Benny's Story: No Chance Meeting

Speaker 1: 0:00

The following program is sponsored by Ron Meyers Ministries.

Speaker 2: 0:05

It's time now to get the hell out of your life. A weekly broadcast with real people sharing real struggles and offering real hope. Today's show will encourage, inspire and empower you to face life's challenges with a bold confidence and renewed hope. Now let's join our host, ron Meyers. The Provider.

Speaker 1: 0:28

Well, listeners, you know, in life sometimes we meet people that just have an impact on our lives, and I met Benny, my guest today, a few years ago. He's with a rock and roll band. Now listen to this, though. It's a Christian rock band. We're going to talk about that in a minute, but the most important thing you're going to hear from Benny today is his love in his writing of music about Jesus. Hi Benny, how are you? Hey Ron, good to see you, man, thanks for having me on.

Speaker 1: 0:59

Hey, man brother, you drove over here from Baton Rouge, louisiana. That's a quick hop, yeah, a quick hop, and we're going to talk about your story, but I do want to say thank you for your service. You were in the military.

Speaker 3: 1:13

That was the Navy corpsman. That's a medic in the Navy.

Speaker 1: 1:17

So for those who don't know, I was medic administration in the Air Force.

Speaker 3: 1:22

Wow, well, thanks for your service. Hey man, hey, november right, veteran's Day coming up, yeah, yeah amen, brother.

Speaker 1: 1:30

So let me ask you and we'll talk about your music and what you're doing now all over the world Did you grow up knowing Jesus? Did you grow up parents drag you to church?

Speaker 3: 1:40

every Sunday. Yes, let me say this. So my dad got, blessed him, and he grew up Roman Catholic. Because we're very Sicilian, right, my last name's Dicchiata in Italian and so he married my mother, who's not. And so the Roman Catholic Church back in the day they said well, if you marry her, we're going to excommunicate you. You do not marry out of the religion. So I was like I don't get that wrong, but so he's like well, enough of this. So my mom was Lutheran, so my dad went through adult catechism and they became Lutheran. So I was raised Lutheran in church every single Sunday with my parents, early service like 637, kind of just crazy. And so if I would have died on Monday, I cannot sit in front of you and tell you I'd be in heaven. And this is being in church every single Sunday. I knew who Jesus was, but I did not know Jesus. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 2:40

That's how I was. Same way People ask me what was the change in your life? I went from a knowledge to a relationship. Absolutely, it really is different. It's that simple. There's always a point, benny, that I talk to people that something drove them to ask who this Jesus was, whether it was drugs or alcohol or abuse. What drove you to find out who this Jesus was?

Speaker 3: 3:07

All right. Well, here's the thing. It just this will be real.

Speaker 3: 3:12

This will be real, so I got married at an early age, got her confirmed because I thought that was important. We get married. You cannot change someone. I said it. You cannot change someone. Only God can do that. And so we were married for 10 and a half years. I had two beautiful children out of it.

Speaker 3: 3:36

It was the craziest relationship, especially toward the end and it got ugly and mean and it just it was. It was horrible, and so I'm trying to defend the kids and hide them from things. And you notice an issue when that happens anyway. So we split and it became everything that you hear the antithesis of splits. You know it's all about the money and this, that and other and the kids, and it's a power thing and I don't know if any of your listeners are going through that, but it is a real thing, right, and the devil is in complete control of that. His number one deal is division. Yeah, divide and conquer, divide and conquer. And for me, I'm in church every Sunday with my family and children and I still don't have enough to dial it up to God and just say, jesus, can you please step in this and fix it? And so we wind up splitting back at that time when I had here. I had a lot of it and we did the, we did the rock tour circuit. I had a secular rock band. It was all original stuff and we played like the coast in New Orleans, all over place and stuff and saw things I never want my kids to see and all of these things. And then some things went on with the band and in this relationship and all kind of morphed together and I was like this is, this is horrible. So.

Speaker 3: 4:59

So after we split because I was stationed in Memphis, I moved back to Memphis and there was some distance away. In 1992, I moved back to Louisiana and I moved to Baton Rouge. Once I was there just did a whole bunch of management type jobs, everything. I got invited one day to this business function that were run by very serious Christian people, not Christian in the sense of the word Christian, but they had the Holy Spirit, fire and them like I've never seen that in business people and they started quoting things that I'd never heard before.

Speaker 3: 5:42

And I've been in church every Sunday, right as a matter of fact, if it wasn't in Matthew, mark, luke and John, I didn't know about it, basically. So so we're we're talking at this thing and they do a little alter call at the end because they like in business, the only way you succeed in business is if you succeed in him. I mean that's one thing right and so and I'm like, so I go down and I get a little. I get a little paperback Bible from them because I didn't have one in the house and God just compelled me to go down and get one and I didn't. I did not get saved, I didn't do an alter call thing. I went get the Bible and went back and I sat down. So but at that point you cannot overlook the power that God has in his timing, in that business meeting was a Preordained so playing at the seed.

Speaker 3: 6:38

Oh wait, not, not, not a mustard seed, this thing was like an avocado seed, right. And so it's just like our relationship and in us meeting that's a preordained thing eons ago, and if you know, you know, and so so I had to express what it was this I was a floor manager for Toyota dealership at the time and this lady, miss Linda love me some, miss Linda and so I sold her a car, her husband a truck, her daughter a car. So I was familiar, I knew their family, they knew I did music. She says, hey, don't you have a rock, didn't you have a rock?

Speaker 2: 7:08

band.

Speaker 3: 7:09

I said I did Not anymore, but I did. And she says you should come to our church because you would love the music. So I said, well, what are you? And she's like what do you mean? I'm like, well, I grew up Lutheran, so what are your? Method is Baptist, what are you? She goes Uh-uh, we're just straight out the Bible, bible base church. And I'm thinking I've heard about you people. No, so I'm telling you in all honesty, I know your listeners. I don't know if anybody's got.

Speaker 3: 7:39

Really, I lied to her for three months because she would call me every Monday I didn't see you in church and I said I was busy, and back then I was just watching the Saints lose because I totally did. So, all of that to be said, this meeting I went to, this business meeting I went to, was like a week Toward the end of these three months where I was Fibbon tour, and she calls me and she says listen, I didn't see you in church again. I'm gonna come and get you this Sunday, like I'm coming to get you. And I said no, ma'am, you're not. And she says why? I said I'm gonna meet you there. And she goes Seriously, cuz I know you've been lying to me for, and I said, yes, miss Linda, I've been lying to you. I said, but I heard some things and I need to know more. So I'm coming.

Speaker 3: 8:23

So I walk up to the church and you know, she did run big old smile on her face. She gives me a big old hug. Her husband, max, gives me a big old hug. Come on in, the music was incredible. And then they do an altar call. So I go down for it because just the Holy Spirit is working on me like crazy at this moment and I broke. I mean broke and I went to step back from the altar and I couldn't move and I looked behind me and it was a mountain of days where I was going. Whoo got past that one.

Speaker 1: 9:00

Well, I wanted Take a minute and you can finish your story, but I've always said, benny, there's people out there listening that they can relate and connect to everything you just said. Yeah, and I know the same thing happened to me. There was something that I could feel tangible inside of me, absolutely, and there really is. It wasn't just Reciting a prayer, nope, I felt God, and I think that's important because you and I, you're out in the public all the time with your rock group, christian Rock, and I'm on the radio and podcast, but this stuff that we talk about, about Jesus, is because it really transformed our lives. It changed us, it changed the trajectory of where we're going in life. And I think if I wouldn't have had that encounter I had in Atlanta, or if you didn't have that encounter that you had, your life would be totally different to this day.

Speaker 3: 10:05

Yes, speak that and that's all. Hey, ms Linda had one job To get you into church and get Jesus in you, just not even to get me, just to invite me. To invite, that's the good word, right. And so I'm down and I broke in that mountain of days. I couldn't even move. And so, all of a sudden, I cried like I've never cried before Amen.

Speaker 3: 10:28

And it wasn't pain, it was a good cry, it was release, it was release of all the sin, wow, that had piled up in my life, right, and it was release from the really horrible divorce thing. It was a complete really. I was dating somebody. I went the next day, told her what happened to me and we split. And she's like what are you doing? And I'm like this isn't cool and I'm done, I'm married to Jesus.

Speaker 3: 10:59

And you know she told me. She says I've never been dropped for Jesus before and I'm like well, if you got to lose to somebody, yeah, that's the one to lose to. That's the one to lose to.

Speaker 1: 11:08

But you said something. We're gonna take a break in a minute and we'll talk a little more about this, but you said the word release.

Speaker 1: 11:15

I think that is so real because I tell people. It's like I lost 100 pounds of this dead weight, a baggage of fear, of guilt, of shame, of sin, and I was free to become who Christ created me, to be 100% and same with you. And after the break we wanna talk about your group. Empowered, you write your music, you have an impact on the young and all ages, because people love music, but Jesus is in your music. And so right after the break we'll talk to Benny about what he's up to.

Speaker 2: 11:53

You're listening to Get the Hell Out of your Life with your host, ron Myers. Real stories, real struggles and real hope.

Speaker 4: 12:03

When you decided to give your life to Jesus, they told you that everything would be just fine now. All your worries would just fade away and you'd be very, very happy. Right then came pressure from the in-laws, who thought you joined some cult because you didn't go to their church anymore. And then you find out that some of the biggest gossips you ever met happened to be in your church. And you find out that prayer is not quite like a vending machine. Sometimes you actually have to wait on God for a long time before he answers, and it seems like the devil suddenly has nothing to do but spend his time picking on you, and sometimes you actually think of going back.

Speaker 4: 12:39

So the Christian life isn't a bed of roses. So why keep following God? Because, although it's a rough road, it's the only road that won't end up in a dead end. And no matter how frustrating the Christian life can be at times, it still beats whatever's in second place. Follow Jesus. It's not always a walk in the park, but at least it's not a walk in the dark. Jesus, can you, the world be broken?

Speaker 1: 13:05

His love can put the pieces back together again, it's gonna feel like it's all just hopeless. Jesus, can you, the world, be broken? Any of that song that just came in from our break? That is one that you wrote. Tell us a little bit about that song.

Speaker 3: 13:24

Yeah, I know we're gonna get into this a little bit, but this coming October makes eight years that I've had a traumatic brain injury, so but yet we're two records in, Since you and I shouldn't even be having this discussion Because they weren't sure if I was gonna come out of that. But God had a plan he had a plan had a plan.

Speaker 3: 13:46

So the new record is Yahweh Nisi. So Mikey Howard, seventh time down love journey music. He's our producer and he and I co-wrote on the radio single from Yahweh Nisi which is Jesus Can Heal the World. And do you need a title? Do you need anything but the title? I should say to get it. Jesus Can Heal the World. I'm going through addiction of some sort and it doesn't matter what kind. Jesus Can Heal that. I've gone through a divorce, all that kind of stuff, with all these crazy family issues. Jesus Can Heal that. I've gone through who I think I am. Jesus Can Heal that For me. I had a lot of things that Jesus needed to heal because of who I thought I was. I was so hung up, ron, on who I thought I was. I had a band that was me. I'm the front man for that band, for this band. That was me, whatever.

Speaker 1: 14:44

So who did you think you were Some big shot? Rock and roll band star.

Speaker 3: 14:48

I'm not saying that, but you know what it is. You know what it is. It is like what I thought was I'm creating these opportunities which I had no idea at the time in my BC life, that God was lining things up or whatever right I mean. So when I have my secular band, you find it's interesting. So my keyboard, because I would bounce back and forth off of keys and I had a ramp off the front that my brother-in-law was my guitar player and he would run up the ramp with high five. It's a whole show thing. It's nonsense. We would do that.

Speaker 3: 15:18

And on the ramp portion was a star painted and I had like a cross painted in the star with the tail of the cross coming up the bottom, and I had people I am not saved at this point, Ron, and I've got people at shows going what is your design? What's that logo thing? I was like, hey, a star is what I want to be, the cross is. Who's going to get me there? I'm not safe and God is speaking through my face and I didn't get it because you know we were pretty well known and all over everybody's blowing smoke up your pant leg and y'all are so fantastic. Oh my God, All those things that we get wrapped up in, so you were a star in your own mind.

Speaker 3: 16:00

Hello, and guess what, and guess what? And for most people aren't we all?

Speaker 1: 16:04

Yeah.

Speaker 3: 16:06

So you know what it changed for me? I had to realize it wasn't about who I was, but it was about who's I was. Yeah.

Speaker 1: 16:17

Amen, and you know, and since I've met you years ago and I run into you at some conventions, you're a happy guy, aren't you? Life is good.

Speaker 3: 16:30

Yeah, I don't care if that makes sense. You know, because here's the thing when the Holy Spirit, like you said, like when I got saved, and you, just you know there's a difference. All that weight is off of you and boy I hope some of you listeners can relate to this when we walk in the preordained, planned purposes of Christ, you really don't care about much because you know it's handled. God is the answer. Jesus is the answer. Point people to him. That's all. Because I look at my pastor or whatever, but I mean we're on stage and I'm talking in between songs and I'm telling them this is how this happened, this is how that happened. And if Jesus can do it for me, guess what he can do it for you.

Speaker 1: 17:22

Well, you know, I call myself the promoter. The most often asked question to me is what do you promote, jesus? I promote Jesus, and that opens up a dialogue. But right now, benny, there are people out there that maybe they have a band, maybe they are doing something and they are going to be a star in their own mind, but yet they feel something missing in. Through your wisdom and through your experience, you can give them a little Benny encouragement, a little pep talk. What would you tell that person? Like a Bennyism?

Speaker 3: 17:59

Here's what I've learned. Let me say it this way. This is what I learned. I think the name of Jesus is a J, which is shaped like a hook, and once you get that hook in you, you don't do anything the same. The way you perform is not the same. The way you talk to people is not the same, because you're pointing them to them. For me it's a stage musicians, lights sound, all that. All that stuff is groovy and it's fine and guess what? It's fun. It's a party for Jesus from the stage, right. But the point is, it's a party for Jesus because if you don't feel the love of Jesus, come across the footlights when we perform. If you don't feel the love of Jesus in our discussion today, then I need to quit and do something different.

Speaker 1: 18:46

Well, let me ask you, Benny, you and I both agree that Jesus is the healer. Yes, jesus is the answer, yes. So what have we done wrong? What have the churches or the people done wrong? There are churches on every corner, christian radio stations, television stations, and people are hurting and you talk to them about Jesus and it's like I don't want to hear that Right. But you and I know Jesus is the answer yes, in your opinion. What have what's gone wrong? Why is it so hard to tell somebody about somebody named Jesus that really, it is simple, because once we give our life to him, he gives us a new heart and a whole new destiny. What have we done wrong?

Speaker 3: 19:38

Yeah, this is coming from me, so I'm just going to center and you've may have heard this before right, the center of the word pride is the letter I. I don't feel like doing that. I don't think I can talk to people about Jesus. I don't think this is working out the way that I had a dream and it's not working out the way that I can. We're talking right now about this record, this new record, and it's on radio across the country. We're doing amazing things with booking shows and everything. They don't want to talk to me about 1997, when I founded the band. I just said 1997. It's 2023.

Speaker 3: 20:18

People have asked me over all that time you ever talk about quitting and I'm like it surely is. I heard the Lord say I've chosen you for this. Do this. I've never heard him clearly come back to me and say I'm so sorry, I made a mistake. It's not happened. He's never told me stop, it's a mistake. Never, ever. Even the rocks will cry out right, well, call me a rock star in that way, because I'm crying out that people need to know him, that he can fix everything that they're going through. For me, it's a stage For you, it's your podcast radio. For a doctor, it could be a surgical suite or a hospital. For a boss, it could be a business setting or a set of office. Everybody has a stage. It's our gift from God. What we do at that stage is our gift back to him.

Speaker 1: 21:13

And I would encourage someone out there right now. If this has even intrigued you, maybe you're thinking maybe I should give Jesus a try. Well, when nothing else is working in your life your friends leave, you get terminated, the wife leaves, the bank account is low, you get a bad doctor's report I would say it's time to try Jesus, because you know what? If it doesn't work for you, you can go back to your old life. Right, but I've never found anybody. Out of all the hundreds and hundreds of people I've talked to, I've never met anybody that went back to their old life. You know what they say, benny. They say I can't believe, I waited so long. But then my response is but sometimes we have to go through a lot of hell in our life before we cry out to Jesus to take the hell out of our life.

Speaker 3: 22:12

That's right. It's his timing.

Speaker 1: 22:14

And now look at your knowledge that you have. You were in a secular rock band. You got to learn a lot of the business practices and how to deal with people, because God knew one day you're going to proclaim his name right, this of his son, jesus with a rock band. So you got to learn a lot of the world tricks in. And now you're up there and you are his. What do they say is harmless as a dove, wise is a serpent and harmless as a dove. And well, listen, we're almost out of time. How do people find out about you in your music? People, listen. He's very talented, his music is great. And tell us a little bit about the new project you have out.

Speaker 3: 22:58

I will do that. So the name of our band is empowered, and what it stands for I think it's important for people to know is God's empowered us with the gift of music so that we can empower others with his message. So you're ready for it, so that they can then go and empower others. Amen, with his word, that's all it's about, right, so?

Speaker 1: 23:22

look at that poster right behind you.

Speaker 3: 23:24

It's the word, it's in the studio folks, it's in power, big big letters. So the, so the website, and we wanted to do this and it actually worked out, because when we signed stuff, we put this on here and it worked out. So it's it's with no G, it's R O C K? I? N. The number four Jesuscom. So rockinforjesuscom is really easy. I love it. It's really easy. We have a contact page If anybody wants to get in touch with us. That way, we're on Facebook empowered rocks. Instagram, empowered official YouTube channel. Same. We're on 40 streaming platforms with not only the new record but all of them, and that's on there and we're just. We're just. Our prayer is that people are changed by what they hear.

Speaker 1: 24:13

Amen. Hey, before we go, would you pray for our listeners?

Speaker 3: 24:16

I certainly will you ready? Yep, here we go, father God, we just thank you for this time today and thank you from our brother Ron, and that we were able to reconnect for this, lord God, and my prayer, father, is just that in our discussion today, there's somebody out there who's listening right now Amen, and they're going through stuff, and stuff is all inclusive. It can be anything but God, but you, lord, and if they would just press into you, you've got the answers. Jesus can heal the world and it's a fact. He gave his life to heal the world and God gave his only son to heal the world. And just, Father God, if anyone is going through a struggle, I just pray, father, just right now, that the Holy Spirit just come on them, that the Holy Spirit touched them the way Ron and I experienced when we were saved, rather, just that weight of what they're going through is lifted from their shoulders, lord, god, and that their life be forever and eternally changed. And we, just we believe in that. We thank you in advance for it, in Jesus' name.

Speaker 1: 25:27

Amen, amen, beautiful. One last thing the title of the show is Get the Hell Out of your Life. So, benny, how do you get the hell out of your life?

Speaker 3: 25:39

Just say Jesus, just say Jesus, jesus. Literally. When he died and rose again, he got the hell out of the world. Yep, right? So what are we going to do with that, folks, right, benny?

Speaker 1: 25:51

God bless you brother.

Speaker 3: 25:52

You too, man. Thank you so much, so good to see you Same here. We appreciate it Amen. Thanks so much.

Speaker 2: 25:57

You're listening to Get the Hell Out of your Life with your host, ron Myers. Real stories, real struggles and real hope.

Speaker 1: 26:07

You got to hear two wild, crazy Jesus freaks have a conversation. Because we know what life was like without Jesus, we got tired of ourselves and we asked Jesus to come in. You heard Benny say that he lived in church. He was there all the time, but if he would have died on Monday, he doesn't even know if he would have went to heaven because he had a knowledge of Jesus. And that's it and no relationship. See, it's all about a relationship. It is not about church attendance. It's not even about reading the Bible. It's not even about prayers or doing good things. It's about Jesus Christ period. He said three words before he died it is finished. What is finished? He did everything so you and I could live a life of freedom, total forgiveness, and we have the power to become the person that he created us to become.

Speaker 1: 27:07

When we become dependent upon our life coach, our mentor and our teacher, jesus Christ, you need to adapt the Desert Island mentality. The Desert Island mentality is this it's you and Jesus period no radio, no television, no podcast, nothing. You and Jesus. And when you develop that mentality, I promise, I absolutely promise you will become a live again inside, because Jesus is living inside of you. All you have to do is say Jesus, here I am, I believe in you and friends. It is a journey worth celebrating. You actually begin to smile again. Now maybe you have a story you'd like to share. Go to my website, the promoterorg, and while you're there, why don't you request a copy of my book, the Promoter? It's free. My Wild and Crazy Story. If you go to the podcast, you will hear the entire song of Jesus Can Heal the World. It's a great song. I really enjoy it. Well, until next week, friends. This is Ron Myers, reminding you that I love you, jesus loves you, and it's time to get the hell out of your life.

Speaker 2: 28:31

Today's show was produced by Ron Myers Ministries, a listener-supported ministry. For a copy of today's broadcast, please visit our website, thepromoterorg, and would you prayerfully consider making a tax deductible donation so that we may continue to share stories of God's amazing grace with the world. And join us next week for another broadcast of Get the Hell Out of your Life Real people sharing real struggles and offering real hope.