Ex Gang Member Turned Pastor Recalls Moment He Decided To Follow God

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God has a way of putting something in front of you that could change your entire life around. Casey Diaz, was once a gang member that served time for murder.

According to the Christian Post, during an interview Diaz recalled the day he received a message of hope that made him leave behind his violent background.

At the age of 2, his family moved to America from El Salvador. When he was 8 he watched a lot of drugs and alcohol enter his home.

In his book, “The Shot Caller: A Latino Gangbanger’s Miraculous Escape from a Life of Violence to a new Life in Christ,” Diaz also revealed how he got into the gang and watched his mother get abused by his dad.

Diaz said, “It’s one of those things that no kid should ever see.” He didn’t just see violence in his home, but on the streets where he lived.

Diaz recalled one tragic day and said, “It was a normal broad daylight day and a guy in this alley parked his car, walked over to three guys … and gunned them down, all three of them. You’re seeing violence in your apartment and your family, and then you’re seeing violence in your alley.”

During his teen years, Diaz was in and out of courts as well as jail. At the age of 16, he committed murder and was caught by the LAPD after being a fugitive for 21 days.

He began serving time and ended up in solitary confinement. It was there a baptist church visited the prison and one woman approached his cell.

She said, “‘I’m going to pray for you. I’m going to put you on my ‘hit list.’ I’m going to pray for you. … and Jesus is going to use you.’”

After that moment, Diaz ended up changing his life around and said, “I had a moment … where Christ [made] himself very real in my cell. Knew for a fact that I had sinned before God. That became the pivotal point of change for me.”

When he was released from prison he followed the Christian faith and now is pastor of a church in Burbank, California.

Ex Gang Member Turned Pastor Recalls Moment He Decided To Follow God [VIDEO]  was originally published on getuperica.com