Participants: Yvonne Lewis (Host), Jeffrey Cobb
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR000030
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00:01 Stay tuned to meet a man that was robbing people
00:03 involved in kidnapping and drug sales... 00:06 My name is Yvonne Lewis and you're watching 00:09 Urban Report... 00:31 Hello and welcome to Urban Report... 00:33 Today our guest is Jeffrey Cobb Founder and Director 00:37 of Shelter from the Storm Ministry 00:40 Jeffrey... welcome to Urban Report... 00:42 Welcome... It's so good to have you here... 00:46 we have a lot to cover and you have such a powerful 00:51 testimony... I want to talk about 00:54 your testimony and also what you're doing now... 00:56 so let's kind of... go back and look at the way your life 01:00 used to be... tell us who you were... 01:02 when you were growing up... 01:03 When I was growing up I was raised in Miami 01:08 and for years... over 20 years I was robbing, kidnapping, 01:12 shoot-out... down with crooked judges and lawyers 01:16 and, you know, selling drugs all through the City of Miami... 01:20 Now, when you were a child, 01:24 did you come from a two-parent household or 01:26 a single-parent household? 01:28 Two-parent... 01:29 So you had your dad and your mom there... 01:32 What kind of parents were they? 01:34 Were they strict... or were they lenient? 01:37 They were strict parents... strict parents... 01:40 strict parents... 01:41 so, because usually, you know, the story that we often hear 01:46 is that... a kid comes from a single-parent household 01:52 and then he goes into all kinds of juvenile 01:55 delinquency activities, and anti-social behaviors... 01:58 but it sounds like... 02:00 you came from a kind of strict household... 02:04 with a dad and a mom... so, at what point 02:07 did you kind of go... to the left and go astray... 02:11 Oh, that was... one day... you know... 02:15 my mother was saying, "Hey, you... " 02:18 I was about 14... she said, "I'm not going to force you 02:22 to go to Church... no more... you have to make that decision" 02:26 and all the while, you know, my mind was always... 02:30 because the world is always pulling on you... 02:33 always... so we should say that, I was like, 02:36 "Hey, this is my opportunity" 02:37 Ah... and so... were you going to School regularly... 02:42 were you, kind of, cutting classes... 02:45 What were you doing in School? 02:47 I was going to School regularly, as a matter-of-fact, 02:49 I was an "A" Student you know I played football 02:54 and was respectful... by the Community at that time 02:58 and everything... and planned... probably won in football 03:02 and all that... always got the "Most Valuable Player" 03:06 so I was well known as a nice kid in the neighborhood... 03:10 so you were a nice kid, from a two-parent household, 03:14 making "A's" in School... and one day your mom says... 03:19 "You don't have to go to Church anymore... " 03:21 How did that affect you? Right... she said she... 03:24 How did that affect you? 03:26 I think that affected me a lot because, I think... 03:33 she should have kept a handle on me a little longer 03:36 and I just encourage parents... 03:40 "You know you need to keep 03:42 the discipline on your kids a little longer... " 03:46 Right, so, what did you start doing at 14... 03:50 or was it a little bit later? 03:52 No, it was about... between the ages of 14 and 15... 03:57 my brother was a big drug dealer... 04:00 and all the while... I used to watch him... 04:02 with the drugs and all that... 04:05 but he would never let me touch it... 04:07 Ah... so your brother was a drug dealer... 04:11 Wow! okay, so... see now... forgive me... 04:15 but I'm a little confused... 04:17 because if your parents were strict... 04:20 but you guys like really... were you like 04:22 tricking your parents or something... 04:25 because if they were so strict... 04:27 how did you become a drug dealer? 04:30 I'm not trying to indict your parents in any way... 04:32 but I'm just trying to understand 04:33 how this could happen... in a household 04:37 where the parents were kind of... strict... 04:39 See, my brother... he wasn't living with my parents... 04:43 Oh... okay... he was living there... 04:46 I was living with my parents but even though you always 04:49 you know, I go by... I visit my brother... 04:53 I see... okay... so your brother was up and out... 04:57 your brother was up and out of the house 05:00 and you would go and visit him 05:01 and you wanted to get involved in the drug scene 05:04 and he said, "No" Right... 05:07 So was he the one then that ultimately allowed you to do it 05:10 or did you go behind his back and do it with someone else? 05:13 No, he's the one that allowed me to do it 05:17 because one time... you know... 05:19 he told me to just stay... at his house 05:23 where he used to keep the drugs 05:25 and one day I just got something 05:28 because a lot of the guys kept asking me... 05:30 "Where's your brother, oh man! he's got some good drugs" 05:32 so, one day, I just got some of it... 05:35 and went out on my own... 05:36 Oh! so you took some of your brother's drugs 05:40 and went to sell it yourself... 05:42 When he came back he was like, "Where's the rest?" 05:45 he said, "Hey man... you've been in here?" 05:47 I was like, "Yeah" and I just showed him my hand full of money 05:51 he was like, "Yeah... " 05:52 he said, "Man, be careful... 05:54 I'm just going to give you... this much... " 05:55 I said, "Nah, I'll only sell to the ones that I know... " 05:58 Wow, wow, wow... you know, it's interesting to me 06:02 Jeffrey that... Satan knows your potential 06:07 just like, of course, God knows His plan for you... 06:11 but Satan also knows the skills that you have... 06:14 and he'll want to take those skills... 06:17 and sidetrack them into something that's destructive 06:21 whereas God has this positive plan for you 06:24 that He wants to give you... but sometimes 06:27 we just kind of go off 06:28 and we have to build the testimony... so to speak... 06:31 and that's what happened here... so, your brother said, 06:35 "Okay, I see that you have some skills... 06:37 because you brought me back some money... 06:39 so, let me now... help you with this... " 06:42 so, he then, kind of turned you on to that world then... 06:47 Yes... So, that was around 15, you said 06:52 around 14 or 15... Yes... 06:53 so then... what happened... to get you... incarcerated? 06:59 how did you end up in jail? 07:01 How I ended up in jail was... my brother, later in life, 07:09 he got killed on the motorcycle, so after that... 07:13 I started with a bigger Organization... 07:16 you know, and like I said, again you know Organization 07:20 with drug dealers, judges, lawyers, police officers, 07:25 so, I went for a long time... of selling drugs... 07:30 but what happened one time, I sold to an undercover officer, 07:34 I see... I see... so... 07:38 back up for a second... 07:41 how old were you when your brother got killed? 07:43 I was about 17... 07:47 And at that point... what effect did your brother's 07:52 death have on you, what effect did it have? 07:55 It had a tremendous effect because he was my god... 07:59 Ah... so you had put him on a pedestal... 08:04 Yes... Yes... and he ended up... 08:08 was he killed instantly, did he have... 08:11 was he in the hospital for a little bit... what happened? 08:16 No, it was instantly... you know, he... 08:20 it was raining one day and a car pulled out 08:23 and he was trying to dodge a car and ran and hit a tree... 08:27 and I went over there and observed him 08:32 breathing his last breath... 08:33 Oh, so you saw... you saw what happened 08:37 you were there when he took his last breath? 08:39 Yes... Oh, that had to be so, so, 08:43 incredibly painful for you... 08:44 so, from then on... then... it sounds as though 08:49 then you decided... 08:50 you were going to go to the next level... 08:53 instead of that event turning you around... 08:56 it kind of propelled you further into this drug dealing 09:01 and robbing and then ultimately 09:04 selling to an undercover officer... 09:07 Yes... Once you were in jail... 09:10 did you decide while you were in jail 09:15 that when you got out you were going to continue 09:17 or you were going to change? 09:18 The first time... the first four or five times... 09:23 I just spent a lot of time in jail 09:27 and once I got out... I was just... you know... 09:30 couldn't wait to go back... 09:33 You couldn't wait to go back? 09:35 Yeah, to sell drugs... 09:37 Oh... I thought you meant you couldn't wait 09:39 to go back to jail... I was like, "Whoa... " 09:41 So, once I got released... I said, "Hey, I get a chance 09:46 to get back in and do what I love doing... " 09:48 Yes, one of the things that has been told to me 09:51 is that... if you go into jail 09:54 and you're not that experienced 09:57 you are surrounded by experts in the field, so to speak... 10:02 so you can learn how to really be a better criminal 10:05 in jail... and then come out and use that... 10:09 and that's... one of the things that we're trying to do... 10:11 with Dare to Dream... and you've already been on 10:14 one of our Programs on The New Journey... 10:16 and you gave your testimony, we really appreciated it... 10:18 I wanted to kind of re-cap it... for our Viewers 10:23 that didn't get to see that Program... 10:25 but one of the things we were trying to do with 10:28 Dare to Dream is to show people 10:31 that God does have a better way for you... 10:34 that even if you get sidetracked from the plan that He has... 10:39 God does have a plan for you... 10:42 and that's why you're here today... 10:45 Tell us how you found Jesus now... 10:49 Okay, the last time I got arrested... 10:52 I was facing 30 to life in prison... 10:55 and I prayed and I was saying, "That's it... " 10:59 and I said, 11:01 "Lord, if you get me out of this one... 11:03 then I'll serve you till I die" and right there 11:08 at the Dade County Jail... I gave my life to Jesus... 11:12 Wow! now, okay... you were raised as a Christian 11:18 you went away from it... so that seed was planted 11:22 as a child... correct? Yes... 11:25 and that again... the Bible says "Train up a child 11:29 in the way he should go: and when he is old, 11:30 he will not depart from it... " 11:31 doesn't mean that they might not leave 11:34 but that seed is there so that seed was planted in you 11:38 and you knew to call upon the name of the Lord, 11:42 when you were in trouble... Yes, ma'am... 11:45 so you called upon Him... and what happened? 11:49 Once I called upon the Lord, and I spoke to the Lord, 11:56 I was like, you know... "I want to know truth... 12:00 I want to know the truth about you Jesus... " 12:04 Hmmm... Hmmm... Did you feel that before... 12:08 you didn't know the truth about Him? 12:11 No, no, it was just chain gang religion... 12:15 Ah... explain... Oh, chain gang religion... 12:19 you go in... you go to Church... you pray, 12:22 you carry your Bible under your arm but 12:25 as soon as you leave, you leave your Bible at the 12:28 Bus Station... Got you... got you... 12:30 so it's that "convenient deal" with... "Oh Lord, help me... " 12:35 and then when He helps you and you're out... 12:37 then it's like... "Okay, I'll talk to you later... 12:39 forget about it... " Yes... 12:41 Okay, but this was a different experience... 12:44 this was real for you this last time was real for you 12:48 Correct? Correct... 12:50 And so what happened... when you said, 12:52 "I want to know you now... I want to know the truth" 12:56 what steps did you then 12:58 put into play... 13:00 to get to know him? 13:01 What I did was... 13:03 I started praying... and then I started to read 13:07 His Word more... listening to Christian Programs 13:12 then I started going to Church 13:14 Okay, okay, so this was real this time... 13:19 Yes... How did you go from being 13:24 an ex-offender to the Founder of a Ministry... 13:28 tell us how you did that... 13:31 How that came about where... 13:33 once I accepted the Lord... this guy came and I asked him 13:40 "Was he going to go to Church?" we became friends... 13:43 and he said, "I don't go to Church on Sunday" 13:47 he said, "Saturday is the day" and I got kind of mad with him 13:52 and at that point... I was like... Saturday? 13:56 And you got mad at him... 13:58 Yeah, because, I was like 14:00 "Saturday? I don't like this guy he's mad!" 14:02 Hmmm... hmmm... once I went... 14:07 because they still gave me time in prison... 14:10 and once he told me about Saturday... 14:13 once I got to the South Florida Reception Center 14:16 the prison system in Miami, 14:19 I told some of my friends that you know, 14:23 "I wasn't living that life no more... " 14:26 that I was giving my life to Jesus... 14:28 and so they said, "Hey, come along and go to 14:31 Church with us... " and I went ahead and went to Church 14:34 then the guy was talking about "Saturday was the day" 14:38 I got mad again... 14:40 So, what did you do? 14:42 After that... I went one time and I just waited to 14:51 which camp they were going to ship me to... 14:54 to do the rest of my time... 14:55 Oh, were you on probation or something... 14:58 you were on probation, parole or something in between? 15:00 Yes, I was on parole... I violated... 15:03 Okay... so what I was trying to do was 15:05 just get out again... Okay, okay... 15:08 And so, once they transferred me to Gainesville... 15:11 and I met some more guys from Miami... 15:14 and they said, "Oh, we want to introduce you 15:17 to some Christian brothers here... " 15:18 they did my homework... you know and introduced me 15:21 and I got to Gainesville and these guys said, 15:23 "We're going to go to Church" 15:24 I said, "I'll be ready on Sunday" 15:26 they said, "No, Saturday... " 15:27 "Hmmm... hmmm... So I was like, "Saturday?" 15:30 and I was like... "Here goes this Saturday junk again" 15:34 So, you just kept getting it from all sides... 15:37 every time you looked up somebody was saying it... 15:40 Oh, what I did... I went with them and after that 15:44 you know, I just totally surrendered my life to Christ 15:48 and it brought a peace... it brought a calm peace... 15:53 in my heart... happiness that words can never explain 15:57 Yes... amen... amen... 15:59 so, once you gave your life to Christ... 16:04 and you started going to Church on the Sabbath... on Saturday... 16:09 when did you... you were on parole... 16:12 you had violated... but then you got back out 16:14 you were going to Church on the Sabbath... 16:16 were you going back to the prisons to visit then 16:21 and to minister to the inmates there? 16:24 What happened was... 16:26 once I got out and I stayed in Gainesville... 16:29 the last place I wanted to go to was a prison... 16:33 Yes, you don't want to be there at all... 16:35 I did 6 months in Belleair... in six facilities in Miami... 16:41 and I have been to prison 4 times... 16:43 so, I'm like... 16:45 "That's the last place I want to go" so I was like, 16:47 "Whoever is in prison... they just stay there 16:50 I'm not going to visit... " so what happened... 16:52 I was praying and I said... "Lord, where do you want me?" 16:56 and God asked me to go to the Juvenile Detention Center 17:00 here in Gainesville... 17:02 so I went there... I ministered there 17:04 for a while... and then there was a big 17:07 Prison Ministries Banquet in Gainesville... 17:10 and they asked me to be the speaker... 17:13 and I spoke... and after that... it was about 3 Chaplains 17:17 asked me to come to their prisons... 17:19 Ah... and when they asked you what was your immediate reaction 17:25 when they asked you... I didn't know... 17:28 I didn't want to... 17:29 I prayed and I asked the Lord to send me a sign... 17:33 and when three asked... 17:35 it came to me... as that was in 17:38 the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost... 17:40 Hmmm... hmmm... hmmm... 17:42 How did you feel when you first went into the 17:45 prison... as part of a ministry versus as an inmate? 17:51 Oh, it was a blessing 17:53 because it was the first time 17:57 I ever went to a prison and wasn't on the other side 18:02 of the fence... Yes... yes... 18:06 And after 20 years... you know, 35 years of my life... 18:11 that I'm on the other side, and I didn't have to worry about 18:17 me sleeping in the bed or the bars that has been locking me up 18:22 when they come at night... Yes... yes... so God showed you 18:27 His plan for you to go back into the prison system 18:32 and to witness... tell us about Shelter from the Storm 18:38 what is that ministry? 18:39 This is a ministry for men and women 18:42 released from the jails and prisons 18:45 to help them get back on their feet... 18:47 what just came about when I accepted the message 18:51 I asked the Prison Ministry Leader... 18:54 that I wanted to go to a Transition House... 18:57 of the Adventist Faith... 18:59 and the guy said that there wasn't one 19:03 and right then, you know, 19:06 that wasn't a good thing... 19:08 because I was seeing these other guys like myself 19:13 that have accepted this message in prison 19:16 and needed somewhere to go where they can strengthen 19:20 their faith in the Seventh-day Adventist belief... 19:24 Yes, now, would you explain to our Viewers 19:27 what is a Transition House... what happens... 19:30 what's that about? 19:32 Because many people don't know what that is... 19:34 A transition House is to give someone a place to come 19:37 when they get out of prison... because before you get released, 19:41 you need an address... and if you're on probation 19:44 or on parole... they're not going to release you 19:47 till they come by that place... that facility and making sure 19:52 that it's an "Okay Facility" no drugs 19:57 or no kind of foul place... 19:59 so that's a place where you can come 20:01 and study the Word of God and get a job and 20:04 to ease back into Society... 20:09 That's wonderful... so, how many residents do you have 20:15 at Shelter from the Storm right now? 20:18 Right now, I have five residents... 20:21 six men and two women with one on the way... 20:25 And what's a typical day... like... walk us through a day 20:31 at Shelter from the Storm... 20:33 What we do... in the morning is... you get up... 20:38 and sometimes it's an individual thing... 20:41 sometimes they have prayer together... 20:43 sometimes they have prayer individually... 20:45 and then after that... it's their duty to go look for 20:51 a job... we ride on the bus line 20:53 or sometimes the Resident Manager will take them 20:56 to a Job Center where they can get on the computer 21:00 and look for jobs and also myself... 21:03 I know some people that since I've been engaged with 21:09 for 15 years... with businesses that I talk with them about 21:14 hiring some of the guys that come in... 21:17 Also, the Lord has blessed Shelter from the Storm 21:21 with a Lawn Service... sometimes... one of the guys 21:25 who's been working with the Lawn Service 21:26 Oh, praise the Lord... when you say 21:30 the Lord's blessed you with a Lawn Service... you mean, 21:32 you have access to a business that you can send 21:36 the ex-offenders to or you guys own a Lawn Service? 21:41 Yes, Shelter from the Storm owns a Lawn Service... 21:44 Oh... that's wonderful... because it seems to me that 21:49 one of the problems is... once an ex-offender is released 21:54 an inmate is released from prison... 21:57 it's so difficult to get work... to get employment 22:01 because a lot of employers don't want to hire ex-offenders 22:06 so, one of the things that I read... is that 22:09 it's important to either have your own business 22:12 if you can... which... how many people have the money 22:14 to do that or to have some kind of connection 22:18 so that you can get a job because it's so difficult 22:22 and then, if you can't get a job 22:24 it just pushes you back into 22:26 that whole life of crime... because that's all you know... 22:29 Absolutely... So, thank the Lord, 22:32 you guys have this wonderful ministry 22:35 where people can come... learn the Word of God, 22:39 and get work... 22:40 how supported is Shelter from the Storm 22:44 by the Church... is the Church supporting you? 22:47 The Church is supporting the Ministry 22:50 but I believe, in my heart, that we can do more 22:55 because I think this year we may be turning away 23:00 at least 20 people... that wanted to come 23:04 to the Ministry and my beds are full... 23:08 and yesterday... there's a guy who heard about 23:11 the ministry... and he came on the bus 23:14 four days from California, but I was full... so... 23:18 I have a Condo as my office, so right now, 23:21 I'm putting him in my office, you know, because I didn't have 23:26 no room... so he rode the bus four days to get here 23:30 and I couldn't turn him away... 23:32 and we have other people that we have turned away 23:37 and it's really a need... and it's a burden on me 23:42 because of the calls I get, and my secretary talked to me 23:48 about it... and that we can accommodate them 23:51 you know it's places that are available in Gainesville 23:55 for to expand... I think we need to expand... 24:00 and one guy that just came before that... 24:06 he got out of prison and went to another city, 24:09 he ends up in Gainesville... 24:10 and he was living in the woods homeless... 24:14 and he ended up at the Adventist Church 24:18 and we met another guy that came to the ministry 24:22 for a couple of days... he was sleeping in the woods 24:26 with a tent... after he got out he had 50 dollars 24:30 he saved water and some munchies... and a large tent 24:33 from the Super Wal-Mart... and went across the street 24:36 and he was living in the woods, so we went at 2 o'clock 24:39 in the morning to get him out of the woods 24:42 and he is the one that's working with me with the Lawn Service 24:46 and Sabbath... he took his stand to be baptized 24:50 Praise the Lord... that's wonderful... 24:54 it's so heart wrenching to hear that someone was living 24:58 in the woods... in a tent... I mean... especially when 25:03 there is a place that you want to expand to... 25:07 and to have more beds... we're going to 25:09 put your website up so that people can know 25:13 how to reach you... would you tell us what your... 25:15 or do you have a website right now? 25:18 I don't... I don't... What's the best way to reach you 25:21 Oh, you can reach me at telephone 352-336-7462 25:28 Say that number again for us please... 25:31 the number is 352-336-7462 25:37 Thank you... and tell us briefly... 25:40 what are the needs for Shelter in the Storm right now 25:45 I know you need funds... do you need equipment 25:48 what else do you need to really propel this ministry? 25:51 Yes, right now what we really... my desire is also to expand 25:58 the Lawn Service... you know with more rides, 26:01 more trailers and trucks because then I can go do some 26:05 contracts, you know, on the side of the road... 26:08 highways... because if you noticed... 26:11 you see guys from prisons doing that type of work 26:17 when they are in prison... so, to get more lawn equipment 26:21 and also, the Lord has blessed with a thrift store 26:25 there is a community right in the back of the thrift store 26:28 there's a big parking lot 26:29 what I would like to do there is do a car wash 26:32 to hire some of the guys and the women are doing 26:36 detailing of cars to bring money in to expand 26:40 the ministry... we really need 26:42 the ministry expanded... I'm getting calls from Texas 26:47 we're getting it because this is the only Transition House 26:50 in the Seventh-day Adventist Church... 26:52 Wow, well thank you so much for being with us 26:56 this has been so eye-opening, we so appreciate your ministry 27:00 and what you're doing... and I pray that our viewers 27:03 will hear what the needs are 27:06 and then really come... come to your aid... 27:09 as we should... 27:11 as brothers and sisters in the Lord... 27:12 Thank you Brother Jeffrey for being with us... 27:14 Thank you and God bless you too. 27:17 Jesus came to set the captives free... 27:21 today you've met a man set free from his sordid past 27:24 and sharing his love for Jesus with others... 27:27 What are you doing for the Lord? 27:29 We may not have been involved in street crimes 27:32 but many of us have crimes of the heart that no one sees... 27:35 Jesus wants to set you free from all the holds that 27:39 imprisons you... 27:40 why not invite Him into your heart today... 27:43 You've heard Brother Jeffrey, 27:45 you've heard the needs that he has with his ministry... 27:49 Please... let the Holy Spirit impress you as to how much you 27:53 should share... how much you should give... 27:55 to help that ministry... thanks for tuning in... 27:58 join us next time... it just wouldn't be the same 28:01 without you... |
Revised 2015-07-13