. But there’s more to life than the everyday man. The plight of the everyday man in nine to five rat race, starting a family, working hard and died. The Bible says in John chapter ten, verse ten, the thief commit not but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy, but I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Jesus promised that he’s come to give us abundant life. But how do we get that abundant life? How do we get a life that doesn’t define us by the plight of the everyday man? I’m glad you asked. First you must realize that the reason why we all will die someday is because we are all sinners. The Bible declares in Romans chapter 323, we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans, chapter three, verse ten. As it is written, there’s none righteous, no, not one. And of course in Egypt seven and verse 20, for there is not a just man upon the earth that do it good, and sinner not. So you must realize that we are sinner. We are born in sin, and God will judge it for that sin. But secondly, we must realize that there’s a penalty for that sin. Bible says in Romans, chapter six, verse 23, for the rages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life to Jesus Christ our Lord. So the Bible is telling us here that the rages, our payment for our sins will be dead. John, chapter three, verse 18 to 19 says he that believe it on him is not condemned, but he that believe it not is what condemn already, because he had not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation that light has come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because these were evil. Yet in our sin, yet in our condemnation, Christ died from Ross. He demonstrated his love for us while we were unloving, while we were unlovely, while we were in the filth of our sin. Romans, chapter five, verse eight, says what? God commended his love towards us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The Bible declares in Romans, chapter ten, verse 9,10, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved, but with the heart, and believe it onto righteousness I would amount. Confession is made unto salvation. Do you want to know how to have that abundant life? First, recognizing that you’re sinner. Secondly, recognize that there’s a penalty for sin. And thirdly, turn to Christ, the repentant faith. Bible say thou shalt confess with thy mouth lord Jesus, I believe in thine heart that God has raised it from the dead. Thou shalt be saved. You know, Solomon wrapped up his admonition in ECH Twelve with verse 13 after he said you know what, if you look in the verses just before verse 13, solomon talk about the weariness of the flesh. By studying and all these other things, solomon turned to woman and pledges of this world. And it is even believed that Solomon even hired a comedian to entertain him. And Solomon said none of that was fulfillment to him. But in verse 13 he concluded and said, in order for us to have that abundant life, let us see the conclusion of the whole matter. What’s the conclusion of all this? Let’s see the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep his commandment, but this is the whole duty of man. My question to you, dear listener, are you doing your duty?

Thank you for listening. To get a hold of us to support this podcast or to learn more about removing barriers, go to Removingbarriers.net. This has been the removing barriers. Podcast. We attempted to remove barriers so that we all can have a clear view of the cross.