When I met today's guest I
knew he had a story to tell...
00:00:01.33\00:00:03.93
stay tuned to
hear it for yourself...
00:00:03.97\00:00:06.23
My name is Yvonne
Lewis and you're watching
00:00:06.27\00:00:08.84
Urban Report...
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Hello and welcome
to Urban Report...
00:00:32.69\00:00:35.00
My guest today is Timothy Lawson
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aka Tim...
Evangelist for CFO which is
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Christ Frontline Operations
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and Chef on Dare to
Dream's Chew's Challenge...
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Welcome to Urban Report, Tim...
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Thank you for having me...
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how are you
guys doing out there?
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Doing great, doing great,
we had so much fun when you
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and Chef Chew and Tina were here
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and you did Chew's Challenge
that was such a blessing...
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Oh, that was a
blast, yeah, I loved it...
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and it's airing now...
and people are writing in
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and calling... they love
it... they want the recipes
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so, it's really good and
we're going to air it again
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so that they can watch it again,
and those who haven't seen it,
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can watch it... so,
it's really a blessing...
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Hmmm... okay... I'm glad...
I just praise the Lord...
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for everything He's
done... Amen... amen... so...
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when you were
here... I could tell...
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we didn't get to
talk much but I could tell
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that there's a story behind you,
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you have such
passion for the Lord
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and such fervor... when
did you start feeling like
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you really wanted to serve God?
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Well, that's interesting...
here's the story...
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it's kind of a
long story but I...
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We have time...
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so, I'll start
from the beginning...
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I grew up in Church...
3rd-generation Adventist
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probably like most people,
but it was just Church, you know
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you go to Church on the
weekend, keep the Sabbath
00:02:05.15\00:02:07.59
from Friday night
to Saturday night...
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and then kind of
do whatever you want
00:02:09.72\00:02:11.76
during the rest of the week
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and then... when I
was 17 years old...
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I had sat in a
Revelation Seminar
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this was my first Tent Meeting,
my first Tent Meeting...
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an Evangelist came and man!
he preached the 3 Angels Message
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and I was in there taking notes
and I went home and studied
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and researched
everything he said...
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and I just couldn't believe that
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this whole time I
had this message...
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and I just got on
fire for the Lord...
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and I just started doing
everything you could think...
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going door to door,
colporteuring, week of prayers,
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preaching, teaching,
just anything, you name it...
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and so, that's what I did
for about two and a half years
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and what happened after
that is... I had my roots...
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but my roots weren't that deep
and the devil got a hold of me
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and then I
drifted off into the world
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and we can talk more about that
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I'm just giving a quick
synopsis right now and...
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ever since 2011... the
Lord has brought me back in
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so... I just feel so
passionate and privileged
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to be here... because
I could not be here...
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I almost feel like I'm
not supposed to be here...
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Wow! as a person that knew...
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it wasn't like I was confused...
I knew everything the Bible said
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and I chose...
like the prodigal son...
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one of my favorite stories...
I was in the Father's house
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and I chose to leave...
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and for the Father
to welcome me back...
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with open arms...
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I just think that I
can never repay Him back...
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so, I'll spend the rest
of my life... trying to...
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That's so beautiful...
isn't it interesting how
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when you're born into
so to speak "a Church"
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sometimes you take
everything for granted...
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it's like...
you're into the ritual...
00:04:01.77\00:04:04.41
you go to Church...
you have Sabbath lunch...
00:04:04.44\00:04:07.31
but it's all just
a bunch of rituals
00:04:07.38\00:04:10.05
until... something happens...
to quicken that spirit...
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and the Holy Spirit
quickened your spirit...
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and you... got on fire
for God, and then, of course,
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Satan was mad
because he wanted you back...
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and so, he began to
insert himself into your life...
00:04:23.46\00:04:28.16
was it the people that
you were hanging with...
00:04:28.20\00:04:31.17
was it... what
you were watching...
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was it video games or hip
hop... what was it that drew you
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back away from God?
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It was... he used
all those things...
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but I think the foundational
principle was really having
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a relationship
with Jesus... Hmmm...
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really being in love with Him,
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versus just in
love with the message...
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and in the way it sounds...
and the truth of it all...
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which is all good...
and which you still need...
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but you need to
really see Christ
00:05:01.76\00:05:03.80
in every word and every line...
00:05:03.87\00:05:05.80
and just know that you
guys have a relationship
00:05:05.83\00:05:08.67
and so... since I
didn't have that...
00:05:08.70\00:05:11.27
as soon as my first
little trials came...
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they weren't
even that important,
00:05:13.91\00:05:15.24
but I thought they
were important to me...
00:05:15.28\00:05:16.95
they just get you
down and discouraged...
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you know, and so you start
to question your experience
00:05:18.78\00:05:21.85
you start to question
"well, was this really true"
00:05:21.88\00:05:24.89
because when most
people come into the Church
00:05:24.92\00:05:28.22
they are not
really taught how to pray
00:05:28.26\00:05:30.53
and labor with
God on their knees
00:05:30.56\00:05:32.16
and they're not
really taught that
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though you've given
your heart to the Lord...
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there are still
going to be rough times...
00:05:35.73\00:05:37.60
and Jesus is still going to
be there with you through them
00:05:37.63\00:05:40.90
it doesn't mean He
doesn't love you...
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it doesn't mean He's not
going to be there with you...
00:05:42.30\00:05:44.11
and not having that
foundational part...
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and this isn't
anybody else's fault
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but I always
attributed to this...
00:05:49.14\00:05:51.31
a lot of times young men
and young ladies get converted
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in the Church... and
there's no older person
00:05:55.22\00:05:57.99
or discipleship to kind
of guide them through their
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conversion process and
they can pick up a lot of
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good things and bad things
00:06:03.76\00:06:05.09
and sometimes they get on
fire, and leave the Church
00:06:05.16\00:06:07.60
because there's no kind
of mentoring... and so...
00:06:07.66\00:06:09.93
all those things happen
and what happened was that
00:06:10.00\00:06:12.17
the devil started
taking me out step by step...
00:06:12.20\00:06:14.84
and his first tool
was... it was the women...
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I had given
everything to the Lord
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but I gave him 99 percent...
I kept like one thing for myself
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I had a problem I
was struggling with
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and I just figured that...
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I never thought that that
thing would move me all the way
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from the Lord...
but he used that...
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and then he used the music...
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Well, before you go
before you go past that...
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let's stay on
that for a second...
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Okay... that's a
very important piece
00:06:40.40\00:06:42.50
one of the things that I
see a lot in our Churches is
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that whole idea...
"Well, sex is over here...
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and everything else...
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'okay, okay,
Lord, help me with this'
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but I don't want you
to help me with that"
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Right... yeah...
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Or... it's like,
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"Well, I'm still going to Church
and I'm still serving the Lord
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but... I can do
this... it's okay...
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everybody's doing it... "
and I think it gets justified...
00:07:05.02\00:07:10.16
it gets rationalized...
it gets minimized...
00:07:10.19\00:07:13.53
and we really have...
that's why Dare to Dream
00:07:13.56\00:07:16.77
has "Pure
Choices" Right... yes...
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because sexual sin...
00:07:19.17\00:07:20.54
is a very, very
deep... deep-seated
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kind of sin that people tend
to think is not that deep...
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is not... you know...
00:07:28.68\00:07:30.05
"How can it be that wrong
two people love each other"
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well, if it's outside of
that context of marriage...
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God says, "No" it's "No"
00:07:35.65\00:07:38.39
It's "No" it's an abomination...
00:07:38.42\00:07:41.79
it starts at the very
root and the foundation
00:07:41.82\00:07:45.36
of who we are... God
likens that act between
00:07:45.39\00:07:48.20
a man and a woman to a
relationship with Him...
00:07:48.23\00:07:51.07
and when you do it
outside of marriage...
00:07:51.10\00:07:54.00
it's a perversion... Hmmm...
00:07:54.04\00:07:55.57
when people usually
think about sexual perversion
00:07:55.60\00:07:57.41
people think about, maybe
homosexuality or child abuse
00:07:57.47\00:08:01.48
or any kind of other
things but they never think of
00:08:01.51\00:08:05.45
of a man and a
woman outside of marriage
00:08:05.48\00:08:07.58
as that being a perversion
but it is a perversion
00:08:07.65\00:08:10.25
and it's not only just...
it's just not even talked about
00:08:10.32\00:08:15.06
in the Church... it's
just kind of glossed over
00:08:15.09\00:08:17.76
and not looked at...
and because it's not talked
00:08:17.79\00:08:20.13
about in the Churches...
the devil is having a field day
00:08:20.16\00:08:22.83
he's speaking about it,
00:08:22.86\00:08:24.27
he talks to the youth
about it a hundred times a day
00:08:24.30\00:08:28.07
a hundred miles an hour...
and because he's given that...
00:08:28.10\00:08:32.94
because it's not
talked about, the beauty...
00:08:32.97\00:08:35.91
one of the beautiful things
that the Lord showed us in
00:08:35.94\00:08:39.18
Genesis... is...
even though something is
00:08:39.21\00:08:42.32
natural to do...
00:08:42.35\00:08:43.69
you still need to do...
whether God did it or not...
00:08:43.72\00:08:47.06
all Eve did was
eat a piece of fruit...
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and I'm sure it was the
healthiest piece of fruit
00:08:49.89\00:08:52.36
on the face of this earth...
00:08:52.39\00:08:53.80
I'm sure it was a
delicious piece of fruit
00:08:53.83\00:08:55.90
and there was nothing wrong
with her eating the fruit...
00:08:55.93\00:08:58.37
but that piece of
fruit... God told her,
00:08:58.43\00:09:00.87
"Don't eat that one"
and it's the same thing,
00:09:00.90\00:09:04.27
sex is natural...
it's a gift from God...
00:09:04.34\00:09:07.01
it's beautiful
between a man and a woman
00:09:07.04\00:09:09.68
in the marriage context,
but only in that context...
00:09:09.71\00:09:12.71
and when it's out
of that context...
00:09:12.75\00:09:14.58
God says, "Don't touch it"
because it's as destructive
00:09:14.62\00:09:18.12
as when Eve ate the fruit,
and so we don't realize that
00:09:18.15\00:09:21.32
because it's natural...
and because we have an urge
00:09:21.36\00:09:24.16
we think that...
I can't help it...
00:09:24.19\00:09:27.96
and Christ came to give us power
over everything... and so...
00:09:28.00\00:09:31.30
Amen... and so...
we need to seek God
00:09:31.33\00:09:36.91
to be a part of
every part of our lives...
00:09:37.01\00:09:40.78
and not compartmentalize...
"This is okay... but this isn't"
00:09:40.81\00:09:45.48
you know...
Exactly... it's so dangerous
00:09:45.51\00:09:48.22
it comes with surrender...
whether it's your dress...
00:09:48.25\00:09:52.75
or whether it's your appetite,
00:09:52.79\00:09:54.16
whether it's your friends
that you hang out with...
00:09:54.19\00:09:55.89
Everybody loves the
Jesus that died for you
00:09:55.92\00:10:00.43
and saved you from your
sins but nobody likes the Jesus
00:10:00.50\00:10:03.43
that says... "I'm God...
there's no other before me...
00:10:03.47\00:10:06.47
and why do you call
me 'Lord... Lord... '
00:10:06.50\00:10:08.94
and not do the
things that I say"
00:10:08.97\00:10:11.01
and so, both of
those characteristics
00:10:11.04\00:10:13.04
are in Him... and it's wonderful
00:10:13.07\00:10:14.54
because everything He
tells us is the healthiest thing
00:10:14.58\00:10:16.91
and it's the best
thing for us, That's right...
00:10:16.95\00:10:18.98
but when you
start to pick and choose
00:10:19.01\00:10:20.68
in your religious experience
00:10:20.72\00:10:22.38
what God can have you
and what God cannot have...
00:10:22.42\00:10:25.22
you leave a door
open for Satan...
00:10:25.25\00:10:26.72
and he just drops in a
little poison at a time...
00:10:26.76\00:10:29.49
just drop by drop... he
doesn't want to scare you
00:10:29.52\00:10:32.63
and so he just leads
you out nice and steadily...
00:10:32.66\00:10:35.56
and that's what happened to me,
00:10:35.60\00:10:37.20
I was dealing with
a problem for a while
00:10:37.23\00:10:39.77
and it hadn't
affected my spirituality
00:10:39.80\00:10:42.40
so I thought I was still...
doing the work as it were...
00:10:42.47\00:10:47.04
but I still had that problem,
00:10:47.11\00:10:49.11
but it just gradually
opened the door for other things
00:10:49.14\00:10:52.01
and other things...
and by the time I got out
00:10:52.05\00:10:55.72
you know they say, you know...
00:10:55.78\00:10:58.39
when the house was
swept... 7 more demons came in
00:10:58.42\00:11:01.59
I was worse than I
ever could have started...
00:11:01.62\00:11:04.79
Absolutely... well
that's how the enemy operates
00:11:04.83\00:11:07.96
just like you said...
everything is... it's gradual...
00:11:08.00\00:11:11.73
he doesn't do it all at
once, it's really gradual...
00:11:11.77\00:11:14.97
it's kind of like drifting...
when you're at sea...
00:11:15.00\00:11:18.17
Yeah... you just
kind of drift slowly
00:11:18.21\00:11:19.54
and before you know it... you're
so far away from the shore
00:11:19.57\00:11:22.18
and that's how he rolls...
that's how he operates...
00:11:22.21\00:11:26.45
and so... that... okay so
that issue was the first thing
00:11:26.48\00:11:30.69
the woman issue...
00:11:30.75\00:11:32.22
with everything that
kind of goes along with that
00:11:32.29\00:11:34.72
because it is a constellation
of sins that go along with that
00:11:34.76\00:11:40.46
Exactly... and
so we have that...
00:11:40.50\00:11:42.03
so what was the other
thing that drew you away?
00:11:42.06\00:11:44.23
Well, you have
that and so then now
00:11:44.30\00:11:47.30
since you are in that atmosphere
with the opposite sex...
00:11:47.37\00:11:52.97
then almost
everything else comes along...
00:11:53.01\00:11:55.01
then you want to
dress and impress them...
00:11:55.04\00:11:57.01
you want to go places they
go... and it started out...
00:11:57.08\00:11:59.58
it's going to sound so
silly what I'm about to say
00:11:59.61\00:12:02.18
this is just how the
devil drifted me out...
00:12:02.22\00:12:04.19
he creates an appetite for
stuff and so when I got home...
00:12:04.22\00:12:07.59
I wouldn't party and everything
00:12:07.66\00:12:10.66
but at least I
would go out on dates...
00:12:10.73\00:12:12.23
when you got home
from... oh you mean at night?
00:12:12.26\00:12:14.36
from Howard...
Oh, from Howard...
00:12:14.40\00:12:16.43
from College...
so... about this time...
00:12:16.46\00:12:18.33
I was already home
in Sacramento... now
00:12:18.37\00:12:20.20
trying to finish school...
and things weren't working out
00:12:20.24\00:12:25.11
and so... it
started with the radio...
00:12:25.14\00:12:27.78
I wouldn't buy any Rap...
I wouldn't buy any R and B...
00:12:27.81\00:12:32.05
but I'll just listen
to songs on the radio...
00:12:32.08\00:12:34.52
because they don't have cursing
00:12:34.55\00:12:35.88
and stuff... so
it's okay... right?
00:12:35.92\00:12:37.25
No... no... started
with R and B first...
00:12:37.29\00:12:39.35
I won't listen to Rap...
but I'll listen to R and B...
00:12:39.39\00:12:41.59
why? because it's about
love right... just love songs...
00:12:41.62\00:12:43.79
they're okay... so I'd
listen to those on the radio
00:12:43.83\00:12:46.36
and then... after
those songs played...
00:12:46.39\00:12:48.46
and then some Rap
songs would play...
00:12:48.50\00:12:50.40
"Well, it's okay for
me to listen to these...
00:12:50.43\00:12:52.83
they don't have any
heavy cursing in it... right?"
00:12:52.87\00:12:54.60
and so I started on
this path for a long time
00:12:54.64\00:12:57.27
until obviously... I
was buying my own CDs...
00:12:57.34\00:12:59.91
buying my own things...
00:12:59.94\00:13:01.51
and you can't
just "talk the talk"
00:13:01.54\00:13:03.45
once you're in the world...
00:13:03.48\00:13:04.81
I'm always the person that...
if I'm going to do something,
00:13:04.85\00:13:08.48
I'm going to do
it a 100 percent...
00:13:08.52\00:13:09.85
so since now I am... you
know... "cool" or "in the world"
00:13:09.88\00:13:15.39
or doing what I
wanted to do... then...
00:13:15.42\00:13:17.03
I might as well
try everything...
00:13:17.06\00:13:18.39
and so I wouldn't
smoke cigarettes at first
00:13:18.43\00:13:20.60
and... just smoked
cigars... and then...
00:13:20.70\00:13:22.76
after the cigarettes
I wouldn't do drugs...
00:13:22.80\00:13:24.87
so I said, "okay...
let me just try Marijuana"
00:13:24.90\00:13:26.94
and then... after Marijuana...
00:13:27.00\00:13:29.07
"okay, I won't put a needle
in my vein... " as it were...
00:13:29.10\00:13:32.37
"but maybe I'll try Cocaine"
and then... after that...
00:13:32.41\00:13:35.58
I didn't like to
spend money on it...
00:13:35.61\00:13:37.01
so now, to justify the
fact that I do these things...
00:13:37.05\00:13:40.12
"let me sell them now... so
at least I can make money off
00:13:40.18\00:13:43.18
of them... while
I'm doing it... "
00:13:43.22\00:13:44.55
before I know it... you're
talking about an Adventist kid
00:13:44.59\00:13:47.46
and you wouldn't be
able to notice him...
00:13:47.52\00:13:49.49
from a regular,
worldly person...
00:13:49.52\00:13:51.83
I'd dress the same...
my body is tattooed...
00:13:51.89\00:13:54.86
I had drugs in
my pocket to take...
00:13:54.93\00:13:56.80
I had drugs in
my pocket to sell...
00:13:56.83\00:14:00.04
my mouth is as
filthy as any person...
00:14:00.07\00:14:03.10
standing on the street corner
and I went in this spiral...
00:14:03.14\00:14:07.81
for about 8 or 9 years...
and then... "this was my life"
00:14:07.84\00:14:11.85
you know... and
I justified it...
00:14:11.88\00:14:13.42
"as I tried the
Adventism, I tried that...
00:14:13.45\00:14:15.42
that didn't work for me... "
00:14:15.45\00:14:16.99
"I know God is real...
but it's not all that serious"
00:14:17.02\00:14:21.06
and the devil... he
just... he's good at lying...
00:14:21.09\00:14:25.09
and if you listen to him...
it will confuse and deceive you.
00:14:25.13\00:14:29.70
So, wow! so you went from...
kind of being apathetic...
00:14:29.73\00:14:36.50
right... in the
beginning... Right...
00:14:36.54\00:14:38.97
to going to that
Revelation Seminar
00:14:39.01\00:14:41.38
and going on fire for
the Lord to ending up...
00:14:41.41\00:14:45.81
drifting back out...
through women, through music,
00:14:45.85\00:14:50.25
Right... through drugs...
00:14:50.29\00:14:52.29
just ending up being
on the outside again...
00:14:52.32\00:14:55.99
but this time... this
time... you're not apathetic
00:14:56.02\00:14:59.29
this time... you're cold...
00:14:59.33\00:15:00.93
this time... you are
like... just out there...
00:15:00.96\00:15:04.93
with the drugs
and all that stuff...
00:15:04.97\00:15:07.17
and isn't it amazing, Tim,
that... in spite of that...
00:15:07.24\00:15:11.31
in spite of everything...
God still had His hand on you...
00:15:11.34\00:15:15.41
and you know He did...
00:15:15.44\00:15:16.78
He still had his hand on me
and I would get to the point
00:15:16.85\00:15:20.45
where He brought me
back in in a second...
00:15:20.52\00:15:23.69
it was just so interesting...
00:15:23.72\00:15:25.32
just the way He even took
care of me... out there...
00:15:25.35\00:15:27.66
Yes... tell us... tell us...
00:15:27.69\00:15:29.92
we would be in
instances... I'll name two...
00:15:29.96\00:15:33.03
I remember one time...
we were sitting there...
00:15:33.06\00:15:35.83
and we were smoking
drugs we smoked Marijuana...
00:15:35.86\00:15:38.53
me and Javed... and
then... my friend...
00:15:38.57\00:15:43.24
he started staring at me, I
was staring at him and I said,
00:15:43.30\00:15:45.67
"Do you feel that?"
and he was like... "Yeah"
00:15:45.71\00:15:48.91
and I said, "It just
feels weird around here"
00:15:48.94\00:15:51.91
it feels like...
"we need to leave"
00:15:51.95\00:15:53.28
and he was like, "yeah,
let's just get out of here"
00:15:53.31\00:15:56.05
Was he an
ex-Adventist too? Yes, he is...
00:15:56.08\00:15:59.09
Okay... all my
friends in the world...
00:15:59.12\00:16:01.56
they were all
ex-Adventists... Okay...
00:16:01.59\00:16:03.86
so, picture that, you know,
like four or five Ex-Adventists,
00:16:03.96\00:16:09.00
Seventh-day Adventists
going to the Club and acting
00:16:09.03\00:16:12.17
the worst... but at any rate...
00:16:12.20\00:16:14.07
when we left that parking
lot, about 30 minutes later
00:16:14.14\00:16:18.17
that parking lot got shot up...
00:16:18.21\00:16:19.54
and we were like...
00:16:19.57\00:16:22.08
because we got a phone
call and this man's like,
00:16:22.11\00:16:24.15
"Oh, did you just hear
what happened at the Karos?"
00:16:24.18\00:16:26.15
and we were just
there... somebody was there...
00:16:26.18\00:16:28.18
and they were doing
just what we were doing...
00:16:28.22\00:16:30.32
sitting in there and
smoking and talking to girls...
00:16:30.39\00:16:32.49
and he got hit by a stray bullet
and so, little stuff like that
00:16:32.52\00:16:36.93
would happen... I
can remember vividly...
00:16:36.96\00:16:39.23
it was me... Javed, Tariq, Adam,
00:16:39.26\00:16:42.30
another friend we
had called Mike...
00:16:42.33\00:16:45.37
and we had gone to this Club
00:16:45.40\00:16:47.10
and we had gone there with
some of our lady friends...
00:16:47.14\00:16:51.31
and inside the Club, a
group of African American guys
00:16:51.37\00:16:54.34
a group of Mexican
guys, they got into a fight...
00:16:54.38\00:16:57.31
so they got in a fight...
we're fighting and everything,
00:16:57.35\00:16:59.81
Club got shut
down, we walk out...
00:16:59.85\00:17:01.72
the fight wasn't over
though everybody thought it was
00:17:01.78\00:17:05.49
and so Javed was
talking to this girl...
00:17:05.52\00:17:08.56
and she said...
00:17:08.59\00:17:10.26
"hold on, get in
the car and talk to me"
00:17:10.29\00:17:12.43
and because he
stopped, we all stopped...
00:17:12.46\00:17:14.46
well, when we stopped,
right then at that moment,
00:17:14.50\00:17:17.20
we heard twelve
gun shots right...
00:17:17.27\00:17:18.97
and so the Black
guys had circled around
00:17:19.00\00:17:21.60
to finish the job
they started in the car...
00:17:21.67\00:17:24.24
and they shot one
of the Mexican guys
00:17:24.31\00:17:26.54
the other Mexican guy
ran into the parking lot
00:17:26.57\00:17:29.81
they pulled aside...
and then they shot again
00:17:29.84\00:17:32.61
about 10 or 12 times...
and hit the other guy...
00:17:32.68\00:17:35.42
and I'm assuming that
00:17:35.45\00:17:37.09
it was the guys
that were in the Club,
00:17:37.12\00:17:38.45
that they were
fighting with at any rate...
00:17:38.49\00:17:41.49
and so we heard
this... and me and Adam looked
00:17:41.52\00:17:43.29
and we saw the guy on the ground
and he had got hit on the head
00:17:43.32\00:17:46.39
so, we were like...
"Okay, let's go get the ladies
00:17:46.43\00:17:48.40
let's go get Javed,
it's time for us to go...
00:17:48.43\00:17:50.43
leave him here"
00:17:50.47\00:17:52.00
we walked to the car
that we all rode in...
00:17:52.03\00:17:55.44
it was Adam's girlfriend's
car, now his wife...
00:17:55.47\00:17:58.81
and they had shot
through her car...
00:17:58.84\00:18:01.68
because the guy
was next to her car...
00:18:01.71\00:18:04.41
so, when we got to the
car, the guy who had got hit
00:18:04.45\00:18:07.75
was lying on the
ground... next to the car...
00:18:07.78\00:18:10.22
he's hit in the head...
00:18:10.25\00:18:11.59
blood and fluid are
leaking out of his head
00:18:11.62\00:18:14.49
Adam is holding his
hand, talking to him,
00:18:14.52\00:18:16.46
telling him to "hold on"
waiting for the paramedics
00:18:16.52\00:18:18.79
all the cops come...
they didn't know who we were
00:18:18.83\00:18:21.46
so they drew guns on
us, and so now, here I am,
00:18:21.50\00:18:24.17
you know, I could
be at home, in my bed,
00:18:24.20\00:18:27.74
but I'm lying on the
cold, concrete ground,
00:18:27.77\00:18:30.81
next to a guy, who...
half of his head is out
00:18:30.84\00:18:34.28
you know, couple of
inches away from me...
00:18:34.31\00:18:37.65
with police
guns drawn on my back
00:18:37.68\00:18:39.81
and the car that we were in
00:18:39.85\00:18:41.68
has a bullet hole through it,
00:18:41.72\00:18:43.49
and so... if Javed
wouldn't have stopped
00:18:43.52\00:18:46.12
to talk to that girl,
and we wouldn't have paused,
00:18:46.15\00:18:48.29
we would have been
in that parking lot
00:18:48.32\00:18:50.93
when they decided to
shoot at that other guy...
00:18:50.96\00:18:54.30
and there were many
more instances like that...
00:18:54.30\00:18:56.67
but the Lord just...
just little stuff like that
00:18:56.73\00:18:59.00
to preserve me... because...
00:18:59.03\00:19:01.37
and I want all the youth
00:19:01.40\00:19:03.30
to hear exactly
what I'm about to say
00:19:03.34\00:19:05.57
"I knew the
truth... and I was out
00:19:05.61\00:19:07.78
if I would have
perished out there
00:19:07.81\00:19:09.88
that would have been
it for me" That's right...
00:19:09.91\00:19:12.41
my probation would have closed
there would have been no...
00:19:12.45\00:19:15.68
I knew exactly what I was doing
and I chose to do otherwise...
00:19:15.72\00:19:18.95
and the Lord is a
righteous judge...
00:19:18.99\00:19:20.62
and that would
have been it for me...
00:19:20.69\00:19:22.22
but He preserved
me... for some odd reason...
00:19:22.26\00:19:26.93
little stuff like that...
places I had no business being
00:19:26.96\00:19:30.57
doing stuff I had
no business doing...
00:19:30.67\00:19:33.00
He waited... and
He preserved me...
00:19:33.03\00:19:35.27
and those were the kinds of the
things that were happening...
00:19:35.30\00:19:37.14
when we were out... we
were always "missed out"
00:19:37.21\00:19:40.08
in the nick of
time... as it were...
00:19:40.11\00:19:42.21
Yes, yes, and there's no
"luck" in God... you know...
00:19:42.28\00:19:47.52
No... no...
There's no such thing as
00:19:47.55\00:19:48.98
"Oh you were lucky
you didn't get hit... "
00:19:49.02\00:19:51.42
No... God had His hand on you...
00:19:51.45\00:19:53.86
so, how did you work your way...
00:19:53.89\00:19:56.19
no... wrong choice of words...
00:19:56.22\00:19:58.73
how did God get a
hold of you... Yes...
00:19:58.76\00:20:00.93
because it's not
about your works...
00:20:00.96\00:20:03.00
how did He get a hold
of you and bring you into
00:20:03.06\00:20:06.27
your CFO Ministry?
00:20:06.30\00:20:08.64
Well, I already had
a stubborn nature...
00:20:08.70\00:20:13.01
but being out in the world,
00:20:13.04\00:20:14.38
they teach you to
get stuff on your own...
00:20:14.41\00:20:15.91
especially hip-hop music...
they create this pride in you
00:20:15.94\00:20:19.65
so... me knowing the truth...
it was almost seemingly no way
00:20:19.71\00:20:23.39
you know, nobody
could knock on my door
00:20:23.45\00:20:25.25
and tell me about the Sabbath...
that wasn't going to work...
00:20:25.29\00:20:28.16
nobody could tell
me about Revelation...
00:20:28.19\00:20:29.86
that wasn't going to work,
I knew about those things...
00:20:29.89\00:20:33.66
and so what God did...
00:20:33.70\00:20:35.83
is that... I wasn't
scared of anything in my life
00:20:35.86\00:20:38.83
not any pride in myself...
but I just wasn't afraid of
00:20:38.87\00:20:42.44
certain things... I knew
that every cause has an effect
00:20:42.47\00:20:45.97
and if you do certain things...
certain things will happen...
00:20:46.04\00:20:48.08
so there was no need
to be afraid of life...
00:20:48.11\00:20:49.78
you make
decisions... you make choices...
00:20:49.81\00:20:51.41
you live with them...
but I was always afraid of
00:20:51.45\00:20:54.38
getting my
daughter taken from me...
00:20:54.42\00:20:56.28
I never wanted to be
parted from my daughter...
00:20:56.32\00:20:58.82
I had a daughter...
when I was out there...
00:20:58.85\00:21:01.36
her name is Anaya... she's
seven turns eight this month
00:21:01.39\00:21:04.83
and so it was one
night... it was a good...
00:21:04.86\00:21:07.96
it was a good day...
by worldly standards...
00:21:08.00\00:21:11.07
I just came from
my brother's house
00:21:11.10\00:21:12.67
spending time with him...
00:21:12.70\00:21:14.20
I just got paid that
day which was always good...
00:21:14.24\00:21:17.11
and so,
00:21:17.17\00:21:19.67
I just picked up my daughter
00:21:19.71\00:21:21.04
because me and
her mom split weeks...
00:21:21.08\00:21:22.41
so, it was Wednesday...
it was my time to pick her up
00:21:22.44\00:21:24.55
so I picked her up...
I was happy about that...
00:21:24.58\00:21:26.08
took her to my brother's house,
I was spending time with him,
00:21:26.11\00:21:29.25
he was happy about
that... I decided to go home...
00:21:29.28\00:21:31.12
and on the stop from home,
00:21:31.15\00:21:33.92
another problem I acquired
in the world was... drinking...
00:21:33.96\00:21:37.29
now, I didn't call
it a problem then...
00:21:37.33\00:21:39.43
but I had a drinking problem...
I would drink, drink...
00:21:39.46\00:21:42.26
and just drink
alcohol... everyday...
00:21:42.33\00:21:44.70
just about every
day... all the time...
00:21:44.73\00:21:47.10
there had to be no reason,
00:21:47.17\00:21:48.50
it didn't have to be
a special occasion...
00:21:48.54\00:21:49.87
and so I stopped by the
store to pick up some alcohol...
00:21:49.90\00:21:52.44
going to the house...
00:21:52.47\00:21:54.38
I didn't plan on
leaving the house again...
00:21:54.41\00:21:56.14
because I had my
daughter... and so I'm drinking,
00:21:56.18\00:21:59.58
I'm drinking... it gets to
about 2 and 3 in the morning
00:21:59.61\00:22:02.08
after she goes to
sleep... I started drinking...
00:22:02.12\00:22:04.95
and all of a sudden...
00:22:04.99\00:22:06.62
I started getting hungry...
00:22:06.65\00:22:08.59
because I chilled at
my brother's house so late
00:22:08.62\00:22:11.16
I didn't go to the
grocery store before we came...
00:22:11.19\00:22:13.70
and I was
tired... and I was like...
00:22:13.73\00:22:16.06
"Man, I'm hungry but I
don't want to drink and drive...
00:22:16.10\00:22:18.77
okay, let me just go to
the nearest fast-food chain...
00:22:18.80\00:22:21.47
and just get me
something to eat real quick... "
00:22:21.50\00:22:24.31
now mind you...
I'd been drinking...
00:22:24.34\00:22:26.78
and so I'd drunk
the whole bottle...
00:22:26.84\00:22:29.18
so, I can drink the
whole bottle to myself...
00:22:29.21\00:22:31.48
and that's how much I'd drunk...
and so, at 3 in the morning...
00:22:31.51\00:22:35.62
because it's down the street,
and alcohol is in your system
00:22:35.68\00:22:39.75
and you reason that
everything will be okay...
00:22:39.79\00:22:41.69
at 3 in the morning... I
grabbed my sleeping daughter
00:22:41.72\00:22:44.69
I put her in the car with me,
00:22:44.73\00:22:46.06
and I'd go to the store
to get something to eat...
00:22:46.09\00:22:49.10
from this fast-food chain...
00:22:49.13\00:22:50.53
I get something from
the fast food-chain...
00:22:50.60\00:22:52.73
I start to leave
the fast-food chain
00:22:52.77\00:22:56.34
and as I do... a
police officer gets behind me
00:22:56.37\00:22:59.87
filled with alcohol
and pride and the thought
00:22:59.91\00:23:03.45
"if I live just down the street
maybe I can shake her... "
00:23:03.48\00:23:05.85
I decided I didn't feel
like stopping that night...
00:23:05.88\00:23:08.02
and I run and get
in a high-speed chase
00:23:08.05\00:23:10.92
with the police officers...
00:23:10.99\00:23:12.32
after I hit about
the first two corners,
00:23:12.35\00:23:14.96
I realized that I'm in a truck
00:23:14.99\00:23:17.06
and this truck
could potentially tip over
00:23:17.13\00:23:20.70
if I hit the corner hard enough
00:23:20.73\00:23:22.03
then I'm not going to
be able to get away...
00:23:22.06\00:23:23.53
so I said, "Well, at least
I'll just go to the house... "
00:23:23.57\00:23:26.90
and then,
somebody can probably come
00:23:26.94\00:23:29.44
and pick up Anaya so
they don't take her...
00:23:29.47\00:23:31.21
and they can just take me
into custody and x, y, and z...
00:23:31.24\00:23:33.84
and so, before I
get to the house...
00:23:33.88\00:23:35.98
once you start running...
they call different cars
00:23:36.01\00:23:39.91
and they start
converging on you...
00:23:39.98\00:23:41.32
and they don't like it
too much when you run...
00:23:41.35\00:23:43.08
so they will ram your car
00:23:43.12\00:23:44.45
if they have to
and stuff like that...
00:23:44.49\00:23:46.12
it seems almost like the angel
of the Lord stopped the car...
00:23:46.15\00:23:50.39
the car... it felt like someone
grabbed the car and it turned...
00:23:50.49\00:23:54.63
and stopped in a weird way...
when I made a left turn...
00:23:54.66\00:24:00.87
it almost made a whole U Turn...
00:24:00.94\00:24:03.04
and stopped right in front
of the wall and hit the wall...
00:24:03.07\00:24:05.21
and then the chase was over...
00:24:05.24\00:24:07.01
to make the long story short...
00:24:07.08\00:24:08.78
I had to go to prison
and do time for that...
00:24:08.81\00:24:11.98
but I remember... my
first night in jail...
00:24:12.05\00:24:15.18
I was on the
Sacramento County Floor
00:24:15.22\00:24:18.52
lock down...
24-hour-lockdown floor
00:24:18.55\00:24:21.76
I got put in my
cell... nobody was in there...
00:24:21.79\00:24:24.33
and so I'm put in my cell,
I'm wearing the orange clothes
00:24:24.36\00:24:28.50
and I'm wearing all their stuff
00:24:28.53\00:24:31.00
and I just look
up at the ceiling
00:24:31.07\00:24:32.67
and I say, "Okay, I'm listening,
what do you want to say to me?"
00:24:32.73\00:24:38.87
Hmmm... and from
that point I knew...
00:24:38.91\00:24:41.94
God had to put me in a position
where He would just slow me down
00:24:41.98\00:24:45.48
where He just had to
take everything from me...
00:24:45.55\00:24:48.32
I lost the car... I
lost the apartment...
00:24:48.35\00:24:50.09
you know... work... my
daughter could have gotten
00:24:50.15\00:24:53.12
taken from me... but
because her mother and
00:24:53.15\00:24:56.79
my mother came and got her,
00:24:56.83\00:24:58.16
they opened up a
"child-support case"
00:24:58.19\00:25:00.43
because her mother
didn't press any charges
00:25:00.46\00:25:03.16
the case was closed...
00:25:03.20\00:25:04.53
and so it could
have ended way worse...
00:25:04.57\00:25:06.50
but the Lord just
showed so much mercy...
00:25:06.53\00:25:08.74
on someone who
didn't deserve any...
00:25:08.77\00:25:10.81
and from that point forward,
00:25:10.84\00:25:12.17
He said, "No, I'm not
going to get out of this...
00:25:12.21\00:25:14.21
I'm not going to make
all the charges go away...
00:25:14.28\00:25:16.44
you're going to
have to go to prison...
00:25:16.48\00:25:17.81
but, I'm going to go
through it with you... "
00:25:17.85\00:25:21.45
is what He told me...
and so, I had my Bible...
00:25:21.48\00:25:25.12
and that began my
conversion process
00:25:25.15\00:25:27.56
I just read my
Bible from cover to cover,
00:25:27.59\00:25:29.89
and then I got
out... they gave me...
00:25:29.92\00:25:32.23
tried to give me four years,
00:25:32.26\00:25:33.93
the Lord was gracious...
they gave me two years
00:25:34.00\00:25:36.40
I did half time...
and I got out in 10 months
00:25:36.43\00:25:39.17
and I was still... one
foot in and one foot out
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if you can believe it...
00:25:41.94\00:25:43.97
I still said, "Well,
I won't do bad stuff...
00:25:44.01\00:25:48.44
but I won't just give
everything to the Lord... "
00:25:48.48\00:25:50.55
like you were saying,
"compartmentalizing... "
00:25:50.61\00:25:52.61
Yeah,
compartmentalizing, right...
00:25:52.65\00:25:53.98
that's what I decided to do,
00:25:54.02\00:25:55.35
"so, I'll just do
this and this and this"
00:25:55.38\00:25:56.75
but I won't hurt
people, I won't sell alcohol,
00:25:56.79\00:26:00.29
I won't be mean and
disrespectful to women
00:26:00.32\00:26:03.69
I will try to
keep myself together...
00:26:03.76\00:26:06.66
and it was February 2011
00:26:06.73\00:26:10.67
I was in my mom's house...
00:26:10.70\00:26:14.64
in the room downstairs...
and she didn't know it
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if I had any alcohol...
I was about to drink some
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and it was like a voice, as
clear as you're talking to me
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it said, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
00:26:25.85\00:26:30.29
Wow! and then I said...
00:26:30.32\00:26:32.32
you know, "I'm about to relax"
00:26:32.35\00:26:37.46
I said, "I'm about to relax,
I'm about to just drink... "
00:26:37.53\00:26:40.40
and the Lord said, "No"
00:26:40.43\00:26:41.83
he said, "I've taken you
too far you know, too much...
00:26:41.86\00:26:45.80
you either give all to me... or
00:26:45.83\00:26:49.10
you can go back and live
00:26:49.14\00:26:52.04
the way you were
living... decide... "
00:26:52.07\00:26:53.64
Ah, and you had to
make a choice right then...
00:26:53.74\00:26:56.81
Right then... Wow!
this is such a great story
00:26:56.85\00:26:59.85
and I can't
believe we have to go...
00:26:59.88\00:27:01.68
our time... I can't
believe our time is up
00:27:01.72\00:27:04.12
Okay...
00:27:04.15\00:27:05.72
tell us how to get in
touch with your ministry...
00:27:05.75\00:27:08.62
give us a website
or... do you have a website?
00:27:08.69\00:27:11.39
Our website is
still under construction
00:27:11.43\00:27:14.03
but to get in touch our ministry
00:27:14.10\00:27:15.50
all you need to do is e-mail me
CFO Christ Frontline Operations,
00:27:15.53\00:27:20.87
my e-mail is TLAW155@yahoo. com
00:27:20.94\00:27:26.91
and you can e-mail me
and leave me your information
00:27:26.98\00:27:29.98
and I'll get back to you,
00:27:30.05\00:27:31.38
we do Week of
Prayers, Health Seminars,
00:27:31.41\00:27:34.75
Evangelistic Series,
00:27:34.78\00:27:36.99
just any evangelistic
activity you could think of...
00:27:37.09\00:27:39.82
Thank you so much Tim,
00:27:39.85\00:27:41.72
you have been an
amazing blessing...
00:27:41.76\00:27:43.93
and you know Viewer...
00:27:43.96\00:27:45.29
God's goodness will
carry you through...
00:27:45.33\00:27:47.40
you just have to hold on to Him,
and watch your life change...
00:27:47.50\00:27:51.63
God's got a plan for you,
00:27:51.67\00:27:53.23
just like He did for Tim...
00:27:53.30\00:27:54.77
He's got a plan
for every one of us...
00:27:54.80\00:27:57.37
so, that's the
end of our Program...
00:27:57.41\00:27:59.81
Thanks for tuning
in... join us next time...
00:27:59.84\00:28:02.04
because it wouldn't be
the same without you...
00:28:02.08\00:28:04.18