Living Testimonies
Living Testimonies is a faith-based podcast sharing real stories of transformation, healing, and hope. Each episode features powerful conversations with guests who open up about the challenges they’ve faced and how their faith in God has shaped their journey.
Whether you’re looking for encouragement, spiritual insight, or a reminder that you’re not alone, this podcast will uplift and inspire you. These are stories of redemption that point to one truth: God is still moving.
Your story, His Glory!
Living Testimonies
Beats, Blessings, and a New Direction, with David Paul Brooks (DPB)
Join me as I welcome David Paul Brooks, aka DPB, to the show! This former secular rapper's life was transformed by Jesus, and now he's a leading figure in the Gospel Hip Hop Industry. From his roots in secular rap to his current status as a Gospel Hip Hop leader, DPB shares his raw and real story of transformation.
With a career spanning numerous Billboard chart appearances, collaborations with top artist, and motivational speaking engagements, DPB's journey is one of redemption and purpose. He's gone from living in the world to living for Jesus, and his music and message now inspire and empower audiences worldwide. Through struggles like divorce and personal darkness, he's emerged with a powerful of hope and redemption.
Don't miss this powerful conversation about faith, forgiveness, and the transformative power of God's love. DPB's story is a testament to the redemptive power of Jesus Christ and the impact one person can have when they surrender their life to Him. Join me as I dive into DPB's journey, his music, and his passion for helping others find purpose and transformation in Jesus.
Links to Connect with David Paul Brooks (DPB):
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Join us next time for another inspiring conversation!
Your Story, His Glory!
Welcome to Living Testimonies. I'm your host, Israel Caminero, and I hope everyone that's listening today is blessed and doing well. With me today I have my guest, he's a Christian recording artist that goes by DPB. He's here to share his testimony with all of you. DPB, can you introduce yourself to everyone?
David Paul Brooks (DPB):What's up, what's up, what's up, man? How y'all doing? My name is DPB, better known as David Paul Brooks, but it has actually DPB has a deeper meaning. Destiny, purpose, blessed. And my job is people find their destiny purpose so they can be blessed. So that is me right there.
Israel Caminero:Amen. If you haven't heard of him, I suggest that you you look him up because he's got some great music out there, good inspiring music. But before we get started, I'm gonna pray over us real quick. And I just want to say, Father God, thank you for bringing DPB and me together today. I ask that you would anoint our conversation with your presence, guiding our words and thoughts. Grant him the courage to share his authentic self, his passion, and his experience. May his story be a testament to your faithfulness and grace. Help me to listen actively, ask insightful questions and create a safe space, meaningful connection. May our conversation be a source of hope, inspiration, and growth for all who listen. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. So, like I said, he's a Christian recording artist. If you haven't listened to his music, look him up. He's on Spotify, he's on Apple Music, he's got great music. I I just started listening to it, and I was very inspired by his music. His words and his music is what got me. So he's here to share his testimony, and the platform's all yours, DPB. If you want to go ahead and start it away, it's all yours.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):All right, Andrew. Um, it's uh it's cool. Well, uh, first of all, I've been I was brought up in the gospel mode, and my family was actually gospel legends in Rockland County, New York. But my story is um my dad left when we was I was one year old. My mama had five of us. We were 432 in one, and she was pregnant with my little sister. She was thinking about at nighttime while we were all asleep, turning on the gas, and by morning time we would all be dead. Oh, wow. As she was putting her hand on the gas knob, God spoke to her and said, Who are you serving God or man? And that's when my mom took her hand off that gas knob. And I'm alive today because she made that choice. Praise God for that.
Israel Caminero:Amen.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):And so at that moment, my mom, I feel like she married God at that moment. So we lived, we were brought up in the godly home, but just because my mom had faith doesn't mean I had faith. Um, and me being part of the family, my mom would do gospel everywhere. We were gospel singers, and then we were singing um festive festivals, but if we're talking about plot parties back then, and we're the only ones singing gospel, so it made me want to like why we gotta be the ones singing gospel, and it made me switch up. I opened up for people like salt and pepper, humody. I mean, it goes down the line, and I became a popular secular rapper. Wow.
Israel Caminero:Okay.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):So what happened was, because I, you know, I I never heard of no Christian rap at that time or nothing like that. Then me, rap became a god to me. I would listen to rap because when you're in New York, it was always the underground rap, and that would happen about two or three o'clock in the morning. And I'm like, man, who's coming out? Who is uh battling this person or who is talking about this person in rap? So rap, I didn't want to hear nothing else, even though we would sing gospel on the Sunday. I was still in a rap on a whole nother day. But I knew once I accepted Jesus in my life, so I because I I really don't remember when I did it, but I remember accepting him, and this was the key to me rapping for God, because I think this is important. When I finally gave my heart over to God, somebody said, Man, why don't you just not listen to rap for a minute? And he gave me a group called Commission. And the group called Commissioned, they had a song on the album, All Running Back to You. And when I started listening to the song, I cried all night long. I'm trying to fast hip hop now, and I cried all night long, and that's God was just cleansing me. And I kept on saying, I'm sorry, God. And when I said that, I didn't want to have nothing to do with rap at all. I'll do anything, God, but rap. This is exactly what I saw. And what made it cool? This is how I know God called me. The day I said that, God, three pastors outside the state of New York, me never being out of it, God gave them my number while they were praying. Oh, wow. And they called me that night, said, God told me to call this number, they had me write down, like you're supposed to come to my church and do a concert. Like, and I'm like, I didn't even have a lot of songs. I had positive songs, but now I'm like figuring out how am I gonna do this, and I still wasn't decided yet, like, man, God, you want me to do this? But I went and my first concert was at a Salvation Army in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And this is when I knew God called me to rap about him. When I was done, I didn't even know what the altar called was. I said, man, if y'all want to serve this Jesus and love Jesus, come on up right now. And about 20, 30 people came up on my first time, but it was these four individuals that I knew God called me to do it, and their ages was 98, 97, 96, and 95, and they were the best of friends. And they came up to me and said, You gave us something else to live for. Wow. And that's when I knew I was called because back then, no grown-ups really liked rap.
Israel Caminero:Exactly.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Especially back then. Right. Nobody. And God was like, No, you gave us something else to live for. And they're like, man. And they were like the best of friends, and they were up on that altar. And I was like, okay, so ever since then, I've been uh rapping for God, man, and never stopped. I'm probably the only rapper, Christian rapper, that's never stopped doing it. It's been my job coming straight out of high school. That's good, and never stopped.
Israel Caminero:That's good. I I like how you wanted to stop rapping, but God was like, Nope, I don't want you to stop rapping. And he put it in your heart to do that concert. And wow. I know grown folks, I know grown folks that don't like rap now. Right. For them to be that age and say, you gave us something to live for, you gotta say that that was God all day.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):I know exactly. I knew God was because he knew I didn't want to do it. And I'm very God's like, no, you're good at what you're doing. I'm gonna use it for my glory. And ever since, ever since doing it for him, just from my concerts alone, I've probably seen over a million people saved. Just from my and we ain't even talking about being on programs with anybody. Just from my concerts alone. Doing this for over 30 years, seen over a million people saved. Wow.
Israel Caminero:That's good. That's good, isn't it? It's all to glorify him, right? For sure.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Now I can go on with it. I can go on with testimonies even from that if you want me to.
Israel Caminero:Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, go on, share away. That's what we're here for. That's the name of the show, Living Testimonies.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):All right. So now I'm living for God, and you know, as you're doing ministry, some of the hardest people to me are the church. You know what I mean? Um, but you have to understand something. You're not you're doing this unto the Lord, not to the church, to bless the church. So I have to learn this is unto the Lord. And my job is don't look at the people to go forth and have your validation. Look for God to have your validation. So, in the midst of me going to different churches, you're getting hurt and all those types of things, but you're not paying attention to it. You just know God called you. But then at the same time, me going to the all these churches, my marriage is being hindered.
Israel Caminero:Oh, okay.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Now I know see because you know, at the same time, I'm thinking, like, you know, I'm only doing church stuff. I ain't I ain't cheating, but the whole time in my marriage, and then this is part of the testimony because I wrote a book called No Bad Days. And I haven't had a bad day in 17 years. But the worst year of my life was going through the worst divorce I ever had in my life. I mean, I ain't married nobody else, so it's the only divorce I had in my life. So, but the key to it, I didn't want to go more in depth to that, um, because I always try to cover the people that's in the conversation instead of just blasting them. Right. You know, but the key to the testimony is my sons, I have two sons, we're hurting. And we're by ourselves. And I'm like, my son's never seen no drama in our marriage ever, so they couldn't understand why. What do you mean you and mommy are divorcing? Well, in the marriage, there was unfaithfulness, you know what I'm saying?
Israel Caminero:Okay.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):And since nobody don't know who my wife was, it was on her behalf. And so my sons, I ended up getting custody of my sons. But my sons, it really hurt them so badly, they could not understand it. So when I'm on my own and I'm like, my one, my older son was like, we're coming with you, Dad. And my younger son was like, every time he heard the word divorce, he would walk away. So I knew as a father, I'm gonna have to talk to my son. And the day I talked to my son, my younger son, the cry that came out of him, I never even heard out of a funeral. And I looked to God, I said, God, I'll go back because what I just experienced, it's not worth that. I'll take all the pain and suffering that comes with it, just so my sons wouldn't hurt. And that was the first time God said, No, pour love on your kids like you ain't got no sense. So at that moment, I became super dad. Now I thought I was a good father, but something about being super dad is totally different. Listening to your kids when they want to talk instead of just saying, wait, this is grown folk. Because I know we're hurting, and God told me to do that, everything when my sons wanted to talk, I was stopped. Hey, hold up. If I was talking to her, hold up, my son is gotta ask me a question. And I'm like, man, this is what we are supposed to be like as parents. Because you know, you when you talk, when you your parents be like, young folks talking, wait till we're done.
Israel Caminero:Right.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):But God was showing me, nah, you're healing their hurt. So you had to come from a different purpose. They wanted to hug, I would hug them every day. I would do everything, and all their lives are being healed quick because of the love I'm showing. They wanted to do something, even if my body said no, I would do it.
Israel Caminero:That's good.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Like I was just pouring love on them in super dad. But the whole thing of this is nobody was nursing my wounds.
Israel Caminero:Oh, okay.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):I didn't know who my friends were because when you're hurt, you want others to hurt. But I thought, you know, me traveling around the country doing, I didn't even know who my bet who my friends were to talk to. So my son saw me talking about everybody, go do a concert, I'll come back, talk about everybody. They don't like me. They just, you know, they just like me because I'm DPP. So it's like I'm happy, people are getting saved with me coming home being hurt. Funny, God knew I went to Bible school, and I'm like, what can somebody tell me that I don't know? Like, there's a spiritual arrogance that comes in when you're hurt, and it's it has everything to do with you. You, I'm just messed up, and it's it was dumb on my behalf, but it's just what people go through because I never could understand why a pastor who's so good at speaking would one day never preach again in the church. It's because of these defining moments that happen in people's lives. I understood it now because I always ask that question. Why do I just want to give up? Why do I just want to like, uh, nobody loves me and everything like that? And so, what I love about God, God will reach you where you at. God knew I didn't want to say nothing. I didn't want nobody to give me a word, I ain't want nothing. I just was in my little boat. So God uses who I was ministering to to minister back to me. So 2010, I just love it, almost make me tear. 2010, here go my son. God uses my son, came up to me and said, Dad, we know this was the worst year of your life. You know what you need to do? You just need to praise God more. Wow. Who would ever think that those words would change the course of my life to never have another bad day? So I went, I remember going to God, it was December 2010, and I said, God, you know what? This was the worst year of my life. I just don't want to have a bad day in 2011. And ever since then, I haven't had a bad day. God took me on a journey for me not to have a bad day. Stuff don't bother me. And I never thought it was possible because of things I learned in God that I thought we had to know. Like if I could break it down to you, it'll be crazy. But I just I'm trying to make it as short and sweet as possible.
Israel Caminero:I got all the time you have. So if you want to break it down for the audience, go ahead and break it down. I'm not gonna stop you.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Okay, there you go. So this is how it went down. So in the fifth month of 2011, God stopped me in my tracks and he said, You haven't had a bad day. No bad news, nothing wrong, everybody's doing good. Then he says, Let me tell you why you should never have a bad day for the rest of your life. And he speaks four words to me. And these were audible words. I am your author. And you know what? Because I know the word, yeah, you're the author and finisher my faith. He says, No, I am the author of your life. Everything that ever happened to you since you know me, it was me. See, this is so to me incredible about God. It was me. So those people that was talking about you bad, I allowed them to talk about you bad to show you now that you have me, you don't have to respond the way you used to respond. It was crazy. It was like how he was teaching me. He was teaching me, let me deal with the stuff, the yuck in your life so you can be free of the yuck in your life. That's what he was trying to teach me. And he has taught me that. So, another thing God told me to do, I want you to call everybody that ever offended you, and you say you're sorry. And I'm like, what? Because I really want you to be free. Because you know, a lot of people feel like they're free because they got Jesus, but they hold grudges. Right. And they hold, they they got all this unforgiveness in their heart. We think because we avoid them, we're good. But if their name was mentioned, you'll start talking about them bad, everything. So you really not release them like you think you release them. So I have to call everybody. I wrote, I wrote about 10, 15 names on there and called everyone. I found them on Facebook, everything, called every single one. And then even see, and the enemy slick, because some of them say, Oh, I forgive you. And I'm like, What will you forgive me for? Like, you know, you start getting mad, like, I ain't doing nothing to you. How are you gonna forgive me? You know, but the whole thing with God was like, nah, I didn't say that, but in my heart, I was like, for a minute, I'm like, I didn't need to do nothing to you.
Israel Caminero:Right.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):But God was like, no, I'm freeing you. And then in that same play, in that same place, he says, Stop trying to help me write the story that is only mine to write. And the difference is he started taking me through the Bible of people who was trying to help him write the stories. You feel what I'm saying? Yeah, and in the Bible, and how they went through crazy stuff trying to help him write the story. So he took me to Jonah. Of course, everybody knows Jonah the well, but the whole purpose of the story is that Jonah's telling God in his face, I ain't going. When he's telling them to go to Nineveh. And then he says, I ain't going. Again, then he gets on a boat just to show God that he's wrong on what he's saying. And then he was willing to die for the cause of his purpose. Show me off the boat. You see, so now he's about to die for his purpose because he feels like he's his decision is bigger than God's decision. I had to learn that. You know what I mean?
Israel Caminero:Right.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Then he was showing me uh Abraham. Abraham, God tells Abraham, your wife is gonna have a child. And Abraham's like, nope, my wife's too old. Yep. But God said, My wife's gonna have a child. So they got they got impatient, and they come together, they they two agreed, go ahead and sleep with the handmaiden, mom, so we can have this child. So, what God was showing me through this story was Abraham had to go through unnecessary suffering because he didn't wait on God, and that when God came and said, That's not the one, you have to send him away, he was destruct, he was depressed, like it's unnecessary suffering. Then he showed me through this through that whole story. He said, Hey, why would you why would I tell Abraham to sacrifice his son? And I said, Oh, because I heard it, I heard the story of you, Ralph God, because he's a type of Jesus and showing you how he that you will resurrect and have the replacement of the Lamb, and you know, whatever, you know, he put God was like, you know why I told him that? Because I needed to know does he trust me in what I say? So I put him in a predicament that is really impossible for a man to do. Because he didn't listen to me the first time. So I have to put him in the craziest position that a man can be in who loves their children to see if he listens to me again. So I'm like, wow. So God has been taking me on this journey why I should not have a bad day. And see, that journey is amazing because you have to let The Spirit of God teaches you. So I had to stop telling folks when they get saved that now that you're saved, the enemy don't like that. He's gonna come after you. God says, Stop cursing, they walk before they walk. You're cursing, they walk before they walk. You gotta teach them that to be in me, it's easier. And then God showed me, take my yoke upon you and learn of me. Because my yoke is easy and my burdens are light. It's easy if you take on my yoke. It's harder if you keep your yoke. I've learned, okay, God's getting me to trust him. I got to learn to trust God. And the thing is, I think I trust God, but really do I trust God? Because every time we say we're more than conquerors, but every time something comes up, we feel like we can't conquer nothing. Right. But we we know the scripture. Well, I'm more than a conqueror. I could do all things through Christ that strengthens me. But every time something goes on, we weary, ready to give up, all that type of stuff. So I was now I'm just showing you what my life was. God was showing me I don't trust him like I think I do. Okay. And so I'm gonna get you to learn to trust me. Because once you get into a place that you trust me, nothing can bother you. If you understand that I'm good at so Scott started showing me because a lot of people use this scriptures, it's Jeremiah's scriptures. I know the plans I have for you, plans not to harm, you know, plans of future, plans of hope, plans to prosper you, but they never stick on this one. Plans not to harm you. And then God said, I will never, that means never test you more than you can handle. So I learned this one thing. If it comes in front of my face, God is checking my heart. He's seeing what I'm gonna do. I don't care what it is. Somebody coming to argue at you. I don't care if it was somebody in the hospital, he's checking it, he's checking me. It ain't about what the other person does, it's about how I respond and how God wants me to respond.
Israel Caminero:That's right.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):And that's why stuff don't bother me. If somebody's trying to cuss me out, an argument is because I'm trying to prove somebody that I am right. I ain't got time for that. I don't let nobody go forth and get me into a position like that. That means I give them power to get me out of pocket. I I learned, man, God's stuff works. It's my job. He even said it. Like we we we know the scriptures. He said you have to take off this former life and put on this new life. I have to take off this former mindset and put on a new mindset. I used to get offended when somebody said who's atheist and say, you all been brainwashed. You need to embrace that. You have been brainwashed because you need to be brainwashed. Wow, that's a good one. You know what I'm saying? Like he told us to transform our mind. Look at the stuff that you used to think. Now you can walk in taking thoughts captive. You can do all types of stuff because now you you got me in there. So I learned, I had to learn to put on Christ for real, not just, oh, I got a scripture. Nah, I have to learn to put on Christ for real. And that's what makes the difference of walking with God. Really walking. Like I don't try to judge folks. Man, people go where they're love the most. If you're homosexual, you're going where everybody loves homosexual. That's what it is. If you're a gang member, you feel like as a family, you're gonna go with a gang. The whole thing is God's people, we should be the greatest people that love people. That's right. But some we have a hard time loving each other. Oh, you don't speak in tongues, I can't be with you. You you know, we have a hard time being with each other. And still Jesus is the common denominator. Not everybody's gonna always think the same. It's just like how you're gonna not be friends with somebody because of something political. I'm just like, what is are we that crazy now? You know, people have a right to think the way they think and you just pray for them. That don't mean if I've been your friend for 30 years, and because I'm I might vote for Kamala, you ain't my friend no more. That's like crazy. Or you vote for Trump, you ain't my friend. I'm like, bro, that's not the love of God, period. It's not because none of them people are going to change my life.
Israel Caminero:That's right.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Only Jesus can, only God can. So to me, I would have to question somebody's friendship in the first place if it can be that easy. Let me go. Because I might vote for. That's crazy. So I'm just not like that. Um I'm gonna be an example of what God's people should be and how they should be and how they should look at it. God said he will never test you more than you can handle. He even tells you, consider it pure joy or an opportunity for joy when you fall into test of many times. Tests and trials come to make you better, not bitter. See, so so a lot of people just they ain't got it together because of the simple fact that they're not using the Bible for their guidelines. My guidelines, I will mess up. I will mess everything up, but God's guidelines I won't mess up. It's his guidelines. He's telling me what to do. Think like I feel like I got the answer to BTSD and all mental health issues. God did. The Bible.
Israel Caminero:That's right.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Take every thought captive. God knew that man was gonna, mind was gonna go crazy. He wouldn't have said that if he didn't think. Why he say every thought? Why did he say some? He said every thought. Then he even says, punish those thoughts that come against the knowledge of God. So I had to learn something. If I don't do this, there ain't no prayer that's gonna change my mind if I don't have something great to combat the crazies that's in it. And this is anybody. So I'm like, if you had PTSD, you went overseas, you might have seen all types of death and everything. When you come back, you gotta surround yourself with God's stuff, music, everything, everything born in God to deflect the dreams, to deflect the crazy that can come. And I'm telling you, it just goes away because you surround yourself. But if you keep on looking at drama and you try to fight it in your mind, you're the the negative part of the mind will always win. That's true. The negative part of the like just like with COVID. Half people probably didn't have COVID, but as soon as they got a headache, oh, let me go get a COVID check. That's the doctor ain't saying nothing. Right. Not an aspirin, oh let me go get an aspirin, I just got a headache. It went from aspirin to a COVID check. So, so it's just like that type of stuff. So I learned something about this God. I want you to trust me, Dave. And I noticed that everybody that trusted God, even in the midst of death, said these one words that everywhere from Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and the bandico, David, against Goliath says, I know my God will show up. But then if he don't, I'm good. But to say that with a gun to your face, saying, I know my God will show up, that means you know something about God. You trust God that God is real.
Israel Caminero:That's right. Before Christ, like you say, a lot of people worry and go through trials and stuff, and all they do is worry. But when you have Christ in your life, it's not the same. It's not the same.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Right, you got everything you need. Like this we we complain. Look, I God even has to show me this in no bad days. We complain to this day, right? And God gave you an example, what happened to complainers in the Bible. They complained, and God gave them something free, and they complained, and they missed what was free, the promised land.
Israel Caminero:Yep.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Because they complained. So I'm like, this is how God was breaking it down. Stop complaining. So you're not going to complain if you trust me. You only complain because you feel like I ain't doing something. That's so true. Then he then he showed me about my words. I have to, I have to be, I have to watch my words because half of the things that I'm going through is based off my words. And I then in your mind, you can create things in your mind that's not the truth, but you can make it the truth. Like I can get off of this phone call, Israel, and my mind will say, Israel didn't like your interview. And you ain't you might love this mug, but my mind said that. And if I entertain that, every time I see the Israel, I'll never talk to Israel again because it's I created this whole thing in my mind that it's not the truth.
Israel Caminero:Right.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):So if I was to get off here, Israel, and my mind said that right away, I'm gonna say I had the best interview with Israel. See, I ain't gonna give my mind a chance to go. Right, but you see, but the mind can do that for no purpose.
Israel Caminero:Right. I I I get what you're saying, and trust me, it because even on the way here, I was talking to your agent. So I didn't get to speak to you beforehand or anything like that. And even on the way here, my mind was saying, like, I wonder how this interview is gonna go. You know, so I know what you're saying.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Yeah, and your mind was like, What if it's terrible? Like your mind will just go to the places where it don't need to go. It ain't gonna go like, yo, this is gonna be the greatest interview ever. See, it just doesn't do that.
Israel Caminero:Right.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):You know, you have to convince yourself it's gonna be the greatest interview ever before your mind says that. That's right. So I had to learn, I have to speak life over myself. So in the mornings, I do this TikTok, um, do TikTok mornings, waking up with DPB to help folks wake up correctly. And about 4,000 to 8,000 people show up every morning. Just the they love the way I wake up. I'm like, this is the way we all supposed to wake up. Because look, you can get up in the morning, you mad at everybody, and nobody did nothing to you, you don't want nobody to talk to you. Right. Because that's the way you feel, but you never let how you feel dictate what your day is going to be. So if I wake up like that, I speak life and thank you, God, for waking me up. I feel so good today. This is going to be the greatest day of my life. And don't you know, because I'm speaking life to my day, that's been happening for the last kind of 17, 18 years.
Israel Caminero:That's right. That's the first thing you should do is talk to God. Yep. I always say that. First thing you should do, you know, like is just get the Bible, pray, anything. Spend time with the Lord, first thing, because if not, your day is just not gonna be the same.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Yeah, it's it's it's amazing. It's funny when I'm thinking about it. 2010, it's just two times 24. It's been 24 years since not having a bad day. I'll be shortchanging God, like 17 years.
Israel Caminero:Yeah. It just goes to show, you know, like I heard something, some anthem called There's Power in the Name of. You know what I'm talking about, don't you?
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Oh, I got it, of course.
Israel Caminero:And there's truth to that. There's truth to that anthem, and I loved it.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):The reason why I wrote the song because the world knows what God mode is, but Christians don't. And when you when I researched the word God mode and put it in Google, a game comes up. And in the game, when you're in God mode, you're totally invincible, nobody can touch you. You defeat the stage, you defeat whatever game is on when you're in God mode. And God was like, see, Dave, people don't know, they're supposed to stay in God mode. How can the world know something and God and my people don't even know it? So I was like, so I'm gonna show you how. And I and I would go into church and I preach Sunday morning. I was like, you want to know? Let me show you what God mode is. How many have bone problems? You know, you have people in church, you know, six or seven people with bone problems.
Israel Caminero:Yeah.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):See, here goes the God code. Laughter brings healing to the bones. See, if you don't know that scripture and you don't do that process, how do you know what will happen to your bones if you don't find everything to laugh at? I'll be laughing at everything till I get it, because God said it. I'll be laughing at your face. I'll be cracking up, I'll be finding things to laugh at through where it was deep because he said laughter brings healing to the bones. Then I learned that a happy heart is like good medicine. See, people are always talking about how hurt they are and everything, and next thing you know, they have to go to the doctor all the time. It's because they don't have a happy heart. But God's letting us know you have to maintain your heart. You have to guard your heart with all diligence. Out of it flows issues. See, he's trying to show you. If you don't guard it, you're gonna have issues. It's simple, like he's made a symbol. We just took it somewhere else and learned to accept everything that everybody says. Like, oh man, mental illness is a big problem. It was just like ADHD, whatever that was. Nobody had it, and all of a sudden, when it became blended, every pastor had it. Right. Oh, my ADHD hit then.
Israel Caminero:That's everyone, everyone gets diagnosed with that these days.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):See, and now everybody got PTSD. And now everybody, like, after a while, you got, oh, I got mental illness. I need to go to a uh and then God already said that confess your faults one to another so you can be healed. The difference is people don't want to confess themselves to another Christian because the Christian's gonna talk too much. So I'd rather go to a therapist.
Israel Caminero:Right.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):But God Ben done said it. Confess your faults one to another so you can be healed. But it's funny, it's all in the Bible, is it that we want something else. For some reason, we want something else instead of what God is saying. And I don't understand why, but that's what we do.
Israel Caminero:Well, it's it's our flesh, basically. Our flesh is the one that battles what God says all the time.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):But when we totally yield, just like David, just like Shadrah, Meshach, and the bandigo, just like Abraham, God will always provide something. He will he'll actually be there. See if you notice all the stories, once they finally lined up, God was there. He was always there, right? He was right there. So you wonder, why ain't God showing up on our stuff? That means we don't, we're not in a place where I know. No, man, you can't shake me. Uh-uh.
Israel Caminero:I know my God will. Or we're not putting our true faith into him either. See, exactly.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):We know him and love God, but but faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So if God ain't in you, that's why God says, My people are destroyed, because of the lack of knowledge. Because you don't know, you're not taking the time to know. Then God says, take my yoke upon it and learn of me. So if you don't learn of him, all these different things that God gives you that just comes from loving him, it's a free thing, and you never walk in it because you never learn about him. That's right. Everybody wants to worship God, but never get in the word. Everybody wants to praise God. Maverick City, everything. Sound good, but don't know no word.
Israel Caminero:Mm-hmm. You know, that there's people that just go to church on Sundays just to mark it off their calendar. Oh, that was at the Sunday. That's it. You know, they're Christians. My grandmama did it.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Let me just go ahead and follow the pursuit with the tradition.
Israel Caminero:That's right.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):I'm going to church. See, but then they wonder why they're getting defeated all the time in different areas of their life because they're not knowing what the Bible says about that thing that they're actually going through. And I'm not I'm not saying you'll know every little thing, but you can have a good foundation of the word to defeat anything. You don't have to know everything in the Bible, but if the basics will make you defeat everything. The basics.
Israel Caminero:That's right. And you can know the basics and read the basics over and over and over again. And every everyone. But every time you read a scripture, it's going to look different to you every time. You're going to get something out of that scripture every time, something different. Yeah. You know, it's it's never you're never looking at that same scripture the same. It's always something different. Like, oh, like that's what that means this time, you know, like that. Like it's always gonna catch you differently.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):And let me say this too, though, why you out there? Listen, y'all, I was just I was just reading this um the other day, and God's been studying this, and I just want to let everybody know who's listening. When you're faithful, so I tell folks, be faithful to God. Don't just love God, be faithful, meaning that you do take time every day with God. And I I even I I don't care if it's five minutes, ten minutes, be faithful to God, and it is you and God's time. And what I mean by that faithfulness is that I'm gonna break down, just say let's say ten minutes. Two minutes and thirty seconds of praise and music, two minutes and thirty seconds of worship, two minutes and thirty seconds of getting in the word, two minutes and thirty seconds of praying. Now, and that last minute, let's say 11 minutes, just be silent and let God speak. Without you saying anything after you pray. And you be faithful to that, because I'm gonna show you what happens when you're faithful. And it's not because you did it for a week or two, is when God says you've been faithful. Not because you've been one or two, three. It could be in the third or fifth month, but I can guarantee you God's blessings will overtake you. That's it's it's just something that comes with faithfulness. That's right. It just comes with faithfulness. So I I challenge everybody that's listening, just be faithful to God. Because I'm telling you, just you want to you want to see things change, just be faithful to God and you'll see it change. It just comes with him. You don't have to second guess it, you don't have to understand why. It just God said that his blessings will overtake you. And you'll find favor with men. You'll find faith. God just it will just come and you won't know what happened, but you the only thing you know that you've been faithful. That's why it happened.
Israel Caminero:That's right.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):So I just wanted to share that.
Israel Caminero:That's right. Just like uh the book of Job is a perfect example. Job trusted God and ended up with twice as much as what he had, even though he went through all those trials. You know, he went through all those trials, but he stayed faithful.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):You don't want me to tell it to tell you what I think about Job. Go ahead. But what if I was to tell you what happened to Job? Didn't I have to happen to Job?
Israel Caminero:You can elaborate on that. Go ahead.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):All right. See one thing about Job, God said he was the most perfect, upright in all the land. Nothing was wrong with him. That's what he said. I learned, uh I've heard this sermon preached thousands of times with different pastors why. Some pastors would say, Why would God mention I wouldn't want God to mention my name to Satan, you know. And but then God had to show me this. And this is you're gonna love it, though. This is this is in my book, No Bad Days. God said, See, people that gotta look at the story. The story is Satan goes into him and God asks Satan where you've been. Satan says, I've been going in and out to and fro. So he's never mentioned Job at all. So one thing, Israel, when you accept Jesus in your life, God made you righteous. Has nothing to do with you. He made you right righteous. So that's what Job was walking in. That's why Satan never mentioned Job's name. It was God that mentioned Satan, Job's name. Alright? Now watch this. Then you wonder, why God would you mention Job's name? Right? And then even Satan listened to Satan's response. Can't, because you have a hedge of protection around him. So he ain't even try to at all. So Israel, when you accepted Jesus, the first thing God gave you was righteousness that's your protection. You don't know this lessons. So why, Israel, would God mention your name and Satan when he gave you righteousness? Okay, so now you protected, you got everything. And then God mentioned, so this is what God has shown me. I need you to read this again, Dave. So I'm reading it. And then God said, I want you to look at Job, and you'll see it as soon as I say it. Watch. So Job, he's like, My children are about to go into this party. Let me sacrifice something just in case if they sin. That's crazy. Like you don't know if they sin, but you want to sacrifice something just in case if they sin. So it's almost like a needless sacrifice for no reason. Right. Okay, so let's let's go there. And then God had to show me this verse right here, chapter 3, verse 25. It says, Out of Job's mouth, what I have greatly feared has come upon me. And God says you can't function in fear and faith at the same time. Fear is the only way I would say somebody's name to Satan because that don't come from me. It's the spirit of fear. It's a spirit. Now watch, that doesn't make you not righteous and upright in all the land. It just makes me have this. I can't go against my word. Fear is why I mentioned this name. He should never fear anything I gave him. Why would you fear anything I gave him? So God was showing me it didn't have to happen. He had no choice but to make it happen. So he won't go against his word. Like I never, and that was God teaching me that. Like I'm teaching you why. See the difference is I because watch, perfect love cast out all fear. See, so the whole thing is fear is not from God. Watch that, I even tell I I even put this in the Bible. Even for Peter to walk on the water, Jesus is walking on the water. They thought they said it goes, so they got scared. For Peter to walk in the water, Jesus had to knock down the fear first for him to be able to even do it.
Israel Caminero:That's so true.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):He said, Fear not, it is I. And then Peter got bow. Oh, so if it's you, Jesus, bit for me to come. See, so the whole thing I learned, fear is the first thing we would do when everything goes wrong. And God's like, No, you need to trust me. Even in Psalms 91, when you look at it, man, see, God is so good. He's trying to tell you. Well, in Psalms 91, you need to trust me. You need to get in the secret place. He's trying to tell you this is what you need to do. And then he starts it off in verse 4. Fear not the terror that comes by dying. Fear not the that's still like COVID. Fear not. But then you watch this. We've seen Christians dying, we've seen everything. People were scared out of their wits when COVID was here. So when you're scared of, when you're scared of that, it will come to your door. It just will. Because God has not given no man the spirit of fear. And you know, people will make up stuff like, I'm just making the mask because they said we have to. And I'm like, yeah, I'll do that too, but I ain't not getting it. Like I was like, I'm I I refuse to get it. I don't care where I was at. And I was going to Kentucky at the ark and everything with no mask, everything. I'm like, man, I ain't getting this thing. Why? Because God is with me. I mean, and I will never preach it because not everybody's on that faith like that. That's right. God has to tell you that, not man, tell you. Because you're trying to flow off somebody else's faith and you really don't believe that thing at all. And next thing you know, you getting COVID, you sick, you you're about to die, can't breathe. You know, I'm like, bro. So I look at all that type of stuff. See, fear doesn't come from God. And if you notice that every time even the angels deliver a message, they always said, fear not, because there's a natural fear that comes in man. We get scared of everything. And God's like, man, you have to learn to trust me. And that's the reason why Peter was able to walk out on that water because he trusted what Jesus said. He trusted his word. Okay, I got you. I'm coming then. But you said it. I believe that's what God was trying to teach us. You got to learn to trust me. If you don't trust me, you're gonna go through some stupid stuff.
Israel Caminero:That's right. And a lot of people it's hard, it's hard for a lot of people to trust them. And fear is the root of a lot of things. Fear, anxiety, stress, like fear is the root of all that. Fear is the root of a lot of things.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):If you see people with sicknesses, there's always some underlying thing that's there. From worry, worry comes from fear.
Israel Caminero:That's right.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):You know what I'm saying? Um, all those type of things come from fear. Like if you see people why they get depressed, fear comes depression, anxiety comes from fear. You know, oh, what's gonna happen? Oh, I can't go to sleep. Like, all that comes because of fear. So the whole thing God said, I have not given no man, listen, no man the spirit of fear.
Israel Caminero:That's right.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):But of power, love, and a sound mind. So now watch, that sound mind, we should never have no problem because God said, I will keep you in perfect peace, whose mind stayed on me. See, the whole thing he's trying to show you, all these folks that don't have peace, because your mind ain't on me. Surround yourself with God's stuff, see what happens. Stop looking at crazy anxiety movies. You have to guard yourself. But God tells you to guard your heart with all diligence out of its most issues. And so the whole thing is if you don't guard it, then it's gonna come a part of you. It just will. You'll be hurting, thinking somebody loves you, and they really don't. Now you all hurt. It's like crazy. Somebody says something, now you don't love yourself no more because they didn't have said you is ugly, and it just goes down the line.
Israel Caminero:That's right.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):But my pastor taught me, he says, if you don't know who you are, anybody can name you. And if anybody can name you, you'll answer to anything. So once you understand you're a man of God or woman of God, you don't even have to listen to the names that somebody was trying to tell you. Because God says who you are. You don't have to defend yourself. Well, he taught me if you defend yourself, you're in self. So I ain't gotta defend myself. I know I'm pleasing the Lord, that's all that matters.
Israel Caminero:That is all that matters.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):You know, and uh pleasing people, you're never gonna please everybody. It's impossible. Some people can think you sing, and you could be the greatest singer in the world, and somebody's gonna think they can't. That's true. And it's like, so you can't base it off people because people will switch upon you in a minute.
Israel Caminero:I'd love your insight on everything.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):It's God just walking with God and letting the Holy Spirit teach, because I mean, I went to Raymond Bible Training Center and they never they never taught me stuff like this because the simple fact of like I know a lot of scripture, but if I don't know how to put scripture in my life to walk out, what good is that scripture? That's true. A lot of people don't know how to walk out the scriptures they know. So God was showing me, now this is how you walk out these scriptures. You walk them out this way. So that's what I've been doing. I've just been walking out the scriptures that God has been showing me to make it easy. So in the last past eight years, I've been conquering the mouth, the mind, the heart. Because you get those three things right on anybody, they'll be okay. Everything happens in the mind. Everybody going through stuff, it's your mind. You gotta get you gotta get your mind right. He tells you what to do. Renew your mind. You have to transform your mind. You can't pray for me if I'm not willing to transform it. Like it's simple. I had to stop praying for people in the mind. Listen, if you ain't gonna go forth and pour good things, he even tells you, think on things that are good. Think on things that are honest. Like he knows your mind gonna go crazy. But he's telling you what to do when it does. And if we don't do that, we just praying in vain. People, that's even worse now. He just prayed for me and I'm like going through some. Because you ain't pouring nothing in there to combat the crazy in it. I even told somebody who was in jail, say, I'm schizo. I said, no, you're not. Because if you went into my mind, you would think I was schizo. The difference is you battle it in your mind, and then you let it come out to your physical because you battled it in your mind. The difference is when those crazy thoughts come to mind, I speak life to myself to combat the crazy thoughts. So you just don't know how to do that. God has taught me that. But if you know how to do that, you ain't gonna think you're skizful because your mind gone through those things.
Israel Caminero:True.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Like I'm not a I'm not a suicide person. I don't have no problem with stake your life so your sons can get the insurance. You know, I ain't even a suicide person, but it had no problem coming to my mind. Now, watch, if I meditate on it, next thing you know, I'll start plotting stuff. And next you know, I am depressed because I don't feel like man, they don't, then nobody needs me. I'll start it'll start climbing a whole nother wall.
Israel Caminero:That's right. It just keeps going crazy, you know, like one thought after the other.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):But God knew that our minds are gonna go like that. So he was telling you, make everything after. Once again, that word every thought means he knew that our minds are gonna go nuts. That's so true.
Israel Caminero:Man, we can go on forever, you know.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Like, usually I know I'm trying to I'm trying to get off.
Israel Caminero:No, no, no.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):And I'm playing, I'm playing with you.
Israel Caminero:No, like usually, you know, it usually averages about an hour, but that's fine. I just wanna ask you, like, I mean, you've basically answered all my questions without me even asking you. But um, you know, I I know you that you said you, you know, you went through your divorce and your children and all that, and you you already elaborated on that and you elab elaborated on everything else about the Bible. And I just want to ask, like, as of today, you already kind of elaborated on that. You don't have any more bad days.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Well, I don't have bad days. Like, it's it nothing bothers me. That's right. But it it shouldn't bother us. Um, it it really shouldn't, because when you're relaxed in God and you know he got you, what will be a concern about anything?
Israel Caminero:True.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):That's very if you really believe that though. You know what I'm saying? Right. So it just don't bother me. And I'm and I'm and the reason why I even talked about faithfulness, because I've been doing this for so many years, and all of a sudden now I'm seeing God's hand. 30 years of just 30 plus years of being faithful. Next thing you know, this song is number one. Next thing you know, this is now I'm up for like 46 awards. God's like, my my blessings are gonna overtake you. You ain't gonna even know what to do. Like, I don't even know what to do, half of it. Right now, like, God, you just I told you because you've been faithful. You're staying the course.
Israel Caminero:Yeah, I did, I did read up on that. You know, congratulations, by the way.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Yeah, like it's just it's it's overwhelming. Like right now, I'm at a film festival talking to you. And this film festival up for six awards on Power in the Name of. Short film. And I'm like, okay, God, I've never been to a film festival. Let me go. It's just like it's like everything is overwhelming. But God's like, because faithfulness, this what this what goes with faithfulness. That's it goes with it. It's not like you're you're being faithful because you're gonna get it, it just comes with being faithful.
Israel Caminero:Amen. Amen. I I'll have links in the description of my podcast to your music. And you said you just released a book too, and I'll have links to all that in my description of the podcast. And like I said, if you haven't listened to his music, he goes by the name DPB. That's David David Pete Brooks. So it's DPB. And look him up because he's got some very good music that's inspiring. He's got new music, but he's also got um old music because he used to be with a group called DLC, too, right?
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Disciples of Christ. Disciples of Christ. Yep.
Israel Caminero:Before he went solo or whatnot. And like he said, he's nominated for awards, he's shared the stage with Salt and Pepper, King and Country, a lot of people. I know you shared a lot of scripture, but I'm gonna ask you to share one more. What I usually say is I can't even ask you the question because you don't have bad days, but I usually ask, like, if when you have a bad day or even a scripture that stuck to you your whole life, that is always that one scripture that you could always go back to and just rely on what when anything is happening, what's that scripture and what does it mean to you?
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Romans 10 17. And it might it means a lot to me. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And then when I looked up that word hearing, that means that word means hearing and obeying. If I want to have faith in God, I need to hear the word and obey it, and then I know I'll be alright. So that's the thing that has kept me. I've used that scripture since I was forever. If I was signed to order God, I'll put Romans 10:17. It's because I know faith. Because it without faith, it's impossible to please God. So, God, how do I get faith? He said, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Amen. That's true. That's true. So, you know, so that's I want to please God, so I need to have faith. And he said it just shall live by faith. So I have to learn faith. And faith is total trust in. So in my no bad days, God was like, I'm gonna teach you how to have total trust in me. So, because I I thought I trusted him before. But 24 years ago, even though I've been doing this for over 30 something years, I feel like I was just learning to become a man of God, even being in God for 15, 20 years before that. You know what I'm saying? Like it was like, uh-uh, I'm gonna teach you how to trust me. You have a natural love for me, and you love the word, but none of the word the word ain't coming out in your life the way it's supposed to be. So let me go forth and teach you how to walk this out. So that was the hearing and obeying that comes from that word hearing. That's good. Obeying it, you know, walk it out, you know.
Israel Caminero:So that's good. Thank you for that. Thank you for sharing that.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):For sure. I know you wanted something a little deeper. No, no, no, no, not at all.
Israel Caminero:I I everyone has something different, trust me. So, you know, every every scripture that everyone has shared has been different and good. Now I'm going to my back to the past section of my podcast. And basically, with my back to the past section is if the David from today could go back and talk to the younger David about things that you know now but didn't know then, what would you say to him? What would you advise?
David Paul Brooks (DPB):Don't be ashamed as a gospel. Don't be ashamed. Go and tell your school, the whole school would have had a revival. If I know what I know now, my school would have had a revival. Everywhere I went, it would have been revival. Because the simple fact of walking in the power of God, being displayed, somebody displaying the angle on the basketball team, hey, let me pray for you. I knew God would have healed him like walking and displaying the power of God, knowing that God really actually backs me up and loves me. I would have displayed it and shown that even with the flavor and who you are, God will love you and take it to another height. And back in the day, if I was little day, that's what I would have done. And what I know now, uh, just not be ashamed of the gospel and just make Jesus famous as a kid. That's what I would have said. Go ahead. Live for God. Because I mean, I I was brought up in church, but scared to live for God because nobody else did it at that time.
Israel Caminero:Right.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):But I wish I could have worn it and been still the cool person that I am today back then. It would have been like, it's okay to be cool and love God.
Israel Caminero:Amen.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):That's true. And so I think I think that's the thing, man, because back in the day you're ashamed because you feel like you're gonna lose friends. You're gonna lose, and that's not always the truth. A revival kind of started in New York just because me getting a cheeseburger one time when I was with my DJ when I was rapping in the world, and I just said, Thank you, God, for this cheeseburger. He looked at me and said, What? And next thing you know, we have almost a semi-revival.
Israel Caminero:Well, David, David, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to be on the podcast and sharing all your insight and your story with all my listeners. I hope it touched someone and hopefully changes someone's life that's listening that might be going through the same thing or is going through the same thing. And like I always say, you know, it's David's story, and it's just to glorify God, what God did with his story and with him. And Dave, if if you could pray us out before we leave, that would be great.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):I sure will. If you're listening right now, man, and you just might be struggling with your life, period. You might not know God, or you you want to get to know him, you know God, but you haven't been living for God like you want to. I just want you to pray this prayer with me because I feel like this is the most important part and the forever-changing part of your life. And I guarantee you'll see a change. So if you pray this man, say, Jesus, thank you for coming in my life. I'm sorry, I know I can do better. Thank you for loving me. So today I give you my whole heart. My whole heart, Lord God. Thank you for dying just for my craziness, my foolishness, because sometimes I can't act a fool. Thank you for loving me. Today I give you me. You have all of me. I thank you also for rising so I can live my life to the fullness and say this I will fulfill my destiny. I will live and not die. Thank you, God, for loving me. In Jesus' name. Yeah.
Israel Caminero:Amen. Amen. Thank you for that.
David Paul Brooks (DPB):I know I was kind of quick. No, no, no.
Israel Caminero:That was perfect. Thank you, David. And thank you for just taking the time again for being on the podcast. I really appreciate it. And I wish you nothing but the best. Like I said, I will have descriptions of your book, your music, and the description of the podcast. And I also want to thank all my listeners that have been showing me so much support throughout this journey and this ministry that I started that God put in my heart to start. I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, everyone listening that's around the world listening. I would have never imagined this. I have so many people that are just listening around the world, different places. And it's God did that. God is the one that's doing this, and we're doing it all to just glorify him. And I just want to say until next time. God bless all of you and thank you for tuning in.
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