How This Social Media Star Found Christ in Prison
By Movieguide® Contributor
Social media star Boonk Gang, who made a name for himself through his reckless antics, explained how he came to know the Lord while in prison.
John Robert Hill, known as Boonk Gang across the internet, grew up in a broken home. After his stepfather passed away while he was a teenager, Hill’s life was void of any good male role models. When he turned 20, he decided he was going to make it big on social media and began imitating a creator who posted videos of himself acting dumb in public. Hill’s fame quickly grew, and as he gained more popularity, he began posting antics that were more and more reckless.
Eventually, his posts were almost solely focused on guns and drugs which he was using to numb the pain from his broken upbringing. His actions, however, caught up to him, and he was sentenced to five months in a county jail. These months would change his life, as his cellmate shared the Gospel with him and he was receptive to it for the first time.
“He asked me, ‘Where are you from?’ That term is used in L.A. as what gang are you in. I said, ‘I’m from Jacksonville, I’m from Florida.’ Then his next question was, ‘Do you believe in Jesus?’” Hill recalled. “And remember this man teaching me the Bible and more than teaching me, showing me the love of God.”
“My heart began to transform because I’ve done so much wrong in my life. I’ve caused so much hurt and pain to people and hearing the Gospel, how Jesus Christ came down to this world to die for people like me. I’m looking at my life through the lenses of the love of God,” he continued. “I don’t deserve forgiveness but Jesus died so that I could have it. He was willing to give it to me if I believe in Him… I started crying, and immediately the presence of God came over me and stripped my sadness away and filled me with joy.”
READ MORE: THIS RAPPER MET JESUS IN PRISON. NOW HE MAKES MUSIC FOR CHRIST.
“It took it upon myself to make the decision to live my life fully for God,” John told THE 700 CLUB. “God has redeemed me. He has restored me. He’s given me a new name…it’s my mission to share my testimony, to tell people that we have a loving and understanding God and it doesn’t matter the mistakes we made. It doesn’t matter where we’re from. It doesn’t matter about our race, our background. God loves us. He has a plan for us. And His plan is greater than the plans we have for ourselves.”
“The path that God has laid out for me has brought me way more fulfillment than the path that I thought would seven years ago,” he continued. “Today I am a Christian because I’ve experienced the love of God.”
Hill now goes by the pseudonym Holy Gabbana. “…he has embraced his faith in Jesus Christ and uses his platform to spread messages of hope, redemption, and positivity. His journey from a troubled past to a life filled with purpose and faith has inspired many, showing that it’s never too late to change,” his website explains.
“If people can see me and then see how God is able to restore and flip things around. I’m not ashamed to share my failures with people because sharing my failures with somebody could really encourage them. It’s never too late to make a turnaround,” he said.
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