Participants: Yvonne Lewis (Host), Jason Bradley (Host), Dr. Thomas, Dr. Laverne Jackson
Series Code: UBR
Program Code: UBR000197A
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00:01 Stay tuned to meet a modern day Lazarus
00:02 and his praying wife. 00:04 My name is Yvonne Lewis. 00:05 And I'm Jason Bradley, 00:07 and you're watching Urban Report. 00:31 Hello, and welcome to Urban Report. 00:33 Our guests today are Doctors Thomas, and Laverne Jackson, 00:37 Director and Associate Director respectively 00:40 of M.E.E.T Ministry. 00:41 Welcome to Urban Report, Doctors Jackson. 00:45 Thank you, Jason. 00:46 Thank you dear. Good to be here. 00:49 I got my co-host Jason here, yeah. 00:52 And I'm so glad he's here, so glad you all are here. 00:56 Because we had the privilege of working together 01:00 on from sickness to health, 01:02 which is another program 01:03 that's on the Dare to Dream network. 01:05 And during that time 01:07 you were talking about M.E.E.T Ministry 01:09 and all the... 01:10 your background and all that 01:12 and all that God had done with M.E.E.T ministry, 01:14 but so much has happened since then 01:17 and I had to bring you on to Urban Report 01:20 to talk about what's happened to you since then. 01:24 So let's start there 01:25 and then we'll work our way back to your beginnings 01:28 but what happened when you were in London? 01:31 Well, Yvonne, time has shrunk, 01:34 it's been a year July 17, 2015 01:39 we were scheduled to be in Nigeria 01:41 on a medical mission training school. 01:43 And God sees all things so that was cancer, 01:47 council excuse me and we were invited to go 01:50 to London for a two week seminar. 01:52 So went there we board the plane that Friday morning, 01:57 we landed in London, England that Friday afternoon. 02:01 And business as usual we fly all the time. 02:05 Dispatch, get settle in, fellowship with the people 02:09 that we're going to spend the next two weeks with meals. 02:13 My wife take a little walk at the meal, 02:15 come back, sun is setting, prayer, take a shower 02:21 and Friday evening I lied out. 02:24 And my wife says, she heard a grunt from me 02:28 and she can push me a little bit and wake me up, 02:33 and I was there lying there on my back 02:36 with my eyes wide open and no breath in my body. 02:41 So she appeared blank called downstairs, 02:45 we're doing medical missionary training 02:47 in emergency situation like that, 02:49 soon a person might be having a little cardio problem 02:52 get a little cayenne and pepper, 02:54 put on the tongue, but no response. 02:58 No response and she can feel you in that part, 03:03 I didn't wake up no more till seven days later. 03:08 So those seven days, the story goes in my wife hand. 03:13 Tell us what... 03:14 tell us what happened? 03:17 As he got right in, got back into bed 03:20 and I heard this noise 03:21 and I asked the individual to get to, 03:25 get the cayenne and then when they brought 03:28 the cayenne to me and I put it in his mouth. 03:31 I noticed it wasn't going in, 03:33 so I knew then that we needed some 03:36 conventional methods here 03:38 because we couldn't so she started to do CPR, 03:42 but she was kind of a little on the small size 03:45 so she was not actually working real good. 03:48 So we called the paramedics and there was one come. 03:53 Then after that, there was another, 03:55 then there was actually there wind up 03:57 three or four cars there. 03:59 How long did it take for them to come? 04:01 They came, well, you know when you have in a crisis 04:04 you don't time is insignificant. 04:07 So my... 04:08 My times in laps that I was oxygen deprive for my brain 04:13 for 30 minutes. 04:14 But still not in that 30 minutes 04:16 they had to get there, 04:17 plus they had to perform a CPR 04:20 in order to get his brain back functioning 04:25 and then get him to the hospital and... 04:27 He wasn't, you took his pulse could you find the pulse? 04:30 Couldn't find the pulse, he wasn't breathing? 04:32 He was not breathing at all, totally no breath at all. 04:38 And so of course, 04:41 I started praying 04:42 and the other individuals started praying 04:43 but when I got there they of course 04:45 put me out of the room 04:47 and then we were in a small area 04:50 so there was a upstairs, we were really upstairs 04:53 so they had to get someone with a longer cart to be a... 04:56 Of 6'6''. 04:58 Right and they had the several to lift him 05:02 and to bring him down the steps to the ambulance. 05:07 And the hospital, there were two hospitals, 05:10 there was one actually 05:12 within a few blocks from where we were, 05:16 but they made a decision to take him to King's Hospital 05:20 which was actually about 45 minutes away, 05:24 but they got him there very quick, quickly. 05:28 So there was no breathing. 05:32 Did they say to you, he was dead? 05:34 No, they did not. 05:36 They didn't want me to know anything 05:39 so they just told me that I had to stay out of the room 05:42 and they didn't want to give me any information 05:45 and then they told me 05:47 they were going to take him to the... 05:49 they said nearest hospital, 05:52 but by the time they got him in that ambulance. 05:54 They had breath 05:57 because they had put some oxygen on him. 05:59 So they did have some sort in that lapses, 06:02 it was about 30 minutes 06:04 before they could get him to breathe in 06:07 and then when once they got him to the hospital 06:09 they and I followed them in another car, 06:13 and they indicated that 06:17 they didn't know what was going on. 06:19 They had a cardiologist come to me 06:21 and tell me that he didn't have a heart attack 06:25 and they said, he didn't have a stroke. 06:27 So they said, we're not sure 06:29 but they wanted to do some kind of special tests 06:33 and the doctor said to me, "We don't need to do that 06:35 because he didn't have a heart attack 06:37 and he didn't have a stroke." 06:38 We don't know what's happening 06:40 but he said, "He's a very sick man." 06:45 My husband has never been sick, 06:47 so here all of a sudden in a matter of minutes 06:50 he's going to be totally dependent 06:53 and that once they got him into ICU, 06:57 they had him hooked up 06:58 to every type of apparatus you get, 07:02 tubes were everywhere 07:04 and he laid there like he was just sleeping. 07:08 He didn't look sick or nothing 07:11 but the doctors say, "He's very sick" 07:13 and so what they did is they induced a coma 07:17 because they were afraid that 07:19 what would happen is his brain may swell 07:23 so they put him in a coma and then they told me that 07:26 we don't know whether he would come out. 07:29 We don't know 07:33 if he would be a vegetable. 07:37 So, but they had to do what they had to do. 07:41 How... 07:43 You guys are in natural medicine. 07:47 So this whole thing had to be so, 07:52 just such a shift for you 07:56 because he was not sick prior to this, 07:58 everything was going fine. 08:01 And then all of a sudden 08:02 he's caught up into that whole system 08:04 of all the meds and all the interventions 08:08 which we're not saying that they're never useful 08:11 but obviously they are, 08:13 but it's just a shift 08:15 from that total natural into the total allopathic 08:19 and it had to be just, it's so traumatic for you. 08:24 It was 08:26 It was so sudden and just so traumatic. 08:27 And the doctor said that you're going to be dependent. 08:31 Well, as they share with my wife 08:34 and she go through this that they didn't see 08:36 no way I was gonna live anyway 08:38 and if I did live I would be a vegetable, 08:41 couldn't talk, couldn't walk. 08:43 And so the time was up so he was trying to convince, 08:47 you know we go into the pro help, 08:48 and as Yvonne says that 08:52 as things are beyond our control 08:54 so far as the intervention. 08:56 You know it was seven days when I woke up, 09:00 holding my wife hand. 09:02 And I woke up not looking around, 09:05 not questioning what happened to me. 09:08 None, that was not even on the mind. 09:11 I woke up praying for the people in that place. 09:16 Now remember, I'm coming out of, 09:18 out of nowhere of asleep. 09:22 There were three people in that, 09:24 in that city country London 09:27 that died from this situation, 09:32 a cricket player, a soccer player 09:36 and a gentleman died 09:38 one day before his wedding, Methodist. 09:43 and so when I woke up I woke up praying. 09:47 I did not wake up questioning what happened 09:50 and then I wake up and you know I'm, 09:52 I'm into health and I've been doing this 09:53 for these many years. 09:56 That never crossed my mind and... 10:00 But how were you aware of anything around you. 10:04 Yeah. 10:06 And that's where the journey really began. 10:08 Like I said, when I woke up 10:11 and you were over there. 10:14 When I woke up, I woke up, 10:18 Yvonne, in a praying mode. 10:21 Now there's only one source 10:24 that could come from God had to download that into me, 10:30 I didn't wake up in a panic, 10:32 I didn't wake up with remorse. 10:34 I didn't wake up questioning. 10:36 I wake up, I woke up praying not for myself, 10:40 that's another not for myself 10:43 and I could not talk, I could not walk. 10:47 As my wife, bless her heart, 10:51 her seven days the reports have kept coming 10:55 because you know time is running out for them. 10:59 So it's nothing else they can do, 11:01 you know, they get their wiring, 11:04 if I wasn't going to wake up out of the induce 11:07 but see 30 minutes of oxygen deprivation to the brain. 11:13 We know three to five minutes 11:15 is irreparable brain damage. 11:17 Brain damage. Brain damage. 11:19 Irreparable. Yes, yes. 11:21 So... 11:22 But let me go back for one second, 11:24 because it dawned on me, 11:27 what when Dr. Laverne heard your grunt 11:31 just before that what happened to you? 11:33 Just before that, 11:35 well Yvonne, as usual, that's what I asked my wife. 11:38 He got up from the bed and went to the bathroom 11:43 came back from the bathroom, 11:45 got into bed and then there was this grunt. 11:48 Now normally I'm told 11:49 when he's there I'm totally sleep. 11:52 You know I'm, I'm not aware but, 11:55 I believe and feel that it was the Holy Spirit's 11:58 unctioning to hear him at that moment 12:03 because as soon as I heard it, 12:05 I said, that doesn't sound right. 12:07 And so I pushed him and I called to him 12:10 and then he wouldn't answer, 12:12 it was total dark in the room 12:13 because there was no light, 12:14 so I got up to turn the light on 12:17 and then that's when I saw that his eyes was open 12:21 and he wasn't breathing at all. 12:23 And so that's when I started to, 12:25 to I was praying all along because I couldn't, 12:29 to me it looked like it was a heart attack. 12:30 Right. 12:32 You know that's what it looked like. 12:33 But I could not tell from there. 12:35 That's why we thought well 12:36 cayenne pepper would be the best 12:39 because it would be a, you know, helps to... 12:40 Helps to dilute it. 12:42 Yeah, and it would help there. 12:44 I didn't question, once I saw that 12:48 what we were doing was not effective. 12:51 I didn't question as to you know, 12:53 oh, should we go to the doctor? 12:56 Or what are people going to think? 12:58 I didn't question that. 13:00 I knew that I needed some intervention 13:02 and I knew that I would be able to have that... 13:06 This way and so that's what you know that's the way. 13:09 And look at how good God is because you walked in here fine 13:12 and you got a firm hand shake, you're walking fine, 13:17 you have all your faculties... 13:18 Oh, brother. I mean, God is amazing. 13:21 Yes. 13:22 More than amazing, Jason, more and... 13:24 He is miraculous really. 13:26 So you woke up after those seven days... 13:29 That's right on the Sabbath. 13:31 Oh, come on now. 13:32 Holding my wife... Yes. 13:33 Come on now, oh... 13:35 Blessed day, yes. 13:37 I woke up and my mind, 13:41 looked at her as I smiled 13:44 and I just thought I mean prayer, 13:46 folks, mourning, groaning, 13:49 and after that 13:52 then God began to communicate. 13:55 I say communicate. 13:57 Satan communicates too 13:58 but God communicates through his word. 13:59 Oh, yeah. 14:01 And that's when God began to give me some clarity. 14:05 Even up until that point, 14:08 I still did not question what happened to me. 14:14 What took place and I like to say this, 14:16 I know our time will run out but I will, 14:18 I'm humbled for the fact you know people folks, 14:23 people at 3ABN but the prayers... 14:26 That went up. 14:27 That went around the world... 14:29 That's right. 14:31 You're not conscious of that fact as you travel, 14:35 I've been in this work the day one, 14:38 I was called into this ministry as of 40 years. 14:43 I've been into this work 40 years, 14:45 and God said, 14:47 "You cast your bread upon many waters is your return," 14:50 as my wife relayed a story 14:52 here we are in a foreign country. 14:54 No money etcetera, etcetera, you know, I never forget. 14:58 And that's the other thing, you're in a foreign country. 15:01 Different currency. Yes, indeed. 15:04 Not around your family. 15:06 It bring a lot of dynamics into place, 15:07 a lot of dynamics and for those seven days 15:10 you know I'm resting. 15:11 Jason, I'm resting, I don't know what's going on. 15:14 So the battle with my wife and a Lord, 15:17 I'm not even conscious of what's going on 15:20 but she can tell you, the Lord provide, 15:24 the conference presidents, people came to my bedside. 15:28 I've been to before. 15:30 Prayers go on from people 15:31 who don't know me through other people family. 15:35 Our daughter flew over there. 15:38 Spiritual son, pastor, he flew over there, 15:41 so that was very humbling. 15:44 People come up and they were praying specific 15:47 not just general, you know, 15:48 they are praying specific prayers 15:52 and so when I did wake up 15:54 when the Lord touched me and woke me up. 15:58 And he began to bring four... 16:02 three precious texts 16:05 that were all for me were in a word of God 16:07 three precious texts. 16:09 Like I said, I've been in this work 16:11 for 40 years, in a prefaces, 16:12 I've been in his work for 40 years, 16:14 Yvonne and Jason, my wife and I, 16:16 we from Chicago to Alabama. 16:20 I would say to a lot of us as we into ministry 16:23 there's a lot of sacrifice one would say 16:27 and time would not permit all that would happen. 16:30 But I would assume that I had really given 16:35 all to the Lord 180 percent, 16:40 my wife knows and those with me. 16:44 I've seen people in the ministry. 16:48 I've seen people with AIDS, 16:50 I worked with full blown AIDS with viral load below 25. 16:55 I've seen God snatched him 16:58 from the paws of death, cancer reversed. 17:01 I've had people die in my arms. 17:04 I've been in the jungles of Africa and Papa New Guinea. 17:07 I've been on every continent 17:09 except for South Pole and North Pole, 17:11 every state in United States, 17:13 and I just assume 17:16 I'm saying this for a reason 17:18 and I pray that it resonate with those who listen this. 17:22 I assume that God had all of me. 17:29 I never look back even in troublous time, 17:31 my wife can tell you. 17:33 Troublous time, agonized time 17:36 with associates and churches, etcetera. 17:39 And as I lay there gave me Proverbs Chapter 4, 17:43 very familiar text verse 20 to 23 17:47 and 23 says what, 17:48 "Keep thy heart with all diligence, 17:51 For out of it comes the issues of life." 17:54 That was the first one. 17:56 The second was Jeremiah 17:9, 18:00 "The heart is deceitful, desperately wicked, 18:03 who can know it?" 18:04 Then he turned me over this is God, 18:06 I'm lying there, 18:08 as he woke me up, then he download to me 18:11 Ezekiel 36, he started at verse 21. 18:13 But you know verse 24, he said, 18:16 "I'm gonna take that stony heart 18:17 and give you a heart of flesh." 18:20 Now these scriptures all dealt with the heart, 18:23 you know, and it's my heart. 18:26 And he began to speak, reach in and he said, 18:29 "I'm not going to fix your heart, 18:32 I'm not going to repair your heart." 18:34 that's what he said to me, he said, 18:36 "I'm gonna give you a new heart. 18:38 And these words, I'm gonna give you a heart 18:40 with the capacity to hold my Spirit." 18:44 I'm lying there, these words, 18:48 the final words he said to me, 18:51 "Tuesday resonated." 18:53 He said, "Surrender." 18:58 Did you hear what I'm just saying? 18:59 I've been in this work 40 years. 19:01 Yes, yes. 19:03 I have moved forward in his work. 19:06 My wife can tell you, 19:07 we've been married for 44 years. 19:08 Amen. 19:10 I never deviated in the areas of my health. 19:15 Yes, there have been troubles, my brothers etcetera. 19:19 Never once give up, never once even doubt it. 19:23 Never thought that you weren't surrendered? 19:26 That is the key. Yes. 19:28 That is very important 19:30 and this, what I see throughout God's church in ministries, 19:34 those of us in responsible position as leaders. 19:40 We have seen the tokens of God blessing 19:43 and when that came to me 19:45 and reflect on Jeremiah 17, 19:48 "The heart is deceitful, desperately wicked." 19:52 Yvonne, Jason, we were out doing good things. 19:57 I mean good things 19:59 not evil things. 20:01 I was not conniving, slipshod, 20:07 straight up the board, good things, 20:11 and then he sprinkled 20:16 something else on the plate. 20:19 I told you I've seen AIDS reverse, 20:21 I've seen cancer my 40 years, 20:22 I've been in the jungles of Africa etc, etc. 20:25 He said, "Son, 20:26 when are you going to come to me." 20:28 I said, "Lord, have we not cast out demons in your name." 20:33 then he would say, 20:35 "I knew not you, workers of inequity." 20:37 Now listen to me, 20:39 I'm not our here chasing women, 20:43 I'm not out here drinking, I'm not out here 20:46 and I just lie there, 20:47 I couldn't move 20:49 God had me in a place where he wanted me. 20:51 Did you hear me, Jason? 20:52 Yeah, you're full of tension. 20:54 Yes. 20:56 I'm not a person lost for words. 21:01 I grew up that way leadership position. 21:04 Two things God revealed to me in there. 21:08 Number one, I like to fix people lives. 21:13 I've been like that, 21:14 we come out of the ghettos of Chicago. 21:17 I passion with the inner city youth. 21:19 I like to fix people lives. 21:22 I've always been in a leadership position 21:25 from elementary school through junior high to high school, 21:30 even to college. 21:33 And God said, just sprinkle he said, 21:36 "Even though you've given me 99.99 percent 21:42 that 1.1 percent are you still too much." 21:51 He says, "Either all or not son" 21:55 that's what he told me. 21:57 And the rest of the story 21:58 I will talk later how I began to dawn those. 22:01 And I discover, Yvonne, 22:04 that though, 22:07 I know going places, 22:10 I never sought to exalt myself you know. 22:13 I never imposed myself, when people say, 22:15 will you invite me? 22:16 40 years, I never invited myself to go to places. 22:21 So I'm just, you know, take an invitatory. 22:24 God said, "Surrender" and I realize. 22:29 Yeah, I'd like to put my hands on the wheel. 22:33 I like to direct, 22:36 but thinking it's a good thing 22:38 because it is for a cause 22:41 and then he gave me a simple formula three P's, 22:45 three P's a simple formula to make it plain to me. 22:50 Many Christians especially this movement 22:54 we confuse our part in God's part, 22:59 we mix them up. 23:01 Would you listen to me, we do, 23:04 we still living in Bible days. 23:08 My situation, it might not have been me 23:11 but we can expect God do this. 23:14 But he gave me a simple formula 23:16 I just did a four part series last month, 23:19 a DVD on this, 23:21 because he took me to John 15. 23:23 They are my friend once I get John 15, 23:25 then David, Pastor Dave was on your show 23:29 where he have marriage-- he's one of our moderators, 23:33 then he would share things they've been learning, 23:35 John 15, God was download in John 15, 23:38 the vine and the branch. 23:40 But he gave me a simple formula 23:41 three P's three P's to help me 23:45 to gain clarity on my part in this work of salvation. 23:52 The first P, the plan, the plan, P-L-A-N. 23:55 The second P, the power. 23:58 The third P, the person. 24:00 The plan, the power, and the person. 24:02 Okay now break each one down. 24:04 I will break it down. 24:06 Now add all those three P's it would define 24:09 what is God exclusive role in the plan of salvation 24:15 and what my role is, so won't be no confusion. 24:18 You understand what I'm saying. 24:20 I want to be plain, 24:21 I want your audience to understand what I'm saying. 24:22 Now God by right he owns everything, 24:27 but in this overall plan of salvation, 24:30 He give us a exclusive role 24:34 that He would not impose Himself. 24:37 You're getting what I'm saying. 24:39 So out of those three P's, 24:41 let me just throw it at you and Jason for a while. 24:44 Out of those three P's which of those P's one or two, 24:49 all of them belongs exclusive to God 24:54 in him working out the salvation for us, 24:56 what do you think? Definitely, the power. 24:58 All right. 24:59 We all agree with that. 25:00 Go ahead, any other one? 25:02 I'll say, all of them belong... 25:03 Yeah. 25:05 I phrase it, paraphrase, 25:08 I preface that exclusive. 25:10 Now remember I said that, "All of belong to God." 25:13 He's sovereign. 25:14 But exclusive that is just his part 25:19 and we have nothing to do with it. 25:21 You getting what I'm saying. 25:22 We have nothing to do with his part at all. 25:26 The power and the plan, 25:29 those two P's belong exclusive to God 25:33 and that's where not just me, 25:37 but as I travel and as I look back 25:38 on my 40 years of working with folks 25:41 that is a key problem. 25:42 We've been in this world, 25:44 this movement longer than 25:46 God wants us to be in this movement. 25:50 In this movement if you understand 25:51 what I'm saying longer 25:53 in the fourth generation since 1844. 25:56 And the fact is that God look at the world today. 26:00 You know you're share, 26:02 the calamities, the more decadence, 26:05 the crime, climatic, we go on and on, 26:08 when I start out 26:09 I'm in a whole new generation here. 26:11 So I learn so God has an exclusive plan for us, 26:15 that plan incorporates every aspect of our lives. 26:21 You know, okay as before we came on the show here, 26:24 you know plan. 26:25 Plan for marriage, plan for occupation, 26:28 plan for education, finances, ministry, 26:32 that is exclusive God's plan. 26:35 He has it. 26:36 He describes it in His Word and inspiration. 26:40 We don't have to go to God with your plan. 26:45 Ask him to endorse your plan. 26:48 That's what I did for 40 years. 26:50 In allude to fact it was to help further his work. 26:54 That's what so good about it, 26:56 "Hey this is God's work." 26:57 I'm asking God to bless this plan 27:00 because it's going to extend his work. 27:02 You get what I'm saying. I do. 27:03 That is the deception on our part. 27:06 He has the power, the power not only the power 27:11 for grace to me he executes plan 27:13 but that power embrace the resources 27:16 to carry his plan. 27:17 I remember you know how does, 27:19 how does ministry of 3ABN start, 27:20 but the point is like ministry 27:22 the resources, plan, power that's exclusive. 27:27 This what God is downloading to me 27:30 to move me to another level, 27:32 the person is the third P. 27:34 Now what's the role of that person. 27:36 The person willing, willing. 27:40 Now remember God is not going to make 27:41 going to force his will, 27:43 willing to submit and commit to his plan 27:48 and to be recipient of his power 27:51 to carry out His will. 27:55 So the person's job is, 27:58 is actually submission 28:01 and yielding the will to God, 28:05 is that what you're saying? 28:06 That's right, John 15 bring this up 28:08 perfectly clear to me, 28:10 and we don't have time but you read a book with clarity. 28:15 When I came back home 28:16 and I picked a book Mount of Blessings. 28:20 It says, "For me your truths will burst 28:24 on the scene like bright light." 28:25 For me your truth, 28:27 so what we're talking about is nothing new light. 28:29 It's not, God is not going to give us new, 28:31 it's there, 28:33 it says that it burst forth on the scene 28:35 were like a burst of light and with greater clarity. 28:40 So in this experience greater clarity came to me. 28:46 Look at that and look at that 28:48 after 30 minutes of oxygen deprivation, 28:52 God gave you greater clarity. 28:56 Greater clarity. 28:58 Of his truths and His Word. 29:00 That's right. And his plan. 29:01 That's right. Amen. 29:03 That's, that is key, his plan, his power... 29:06 His power and all he need is the person 29:09 and the fact that, Yvonne, for 40 years 29:11 and God gave us a sprinkle. 29:12 You know M.E.E.T ministry only when I started off 29:17 we started off, with elementary school. 29:19 Tell us about M.E.E.T? 29:21 Well, M.E.E.T Ministry is the acronym M.E.E.T 29:25 Amos 4:12, "Prepare to meet your God." 29:29 In that acronym stands for 29:32 Missionary, Education and Evangelistic Training 29:37 combining the gospel with the help. 29:40 We found out that Christ method alone 29:44 were true success to ministry. 29:46 You cannot separate the physical, the spiritual, 29:50 nor the mental. 29:53 So M.E.E.T Ministry is multifaceted, 29:55 we operate a Gospel Medical Mission Training School 29:59 there on the campus. 30:00 It's out in western Tennessee 30 acres land small. 30:03 We have a lifestyle center, been going for 20 years, 30:06 where people come from all 30:08 with all kinds of sickness and etc. 30:10 We have a smart gardening program 30:14 which will become an industry I call it smart gardening 30:16 because we free, we free 30:20 in a canvassing program. 30:24 We publish, we publish books, 30:28 have books and the fact is that 30:30 strong evangelistic outreach that we do. 30:34 You have a website and... Website. 30:36 And now folks to your website. Right. 30:38 It's www... 30:40 MeetMinistry.org. 30:43 MeetMinistry.org 30:45 And it's up on the screen. Yes, upon yes. 30:47 We'll be able to go there. 30:48 So we've been doing that, 30:49 the ministry been existing for 28 years prior to that, 30:53 we were conducting, we ran a health food store. 30:56 I've been probably rephrase a self supporting work, 31:00 it's on television. 31:02 I just show up on the scene, 31:04 so the ministry had been established for 20 years 31:07 and that's remarkable in itself, 31:10 God has kept it. 31:12 You know small ministry, 31:13 we got about 18 full time worker there. 31:17 God call my wife and I into the ministry 31:19 and I've read inspired writings on self supporting. 31:25 Wonderful information on, 31:27 what the education work should look like, 31:30 and my professional background is a teacher 31:34 and so God just took that 31:35 and put it in a different framework. 31:38 So that's how we end up. 31:40 And that's what we're doing, 31:41 and it's been going on 31:43 and this experience July 17, 2015, 31:49 has impacted our lives more than the 40 years 31:53 that I've been in this work. 31:55 I believe it. 31:56 The reason that that. 31:57 Yes, I love to see people get well. 32:00 But I found out a ministry like our was 32:04 that we can become dispensers of information 32:08 but not stainable. 32:10 Do you understand what I'm saying, Jason? 32:12 People in ministry need to be ministered to as well. 32:14 Amen, amen. 32:16 You're teaching and preaching everybody else, 32:18 but you have to take time too. 32:20 And you're so clear that and this is why I'm 32:23 and that's to me is very, very key, Jason, 32:28 that we think we are like islands, 32:31 every man to his own tent. 32:34 You see the human body gives us a clear understanding 32:38 of how the body works synergistically, 32:42 one sail but does not stand independent of other sails. 32:48 You getting what I'm saying. 32:49 And they're very supportive. 32:51 And now, here I am, you know, 32:54 I'm at the what you call 32:56 the old age of the youth, 33:00 you know when you reach 40. 33:02 Now your age is youth, when you reach my age, 33:04 you old age of the youth, so anyway. 33:08 So I need to encourage men working on a, 33:13 you know, a curriculum called Biblical truth, 33:16 Biblical leadership in my 40 years what it takes. 33:19 There's a difference between leadership and management. 33:23 Leader need to know what management 33:25 but leadership goes beyond managing, 33:28 it's very important. 33:29 But when God woke me up with that experience 33:31 and as I began to delve into John 15, 33:36 I look back, I said, I've read this 100 of times. 33:39 John is one of my favorite books 33:42 but when I begin to read that verse, those verses. 33:45 Then I got down to verse 5 Jesus said, 33:49 "I'm the vine and you are the branch." 33:52 Then this what hit me, 33:54 without me you can do nothing. 33:59 Have you read that? Oh, yeah. 34:01 Have you read that? Yes. 34:02 Okay, but I don't know what goes on your head, 34:04 but I know as I travel and inner me go now. 34:07 I said, "What does that nothing means?" 34:11 Nothing? 34:12 Nothing means nothing. 34:14 Nothing, you can't tie your shoe 34:16 if God didn't give you the grace. 34:18 But it need to resonate with, Yvonne, 34:20 because God is ready to wind his work up. 34:23 He's looking for people that he can trust 34:26 wholeheartedly with his spirit. 34:29 I'm serious I see that. 34:32 And so when I said nothing. 34:34 Then I'm dissecting the Scripture 34:36 and when he says, 34:38 "I'm the the true vine." 34:40 That's what he said in John 51, 34:42 and I read that before true vine. 34:44 I'm thinking, okay, there's counterfeits out here 34:46 but I learned how to study scripture contextually 34:50 Jesus just, just got finished with the upper room. 34:54 John 14. 34:55 He was trying to prepare his disciples for crisis. 35:00 You know in a crisis 35:01 he's getting ready to go to death, 35:02 but they don't think he is going to die. 35:05 We can really prepare for a crisis 35:07 coming upon this earth 35:10 and we're not ready for it. 35:11 So Jesus was trying to get them ready for this crisis. 35:15 So he said "I'm the true vine." 35:18 he didn't say, I'm the vine. 35:20 So when I read it before. 35:22 Maybe that's counterfeit. 35:23 No, he was talking to his church 35:26 because Israel knew that God planted a vineyard 35:29 and they were the vineyard, 35:31 so the disciple thought they were the vine. 35:35 I asked people and I'd say, 35:36 why did Jesus say he is the true vine, 35:39 because there's counterfeit. 35:40 He was talking directly to his church 35:42 because they thought that they were the vine. 35:47 You get what I'm saying. 35:48 He was the vine. 35:49 I'm the true vine and my father is the husband 35:52 bring out upon the husband 35:54 and he the one that tents the vineyard. 35:58 He's the one to take care. 35:59 He's one that prune it. 36:01 Then he said in verse 2, he says, 36:04 "Every branch in me 36:07 that does not bear fruit I take it away." 36:10 Okay, I'm going get to a question then he says, 36:13 in the same verse, he said, 36:15 "Every branch in me that bear fruit I purge," 36:21 I purge for what reason? 36:24 To bear more fruit. 36:27 You hear it. Now here's my question. 36:31 What does God and you had a wide listening audience, 36:34 of course you get theologians listen to it, 36:37 doctors and florists. 36:41 What does God choose to purge us Trials. 36:47 All right, that's right. 36:49 And that's what your audience will say too. 36:52 Look at verse 3 John 15. 36:55 God says, 36:57 "You are clean through the word, 37:01 you are clean through the word," 37:04 Hebrews 4:12 says, 37:06 "The word is like a twoedged sword." 37:10 It cuts, it gets to the what very bone marrow. 37:15 God said in Psalms 50:1 and this become more clarity, 37:19 "Purge me with his word." 37:22 John 17:17, 37:25 "Sanctify them by that word, the word is true." 37:28 We are cleansed through the word. 37:31 Now follow me. 37:32 So here we have my wife go through, 37:36 while I'm seven day resting, she's going through a trial. 37:40 Oh, yeah. 37:42 No money, 37:45 hospital, situation, 37:48 husband whether he gonna 37:52 wake or not, that's a trial. 37:56 But as, as we said, 37:59 those who were with my wife 38:02 that one moment she held on to the word. 38:06 She cling to the word. 38:10 Trials, what I understand trials are, 38:14 they reveal to us the intents of our hearts, 38:20 trials revealed to us our helplessness. 38:24 Exactly. 38:25 Our hopelessness. Yes. 38:26 That's what trials do. 38:28 That's right, our dependence. 38:30 Come on, the word comes to offer the solution 38:35 for that trial case in point. 38:38 Say, say we're very good friends, 38:40 now I just say my wife and I been married for 44 years, 38:42 and we found ourselves allowing 38:47 our spirit to be controlled by the devil 38:51 and he comes in and develop a division among us. 38:55 You know we've been married and say, 38:57 I did something that was just unforgivable 39:02 and she began ruminating, begin to build up a wall, 39:06 the resentment and bitterness and that's happened. 39:08 Oh, yeah. 39:10 That's a trail, we just say that's a trial. 39:12 So now, per se, well, God, she said, well, 39:16 God just send that trial to perfect my character 39:18 but you're still ruminating, 39:20 you still just rehearsing that bitter experience. 39:24 And God's word comes to her, 39:28 forgive and love 39:33 God's word offer a solution for this situation. 39:37 You get what I'm saying. 39:39 Trials reveal in my heart 39:40 'cause she's building a wall a resentment and bitter 39:44 and God said forgive. 39:46 How can I forgive, after all what he did to me? 39:49 I'll forgive that's about it. 39:52 You understand what I'm saying. 39:53 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 39:54 God sent the word is what cleanse us, 40:00 it offers the solution once I recognize my happiness. 40:04 John 15:4 says, 40:06 "Every branch in me cannot bear fruit without me." 40:11 So then what's the purpose of the branch? 40:15 Can the branch produce fruit? 40:17 No, it receives sap from the vine. 40:22 So the branch only become a channel, 40:24 a conduit through which the sap 40:27 flows through the vine into the branch 40:30 and the fruit is produced. 40:32 So if this bottle of water, my arm, 40:35 Jason, Yvonne, is the branch, 40:37 my body is the vine and this is the fruit, 40:41 what's the fruit for, for the branch? 40:45 Have you ever seen a branch eat his own fruit? 40:48 No. 40:50 And this is some apples and peaches and grape, 40:52 what's it for, you go and pluck it. 40:54 So therefore, 40:55 what God will produce through me through you 40:57 by abide in him our fruit 41:00 which is the reproduction of the character of God 41:04 in me that others partake of these fruit 41:07 and be nourished that that same character is reproduced 41:10 in the partakers of that 41:12 'cause John 15:7 says, 41:15 "If you abide in me and my word in you, 41:17 you ask what you will it should be done." 41:20 Now in that context as the average Christian, 41:24 Adventist Christian what does that mean. 41:26 Well, a wife, a car, a job, 41:29 that's not what that text is saying. 41:30 Contextual saying, if you'll abide in me, 41:33 my word in you, you ask what you will. 41:35 So that means you're not asking your will 41:36 because if you're in Christ and His word is in you, 41:39 you gonna ask the will of God, 41:41 of course the will of God that you be fruitful. 41:45 And it says by this shall you be my disciple. 41:49 So that can clear it... 41:52 So go ahead. 41:53 So I was gonna ask Dr. Laverne here 41:56 during that time 41:57 when your husband was lying there 42:01 for those seven days 42:02 and you were into that word and doing as Doc is saying, 42:07 you were abiding in Christ. 42:09 Tell us about your journey during that time? 42:11 What were you doing during that time? 42:15 What I was doing was of course, praying. 42:19 But I was praying 42:20 and I had to grab hold to promises 42:25 because there was a lot of negativity. 42:28 Constantly. 42:29 Constantly coming to me, he was not going to live 42:32 and so I knew in my mind and I spoke to God 42:36 and I voiced I said, 42:38 "Lord, I know you didn't bring us over here. 42:42 For me to bring him home in a box." 42:45 That's not an option. Yes. 42:47 That is not an option. 42:49 So I need to know 42:51 what it is that you would have for me to do 42:54 because I know it's something. 42:56 You know I'm not asking why this happened. 42:59 What is it that you would have us to do? 43:01 Give me what that is, and of course, 43:04 he flooded me with his word 43:06 and the most precious one is in Isaiah 43, 43:10 you know when you go to the flood and all you know, 43:13 yes, I will be with you. 43:15 And so he let me know that he was going to be with me 43:18 and whatever my needs were, 43:20 and I am the type of the individual 43:22 because I kept thinking okay, Lord, 43:24 here we are, we got here. 43:28 I didn't have time to change the phone, 43:30 so I don't have a phone. 43:32 I don't have the money that I need 43:34 because I figured two weeks we didn't need what we need 43:36 and you know I would have what I needed. 43:38 Two week trips 43:39 because we were back in two weeks. 43:41 Two weeks... 43:42 Two months. 43:43 And so I said, okay Lord, 43:45 now I don't have a means of transportation. 43:48 I'm living with an individual, they don't have a car, 43:51 the individual that's supposed to drive us 43:53 don't have a license right now for some reason. 43:56 So here I am no money, no phone, 43:58 no means of getting around and then here 44:02 I know my family's getting ready wanting to come 44:05 because I had to let them know, 44:07 I couldn't just keep it silent. 44:09 Right, because you needed prayers... 44:12 I needed prayers, I needed resources 44:14 and I needed strength from the brethren. 44:18 Yes. 44:20 And from my family and so the, 44:23 and I said, Lord, you know 44:24 I am a person that lights I have A in place 44:29 and then I got B in place 44:30 and I got C if B doesn't work. 44:33 So you had to be able to tolerate 44:35 a little bit of uncertainty. 44:37 Yeah. 44:38 So the Lord said to me right now 44:40 you can have A B or C. 44:42 I'm your A B and C. 44:44 I am A, he said, 44:45 "You got to trust in me and leave it in my hand." 44:48 and then he took me to 44:50 when Abraham went up and took Isaac 44:53 and he was all the struggle in his mind 44:56 but God said, 44:57 "I am Jehovah Jireh, I provide." 45:01 And so I saw it every need he provided it 45:05 when I needed it, 45:07 so I had bills over here where I am, 45:10 I got bills over in America that's got to be done. 45:13 And the Lord took care every last one of them. 45:17 But the most thing that was so special is the day, 45:21 the night that he got in the hospital 45:23 and I was needing a phone 45:25 because so I could make phone calls. 45:28 There was a guy who come, 45:30 the people were getting ready 45:33 to come to church that next day to see us at church. 45:37 And here they're getting messages 45:39 as they're on their way to church 45:41 that he's in ICU in the hospital, 45:44 and of course what the saying was, 45:46 "That can't be Thomas Jackson, no, 45:49 the health men in the hospital." 45:52 So anyway they came, 45:54 and one of the guys that came, 45:55 he says Sister Jackson, he said, 45:57 "What is it that you need, he said, 45:59 because I have a friend here who has AIDS 46:03 and I was going to bring him to the church. 46:07 So he could talk to Brother Jackson. 46:10 He said, now my friend has two phones. 46:13 I said I needed a phone. 46:14 He says, well, okay I'm gonna ask my friend. 46:17 His friend gave that phone. 46:19 And I kept that phone for two months. 46:22 And he said, well, what do you need? 46:23 I said I need international minutes. 46:25 So he took that phone right away and came back 46:28 and brought me a phone for international minutes 46:31 so that I could make contact. 46:33 I needed a vehicle. 46:34 I couldn't drive over there, 46:36 somebody had a church in Manchester 46:40 called the girl's father 46:43 who was come to see him as well, 46:45 and says, they got to need a vehicle. 46:47 He said, I am going to let them use my vehicle 46:50 so to gas or will I tell you what 46:52 I give them my vehicle 46:53 and then out when I get back. 46:55 I can drive your vehicle 46:57 because the guy who was there that gave his vehicle, 46:59 he was a instructor, driving instructor. 47:04 So he had insurance on his where anybody could drive. 47:08 Wow! God provided that. 47:10 Now listen, not only that, 47:12 the guy was going to turn in and turn his insurance in 47:17 because he wasn't doing this service anymore. 47:20 And the company told, 47:21 no, you got to keep it for another two months, 47:23 so the Lord set that up 47:25 and then the guy who had the car 47:27 couldn't sell the car and so he had us sit there 47:30 waiting for us and use it, isn't that awesome. 47:32 Oh. 47:33 So every step God provided the means 47:36 and whatever's needed before hand 47:39 we just had to trust that he was going to be able to, 47:42 to do what needs to be. 47:44 And then I didn't know, 47:45 that once he was in the hospital 32 days. 47:49 And in 32 days, he had to have rehabilitation, 47:53 speech therapy, physical therapy, 47:56 writing, all of these in just 32 days. 48:00 It's amazing and I praise the Lord 48:03 that with his brain not having the oxygen, 48:07 he could have lost short term, 48:10 long term memory when he waken up. 48:12 He couldn't, not even known us. 48:15 That would have been devastating. 48:17 But the Lord worked there where he remembered everything 48:22 but just that the just had happened. 48:25 And so when we were able to get him out of the hospital 48:29 and then take him to a place 48:31 where we can rehabilitate him outside... 48:34 Country place was provided for us. 48:36 And in that way we were able to bring him home 48:40 after we got everything you know 48:42 back in order what it needed to be. 48:44 So I just thank God for how he works 48:47 and still and all you know they still don't know 48:50 we've been to specialists and all. 48:53 But we know that you know what came to my mind again, 48:56 as he was in the hospital. 48:58 There I think 49:02 his in the gospel where it says, 49:04 you know when the man came and they brought him down 49:08 through the roof and put him down 49:10 and they said, that that was a strange act. 49:13 I believe that this was a strange act. 49:17 And our adapted father says 49:20 that this was a present day Lazarus. 49:24 Oh, really? Really. 49:25 And that's how we introduce him. 49:27 Yes, we had to have a present day Lazarus 49:30 for people to realize that God plan works 49:34 and that God is still in a business... 49:36 Being faithful, God is faithful. 49:37 Of answering prayer. 49:39 That's right. 49:40 You know, 'cause some prayers 49:42 it takes him a little longer to do 49:43 but this when we saw that he raised him up 49:46 and it was a strange act that our God performed. 49:49 Mercy, mercy, mercy. Yeah, thank you Lord. 49:53 That's the kind of God we serve. 49:54 Yes. 49:55 It makes you want to shout. 49:57 Okay, listen I've been shouting. 49:59 I know you have. Have been shouting. 50:02 He is literally raised from the death. 50:04 He is raised, that is true, he really is, 50:07 strange, people wouldn't believe it. 50:08 Yeah. 50:10 So he could come forward 50:11 and even with his mind being intact to the point that 50:15 you know when, when he got into, 50:17 when we got in two part outside 50:20 of two hours outside of London. 50:21 We started making him do presentations 50:25 to see to make that brain fire, you know. 50:29 And I tell you he would get there, 50:31 and at first he was a little hesitate 50:34 but that brain kicked in and a Holy Spirit kicked in 50:38 and it renewed every one of those 50:40 nerves neuron you know. 50:42 Yes, every synapse... 50:43 Every synapse. Is firing. 50:45 One thing that I'd like to bring attention to, 50:48 to is the... 50:51 basically you know how you go through a trial 50:54 you can react. 50:55 There's different ways that you can react. 50:57 You can either rely on God or you can blame God. 50:59 Oh, yes. 51:01 And a lot of people tend to blame God, 51:02 but you had faith 51:04 and you held on to the Word of God, 51:06 people were praying. 51:08 Yeah, I mean that's, that's huge. 51:09 And God honor that. 51:11 He did, he did. 51:13 We had a system 51:15 because when I talked to the office 51:17 I mentioned to them, I said, you know, 51:19 I want to synchronize the prayers. 51:21 So it when one prayer is going to we're all praying 51:24 at the same time even though I'm here 51:28 and six hours later, I'm praying at the same time. 51:30 So I believe that as a result of those prayers going up 51:34 around the world same time, 51:37 God was hearing and answering those prayers. 51:40 Mightily for what he... 51:41 I know that time is running 51:43 but something else very affirming. 51:46 We have a cardiologist that goes to our church, 51:49 wonderful man. 51:51 He stayed with my wife on a phone, 51:54 but he does not specialize, 51:55 what happened to me 51:57 it was the electrical current in my heart went 52:01 and I want to... 52:02 Shut down. 52:03 Shut down, though when I woke up 52:06 and after God continued to download his plan 52:10 and continue unveil that. 52:12 And there's the doctors and surgeons around 52:17 and I wake up and a verse just flow from my mouth 52:22 as though I'm speaking to people 52:24 who understand the language. 52:26 Proverbs 26:2, 52:29 I said, Doc, the curse causeless shall not come 52:34 and I quote myself, 52:35 but these folks all know what I mean by that. 52:39 And I quote myself and said, 52:41 I said doc there's a cause for everything, 52:44 you agree with that. 52:45 So I said, what is your diagnosis? 52:49 And he said you heart tip top shape. 52:55 Your arteries are clean as a baby. 53:00 You see you don't smoke, you don't drink. 53:03 So it's a rarity. 53:05 I said, doc, have you all checked it up. 53:07 Now if ever the content my father but I know, 53:10 when my mother died from, 53:12 so you know so they have nothing. 53:17 So doc, what's the prognosis? 53:20 Now I'm asking these questions 53:22 and he was getting little bit of... 53:24 I'm a very observant person 53:26 and so I'm getting little agitated, 53:27 I said Doc, I'm not asking these questions 53:31 to question your professionality, 53:34 I'll plow the intervention and emergency, 53:39 but by the way does not the patient 53:42 have the right to know that's all I'm asking. 53:46 Okay, but anyway 53:48 I think so as it will with a situation like this 53:51 there's electrical current my heart. 53:53 Then who says it's not going to happen again. 53:55 Say, well, this what we have do to him, 53:58 all right talk to me, Doc. 53:59 Well, we're seeing a little electric bolt to your brain. 54:04 You got to hit the right spot, 54:05 the right node in your right chamber of heart 54:07 and we're just going to destroy to wipe it out. 54:11 I just said... 54:12 They call it burning it. 54:13 Burning what? 54:15 Burning the cell... 54:16 There's a node that control electrical current, 54:18 they just wiped it out, 54:20 so what it meant to my man then what, 54:23 you know when and what. 54:24 And so, 54:26 God is just downloading thoughts, 54:28 I said, Doc, I said, I really appreciate your help. 54:31 But I was saying I cannot agree 54:34 with that procedure because you don't know 54:37 because you see that there's something wrong 54:39 with electrical current in my body 54:41 cause to see electrical current. 54:43 I have read and teach out, 54:46 God is in doubt his people 54:49 with a certain amount of vital force, 54:52 a vital force is electrical energy 54:54 that's life 54:57 and electrical current is gone. 54:59 So I got turned my fold here, 55:01 I did not have a heart attack, 55:02 I don't have cancer, 55:04 vital force was capped out of me, 55:08 you know what I'm saying, 55:09 vital force. 55:11 So I said no Doc, I want to get to States. 55:14 He said, okay, because patients 55:15 and he said well there's only two places 55:17 in close proximity that they do this 55:21 that's Vanderbilt, that's Nashville, 55:24 the universal of Alabama, 55:25 so our cardiologist goes, you know, 55:29 very wonderful guy, 55:30 I had fast forward get back home, 55:33 he has all the paperwork he stayed on the phone. 55:35 My wife got all the documents. 55:38 And I went into his office and when he saw me, 55:40 tears is rolled down his eyes, 55:42 he just cried and we prayed together. 55:46 But this is my last point and I thought he had, 55:50 he already had my paperwork everything about 55:51 this operation said, Doc, what about his operation, 55:55 he said, I'll tell you what well, 55:57 that's only one person I know that specialize is 55:59 he's two hours away from us, 56:01 Memphis, he is Asian doctor. 56:04 He said, I set you a appointment you go there. 56:08 Now it's so stereotyped mind because Asian doctor, 56:12 he don't believe in Christianity, 56:14 he's not gonna pray with me so I... 56:17 He believes in Buddha. 56:18 Yeah. 56:22 God said, you abide in me, I got to go. 56:24 So I'm sitting there my wife in an examination room. 56:28 I'm on the table. 56:29 Dr Lon open a door, he comes in, he has, 56:34 so he looks at my wife greets her, 56:36 then he looks like I'm looking at Jason. 56:38 He has a look I never seen a doctor face. 56:42 Can I get up for a moment. Yes. 56:43 Then he walked over to me like this 56:46 he said, "God is good to you." 56:50 Wow. 56:53 I looked at him that resonate 56:56 as this man he said, 15 percent of the people 56:59 that he that does survive this 57:03 that he's operated on don't survive, 57:06 you know far as. 57:08 So 85 percent of people 57:10 who have what you had don't survive. 57:13 If they are vegetables were not here. 57:16 And I said doc, I know time is running out, 57:18 I said, Doc, what about the surgery, 57:21 he said, okay, let me keep you on a check. 57:23 Let me keep you on the check. 57:25 You know check me for weeks check, 57:27 went back about a month or two ago, 57:29 he said, and he just saw me my parents 57:34 but I'm still going to a guy, 57:35 I said, Doc, what about this operation. 57:37 He said, there's no markers, what can they fire. 57:41 I see you next year. 57:43 Wow! 57:44 I can't thank you enough for being with us. 57:47 Thank you, may God bless you. 57:49 Our time is up, I can't believe our time is up. 57:52 Thank you, thank you. 57:54 And make sure you tune in next time, 57:56 'cause it just wouldn't be the same without you. |
Revised 2023-11-13