Hello and welcome to
Engage, I'm David Asscherick and
00:00:20.53\00:00:23.28
I'm here with my
co-host Shandra Ban.
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In the book of Acts, Acts
16 we find the story of Paul
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speaking to the
Philippine jailer.
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What he says to the
jailer is very interesting and
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I would like to
read it for you here.
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Ask 16:31, "so they said,
believe the Lord Jesus Christ,
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"and you will be saved,
you and your household."
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The Bible goes on to say
just two verses later that very
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night the jailer was
baptized and his entire family.
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Our program today is entitled
When God Saves a Family.
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We have two special guests
with us, friends of mine and
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now friends of Shandra, so
Shandra introduce us to our
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guests and we are looking
forward to a great program.
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For sure and thank you David.
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Today we have Jacob and
Nathaniel Gibbs and they have
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come from Andrews University
in Berrien Springs Michigan.
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Which one of you
is the older brother?
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- I'm older. - you're
older so since you're older
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we will let you go first.
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- you're not old
you're just older. - Ha-ha-ha!
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- tell us a little
bit about your story.
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- who is Nathaniel Gibbs?
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Will we started out,
Jacob and I, in a pretty normal
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family, just
mom, dad, and us two.
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Almost a modern day leave it to
beaver so everything was perfect
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- so not just
normal but supernormal?
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I guess what really was
going on is here is like this
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innocency going on
between Jacob and I.
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- how many years is
between the two of you?
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Three, so we are just
growing up, just having a great
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life, I don't think I knew
there was major problems until
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one day my mom was taking
me to the grocery store, and it
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is only about a five-minute
drive, and about two minutes
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into it she starts
sobbing uncontrollably.
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She pulls into the parking
lot and she is just breaking
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down and crying.
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I'm in fourth grade, mom
is crying, she is supposed to
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comfort me, I'm not
suppose to be comforting her.
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She's just sobbing and
sobbing and she finally
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gets composure and breaks
the news that dad is going to
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jail and they are
getting a divorce.
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So that's when I started
to realize that we are not
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a functional normal
family, and that happened
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at fourth grade.
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That is where everything
started to change, but you adapt
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and you get used to the
fact that you have two sets of
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Christmas, two
sets of birthday gifts.
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Dad felt guilty
and spoiled us rotten.
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I had every video game
system I wanted and you get used
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to it, I don't know Jake how
did you feel about the divorce?
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I was really too young to
understand what divorce was.
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I just know my dad kind of
looked like Santa Claus and
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he acted like Santa Claus.
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It's true, it's absolutely true.
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- I mean I appreciated the
gifts, but really growing up
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it didn't change much because
my parents maintained good
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friendship and that was a
healthy dysfunctional thing.
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So it wasn't a radical change,
but I think where the radical
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change comes into
place was in 1996.
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My mom was driving me to
an intermediate basketball
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game for junior high,
and we were in a little
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Ford strawberry red escort
and she makes a left turn like
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on a country highway or
a road and we get hit by
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a full sized Dodge pickup truck.
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The collision made the car
go kitty corner to the other
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side of the intersection.
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It made the width of the
car, almost, where the driver's
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seat was a motorcycle width.
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My dad went and saw the accident
and said that the car hit
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these trees and slid a couple
feet up where you can see the
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scrape marks as
it came back down.
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That drove us instantly into
commas.- Both you and your mom?
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Yes - you were how old
again? - I was 13. - wow!
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I was home playing video
games and what happened was
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It was back. -
playing every game available.
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Actually this was on the
computer and what would happen
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you would play on the modem
and this is when modems made
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noises and so what happens
is when people try calling
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you it would interrupt the game.
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So someone kept calling,
kept calling and I was getting
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mad because it was interrupting
my game and I was really
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whopping my friends
because you don't want to be
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interrupted during that time.
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So I end up getting the
phone and by this time dad is
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out of jail and
someone is calling for him.
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I figure you're with
somebody trying to get money,
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someone trying to get
him back into trouble,
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so I will cover for him a
lot of the time and say oh
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he is out of town
or he is not around.
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Well the person was pretty
emphatic because they kept
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calling and finally they
said you need to get a hold of
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him because your mother
and brother were in a car
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accident and you need to get
down to the hospital right now.
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So I get a hold of my dad
and he rushes over and when
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he comes into the
door my dad is crying,
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my dad doesn't cry.
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There was one time when
he was unloading a motorcycle
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and he got his thumb
stuck between the spokes and the
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fork and ripped his thumb
off and he just grabbed it and
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held onto it and walked
into the house and gritted his
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teeth and said take
me to the med Center so
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I can get it sewed back on.
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I know you're dad and he's a
tough cookie that's for sure.
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So he's bawling because He
still loved my mom, they're
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divorced and he always
admitted that was the worst
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mistake of his life, he
always said he loved her.
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She was the best woman he
ever met, but he was bawling
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because he saw the
car on the way over.
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So we rushed to the
hospital, wait for ever in the
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waiting room, Jacob gets
rolled by and he is out cold.
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But there was just him
in the bed and they were
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just wheeling him by sleeping,
but when they brought my mom
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by, it was like
she was a bionic woman.
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There's so many things
plugged into her, so many tubes,
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so many machines, they have
like 3 people wheeling her by.
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There was a person pushing
the bed, then the machine
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people were rolling machines
by and you are just like
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what! There are the screws
screwed into her and it was
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like what is going on?
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When I first saw that it
was the week after, I woke up
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a week later and they
wheel chaired me down and I had
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a tremendous headache and
I don't know what's going on.
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The nurse says you were in
a car accident and she fills
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in the whole details and
then they take me down to see
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my mom for the first time
and I kind of stand up and
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I'm shaky and I see her
kind of lifeless form almost.
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It was rocking because they
didn't want fluid to build up
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into the lungs, but my mom
was a very, very godly woman.
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Although she did not
practice all the right things,
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she was connected so at
that time I felt like God,
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if You love Your people so
much how could You do this to
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one who loves You so much?
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Now where you guys
raised in a Christian home?
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I don't know if
you mentioned that.
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We were raised in a very
traditional Christian home, in
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fact when this was going
on I was going to be confirmed
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into the church. - which church?
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The Roman Catholic
Church, so I was going to get a
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confirmation where the bishop
comes, a special ceremony.
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They called me like a
week later, two weeks later and
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asked, the bishop is coming and
we can schedule a date for you.
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I asked them, I don't know
if I believe in God anymore
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because of this car
accident and everything.
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They said that
does not matter. - No!
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I just hung up on them and
that was symbolically hanging
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up on God, I declared
myself an atheist at that point.
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If God would do this. - so
how old are you at this time?
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Jacob was 13 and I was 16.
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So you say you're ready to
get confirmed, I'm not even
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sure I believe in God, no
problem that doesn't matter?
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Yea, that's exactly what...
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That's a church, hello!
- that is what they said.
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It does not matter and so
I hung up the phone and it's
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done. - so in your
mind is like what is this?
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I'm done with Christianity
and I was hanging around with
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friends at the time that
were leaning towards that.
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When I came into it we
basically pushed all of us into
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atheism so there was a circle.
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I grew up in Grand Rapids
Michigan and it is very rare
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to have atheists in
Grand Rapids at the time.
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There is churches everywhere
and I was just with a friend
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that said man, there is a
lot of churches in this town.
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To be popular you had to be
in the Christian youth group.
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In a public high
school. - like a social.
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In fact when I was playing
football I've got threatened
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to be beat up my junior
year because I quit believing in
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God and wouldn't pray in
the guys were like I'm going
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to beat you up. I thought that's
very nice of you, very Christian
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- you will believe in
God. - or we're going to beat
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you up and it's not very Jesus
like of you and he got scared
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and didn't beat me up,
but it was that kind of almost
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a fake Christianity that
drove me even further even
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after the car accident.
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It was like perfectly
calculated to get you so I don't
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want to miss that, you
said when you saw your mom that
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something was happening there?
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I just realized that God
wasn't the same in my mind.
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Like before 13 I was, it
was like mom's God and I really
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appreciate mom's God but
then I was like how could this
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be mom's God if this
is how He treats mom?
00:09:04.53\00:09:06.86
So from that point on I didn't
make the step being atheist
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but I didn't make any
steps to get close to God.
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So I just try to find
happiness along with my brother
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through all sorts of
media type things, video games,
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movies, sports, you know I
tried to find happiness in all
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this because what happens
is I believe God was pouring
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His love through my mom
to her children. - okay!
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But when she's gone and
in a coma for three months,
00:09:31.26\00:09:34.66
there was a huge void. -
I was going to ask did mom
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make it? - yes she makes
it but there is this huge void
00:09:38.24\00:09:41.79
in my life where this love
is being poured out, it was
00:09:41.83\00:09:45.20
mom's love, it was God's
love, or whatever it was it's
00:09:45.24\00:09:48.23
gone and so I had this
empty spot in my life where
00:09:48.27\00:09:51.22
I'm trying to fill it.
00:09:51.26\00:09:52.39
So I was to the media thing,
and the sports thing trying
00:09:52.42\00:09:55.35
to find a social life at
school, junior high, and high
00:09:55.39\00:09:58.29
school just empty.
00:09:58.32\00:10:00.75
That's tough enough to
navigate anyway and now your mom
00:10:00.79\00:10:02.50
is in a coma and
your parents are divorced.
00:10:02.54\00:10:05.57
What happens here with
the family dynamic after this
00:10:05.61\00:10:08.47
accident, what happens
with mom and dad and her coming
00:10:08.51\00:10:11.33
out of the
coma? Talk about that!
00:10:11.37\00:10:12.60
Dad came back to take care
of us which is an interesting
00:10:12.64\00:10:16.09
story in itself because
he was making good money and
00:10:16.12\00:10:19.11
he could have just said
forget the situation and
00:10:19.14\00:10:22.06
find someone half his age,
he could have just left us.
00:10:22.09\00:10:24.92
But he moved back into the
house and started taking care
00:10:24.96\00:10:27.75
of us, it is not like
the movies where the person
00:10:27.79\00:10:30.23
wakes up from a coma and
everything is all fine and
00:10:30.27\00:10:33.44
maybe they have some
amnesia, it's quite the process
00:10:33.47\00:10:36.61
to get them back into the home.
00:10:36.65\00:10:38.17
There is a huge, I
think she remembered me as in
00:10:38.20\00:10:41.01
fourth or third
grade, she doesn't even
00:10:41.04\00:10:42.53
remember them being divorced.
00:10:42.57\00:10:44.43
Like that is fuzzy, so
there is this huge section wiped
00:10:44.46\00:10:47.24
out and she doesn't even
act the same anymore because it
00:10:47.28\00:10:50.32
is worse than a stroke.
00:10:50.36\00:10:52.78
She can't move her
left arm and her left leg.
00:10:52.82\00:10:55.98
You talk to her and she
can't speak as fast, it's like
00:10:56.01\00:10:59.52
this is not really mom anymore.
00:10:59.56\00:11:01.15
- this is not Hollywood. -
what does this drive you to?
00:11:01.19\00:11:03.79
This drives me farther and
for either a way from God and
00:11:03.82\00:11:06.39
my hole is even
bigger. Sure I had mom back
00:11:06.42\00:11:09.61
she woke up but there
is this hole, it's just not
00:11:09.65\00:11:14.38
being filled with anything.
00:11:14.41\00:11:15.92
I had a lot of success in
school, marching band national
00:11:15.95\00:11:19.25
champion and we ended up
being a state champion football,
00:11:19.29\00:11:22.55
so I had success and it
wasn't fulfilling anything
00:11:22.59\00:11:25.90
didn't like skateboarding got in
punk rock music, did the extreme
00:11:25.93\00:11:30.67
stuff so I was trying doing
all the successful stuff and
00:11:30.70\00:11:35.54
the crazy stuff
at the same time.
00:11:35.58\00:11:37.17
Dad gave us no curfew,
the rules got much more slack
00:11:37.20\00:11:42.00
but in an all one
positive thing that immediately
00:11:42.03\00:11:46.13
happened in a few years after,
mom and dad got remarried.
00:11:46.16\00:11:49.24
Amen, well she doesn't
even remember that they weren't
00:11:49.27\00:11:52.31
married in the first place.
00:11:52.34\00:11:53.53
She was like why it this
happening but the amazing thing
00:11:53.57\00:11:56.26
is dad could have just taken
care of the kids and gave us
00:11:56.30\00:11:59.82
money, but he came back a
remarried her and because of
00:11:59.86\00:12:03.66
the accident there is no
physical act of love making
00:12:03.69\00:12:07.46
that can take place.
00:12:07.50\00:12:08.79
So he is and I am
remarrying someone in principle
00:12:08.83\00:12:11.58
because I want to take
care of her, not because I want
00:12:11.61\00:12:14.19
some gratification
for my flesh. - wow!
00:12:14.22\00:12:16.93
So that was amazing
because he is taking care of my
00:12:16.96\00:12:19.16
family. - your
dad is an amazing man.
00:12:19.20\00:12:21.08
So he went from being a kid
and partying and doing whatever
00:12:21.12\00:12:24.39
to I'm going to
take care of my family.
00:12:24.42\00:12:27.62
So there is a turning point
in the story though because
00:12:27.65\00:12:29.92
eventually you do end
up coming back to the Lord.
00:12:29.95\00:12:32.52
Nate tell us a little bit?
00:12:32.55\00:12:33.93
- or in some case
coming to the Lord?
00:12:33.96\00:12:35.47
Well that's quite the
end process of trying to find
00:12:35.50\00:12:39.47
something for
the hole in my soul.
00:12:39.50\00:12:41.90
I found the thing that
came the closest, but was the
00:12:41.93\00:12:45.60
most deceptive was
actually a girlfriend.
00:12:45.64\00:12:48.06
When that fell through
and I got dumped right before
00:12:48.09\00:12:52.17
prom, that made
the hole even bigger.
00:12:52.20\00:12:54.60
It was like a fake covering
and when that got ripped up
00:12:54.64\00:12:58.38
I dabbled with alcohol
and marijuana and it was like
00:12:58.41\00:13:01.57
you know what, marijuana
is always there for you when
00:13:01.60\00:13:04.69
you need it and you are not
going to get dumped by marijuana
00:13:04.72\00:13:06.45
You just buy it and it's there.
00:13:06.48\00:13:08.16
So the drugs got worse
and worse to the point that
00:13:08.19\00:13:11.82
I dropped out of college
because I was making good money
00:13:11.86\00:13:16.46
and I can party and I
was like I'll go back.
00:13:16.50\00:13:19.76
What happened is I went
to Mardi Gras and I ended up
00:13:19.79\00:13:23.56
taking in the process of
partying down there I ended up
00:13:23.59\00:13:27.33
taking, an eye
dropper full of LSD.
00:13:27.36\00:13:30.62
You only need a few drops,
but I took a whole eye dropper.
00:13:30.66\00:13:32.74
I didn't even know afterwards
I hadn't realized how much
00:13:32.78\00:13:36.23
I took so I took an
eye dropper and tested it.
00:13:36.26\00:13:38.52
Every time I did it, it
always came up somewhere between
00:13:38.56\00:13:41.39
40 and 60 drops in
each drop being a hit.
00:13:41.43\00:13:44.04
So I took 40 or 60 hits and
woke up in the hospital with
00:13:44.07\00:13:47.48
temporary amnesia strapped
down because I guess I tried
00:13:47.52\00:13:50.56
attacking one of the nurses
that was trying to save my life.
00:13:50.59\00:13:53.60
What happened during
that time was very spiritual.
00:13:53.64\00:13:59.49
I had some stuff going out
of my mind where I thought it
00:13:59.53\00:14:04.23
was the devil and then.
And - because of the drugs.
00:14:04.26\00:14:07.29
Because of the drugs
messing with me so there is this
00:14:07.32\00:14:10.44
thing where I'm staring
down and this voice, very
00:14:10.47\00:14:14.05
seductive, very melodic,
a nice soothing voice saying
00:14:14.08\00:14:17.95
if you go down into this
tunnel I will make you this way.
00:14:17.99\00:14:21.82
I will give you these
powers the rest of your life.
00:14:21.86\00:14:23.77
Then this voice was very calm,
my conscious which I hadn't
00:14:23.80\00:14:29.20
heard for a while basically
was like you don't want
00:14:29.24\00:14:31.68
to do that so there was
this wrestling going on now.
00:14:31.72\00:14:34.09
I finally turned to the voice
said okay why not, why wouldn't
00:14:34.13\00:14:38.12
I want this? This is great!
00:14:38.16\00:14:39.80
And everything went black
and I am in a thinking man
00:14:39.83\00:14:43.27
position and I say these words,
I've been here 6000 years,
00:14:43.31\00:14:47.43
what's a thousand more? I have
never read the Bible, I read
00:14:47.47\00:14:51.30
Revelation like once and
read it through really quickly
00:14:51.33\00:14:55.12
and didn't comprehend a thing.
00:14:55.16\00:14:57.17
So you're not like
a biblically person?
00:14:57.21\00:14:58.68
Now this is interesting I
heard a movie about apocalyptic
00:14:58.71\00:15:02.23
stuff and wanted to
read about the four Horsemen,
00:15:02.26\00:15:04.37
just read through and it
makes no sense, and forget it.
00:15:04.40\00:15:08.88
It said this, what's 6000
years, what's a thousand more
00:15:08.91\00:15:13.36
since I have been
around for 6000 years.
00:15:13.39\00:15:15.91
That was my thought and
the next thing I see I'm
00:15:15.95\00:15:18.24
riding some monster and
fire coming down from heaven
00:15:18.28\00:15:20.54
and I am like yes
this is not what I want.
00:15:20.57\00:15:22.37
I snap out of it. - change,
reset, control auto-delete.
00:15:22.40\00:15:25.94
Oh no I'm out of here and
I wake up and I'm on trolley
00:15:25.97\00:15:28.99
tracks and there is a
trolley headed right for me and
00:15:29.03\00:15:32.17
I jump out of the way
just right when it goes by.
00:15:32.21\00:15:35.28
- now is this real life? -
this is real life. I snapped
00:15:35.32\00:15:37.96
out of it, I just get out of the
way and run into a hotel room
00:15:38.00\00:15:41.49
and get into the fetal
position and just start crying.
00:15:41.53\00:15:44.48
I don't remember much
from there, I woke up in the
00:15:44.51\00:15:46.89
hospital, temporary
amnesia, don't know where I am.
00:15:46.93\00:15:49.25
I don't even know how
to go the bathroom, I don't
00:15:49.29\00:15:51.54
remember, they say if you
go to the bathroom we will let
00:15:51.57\00:15:53.83
you go and I couldn't remember
how to go to the bathroom.
00:15:53.86\00:15:56.81
Because you had so much
substance in you, you're done?
00:15:56.85\00:15:59.38
I was just done. - you
checked out. - I'm starting to
00:15:59.42\00:16:02.93
repeat stuff and they
basically say we can help you.
00:16:02.97\00:16:06.14
I'm like really, so I
wish I would've figured it out
00:16:06.18\00:16:09.32
because getting a
catheter in you is not fun.
00:16:09.35\00:16:11.96
So that's the kind of
help you were talking about?
00:16:11.99\00:16:15.63
We'll help you go to the
bathroom and then I was able to
00:16:15.67\00:16:19.20
leave, just walk out of the
hospital, never paid for it,
00:16:19.23\00:16:22.66
I just walked out and went
to my hotel room and laid there
00:16:22.70\00:16:26.09
and tell my friends came.
00:16:26.13\00:16:27.10
My friends were,
where have you been?
00:16:27.11\00:16:29.07
Oh I was in the hospital
and I had the band you know.
00:16:29.11\00:16:32.98
I thought was great but deep
inside I don't think I could
00:16:33.02\00:16:36.86
party much harder than
this and I still feel empty.
00:16:36.89\00:16:40.10
How about still stay
alive? - yeah that's true too.
00:16:40.13\00:16:43.27
But that's like you are at
the brink there realistically.
00:16:43.31\00:16:46.94
So Jacob where are
you at in all of this?
00:16:46.98\00:16:49.00
From 13 like I said
before I was in the media and
00:16:49.04\00:16:53.70
then I got into drugs.
00:16:53.73\00:16:54.95
- were you following
your older brother's lead?
00:16:54.99\00:16:57.87
I actually experimented before
him and then we did it together.
00:16:57.91\00:17:02.89
He went of course
faster downhill than I did.
00:17:02.93\00:17:06.11
So when he was,
how old were you? - 20.
00:17:06.15\00:17:11.64
20, I was about 17, a
junior in high school.
00:17:11.68\00:17:14.47
I sort of sense in my
brother there were some real
00:17:14.50\00:17:19.47
bad issues going on.
00:17:19.50\00:17:20.84
I was on a summer trip, I was
on a canoe trip and I was up and
00:17:20.87\00:17:27.10
down with God, sometimes I
would believe because things
00:17:27.13\00:17:30.21
were going wrong, and
since things were going wrong in
00:17:30.25\00:17:33.29
Nate's life I said
God, just help him out.
00:17:33.32\00:17:35.62
Little did I know God answered
my prayer on this random
00:17:35.66\00:17:39.92
canoe trip because when
I got back home he had some
00:17:39.95\00:17:43.83
sort of weird invitation
to some weird meeting.
00:17:43.86\00:17:47.70
I'll let him share that.
00:17:47.74\00:17:49.84
Well what happened was I
was trying to find help at any
00:17:49.87\00:17:54.91
way possible and I
ended up going back to church.
00:17:54.95\00:17:58.24
While there. - the
Catholic Church? - the Catholic
00:17:58.28\00:18:01.50
Church, I went to Mass and
when the priests talked as if
00:18:01.54\00:18:05.55
the peanuts cartoons
where it goes wa-wa-wa-wa-wa and
00:18:05.59\00:18:09.29
I am sitting here, I can
still comprehend things and get
00:18:09.33\00:18:12.96
straight A's and I'm like
this is not good, where is God.
00:18:12.99\00:18:16.59
I prayed God if you
exist show me the way.
00:18:16.62\00:18:18.99
A few days later I get
back from work, because I work
00:18:19.02\00:18:21.70
third shift, I'm clicking
through channels and there is
00:18:21.73\00:18:24.61
a knock on the door, I
opened it and I get blasted by
00:18:24.65\00:18:27.46
these two happy girls. Do, do,
do, do - I know those two girls.
00:18:27.49\00:18:31.33
- they're twirling their
hair and I was like going
00:18:31.36\00:18:33.94
whoa, I'm not ready for
this. - like super bubbly,
00:18:33.97\00:18:36.48
ya-ya-ya-ya okay. - I'm
like oh no and I'm trying to get
00:18:36.52\00:18:40.97
rid of them as fast as
possible and I realized it was
00:18:41.00\00:18:45.42
religious but I took
it as something local and
00:18:45.46\00:18:48.15
I knew what the
local religion offered and
00:18:48.19\00:18:50.85
I didn't want
anything to do with that.
00:18:50.89\00:18:52.61
But the guy in the back his
name is Jason and he grabbed
00:18:52.64\00:18:55.77
the flier and shoves it
into my personal space and
00:18:55.80\00:18:59.66
I grab it and he says
what's it going to hurt?
00:18:59.69\00:19:02.75
And I said I have my
own church and I slammed
00:19:02.78\00:19:05.81
the door in his face.
00:19:05.84\00:19:07.34
In that process the voice came
back that I had heard before,
00:19:07.38\00:19:11.02
just basically my
conscience speaking to me.
00:19:11.05\00:19:13.51
Read the flier, read the flier.
00:19:13.55\00:19:15.40
I wrestled with it and
threw down three times and every
00:19:15.44\00:19:18.37
time I would pick it up it would
even more, drawing me more.
00:19:18.40\00:19:21.59
Like I would read the speaker
at what happened to be this
00:19:21.63\00:19:25.28
guy in a punk rock band,
and he used to have crazy hair
00:19:25.32\00:19:29.09
and a lot of the stuff,
I was atheist and of course
00:19:29.13\00:19:32.37
that was you and I was
wondering why he was wearing
00:19:32.41\00:19:35.62
a suit holding a Bible?
00:19:35.66\00:19:37.30
- don't throw down. - I
threw down and then the topics
00:19:37.34\00:19:40.18
intrigued me, If God Is so
Good Why Is the World so Bad?
00:19:40.21\00:19:42.93
Why Are There so Many
Denominations? And then even the
00:19:42.97\00:19:45.66
Mark of the Beast and some
of that scary stuff that is all
00:19:45.69\00:19:48.35
over the media right
now, movies about it.
00:19:48.38\00:19:51.05
If God Is Real We
Need to Know What That Is.
00:19:51.09\00:19:53.69
All right God if You
exist send me back the guy by
00:19:53.73\00:20:00.37
himself and have him
take me to the meetings.
00:20:00.41\00:20:01.94
- the guy that
just knocked and shoved
00:20:01.98\00:20:03.63
the paper in
your personal space?
00:20:03.67\00:20:05.26
Where the meetings
starting that night?
00:20:05.29\00:20:06.70
No it is two weeks into
the meetings, so it wasn't
00:20:06.74\00:20:09.41
even the meetings were the
14th or 15th night into the
00:20:09.45\00:20:11.87
meeting so I would sit
back on my porch, I'm waiting,
00:20:11.91\00:20:14.38
I sold the world's finest
chocolate before and you just
00:20:14.41\00:20:16.50
go down the street and get
your quota and can go home.
00:20:16.53\00:20:18.59
So I'm thinking they're
gone, God doesn't exist.
00:20:18.62\00:20:20.77
I'm about to go back into
the house when I look back and
00:20:20.81\00:20:24.43
say God I knew You didn't
exist and then he is walking
00:20:24.47\00:20:27.61
back down by himself, he
takes me to the meetings.
00:20:27.64\00:20:30.75
- so he does come
back? - he does come back.
00:20:30.78\00:20:33.09
He brings you to the
meetings I remember what
00:20:33.13\00:20:35.16
you look like, I wish
we had a picture but anyway
00:20:35.20\00:20:37.20
keep going, keep going?
00:20:37.24\00:20:38.29
I actually looked for pictures
and can't find too many.
00:20:38.33\00:20:40.68
Some going to the
meetings and midway through it
00:20:40.72\00:20:43.34
I'm totally, like the
stuff is going over my head.
00:20:43.37\00:20:45.84
But I knew there were
something special about them.
00:20:45.87\00:20:48.36
They were starting to
talk about the Catholic Church
00:20:48.39\00:20:50.85
and stuff and I'm like
what's wrong with that?
00:20:50.88\00:20:52.61
Oh, we need to catch you up.
00:20:52.65\00:20:54.42
So they give me a tape
on the prophecy of Daniel
00:20:54.45\00:20:57.94
Chapter 2 and I listen to
that and I was into history
00:20:57.97\00:21:01.32
and I'm thinking,
this is impossible.
00:21:01.35\00:21:05.29
God exists. - I had
the exact same response.
00:21:05.33\00:21:08.73
So I rewind it and listen
to it five times that day.
00:21:08.77\00:21:11.31
I came back to the meetings
and they were like here's
00:21:11.34\00:21:14.63
the next night, no, no, no
give me all 14 or 13 and in
00:21:14.66\00:21:17.91
two days I listen to
them all and got caught up.
00:21:17.95\00:21:20.46
Then after going to the
meetings for two weeks I was
00:21:20.50\00:21:24.33
baptized. - Amen. -
hallelujah and I have to tell
00:21:24.37\00:21:28.02
you this, he's coming to
the meetings in a Hearse.
00:21:28.05\00:21:31.64
- I know - I can remember
you and you came in with a
00:21:31.68\00:21:34.89
young lady, was it like a
girl that came occasionally?
00:21:34.93\00:21:38.10
It was a girl I
would hang out with.
00:21:38.14\00:21:39.26
- and you looked like
me, you were a punk rock kid.
00:21:39.30\00:21:40.48
We were going to the meetings.
00:21:40.52\00:21:42.27
- and you get hallelujah, that's
all I can say is hallelujah.
00:21:42.31\00:21:46.33
So I tried witnessing to my
friends and to my family and
00:21:46.36\00:21:49.21
made so many mistakes.
00:21:49.25\00:21:51.60
You came back by to visit
and I asked you where you went
00:21:51.63\00:21:54.26
to school and I applied
there and you made a phone call
00:21:54.30\00:21:57.30
and basically three
months later I'm trained to give
00:21:57.34\00:22:00.59
people Bible studies. -
your whole life has taken.
00:22:00.62\00:22:03.80
So I am in Atlanta and my
dad calls me up and he spoiled
00:22:03.83\00:22:09.85
me and gave me
whenever I wanted.
00:22:09.89\00:22:11.25
He asked me what you
want, anything you could
00:22:11.28\00:22:14.53
have, what do you want?
Just go to these meetings.
00:22:14.57\00:22:16.96
This is another year
later? - a year later.
00:22:17.00\00:22:20.57
You said bring
mom to these meetings.
00:22:20.61\00:22:23.53
Yeah bring mom to
these meetings bring mom and
00:22:23.56\00:22:25.26
I'm thinking he won't,
he won't get converted.
00:22:25.29\00:22:26.87
- you probably should
set a little context here,
00:22:26.91\00:22:28.45
dad is a tough big biker dude.
00:22:28.49\00:22:31.57
When he says he
looks like Santa Claus,
00:22:31.61\00:22:32.77
you're not kidding.
Big beard, big boy, Harley.
00:22:32.81\00:22:35.71
Jacob even told me - in
his day he had an zz top beard
00:22:35.75\00:22:39.98
his beard combed and was into
the drug life so he was rough.
00:22:40.01\00:22:45.28
Jake remember what you told me?
00:22:45.31\00:22:47.41
Pretty much I said you may
get mom and she may join your
00:22:47.44\00:22:51.78
religion, you may get me
but you will never get dad.
00:22:51.81\00:22:56.11
- so dad says what you
want for your birthday?
00:22:56.15\00:22:59.31
He say what you want for
your birthday and take mom
00:22:59.35\00:23:01.32
to the meetings and you can
sit in the back row and play
00:23:01.35\00:23:03.25
handheld solitaire, one of
those little computer games.
00:23:03.29\00:23:06.52
I just knew mom needed these
meetings, well his solitary
00:23:06.56\00:23:09.77
game broke and the fans up
front and he was sweating so
00:23:09.81\00:23:12.99
he ends up sitting in the
front row and I get a phone call
00:23:13.02\00:23:15.47
a week later, my Pastor
says hey, I just visited with
00:23:15.50\00:23:17.91
your father and he's
going to get baptized.
00:23:17.95\00:23:19.53
So mom and dad a year
later are baptized Seventh-day
00:23:19.56\00:23:22.66
Adventist Christians.
- Amen. - okay so let me
00:23:22.70\00:23:26.32
just pick my jaw up
off the ground here.
00:23:26.36\00:23:27.94
So where is Jake in
this? Are you yet baptized?
00:23:27.98\00:23:30.73
No, no I was
avoiding Nate at all costs.
00:23:30.77\00:23:33.64
Like whenever Nate would corner
me in the room he would have
00:23:33.67\00:23:36.85
his Bible open and would be
sharing with me things from the
00:23:36.89\00:23:40.04
Bible and I am uncomfortable,
I don't want to be here,
00:23:40.07\00:23:44.17
I'd rather go with my
friends and get high so I can
00:23:44.21\00:23:48.27
stop this God nonsense.
00:23:48.31\00:23:50.61
But he would share Daniel 2
and once he shared that with me
00:23:50.64\00:23:55.06
if God could predict the
future I'm sure He could take
00:23:55.09\00:23:58.69
care of me. - so the same
prophecy that so ministered
00:23:58.73\00:24:02.29
to you, you are
now sharing with him?
00:24:02.33\00:24:04.03
Like he shared everything,
everything, like if the church
00:24:04.06\00:24:07.84
had 400 beliefs I
would have had it covered.
00:24:07.87\00:24:10.63
But what happens is like
when my dad gets baptized
00:24:10.66\00:24:13.92
I'm like oh no,
because of what I said to him.
00:24:13.95\00:24:17.14
I went to the baptism, I
wouldn't go to Nate's baptism
00:24:17.17\00:24:21.27
but I would go to my dad's
baptism because what he did for
00:24:21.30\00:24:25.05
us as a family was very
good and so I honored him.
00:24:25.09\00:24:29.12
I think Daniel made a
call, - that was your Pastor?
00:24:29.16\00:24:33.16
Not your Pastor but the Pastor.
00:24:33.19\00:24:35.01
God like put a call to me and it
just seemed like all of heaven
00:24:35.04\00:24:41.83
was looking at me and I
refused, and once I refused then
00:24:41.86\00:24:45.49
I went deeper and deeper
into the world of just darkness
00:24:45.52\00:24:49.11
and blackness because I
was trying to cover up that
00:24:49.14\00:24:53.06
voice that God was
speaking that He was calling me.
00:24:53.10\00:24:56.98
- that small still voice.
00:24:57.01\00:24:58.25
I was doing whatever I could
to make a brick wall around
00:24:58.29\00:25:02.36
me but what happens is I
watch my family for a year after
00:25:02.40\00:25:06.99
this and I see my brother he
was overweight and depressed.
00:25:07.02\00:25:11.57
I see my dad who had a
hard life, his dad died when
00:25:11.61\00:25:16.62
he was 14, and his mom died
of cancer and he has to deal
00:25:16.65\00:25:19.86
with this dysfunctional
family and he is happy now.
00:25:19.89\00:25:24.42
- you're beginning to see your
family and don't recognize them.
00:25:24.46\00:25:26.94
They are happy and this
is something that I want.
00:25:26.97\00:25:28.54
Who doesn't want to
be happy in this world?
00:25:28.58\00:25:31.44
I sense in my brother and
his friends and the church
00:25:31.47\00:25:35.54
people they are always
happy and nice and talking.
00:25:35.57\00:25:39.58
My friends are just bitter
and I realize this is what
00:25:39.61\00:25:43.55
I want, and a year later I went
to a party and I was like at
00:25:43.58\00:25:47.18
this critical point of thinking
about God all the time and
00:25:47.22\00:25:51.97
I took some substances
that really maybe lose control.
00:25:52.01\00:25:56.69
I really had a bad trip and
at this moment I felt like I was
00:25:56.73\00:26:01.74
losing it all and I said
God if You could help me with
00:26:01.77\00:26:04.60
my drug problem I'll follow
You for the rest of my life.
00:26:04.63\00:26:07.48
At that very moment He
got rid of all my drug habits,
00:26:07.52\00:26:10.71
my withdrawals and I
woke up the next morning just
00:26:10.74\00:26:13.90
I really wanted to serve God.
00:26:13.93\00:26:16.51
It was almost instantaneous?
- this part of my life
00:26:16.55\00:26:20.37
this was a stumbling block
that was keeping me from God.
00:26:20.40\00:26:23.26
God removed it so I could
go straight. - praise God.
00:26:23.29\00:26:26.67
Were you could go there
Shandra? So you're converted
00:26:26.70\00:26:30.01
your obviously in full ministry
and sharing the 400 fundamental
00:26:30.04\00:26:33.55
beliefs and now you
are converted and so what
00:26:33.58\00:26:37.58
are you two doing now? I
mean now, I'm talking right now?
00:26:37.62\00:26:40.53
Where are you and
what are you doing?
00:26:40.56\00:26:42.56
Right now, well what happened
is Jacob went back to school
00:26:42.59\00:26:46.40
and I was like no Jacob is
going to beat me getting my
00:26:46.43\00:26:49.62
education, well he'll only
be made by year so I went back
00:26:49.66\00:26:52.78
so we are both going to Andrews
University to learn theology and
00:26:52.82\00:26:58.24
and to be able to minister
and have more doors open.
00:26:58.27\00:27:01.38
The last nine years I have
been doing the work Sharing
00:27:01.41\00:27:04.48
but I was like you know
I want to do something more
00:27:04.52\00:27:08.25
advanced so that is what
we decided to do is to go to
00:27:08.29\00:27:11.99
Andrews University
and get our education.
00:27:12.02\00:27:13.79
So you are both
studying theology?
00:27:13.82\00:27:15.20
I'm studying
theology and I'm studying art.
00:27:15.24\00:27:17.76
Art has been one of my
passions all my life and I want
00:27:17.80\00:27:21.38
to combine theology and
art to reach that community
00:27:21.42\00:27:24.63
because I don't know if
really the Christian Church has
00:27:24.66\00:27:28.29
good avenues into the art
ministry, art minded people.
00:27:28.32\00:27:32.30
I would like to develop
some sort of ministry to reach
00:27:32.33\00:27:36.28
these
alternative thinking people.
00:27:36.31\00:27:38.79
And I will tell you what I
think Nathan is going in up
00:27:38.83\00:27:42.19
doing, he is going to be
professor Gibbs in the not too
00:27:42.22\00:27:45.49
distant future, When God
Saves a Family, is the title
00:27:45.53\00:27:48.67
of our program, God has
saved both of you and He saved
00:27:48.71\00:27:51.82
you to help save others.
00:27:51.85\00:27:53.15
Thank you so much for
having join us today and what an
00:27:53.19\00:27:56.60
amazing testimony, send
us an e-mail: engage@3abn.org
00:27:56.63\00:28:00.01
and thank God
for what He has done
00:28:00.04\00:28:01.89
in the life of this family.
00:28:01.92\00:28:03.26