Ordinary People Extraordinary Things

109. From Nigel to Legin: A Spiritual Journey Backwards and Forwards

• Nancy Bruscher • Season 8 • Episode 109

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Legin shares how God completely transformed his life, turning his name (Nigel) backward to symbolize how the gospel changed his direction and purpose. Through raw stories of forgiveness and divine appointments, he demonstrates how authentic faith can reach people who might never enter a church.

• After years of bitterness, Legin forgave his absent father just before his unexpected passing
• Experienced a divine appointment in a London pub with a suicidal man wearing cross earrings who had never heard the gospel
• Creates hip-hop music specifically designed to reach people who wouldn't normally engage with Christianity
• Left his secure job in 2013 to pursue ministry full-time, experiencing God's provision every month

Find Legin's music, podcast, and ministry resources by following the link below:
Bio – Legin

Watch the entire episode on our YouTube channel @GenNancy
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Nancy Bruscher:

You found ordinary people, extraordinary things, and I'm your host, nancy Brucher. We talk to everyday people about faith and hope, and today is no different, as we get to talk to legend. His name is Nigel, but he goes by legend because it's Nigel backwards and God turned his life around. As September begins, homeschool is in full swing for us. I'm continuing to save memories by scanning old photos, and one of the most exciting things is that a dream of 10 years is a reality I have a book that is ready to be published on Amazon. It is completely ready. I'm waiting for the author's proof to get to me to verify that everything is as perfect as can be, and then I will let you know so you can order the Legacy Heirloom Journal. It's a very needed guide for families so they can easily and effectively pass on their heirlooms and the stories to their family and loved ones. That's enough about me. I can't wait for you to hear from Legend. Welcome to Ordinary People, extraordinary Things. I'm so excited to have Legend on Legend. Thanks for being on the podcast.

Legin:

Thanks for having me and thanks for being patient with all my technical glitches. I appreciate it.

Nancy Bruscher:

It's all good. It's all good. We have gotten to know Legend as a family and I'm just so thankful for your friendship and how you poured into our family.

Legin:

No, that's an honor. Thank you for feeding me because you gave me food, so we're best friends forever. Now Like nothing we can do about it.

Nancy Bruscher:

And we watched the fire truck go by at Christmas time, remember that was like a little impromptu fun time.

Legin:

Or Colorado Santa driving down the street in a fire truck. Never thought I'd see it. Not a reindeer in sight, by the way, but still cool.

Nancy Bruscher:

No, no, that was a bummer.

Legin:

That was a bummer. Oh, it's fun man. No, no, I appreciate you guys just inviting me in your home and hanging out. I mean we had just met, so like that was so dope for Chris to reach out and get to meet you and the kids and it was an honor. It was an honor.

Nancy Bruscher:

So, yeah, yeah, it's just been great to keep this friendship and to just be able to help each other and pray for each other in ministry.

Legin:

Yes, ma'am, yeah, anytime. Thank you for that.

Nancy Bruscher:

So I call you Legend. Your name is Nigel. Can you explain to anybody who hasn't heard you before on why you go by legend?

Legin:

Yeah, yeah, it's not me trying to prop myself up, that's for sure. But it's just my name, nigel, spelled backwards, and it just means that Christ turned my life around through the gospel, through forgiveness, through everything I've been through and through everything he did. It's just the life transforming message of the gospel. So what I try to do with that is use that name as a testimony what I'm speaking or doing, music, and then to make music and messages that then will turn people's lives around with that same gospel. So that's why I go by legend. I hope it points to Christ and not to me.

Nancy Bruscher:

So when I first saw your name and maybe I heard you say it once it's like it's not Legion which would be in the book. I heard you say it once. It's like.

Legin:

It's not Legion, which would be in the book. It's not Legion and everybody does it Like cause everybody feels bad. They're like oh, I called you a demon's name and I let everybody kind of sit in it for just just five seconds of guilt and shame Cause, that's fun.

Nancy Bruscher:

But then I'm like no, no, no, it's okay, everybody does it, and there's no, oh, and it's not. We're not. But uh, no, it's not, it's not that. Oh, that's funny if you don't know where we're talking about. It's, um, about when, when? I believe it's when jesus goes across to to the other side right and takes out the, the demons, and he asks what their name is right yeah, he says legion, we're many yes, yes all my church friends would be like what you know, why did you name yourself a demon's name?

Legin:

I'm like brother, there's no o in it, but, but thank you, I'm a rapper. We got liberty to spell stuff how we want. I get it, it's OK.

Nancy Bruscher:

But if people don't know who you are, can you give three words or phrases to describe yourself?

Legin:

Three words or phrases. Wow, Dad, husband creative.

Nancy Bruscher:

And I think the creative goes into your ministry. Can you share?

Legin:

all the wonderful things you're doing. Yeah, yeah, I have a podcast as well. Not as cool as yours, but I have a podcast. I'm a rap artist. I've been doing shows and writing music forever. I'm a preacher, so I help lead a church here in Virginia. I'm a speaker and I just separate that by. Sometimes I'm in prisons or schools or whatever. Sometimes I'm talking about ministry stuff, sometimes I'm a speaker and I just separate that by. Sometimes I'm in prisons or schools or whatever. Sometimes I'm talking about ministry stuff, sometimes I'm not. I'm working on a film about all that stuff I talked about regarding my life turning around, called Legendary, that we're submitting to film festivals and the music I write I try to put in TV and film, as well as release it on Spotify and Apple and all that. So lots of music, lots of messages.

Nancy Bruscher:

Yeah, we have to have all of your things in the show notes. Could you explain with your? You called it the rapping right. Did I use the right word?

Legin:

Perfect.

Nancy Bruscher:

Okay, how have you been able to meet people who might not know Jesus or kind of go in the Christian circles through your songwriting? Yeah, so when you tell people you're a Christian rapper, jesus, or kind of go in the Christian circles through your songwriting.

Legin:

Yeah. So when you tell people you're a Christian rapper, they kind of they'll put you in a box, right. They're like oh, like Kirk Franklin stuff, right, no, knock to Kirk Franklin, I love what he does, but like, no, that's not what I'm talking about. So I love, I love hip hop. I was raised in hip hop. All of the messages sometimes that are coming out of commercialized hip hop aren't always God glorifying, but the art and the culture is dope to me. So like that's just what I was raised in.

Legin:

So I just, instead of pre-Christ I would make music this braggadocious about money and taking advantage, you know, of just all types of stuff, just like bad content. So like now it's like I want to make God turn my life around to where, like I don't see women as objects, I don't want to live frivolously, I want to teach people to forgive and not get revenge. So now my music reflects that and that comes from what Christ has done in my life. So some songs I make will be blatant theological stuff, really about Jesus, and then some songs will just be about life and struggling and stuff I'm going through. And then some songs will just be about life and struggling and stuff I'm going through because I live by this philosophy of, and I don't think it's wrong to make church music just for the church. I think that's a holy calling, I think that's good. Some people need to do that. I do that.

Legin:

But I also am really, really interested in the person who has no affiliation with church, doesn't care about church, doesn't care about the gospel, the Bible's old. I care about that person because I was that person. So I always say I write for the person in the back row. They don't want to be here. The girlfriend dragged them, whatever. You know what I mean Because my wife dragged me to church, right, that's kind of how it happened.

Legin:

And so my music isn't targeting the Christian crowd per se, but I feel like if I can grab the attention with content, good art and just authenticity the person who doesn't care about anything labeled Christian then I'll definitely catch the person who does so. I feel like I've been able to see that work in prisons. I've been able to see that work at shows that weren't in churches. I've been able to see God use that to get somebody's attention to say man, let me, let me actually reframe what I think about Jesus. Maybe he's not what my grandma's church was yelling to me about. Maybe there's something deeper here. So that's how I've seen it work.

Nancy Bruscher:

That's good. So you said before your life in Christ how did you come to know Jesus?

Legin:

life in Christ. How did you come to know Jesus? Yeah, I was raised in church. I watched my mother start to go to church and I was like probably eight, nine, 10 or so, and try to figure things out. And so I knew don't kill, don't steal, check, check. But I don't think I actually believed the gospel and at a certain point I was like, forget this, I just want to go do me. And it was around the time when my absent dad, my absent dad, alcohol, drugs, whatever, um, he, he, he. Well, shortly after um, I left church already, he, he tried to get back into my life and apologize. And we had this meeting where I didn't, I didn't want to deal with his forgiveness. Like I'm, like you, I have the chance to hurt you. Now why would I let this opportunity go? Um? And through a series of events that we can get into if you want, I did end up forgiving him.

Legin:

I did end up extending that olive branch and then right after that he passed away and it was just like man, what is going on? And that situation actually brought me to my knees Around. This time. My girlfriend at the time now my wife Tia she had started going back to church. She was like you need to come with me. I was like I don't want to go to church, all that stuff.

Legin:

But when everything happened with my dad, I was stuck with three questions of well, man, god obviously can't be real because there's no plan here. Or if God is real, he's mean, because why is he toying with my life this way? If you're in control of everything, why are you letting this happen? Right? Or god is real and he really, really cares about forgiveness and orchestrating reconciliation and fixing things. And if that's who god is, that's the guy grandma's been talking about, granddad's been talking about, mom's been talking that's who I need.

Legin:

And that's when I gave my life to christ and I happened to be in a basement by myself alone. I just hit my knees and said Jesus, I give up, I just want to be yours. It wasn't a sermon, it wasn't a song. And then I was like now I want church, now I want Bible, I want to know what's going on here and I just dove in, stopped listening to a lot of music, I stopped hanging out with certain people and I just I became the crazy Christian that I joked all the time Like I'll never be that weird over there. Look at them, they're weird. And then I became weird and maybe I was always weird, my wife would say I was always weird and she's probably right.

Legin:

Whatever she's mean, but she's right. And so I just I just started talking to God all day and reading the word all day and I just had to know for myself. And then I saw the value of church and the beauty of scripture and what the spirit of God does to a person, and my life changed and I've never been the same.

Nancy Bruscher:

That's so good, thanks. What I hear in there, well, I hear several things. I love how you said not only did you say yes, but then things changed Right, and I think that that is so important to to to hear.

Nancy Bruscher:

But then also can you go a little bit more into how you were able to forgive, Because it does not sound like your dad deserved it. If I put that in air quotes and I completely hear what you're saying as far as oh, and then I could just get revenge or not, I don't, man, I might not call it revenge as, but it would be like now I don't have to say yes to you, Now you hurt me, Now I can. Yes, I totally resonate with that. So could you explain that a little bit?

Legin:

Yeah, I mean, that's the thing, like. I try to tell people all the time like if you're dealing with unforgiveness, you're probably right. You know they don't deserve forgiveness. And in a human sense, I get it. Go get your revenge, go get your justice, whatever, whatever, whatever. But the way God got my attention was at this point. I'm 20 years old at this point and I'm out of church. I don't care about none of this stuff. I don't care about Jesus. I'm good. I'm just selling insurance, trying to make money and live my life.

Legin:

And six months after my dad was begging for forgiveness and I'm cussing him out, hanging up the phone, enjoying hurting him, a lady came into my office. I can't remember if she was off the street or if she worked out, I genuinely can't remember. But she came into my office one day, six months later, and says hey, I've got a word from the Lord for you. And I roll my eyes like man, not one of these weirdos, bro, I'm good, I don't got whatever bitterness that is out of your heart that you're dealing with. You'll never make it into the kingdom of heaven.

Legin:

And I'm like what the crap are you talking about? And how do you know? And that's very rude. You just ruined my Tuesday and all of that, and so I had to just kind of deal with that. And I try to try to brush stuff off like that, like, ah, it's coincidence, she's weird. But something happened to where three months later, I did call my dad and I did say, hey man, I'm going to let it go. I actually would like if I'm honest with myself, I would like to get to know you and I want to forgive you and let's figure this thing out.

Legin:

And we had this great moment of conversation on the phone where you could feel the chains fall off of his shoulders, of the burdens he was carrying. And then I'm surprised now chains are falling off my shoulders. I didn't know I was carrying and we just had this moment of let's get together. And he's excited. He's like oh, let me come down this weekend, get a hotel, I just want to see it. I'm like slow up, bro, like give me some time to process this, but I forgive you, I love you, we're good, we'll figure all that out. Hang up the phone and and and and feel great. And then that was our last phone call.

Legin:

Right after that phone call he passed away. So so that was literally my last conversation with him was literally I forgive you. And that's what spiraled me to, like what type of games you play in God? Like I finally did it. And then you took him away. Like you couldn't let him hang on another month so I could see him. Like what are you doing?

Legin:

Like I got angry and I was sad and I was all that stuff, just all the feelings you know but ultimately landed on man. He could have died at any moment, he could have, he could have never came to apologize. He could still be alive right now and I don't know where he is. He could have died before he tried to come see me. You orchestrated this thing so that I could forgive him, and maybe that's because you want to forgive me for all the crap I'm doing out here and the people I've mistreated and the stuff I've done and how I've blasphemed your name, and that's when I was like dude, I needed to forgive him. But I need you to forgive me and and and that's that's all that got my attention and that's that. Those collective things brought me to my knees and I gave up.

Nancy Bruscher:

So, wow, wow, that is so. That's such a real story and I feel like there's so many things people can can like, be like. I can see myself in that, or oh, that was, that was great legend. I've never heard that story before.

Legin:

Oh, thanks, nancy, I thought you knew it.

Nancy Bruscher:

I have heard you preach many times, but I have not heard in detail about Wow. Have you had people say to you at other times hey, I have a word from God and you knew it wasn't 100% yeah. Okay.

Legin:

I don't pay attention to that heavy just because I believe the Bible tells us how to handle that stuff. I listen, but I weigh it very carefully because I know if it's from the Lord, that won't be the only word. You know what I mean. And I believe from a biblical perspective, 1 Corinthians, 12, 13, and 14 tell us how to receive the spiritual gifts, including prophecy and other things. Spiritual gifts, you know, including prophecy and other things.

Legin:

And I just think some churches just ignore it, like it's not a thing anymore, which you know, kind of cessationist position, or I don't want to deal with that because that's freaky position. Or some people just like, hey, I think feel like God said something give me the mic and I'm just going to say it which is also just as unbiblical. And I think churches fall on two of those extremes. First, corinthians, 12, 13 and 14 tells us how to handle that, how to weigh that, how, if somebody does have a word, how do you know? Tells us all of that in black and white, and I just feel like we skip it.

Nancy Bruscher:

So it's harder, right, it's harder.

Legin:

What's that? What's?

Nancy Bruscher:

harder. It's harder to either say I'm going to believe anytime anyone says I have a word, or I'm not going to even touch that Right.

Legin:

You actually have to weigh God's word and you have to know God's voice and yeah, you got to work, you got to walk through it and I mean I was actually, like you know, a breaking point for me with some church attendance. Like I'm at, I'm at church and you know, I kind of unplugged for a little bit. I was like I'm not, I'm not learning anything, whatever. Let me just read the Bible for a change. I'm just reading about I'm going to church but I'm in the back reading the Bible, like not listening, which is probably rude, but it is rude whatever. And I'm reading through it and I get the first Corinthians, but I've never read before. And I'm reading through it and it's literally saying this is how to do this stuff in church service. And and then I'm looking up at the stage and they're doing the exact thing the Bible says not to do about this stuff. And I was like wait a minute, like we got the instructions right here, and so that caused me to dig in, like how do you know God's voice? How do you know the word for yourself? Like what is the Bible actually saying? So I don't know, I just go to the word. I'm like you know the word's really important.

Legin:

The Bible says he holds above all things his name and his word or his promise and his word, his name and his promise, whatever. And so, like I'm like this this tells me that the word of god and the glory of god is above all these things. Like I need to go to the word and god's never going to say something through somebody that goes against his word. Right, if I know his word. If somebody comes up like I have a word from the Lord and it's not in here, like I just I'm not, I'm definitely not listening to you If it sounds like it's in here now, I need the counsel of the church and godly people to help me filter this.

Legin:

The challenge is when somebody just makes a life altering decision based on some self-proclaimed prophet who wants a donation for their time and now they're one and then, when that falls apart, they blame God and they leave faith. When the Bible told us not to listen to them in the first place. You know what I mean. So that's the stuff I I have. I have a I have an irritation about, about that, that topic, and a passion about that topic. That's better.

Nancy Bruscher:

I have a passion about that, yeah, so anyway that's good A story I have heard you tell, but I would love for our listeners to hear is when you were in England and you felt God's nudge to go down to the bar, and I think I don't have to explain anymore, I think you know the one I'm talking about. Could you share that?

Legin:

Yeah, yeah. So this is one of those moments where I did have somebody say hey, we're going to England, right, we're setting up. I had a collective of artists at the time I was leading. We were invited to this conference and they were going to pay our way and bring all of us over there. And it was just like, man, this is great. We never got this invite. I've never been out of the country Like so cool, like so cool.

Legin:

And then at the last minute budget fell through. We can't bring you, sorry. And then I just felt so strongly we needed to go. I asked our host. I was like hey, if we fundraise, can we still come? He was like, yeah, I guess so. And so we just started and I hung up the phone. I was like I don't know how to raise $8,000. Like, what are we going to do? So anyway, we raised the money, got over there and before we left I had a friend of mine at the time say, hey, god's sending you over there to meet one person, find them. And I was like then I rolled my eyes again. I'm in the faith at this point. But I rolled my eyes like dude, this sounds like kooky, weird stuff. What are you talking about Fast forward? This is like 2011.

Nancy Bruscher:

Man, it's a long time ago.

Legin:

I'm there and it was one of those really clear moments where God spoke to my heart. I'm in the hotel. There's only two of us left my wife and another friend of ours, angie. They went back home. We're staying for an extra five days and doing some stuff. And God speaks to my heart and he says go down to the bar.

Legin:

And I'm just like that's not God, because there's alcohol there. That can't be what's going on. So I get up by myself, I go down there and I'm so out of place, bro, like I'm just like I got, like my study Bible and a Tim Keller book, just sitting at the bar, thinking I can't order alcohol because I didn't know if that was a cool at the time, and I'm like let me get a ginger ale, my good man. I and I'm like let me get a ginger ale, my good man. I just look so out of place, like it's just dumb right and all of a sudden, man, like this group of people come into the bar like it's the conference or something, and they fill up. It was just me. And then they fill it up and then, like this one dude walks in late and there's a seat next to me and it's just when he walked in there, was this not saying God's audible voice? I won't say I heard that, but it was just this. That's him inner knowing kind of thing.

Legin:

And I'm still being cautious, cause again, I kooky, kooky Christians freak me out Like I'm not ever trying to be one of them and sits next to me and it's just this. I got to talk to this guy so I'm looking for something that just and I see he has cross earrings. I'm like that's talking point. I was like hey, man, I see your earrings have a cross on them and I say, what's that mean to you? And then he just launches into this monologue. You know, two weeks ago I tried to kill myself and I'm just like Jesus, like what's going on, and he's like well, I lost my house, I lost my girlfriend, she took the kids, lost my job, all within a short period of time and I couldn't handle it. So I wanted to leave, I wanted to get out of here and I'm online researching what can I drink to just go to sleep and not wake up.

Legin:

I don't want to suffer, but I just need to get out of here, and then I started praying to my dead grandmother, like maybe she could give me some answers from the other side, because I don't know how this works and I'm just hearing the grasping at straws, the lostness, the hopelessness. My heart's going out for him and he says one day I woke up and I didn't want to kill myself anymore. And she says I don't know if my dead grandmother heard me. I don't know if God heard me, or the gods, or the universe, I don't know what happened, but I figured somebody was giving me another shot. So I'm walking down the street after this and I see this religious symbols shop and I figured if I put something on my body maybe I would get some guidance from somewhere. And I just picked the cross earrings up, bought them, put them in hoping for some guidance and I'm just listening to them. And I put them in hoping for some guidance and I'm just listening to them and I asked them this question that changed my life. And the backdrop of this question is where they're doing evangelism, where they're doing concerts, where they're preaching. I'm looking out the window of this pub in England and London and there's this old cathedral through the window and behind him. In what he's saying, and what I've learned is that most of these beautiful old cathedrals no longer are open for church business. They're closed, they're just, they're shut down. A lot of them are condominiums Federally they have to stay protected historical buildings, but there's no worship of God happening because the worship is dead. And that's the backdrop of this. And then and I'm looking at him, hearing his story, hoping I get some guidance from somewhere, and I ask him this question with that backdrop and I say, have you ever heard the gospel of Jesus Christ? And with that cathedral in the background and me there on mission and his cross earrings, he looks at me in my eyes and says, no, what's that? And those three words changed my life Like it didn't.

Legin:

When you're in church, man, you can become inundated with everybody's hurt at least once. And I just it, just it just was mind blowing to me that with cross earrings, and he had no idea what the cross was. And so I I begin to walk him through all the stuff I learned in Sunday school, like fall of man and sin and Adam and Eve, and all this stuff. And God redeems and then there's law to lead us to Christ, and then Christ comes and he pays the price for our sin, and and because we couldn't pay it. But Christ could go to the grave, pay capital punishment, bring himself back from the grave and if we believe on him, the father applies that payment to our life, now and forever, and our and the truth of the way that we know we believe, that is, we start to live as Christ did and and and we repent of our sin. We're not perfect, we're not earning anything. I'm just sharing all this stuff with him and at a certain point he catches my eye because, like I mean, his lip is quivering and tears are streaming and I'm taking it back. I'm like he's like believing all this immediately and it just messed me up.

Legin:

I was surprised at how much the gospel was penetrating his heart for the first time at that moment. Like I remember being hard-hearted why I didn't care in this moment that God is changing this. That's him. All of that struck again and we're at this beautiful moment where this man is just crying and then he says this to me. He says, man, nobody's ever told me God loves me. If somebody would have just told me what you just said, I would have never tried to kill myself. And he's crying and I'm crying and I'm just watching God do some miraculous work and then that same inner knowing at that moment has confused me to this day said stop, that's enough. Nah, that can't be right, that doesn't make any sense. Like I was trained, this is when you go in for the kill. Now. We got to do the prayer and you got to repeat the things after me, so I go after stuff.

Legin:

I was taught versus like being sensitive to what god is saying in that moment and and I'm like okay, man, look, I'm so glad you're here. All you got to do now is you can have my study bible and repeat this prayer after me, and if you just confess jesus, lord say believe with your mouth. And I'm going through stuff that makes sense to do. And I watch all of that openness, just clam right up. And I never forgot that. It just shut down and he was like hey, man, I appreciate you, I'm good, thanks for that. And I'm like, no, no, listen, listen, just look, you're almost there. And he just got up and he walked out like no, bro, I'm good, I'm good. I walked away.

Legin:

And I never forgot that moment. And I think his name is Mark, or maybe that's a name I made up so I could pray for him. But I've just prayed for him since God forgive me that day for not listening to what you were saying, and I pray you sent somebody to follow up with him, to meet him. That's more obedient than I was, because I believe God's hand is on that man's life, and I prayed for him ever since I don't know where he is, never talked to him again. I hope he's well. But that reminded me just in that moment, man, that you just got to know the word for yourself and you got to follow the leading of the Lord. And you know God can and God's gospel is powerful to do all these things. So that was a long story.

Nancy Bruscher:

No, it's so good, so good. I love the part about being led and then telling you to stop and you're like no, this doesn't make sense, like why, and why would you like what? Yeah, it's so convicting to hear how God is and it's like you know you don't have to do exactly what you think you should, you just have to do what I tell you to. But it's hard when you're like I'm doing this for you, god. I'm like this is what I'm supposed to do. This is to help him know you better, and it's just really convicting for me to think about and to remember that I need to follow and not just start running and not not listen to what God's saying, to run or run too.

Legin:

We don't have to check boxes. You know what I mean. I felt like in that moment I got to check this box and do the thing and and, and I got somebody to say yes to Jesus and I'm really I hit. You know all that and it was probably more about me than it was him, maybe I don't know.

Legin:

So I do think it's important to offer that, because you never know when somebody's last day is like enter the story about my dad, but I've just learned salvation is not about me, right, and I don't have to do it in a pressure way, like I just throw it out there, like man who, if you want to put your faith in Jesus, I love to talk to you about that, like what that means and what we and what that looks like. And it's not a one day decision, it's a life Like. But if you're not, if that's not where you are today, I love you. I want to put their trust in Jesus. I don't pressure nobody, like whatever, whatever I passionately proclaim, but I'm also not not going to be pushy, just find a balance of passion and pushy. You know what I mean.

Nancy Bruscher:

Yeah, I love their question of what does that mean to you when you were asking about the cross earrings. I think that's such a really wonderful open-ended question that you could ask someone.

Legin:

I agree, man, because I keep learning to this day as a pastor and as a leader and this stuff. Like people have their own very cultural opinions of who Jesus is and what his work is for and what the cross means and what does it mean that he died for your sins? I heard a popular radio dude say the other day Jesus didn't die for your sins because you're all still sinning. So that obviously doesn't make any sense. I'm like he has no idea what he's talking about.

Legin:

All right, and then other people who make Jesus their political mascot or their cultural mascot or their racial mascot or their socioeconomic mascot, and I'm just like man, jesus I was, I was talking to, I was on the phone with Diana actually before we talked and I was like you know, if Jesus, if Jesus fits your culture, um, it's probably not Jesus, um, because Jesus is too big for your culture. He, he will, he will infiltrate your culture, he'll be incarnate in your culture. But if Jesus fits your culture and somehow he agrees with everything you think, believe and move with, then somebody's God, but it ain't him, because that ain't it. There's no culture big enough to fit the gospel. There's no culture big enough to fit the King of Kings. He creates culture and you get to submit to that, not the other way around. So I don't know where I'm on the tangent for that for, but I'm gonna stop talking because I'm on a rabbit trail.

Nancy Bruscher:

I don't know how I got here. What else that hits me so deeply about that story is that England was a very Christian nation, right, and has these beautiful cathedrals, and had a huge faith, that they went into different areas and they were going, and they were going to missions and you were in London, you weren't in a third world country and that person hadn't heard of Jesus. Hadn't heard of Jesus it breaks my heart and I worry about the United States at the same time with that.

Legin:

Yeah, you know, a year or two before we took this trip I was in, I was in Bible college and they said you know the church of. England is dying, close to dead and and this was just something they told me class and they said we are 25 years away from where they are, unless we have a drastic turn.

Nancy Bruscher:

And it was just this note. I just got shivers.

Legin:

And it was just this note of our commercialized, compartmentalized, politicized, categorized gospel. That just doesn't work and it's not biblical that we do. And we do it on the left and the right, we do it rich and the poor, we do it white and black and everybody in between. We do that. Jesus fits our box and if we're not careful, we got a box in Jesus and it's just not the Jesus of scripture or history. And and so you know, the funny thing is, the third world countries are the ones where the gospel is exploding, exploding, and they're literally sending missionaries to us because we need it, instead of missionaries to england and to and to the you and to the places where we're. We got it all. Um, you know we're losing the gospel in some places and they're sending mission and thank god for them, because I don't care. You know, I don't have any, I don't have anything to defend, like, if we need the gospel, please come and help us.

Nancy Bruscher:

Right.

Legin:

So man praise God, for you know.

Nancy Bruscher:

Yeah, if you're listening, I hope that something of this story has really impacted you and not just like, oh, that was nice, but like you were saying, like I found Jesus and then I made changes and then I did something and now I'm on like mission for him. So that's what I'm really praying for in this podcast.

Legin:

Yeah, amen, amen, me too.

Nancy Bruscher:

What is one story of how well you've probably you've already shared a couple of them, but of God showing up like a miracle only he could do? Can you think of a story with that?

Legin:

Yeah. So I left my job in 2013 to pursue independent ministry full-time. Felt like God, was very clear to my wife and I, through a series of things, that that was what we're supposed to do. She supported me. Didn't make any sense. My son was on the way and I was walking away from a salary to raise to. You know, rap and preach for Jesus on my own. Which horrible idea, very dumb.

Legin:

And and so we got started. And and God provided everything we needed. Every month, no more, no breathing room, no cushion, but just here's, here's, here's your daily bread, which was looking back. It's just miraculous that that, that the Lord of all creation would even give us anything. He's not a genie. He doesn't have to do a thing for me. He doesn't have to give me breath, let alone pay bills. So we watched that.

Legin:

But my life was hard. Like every provision was there for the minimal stuff, for the basics, but, like you know, we had health stuff in our family. My grandmother was in the hospital. Like Tia's mom was having stage four. Like everything went to hell. Like really fast, and we're just like God, like I'm stepping out on faith to do this, like all this stuff's falling apart over here. Like was I wrong? Did I miss you? We took six months of prayer and fasting Like we got counsel. I thought we were right. It's just, life was bad pressure cooker stuff and we got to one point when my car broke down. I had to take it to the shop and the little nest egg I had for backup. The plan was, if this runs out, I go get a job. That was the plan and this took me into the negative that day and I just went outside of the car shop. I looked up in the sky, tears just flowing. I remember looking straight up. So they're going sideways and I'm just like. I thought you had my back. I thought I was doing what you told me to do. I can't be a bum like my dad. I can't fail my family and I feel like I'm doing that right now. I need you to give me a sign. My grandma told me not to ask God for signs and not to test you, but I need. I need to know something or else I quit. I can't do this. I can't fail my family. Help, help.

Legin:

And before I can say amen on my, my desperate prayer, my friend DJ Noble calls me. Like the phone starts ringing in my pocket and you know, when I don't we don't talk on a regular basis, my guy, we just don't get on the phone Like we see each other once a year, maybe, maybe every two, and he just he calls me and he says hey bro, I'm not one of these weird guys, cause you know, I don't like the weird kooky Christians. You know what I mean. I don't like them, they're weird. I'm not one of these guys. So please don't think he's like. But I really feel like God told me to call you right now and say don't give up, he's got you right where he wants you. Does that mean anything to you right now? And I just start bawling.

Nancy Bruscher:

I said bro I can't talk right now.

Legin:

I'll call you back, but thank you for being obedient. And I hang up and I'm just like all right God tell me what to do, you know, and I just keep moving and the Lord just kept providing. And a month from now I'm looking at my date is the 5th of August. A month from now will be 1st of September. We'll celebrate 12 years of being full-time at this. Lord's been faithful man. So that's nobody can. You can't orchestrate that stuff. That's not coincidence. It's not coincidence, so yeah.

Nancy Bruscher:

Legend. This has been so amazing. Thank you for just really sharing and being vulnerable.

Legin:

Yes, ma'am.

Nancy Bruscher:

As we wrap up, I do like to end with these questions what is your favorite Bible verse?

Legin:

it's a first John 5, 14, 15, 14 and 15. We know, if we pray according to his will, that he hears us, and we know that if he hears us, then we have whatever we've asked of him.

Legin:

So that balances out the pray to whatever. God didn't do it. I'm mad at God stuff for me or whatever. If we pray according to his will, he hears us, and if he hears us, we know we have what we asked for. Favorite story probably John Ford, samaritan woman. Jesus breaks all these barriers social, economic, cultural, gender, racial, religious, theological, ethnic, ethics. He just breaks everything in that moment um and it's just a beautiful story it is yeah what are you?

Legin:

grateful for my family very grateful for my family. Um, my wife and I we got loving families, both raised with great, loving families, but we do have some brokenness on both sides of our families. And for us to be celebrating we're talking about 20 years of marriage next summer. We're celebrating it like a month apart.

Nancy Bruscher:

I know.

Legin:

So to be celebrating that next summer is just mind blowing to me. To have two beautiful kids who are thriving and growing well, my daughter's 15 now, my son's 12, um, and just to be, just to be able to be a husband and a dad, that's there, um, I don't know, man god I don't gotta raise nobody from the dead. For me, just that alone is the greatest miracle, and I'm, I'm, I'm forever grateful for that, that's's great.

Nancy Bruscher:

I love it. What kindness have you received or what kindness have you shown in the last week?

Legin:

I have some guys I'm taking out and discipling and spending some time with them and and I love the fact that they don't just come to me with I mean there's a relationship there where I'm, I am pouring into them, but they, they at the meeting. I mean there's a relationship there where I'm, I am pouring into them, but they, they at that meeting. They checked on me and I was allowed to while I'm in a position of leadership with them. I believe in transparent leadership.

Legin:

So I was very vulnerable about some stuff I was dealing with, you know, with wisdom, but still I'm like I most leaders feel like I can't let the people I'm leading know that I suck in this area. I had to struggle because then they don't, whatever, and I think that's faulty. I think people trust you when you're honest without abdicating your leadership. So I just told them stuff and they were there for me and that was a kindness to where I was going through some stuff that my flesh wanted me to hide and say, no, I'm here for you and I was like, ah, sure, man, this week sucked, here's some stuff. That happened and I was able to model transparent leadership for them and they were there for me and I was a great kindness in the moment I needed ministry and that was great.

Nancy Bruscher:

That was good kindness. And then do you find that shame can't grow in those areas. Then right, if you were feeling like, oh, I messed up or this didn't go well, but if you confess it or however you want to say it, share it, then there's that shame that you might have had, isn't there?

Legin:

If you receive the gift of that moment. Yes, you can, because I've done it. You can receive that gift and not hold on to what God and not grab what God is trying to give you and retain your shame because you feel?

Legin:

like you deserve it or you're familiar with it, and letting this go feels unfamiliar. So I'm actually more scared to go over there. I know how to. I know how to exist with the shame. Like one of the guys I was talking to. He was like um. I was like what I said. What's different right now? He was like living. Of the guys I was talking to, he was like um. I was like what I said. What's different right now? He was like living in the darkness is where I used to.

Nancy Bruscher:

He said I had I had an apartment there, I know how to live in the darkness.

Legin:

I know how to survive in the darkness. I know how to thrive there. He said walking out into the light feels freeing but also scared me a little bit. It kept me. It kept me in the darkness because I was like it's too too bright out there. I know this. Now I'm adjusted to this. My eyes are. I'm good here. It sucks, I know it's unhealthy, but I'm familiar. It's like I had to choose to adjust to the light and now I enjoy it and I don't want to go back.

Legin:

So I think any gift God gives you, you can say you know what that forgiveness sounds great. I know that's the right thing, but I'd rather hold on to my bitterness. I know freedom from this addiction sounds great. I know God has forgiven me and he loves me, but I didn't earn that. So I don't know. I don't understand grace, so I'd rather not receive it. You can hold on to it. But if you are in a transparent community where you're vulnerable, you're open, you're sharing, you now have the option to grab onto what God has for you. You're sharing. You now have the option to grab onto what God has for you versus isolation and keeping things to yourself. So shame can continue to grow if you let it. But the only way you can get free is to confess it, like what you're saying. That's home base. I confessed it. Now, will I receive the grace of God and walk in it? That's first base. You know what I mean. Will I receive the grace of God and walk in it? That's that's first base, you know what I mean.

Nancy Bruscher:

So, legend, this has been amazing. I think that people are going to have to go back and listen to this a few times because there was it was jam packed, so thank you, thank you for sharing.

Legin:

Yeah, anytime.

Nancy Bruscher:

We'll link all of your things on the show notes, cause I'm sure people are going to want to start following you if they don't already and listen to your music, listen to the podcast, everything.

Legin:

Thank you, thank you. Well, yeah, just hit me up. I'll send you all the things you need for all that, and if you ever need me, man, just hit me back. I'd love to come back. I love your podcast.

Nancy Bruscher:

Thank you, I appreciate it. On Ordinary People, Extraordinary Things. Your story is his glory.

Legin:

Oh, that's dope. I like that.

Nancy Bruscher:

Legend is such a dynamic speaker and I'm so glad that our family has gotten to know him. If you found a part of this podcast helpful, please share it, give it a five star or leave a comment. This podcast is also on YouTube If you'd like to watch the full interview. We are at G-E-N Nancy. In two weeks we have a brand new episode. Sarah Jade is going to join us from Australia. We'll see you then.