May 3, 2024 • 27 mins
The power of music plays a pivotal role in Benny's life, and in our conversation, he pulls back the curtain on how he used his music career as an avenue to express his newfound faith. Listen in as Benny serves up some soul-stirring insights about his transformation, his challenges in sharing his faith, and how giving one's life to Jesus can usher in an entirely different heart and destiny. Benny's story is a testament to the transformative power of faith and music, inspiring those facing their own crucible. It is not a tale of who he was but a narrative of who he is. Tune in for this compelling conversation about faith, music, and life-transforming experiences.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The following program is sponsored by Ron Meyers
Ministries.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
It's time now to get the hell out of your life.
A weekly broadcast with realpeople sharing real struggles
and offering real hope.
Today's show will encourage,inspire and empower you to face
life's challenges with a boldconfidence and renewed hope.
Now let's join our host, ronMeyers.
The Provider.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Well, listeners, you know, in life sometimes we meet
people that just have an impacton 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 thatin a minute, but the most
important thing you're going tohear from Benny today is his
(00:51):
love in his writing of musicabout Jesus.
Hi Benny, how are you?
Hey Ron, good to see you, man,thanks for having me on.
Hey, man brother, you drove overhere from Baton Rouge,
louisiana.
That's a quick hop, yeah, aquick hop, and we're going to
talk about your story, but I dowant to say thank you for your
service.
(01:12):
You were in the military.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
That was the Navy corpsman.
That's a medic in the Navy.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
So for those who don't know, I was medic
administration in the Air Force.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Wow, well, thanks for your service.
Hey man, hey, november right,veteran's Day coming up, yeah,
yeah amen, brother.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
So let me ask you and we'll talk about your music and
what you're doing now all overthe world Did you grow up
knowing Jesus?
Did you grow up parents dragyou to church?
Speaker 3 (01:40):
every Sunday.
Yes, let me say this.
So my dad got, blessed him, andhe grew up Roman Catholic.
Because we're very Sicilian,right, my last name's Dicchiata
in Italian and so he married mymother, who's not.
And so the Roman CatholicChurch back in the day they said
well, if you marry her, we'regoing to excommunicate you.
(02:01):
You do not marry out of thereligion.
So I was like I don't get thatwrong, but so he's like well,
enough of this.
So my mom was Lutheran, so mydad went through adult catechism
and they became Lutheran.
So I was raised Lutheran inchurch every single Sunday with
my parents, early service like637, kind of just crazy.
(02:24):
And so if I would have died onMonday, I cannot sit in front of
you and tell you I'd be inheaven.
And this is being in churchevery single Sunday.
I knew who Jesus was, but I didnot know Jesus.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
That's how I was.
Same way People ask me what wasthe change in your life?
I went from a knowledge to arelationship.
Absolutely, it really isdifferent.
It's that simple.
There's always a point, benny,that I talk to people that
something drove them to ask whothis Jesus was, whether it was
drugs or alcohol or abuse.
(03:03):
What drove you to find out whothis Jesus was?
Speaker 3 (03:07):
All right.
Well, here's the thing.
It just this will be real.
This will be real, so I gotmarried at an early age, got her
confirmed because I thoughtthat was important.
We get married.
You cannot change someone.
I said it.
You cannot change someone.
(03:29):
Only God can do that.
And so we were married for 10and a half years.
I had two beautiful childrenout of it.
It was the craziest relationship, especially toward the end and
it got ugly and mean and it justit was.
It was horrible, and so I'mtrying to defend the kids and
(03:49):
hide them from things.
And you notice an issue whenthat happens anyway.
So we split and it becameeverything that you hear the
antithesis of splits.
You know it's all about themoney and this, that and other
and the kids, and it's a powerthing and I don't know if any of
your listeners are goingthrough that, but it is a real
thing, right, and the devil isin complete control of that.
(04:12):
His number one deal is division.
Yeah, divide and conquer,divide and conquer.
And for me, I'm in church everySunday with my family and
children and I still don't haveenough to dial it up to God and
just say, jesus, can you pleasestep in this and fix it?
And so we wind up splittingback at that time when I had
(04:36):
here.
I had a lot of it and we didthe, we did the rock tour
circuit.
I had a secular rock band.
It was all original stuff andwe played like the coast in New
Orleans, all over place andstuff and saw things I never
want my kids to see and all ofthese things.
And then some things went onwith the band and in this
relationship and all kind ofmorphed together and I was like
(04:58):
this is, this is horrible.
So.
So after we split because I wasstationed in Memphis, I moved
back to Memphis and there wassome distance away.
In 1992, I moved back toLouisiana and I moved to Baton
Rouge.
Once I was there just did awhole bunch of management type
(05:18):
jobs, everything.
I got invited one day to thisbusiness function that were run
by very serious Christian people, not Christian in the sense of
the word Christian, but they hadthe Holy Spirit, fire and them
like I've never seen that inbusiness people and they started
(05:38):
quoting things that I'd neverheard before.
And I've been in church everySunday, 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 atthis thing and they do a little
alter call at the end becausethey like in business, the only
way you succeed in business isif you succeed in him.
(05:59):
I mean that's one thing rightand so and I'm like, so I go
down and I get a little.
I get a little paperback Biblefrom them because I didn't have
one in the house and God justcompelled me to go down and get
one and I didn't.
I did not get saved, I didn'tdo an alter call thing.
I went get the Bible and wentback and I sat down.
So but at that point you cannotoverlook the power that God has
(06:29):
in his timing, in that businessmeeting was a Preordained so
playing at the seed.
Oh wait, not, not, not a mustardseed, this thing was like an
avocado seed, right.
And so it's just like ourrelationship and in us meeting
that's a preordained thing eonsago, and if you know, you know,
(06:50):
and so so I had to express whatit was this I was a floor
manager for Toyota dealership atthe time and this lady, miss
Linda love me some, miss Lindaand so I sold her a car, her
husband a truck, her daughter acar.
So I was familiar, I knew theirfamily, they knew I did music.
She says, hey, don't you have arock, didn't you have a rock?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
band.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
I said I did Not anymore, but I did.
And she says you should come toour 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 upLutheran, so what are your?
Method is Baptist, what are you?
She goes Uh-uh, we're juststraight out the Bible, bible
base church.
And I'm thinking I've heardabout you people.
(07:31):
No, so I'm telling you in allhonesty, I know your listeners.
I don't know if anybody's got.
Really, I lied to her for threemonths because she would call me
every Monday I didn't see youin church and I said I was busy,
and back then I was justwatching the Saints lose because
I totally did.
So, all of that to be said,this meeting I went to, this
(07:54):
business meeting I went to, waslike a week Toward the end of
these three months where I wasFibbon tour, and she calls me
and she says listen, I didn'tsee you in church again.
I'm gonna come and get you thisSunday, like I'm coming to get
you.
And I said no, ma'am, you'renot.
And she says why?
I said I'm gonna meet you there.
And she goes Seriously, cuz Iknow you've been lying to me for
(08:17):
, and I said, yes, miss Linda,I've been lying to you.
I said, but I heard some thingsand I need to know more.
So I'm coming.
So I walk up to the church andyou know, she did run big old
smile on her face.
She gives me a big old hug.
Her husband, max, gives me abig old hug.
Come on in, the music wasincredible.
And then they do an altar call.
(08:38):
So I go down for it becausejust the Holy Spirit is working
on me like crazy at this momentand I broke.
I mean broke and I went to stepback from the altar and I
couldn't move and I lookedbehind me and it was a mountain
of days where I was going.
Whoo got past that one.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
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 relateand connect to everything you
just said.
Yeah, and I know the same thinghappened to me.
There was something that Icould feel tangible inside of me
, absolutely, and there reallyis.
(09:22):
It wasn't just Reciting aprayer, nope, I felt God, and I
think that's important becauseyou and I, you're out in the
public all the time with yourrock group, christian Rock, and
I'm on the radio and podcast,but this stuff that we talk
about, about Jesus, is becauseit really transformed our lives.
(09:45):
It changed us, it changed thetrajectory of where we're going
in life.
And I think if I wouldn't havehad that encounter I had in
Atlanta, or if you didn't havethat encounter that you had,
your life would be totallydifferent to this day.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Yes, speak that and that's all.
Hey, ms Linda had one job Toget you into church and get
Jesus in you, just not even toget me, just to invite me.
To invite, that's the good word, right.
And so I'm down and I broke inthat mountain of days.
I couldn't even move.
And so, all of a sudden, Icried like I've never cried
(10:27):
before Amen.
And it wasn't pain, it was agood cry, it was release, it was
release of all the sin, wow,that had piled up in my life,
right, and it was release fromthe really horrible divorce
thing.
It was a complete really.
(10:48):
I was dating somebody.
I went the next day, told herwhat happened to me and we split
.
And she's like what are youdoing?
And I'm like this isn't cooland I'm done, I'm married to
Jesus.
And you know she told me.
She says I've never beendropped for Jesus before and I'm
like well, if you got to loseto 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 aminute and we'll talk a little
more about this, but you saidthe word release.
I think that is so real becauseI tell people.
It's like I lost 100 pounds ofthis dead weight, a baggage of
fear, of guilt, of shame, of sin, and I was free to become who
(11:32):
Christ created me, to be 100%and same with you.
And after the break we wannatalk about your group.
Empowered, you write your music, you have an impact on the
young and all ages, becausepeople love music, but Jesus is
in your music.
And so right after the breakwe'll talk to Benny about what
(11:53):
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 strugglesand real hope.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
When you decided to give your life to Jesus, they
told you that everything wouldbe just fine now.
All your worries would justfade away and you'd be very,
very happy.
Right then came pressure fromthe in-laws, who thought you
joined some cult because youdidn't go to their church
anymore.
And then you find out that someof the biggest gossips you ever
met happened to be in yourchurch.
(12:23):
And you find out that prayer isnot quite like a vending
machine.
Sometimes you actually have towait on God for a long time
before he answers, and it seemslike the devil suddenly has
nothing to do but spend his timepicking on you, and sometimes
you actually think of going back.
So the Christian life isn't abed of roses.
So why keep following God?
(12:44):
Because, although it's a roughroad, it's the only road that
won't end up in a dead end.
And no matter how frustratingthe Christian life can be at
times, it still beats whatever'sin second place.
Follow Jesus.
It's not always a walk in thepark, but at least it's not a
walk in the dark.
Jesus, can you, the world bebroken?
Speaker 1 (13:05):
His love can put the pieces back together again, it's
gonna feel like it's all justhopeless.
Jesus, can you, the world, bebroken?
Any of that song that just camein from our break?
That is one that you wrote.
Tell us a little bit about thatsong.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Yeah, I know we're gonna get into this a little bit
, but this coming October makeseight years that I've had a
traumatic brain injury, so butyet we're two records in, Since
you and I shouldn't even behaving this discussion Because
they weren't sure if I was gonnacome out of that.
But God had a plan he had aplan had a plan.
(13:46):
So the new record is Yahweh Nisi.
So Mikey Howard, seventh timedown love journey music.
He's our producer and he and Ico-wrote on the radio single
from Yahweh Nisi which is JesusCan Heal the World.
And do you need a title?
Do you need anything but thetitle?
I should say to get it.
Jesus Can Heal the World.
(14:07):
I'm going through addiction ofsome 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 Iam.
Jesus Can Heal that For me.
(14:29):
I had a lot of things thatJesus needed to heal because of
who I thought I was.
I was so hung up, ron, on who Ithought 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 wasI'm creating these opportunities
which I had no idea at the timein my BC life, that God was
lining things up or whateverright I mean.
So when I have my secular band,you find it's interesting.
So my keyboard, because I wouldbounce back and forth off of
(15:08):
keys and I had a ramp off thefront that my brother-in-law was
my guitar player and he wouldrun up the ramp with high five.
It's a whole show thing.
It's nonsense.
We would do that.
And on the ramp portion was astar painted and I had like a
cross painted in the star withthe tail of the cross coming up
the bottom, and I had people Iam not saved at this point, Ron,
(15:31):
and I've got people at showsgoing what is your design?
What's that logo thing?
I was like, hey, a star is whatI want to be, the cross is.
Who's going to get me there?
I'm not safe and God isspeaking through my face and I
didn't get it because you knowwe were pretty well known and
all over everybody's blowingsmoke up your pant leg and y'all
(15:53):
are so fantastic.
Oh my God, All those thingsthat we get wrapped up in, so
you were a star in your own mind.
Hello, and guess what, and guesswhat?
And for most people aren't weall?
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
So you know what it changed for me?
I had to realize it wasn'tabout 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 someconventions, 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 thething 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 youand boy I hope some of you
listeners can relate to thiswhen we walk in the preordained,
(16:51):
planned purposes of Christ, youreally 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 orwhatever, but I mean we're on
(17:13):
stage and I'm talking in betweensongs and I'm telling them this
is how this happened, this ishow 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 questionto me is what do you promote,
jesus?
I promote Jesus, and that opensup a dialogue.
But right now, benny, there arepeople out there that maybe
they have a band, maybe they aredoing something and they are
going to be a star in their ownmind, but yet they feel
(17:46):
something missing in.
Through your wisdom and throughyour experience, you can give
them a little Bennyencouragement, 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 aJ, which is shaped like a hook,
and once you get that hook inyou, you don't do anything the
same.
The way you perform is not thesame.
The way you talk to people isnot the same, because you're
(18:21):
pointing them to them.
For me it's a stage musicians,lights sound, all that.
All that stuff is groovy andit's fine and guess what?
It's fun.
It's a party for Jesus from thestage, right.
But the point is, it's a partyfor Jesus because if you don't
feel the love of Jesus, comeacross the footlights when we
perform.
If you don't feel the love ofJesus in our discussion today,
(18:44):
then I need to quit and dosomething 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 thepeople done wrong?
There are churches on everycorner, christian radio stations
, television stations, andpeople are hurting and you talk
(19:11):
to them about Jesus and it'slike I don't want to hear that
Right.
But you and I know Jesus is theanswer yes, in your opinion.
What have what's gone wrong?
Why is it so hard to tellsomebody about somebody named
Jesus that really, it is simple,because once we give our life
(19:33):
to him, he gives us a new heartand 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 heardthis before right, the center
of the word pride is the letterI.
I don't feel like doing that.
I don't think I can talk topeople about Jesus.
I don't think this is workingout the way that I had a dream
and it's not working out the waythat I can.
(20:00):
We're talking right now aboutthis record, this new record,
and it's on radio across thecountry.
We're doing amazing things withbooking shows and everything.
They don't want to talk to meabout 1997, when I founded the
band.
I just said 1997.
It's 2023.
People have asked me over allthat time you ever talk about
(20:22):
quitting and I'm like it surelyis.
I heard the Lord say I'vechosen you for this.
Do this.
I've never heard him clearlycome 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 amistake.
Never, ever.
Even the rocks will cry outright, well, call me a rock star
(20:44):
in that way, because I'm cryingout that people need to know
him, that he can fix everythingthat they're going through.
For me, it's a stage For you,it's your podcast radio.
For a doctor, it could be asurgical suite or a hospital.
For a boss, it could be abusiness setting or a set of
office.
Everybody has a stage.
(21:05):
It's our gift from God.
What we do at that stage is ourgift 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 isworking in your life your
friends leave, you getterminated, the wife leaves, the
bank account is low, you get abad doctor's report I would say
(21:37):
it's time to try Jesus, becauseyou know what?
If it doesn't work for you, youcan go back to your old life.
Right, but I've never foundanybody.
Out of all the hundreds andhundreds of people I've talked
to, I've never met anybody thatwent back to their old life.
You know what they say, benny.
They say I can't believe, Iwaited so long.
(21:59):
But then my response is butsometimes we have to go through
a lot of hell in our life beforewe 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 thebusiness practices and how to
deal with people, because Godknew one day you're going to
proclaim his name right, this ofhis son, jesus with a rock band
.
So you got to learn a lot ofthe world tricks in.
And now you're up there and youare his.
(22:37):
What do they say is harmless asa dove, wise is a serpent and
harmless as a dove.
And well, listen, we're almostout of time.
How do people find out aboutyou in your music?
People, listen.
He's very talented, his musicis great.
And tell us a little bit aboutthe new project you have out.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
I will do that.
So the name of our band isempowered, and what it stands
for I think it's important forpeople to know is God's
empowered us with the gift ofmusic so that we can empower
others with his message.
So you're ready for it, so thatthey can then go and empower
others.
Amen, with his word, that's allit'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 wewanted to do this and it
actually worked out, becausewhen we signed stuff, we put
this on here and it worked out.
So it's it's with no G, it's RO C K?
I?
N.
The number four Jesuscom.
So rockinforjesuscom is reallyeasy.
(23:46):
I love it.
It's really easy.
We have a contact page Ifanybody wants to get in touch
with us.
That way, we're on Facebookempowered rocks.
Instagram, empowered officialYouTube channel.
Same.
We're on 40 streaming platformswith not only the new record
but all of them, and that's onthere and we're just.
(24:06):
We're just.
Our prayer is that people arechanged by what they hear.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Amen.
Hey, before we go, would youpray for our listeners?
Speaker 3 (24:16):
I certainly will you ready?
Yep, here we go, father God, wejust thank you for this time
today and thank you from ourbrother Ron, and that we were
able to reconnect for this, lordGod, and my prayer, father, is
just that in our discussiontoday, there's somebody out
there who's listening right nowAmen, and they're going through
(24:37):
stuff, and stuff is allinclusive.
It can be anything but God, butyou, lord, and if they would
just press into you, you've gotthe answers.
Jesus can heal the world andit's a fact.
He gave his life to heal theworld and God gave his only son
(24:58):
to heal the world.
And just, Father God, if anyoneis going through a struggle, I
just pray, father, just rightnow, that the Holy Spirit just
come on them, that the HolySpirit touched them the way Ron
and I experienced when we weresaved, rather, just that weight
of what they're going through islifted from their shoulders,
lord, god, and that their lifebe forever and eternally changed
(25:21):
.
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 theshow is Get the Hell Out of
your Life.
So, benny, how do you get thehell out of your life?
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Just say Jesus, just say Jesus, jesus.
Literally.
When he died and rose again, hegot the hell out of the world.
Yep, right?
So what are we going to do withthat, folks, right, benny?
Speaker 1 (25:51):
God bless you brother .
Speaker 3 (25:52):
You too, man.
Thank you so much, so good tosee 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 strugglesand real hope.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
You got to hear two wild, crazy Jesus freaks have a
conversation.
Because we know what life waslike without Jesus, we got tired
of ourselves and we asked Jesusto come in.
You heard Benny say that helived in church.
He was there all the time, butif he would have died on Monday,
he doesn't even know if hewould have went to heaven
(26:29):
because he had a knowledge ofJesus.
And that's it and norelationship.
See, it's all about arelationship.
It is not about churchattendance.
It's not even about reading theBible.
It's not even about prayers ordoing good things.
It's about Jesus Christ period.
He said three words before hedied it is finished.
(26:54):
What is finished?
He did everything so you and Icould live a life of freedom,
total forgiveness, and we havethe power to become the person
that he created us to become.
When we become dependent uponour life coach, our mentor and
our teacher, jesus Christ, youneed to adapt the Desert Island
(27:19):
mentality.
The Desert Island mentality isthis it's you and Jesus period
no radio, no television, nopodcast, nothing.
You and Jesus.
And when you develop thatmentality, I promise, I
absolutely promise you willbecome a live again inside,
(27:41):
because Jesus is living insideof you.
All you have to do is say Jesus, here I am, I believe in you
and friends.
It is a journey worthcelebrating.
You actually begin to smileagain.
Now maybe you have a storyyou'd like to share.
Go to my website, thepromoterorg, and while you're
(28:04):
there, why don't you request acopy of my book, the Promoter?
It's free.
My Wild and Crazy Story.
If you go to the podcast, youwill 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, remindingyou that I love you, jesus loves
(28:26):
you, and it's time to get thehell 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 youprayerfully consider making a
tax deductible donation so thatwe may continue to share stories
of God's amazing grace with theworld.
And join us next week foranother broadcast of Get the
(28:52):
Hell Out of your Life Realpeople sharing real struggles
and offering real hope.
The following program is sponsored by Ron Meyers
Ministries.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
It's time now to get the hell out of your life.
A weekly broadcast with realpeople sharing real struggles
and offering real hope.
Today's show will encourage,inspire and empower you to face
life's challenges with a boldconfidence and renewed hope.
Now let's join our host, ronMeyers.
The Provider.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Well, listeners, you know, in life sometimes we meet
people that just have an impacton 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 thatin a minute, but the most
important thing you're going tohear from Benny today is his
(00:51):
love in his writing of musicabout Jesus.
Hi Benny, how are you?
Hey Ron, good to see you, man,thanks for having me on.
Hey, man brother, you drove overhere from Baton Rouge,
louisiana.
That's a quick hop, yeah, aquick hop, and we're going to
talk about your story, but I dowant to say thank you for your
service.
(01:12):
You were in the military.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
That was the Navy corpsman.
That's a medic in the Navy.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
So for those who don't know, I was medic
administration in the Air Force.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Wow, well, thanks for your service.
Hey man, hey, november right,veteran's Day coming up, yeah,
yeah amen, brother.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
So let me ask you and we'll talk about your music and
what you're doing now all overthe world Did you grow up
knowing Jesus?
Did you grow up parents dragyou to church?
Speaker 3 (01:40):
every Sunday.
Yes, let me say this.
So my dad got, blessed him, andhe grew up Roman Catholic.
Because we're very Sicilian,right, my last name's Dicchiata
in Italian and so he married mymother, who's not.
And so the Roman CatholicChurch back in the day they said
well, if you marry her, we'regoing to excommunicate you.
(02:01):
You do not marry out of thereligion.
So I was like I don't get thatwrong, but so he's like well,
enough of this.
So my mom was Lutheran, so mydad went through adult catechism
and they became Lutheran.
So I was raised Lutheran inchurch every single Sunday with
my parents, early service like637, kind of just crazy.
(02:24):
And so if I would have died onMonday, I cannot sit in front of
you and tell you I'd be inheaven.
And this is being in churchevery single Sunday.
I knew who Jesus was, but I didnot know Jesus.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
That's how I was.
Same way People ask me what wasthe change in your life?
I went from a knowledge to arelationship.
Absolutely, it really isdifferent.
It's that simple.
There's always a point, benny,that I talk to people that
something drove them to ask whothis Jesus was, whether it was
drugs or alcohol or abuse.
(03:03):
What drove you to find out whothis Jesus was?
Speaker 3 (03:07):
All right.
Well, here's the thing.
It just this will be real.
This will be real, so I gotmarried at an early age, got her
confirmed because I thoughtthat was important.
We get married.
You cannot change someone.
I said it.
You cannot change someone.
(03:29):
Only God can do that.
And so we were married for 10and a half years.
I had two beautiful childrenout of it.
It was the craziest relationship, especially toward the end and
it got ugly and mean and it justit was.
It was horrible, and so I'mtrying to defend the kids and
(03:49):
hide them from things.
And you notice an issue whenthat happens anyway.
So we split and it becameeverything that you hear the
antithesis of splits.
You know it's all about themoney and this, that and other
and the kids, and it's a powerthing and I don't know if any of
your listeners are goingthrough that, but it is a real
thing, right, and the devil isin complete control of that.
(04:12):
His number one deal is division.
Yeah, divide and conquer,divide and conquer.
And for me, I'm in church everySunday with my family and
children and I still don't haveenough to dial it up to God and
just say, jesus, can you pleasestep in this and fix it?
And so we wind up splittingback at that time when I had
(04:36):
here.
I had a lot of it and we didthe, we did the rock tour
circuit.
I had a secular rock band.
It was all original stuff andwe played like the coast in New
Orleans, all over place andstuff and saw things I never
want my kids to see and all ofthese things.
And then some things went onwith the band and in this
relationship and all kind ofmorphed together and I was like
(04:58):
this is, this is horrible.
So.
So after we split because I wasstationed in Memphis, I moved
back to Memphis and there wassome distance away.
In 1992, I moved back toLouisiana and I moved to Baton
Rouge.
Once I was there just did awhole bunch of management type
(05:18):
jobs, everything.
I got invited one day to thisbusiness function that were run
by very serious Christian people, not Christian in the sense of
the word Christian, but they hadthe Holy Spirit, fire and them
like I've never seen that inbusiness people and they started
(05:38):
quoting things that I'd neverheard before.
And I've been in church everySunday, 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 atthis thing and they do a little
alter call at the end becausethey like in business, the only
way you succeed in business isif you succeed in him.
(05:59):
I mean that's one thing rightand so and I'm like, so I go
down and I get a little.
I get a little paperback Biblefrom them because I didn't have
one in the house and God justcompelled me to go down and get
one and I didn't.
I did not get saved, I didn'tdo an alter call thing.
I went get the Bible and wentback and I sat down.
So but at that point you cannotoverlook the power that God has
(06:29):
in his timing, in that businessmeeting was a Preordained so
playing at the seed.
Oh wait, not, not, not a mustardseed, this thing was like an
avocado seed, right.
And so it's just like ourrelationship and in us meeting
that's a preordained thing eonsago, and if you know, you know,
(06:50):
and so so I had to express whatit was this I was a floor
manager for Toyota dealership atthe time and this lady, miss
Linda love me some, miss Lindaand so I sold her a car, her
husband a truck, her daughter acar.
So I was familiar, I knew theirfamily, they knew I did music.
She says, hey, don't you have arock, didn't you have a rock?
Speaker 2 (07:08):
band.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
I said I did Not anymore, but I did.
And she says you should come toour 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 upLutheran, so what are your?
Method is Baptist, what are you?
She goes Uh-uh, we're juststraight out the Bible, bible
base church.
And I'm thinking I've heardabout you people.
(07:31):
No, so I'm telling you in allhonesty, I know your listeners.
I don't know if anybody's got.
Really, I lied to her for threemonths because she would call me
every Monday I didn't see youin church and I said I was busy,
and back then I was justwatching the Saints lose because
I totally did.
So, all of that to be said,this meeting I went to, this
(07:54):
business meeting I went to, waslike a week Toward the end of
these three months where I wasFibbon tour, and she calls me
and she says listen, I didn'tsee you in church again.
I'm gonna come and get you thisSunday, like I'm coming to get
you.
And I said no, ma'am, you'renot.
And she says why?
I said I'm gonna meet you there.
And she goes Seriously, cuz Iknow you've been lying to me for
(08:17):
, and I said, yes, miss Linda,I've been lying to you.
I said, but I heard some thingsand I need to know more.
So I'm coming.
So I walk up to the church andyou know, she did run big old
smile on her face.
She gives me a big old hug.
Her husband, max, gives me abig old hug.
Come on in, the music wasincredible.
And then they do an altar call.
(08:38):
So I go down for it becausejust the Holy Spirit is working
on me like crazy at this momentand I broke.
I mean broke and I went to stepback from the altar and I
couldn't move and I lookedbehind me and it was a mountain
of days where I was going.
Whoo got past that one.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
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 relateand connect to everything you
just said.
Yeah, and I know the same thinghappened to me.
There was something that Icould feel tangible inside of me
, absolutely, and there reallyis.
(09:22):
It wasn't just Reciting aprayer, nope, I felt God, and I
think that's important becauseyou and I, you're out in the
public all the time with yourrock group, christian Rock, and
I'm on the radio and podcast,but this stuff that we talk
about, about Jesus, is becauseit really transformed our lives.
(09:45):
It changed us, it changed thetrajectory of where we're going
in life.
And I think if I wouldn't havehad that encounter I had in
Atlanta, or if you didn't havethat encounter that you had,
your life would be totallydifferent to this day.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
Yes, speak that and that's all.
Hey, ms Linda had one job Toget you into church and get
Jesus in you, just not even toget me, just to invite me.
To invite, that's the good word, right.
And so I'm down and I broke inthat mountain of days.
I couldn't even move.
And so, all of a sudden, Icried like I've never cried
(10:27):
before Amen.
And it wasn't pain, it was agood cry, it was release, it was
release of all the sin, wow,that had piled up in my life,
right, and it was release fromthe really horrible divorce
thing.
It was a complete really.
(10:48):
I was dating somebody.
I went the next day, told herwhat happened to me and we split
.
And she's like what are youdoing?
And I'm like this isn't cooland I'm done, I'm married to
Jesus.
And you know she told me.
She says I've never beendropped for Jesus before and I'm
like well, if you got to loseto 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 aminute and we'll talk a little
more about this, but you saidthe word release.
I think that is so real becauseI tell people.
It's like I lost 100 pounds ofthis dead weight, a baggage of
fear, of guilt, of shame, of sin, and I was free to become who
(11:32):
Christ created me, to be 100%and same with you.
And after the break we wannatalk about your group.
Empowered, you write your music, you have an impact on the
young and all ages, becausepeople love music, but Jesus is
in your music.
And so right after the breakwe'll talk to Benny about what
(11:53):
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 strugglesand real hope.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
When you decided to give your life to Jesus, they
told you that everything wouldbe just fine now.
All your worries would justfade away and you'd be very,
very happy.
Right then came pressure fromthe in-laws, who thought you
joined some cult because youdidn't go to their church
anymore.
And then you find out that someof the biggest gossips you ever
met happened to be in yourchurch.
(12:23):
And you find out that prayer isnot quite like a vending
machine.
Sometimes you actually have towait on God for a long time
before he answers, and it seemslike the devil suddenly has
nothing to do but spend his timepicking on you, and sometimes
you actually think of going back.
So the Christian life isn't abed of roses.
So why keep following God?
(12:44):
Because, although it's a roughroad, it's the only road that
won't end up in a dead end.
And no matter how frustratingthe Christian life can be at
times, it still beats whatever'sin second place.
Follow Jesus.
It's not always a walk in thepark, but at least it's not a
walk in the dark.
Jesus, can you, the world bebroken?
Speaker 1 (13:05):
His love can put the pieces back together again, it's
gonna feel like it's all justhopeless.
Jesus, can you, the world, bebroken?
Any of that song that just camein from our break?
That is one that you wrote.
Tell us a little bit about thatsong.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Yeah, I know we're gonna get into this a little bit
, but this coming October makeseight years that I've had a
traumatic brain injury, so butyet we're two records in, Since
you and I shouldn't even behaving this discussion Because
they weren't sure if I was gonnacome out of that.
But God had a plan he had aplan had a plan.
(13:46):
So the new record is Yahweh Nisi.
So Mikey Howard, seventh timedown love journey music.
He's our producer and he and Ico-wrote on the radio single
from Yahweh Nisi which is JesusCan Heal the World.
And do you need a title?
Do you need anything but thetitle?
I should say to get it.
Jesus Can Heal the World.
(14:07):
I'm going through addiction ofsome 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 Iam.
Jesus Can Heal that For me.
(14:29):
I had a lot of things thatJesus needed to heal because of
who I thought I was.
I was so hung up, ron, on who Ithought 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 wasI'm creating these opportunities
which I had no idea at the timein my BC life, that God was
lining things up or whateverright I mean.
So when I have my secular band,you find it's interesting.
So my keyboard, because I wouldbounce back and forth off of
(15:08):
keys and I had a ramp off thefront that my brother-in-law was
my guitar player and he wouldrun up the ramp with high five.
It's a whole show thing.
It's nonsense.
We would do that.
And on the ramp portion was astar painted and I had like a
cross painted in the star withthe tail of the cross coming up
the bottom, and I had people Iam not saved at this point, Ron,
(15:31):
and I've got people at showsgoing what is your design?
What's that logo thing?
I was like, hey, a star is whatI want to be, the cross is.
Who's going to get me there?
I'm not safe and God isspeaking through my face and I
didn't get it because you knowwe were pretty well known and
all over everybody's blowingsmoke up your pant leg and y'all
(15:53):
are so fantastic.
Oh my God, All those thingsthat we get wrapped up in, so
you were a star in your own mind.
Hello, and guess what, and guesswhat?
And for most people aren't weall?
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
So you know what it changed for me?
I had to realize it wasn'tabout 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 someconventions, 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 thething 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 youand boy I hope some of you
listeners can relate to thiswhen we walk in the preordained,
(16:51):
planned purposes of Christ, youreally 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 orwhatever, but I mean we're on
(17:13):
stage and I'm talking in betweensongs and I'm telling them this
is how this happened, this ishow 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 questionto me is what do you promote,
jesus?
I promote Jesus, and that opensup a dialogue.
But right now, benny, there arepeople out there that maybe
they have a band, maybe they aredoing something and they are
going to be a star in their ownmind, but yet they feel
(17:46):
something missing in.
Through your wisdom and throughyour experience, you can give
them a little Bennyencouragement, 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 aJ, which is shaped like a hook,
and once you get that hook inyou, you don't do anything the
same.
The way you perform is not thesame.
The way you talk to people isnot the same, because you're
(18:21):
pointing them to them.
For me it's a stage musicians,lights sound, all that.
All that stuff is groovy andit's fine and guess what?
It's fun.
It's a party for Jesus from thestage, right.
But the point is, it's a partyfor Jesus because if you don't
feel the love of Jesus, comeacross the footlights when we
perform.
If you don't feel the love ofJesus in our discussion today,
(18:44):
then I need to quit and dosomething 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 thepeople done wrong?
There are churches on everycorner, christian radio stations
, television stations, andpeople are hurting and you talk
(19:11):
to them about Jesus and it'slike I don't want to hear that
Right.
But you and I know Jesus is theanswer yes, in your opinion.
What have what's gone wrong?
Why is it so hard to tellsomebody about somebody named
Jesus that really, it is simple,because once we give our life
(19:33):
to him, he gives us a new heartand 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 heardthis before right, the center
of the word pride is the letterI.
I don't feel like doing that.
I don't think I can talk topeople about Jesus.
I don't think this is workingout the way that I had a dream
and it's not working out the waythat I can.
(20:00):
We're talking right now aboutthis record, this new record,
and it's on radio across thecountry.
We're doing amazing things withbooking shows and everything.
They don't want to talk to meabout 1997, when I founded the
band.
I just said 1997.
It's 2023.
People have asked me over allthat time you ever talk about
(20:22):
quitting and I'm like it surelyis.
I heard the Lord say I'vechosen you for this.
Do this.
I've never heard him clearlycome 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 amistake.
Never, ever.
Even the rocks will cry outright, well, call me a rock star
(20:44):
in that way, because I'm cryingout that people need to know
him, that he can fix everythingthat they're going through.
For me, it's a stage For you,it's your podcast radio.
For a doctor, it could be asurgical suite or a hospital.
For a boss, it could be abusiness setting or a set of
office.
Everybody has a stage.
(21:05):
It's our gift from God.
What we do at that stage is ourgift 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 isworking in your life your
friends leave, you getterminated, the wife leaves, the
bank account is low, you get abad doctor's report I would say
(21:37):
it's time to try Jesus, becauseyou know what?
If it doesn't work for you, youcan go back to your old life.
Right, but I've never foundanybody.
Out of all the hundreds andhundreds of people I've talked
to, I've never met anybody thatwent back to their old life.
You know what they say, benny.
They say I can't believe, Iwaited so long.
(21:59):
But then my response is butsometimes we have to go through
a lot of hell in our life beforewe 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 thebusiness practices and how to
deal with people, because Godknew one day you're going to
proclaim his name right, this ofhis son, jesus with a rock band
.
So you got to learn a lot ofthe world tricks in.
And now you're up there and youare his.
(22:37):
What do they say is harmless asa dove, wise is a serpent and
harmless as a dove.
And well, listen, we're almostout of time.
How do people find out aboutyou in your music?
People, listen.
He's very talented, his musicis great.
And tell us a little bit aboutthe new project you have out.
Speaker 3 (22:58):
I will do that.
So the name of our band isempowered, and what it stands
for I think it's important forpeople to know is God's
empowered us with the gift ofmusic so that we can empower
others with his message.
So you're ready for it, so thatthey can then go and empower
others.
Amen, with his word, that's allit'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 wewanted to do this and it
actually worked out, becausewhen we signed stuff, we put
this on here and it worked out.
So it's it's with no G, it's RO C K?
I?
N.
The number four Jesuscom.
So rockinforjesuscom is reallyeasy.
(23:46):
I love it.
It's really easy.
We have a contact page Ifanybody wants to get in touch
with us.
That way, we're on Facebookempowered rocks.
Instagram, empowered officialYouTube channel.
Same.
We're on 40 streaming platformswith not only the new record
but all of them, and that's onthere and we're just.
(24:06):
We're just.
Our prayer is that people arechanged by what they hear.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Amen.
Hey, before we go, would youpray for our listeners?
Speaker 3 (24:16):
I certainly will you ready?
Yep, here we go, father God, wejust thank you for this time
today and thank you from ourbrother Ron, and that we were
able to reconnect for this, lordGod, and my prayer, father, is
just that in our discussiontoday, there's somebody out
there who's listening right nowAmen, and they're going through
(24:37):
stuff, and stuff is allinclusive.
It can be anything but God, butyou, lord, and if they would
just press into you, you've gotthe answers.
Jesus can heal the world andit's a fact.
He gave his life to heal theworld and God gave his only son
(24:58):
to heal the world.
And just, Father God, if anyoneis going through a struggle, I
just pray, father, just rightnow, that the Holy Spirit just
come on them, that the HolySpirit touched them the way Ron
and I experienced when we weresaved, rather, just that weight
of what they're going through islifted from their shoulders,
lord, god, and that their lifebe forever and eternally changed
(25:21):
.
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 theshow is Get the Hell Out of
your Life.
So, benny, how do you get thehell out of your life?
Speaker 3 (25:39):
Just say Jesus, just say Jesus, jesus.
Literally.
When he died and rose again, hegot the hell out of the world.
Yep, right?
So what are we going to do withthat, folks, right, benny?
Speaker 1 (25:51):
God bless you brother .
Speaker 3 (25:52):
You too, man.
Thank you so much, so good tosee 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 strugglesand real hope.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
You got to hear two wild, crazy Jesus freaks have a
conversation.
Because we know what life waslike without Jesus, we got tired
of ourselves and we asked Jesusto come in.
You heard Benny say that helived in church.
He was there all the time, butif he would have died on Monday,
he doesn't even know if hewould have went to heaven
(26:29):
because he had a knowledge ofJesus.
And that's it and norelationship.
See, it's all about arelationship.
It is not about churchattendance.
It's not even about reading theBible.
It's not even about prayers ordoing good things.
It's about Jesus Christ period.
He said three words before hedied it is finished.
(26:54):
What is finished?
He did everything so you and Icould live a life of freedom,
total forgiveness, and we havethe power to become the person
that he created us to become.
When we become dependent uponour life coach, our mentor and
our teacher, jesus Christ, youneed to adapt the Desert Island
(27:19):
mentality.
The Desert Island mentality isthis it's you and Jesus period
no radio, no television, nopodcast, nothing.
You and Jesus.
And when you develop thatmentality, I promise, I
absolutely promise you willbecome a live again inside,
(27:41):
because Jesus is living insideof you.
All you have to do is say Jesus, here I am, I believe in you
and friends.
It is a journey worthcelebrating.
You actually begin to smileagain.
Now maybe you have a storyyou'd like to share.
Go to my website, thepromoterorg, and while you're
(28:04):
there, why don't you request acopy of my book, the Promoter?
It's free.
My Wild and Crazy Story.
If you go to the podcast, youwill 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, remindingyou that I love you, jesus loves
(28:26):
you, and it's time to get thehell 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 youprayerfully consider making a
tax deductible donation so thatwe may continue to share stories
of God's amazing grace with theworld.
And join us next week foranother broadcast of Get the
(28:52):
Hell Out of your Life Realpeople sharing real struggles
and offering real hope.
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