WHEN THE FIRST BIG BIKER ON A
LOUD HARLEY-DAVIDSON PULLED UP,
I LOOKED UP AT HIM AND I SAID,
THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO BE RIGHT
THERE.
AS A CHILD, I KNEW IT.
BILLY RIVERS' LOVE FOR MOTOR
MOTORCYCLES STARTED WHEN HE WAS
A BOY.
BY THE TIME HE WAS 17 HE STARTED
NORMAL TEENAGE DREAMS FOR A
MOTORCYCLE AND A NEEDLE FULL OF
HEROIN.
AS THE NEWNESS STARTED
WEARING OFF OF THIS, THEN I
STARTED LOOKING FOR THE DRUGS
NOT NECESSARILY FOR THE
RECREATION PART OF IT, BUT
BECAUSE MY BODY WAS TELLING ME
THAT I HAD TO HAVE IT, IT WAS MY
EVERYDAY THOUGHT.
HE WAS PART OF A NOTORIOUS
MOTORCYCLE GANG AND THOUGHT HE
HAD IT ALL.
I WAS PRETTY MUCH A SOCIAL
OUT CAST OF SOCIETY AT THAT
POINT.
AND IN THE DRUG WORLD AND IN THE
MOTORCYCLE WORLD, I WAS
ACCEPTED.
I HAD REALLY WHAT I WANTED.
ALL I HAD TO DO WAS GO STEAL AND
THE DRUGS WOULD BE THERE.
AS LONG AS I COULD STEAL ENOUGH
TO SUPPORT THAT HABIT.
AND I KNEW THAT THERE WAS
ANOTHER SIDE OF LIFE, BUT I HAD
NO IDEA HOW TO GET OUT OF THIS.
HIS LIFE OF DRUGS AND CRIME
LANDED HIM IN PRISON FOR 11
YEARS.
SO I WOULD PUT THIS PERSONA
ON THAT I AM THIS TOUGH GUY.
AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME I WAS
DOING MY BEST TO LIVE THAT
IMAGE.
BUT THE REAL BILLY WAS HID
INSIDE.
WHEN CHRISTIAN MINISTERS CAME
TO THE PRISON, BILLY SAT AND
LISTENED.
ANYTHING TO GET OUT OF HIS CELL.
BUT BELIEVING IN JESUS DIDN'T
FIT HIS IMAGE.
LIKE I TOLD ONE PREACHER, I
SAID IF I CAN'T SEE HIM AND
TOUCH HIM AND TALK TO HIM, YOU
NEVER GOING TO MAKE ME BELIEVE
THAT HE'S REAL.
HE SAID I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE UP
ON YOU, BILLY.
ONE DAY A VISITING PREACHER
PASSED BILLY'S NAME ON TO JOHN,
A CHAPTER LEADER OF THE
CHRISTIAN MOTORCYCLE
ASSOCIATION.
AND I STARTED RECEIVING MAIL,
LETTERS FROM THIS MAN, JOHN JOHN,
SAYING I DON'T KNOW YOU, BUT I
LOVE YOU.
I'M READING THESE LETTERS
SAYING, WOW, IS HE DRUNK?
WHY WOULD THIS MAN BE TELLING ME
HE LOVES ME?
I'M AN EX HEROIN ADDICT.
I'M A CONVICT.
I'M A THIEF.
I'M A LIAR.
WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD THIS MAN
BE TELLING ME HE LOVES ME?
WHEN HE WAS RELEASED FROM
PRITIOPRISON,BILLY AGREED TO REACH WITH JOHN.
JOHN SHOWED ME THE LOVE THAT
ALL THE PREACHERS HAD BEEN
TALKING ABOUT.
NOT KNOWING ME, HE OPENED HIS
WALLET UP AND PULLED OUT $60.
HE SAID, BILLY, GO BUY YOU SOME
NEW CLOTHES.
AND I SAID WHY?
WHAT DO YOU WANT IN RETURN?
HE SAID FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND
THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST.
THAT'S WHAT I WANT IN RETURN.
SOON AFTER, BILLY VISITED A
CHRISTIAN MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION
MEETING.
THE PEOPLE HE MET AMAZED HIM.
AND WHEN I WALKED UP INTO
THEIR MEETING AND SAID I'M A --
JUST GOT OUT OF PRISON, EX
HEROIN ADDICT, I WAS PERFECTLY
HONEST WITH EVERYBODY.
I'M THE LOWEST OF THE LOW.
BUT I HEARD THAT YOU PEOPLE LOVE
PEOPLE LIKE THAT.
AND THEY SAID, YEAH, WE DO.
COME ON IN.
AND WHEN ALL THESE PEOPLE KEPT
SHOWING ME THE SAME AMOUNT OF
LOVE AND EVEN MORE THAN THE NEXT
ONE AND SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, I
LOVE YOU, MAN.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU, BUT I
LOVE YOU.
I STARTED BELIEVING THIS.
AND I'M SAYING WHY ARE THESE
PEOPLE TREATING ME LIKE THIS AND
I'M SO ACCUSTOMED TO THE DRUG
WORLD.
WHY ARE THESE PEOPLE SO
DIFFERENT?
I GOT ON MY KNEES IN MY ROOM AT
HOME, CLOSED THE DOOR, BY
MYSELF, AND I SAID, LORD, MY
LIFE'S YOURS.
ALL MY LIFE I'VE KNOWN DIRT,
FILTH, STEALING AND LYING AND,
LORD, THE ONLY THING THAT
APPEALS TO ME THESE DAYS AS OF
RIGHT NOW IS YOU.
I HEAR YOU NOW, AND I CAN EVEN
TOUCH YOU BECAUSE I HAVE YOUR
LIVING WORD HERE IN MY HAND.
AND THAT'S WHEN MY LIFE CHANGED.
THE LORD USED II CRYN YANS TO
LET ME KNOW YOU'RE NOT THE SAME
ANYMORE.
I OWN YOU.
YOU'RE MINE.
I HAVE YOU UNDER MY WINGS.
I LOVE YOU.
I FORGIVE YOU OF EVERYTHING
YOU'VE EVER DONE.
OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY AND
BEHOLD ALL THINGS BECOME NEW.
AND I SAID, LORD, THAT'S ME.
BILLY LIVES A NEW LIFE TODAY.
HE STILL RIDES MOTORCYCLES, BUT
NO LONGER WITH A GANG.
HE'S THE CHAPLAIN FOR THE NEW
ORLEANS CHAPTER OF THE CHRISTIAN
MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION.
I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED
ANYTHING LIKE THIS, AND I WOULD
NEVER GIVE IT UP FOR ANYTHING
THAT I WOULD EVER EXPERIENCE.
JESUS CHRIST IS THE WAY, THE
TRUTH AND THE LIFE.
SO BEING A SERVANT TODAY FOR
JESUS CHRIST IS THE MOST WEALTHY
THING, IT'S THE MOST BLESSED
MIRACLE THAT I COULD EVER
IMAGINE IN MY LIFE.
GOD'S AWESOME.
