Participants: Cheri Peters (Host), Mark Thornton
Series Code: CLR
Program Code: CLR00033B
|
00:13 Welcome back you know this is my favorite part of the
00:17 show where I get to introduce you to someone. 00:19 Especially today because this is a friend of mine. 00:21 Mark I want to say I want I wanted you 00:22 on this show forever. 00:25 So thanks for coming. 00:26 Thank you. 00:29 I want you to tell them where you come from, 00:31 how did you find God, all the kind of stuff that God 00:34 has done in your life. 00:35 I know it all, but I want you to bless them 00:38 with your testimony. 00:40 Alright. 00:41 Well I was born and raised in church. 00:44 My dad was the Pastor but I was a typical Pastor's kid. 00:47 I ran away from everything that was religious, 00:50 everything that was God. 00:51 I really didn't understand, 00:53 have a clue as to what they were talking about 00:55 and I didn't want to live that type of life style. 00:57 So you were like Yeah, no back, back, 01:01 there's a lot of pressure being a Pastor's kid when 01:03 I grew up because there is like three kids and I was 01:05 suppose to be the example. 01:07 Well that is like it's not going to happen so, 01:09 I was an example but it wasn't a good example. 01:11 It was a bad example. 01:12 So I got into a lot of trouble running from God. 01:16 You know I know people that know you as a kid and 01:21 they said you were not a nice kid. 01:22 I was bad. 01:23 I was a heathen. 01:25 Even when they said that to me, 01:26 I said you're kidding me because I loved him and 01:28 they said Oh Man! 01:30 It was, it was rough. 01:32 I was one of those kids that only a 01:33 mother could love. 01:36 I was adopted when I was 5 days old, 01:38 so I never knew biological parents and why that is 01:41 significant in my life is because my mama always 01:43 told me I was special. 01:45 She told me she chose me, so I would pick on my 01:48 brothers and sisters sometimes and tell them oh 01:49 you were just an act of marriage, 01:51 but they chose me, I was special. 01:52 I got my first glimpse of the unconditional love of 01:57 God through understanding that my mom chose me. 01:59 But at the same time it caused problems in life 02:01 because I thought I could do no wrong. 02:03 I mean I would get in trouble and I was the 02:07 chosen one, so it did get really tracked for the 02:10 longest time so again because of that there was 02:12 a lot of pride, there was a lot of striving to be 02:14 something that I wasn't. 02:15 And you were good at most things you started. 02:17 Yeah I been good at... 02:18 Sports all that stuff. 02:19 Sports and in school, a lot of it I didn't 02:22 have to work hard for. 02:24 It just kind of came easy. 02:27 I don't know why people liked me and 02:28 tried to help me out. 02:29 I mean all of my life, even when I was in 02:31 trouble, that people constantly tried to help 02:34 me, no, no, no he's better than that. 02:36 He's got great potential and my mom was leading 02:38 the charge special and so that really played into 02:42 me thinking Oh, I can rule the world, 02:43 I can do anything I want to do. 02:46 So I got into a lot of trouble when I was a kid, 02:48 high school, juvenile hall, drugs, alcohol, 02:51 at a young age, stealing, like I said if... 02:55 You would have taken my computer, wouldn't you've? 02:58 Probably, yes. 03:00 I knew it when you said, And I wouldn't have called 03:02 to actually give it back either. 03:04 Two years later, Oh go ahead. 03:07 Okay, So I got into a lot of trouble like I said, 03:12 juvenile hall and jail and drugs. 03:15 I totally ran opposite of the way I was being 03:19 raised, because I didn't want to be a part of it. 03:22 Through that I somehow got a scholarship to play 03:26 football at Boise State in Idaho and I came from a 03:29 junior college and what's amazing is that even in 03:32 that junior college, I got in trouble 03:34 trying to help people. 03:36 I've always tried to help other people and so I was 03:37 a stupid trouble maker. 03:39 A bad thief, I never did it well. 03:41 What do you mean by that? 03:43 I would get in trouble stealing hot dogs to help feed 03:46 some people, had nothing to do with me. 03:49 Something you needed. 03:50 Nothing I needed, always trying to help people out. 03:53 So that has been inherent in me. 03:55 I just kind of, I facilitated it wrong, 04:00 didn't know that was God wanting to do something 04:02 in a through me so. 04:05 I got in trouble in this junior college, 04:08 and I never will forget, the people basically did 04:10 everything they could do to say no, no, no, 04:13 don't send him to jail, send him off to college, 04:14 it will change his life. 04:17 By all accounts I should have gone to jail. 04:19 I should never been awarded the 04:21 scholarship to go. 04:23 So you ended up going to BSU for football 04:24 rather than jail? 04:28 Yes and so I got to Boise state and played, 04:30 did my thing, kind of the life of the party there, 04:31 I'm special. 04:34 That didn't change, using drugs and playing football 04:37 and all these things and I ended up getting in 04:39 trouble while I was at Boise State. 04:41 So that was kind of a bad thing, 04:43 here's this kid from California comes to Idaho, 04:45 we give him a scholarship, he gets in trouble, 04:47 that didn't really go well. 04:49 You know what cracks me up? 04:52 What was it like coming from LA to Idaho? 04:54 Cause that is a whole different world. 04:56 Well I grew up in Sacramento for junior high 04:59 school, and so forth, so Boise was really like a 05:02 small Sacramento, but actually just coming to 05:03 Boise was different. 05:04 The drinking age, I will never forget, 05:06 you had to be 18, to drink. 05:08 In California you had to be 21, 05:10 because I went to a junior college, 05:13 I came to Idaho right before I was 21, 05:16 and I'm thinking, Oh when I'm 21 I will party 05:18 legally, and all these things. 05:20 And you only had to be 18, and I was thinking, Man, 05:22 I should have been here several years ago. 05:24 Yeah I should have been here a long time ago. 05:27 So I was a little bit older so I actually 05:29 instigated a lot of things. 05:31 Parties and things like that. 05:33 But not really a lot of trouble. 05:35 But I remember I got into trouble, 05:36 I broke into a building while I was still in 05:39 college, and I just remember that the coaches 05:42 were saying do not bring shame to the program, 05:45 so I lied, told them my name was something else so 05:47 that they couldn't track me down. 05:48 There weren't a lot of black people in Idaho at 05:49 that time. 05:50 That's what I was thinking what was that like because 05:53 I know a friend of mine Randy Maxwell, 05:54 you know Randy. 05:55 He's black and in Idaho and I think 05:58 there was only 5 of you. 05:59 Yes, we've increased, we're about 50-65. 06:03 But what is really interesting is that when I 06:05 walk around sometimes with Randy, 06:06 especially years ago, people would stop and 06:09 look, so that had to have been and 06:11 odd thing from LA. 06:13 Well I would wave, people would literally break 06:16 their necks when they drove by I would be like 06:18 HEH! How yea doing? 06:20 I'm always kind of a clown, 06:22 the life of the party you know. 06:24 Singing and doing things so I got in trouble and 06:26 they sent me to prison. 06:29 I had what was like going to be a 4 month rider. 06:33 We'll see, we'll put you in jail for 4 months and 06:35 if everything works out, we will let you go on 06:37 probation if not we will keep you for 5 years. 06:39 I will never forget that I had a Sergeant and a 06:44 Lieutenant that were there and they actually went to 06:46 court in my behalf. 06:48 They said this man does not need to be in jail. 06:50 They didn't know me from anything, 06:55 and those 120 days, I don't think I spent that 06:57 much time with them as I was processing, 06:59 but they went to court on my behalf. 07:02 I just couldn't understand why are you doing it? 07:04 And part of it, I'm special so, 07:06 they recognize that I'm special so 07:08 they're helping me out. 07:09 So consequently I got out of jail early and I was on 07:12 probation, my identity at the time was caught up in 07:15 Boise State football. 07:16 I mean my identity was that I was good, 07:19 and my identity was in that and so once that was 07:22 removed from me, it's back into drugs, 07:25 back into partying, it's back into women, 07:28 it's just back into these things and running from 07:32 what God had ordained. 07:33 And ever when you went back into everything there 07:35 is no reason for you to step up to the plate 07:37 anymore because it's all gone. 07:39 So when your identity is Oh I'm a Boise State 07:42 football player and that's taken away from you, 07:45 for me as a man, I had to have that significance. 07:48 So if I couldn't find it in my athletic ability, 07:51 I'll just be the greatest party animal 07:53 in the whole wide world. 07:57 So a lot of things transpired in that time 08:00 and there were still people willing to go to 08:02 bat for me and help me out. 08:05 So somehow through all these things, 08:06 you know God was watching over me, 08:08 He was covering me. 08:10 But I was still running from God. 08:13 So I ended up getting married in 1991, 08:16 met a gal and got married in 1991 and 08:18 she had a lot of money. 08:21 Just an inheritance. 08:22 I didn't even know. 08:23 I'm just partying. 08:26 Well I didn't know, it ended up we had to have a 08:27 job, had to do something. 08:28 I was like I always wanted to make money, 08:29 I didn't want to live, like I'm just going to 08:30 live off your money. 08:31 I want to do something, so we opened a pub and deli. 08:34 I had 36 beers on tap, it was the largest assortment 08:37 of beer on tap in Idaho at the time. 08:39 We opened a pub and deli, a place called Thornton's, 08:42 The Place to Be! 08:43 Life of the party, Karaoke, 08:47 I am the reason Karaoke made it into Boise in bars. 08:50 So I don't know if that's a good thing 08:52 or a bad thing. 08:55 It's a cool thing. 08:58 I sing, so I figured I'd have my own platform to 08:59 sing, whatever it is that I want to sing. 09:01 So I owned this pub and deli and I didn't really 09:04 drink that much, I smoked a lot of pot. 09:06 I was addicted to Marijuana, 09:10 I didn't know it because I reflect back and every 09:13 morning I would wake up and the first thing that 09:15 I did was I'd smoke. 09:16 Taking the kids to school, you know taking, 09:20 her kids to school. 09:21 I would smoke and driving home, 09:22 it was unnatural for me not to be stoned, not to be high. 09:28 I just want to do a side note, 09:30 because when I work with someone who smokes weed, 09:32 you say I have no problem with that, 09:34 and I said do you do anything with out smoking weed anymore? 09:36 Do you go to a movie, do you go out with your 09:39 friends, and they say like no 09:40 I got to get some weed. 09:42 And I say did you enjoy any part of your life, 09:44 can you have sex without smoking weed? 09:46 It's like every part of their life has to be that 09:47 I have to have some pot first. 09:50 Realizing that people don't think of it as being 09:54 that disruptive in your life is pretty soon you 09:56 are not doing anything without being stoned. 09:59 And I functioned very well so I didn't process that 10:01 I was addicted to this chemical, to this drug. 10:03 So some things were going on at the pub and deli, 10:07 I wasn't selling drugs at all. 10:10 I had too much money, I didn't need to sell any 10:12 drugs, but I knew a lot people who sold drugs. 10:14 What happened is a friend of mine came to me and 10:16 said do you know where I can get some Cocaine. 10:18 I was like I don't have any but 10:21 I know people who have some. 10:25 So I put the two of them together in my office. 10:26 Oh Man! 10:28 It turns out he one guy was a 10:30 confidential informant. 10:31 The purpose was to set me up, 10:32 I don't want to say they were picking on me because 10:34 the color of my skin, probably more because I 10:36 was arrogant and boastful and I didn't do 10:39 authority very well. 10:41 When you've got a lot of money, 10:43 you think you don't have to abide by 10:44 everybody else's rules. 10:48 It was more than that, God was after me. 10:49 So this was just the vessel that was being used 10:52 for God to bring me back to Him. 10:54 So I let them make this transaction in my office 10:57 and they arrested me right in January of 1991. 11:03 But prior to that I'm still living in a mess, 11:06 I'm still living to where I am 11:08 trying to find my place. 11:10 My sister passed away and she was only 34 years old. 11:13 She had ovarian cancer. 11:15 So she passed away and I was, 11:17 I didn't realize it then, but I was so not in a place 11:19 to really even understand or comprehend the significance that 11:22 had to my family. 11:24 I wasn't weeping, hysterically, I wasn't, 11:28 I just didn't have a clue. 11:29 I was just out there, I didn't have a clue. 11:32 So we went back for the funeral and that took 11:34 place, and my mom's my best friend. 11:36 I mean all my life. 11:38 Like I said, I'd be on the video camera stealing the 11:41 candy, stilling the video, Oh that's my baby. 11:42 He wouldn't do that. 11:45 I mean That was my best friend, I'm special. 11:48 So I wasn't really tracking with what was 11:51 going on so I had money and I could help out. 11:53 So my input was financially and things like that then I got 11:57 arrested right after that. 11:59 So delivery of a controlled substance. 12:01 So in Idaho it is punishable up 12:04 to life in prison. 12:05 This would be my third felony at this point. 12:09 When they came to arrest me. 12:12 I have not delivered anything. 12:14 This is how arrogant I was. 12:16 The police man came into my place of business, 12:18 my pub and deli, I'm cooking lunch, 12:20 and he comes in, we have a warrant for your arrest. 12:21 Like a warrant for what? 12:24 I haven't done anything. 12:25 They're like Whoa, we don't know. 12:27 Well like if you are going to arrest me, 12:29 call and find out what I have a warrant for. 12:32 It's the grace of God that they obliged me and went 12:35 along with the thing. 12:37 Well delivery of a controlled substance, 12:38 I'm thinking, I haven't delivered anything. 12:40 I'm like no you've got the wrong person. 12:43 They are like, we are going to have 12:44 to take you to jail. 12:45 I'm like, what's the bond? Well we don't know. 12:46 I'm like well you're going to have to call and find 12:48 out what the bond is cause I'm not going with you. 12:50 Now mind you these people have guns. 12:55 I'm thinking who would do that! 12:56 They have guns and they have authority. 12:58 I was really arrogant. 12:59 They obliged me, it's totally miraculous story 13:05 and they said the bond is $200,000 dollars. 13:07 So I called my wife and said you need to meet me 13:10 at the jail with $200,000 dollar cashier's check 13:11 because they have arrested me for this. 13:13 So she got that all put in order and then the police 13:16 man wanted to take me out through my own business. 13:18 I said no, you are going to have to drive around 13:20 the back and get me because I am not going to 13:22 let you take me through my business. 13:26 So they came around back. 13:28 I'd say shut up there is no way. 13:30 It was amazing thing. 13:32 So I get down to the jail they process me and do 13:38 everything and the bail is like wow, 13:41 I've never seen anybody write a $200,000 13:42 dollar check to bond out. 13:43 I was pretty arrogant. 13:45 Anything short of a million dollars and I'm 13:47 not going to jail. 13:48 That was a bad move, because somehow the judge 13:51 got wind of that particular statement. 13:53 Because it is a controlled substance. 13:56 It's a controlled substance, 13:58 it's a third felony, and because I had a felony I 14:00 had a real, I couldn't have a liquor license so 14:03 it appeared as if I didn't have a job. 14:05 My name is on it, Thornton's The Place To Be, 14:08 but tax wise, there was no money actually coming to 14:10 my name so the argument could be made easily, 14:12 he's selling drugs. 14:13 That's how he's making money. 14:16 But that was a God thing, everybody knew where the 14:19 money came from. 14:21 I go to jail and I'm facing this, 14:23 I'm trying to process how can I get out of it. 14:25 We're going to move to Jamaica, 14:26 we're going to leave, we're leaving the states. 14:28 I'm not going to jail. 14:30 Especially for life. 14:31 They want to send me to jail for life. 14:33 In the process of all that fighting this charge, 14:36 my mom wanted to come to Idaho for Mother's day. 14:43 Because my sister died and she passed away at home so 14:46 she didn't want to be in the house over the 14:48 Mother's day holiday. 14:50 So they came to Boise to visit us for Mother's Day. 14:53 We had a great time, and you know my dad's a 14:56 Pastor, educator, so me playing football, 14:59 me partying and all that stuff, 15:00 was totally contrary to everything he was 15:03 trying to teach me. 15:04 My mom was probably more of a football fan 15:05 than my dad was. 15:08 He said, ah that's silly you need a job, 15:11 education and so I never remember the day, 15:13 the Sunday afterwards, well it was Mother's Day 15:15 Sunday and they were leaving. 15:16 He came and I wanted to show him the pub and deli. 15:21 I through him the deli part, 15:24 you know so he could see it is just a business. 15:26 Not my passion to sell beer, but I mean, 15:27 you make money. 15:28 I remember he was in the bathroom for a long time 15:31 and he finally came out and he just looked at me, 15:34 like son, I'm proud of you. 15:35 I'm not tracking, cause I'm like there is no 15:39 reason he is proud of me cause I own a pub and 15:42 deli, I know my dad. 15:43 That's contrary so I am going like well he is 15:46 maybe just proud of me because of the money. 15:47 I don't have to work for anybody, 15:48 I'm working for myself. 15:50 I just let that go. 15:51 On the way home, they are driving through 15:55 Waimauku, my dad dies. 15:59 So they came to escape the grief of home, 16:01 my sister passing away and on the way home from 16:03 visiting me, my dad passed away. 16:05 Like I said, my mom has been my best friend. 16:07 I got to just tell you I am sorry. 16:09 I'm sorry about your dad. 16:10 It was just, that was rough. 16:12 That was rough, because like I said now I was 16:14 facing what I thought would be life in prison. 16:16 I'm facing the dismantling of my family. 16:18 I knew I would lose my family, 16:19 I knew I would lose all the resources, all the, 16:22 everybody was just there for a good time. 16:26 That would go away if I went to jail. 16:31 I wasn't equipped to in my spirit, 16:33 even though I was a big guy, a tough guy, 16:34 like I said all the trouble I got in, 16:37 I wasn't really a serial criminal. 16:38 I just did stupid things. 16:43 I never did it well, that's how I know I wasn't 16:45 meant to do all that wrong, 16:46 cause I never did it well. 16:47 I was a very stupid criminal. 16:49 I was a very stupid thief, very stupid drug addict, 16:52 I mean all of those things. 16:53 Now I have to deal with my dad dying, 16:56 I have to deal with my mom, because 16:59 my concern is for my mom. 17:01 Going to jail. 17:02 You are facing going to jail. 17:04 Yeah and there us no way I can tell my mom. 17:05 She's got her husband and her daughter. 17:07 She is grieving, my daughter. 17:10 My mom had three young children and so she had 17:13 taken custody over those three young children. 17:16 So she has the children, all of these things, 17:18 now my dad died. 17:20 I'll never forget that. 17:22 I don't know how I'm going to tell, 17:23 I can't say anything. 17:25 So I went home for the funeral, 17:27 for my dad's funeral. 17:30 Backtracking just a moment, they told me, 17:31 because of this court case, 17:32 you can't leave the state without telling us. 17:35 Without getting permission. 17:37 I was like arrogant, I will not be calling you to 17:39 ask you if I can go to my dad's funeral. 17:42 So I just left. 17:44 I just left. 17:46 When I get down there my sister's were in church, 17:48 helped build the church. 17:50 You know we have been in church all of our lives. 17:55 My sisters could tell something was wrong with me. 17:58 I didn't tell them anything. 18:00 So they pulled me into a room, and like Mark, 18:02 what's wrong, because you didn't grieve this hard 18:05 at Twana, my sister's funeral and 18:06 something is just wrong. 18:08 So I had to unleash and let them know Heh, 18:10 they are trying to put me in jail for the rest of my 18:13 life for something that I really didn't do. 18:15 How can I tell mom and I'm going to lose this, 18:17 and that, and they told me something 18:19 I will never forget. 18:21 Mark this is spiritual warfare. 18:23 God's got a plan for your life, 18:25 and the devil is trying to thwart that 18:26 plan for your life. 18:29 And I am yeah whatever, but how is that going to 18:31 keep me out of jail. 18:32 We can't ever wrap our mind around that. 18:33 What are you talking about I'm talking serious, 18:35 real stuff here. 18:37 And they are like, so are we. 18:40 They were trying to explain that to me and I'm 18:41 like I'm not telling mom. 18:42 They are like well you just wait until like what 18:45 is going to happen. 18:47 I don't know I've got enough money to buy a 18:49 lawyer, I mean if money could have bought you out 18:50 of trouble, I would have been out of trouble. 18:52 Cause there was no resource that I didn't 18:56 have financially to be able to get out of this 18:58 mess, if that really could do it. 19:00 But God had other plans. 19:01 So what happened, I'm dying to hear. 19:04 My dad passes away, we do the funeral thing. 19:06 I come back, on my way back a friend of mine that 19:09 worked for me, he calls me up and tells me that a 19:11 gal that works at the airport said the police 19:14 were there and they were going to arrest 19:16 me when I got back. 19:19 So I just wanted to let you know they found out 19:20 you were gone and they are going to arrest you 19:22 when you get back. 19:24 So I flew to Salt Lake, bought a van cash, 19:28 and drove home to Boise. 19:29 Yes we drove into Boise. 19:32 That night packed up a pretty large house. 19:34 Movers came a packed a pretty large house, 19:35 bought another house on the other side of town, 19:37 moved there so the next time the police came to my 19:39 house looking for me, it was empty. 19:41 Don't try this at home. 19:44 No don't, please don't do this. 19:49 It happened to be the same police that came to arrest 19:50 me the first time. 19:53 So I go through this whole process and I ended up 19:55 turning myself in. 19:57 I went to court. 19:59 I just want to see the look on the police officer 20:02 when he comes to the house and sees he moved. 20:04 I hate this guy. 20:05 With that guy it gets better, it gets better. 20:08 I ended up getting a sentence three to ten, 20:12 3 fixed and up to ten years. 20:13 I'm thinking I'm gong to loose my family. 20:15 I remember telling the judge, 20:17 I'm going to lose my family. 20:18 No your family is going to be fine, 20:19 everything is going to be fine. 20:21 I'm thinking, I know people who manufacture 20:23 drugs, I'll tell on them and I remember the 20:26 prosecutor saying, Mr. Thornton, 20:27 we just want you. 20:28 We don't need anybody else, we just want you. 20:30 I'm thinking, I can't get out of it. 20:33 My mom still doesn't know. 20:36 So I'm in jail and I go through this process and 20:38 appeals things and all these and now it looks 20:39 like you're not going to get out of jail. 20:42 So now I have to tell my mom, 20:43 this my dad died in May, Mother's Day, 20:46 I didn't tell my mom until August. 20:48 I'm in a jail cell, a prison cell and I'm having 20:50 to call collect and tell my mom Heh this, 20:53 I'm in prison, I'm going to be here possibly up to 20:56 ten years and this is my best friend. 21:00 I can't even imagine her heart. 21:03 This is what she told me. 21:04 She said son, I have to wash my hands of you. 21:07 You are not going to kill me. 21:09 Now I am devastated, I'm in jail, 21:11 money can't get me out of jail. 21:13 My last resort, which has been my last resort all 21:16 my life, my mom's love, unconditional love, 21:18 special, we chose you. 21:20 Made that statement to me, broke my heart, 21:22 I hung up the phone and I could understand where 21:24 she was coming from. 21:25 It was at that moment. 21:27 Knew she had to do it. 21:28 Knew she did. 21:29 It was at that moment, that every scripture that 21:33 I had ever heard, memorized in a children's 21:36 play, saw on the wall, I'll never leave you 21:39 nor forsake you. 21:40 All those scriptures, every song that I ever 21:44 sung in church, it all came back to me. 21:47 In the jail cell, Lord I'm yours. 21:50 What ever you want I'll do it. 21:53 If this is the end result, then I'll serve you here. 21:56 If I lived a thousand miles an hour for the 21:58 world, I'll live a thousand ten miles 21:59 an hour for You. 22:03 That started a remarkable journey. 22:07 From that point I was committed, 22:08 that's okay if my wife leaves me, 22:10 if my mom that's okay. 22:12 I got God and I put my face in the Bible. 22:14 And you felt it, you felt His presence and 22:15 His love overwhelming. 22:17 When they say a jailhouse conversion, you know. 22:19 We laugh at that sometimes, 22:22 yeah and when he gets Out he's going to be the same, 22:23 but I've always been the kind of type that once I 22:25 made up my mind to do Something, 22:27 I was going to do it. 22:28 I tried everything else, I mean there was not a drug, 22:31 You know that I hadn't tried, probably. 22:33 There probably was, but in my mind anything that I 22:36 Wanted to do, I did it. 22:37 There was not a party, I mean I had done everything 22:40 that I could possibly do. 22:42 I was like, you know what, Lord I am going to serve You. 22:45 I remember the Lord gave me a song, 22:47 in that jail cell. 22:49 I did that so I get out, got my Bible. 22:51 Wait, wait, wait, what's the song, do you remember? 22:53 Can you sing some of it? 22:54 Yeah what He's done for me. 22:55 You gave me your shoulder, When I wanted to cry, 23:01 You gave me lasting hope, When I wanted to die, 23:07 You are my friend, yes, When I was all alone, 23:13 You reached out Your hand to me, 23:18 So I could make it home. 23:20 You know I talked about there was times I wanted to die. 23:22 When I wanted to give up, but God wouldn't 23:24 let me, give up. 23:26 He said no, I called you for a purpose and I'm going to use you 23:29 I don't know how he is going to use me, 23:30 or when he is going to use me, 23:31 I'm thinking I must be a jail preacher. 23:33 I plugged into the chapel. 23:36 And I'm doing all these things. 23:38 The journey started, I felt like 23:39 Joseph in prison. 23:41 Because there was a measure of favor that was 23:44 applied to me that wasn't applied to 23:46 any other inmate. 23:47 I have big feet, I wear six 15 shoes. 23:49 They didn't have boots or tennis shoes to fit me and 23:53 they could care less whether I had shoes, 23:55 but did still have a lawyer at the time, 23:57 so I got two pairs of my own shoes in. 23:59 So now I'm walking around in prison with my own 24:01 tennis shoes, which you think no, okay, 24:04 but that's a big deal. 24:05 Everybody else had state issued, 24:07 I got Jordan's you know. 24:09 Some nice walking shoes. 24:10 It started with that and they made me, 24:14 I started working at the chapel, 24:15 everybody's lifting weights you know. 24:17 I'm a big guy so they think he's going to lift weights. 24:19 I was athletic, they think he is going to 24:20 play on the basketball team. 24:21 I'm like, no, I am not going to do that stuff. 24:23 I'm going to run after God. 24:24 Occasionally I would play basketball, 24:27 it's amazing thing. 24:29 I'm losing wife, my wife is having an 24:31 affair with this guy. 24:34 I find out about it, they think that I don't know. 24:36 This guy comes on the volunteer team out to the 24:38 prison to play basketball. 24:39 Yes, this is like adding the injury to insult. 24:43 And I'm, like everything within me, 24:44 Everything within me, and the Lord is like, 24:47 you know you brought this on yourself. 24:49 So you deal with the fall out of your actions. 24:52 Really, up until that point, 24:54 I had never taken responsibility for things 24:57 that I had done. 24:58 So, he was probably scared of me, but you know what? 25:01 I'm not mad at you. 25:03 Can I just say, Mark, cause I don't 25:06 want to lose this. 25:07 For most addicts for most people that God is calling 25:09 back to sanity, back to their right mind, 25:12 is the biggest step is to take responsibility, 25:15 to look at what you have done in your life, 25:17 and say you know what? 25:18 All this I brought on myself, 25:21 all this is because of the choices I've made. 25:23 And there is a freedom in that, 25:24 this is because of what I chose, 25:25 I'm going to choose different in Christ. 25:28 It is, I took a class in thinking classes like what 25:32 is your part in it. 25:33 That was one of the biggest thing that every 25:34 happened to me, I had to process, God is faithful. 25:38 When He says, I'm the Lord thy God I changeth not. 25:41 He means exactly what He says. 25:43 He's faithful so there is a problem with my 25:45 relationship with God, it's me. 25:46 It's not God's fault and so I had to come to that 25:49 realization and that understanding. 25:50 So I am working in the chapel, 25:52 I'm doing these things, and there was a big 25:54 fallout, a big, big fight and you know I have always 25:57 tried to help other people out. 25:59 So somehow I got myself involved in this, 26:01 it was none of my business. 26:02 I got myself involved, I made the decision, 26:04 I am going to take care of this situation. 26:06 Well, they ended up moving me to the farm. 26:08 Which is minimum security next day so I couldn't do 26:11 any further damage to me. 26:14 The Lord showed me later on that my life was 26:17 literally in danger, with white supremacist, 26:20 people who wanted to, gangs and nobody is going 26:24 to mess with me. 26:25 I'm Mark Thornton, I'm... 26:26 The Lord showed me NO! 26:28 I had a hedge of protection over you so 26:30 that they couldn't touch you. 26:31 So I go to the farm, I'm working on the farm 26:33 in the Chapel. 26:34 I'm the Chaplin in there so I am preaching, 26:36 we know our church is praise and worship today. 26:39 In traditional black churches you sing hymns. 26:41 And the choir processions in so I don't have a clue 26:44 about praise and worship, but God is using me to 26:46 lead praise and worship. 26:47 To preach the message. 26:49 Then there is this thing about Promise-Keepers. 26:52 So we are saying Oh that would be neat. 26:54 We're minimum security so maybe we could go. 26:56 So I orchestrate all these things to get to go to 27:00 Promise-Keepers then I made a mistake. 27:03 I sent, you can have your own personal property 27:06 which I had really too much of. 27:07 I mean I had a Walkman's, tapes, books, 27:10 and your only suppose to have so much personal 27:13 property, but because of the favor of 27:15 God, it really was. 27:16 I was in charge of a couple different programs, 27:18 I had like about 3 or 4 people's worth 27:21 of personal property. 27:22 I had it stored in other people's lockers. 27:25 The police knew it, the guards knew it. 27:28 and they, well that's Thornton. 27:30 But you know what's real interesting is most people 27:32 don't understand in a prison environment you are 27:35 the man then. 27:36 I mean what you have, even the little 27:38 you have, it's status. 27:40 Yeah that's all you have so I had all these things 27:42 and my own shoes, clothes, like I said 27:45 books, tapes, Walkman. 27:47 I'd walk around singing. 27:49 Why does Thornton gets to have it? 27:51 Because I'm involved in the programs, 27:52 programs and security are two different things. 27:54 There's the people who processing security, 27:56 that's all they care about. 27:57 So if you're walking around with head phones on 27:59 and stuff, they are like, wait a minute, 28:01 how does he get to do that? 28:05 But the deputy warden of programs, 28:07 no he can have this because of this, 28:08 because of that. 28:09 Unmerited favor, I mean honestly through the 28:12 whole, my whole time in prison. 28:13 So pride starts creeping in and I had actually too 28:17 much personal property so I sent some out, 28:20 but it wasn't the proper way. 28:22 The Warden finds out and he removes me from my 28:25 position as running the chapel and makes me pick 28:28 up cigarette butts. 28:29 Now I don't like cigarette butts, can't stand smoke, 28:32 it bothers me. 28:33 So to me that was the worse thing 28:35 you could have done. 28:36 Yeah make me pick up cigarette butts and I 28:38 don't even smoke. 28:39 So I did it with humility and I didn't ask for my 28:43 position back or anything. 28:44 I still had to orchestrate this Promise-Keepers trip even 28:47 though I wasn't going. 28:48 So pride is being killed in me slowly, but surely. 28:51 By God's mercy! 28:54 By the grace of God, definitely. 28:57 Cause it would destroy you. 28:58 Yeap, it would have, it had already gotten me to 29:00 the place that I was at. 29:01 So I will never forget, one day the Warden was 29:04 walking by and I'm two months into picking up cigarette butts. 29:06 I'm like, Mr. Warden can I have my job back? 29:09 He's like, have you learned a lesson? 29:11 I'm like, I have learned a whole lot of lessons. 29:13 So he's like sure, go tell the Lieutenant and so he's 29:16 gave me my job back and I'm like afraid to ask, 29:18 can I go to Promise-Keepers. 29:20 But I was just like, I would let that go. 29:22 The Chaplin, you know the staff Chaplin decides who 29:24 was going to go. 29:25 And he comes up an tells me the Warden has decided 29:27 to let you go to the Promise-Keepers event. 29:30 So in 1995, I leave prison with the group of guys in 29:35 our blue jeans and blue shirts and we go to this 29:38 Promise-Keepers conference and I'll never forget. 29:41 One of the Pastors took me up to Wellington Boone 29:44 Dr. Wellington Boone, says this man's in prison, 29:46 he's at Promise-Keepers, and he said WHAT! 29:49 It was kind of funny so he wanted me to share some of 29:52 the things that was going on. 29:53 In front of everybody? 29:55 Well I didn't get up at that time, 29:57 but just with the Pastor, with Wellington Boone at the time. 30:00 So we go back to prison, life had changed. 30:02 Life had changed for me, God was doing great things. 30:05 So now comes time for my parole. 30:06 And honestly if you looked up the word changed in the 30:10 dictionary, my picture would have been there. 30:12 I mean because there was a 180 degree change. 30:15 It was God working in me. 30:16 And it was your desire for the change now. 30:19 Yeah, totally not me, it was God moving in me. 30:22 I go to the, my mom came, and my wife that I'm 30:26 married to now, my wife had divorced me, 30:28 moved my kids away. 30:29 I hadn't seen my kids for two years. 30:30 So I literally lost my family. 30:33 Did they leave the states. 30:34 They left the state and went to Ohio. 30:36 I didn't find that out till I got out. 30:39 I'll come back and share because that is another 30:42 miraculous thing that God did. 30:43 I go to parole hearing and I've got this 30:46 dissertation ready to share with the parole board. 30:49 They let my mom say something, 30:51 they asked my brother, he didn't 30:54 have nothing to say. 30:55 I'm thinking, what are you doing say something. 30:56 That was it, the guy asked me, 30:58 you play football at Boise State? 31:00 I'm like yeah! 31:01 Okay that's all. 31:02 Like okay you can be dismissed, 31:04 I'm thinking no, wait, wait. 31:05 I've got something to say. 31:07 They're like Mr. Thornton we don't need 31:09 to hear from you. 31:10 I'm thinking, they are not going to let me go. 31:12 I mean they are not going to let me go. 31:14 I remember going back there and I was praying in 31:17 the room and I come back out and they are like this 31:19 is June of 1995. 31:23 Okay we are going to give you a parole date for 31:25 October, I was like in my spirit, October! 31:29 What do you mean October! 31:31 I was upset. 31:32 Oh I was upset and I went back into the room and the 31:37 Spirit of the Lord spoke to me, 31:39 How ungrateful are you going to be? 31:41 I fell to my knees and I wept, Lord I am sorry. 31:47 Now I don't see how Gods working so had I gotten 31:51 out of prison that day, I had no place to live, 31:55 I had no money, I had nothing. 31:59 Your wife, is gone. 32:00 I've got no nothing. 32:01 I God kind of orchestrated to go to a work center, 32:04 I got a job doing steel construction. 32:06 I had never done any construction 32:09 in my life before. 32:10 When I went in to talk to the guy, 32:11 the only thing, this is what I can do. 32:13 I have computer skills, I'm a human fork lift. 32:16 I can sing. 32:17 They didn't want any singers at the time. 32:19 The only thing you have to take a chance 32:22 on is my character. 32:23 I'll never forget, He said Mr. Thornton, I'm not concerned 32:25 about your character. 32:26 I'm like, you don't even know me. 32:27 So anyway I got a job and Davis - Bacon, federal wages. 32:31 I get a job and I'm making like $27.00 an hour plus 32:34 $5.00 and hour benefits. 32:36 I cannot hit a hammer on a nail. 32:38 I know that seems, no I am so not that guy. 32:41 My wife did not let me have power tools. 32:43 None of that stuff because I am not guy. 32:46 I got a job making this much money, 32:48 and I'm in a work release program. 32:50 I'm in jail. 32:51 God is orchestrating all of these things together. 32:54 When it was time for me to get out, 32:56 this lady who use to come out to the prisons, 32:59 her son is still out there. 33:01 She said well you can stay at our house. 33:02 I'm thinking you don't even know, 33:05 I've seen you minister at the Chapel while you were 33:07 in jail, you can stay at our house. 33:08 You don't have to pay any rent. 33:10 So people just trusted you. 33:11 It sounds like God just had His hand on you and 33:13 open doors, one door after another 33:15 at your coming out. 33:16 Yeah and that was amazing because I was so totally 33:18 undeserving of any of the favors, 33:20 any of the blessings that they bestowed upon me 33:23 because my previous lifestyle. 33:25 So you know what I want to ask Mark? 33:27 I know that you are standing in ministry in a 33:29 number of different places, 33:30 I want to know how that happened. 33:32 How God stand you up in ministry in the places 33:36 that you are in right now? 33:37 Well I started volunteering in 33:39 Promise-Keepers, then I ended up getting hired 33:41 part time to do that. 33:46 So I would travel around the Northwest now 33:49 ministering to men, sharing with men the 33:50 gospel of Jesus Christ. 33:51 I went to one church to try to use their building 33:54 for an event and met the Pastor and 33:57 attended a service there. 33:58 The Holy Spirit was just thick in that place, 34:01 Oh my God, I'm going to end up going to church here. 34:04 I will never forget, he, I didn't know he knew me, 34:06 he called me to his office one day. 34:08 He said God said you are going to 34:10 be my worship leader. 34:11 I'm like, Okay, you don't know God. 34:14 He should tell me. 34:16 I'm thinking you don't know my story, 34:17 you don't know. 34:19 He's like I know all about you and God told me this 34:21 and so he moved me into a position of actually 34:24 ushering people into the presence of God, 34:26 which I really didn't have a clue. 34:28 It was a great learning process, 34:29 so through that and discipleship. 34:31 Do you know that if I'm having a hard time and I 34:34 just want to be blessed that I will come to the 34:37 worship and to the prayer just because I know you 34:40 are gifted in that way. 34:41 That I know you love God and that 34:43 God has His hand on you. 34:45 I am blessed just by watching you minister to other people. 34:48 Well it's good to be used by the Lord and to be 34:51 faithful to what He's called you to. 34:54 What a change in what you were doing. 34:55 Oh Yeah. 34:57 I was about me and now it is about God, 34:58 that's really my passion now. 35:00 to be able to help people experience. 35:02 You can't tell the arrogance from your past. 35:03 I have never seen you arrogant. 35:05 I have never, cause I met you in Christ. 35:07 I have never seen you arrogant so that cracks me 35:09 up that God can take somebody and change them 35:11 so much that people are going what! 35:14 Mark arrogant! 35:15 What are you talking about. 35:16 A true, humbling experience will change you around. 35:19 I had to depend on God and He didn't fail me. 35:20 He didn't leave me, He didn't forsake me, 35:22 He did what He said He was going to do. 35:24 I like sharing that with people now. 35:25 And He made mama proud. 35:27 He made mama proud and so yes now she invites me to 35:30 her church, this is my son in whom I'm well pleased, 35:33 I go and minister there but I've been 35:35 in full-time ministry for ten years now. 35:37 A little bit over ten years. 35:39 I'm still amazed that God would use somebody like me. 35:42 And your kids are with you. 35:43 My kids are with me now. 35:44 Through a bunch of different circumstances 35:45 they are with me. 35:47 Everybody's in some type of ministry. 35:48 Like if daddy's singing and preaching, 35:51 somebody's got to run the camera, 35:52 learn to play the piano, read a prayer, or something. 35:55 Your son came up to me one time and ministered to me, 35:58 you were doing something, and he just ministered and 36:01 told me a little bit of his testimony. 36:02 I thought you are so Mark's son. 36:04 It's been great, God is ah, 36:07 I've been to Kenya three times. 36:09 Doing what! 36:12 Ministering to kids, and ministering 36:14 to the lost there. 36:16 So three times there, it is just remarkable 36:19 God has opened these doors because 36:21 I've attempted to be faithful. 36:23 Oh! 36:24 Shut up cause you know what, 36:25 I'm such am opportunist, you know that. 36:26 I've got you on air, so would you go somewhere 36:30 with us some time? 36:31 I'll go with you, I'm ready to go. 36:32 Wherever somebody needs to know about the love of 36:35 Jesus Christ, to see an example that 36:37 He can do great things. 36:42 What God began He'll finish, I'm ready to go. 36:43 Regardless, he began it as a child with you, 36:44 even though you fought the whole time, 36:46 decided to do your own thing. 36:48 Almost took yourself out. 36:49 He said, you know what! 36:51 I haven't took My hand off you. 36:52 You are special. 36:54 You have been chosen. 36:55 This has been a great year just, my purpose, 37:00 I've been in full-time ministry, like I said ten years. 37:01 God didn't just call me to ministry in the church, 37:03 He said there is people who are lost and dying. 37:06 Jesus didn't minister in the synagogues, 37:07 He ministered in the streets. 37:09 So God, it's like that's what I called you to do. 37:11 Somebody in the streets needs 37:12 to hear your testimony. 37:15 Somebody in the streets needs to share in the 37:16 anointing that you share in so I want you to go. 37:18 For the longest time I was like I'm comfortable here 37:20 in the church. 37:21 I mean this is a great place but the Lord is like 37:23 this is what I want you to do. 37:25 When I saw you on January 1st, 37:27 I had already made that decision 37:28 and doors started opening. 37:30 I was like WOW! 37:31 Once you make up your mind to follow after God and 37:34 let Him do what He said He would do, there's no end. 37:37 It's like He takes your breath away. 37:40 He's like you know what I have no idea you were 37:42 serious about this using me thing. 37:44 I mean it's amazing and I'm excited about the 37:47 opportunity to be, if God can use me, 37:50 if He can do what He did in my life, 37:52 He can do it in anybody's life. 37:54 And He's willing. 37:55 You know what, look in the camera and tell them that. 37:57 So on the mountain of ashes, 38:00 from you burnt up mistakes, 38:03 God will give you a platform to minister to 38:06 the lost, to the dying, and to the hurting. 38:09 He can use you, just like He used Moses, 38:12 just like He used David, Just like He used me. 38:15 God is faithful if you just trust Him. 38:17 And as He stands you up as a man of God, 38:19 it is really interesting to me is that the Bible 38:23 say's we're the light of the world. 38:24 We're the light of the world. 38:26 We bring God colors to the world. 38:28 I think that in our damage we think, 38:29 how does that happen. 38:30 How can that happen? 38:32 God says that is not even for you to concern 38:33 yourself about with. 38:34 I will do it. 38:35 You just stand up, stay true with your relationship with Me. 38:39 How cool is that! 38:40 Make yourself available. 38:42 I want to have you come back after the break and 38:44 sing a song for us so I want to say stay with us. 38:47 Just remember I don't care who you are, 38:49 I don't care where you are, 38:50 everyone of us is special, chosen by God. 38:53 Everyone of us is adopted into His family because 38:57 He wanted us there. 38:58 So know that when Mark talks about being special, 39:03 we are all special and it's way cool. 39:04 Stay with us, We'll be right back! |
Revised 2014-12-17