¤ ¤
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¤ I want to spend my
life mending broken people ¤
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¤ I want to spend
my life removing pain ¤
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¤ Lord let my words
heal a heart that hurts ¤
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¤ I want to spend my
life mending broken people ¤
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¤ ¤
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Hello friends and welcome to
3ABN Today. I'm your host Ryan
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Day. It's a blessing to have all
of you as always. You are our
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family, you're our friends
from all around the world and we
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wouldn't be here, this ministry
wouldn't exist if it wasn't for
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the blessing that God works
through you to make this network
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and this ministry a reality.
We thank you so much for your
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love, for your prayers and
continued support of the Three
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Angels Broadcasting Network.
Today we have a very, very
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special program because we're
going to be hearing a powerful
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life-changing story, a personal
testimony that is going to I
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believe bless millions of people
and we're also going to be
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hearing of this individual who
we have with us. He's an author,
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he's a preacher, he's a pastor,
he's a minister for the Lord.
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We have in the house with
us Pastor Keith Trumbo. It's
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always a blessing to have
you and I say always a blessing
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because this isn't your first
time. It's been a little while
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but you've been
here before, right?
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That's correct. I've
been on 3ABN once before.
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Uh-huh, praise the Lord. Well
it's good to have you. You're
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going to be sharing with us
today your personal testimony of
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how God has transformed your
life and also how God is using
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you in ministry to bless many,
many others across the world.
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But Pastor before we get into
your story we are going to be
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blessed by a beautiful musical
number that's going to be
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brought to us by my good friends
Farrah Barry and Tim Parton and
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they're going to be
bringing us the beautiful song,
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Be Still My Soul.
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¤ ¤
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Amen. Thank you so much, Farrah
and Tim for the blessed music,
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Be Still My Soul. I love that
tune. A beautiful song indeed.
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Thank you guys so much for your
gifts and for your talents. And
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thank the Lord, Praise God for
the gift that He has given you.
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Pastor Keith Trumbo, such a
blessing to have you here my
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brother. A pastor from the
Georgia-Cumberland Conference
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and you're stationed I guess
Knoxville, Tennessee is where
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God has you.
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That's correct,
Knoxville, Tennessee.
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All right, praise the Lord. Well
you know what, before we get
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right into your story and I know
you have a powerful, powerful
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testimony and I'm kind of on the
edge of my seat just waiting to
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hear all the details because
while I have not heard all of
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your story I'm going to be,
along with our listeners today,
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hearing all of it for the first
time in its completeness but I
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kind of read some bullet points
of how God has led you from
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where you once were to where you
now are today and it is just...I
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can't wait. I'm excited to hear
it. But tell us a little bit
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about yourself, where you're
from, a little bit of your
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background.
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Well I was born and raised
in the Midwest in Carthage,
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Missouri. That's just a small
town about 100 miles to the
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south of Kansas City, Missouri.
But I lived in Kansas City,
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Missouri, also Des Moines,
Iowa. After graduation from high
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school primarily lived in the
south of Texas, Florida, North
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Carolina and South Carolina,
and of course now, Tennessee.
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Mm-mmm. You're a musician.
You're going to tell us a little
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bit about your past as a
musician. Obviously, you're a
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pastor, a minister, you're an
author, which we're going to be
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learning in this program today
some books that you can have for
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yourself and be able to share
with others. We're going to be
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telling you more about this as
we develop the message for today
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But I want to get right
into this because I want to take
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every second, every minute that
we can to hear the fullness of
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your story because it's just
a powerful, powerful testimony.
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So let's begin with your past.
Let's start with Pastor Keith
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Trumbo before he was Pastor
Keith Trumbo. Let's talk about
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Keith Trumbo the man before
Christ. Develop with us and tell
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us a little bit about who
you were back then and some of
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your experiences before
Christ came into your life.
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Well I became a Christian when
I was 27 years old. I became a
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Seventh-day Adventist Christian
when I was 27 years old. Before
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that I was nothing. I had zero
interest in going to church. I
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had zero interest in praying,
I never read the Bible. I read
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John 3:16 in the Bible for the
first time when I was 27 years
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old. Never picked up the Bible.
You know just had no interest
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I kind of describe my life
as driving down the road of life
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with a giant coffee in one hand
you know the 32-ounce you know.
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That big coffee. And then a big
chocolate doughnut in the other
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driving with my knees and I've
got the accelerator all the way
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to the floor because I'm flying
down the road of life. But you
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know it was interesting in
my experience what I realized is
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that while I was flying down the
road of life I was only in first
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gear. And what Jesus helped
me understand is when you've got
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the accelerator to the floor,
you're in first gear, it sounds
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like you're going somewhere
but I found out I was not going
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anywhere. I was going nowhere
but the great roar of the engine
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driving down the road of life
captured my attention and made
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me feel like I was something.
Maybe feel I was a very driven
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individual. Still driven to work
for Jesus, you know, driven in
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the right direction. But my life
was really focused around music.
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All of my friends were musicians
I had a friend that started a
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recording studio in Athens,
Georgia, it's still there today.
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My whole life was focused around
playing the guitar and when I
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was just 17 years old I had the
privilege of playing in a master
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class with a classical guitarist
by the name of Christopher
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Parkening. And so that was a
great opportunity that kind of
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opened the door for me to get
contacts in the music industry
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and look at a career in
the music industry playing the
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classical guitar.
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So you said at the age of 17
that happened. At what age did
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you start playing the guitar?
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Oh I started playing the guitar
about 12 and I had played the
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piano for several years before
that as well. So I had a strong
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music background and...
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Was your background more
classical, was it more secular,
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was it...what was your
background in terms of style?
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It was interesting because I
had been playing the piano, the
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classical music on the piano
just like most people you know
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learn and so it just seemed
natural to play classical music
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on the guitar. And so I started
immediately when I learned how
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to play the guitar with learning
how to play classical music to
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read notes and so forth. In fact
it was interesting because I
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never learned how to play by
ear. You know most guitarists
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and especially musicians
you know they've got a great ear
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and they hear something and they
can play it. Well I learned how
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to play the guitar and was a
musician that always read music
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always reading music. So that
was kind of a disadvantage I
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guess in some ways.
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But it can also be an advantage
because those people who can't
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play by notation but play by ear
sometimes they're limited to be
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able to play styles and in
a sophisticated way that is
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notated. (Right) So yeah.
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So I would practice, oh easily
six hours a day. If I had a gig
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or something I could be playing
the guitar eight hours a day
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easily easy every day. And
from having a master class with
00:11:50.77\00:11:56.01
Christopher Parkening I had
a series of master classes with
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another well-known guitarist
named Pepe Romero and that was
00:12:00.25\00:12:03.89
in Houston, Texas. And that
really helped me to solidify
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more of my technique and you
know give me more of a direction
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I was studying with a student
of Pepe's at that time and you
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know just had some really
interesting experiences as a
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musician you know playing for
a concert artist like that and
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getting input from him about
how to play and how to perform
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and what music to focus on
and what technique to focus on.
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Pepe Romero is well renowned for
his technique and he passed that
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along to me which I'm
very grateful for which I still
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utilize today in practice and in
my approach to the guitar. But
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from the master classes that
I had I was at the University of
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Missouri in Kansas City, there's
a conservatory of music studied
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with a guitarist by the
name of Douglas Neidt and then I
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transferred from there to
the University of Georgia and
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studied with a man by the
name of John Sutherland who had
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studied with Segovia and so
it was quite a journey. But as I
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was studying the guitar at the
University of Georgia I was also
00:13:19.93\00:13:23.97
playing out in Atlanta, Georgia
and pretty soon I was playing
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out guitar more than I was doing
school. And so you can imagine
00:13:28.24\00:13:32.17
in my early 20s you know go
to Atlanta and play guitar or
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University of Georgia homework
and school. You know which was
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more appealing?
00:13:40.68\00:13:42.02
So you're saying playing out.
for those of you who may not
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understand that language
you were actually outperforming
00:13:43.52\00:13:47.19
live in front of audiences in
Atlanta at different gigs that
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you would come upon.
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That's right. Most of what
I did would be performing at a
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restaurant or hotels lobbies and
so forth. I played at a Hilton
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Hotel for over a year. You know
it was things like that. It was
00:14:05.97\00:14:09.84
really just getting...that kind
of performance was getting paid
00:14:09.88\00:14:14.18
to practice. You know so it
was in the corner just kind of
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providing background music. But
I enjoyed it and you could do
00:14:17.45\00:14:21.49
well, you could make some money
between teaching and performing
00:14:21.52\00:14:26.13
the classical guitar. I was with
a talent agency in Atlanta and
00:14:26.16\00:14:30.53
they kept me busy with a lot
of performing opportunities you
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know so I was well on my
way. I'd left the University of
00:14:36.40\00:14:38.97
Georgia and just played out
in Atlanta. And You know after
00:14:39.01\00:14:43.48
quite a while after a couple of
years of just playing classical
00:14:43.51\00:14:46.95
guitar mixing it up with other
musicians I got the opportunity
00:14:46.98\00:14:51.05
to play in a fusion band and so
I started playing the electric
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guitar, you know a lot of time
practicing and playing a jazz
00:14:55.92\00:15:00.30
fusion and had some just
incredible experiences playing
00:15:00.33\00:15:04.27
with some really real high
caliber musicians. It was a
00:15:04.30\00:15:08.10
really great opportunity.
00:15:08.14\00:15:09.47
So you started playing electric
guitar with more of a like a
00:15:09.50\00:15:12.21
classical rock band or what kind
of style was this particular
00:15:12.24\00:15:15.14
band?
00:15:15.18\00:15:16.61
It was using classical technique
on the guitar playing in a jazz
00:15:16.64\00:15:20.72
fusion. That was the first band
that I really was in. I left
00:15:20.75\00:15:25.19
Atlanta and moved to North
Carolina where I joined another
00:15:25.22\00:15:30.16
band which was a rock band and
I think you might have a picture
00:15:30.19\00:15:34.83
yeah, that's us. That's me with
the sunglasses. I actually did
00:15:34.86\00:15:41.07
have hair. I can
prove it you know. So.
00:15:41.10\00:15:44.11
Oh man, that's awesome.
00:15:44.14\00:15:46.88
Well basically with that group,
we called ourselves New World
00:15:46.91\00:15:49.18
we spent a lot of time...We
rented a warehouse and so we
00:15:49.21\00:15:53.01
spent a lot of time just
practicing till all hours of the
00:15:53.05\00:15:56.12
morning, you know, a lot of
drinking, carrying on and so
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forth, that type of thing, a
musicians lifestyle but you know
00:15:59.89\00:16:03.99
we were able to write a lot
of songs and record them in our
00:16:04.03\00:16:09.26
warehouse. We got to the point
where we wanted to record a demo
00:16:09.30\00:16:12.73
So we went over to my friend's
studio in Athens, Georgia and
00:16:12.77\00:16:18.34
recorded a demo and then
we started shopping that demo
00:16:18.37\00:16:21.44
around to see if anybody would
have an interest. Now at that
00:16:21.48\00:16:24.38
time in the music industry
you could actually get a music
00:16:24.41\00:16:27.05
contract. You know, today it's
very, very different. So we were
00:16:27.08\00:16:31.45
looking to get a music contract.
And so I sent demos and
00:16:31.49\00:16:36.29
information about our group to
you know as many places, as many
00:16:36.32\00:16:40.63
places as I could and one music
attorney actually returned the
00:16:40.66\00:16:46.63
phone call, gave us a phone call
We went to meet with this music
00:16:46.67\00:16:49.34
attorney who was in North
Carolina and he had a long list
00:16:49.37\00:16:53.21
of people, professional
musicians that he'd worked with
00:16:53.24\00:16:55.81
famous professional musicians
that he'd worked with. And he
00:16:55.84\00:16:59.48
said that he could get us a
music contract but he wanted to
00:16:59.51\00:17:04.49
rerecord our demo. But you know
what even with that kind of an
00:17:04.52\00:17:08.62
opportunity where it was what
we were seeking, it was what we
00:17:08.66\00:17:11.29
were wanting to do. That was our
goal to get a music contract and
00:17:11.33\00:17:14.50
here somebody's saying hey you
know I can help you with that
00:17:14.53\00:17:17.83
goal. Our lives were so chaotic
we were not focused enough to be
00:17:17.87\00:17:24.84
able to go and rerecord that
demo. We just couldn't get it
00:17:24.87\00:17:28.08
done. In fact, the band broke
up soon after that. It's just so
00:17:28.11\00:17:34.48
common you know. It's very
common. You know we had the four
00:17:34.52\00:17:39.82
of us. The lead singer
especially was very talented but
00:17:39.85\00:17:43.86
he was also very talented at
drinking alcohol. It was just a
00:17:43.89\00:17:50.00
something that you know we
didn't mind, we were all into
00:17:50.03\00:17:54.84
that same type of a partying
scene. But you can't live that
00:17:54.87\00:18:00.01
lifestyle and be
focused and get things done.
00:18:00.04\00:18:04.35
Be successful, be yeah driven.
00:18:04.38\00:18:05.91
Now you think you are. You think
you got your act together and
00:18:05.95\00:18:09.02
you think that a night partying
is just a reward, "reward" so to
00:18:09.05\00:18:13.66
speak for you know for doing
a good job. You earned that. You
00:18:13.69\00:18:17.09
deserve a break. You know so.
But we just could not keep our
00:18:17.13\00:18:21.66
act together long enough to
fulfill that opportunity that
00:18:21.70\00:18:26.84
was given to us. And that's
a pretty rare opportunity. It
00:18:26.87\00:18:29.64
really was. (Of course it is,
yeah) And that was part of what
00:18:29.67\00:18:36.31
really got my attention about
not looking at Christianity. I
00:18:36.34\00:18:39.25
was still absolutely not
interested in Christianity. That
00:18:39.28\00:18:42.18
was not something I was looking
for. But I kept saying to myself
00:18:42.22\00:18:46.49
there's got to be a better way
to live. Now that better way to
00:18:46.52\00:18:50.23
live didn't mean giving up
anything I was doing. I was
00:18:50.26\00:18:54.16
absolutely okay with all
those things. I wasn't trying to
00:18:54.20\00:18:58.40
change. I was looking for
success, money. You know I was
00:18:58.43\00:19:03.30
looking to join another group
or just after the band broke up
00:19:03.34\00:19:09.38
I was just kind of in neutral,
kind of looking for what's my
00:19:09.41\00:19:14.52
next opportunity. Where am
I going to go next, what am I
00:19:14.55\00:19:15.88
going to do? But because I
was open that was when I met
00:19:15.92\00:19:22.06
somebody who offered to give
me Bible studies. And I tell you
00:19:22.09\00:19:26.70
what it was so wild that I said
yes. You know I still remember
00:19:26.73\00:19:33.00
that. I can't hardly believe yes
came out of my mouth. But you
00:19:33.03\00:19:36.84
see I had a relationship with
the person that asked me. At
00:19:36.87\00:19:40.54
that time after the band broke
up I was working for a friend of
00:19:40.58\00:19:44.08
mine who started a manufacturing
company in the music industry
00:19:44.11\00:19:49.85
and I was just working sales
trying to get his product out
00:19:49.88\00:19:51.22
and so forth. And I also would
sell things at a flea market,
00:19:51.25\00:19:56.52
you know guitars I had and other
equipment, you know started
00:19:56.56\00:20:01.03
selling it off to make money.
And you could do pretty well at
00:20:01.06\00:20:05.13
the flea market in North
Carolina at this time you know
00:20:05.17\00:20:07.87
it was okay. So between my
part-time job helping my friend
00:20:07.90\00:20:11.87
and the music industry and
the flea market that I did well.
00:20:11.91\00:20:15.14
Well this person kept coming
by my flea market booth every
00:20:15.18\00:20:19.51
Sunday and he would sit on the
tailgate of my pickup truck and
00:20:19.55\00:20:22.78
he would just talk to me. And we
became friends and you know it
00:20:22.82\00:20:26.65
was really interesting because
at that time you know I was 27
00:20:26.69\00:20:30.13
but he was 57. It's not like
somebody who was my same age.
00:20:30.16\00:20:34.53
He was a lot older. But you know
what really got my attention was
00:20:34.56\00:20:39.00
that as he sat there he never
brought up religion, he never
00:20:39.03\00:20:43.84
brought up talking about the
Bible. He just brought up life
00:20:43.87\00:20:47.28
stories about things that he had
done, mistakes that he had made
00:20:47.31\00:20:50.55
and he was so transparent and
so honest that it was easy for
00:20:50.58\00:20:56.22
a friendship to develop.
00:20:56.25\00:20:57.59
Absolutely. I just have to
pause you right there and just
00:20:57.62\00:21:01.39
highlight. I love the direction
you're going here and I love
00:21:01.42\00:21:03.29
this aspect of your story
because it just goes to prove
00:21:03.32\00:21:05.63
that you know if we're going
to witness to someone there's
00:21:05.66\00:21:08.06
people are that are saying well
I want to witness to my friend
00:21:08.10\00:21:10.43
I want to share the truth
with them but they're completely
00:21:10.47\00:21:12.67
disinterested in spiritual
things, they're completely
00:21:12.70\00:21:15.10
disinterested in the Bible,
completely disinterested in
00:21:15.14\00:21:18.01
Christianity and religion and
Jesus but yet you got to develop
00:21:18.04\00:21:22.18
that relationship because
even the stone-cold heart the
00:21:22.21\00:21:26.05
hardest of hearts
00:21:26.08\00:21:27.42
can be softened with a
relationship to be brought to a
00:21:27.45\00:21:29.92
point where that person trusts
you to give Bible studies. So
00:21:29.95\00:21:32.25
continue on, I just
wanted to make that point.
00:21:32.29\00:21:33.89
All right. If he were to sat
down and preached to me I'd have
00:21:33.92\00:21:36.79
been like mmm no. (Gain your
trust) He gained my trust and he
00:21:36.83\00:21:41.76
didn't know, maybe he didn't
you know...I think the Holy
00:21:41.80\00:21:44.80
Spirit was leading him of course
but he didn't know the deep pain
00:21:44.83\00:21:48.17
that I was carrying around with
me. I wouldn't share that with
00:21:48.20\00:21:51.87
anybody. I wasn't ready to
talk about that but when he said
00:21:51.91\00:21:56.38
would you like to come over to
my house for dinner and a Bible
00:21:56.41\00:22:00.25
study? And of course, I was
still single at that time so hey
00:22:00.28\00:22:03.92
dinner sounded pretty good. A
dinner of what he called food of
00:22:03.95\00:22:07.86
the future bloodless chicken.
(Laughter) (Okay) So came over
00:22:07.89\00:22:13.70
to his home, met his family and
we had our dinner of bloodless
00:22:13.73\00:22:18.73
chicken, vegan/vegetarian
meal, and then we had
00:22:18.77\00:22:21.50
our Bible study in
00:22:21.54\00:22:22.87
the living room which is just
a filmstrip. Now I have to admit
00:22:22.90\00:22:27.84
that when I first saw this
family, I thought that either
00:22:27.88\00:22:32.58
they're on drugs or there's
something...that's what my mind
00:22:32.61\00:22:36.32
said okay. They'd got some
really good drugs that I need
00:22:36.35\00:22:40.49
okay, or something is very
different because you could tell
00:22:40.52\00:22:46.90
the way they oriented their life
was very different. I had never
00:22:46.93\00:22:53.50
seen a family working in that
kind of capacity. So what was
00:22:53.54\00:22:57.44
normal for them was absolutely
not normal for me. That was the
00:22:57.47\00:23:02.11
first time I ever saw it, a
family interacting like that. I
00:23:02.14\00:23:05.88
mean the children at that time
they were even excited about
00:23:05.91\00:23:09.75
having a Bible study. They were
saying hey I get to set up the
00:23:09.78\00:23:13.36
screen, I get to put in the
film strip and of course we just
00:23:13.39\00:23:17.23
watched a presentation about
Daniel chapter 2. And it was
00:23:17.26\00:23:21.90
interesting because
Bible prophecy got my attention
00:23:21.93\00:23:24.70
because as a music major
at different universities when
00:23:24.73\00:23:29.40
you're a music major you study
music history and when you study
00:23:29.44\00:23:35.04
music history you're going to
study the history of the church.
00:23:35.08\00:23:39.05
That's right. I was a music
major so I know. It's true.
00:23:39.08\00:23:43.52
I know quite a bit about
Catholicism and about Protestant
00:23:43.55\00:23:46.35
reformation and the counter
reformation so when Daniel 2
00:23:46.39\00:23:50.83
comes along and kind of
builds on the information that I
00:23:50.86\00:23:55.16
already had from studying music
years ago, it got my attention.
00:23:55.20\00:23:59.20
It really did. It was
interesting. But the thing that
00:23:59.23\00:24:04.01
really was compelling to me was
to find out what was ticking in
00:24:04.04\00:24:09.14
these people's lives. Because
we would have our Bible study
00:24:09.18\00:24:12.75
mostly on prophecy which had
its place but then you know what
00:24:12.78\00:24:16.48
after our Bible study now these
poor people, I tell you what, I
00:24:16.52\00:24:20.69
would keep them up until
11:30, 12 o'clock. Now I don't
00:24:20.72\00:24:26.80
recommend today Bible studies
going that long but we would sit
00:24:26.83\00:24:31.07
and talk because I was asking
them question after question
00:24:31.10\00:24:33.87
after question. Well how do
you see this? What do you think
00:24:33.90\00:24:38.67
about this and they just gave
their honest transparent answer
00:24:38.71\00:24:42.08
and what they were unfolding to
me was a total radical new way
00:24:42.11\00:24:48.58
of thinking that I had never
ever been exposed to before.
00:24:48.62\00:24:52.65
But it made a huge impression
upon me because I could see that
00:24:52.69\00:24:59.36
they had something that was
unique and interesting. I mean
00:24:59.39\00:25:06.03
to kind of summarize, my life
before that when I was 23 I had
00:25:06.07\00:25:12.54
what turned out to be a possible
malignant melanoma. I had a mole
00:25:12.57\00:25:18.98
removed on my side and the
physician that took it off they
00:25:19.01\00:25:22.75
were concerned and wanted to
take out more tissue around the
00:25:22.78\00:25:26.79
area to make sure that it wasn't
a malignant melanoma. That would
00:25:26.82\00:25:30.79
be you know very deadly, very
dangerous especially at that
00:25:30.83\00:25:34.50
point in history. But as the
surgeon, just outpatient surgery
00:25:34.53\00:25:38.93
he numbed my side where he was
going to take it off. As he was
00:25:38.97\00:25:43.51
standing over me slicing away,
I couldn't feel anything but
00:25:43.54\00:25:47.71
it you know was still a little
uncomfortable. So he just in
00:25:47.74\00:25:51.01
compassion he reached out,
he said, Well how are you doing?
00:25:51.05\00:25:55.08
Are you doing okay? And of
course again, total nonchristian
00:25:55.12\00:25:59.19
All I could say was yes I'm
doing okay. I'm counting. It
00:25:59.22\00:26:05.53
never occurred to me to pray.
I had no scripture that I had
00:26:05.56\00:26:09.40
memorized to come to my mind
nothing. The best I could do was
00:26:09.43\00:26:13.70
numbers. That really summarized
my approach to life and then
00:26:13.74\00:26:18.14
when I hear these people sharing
their testimony over and over
00:26:18.17\00:26:23.81
every week about how they
see life and how they view a
00:26:23.85\00:26:28.15
relationship with God which I
wasn't sure if He existed or not
00:26:28.18\00:26:32.55
So it was a powerful combination
of not only seeing how the Bible
00:26:32.59\00:26:38.16
is real and relevant and
how history really shows Jesus'
00:26:38.19\00:26:43.20
story in Bible prophecy. But it
was also this couple and their
00:26:43.23\00:26:47.97
family and yeah they were
witnessing to me without trying
00:26:48.00\00:26:53.31
to witness. You know there
was no speeches that they had
00:26:53.34\00:26:58.35
memorized. They were just living
their lives and how they lived
00:26:58.38\00:27:03.18
their lives with...
00:27:03.22\00:27:06.89
That's a powerful point
because many people think that
00:27:06.92\00:27:09.32
witnessing is simply sharing
Bible scriptures or Bible
00:27:09.36\00:27:12.06
stories or Bible texts or a
Bible study, which that has its
00:27:12.09\00:27:14.80
place as you made it clear. You
know they shared with you. You
00:27:14.83\00:27:17.23
heard the words but also
the lifestyle, their characters,
00:27:17.27\00:27:20.37
there's something about how
they carried themselves, how
00:27:20.40\00:27:22.47
they talked, how they
lived that got your attention.
00:27:22.50\00:27:26.04
Oh yeah. And you know it was so
amazing. Now I look back and I
00:27:26.07\00:27:30.85
say how fortunate it was that
I met that person, his name is
00:27:30.88\00:27:35.18
Maurice, at the flea market. And
I'm so grateful that he took the
00:27:35.22\00:27:39.79
time and you know long hair,
ear ring, the way I dressed,
00:27:39.82\00:27:46.66
Budweiser hat. You know I mean
he would not look at me and say
00:27:46.70\00:27:50.73
hey this guy is going to be
a pastor one day. You know. No
00:27:50.77\00:27:53.60
way. No way. (That's funny) But
I had an experience before I met
00:27:53.64\00:27:59.14
Maurice, before I
started studying the Bible which
00:27:59.17\00:28:02.38
really...I think God
just intervened within a very
00:28:02.41\00:28:06.31
special way to help me go
down a good path instead of what
00:28:06.35\00:28:11.92
could have been a disastrous
path. There was a friend of mine
00:28:11.95\00:28:15.89
I actually did have one friend
that was a Christian and he
00:28:15.92\00:28:19.86
invited me to go to what he
called was a channeler. And I
00:28:19.89\00:28:25.53
had no knowledge of the
Bible. I never prayed. I had no
00:28:25.57\00:28:28.97
understanding what that was.
00:28:29.00\00:28:30.81
So when you say a channeler just
to clarify this was a spiritist
00:28:30.84\00:28:34.58
or maybe a medium of some kind.
Someone that conducts séances.
00:28:34.61\00:28:37.45
They say that they "communicate"
with other spirits, maybe dead
00:28:37.48\00:28:42.38
spirits. (That's correct)
Channeling dead spirits.
00:28:42.42\00:28:44.55
Now this was the only Christian
friend I had. I was a musician
00:28:44.59\00:28:49.72
There's a Christian saying
hey why don't you go visit this
00:28:49.76\00:28:52.93
channeler. And because he
can give you some great insights
00:28:52.96\00:28:56.77
from these spirits, you know.
And so I was open, knew nothing
00:28:56.80\00:29:04.31
about the Bible, you know so I
thought sure I'll go. So we went
00:29:04.34\00:29:09.74
and visited with this channeler.
Now it was really interesting
00:29:09.78\00:29:13.85
because this person, this woman,
she prayed constantly. She was
00:29:13.88\00:29:22.26
very much into health. She
constantly was drinking water
00:29:22.29\00:29:25.43
for health and we would talk
about health. We talked about
00:29:25.46\00:29:29.83
things that she read in the
Bible and then we'd pray. Now
00:29:29.86\00:29:33.74
to me being a total non
Christian coming into that and
00:29:33.77\00:29:38.34
seeing well here's somebody
who's praying. Here's somebody
00:29:38.37\00:29:40.38
who's reading the Bible. Well is
this Christianity? You know so
00:29:40.41\00:29:45.15
since I was open and searching
I decided to come back for a
00:29:45.18\00:29:53.02
personal "consultation." Now
when I did this it was in the
00:29:53.05\00:29:57.13
fall of the year and I remember
very clearly standing on her
00:29:57.16\00:29:59.89
doorstep and it was in the
evening, the sun was going down
00:29:59.93\00:30:02.60
and it was casting long shadows
against the trees that had no
00:30:02.63\00:30:06.47
leaves on them. Leaves were
rustling around the front yard.
00:30:06.50\00:30:09.07
You kind of a coolness crispness
in the air. This was in
00:30:09.10\00:30:14.58
Asheville, North Carolina.
And she met me at the door, very
00:30:14.61\00:30:19.15
professional way you know
with a Bible and we go back into
00:30:19.18\00:30:23.72
her office and she had this
little kind of altar looking
00:30:23.75\00:30:28.16
thing. I didn't understand
what it was but some candles and
00:30:28.19\00:30:31.39
things going in the corner and
we sat down in chairs and she
00:30:31.43\00:30:35.00
took the time to explain to
me what she was going to do. She
00:30:35.03\00:30:38.73
was going to help me. Now
remember she's got a Bible,
00:30:38.77\00:30:40.90
she's praying through this whole
thing. And so she says well what
00:30:40.94\00:30:44.77
we're going to do is I'm going
to contact this powerful Indian
00:30:44.81\00:30:51.15
spirit that can give me
insights into your life and what
00:30:51.18\00:30:55.18
opportunities you have, about
your future and about things
00:30:55.22\00:30:58.89
that may be holding you back
at this time. So I thought, well
00:30:58.92\00:31:01.72
hey great, the inside scoop.
I'm open and then she said but I
00:31:01.76\00:31:07.00
want to warn you I want to
warn you first that once when a
00:31:07.03\00:31:12.03
friend of mine was doing this
these demons materialized, these
00:31:12.07\00:31:16.30
little three foot demons
materialized and started running
00:31:16.34\00:31:19.57
all around the house and they
finally captured them, cornered
00:31:19.61\00:31:23.98
them in the bathroom where they
she said escaped down the toilet
00:31:24.01\00:31:28.62
So now this really has my
attention. You know what are we
00:31:28.65\00:31:32.99
going to experience here? You
know at that time I'm kind of
00:31:33.02\00:31:35.56
adventurous and thinking okay
we're praying, we got the Bible
00:31:35.59\00:31:39.93
What a way to get someone's
attention, little three foot
00:31:39.96\00:31:43.40
toilet demons
running around the house.
00:31:43.43\00:31:44.77
Exactly. So she goes through
this process. I'm not going to
00:31:44.80\00:31:49.80
describe the whole process that
she went through but she went
00:31:49.84\00:31:52.24
through this process of talking
with this spirit and so forth
00:31:52.27\00:31:56.14
and I'm sitting there
totally amazed and shocked. And
00:31:56.18\00:31:59.71
afterwards, after about 20
minutes she said well I have
00:31:59.75\00:32:04.79
some news for you, something
that I need to tell you. And
00:32:04.82\00:32:08.42
after in talking with this
spirit informed me that you are
00:32:08.46\00:32:13.43
possessed by two disincarnates.
Now that would be a spirit
00:32:13.46\00:32:19.03
waiting to be reincarnated.
And then she paused and said and
00:32:19.07\00:32:24.47
they're female. (Mmm, okay) So
about this time it kind of hit
00:32:24.51\00:32:29.81
me and I'm thinking okay so
you're saying that I've got two
00:32:29.84\00:32:36.22
women living inside of me
that can't really get along or
00:32:36.25\00:32:39.95
something like that. Is that
what you're telling me. She says
00:32:39.99\00:32:43.06
yes, but I can help you.
You know we can get rid of those
00:32:43.09\00:32:46.96
spirits. Well she did these
things and so forth, a practice
00:32:47.00\00:32:53.40
that I won't describe, but she
"helped" me, "cured" me so to
00:32:53.44\00:32:57.51
speak... She got rid
of the female spirits?
00:32:57.54\00:32:59.97
Right, exactly. You know. But
I left that place and I wasn't
00:33:00.01\00:33:06.05
encouraged, I wasn't
fulfilled, really I was...
00:33:06.08\00:33:11.25
Probably a little annoyed
and also startled and confused.
00:33:11.29\00:33:17.43
Yeah I mean flushing demons
down the toilet, being possessed
00:33:17.46\00:33:19.79
by two female
00:33:19.83\00:33:21.43
spirits, now come on. You know
I mean I was you know...I just
00:33:21.46\00:33:25.80
wasn't buying it.
00:33:25.83\00:33:27.17
I wasn't. And I think that
was really where God was doing
00:33:27.20\00:33:31.27
something special already in my
life before I ever met Maurice
00:33:31.31\00:33:36.44
at the flea market. Because
being a total non-Christian what
00:33:36.48\00:33:41.18
I got out of that spirit
experience the most was that she
00:33:41.22\00:33:44.89
prayed and she read the Bible.
So that led me on a path going
00:33:44.92\00:33:49.99
to a channeler who prayed and
read the Bible I believe is part
00:33:50.03\00:33:55.16
of what made me open to studying
the Bible with Maurice when he
00:33:55.20\00:34:00.07
finally asked. So you never know
how God is going to lead but I
00:34:00.10\00:34:06.11
am so thankful that I did not go
down that path of spiritualism.
00:34:06.14\00:34:09.68
It would just be torture. I
understand fully well today how
00:34:09.71\00:34:13.95
close that is...
00:34:13.98\00:34:15.32
Very serious, very terrifying
thing to consider because you're
00:34:15.35\00:34:16.79
talking about evil spirits.
You're talking about fallen
00:34:16.82\00:34:19.85
angels that are wanting to
manipulate and you know torment
00:34:19.89\00:34:23.76
your life you know in a way
that could be very deceptive and
00:34:23.79\00:34:26.39
harmful. Yeah.
00:34:26.43\00:34:27.96
People think that they can
control those things. And you
00:34:28.00\00:34:30.80
know even today as a pastor I
meet people that think they can
00:34:30.83\00:34:34.44
be in control of those kind of
situations. And it is not. Satan
00:34:34.47\00:34:38.41
just sits back and points his
wily finger at them and laughs.
00:34:38.44\00:34:43.31
Nooo, you know I've got
you hook line and sinker.
00:34:43.35\00:34:46.31
So based on these experiences
you had at some point the light
00:34:46.35\00:34:51.29
goes off you have this
conversion experience. Tell us
00:34:51.32\00:34:53.86
how that developed.
00:34:53.89\00:34:55.42
Well you know it was
amazing because again I was not
00:34:55.46\00:35:01.03
searching for Christianity.
Christianity found me. Okay.
00:35:01.06\00:35:03.93
I was searching for success.
But because of my studies with
00:35:03.97\00:35:10.01
Maurice and my long
conversations with him and his
00:35:10.04\00:35:13.24
wife where they were giving me
a totally new perspective about
00:35:13.27\00:35:16.38
how to live, as I prayed and as
I began to read the Bible, study
00:35:16.41\00:35:23.52
the Bible I noticed that the
things that I used to enjoy I
00:35:23.55\00:35:30.16
didn't enjoy anymore. Now I
wasn't trying to change. I was
00:35:30.19\00:35:37.10
perfectly fine with all
these things, but something was
00:35:37.13\00:35:42.44
happening deep in my heart to
say, there's a better way. That
00:35:42.47\00:35:47.68
it's really not fun going to a
party where you're not going to
00:35:47.71\00:35:53.72
remember what happened. I mean
really? Is that fun? Satan has
00:35:53.75\00:35:56.79
done a wonderful number
especially in young people today
00:35:56.82\00:35:59.89
to give them a false
understanding of what real fun
00:35:59.92\00:36:05.43
and adventure is. God has all
kind of fun and adventures. And
00:36:05.46\00:36:09.50
God was leading me down a path
to say you know, no not this.
00:36:09.53\00:36:12.37
And it was such an interesting
experience because I would
00:36:12.40\00:36:18.47
testify this was something
that happened TO me. I was not
00:36:18.51\00:36:21.78
looking for that. You know if I
was going to be a Christian well
00:36:21.81\00:36:25.58
I could still do all these
things. Hey, you know, so what?
00:36:25.61\00:36:30.49
But God changed my desires
and that happened to me. Now I
00:36:30.52\00:36:35.02
believe that there was some time
in there where I could have gone
00:36:35.06\00:36:38.39
back to my old life. I had to
decide. It wasn't like God was
00:36:38.43\00:36:42.83
forcing me this way but He was
giving me a clear choice. It was
00:36:42.86\00:36:47.94
still a choice but it was a
clear choice. He had something
00:36:47.97\00:36:51.74
better for me and if I would
pursue that He would be with me
00:36:51.77\00:36:56.61
and help me understand the plan
that He had for my life. So the
00:36:56.64\00:37:01.92
Bible studies continued. Then
I remember finding myself at a
00:37:01.95\00:37:06.49
very strange place. Something
I never would...camp meeting
00:37:06.52\00:37:13.43
(camp meeting) I went to a
camp meeting. Now you have to
00:37:13.46\00:37:16.46
understand from a musician,
started Bible studies, studied
00:37:16.50\00:37:19.57
the Bible for a few months and
then the western North Carolina
00:37:19.60\00:37:26.14
camp meeting. And I tell you
what. It's just...Everybody was
00:37:26.17\00:37:31.88
real excited on Sabbath because
there was going to be this guest
00:37:31.91\00:37:36.25
speaker. And I didn't know
anything about the guest speaker
00:37:36.28\00:37:38.82
You know. But I just sat
in anyway. But it was George
00:37:38.85\00:37:42.39
Vandeman. So I was like well
who's that? I don't know who
00:37:42.42\00:37:46.13
that is. So. But it was an
interesting introduction into
00:37:46.16\00:37:50.70
the Seventh-day Adventist Church
because as I looked around I
00:37:50.73\00:37:54.90
could tell that there was that
same type of perspective that I
00:37:54.94\00:37:59.61
had been introduced from Nancy
and Maurice. A seriousness about
00:37:59.64\00:38:03.24
the Bible. A desire to follow
God's will and all those things
00:38:03.28\00:38:07.62
were completely foreign concepts
to me. So I had as time went on
00:38:07.65\00:38:12.72
there just a couple of months
later I found myself at another
00:38:12.75\00:38:15.16
strange place and that was
a Revelation meeting by Ron
00:38:15.19\00:38:18.99
Halverson. (Ron Halverson) And
at the end of those meetings I
00:38:19.03\00:38:23.63
made my decision. I was baptized
in the Seventh-day Adventist
00:38:23.67\00:38:26.63
Church and I never
regretted that. Have never...
00:38:26.67\00:38:31.74
Amazing brother. The thing I
love about your story and you
00:38:31.77\00:38:34.81
repeated this, I caught this,
you said it two or three times
00:38:34.84\00:38:36.44
that you...this was not
necessarily, well you had a
00:38:36.48\00:38:40.98
choice. It wasn't you searching.
It was like God was pulling you
00:38:41.02\00:38:43.49
God was drawing you which was
consistent with what the Bible
00:38:43.52\00:38:45.79
says. Because a lot of people
say well you know I wish God
00:38:45.82\00:38:48.29
would draw me. I'm just not
interested but I wish He would
00:38:48.32\00:38:50.49
just do something about me. Well
maybe He is. Maybe you're just
00:38:50.53\00:38:52.69
not responding to that drawing.
God doesn't force us, right?
00:38:52.73\00:38:55.86
He doesn't force us to make
decisions but the Bible says
00:38:55.90\00:38:58.43
even Jesus said you know no one
comes unto Son except the Father
00:38:58.47\00:39:01.24
who sent Me draws him. And so
God is drawing you. He's drawing
00:39:01.27\00:39:04.77
you through the work of the Holy
Spirit. And that's essentially
00:39:04.81\00:39:06.61
what you were experiencing
through these little experiences
00:39:06.64\00:39:08.94
the family with the Bible study,
the medium, the channeler, God
00:39:08.98\00:39:13.85
was working in a way to
you know let these little light
00:39:13.88\00:39:16.02
bulbs go off along the way that
was the Holy Spirit drawing you
00:39:16.05\00:39:19.45
along the way to bring you
to this moment where you go to a
00:39:19.49\00:39:23.12
meeting of Ron Halverson, you
hear the gospel and give your
00:39:23.16\00:39:26.13
heart to Jesus.
00:39:26.16\00:39:27.50
And the gifts that I experienced
the love, joy, peace, goodness,
00:39:27.53\00:39:31.90
kindness, gentleness, patience.
I mean it was truly, truly the
00:39:31.93\00:39:37.07
best thing that I had ever
experienced in my entire life
00:39:37.11\00:39:40.14
and I was not going to let that
opportunity go by. And you know
00:39:40.18\00:39:44.21
there were still learning
experiences, you know I still
00:39:44.25\00:39:47.38
had a lot of things to
understand and a lot of things
00:39:47.42\00:39:50.39
to grow. But my heart was set.
My decision was made up that I
00:39:50.42\00:39:55.02
had discovered something that
was very special to me something
00:39:55.06\00:40:00.33
that was real and something
that I wanted to spend my life
00:40:00.36\00:40:04.67
knowing more about. So with that
decision came a lot of trials
00:40:04.70\00:40:09.97
and challenges. In fact,
when I first started keeping the
00:40:10.01\00:40:14.11
Sabbath was the first time
in my life where I had financial
00:40:14.14\00:40:18.65
difficulties, you know trouble.
I'd never had financial trouble
00:40:18.68\00:40:22.32
I'd always been able to find an
income here or there. But with
00:40:22.35\00:40:27.69
keeping the Sabbath I stopped
going to the flea markets on the
00:40:27.72\00:40:34.60
weekend and so I
didn't sell on Saturday...
00:40:34.63\00:40:36.53
Just happens to be Saturday's
the biggest day in flea markets.
00:40:36.56\00:40:39.20
So I'd go on Sunday but I
couldn't you know turn over
00:40:39.23\00:40:44.51
enough then to reinvest and then
get money to live on. So that
00:40:44.54\00:40:48.98
just really put financial
difficulty. I mean I couldn't
00:40:49.01\00:40:53.38
pay my rent. I mean that was
how bad the financial difficulty
00:40:53.42\00:40:58.45
was. And interestingly enough
at that time I also started to
00:40:58.49\00:41:03.32
return tithe. Even though I
couldn't pay my rent I said well
00:41:03.36\00:41:07.36
this doesn't belong to me. And
so I'm going to return it to God
00:41:07.40\00:41:12.80
It belongs to Him, it doesn't
belong to me and I had had
00:41:12.83\00:41:18.04
enough the life so to speak of
stealing, getting things what's
00:41:18.07\00:41:23.78
good for me, you know,
greediness and so forth and
00:41:23.81\00:41:26.68
I had found something much
better and I wanted to honor
00:41:26.72\00:41:32.72
that. And over the course
of time as God taught me better
00:41:32.75\00:41:37.83
principles about how to manage
money it wasn't easy. There were
00:41:37.86\00:41:40.93
a lot of struggles and trials.
Struggles...The best meal I had
00:41:40.96\00:41:44.53
every week was fellowship meal.
I can tell you, the best meal...
00:41:44.57\00:41:49.37
Oh man that sounds really cool
brother. I mean I'm sure you
00:41:49.40\00:41:52.41
said it wasn't easy but it's a
blessing that God had taken you
00:41:52.44\00:41:56.34
through that...
00:41:56.38\00:41:57.71
I learned valuable lessons. And
then after about three or four
00:41:57.75\00:42:02.38
months God started to turn
around my financial situation
00:42:02.42\00:42:05.75
I remember one time just out of
the blue I went to the mailbox
00:42:05.79\00:42:09.52
received a check for $1000 and
that meant everything to me at
00:42:09.56\00:42:14.86
that time. (Of course, of
course) I mean God was just
00:42:14.90\00:42:16.93
working in miraculous ways, He
was helping me understand more
00:42:16.97\00:42:21.37
about His plan for my life and
how to let Him lead instead of
00:42:21.40\00:42:25.54
driving down the road of
life with the accelerator to the
00:42:25.57\00:42:28.31
floor in first gear. He was
showing me that He had a plan
00:42:28.34\00:42:32.71
for my life. And it wasn't very
long, just about a year after I
00:42:32.75\00:42:37.32
was baptized I became a full
time literature evangelist in
00:42:37.35\00:42:42.79
Greenville, South Carolina and
man I tell you what, I had some
00:42:42.82\00:42:46.29
wonderful experiences in meeting
people and you know Bible
00:42:46.33\00:42:53.64
studies and helping people just
kind of on the cutting edge. It
00:42:53.67\00:42:57.44
was a wonderful ministry for
me at that time. But later God
00:42:57.47\00:43:03.88
would call me into eventually
into the ministry. And just four
00:43:03.91\00:43:09.48
years after I was baptized
I found myself at another very
00:43:09.52\00:43:12.35
strange place and that was
Southern Adventist University
00:43:12.39\00:43:15.42
studying for the ministry.
And so I always tell people when
00:43:15.46\00:43:21.53
they're baptized you know hold
on. God's got a plan for you and
00:43:21.56\00:43:28.27
it may not be the first year, it
may not be the second year but
00:43:28.30\00:43:32.71
almost always five years after
you're baptized you're going to
00:43:32.74\00:43:38.25
look back and you're going to
say what a powerful God we serve
00:43:38.28\00:43:41.25
What a wonderful thing that
He has done in my life. I never
00:43:41.28\00:43:46.29
could have opened these
opportunities. He opened the
00:43:46.32\00:43:49.32
doors for me. And to be able
to know that we are not alone
00:43:49.36\00:43:52.96
we're not just fighting through
this life trying to grab onto
00:43:52.99\00:43:57.20
what we can to be successful
that we have a Savior, that
00:43:57.23\00:44:01.77
Jesus died for our sins. So it's
interesting in 1 John chapter 1
00:44:01.80\00:44:10.51
verses 5-10, one of my favorite
passages it describes us walking
00:44:10.55\00:44:16.89
with Jesus but also admitting
our mistakes. So as we're
00:44:16.92\00:44:21.32
walking with Jesus we admitting
our mistakes and receiving the
00:44:21.36\00:44:26.23
forgiveness so even our mistakes
become opportunities to learn
00:44:26.26\00:44:29.53
more about Jesus. (That's true)
It's a total win/win situation.
00:44:29.56\00:44:33.84
(It is, it is) He's got
everything covered. If we just
00:44:33.87\00:44:37.64
watch Him, He's
got everything covered.
00:44:37.67\00:44:39.51
But sometimes you have to go
through those dark valleys those
00:44:39.54\00:44:42.91
dark pits. You know sometimes
God allows us not that He
00:44:42.94\00:44:46.65
necessarily causes it although
sometimes He can lead us there
00:44:46.68\00:44:50.09
because He's trying to prepare
us for something better. Yeah.
00:44:50.12\00:44:53.66
Yeah you know there were many
struggles because there were
00:44:53.69\00:44:56.09
many changes. When I became
a Christian, a Seventh-day
00:44:56.12\00:45:00.70
Adventist my friends, they were
not interested in my newfound
00:45:00.73\00:45:06.80
faith. They just were not. I
had to find a whole new group of
00:45:06.84\00:45:10.31
friends which through church
was able to get which was a
00:45:10.34\00:45:14.91
wonderful experience. In fact,
the friendships that I developed
00:45:14.94\00:45:18.08
through church were much
stronger than the friendships
00:45:18.11\00:45:20.38
that I had before. They
were based on eternal life and
00:45:20.42\00:45:23.89
spending eternity together, not
just on what we can get in the
00:45:23.92\00:45:27.59
moment.
00:45:27.62\00:45:29.16
That's right. Amen. Praise
the Lord. So went to seminary or
00:45:29.19\00:45:31.99
went to college for religious
studies. (Right) And so was it
00:45:32.03\00:45:37.23
soon after graduating, maybe
during or after at some point
00:45:37.27\00:45:39.60
that you became a pastor?
So when did that develop?
00:45:39.63\00:45:41.90
Um yeah. I graduated from
Southern Adventist University
00:45:41.94\00:45:45.91
and from there went to the
Florida Conference and worked
00:45:45.94\00:45:51.41
with them. Just before my senior
year at Southern Adventist
00:45:51.45\00:45:55.55
University I got married. I
married Anne Thrash who is the
00:45:55.58\00:46:02.62
daughter of Drs. Calvin
and Agatha Thrash who started
00:46:02.66\00:46:05.19
Uchee Pines. So now you put
all that together and say okay
00:46:05.23\00:46:10.77
within five years if somebody
sat down with me the year before
00:46:10.80\00:46:15.37
I was baptized which would have
been 89, baptized in 1990, said
00:46:15.40\00:46:19.17
hey guess what Keith, you know
what you're going to totally
00:46:19.21\00:46:22.51
change your life and you're
going to love it and enjoy it.
00:46:22.54\00:46:25.95
You're going to be studying
for the ministry at Southern
00:46:25.98\00:46:29.05
Adventist University and
then you're going to marry the
00:46:29.08\00:46:32.49
daughter of Drs. Calvin
and Agatha Thrash. Like no way.
00:46:32.52\00:46:37.53
What are you talking about? But
God has a plan and of course my
00:46:37.56\00:46:42.96
wife she's a Bible worker
and so she's always giving Bible
00:46:43.00\00:46:45.83
studies. She works for the
Georgia-Cumberland Conference
00:46:45.87\00:46:47.94
as well as a Bible instructor
trainer and so our ministry
00:46:47.97\00:46:52.34
together has been most precious
and most valuable. I cherish the
00:46:52.37\00:46:57.71
opportunity to pass along to
others what God has done for me.
00:46:57.75\00:47:00.95
Absolutely. And God has used you
to do that because there came a
00:47:00.98\00:47:04.45
point at some point when God
laid upon your heart to say look
00:47:04.49\00:47:06.99
I taught you things. I've shared
with you my heart. You have a
00:47:07.02\00:47:11.16
heart for ministry and you
wanted to go share that, you
00:47:11.19\00:47:14.03
want to share that...It's any
minister's desire to share what
00:47:14.06\00:47:16.83
God has taught them and so now
God leads you to kind of start
00:47:16.87\00:47:20.24
your own ministry or independent
ministry of your own in which
00:47:20.27\00:47:23.57
now you are able to through
writing, through authorship
00:47:23.61\00:47:27.41
of the gospel and the good news
with others. So tell us a little
00:47:27.44\00:47:29.61
about how that ministry
developed and a little bit
00:47:29.64\00:47:31.35
about it.
00:47:31.38\00:47:32.78
Well it's interesting because I
never considered myself to be a
00:47:32.81\00:47:38.35
writer. And in fact because
I transferred around so many
00:47:38.39\00:47:42.06
different times earlier when
I was going to universities I
00:47:42.09\00:47:46.86
actually had to take English 101
and 102 three different times
00:47:46.90\00:47:51.80
until I passed it finally with a
C at the University of Georgia.
00:47:51.83\00:47:56.17
So writing was not something
that I thought of but Jesus had
00:47:56.20\00:48:01.34
that in mind. (That's right)
I just had a burden to begin to
00:48:01.38\00:48:04.35
share on a broader level what
Jesus had done for me. I began
00:48:04.38\00:48:08.75
writing articles published
in the Adventist Review and a
00:48:08.78\00:48:12.75
number of articles in Signs of
the Times. They wanted to focus
00:48:12.79\00:48:16.79
my attention on books so that
I could have something to pass
00:48:16.83\00:48:21.73
along to others
about what I believed was a
00:48:21.76\00:48:24.07
special experience
00:48:24.10\00:48:25.43
that God had in my life. So
I wrote two books. The first is
00:48:25.47\00:48:28.24
You Are A Child of the King and
that book explains what it means
00:48:28.27\00:48:34.38
to believe by faith. In other
words when we believe by faith
00:48:34.41\00:48:38.08
that trust excuse me faith is
trust but we need Jesus' help to
00:48:38.11\00:48:44.22
trust in Him. But when we ask
for His help, God doesn't ignore
00:48:44.25\00:48:47.96
us, give us a cold shoulder. He
gives us the real help we need
00:48:47.99\00:48:51.79
through His gifts. When Jesus
gives us His gifts unfortunately
00:48:51.83\00:48:57.47
that can actually cause some
tension in our lives because
00:48:57.50\00:49:00.00
there's a difference between His
way of thinking and our self-
00:49:00.04\00:49:04.57
centered way of thinking. So we
have to choose to follow His way
00:49:04.61\00:49:08.34
of thinking. And that book, You
Are A Child of the King is all
00:49:08.38\00:49:11.35
about how we can believe by
faith and if we look at the book
00:49:11.38\00:49:15.72
of Revelation, Revelation 14 the
three angels' messages we see
00:49:15.75\00:49:19.92
how important it is to have
an accurate understanding of the
00:49:19.95\00:49:22.56
gospel because that is the first
angel's message, the gospel. So
00:49:22.59\00:49:26.66
it's important to have a clear
foundation for what it means to
00:49:26.70\00:49:30.70
believe by faith. So I wrote
that book and then the second
00:49:30.73\00:49:34.37
book that I wrote builds on
believe by faith. It's called
00:49:34.40\00:49:37.57
Discover the Power of Goodness
and Find Your Answers. I was
00:49:37.61\00:49:43.55
going through a period of
time where I wanted additional
00:49:43.58\00:49:45.45
answers and exactly how does God
lead. But through writing that
00:49:45.48\00:49:49.95
book about believe by faith you
are a child of the King I was
00:49:49.98\00:49:54.19
able to write a book that helps
people capture how God wants to
00:49:54.22\00:49:58.69
lead us with His goodness,
how He can answer the deepest
00:49:58.73\00:50:02.30
questions that we have in
our lives. So it's been a joy to
00:50:02.33\00:50:05.77
have those books published
through Teach Services. People
00:50:05.80\00:50:09.07
can get more information if
they go to KeithTrumboBooks.com
00:50:09.10\00:50:12.94
All right there it is. Let's
pull it up on the screen at
00:50:12.97\00:50:15.78
KeithTrumboBooks.com.
00:50:15.81\00:50:18.01
KeithTrumboBooks.com. There's
a lot of information and places
00:50:18.05\00:50:20.38
that you can purchase the books
of course, TEACHservices.com
00:50:20.42\00:50:24.39
available there as well.
I appreciate the folks there
00:50:24.42\00:50:27.36
giving me the opportunity to
share this message of what Jesus
00:50:27.39\00:50:31.99
has done for me on a broader
level. And of course, I've seen
00:50:32.03\00:50:34.60
it work amazing miracles
in people's lives and being a
00:50:34.63\00:50:40.87
pastor I not only get to give
away the books but I can teach
00:50:40.90\00:50:42.24
and preach that material that's
in those books to help people
00:50:42.27\00:50:46.01
get a clear understanding of how
much Jesus loves them and the
00:50:46.04\00:50:51.28
awesome plan that
He has for their lives.
00:50:51.31\00:50:54.12
Amen, amen. If I remember we had
a graphic I think of it was like
00:50:54.15\00:50:58.85
a diagram or some type of
graphic. Here it is right here.
00:50:58.89\00:51:01.46
Explain this to us really quick.
00:51:01.49\00:51:02.86
Believe by faith cycle. This
is the cycle that we just live
00:51:02.89\00:51:07.16
constantly. This is what I
was introduced to and it really
00:51:07.20\00:51:09.96
changed my life. But faith,
faith is really trust but we
00:51:10.00\00:51:14.54
need to ask for Jesus' help to
trust in Him. So ask, seek and
00:51:14.57\00:51:20.18
knock as living by faith and as
Jesus answers He gives us love,
00:51:20.21\00:51:24.95
joy, peace, goodness, kindness,
(two voices) He gives us those
00:51:24.98\00:51:28.95
things but as He gives us those
things you know we could never
00:51:28.98\00:51:31.92
come up with these perspectives
on our own. So He gives them to
00:51:31.95\00:51:35.36
us so we can experience them
but then we have to choose them.
00:51:35.39\00:51:38.69
To believe means to choose
to follow. We've kind of morphed
00:51:38.73\00:51:42.83
belief into information but
belief is not information. It's
00:51:42.86\00:51:47.14
choosing to follow Jesus' way of
thinking and through this cycle
00:51:47.17\00:51:51.67
of asking, which is faith, Him
giving us the gifts that we need
00:51:51.71\00:51:56.11
to be able to understand His way
of thinking so we can choose to
00:51:56.14\00:52:00.32
follow His way of thinking and
belief. As we do that over and
00:52:00.35\00:52:02.72
over and over we can experience
more of Jesus' love and peace
00:52:02.75\00:52:06.79
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
00:52:06.82\00:52:08.96
It's just so simple
and it makes perfect sense.
00:52:08.99\00:52:12.53
So that reference again is
the website is what is it again?
00:52:12.56\00:52:13.96
KeithTrumboBooks.com and if
they want to reach out to you
00:52:14.00\00:52:17.33
what's the email?
00:52:17.37\00:52:18.70
The email is KTrumbo@gccsda.com
00:52:18.73\00:52:23.71
KTrumbo@gccsda.com. My friends
you got to get these books.
00:52:23.74\00:52:28.68
You've got to share them. We're
going to take a short break and
00:52:28.71\00:52:31.65
don't go anywhere. We're
going to be right back in just
00:52:31.68\00:52:33.42
a moment.
00:52:33.45\00:52:34.78