Category: Sabbath

By Bobby Davis
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Surprised By Love – Dee Casper

By Bobby Davis

For twenty-one years, Dee Casper had never heard of a Seventh-day Adventist. “I was young when my parents divorced, and I lived with my dad for 20 years in the small town of Pittsburg, Illinois,” he says. “He gave me a good, moral upbringing, and I never doubted his love. But when it came to religion, my father didn’t go to church much, because his parents didn’t; so neither did I, unless I was with my mom’s parents.”

“By the time I was in high school, I was a thieving, lying, critical, mean spirited, and foul mouthed kid. I was a mess,” he admits, “and I’m sure my dad was worried about me.”

Changes

Dee says that only two things were important to him at that time: drumline and his girlfriend. So when she broke up with him because he wasn’t a Christian, he started swearing less and going to church in an attempt to win her back. “Things didn’t work out, though,” he says, “because I was only a nominal Christian, and I never really lived for anyone but myself.”

But things were about to change. “When 9/11 happened, my father was really shaken,” Dee explains. “He realized he wasn’t ready to meet his Lord, so he started watching Charles Stanley and other televangelists, and got serious about knowing Jesus. From that point forward, Dad changed profoundly. He loved me in a way that I had never experienced before. God was loving me through His intended medium—my parent—and that forever defined the rest of my life. I wanted what he had. C.S. Lewis shared his testimony in a book called, Surprised by Joy, so I title my testimony, Surprised by Love.” *

Seeming Success

Although Dee auditioned several years for a chance to march with a professional drum and bugle corps, he’d never made it. But finally, during the winter of 2004, he was offered a contract and signed on with a group from Dubuque, Iowa, for the 2005 season. “That was the only time my dad came with me,” he recalls, “and on the way home he had a heavy feeling that it wasn’t right. But I wouldn’t let go of my dreams.”

Life on the road was crazy. “Imagine a large group of 16 to 21-year-olds touring and living out of buses without a lot of supervision,” he says. “We were ranked thirteenth in the world the first two years, but then finally broke into the top ten my last year. I was still seeking God, but I wasn’t a Bible student. And, of course, my pride, and the influence of others, were a problem. But God in His mercy continued to prepare me for what was coming. I learned to be flexible about living conditions. I learned to be physically disciplined. And when I became a leader, I learned how to teach and address large numbers of people. God never wastes anything.”

Discovering 3ABN

During the off-season of 2006, Dee returned home to his work at a sports retail store and teaching the drumline at his old high school. And although he was successful, financial difficulties began to beset him.

“Dad felt he hadn’t been there for me spiritually, so he left his job to fully invest in me,” he explains. “Eventually, he paid dearly for that, because I kept dragging my feet. But Dad showed me a self-sacrificing love that said, ‘I will not give up until my son is saved. If it costs me everything, I will see that boy saved!’

“I was comfortable with spiritual things, but still too comfortable with the world. I’ll never forget Dad pulling me into his room after my first season of drum corps. In tears, he confessed to failing me spiritually. He kept asking if he’d hurt me, and I kept telling him no. But when he apologized for not being a godly parent and asked me for forgiveness, it really rocked me! All I could think of was, You’re the best dad I could ever hope for! Why are you crying? He took ownership like a man—and he won my heart in the process. Because of that, I know what a real man looks like. Men take responsibility; they don’t run from what they’ve done. They face it head on.

Dee Casper
Dee says that when he began watching 3ABN, he was not prejudiced against the message, since he had no previous theological grounding.

“Dad’s savings dried up, and we decided to get rid of our satellite TV—and that’s how my dad found 3ABN. He encouraged me to watch it with him, and since I had no theological grounding, I was not prejudiced against the message. ‘Seventh-day’ meant nothing, and ‘Adventist’ didn’t, either. What I was hearing was what Scripture taught. I just never knew.

“While Dad enjoyed David Asscherick, I thought he talked too fast. However, eventually he resonated with me because he was younger, and like me, had looked for meaning in all the wrong places.”

The Sabbath

Dee continued watching 3ABN until he left for his final season of drum corps, and then came the day when his father asked him whether they should be keeping the Sabbath. “We’d already changed some things we believed, but the Sabbath seemed like a really big change, and I wondered how I’d explain it to people,” Dee says. “I was the head drum major of a top ten corps, my students had an undefeated season, and I’d been promoted to management in my store. All that made it harder to start keeping the Sabbath. But finally, Dad said, ‘Buddy, it’s either true or it’s not. What are you going to do?’

“I would’ve stayed on the sidelines had Dad not put it that way. For a time, it was an easy choice, but then things got difficult. My bosses would schedule me on a couple Sabbaths, and teaching the drumline during the week was to prepare for weekend events and competitions. Satan really tried to confuse the call of God on my life, and I dragged my feet. Then things got worse. My license was suspended for an expired sticker, we received a foreclosure notice on our house, and Dad’s car was repossessed.”

One day, Dee received a call at work about some jackets, and the voice sounded familiar. “When Pastor John Lomacang came in, I recognized him and told him how much I enjoyed 3ABN and the message. He invited me to visit his church, and when I did, his wife Angela took me to the New Believers class. She let me sit with her in church, and then John asked me on stage and told everyone that he believed I’d be doing evangelism in the nearby city of Carbondale someday! That sounded crazy to me, since that was a rival town. And I definitely wasn’t an evangelist!”

Through the Wilderness

As their financial situation worsened, Dee and his father were forced to move into an apartment in nearby Marion, and later, an elderly man from church who was in poor health came to live with them. “While I took care of him, I spent much time in nature,” Dee recalls. “I believe that this—and the fact that I was pouring myself into serving someone else—finally brought about true conversion for me. It took four years to surrender, but my dad and my Heavenly Father loved me unconditionally.”

Eventually, the elderly man required skilled nursing care, then passed away, so Dee began looking for a job in earnest. Through a series of miracles, he landed a job in emergency management and moved with his dad to a city several hours north. Attending the local Seventh-day Adventist church, he met a kind pastor who became a dear friend.

Later, some of the church members brought him along to a 3ABN Camp Meeting, where Dee met David Asscherick, director of ARISE Institute. He also met a recent ARISE graduate, Ben Middleton, who a year later would start UnScene Media Group. Talking to Ben rekindled Dee’s desire to attend the ARISE school of evangelism, and when his work contract was up, God provided multiple miracles for Dee to enroll in that program.

“My dad initially  was against this, because I tried to go a few years earlier, and God had given a clear ‘no.’ However, the Lord knew I’d relied on my dad to know His will, and He needed to break that dependence. (God later showed Dad that this really was His will for my life).

 

Dee Casper Preaching
Dee was baptized by David Asscherick and graduated from the ARISE Cornerstone program, He currently serves as Evangelism Director for UnScene Media Group.

“I learned to preach and do outreach, and then David baptized me as a Seventh-day Adventist on December 4, 2010. I still struggled with pride, though, and as I received praise for my preaching, there was a struggle within me. I needed to die to self.

“When I came home, I ended up in a homeless shelter where Dad was staying. I spent four months literally feeding the sheep bread on the shelter’s farm. You see, I wasn’t safe to use on humans yet, so God put me there to see if sheep (which are illustrative of God’s people) would matter to me. After I acquired a lot more humility, Dad and I got jobs working for a community center in Carbondale, and I ended up doing evangelism at a small Adventist church—fulfilling Pastor Lomacang’s prediction!”

UnScene Media Group

After his father got a different job in service to the underprivileged, Dee moved to Tennessee to work at Heritage Academy.

During his last year, he served as a Bible worker, an elder, and was even asked to consider becoming a pastor. But in 2015, the Lord brought him back in contact with his friends, Ben Middleton and Ryan St. Hillaire, from UnScene Media Group. They told him about a new school of evangelism, and invited him to be their evangelism director.

Dee says, “The Institute for Digital Evangelism Arts (IDEA) is a one-year media evangelism training program in partnership with 3ABN that combines evangelism with media training in an internship-learning experience.

“As I look back, I realize how everything God brought me through—my non-profit work, teaching, preaching, and Bible work—was God’s preparation for what I do today. When I get up to preach, I ask Jesus to get me out of the way. And when I’m done, I am humbled, because I know I don’t have any claim to this.”

By Bobby Davis
Posted on

Like Coming Home – Eric Dryden

Eric Dryden Baptism

By Bobby Davis

Religion can be confusing to some children, but it was downright baffling to Eric Dryden. “I grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, along the banks of the Mississippi River,” he says, “and my mother was a staunch Roman Catholic, while my father was a member of the Aaronic priesthood in the Mormon faith. Since they both believed strongly in their religions, we attended the Catholic church one Sunday, and the Mormon church the next. I remember being scared as a kid, because both religions seemed focused on sin, and both preached fire and damnation!

“But that all came to a complete halt when I was about nine years old,” he recalls. “Very suddenly, my parents decided that instead of going back and forth, we would all go to a Pentecostal church. We went from church rituals to speaking in tongues, and it all seemed very strange to me. My brothers just tuned it all out, but I was the observant child who paid very special attention to details, so it was really hard for me to switch gears. They talked about God and read the Bible, and that was a good thing. However, by the time I was 15 or 16, I’d decided that there were so many different churches and beliefs that no one could figure it out. I had started growing my hair out and playing heavy metal rock because they sang about stuff I felt, and I was done with religion. I believed in God, but I didn’t want anyone telling me if I was good or bad.

“At that point everything became a struggle,” he admits, “and my parents had to all but drag me to church.”

Work

While he was still in high school, Eric landed a job with the Top 40 station, KGRC, and was surprised to see his musical taste change. “Instead of music that talked about death and killing, I began listening to music that made me feel happy and alive,” he says. “Then, a friend suggested that I apply for a job at a restaurant, and that eventually led me to the chef position at the Hannibal Country Club.”

Work was exhilarating, but it soon dominated his life. Besides his job at the country club, Eric began working for the local Sheriff’s department—which led in time to another job with the federal government.

Eric, Robert, and Makayla
Eric and his 18-year old son Robert Emmanuel, and 16-year old daughter Makayla Helen. “They are the love of my life,” he says.

“All this took its toll on me,” he says, “and I now suffer from PTSD and only get a few hours of sleep each night. My work kept me away from my home, and I saw my marriage fail. However, we had two beautiful children who are the love of my life.”

A second marriage also ended with a broken heart, and Eric says he now felt a huge void in his life. “I missed having a church family, and felt I didn’t have anyone to talk to. As a last resort, I turned to prayer because no matter what was going on, I knew I could always talk to God.”

A Radio Station

While Eric worked at the military academy in Mexico, Missouri, he met his third wife. “We both changed jobs when we got married,” he says. “She began working for the State Mental Hospital, and I took a job as a representative for a high-end guitar company. Since she worked 30 miles away, I would often take her to work and then spend the day at a park. One day, the heavy metal CD I tried to play in my car wouldn’t work, so I switched to the radio. However, it seemed that the only thing I could get was KRFL-LP, a low-power FM radio station in Fulton, Missouri. The program I heard was called Your Story Hour, and it instantly brought me back to my childhood. There were those Bible stories I’d heard as a child, and they were exactly what I needed! The next program was with Pastor Doug Batchelor, and I enjoyed it so much, I just kept listening. I listened all day, before realizing it was time to pick up my wife. I’d gone through half a talk of fuel, since the engine had been running the whole time!

“I was hooked. The 3ABN Radio programs pulled me in, although my wife couldn’t stand them. I was addicted to 3ABN Radio, and I couldn’t pull away.”

Leon Makovicka
Leon Makovicka stands by the KRFL-LP 107.9 FM transmitter and tower in Fulton, Missouri—the 3ABN Radio affiliate that changed Eric Dryden’s life.

Eventually, Eric heard Doug Batchelor suggest that he should look up and visit a local Seventh-day Adventist church.  “KRFL Radio announced their local church services from time to time, and one day I was almost past the church when I saw it,” he says. “My law enforcement skills kicked in, and I turned my car sideways at 35 mph and pulled directly into the parking lot! It wasn’t even a second thought; it was like a magnet pulling me in. And as I walked in, I had the curious feeling that I was coming home!”

The Sabbath

Eric had never heard the word ‘Sabbath’ mentioned, except for the heavy metal band, Black Sabbath. “It was all new and strange to me, but I knew it was right. Sabbath was like breathing, and we all have to breathe, so I knew right away there was something right about it. The service started at 9:15, and when they served a vegetarian meal afterward, it was different, because I was a hunter and had always liked to hunt!

“After everything was over, though, I didn’t want it to end. I sat in my driveway and teared up. Wouldn’t it be nice to have Sabbath every single day? I thought. I know it can’t be that way right now, but someday it will be, in Heaven!”

Eric says he attended four or five Sabbaths consecutively, but then felt he needed to do some soul searching.

“I come from law enforcement, and I’ve been trained to take a step back and look at things objectively,” he explains. “I’ve dealt with people who get pulled into different things, but finally recognized that I felt much happier and safer  when I was in church. That’s when I knew it was time—I wanted to be baptized and become a member of the Seventh-day Adventist church.”

An Amazing Facts series with Wyatt Alan was scheduled, and Eric says it  had a great impact on his life. “I managed to talk my wife into coming to the meetings,” he says, “but she wasn’t happy, at first.”

Pastor Neil Dye, of the Fulton Church, recalls, “Eric and his wife were having some problems. She had struggled with alcohol and smoking, and we prayed for victory over these things. They attended every night, and by the end of our series, they’d both made commitments to follow the Lord. God did give her the victory, and I was thrilled to see Eric take a firm stand to support her when she told him she might have to quit her job if she couldn’t get Sabbaths off. She’s scheduled to be baptized soon,” he adds, “and they continue to soak in God’s Word.”

Eric is ecstatic. “My wife loves coming to church,” he says, “and she’s stopped smoking, too! She just received approval to have her Sabbaths off from working at the hospital, and I can’t wait to see her be baptized!”

A New Life

Eric says his own baptism was amazing. “I was baptized as a young kid, but I don’t remember that,” he says. “However, I do remember this one, because I actually cried! Two weeks later, I was driving and listening to KRFL but had to pull off the road because I was crying so hard. Something about this church has made me very emotional. And while I don’t like crying, somehow I love it, because these are tears of gratitude!

“This is the first time I’ve had a relationship with Jesus, and everything’s coming together for me. My job brings me in contact with professional musicians, and many of them are on the fence when it comes to the Lord. But they have problems, too, and whether I’m at a convention or talking one on one, I’ve been given the opportunity to share the peace I’ve found in Jesus Christ.”

Eric says his musical tastes have changed drastically, too. “One day I picked up a guitar and I tried playing a heavy metal tune, but kept stumbling over the simplest stuff! So I started playing a classical piece, and the next thing I knew, I’m playing Christian music! I realized the devil was just trying to kick me around, but the Lord has taken away my taste for Satan’s music, and today, I’m working on ‘The Old Rugged Cross.’

“I didn’t realize when I first heard KRFL that the Lord had stretched that signal many miles beyond what it normally reached. But that’s what He did for me, and I’m forever grateful.”

That radio station began with Leon Makovicka’s obedience to the Lord when He impressed him to apply for a construction permit and build the station. “As I stood and watched Eric be baptized, I thought, Here is one who was searching for truth and found it, because we followed Your impression to build this station, Lord. God provided the funds to build it, so it’s really His radio station.

“If God asks you to do something, do it! he continues. You may not know what to do, or where the funds will come from, but God does. I trusted Him and He provided. Then He gave me a faith experience that no man can ever take away—saving souls for Christ.”

 

Fulton Seventh-day Adventist Church

Fulton Seventh-day Adventist Church
If you find yourself near Fulton, Missouri, why not come worship with Eric and his church family? You’ll find the church at 211 South Business 54, and we’re sure they would love to meet you!

Fulton Seventh-day Adventist Church Website

By Bobby Davis
Posted on

Our God Is Faithful – Raylene Rudd

Raylene Rudd

By J. D. Quinn

As I answered the prayer line, the caller began speaking with passion, “I was just baptized and I want to be in God’s will!” Then, with a faltering voice, she continued, “But I only have a sixth-grade education and I read at a third grade level. Because of my lack of education, I don’t feel like I’m prepared!”

Her heart-rending sobs told me the enemy of souls was discouraging her, planting seeds of doubt that she could ever be of value or a true witness for Christ, now or ever.

“Raylene,” I said, “Jesus loves you! You can count on Him and be confident of His promise found in Philippians 1:6, ‘He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.’ Christ promised He would not leave us as orphans in this world. He sent His Holy Spirit to live in us, and the Spirit will teach you and empower you. Remember that Jesus promised never to leave you nor forsake you.”

Comforted by God’s Word, she regained her composure and began sharing her testimony. “I can hardly recall the first time I went ‘left’ in my decision making when I should have gone ‘right,’” she began. “I realized that many of my mistakes would impact my life in a bad way, and they certainly did. I was living with my boyfriend and we did lots of partying, drinking, and smoking. I knew nothing about the Lord, and had no desire to change. We were heathens, J. D., and we never gave God a second thought. I had never read anything in the Bible, and the little bit I had heard about the book of Revelation scared me terribly.

“But then, in 1980, we experienced a wonderful event together. As we entered our basement apartment one evening, we saw an extremely bright light that suddenly filled the room! We questioned if it was God, and since neither of us had experienced such a good feeling before, we assumed God’s Spirit had chased us down. My boyfriend grabbed my hand and we ran to the church two blocks away and wanted to be baptized right then! But no one was there, so we dashed home and threw out everything in our house that wasn’t Christian—our music, our books, our beer, and  our cigarettes. We felt love for people like we’d never felt before, and since we wanted to make some major changes in our lives, we moved to California.”

Another “Left Turn”

Raylene and her boyfriend began attending church regularly in California, where they were married and baptized. However, within two years they returned to Idaho and things quickly disintegrated. Raylene made another of her infamous “left turns” and became involved with the wrong crowd again. Sadly, she and her husband divorced, and that began 33 long years of backsliding.

“I thought I was converted, but the change was short-lived,” she continued. “Looking back, I’m not sure I was entirely committed to anything, and I know I didn’t have that true love affair with my Savior. Sure, I believed the Bible was inspired, but so many questions haunted me, like, What is Jesus doing now? What are His children on earth supposed to be doing? Why are there so many different beliefs? Why do some people love you more than others? Who am I? What was that bright light I sensed or saw so many years ago? I had all these questions, and no one to ask. With only a sixth-grade education, I didn’t have the necessary skills to discover the answers for myself, but I knew there had to be more to life, and I wanted to experience that.”

After raising her children, Raylene was alone. She began to feel drawn by a Power that was foreign to her, and soon she asked Jesus to come into her heart. That’s when she experienced a true sense of peace.

Ready to worship God, she prayed He would lead her to a church close to home, and in 2013 she began attending a Sunday-keeping church. The members made her feel welcome and accepted, and as she raised her hands in surrender to God and praised His name, many commented that she was a “true worshiper.”

Although she didn’t understand what they meant, Raylene thought she was doing exactly what God wanted; so when some strange force seemed to be trying to prevent her from attending that church, she became convinced she must be on the right track.

“I assumed Satan was the culprit—throwing out so many roadblocks,” she says, “so I busied myself watching DVD recordings of popular televangelists. I read the whole Left Behind series and was confused, because there were so many different views of the Bible out there. But I did get the Old and New Testaments on CD, and I can personally testify that Romans 10:17 is true, ‘Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ My faith was growing, and every time I heard a word I didn’t know, I would look it up in the dictionary and write it down. Then I began noticing that I was reading and comprehending much better!”

God’s Providence

However, something strange began happening to Raylene. Every time she tried watching one of the televangelists’ DVDs, her TV would not work or—in her words—“it would blow up!” She went through the three hand-me-down TVs in her home in six months, and finally had no choice but to purchase a new set if she was going to continue learning about the Lord! Going to the local Walmart store, she purchased a 19-inch, “plain vanilla” TV set. Excited, she rushed home to set it up, attaching an old rabbit-ear antenna from her last set.

Her new television was preset to a particular channel, and when she turned it on, a perfectly clear and bright picture appeared. The man on the screen was talking about Jesus, and that caught her attention! The logo on the side of the screen said “3ABN” and had a phone number.

“I continued watching the 3ABN network, and some of my early favorite programs were Kenny Shelton’s Behold the Lamb Presents and Shelley Quinn sharing the Bible on Pressing In To His Presence. I watched, took notes, and checked my Bible to be certain it was truth. I realized that the words were becoming easier to understand, and I started reading the Bible and writing out Scriptures. Because James 1:5 promises, ‘If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God…and it will be given to him,’ I began praying for wisdom. Sometimes I prayed all day, and it wasn’t long before I started receiving God-given insight. I loved God’s Word more than ever! I know His Spirit was teaching me to read and understand His beautiful Word.

“All my condemnation was gone, and I knew I was on the right path,” she continues. “I hungered and thirsted for righteousness. I wanted more of God and His Word. As I watched a 3ABN news break, it said that viewers could call the Pastoral Ministries Department with questions regarding 3ABN programs, so I called. It was a blessing to have someone direct me to answers from the Bible, and to talk to someone who could share the biblical doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I continued to read and I continued to grow. I know that Jesus is my Shepherd, and now I’m part of His sheepfold.”

A New Home

3ABN’s Pastoral Ministries Department directed Raylene to the Pocatello Seventh-day Adventist Church, and when she called the church and told them her story, they arranged for their Bible worker, Monte Wood, to give her Bible studies. Raylene said she was so excited she could hardly contain herself. As she studied with Monte and Robert White, she began “connecting the dots” for the first time in her life.

Monte, Raylene, and Robert
Monte Wood (left), and Robert White (right) were more than happy to study the Bible with Raylene Rudd.

“We strictly followed the Bible, and everything made complete sense,” she exclaims. “It was wonderful! When I began attending the Pocatello Seventh-day Adventist Church I knew I was home, so I was baptized December 20, 2014, and am so happy to be a member of this loving church. I was invited to join our local women’s prison ministry team, so I prayed earnestly about it, filed the application, and was accepted. I look forward to allowing God to use me as a tool in His hands to make a difference in other people’s lives.”

Raylene's Baptism
Pastor Dean Lifshay and Raylene look on as Monte Wood and Craig Connell share how she came to the Lord.

“I traveled a rough road in the past and felt alone for years as I struggled to find the truth. A major lesson I learned is that God desired me to have a teachable heart, and that I needed His teaching more than formal education. Now I belong to a church family I can trust, and I feel loved by them, and by God. I can read so much better, and I believe God has and will continue to prepare me to minister to others. Thank you for reminding me of His precious promise found in Philippians 1:6, because I do believe that He who began His good work in me will complete it until the day Jesus returns. Our God is faithful!”

 

 Visit the Pocatello Seventh-day Adventist Church

Pocatello Seventh-day Adventist Church
If you’re in Pocatello, Idaho, why not stop in and visit with Raylene and her church family? The Pocatello Seventh-day Adventist Church is located at 253 Valleyview Drive. They’ll be happy to meet you!

 

Pocatello Seventh-day Adventist Church Website

By Bobby Davis
Posted on

The Buried Antenna – Robert Jinings

By Bobby Davis

Born in Portland, Oregon, Robert Jinings was the youngest of three children. His father had a cow-calf operation raising beef cattle, and Robert says he enjoyed a good  upbringing on the farm.

“However, religion and God were never mentioned in our home,” he says, “and while I had some vague belief in a Higher Power, I had no idea what that was, really.”

Robert JinningsRobert says he began getting into drugs when he was a teenager. “It was the hippie era, and because of this, I was exposed to all sorts of Eastern religion ideas,” he says. “But I never understood it all, and honestly, I never gave those things much thought because it was too confusing. The only religious exposure I ever had was from my uncle, who was a Lutheran. He was always called on to say the Lord’s Prayer during holiday meals and family picnics, but we never spoke about God, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. These topics were never discussed in my family, but they weren’t looked down on, either. We were taught not to look down on people.”

Difficult Years

Robert says he attended a community college for a year and a half before dropping out. “I was getting into alcohol and drugs a lot,” he says. “Alcohol, even excessive drinking, was acceptable in my family, so by the time I was in my late teens I was a daily drinker and continued that way for the next 17 years. I was also using cocaine and amphetamines, so I was pretty confused. But somehow, I never got in trouble with the law.

“In 1978 I married a lady bartender and we drank together, so things stayed about the same. I worked in construction and refurbished sawmill machinery before beginning a career in durable medical equipment, where I eventually wound up building specialized electronic equipment for quadriplegic and pediatric patients.

A Turning Point

Things began to change when Robert’s wife began attending aerobics classes at a local Baptist church. “My wife had given her heart to the Lord when she was young, and now she started coming back to the Jesus” he says. “She stopped drinking and doing all those things, but I kept on. When she invited me, I went to a Sunday service or two, but I couldn’t figure out what was going on because I didn’t know anything about the Bible.

“Later, after completing work on a large church in Portland, I was invited, along with all the workers, to their grand opening. As I listened, I was convicted of my need for God, but I didn’t tell anybody. Two days went by, and I just couldn’t take it anymore, so I prayed, God help me! If You’re real, I need help. I can’t get away from the alcohol and drugs by myself.

“That day I felt the presence of God for the first time,” Robert exclaims. “I didn’t see or hear anything, but I knew He was there for me! Four or five days after telling God I needed help by repeating the Sinner’s Prayer, I accepted Jesus Christ into my life and was relieved of my craving for alcohol and drugs. Of course, Satan didn’t give up easy, and a month or so later I drank again, but it was a one-day deal, and that was the last time.”

Robert studied with his pastor for about six months before he was baptized, “And what a great day that was! My wife and I were baptized together, and I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit bringing about a complete change in me,” he says. “I was in complete obedience, doing what God wanted me to do.”

More Changes

Sadly, though, after 24 years of marriage, and after raising a son and a daughter, Robert’s wife sought a divorce—just as he was grieving his father’s death, and just as he became very ill.

“I had vertigo so badly that I could hardly stand up, and finally I was diagnosed with an immune deficiency where my body thinks I have an inner ear infection and attacks it! All that brought on tremendous anxiety, and unfortunately, there is no cure.

“I felt like everything was falling apart at the seams, so I decided to move my fifth-wheel trailer up to my niece’s farm near Redmond, Oregon. It was a nice place in the middle of nowhere, and I was very grateful to be near my niece, since my illness made it hard for me to take care of myself.

Hal Steenson on Heaven's Point of View program
Hal Steenson on Heaven’s Point of View was one of the programs Robert could pick up in his fifth-wheel trailer near Redmond, Oregon.

“Although I didn’t watch much TV, one day I fixed something to eat and found a channel I’d never seen before called 3ABN. Danny Shelton was interviewing some missionaries, and suddenly I realized it was a Christian station. As I watched I began hearing things I’d never heard before, so I kept watching and eventually found myself glued to the TV 12 hours a day! I couldn’t get enough of Shelley Quinn’s program, Exalting His Word, or Hal Steenson’s Heaven’s Point of View. Then I began watching Doug Batchelor’s Here We Stand series, and other evangelists, like Lyle Albrecht, Kenneth Cox, and David Asscherick. Occasionally I’d watch another Christian network but kept wondering why the preachers were all yelling at me. In contrast, 3ABN’s presenters were sincere, and everyone one of them said, ‘Check it out for yourself from the Bible. If it’s not in the Bible, then don’t believe it!’ That was pretty revolutionary for me, since I was conditioned to believe what the pastor, deacons, and elders said without question.

“Finally, I realized that the message on 3ABN was Seventh-day Adventist. I’d never heard of the seventh-day Sabbath, and it was the most striking new teaching I’d ever heard. When I accepted it, the Lord directed me to prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. These were a complete mystery to me, since I had never even read the book of Daniel, but the Holy Spirit was working hard, and the conviction grew that I needed to join this church.”

Soon Robert visited the Redmond Seventh-day Adventist Church, and joined a small study group. Finally, he asked the leader, “So what do I have to do to join the church?” and was told that he could either be baptized or join the church by profession of faith. “Since I had not left the Lord since being baptized, I decided to join the Adventist Church by profession of faith,” he says. “It was a wonderful day, and I was excited about my new faith.”

However, in a few short weeks, Robert’s illness took a turn for the worse. “I decided to move into town so I could be near their medical facilities,” he says. “Although my church is only a mile away, I can’t drive that far. I also cannot sit for long, since my vertigo makes me so sick. So I attend when I can, and I know the Lord loves me and will continue to be my strength. Several people from church stop by from time to time,” he continues, “and I have a friend who brings me a Sabbath School Quarterly, as well as DVDs, or inspirational books. My friend Donna, who lives about 20 miles away used to visit often, but her eyesight has deteriorated, so she can’t make it to church, either. We talk and text a lot, and I let people know that I’m doing okay.”

Robert tries to share his faith with his neighbors at the mobile home park where he lives, and says he finds it interesting that when he lived 30 miles out of town, he could pick up 3ABN just fine. “But I guess the trees here get in the way of the signal, even though I’m much closer to the tower, so now I only get 3ABN about 45 percent of the time. It’s okay, though,” he adds, “because I’ve recorded lots of programs over the years, so it’s not like I’m without instruction.

“Years ago, when I still lived outside of town, we were going to get a big winter storm with high winds, so I decided to crank down my TV antenna so it wouldn’t get blown over. A day and a half later, I had three feet of snow covering my antenna, and couldn’t get any of our local stations. But 3ABN’s signal was still clear!

“I’ve never heard the message so plainly, clearly, and sincerely. It’s like God is speaking to me through 3ABN all the time. The Bible says in John 8:32, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” As far as I’m concerned, 3ABN proclaims nothing but the truth. It’s hard to find sincere people, so I just praise God that He led me to you!”

By Bobby Davis
Posted on

Eva’s Journey – Eva Borja-Land

Eva and Jeremiah

By Bobby Davis

Eva Borja-Land says she remembered having serious questions about church, even at a young age. “I was born in the Bicol Region of Luzon Island in the Philippines,” she says, “and I was the fifth of eight children.

“My parents raised us in the Roman Catholic church,” she continues, “but honestly, I couldn’t understand a single word the priest was saying, since mass was spoken in Latin. And then there was my first—and last—confession, a mandatory rule at my school. I confessed my sins once, but never again! Why should I tell my sins to a priest? I wondered. Why not just pray to God directly?” 

By the time Eva was in high school, she had stopped attending church, and as she studied to become an optometrist, her life became busy, and she never went back.

Busy Life

Eva married her high school sweetheart and eventually they moved to the United States. “We settled in New York and had three children, “ she says. “Then I realized I wanted them to be grounded in some sort of faith, so I began taking them to the Catholic religious education classes each week.  But I still had those nagging questions!”

Life went on normally, and Eva says she led a busy life—until her husband died seven years ago. Adjusting to her loss was not easy, but one day she discovered a small New Testament Bible in her basement.

“I read it on the subway on my way to work,” she says, “and I really liked Jesus’ counsel. But when I reached Revelation, I put it down because I couldn’t understand it. Then, about five years ago, I began recalling the stories my father used to tell from the Old Testament, and it made me want to read those books, too, so I got a Bible and started right away.

“I read the Bible from cover to cover in six months,” she says, “and then I began searching through my Verizon Fios cable lineup for religious TV channels. I really liked Joel Olsteen, and he kept saying that I needed to find a Bible-based church to join. So I thought, I wonder where I might find one of those? 

“One day, while I was flipping through the channels, I found 3ABN. I kept watching, and the first thing I noticed was that they were talking about the Sabbath. Suddenly I thought, Wait a minute! The Bible talks about the Sabbath in both the Old and New Testament! It all made sense to me—and so did their explanations about the book of Revelation. So every time I was in the kitchen, or downstairs in the basement, 3ABN was on.

“My kids noticed and mentioned that I didn’t watch news anymore. I just wanted to know the truth, and every day I’d come home excited about watching 3ABN again. I watched all sorts of programs that would give a number to call for their free offers, but I never seemed to have a pen and paper handy. I remember especially wanting the Amazing Facts Bible study guides.”

The Sabbath

Soon Eva was convicted on the Sabbath, but she wondered how she should observe it. “I knew that the Jews kept the Sabbath holy, but they didn’t believe in Christ,” she says. “And since I had no idea who else might observe it, I finally asked a Christian friend of mine if she knew of any Christian religions that observed the Sabbath.

“ ‘Yeah,’ she said, ‘the Seventh-day Adventists worship on Saturday.’ So I searched for an Adventist church in the Yellow Pages, and I found several close by. One was a Korean church and the other was Filipino, but since I didn’t their worship schedule wasn’t posted, I kept looking until I found one that did. The following Sabbath morning I set out to go to church.

“I remember the day well,” Eva says. “The church was only 15 minutes away, but since there was a lot of snow on the ground, I left a little early—about an hour and a half early!” she adds with a smile. I just didn’t want to be late, but then I got lost and drove around and around for a while. I finally found the street, but just as I was about to get out of the car, something inside me said, Don’t go in! However, I’d troubled myself to leave the house early, and I’d gotten lost and had trouble finding the church, so I told myself, Of course you’re going in!”

Church

Eva sat in the very last pew, and soon the Sabbath School superintendent approached and asked if she was visiting. “I told her it was my first time in a Seventh-day Adventist church, and that I wanted to observe God’s holy day. The lady was very nice to me, and invited me to have lunch with her family, which I enjoyed. But when I told them I wanted to be baptized right away, they sort of looked at each other and said, ‘Well, let’s talk to the pastor and arrange for Bible studies first.’”

Eva had learned a lot from watching 3ABN, so when the she was given the Amazing Facts Bible study guides, she exclaimed, “Oh, I already know this!”

“They were surprised,” she says, “but the next Sabbath they gave me some advanced study guides, and I was so excited, I wanted to complete them all right away! However, they suggested we slow down and take our time, so I respected their decision, and eight months later I was baptized. In a way it was great, because I had a chance to tell all my family about it. They all supported me, although at first they wondered what this was all about.”

During her baptism, the pastor asked Eva what her favorite hymn was, and she answered, “Amazing Grace.” But as the congregation began singing, something broke inside of her. “I started crying, and soon everybody was crying!” she says. “I couldn’t understand why they were crying, but mine were tears of joy!”

Today, Eva is a member of the Bayanihan Filipino Seventh-day Adventist Church in Long Island City, New York. “I fell in love with that church family and transferred my membership there,” she says, “but I stay in touch with my friends who gave me my first Bible studies. I have three grown children, and my oldest son comes to church with me now and loves it.”

Eva and Eden on Hat Day
Eva has made many close friends, including Eden Tuburan, who posed with her recently on a “Hat Day.”

Eva is involved in her church, and loves to tell the children’s story. She also takes part in the service from the platform when asked.

“Her eyes sparkle with enthusiasm when she talks about her Lord, the true God she adores and worships,” says Pastor James Wong. “She endlessly inspires everybody around her, and whether she’s at home, at work, or at our church, her excitement is contagious. I often hear her say, ‘No one can stop me from talking about my God!’ ”

Happiness

Eva says it took time to adjust to the loss of her husband. “After I was baptized, my children kept saying, ‘Mom, you should think about marriage again.’ So I prayed and asked the Lord for someone who would enhance my faith. ‘I want a man who loves You,’ I’d pray, ‘because if he does, he’ll love me and my children, too.’ Then it wasn’t long before someone from church mentioned Adventist Singles ministry, and that’s where I met my new husband, Jeremiah Land, who lost his wife three years ago.

Eva and Jeremiah on their wedding day.
Eva and Jeremiah met on the Adventist Singles website. “His first letter was all about God, so we started talking,” she says, “and when I found out that he’d been praying for somebody who was joyful and easy going, I realized that he was praying for someone like me!”

“Jeremiah’s first letter was all about God, so we started talking. When I found out that he’d been praying for somebody who was joyful and easy going, I realized that he was praying for someone like me! I’d tell him, ‘Jeremiah, God gave you to me, and He gave me to you, so God is our bridge!’ We were married this past September 7, and Pastor Wong officiated at our marriage!” she adds with a smile.

Pastor Wong agrees. “Jeremiah is a strong Christian and very supportive,” he says. “They not only enjoy studying together, but are drawn closer to each other every passing day.”

Changes

How has Eva’s life changed after joining the church? “Well, I’ve become more patient in my attitude and character,” she says. “I used to get angry so fast, but nothing bothers me now. I’ve become much more compassionate, too, and I love to help people.

“But perhaps the most profound change is that I’ve learned that obedience to God’s commandments isn’t for Him, it’s for us! Obeying Him is easy to do because I love Him; and when we love someone, we want to do things that please them.

“My brothers and sisters and I are very close, and although they don’t go to church, they want to know what I know. Two of my sisters even drove from Connecticut to attend church with me, and another sister is thinking of moving to New York. She tells me that when she does, she’ll definitely come to church with me.

“I feel no hardships,” Eva concludes. “And if I did, I could care less. I only care about what God thinks of me!”

 

Bayanihan Seventh-day Adventist Church

Bayanihan Seventh-day Adventist Church
Eva tells the children’s story during a worship service at the Bayanihan Seventh-day Adventist Church.

If you’re in the area, why not stop in and worship with Eva and her church family? The Bayanihan Seventh-day Adventist Church holds services in English, and is located at 39-49 29th Street in Long Island City, New York. They’d love to meet you!

Bayanihan Seventh-day Adventist Church Website

By Bobby Davis
Posted on

The Joy of Discovery – Lou and Melu Ginnetti

Lou and Melu Gennetti

Lou Ginnetti was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois, and says he thought he’d grown up in a normal home. “We were raised Catholics,” he begins, “but we weren’t very good ones. And as I look back on my childhood, I can’t say my childhood was very normal, either. You see, my dad was a professional gambler until he started losing, and then he began working at the racetrack. Growing up I wanted to be just like him. Until the day he died he was my best friend.

“I remember attending a Catholic retreat in high school once and organizing a poker game. My friends told me that I was hopelessly addicted to gambling, and that I’d never let it go. At the age of fifteen, I was working at a racetrack in Chicago as a groom and stable boy, and living on the backstretch. I think it’s fair to say I grew up very fast.”

A Spiritual Journey

Wherever his early years might have led him, Lou is quick to say that he was blessed when he met the woman who would become his wife. “Melu was born and raised in Nicaragua,” he explains, “and we were introduced by her brother-in-law, who was a customer of mine (and later became an evangelical preacher).

Lou and MeluA few weeks after she arrived in the States, he called and said, ‘Lou, how would you like to meet my sister-in-law from Nicaragua?’ and then handed her the phone! It was a bit awkward for a minute, but when we met it was love at first sight! One year later we were both saved and came to the Lord through his ministry. ”

Although Melu was raised as a devout Catholic, Lou says they joined a non-denominational church and became very active. “We were on fire for the Lord, and our first two children were raised in church,” he says. “But then we became lukewarm, and although we took our third child to church with us, she never showed much of an interest.

“Twenty-five years ago we moved to Michigan and stayed in the same church for sixteen years, but just warming the pews. Then we joined another church that led us to study the Bible, but four years later there were problems there, and we actively began looking for a church again.

“That was a tough time for us,” Lou admits, “because no matter where we went we just felt disappointed. Worship was more like a rock concert, and the sermons contained as much Scripture as a motivational speech.

“Finally, my wife said, ‘Why don’t we just have church at home? There’s nothing here, so maybe you can read a parable, and then we can pray and have church that way.’ ”

Searching

His desire to learn more truth led Lou to start scanning the cable television channels. “We had nine Christian channels, and the first three were Mormon, Catholic, and this other station where people seemed to read the Bible. But I had no idea what it was. It had a funny name with numbers and letters—you know, 3ABN!

“It’s interesting that about a month before I found 3ABN, I finally met face-to-face with Donna, a customer service representative from my Georgia-based employer. My wife and I were visiting the carpet mill I represented, and somehow I had found out she was a Seventh-day Adventist. So I asked Donna what that meant, and she said, ‘It means that I’m a Sabbath-keeping Christian,’ but I didn’t pursue that conversation.

“We also had six evangelical channels—each preaching the ‘Prosperity Gospel’ that God wants all of us to be wealthy. But that didn’t seem to make much sense, so I found myself turning to that 3ABN channel more often. Each sermon was totally Bible-based, and that just blew my mind. Then I realized that these were Seventh-day Adventists, but I still didn’t know who they were or what they believed.”

Next, Lou decided to do some research about Seventh-day Adventist beliefs online, but what he found was a lot of misinformation. “I kept thinking, This doesn’t match up with what I’m hearing on 3ABN, and after a while I got so confused that I decided to just stick with the evangelical stations.

“But something kept bringing me back to ‘that channel,’ so I decided to catch the 3ABN preachers in their deceptions! I watched for hours, and the topics were amazing. I kept waiting for them to drop the ball and reveal their true colors, but the truth they were preaching was too good. Then I remembered my co-worker, Donna, so I called her at work. She was well prepared, and patiently and thoroughly answered my questions.

David Asscherick
Melu met an Adventist friend at her job who  just “happened” to have a DVD series by David Asscherick in her car. “We watched them all in a ten-day period,” Melu says.

“About that time, Melu met another Adventist at her job at a health store. Kim just happened to have every DVD of David Asscherick’s Discover Prophecy series in her car, and we watched them all over a ten-day period.

“Finally, one Friday night, I called the South Lyon New Beginnings Seventh-day Adventist Church and told them I had some questions. The pastor invited me to come visit, so the next day Melu and I attended our first Sabbath service. It was a real eye-opener! We kept looking at each other, whispering, ‘This is not what we’ve read on the Internet!’

“The next day we visited a Sunday worship service. The drums and music started up, the lights started flickering, and it didn’t seem very worshipful at all. Then, when a girl in jeans walked down the aisle drinking her coffee, I turned to Melu and said, “I don’t know about you, but it looks like I’m a Seventh-day Adventist!”

A Decision

“Our decision to be baptized was easy. The solid biblical truths, based upon the full counsel of Scripture, cleared up all misconceptions of God’s character, His will for our lives, and the manner of His soon return. We studied the fundamental doctrines with Pastor Jim Howard, and five months later, on August 21, 2011, Melu and I were baptized and joined the church! I’d been baptized before as an evangelical, knowing Jesus as my Savior,” Lou says. “Back then I only knew Him as Someone who understands and forgives me, but now I know Him as my Lord!” 

Lou says that his children at first might have thought that he had become Jewish because he now worshiped on Sabbath. “My two older children had strong Christian foundations. However, since we didn’t teach her properly, our youngest had never expressed interest in religion. When I told her we were joining the Seventh-day Adventist Church, she asked me about it, then out of the blue she brought up some ugly things that had been in the news that day and asked, ‘Dad, what’s going on in this world?’

“That gave me the chance to share about the battle raging between good and evil, and as we spoke, I saw the Holy Spirit in action! Night after night she kept asking me questions until midnight, and in November 2013, she was baptized, too!”

Today, Melu serves as a deaconess and Lou was recently ordained as an elder!

Pastor Jim Howard is delighted. “Lou and Melu are really special people,” he says. “They’re genuine, dedicated, and much more doctrinally grounded than most members who have only been in the church for a couple of years. I believe this is because of watching 3ABN, and I’m happy to say that they’ve been actively involved in every aspect of church outreach, and are a real blessing to our church family!”

Brothers and Sisters

When we spoke to Lou he had just returned from his first ASI Laymen’s Convention. “I met so many people I’d seen on 3ABN!” he exclaims.  “They’re real people, and the arrogance of the typical TV evangelist just wasn’t there. They are truly my brothers and sisters in Christ, and I am closer to my Adventist family than I am to most of my relatives!  I’m so grateful 3ABN was there when I was searching for more truth. Joining the Adventist family has been one of my greatest joys!”

 

 Visit the South Lyon Seventh-day Adventist Church

South Lyon Seventh-day Adventist Church
If you’re in the area, why not join Lou and Melu for worship on Sabbath? They’d love to meet you at the South Lyon Seventh-day Adventist Church (meeting in the Family Life Community Church), 62345 West Eight Mile Road, in South Lyon, Michigan.

By Bobby Davis
Posted on

A Cabin in the Woods – Paul Hollis

Paul Hollis

After many years of work at a steel company, Paul Hollis felt something was missing. “I was making $130,000 a year, but I wasn’t happy with anything in life,” he says. “No matter what I had, I just wasn’t satisfied.

“So I discussed it all with my wife, and finally I just told her I wanted to quit my job, because it was turning me into something I didn’t want to be. In fact, I told her that I really wanted go live in our cabin up in the Arkansas mountains for a while.”

 

 

Log Cabin
Paul decided he just wanted to live in a cabin up in the mountains in Arkansas, so he did.

Most of us may have wished something similar at some point of our lives, but Paul took action. “I just needed to get myself back, so we decided I’d go up there, and my wife would come up on weekends.

“I spent a year and a half up there, living a simple life in a cabin that doesn’t even have electricity. But that’s where I found God!”

Losing His Way

Paul was born and raised in southern Arkansas. “My mom was 15 and my daddy was 17 when I was born,” he explains. “They couldn’t take care of me very well, so when I was eight, my grandparents finally adopted me. They were good people. They took me to church on Sunday and really believed all that they knew.

“My grandmother meant the world to me, so when she died, it took a lot out of me. She was the one who always kept me on the straight and narrow,” he continues, “so after she passed away, I started straying. A year later, when I was 17, I joined the Marine Corps, and I never did come to God.”

Paul was married at 18 but says that marriage didn’t turn out well. His second wife refused to move after he got a job at a steel mill three-and-a-half hours away.

“Being away from her all week was hard on our marriage,” he says, “and it wasn’t long before we drifted apart. But all that’s over with now. Today I have a wonderful wife, and we both think constantly of each other, and how we can please.”

A Traumatic Event

So how did Paul find God, and what brought it about?

“I can hardly talk about it without getting emotional,” he begins. “I had some goats up at the cabin, and the momma goat was fixin’ to have some little ones when I left one day. When I got back, she was almost dead from trying to have the babies. I didn’t know what to do, so I rushed to the vet about 20 minutes away. When I got back I delivered the first baby, but it looked like it was dead, so I laid it down on the grass next to the mother. Then, a few minutes later, the next baby was coming and it was breech, so I rushed back to the vet, again! When I got back and finally got it turned around, but it seemed dead, as well. By now the momma goat was so worn out that I thought all three of them were gonna die.

Baby Goat
Paul panicked as the mother goat struggled to give birth to her babies.

“That broke my heart, but all of a sudden, the little ones started to come to, and before long they got up and started trying to walk!

“Something hit me right then, and it had nothing to do with the goats. I was convinced that this miracle was all about God! Overwhelmed, I laid down on the ground and cried for the longest time!”

Hungry for Truth

“After that powerful experience, I decided I needed to learn about God, so I began to study the Bible, and sometimes I would read for 14 hours a day!” Paul says.

“One of the things I noticed right away was that the Bible said we should keep the Sabbath day holy. I knew that, but I never knew that the Sabbath was on Saturday!

“I kept studying, and one day my son came up and stayed with me. He had become a Seventh-day Adventist, so he confirmed that Saturday really was the Sabbath.

“Then I asked a friend who owned a car dealership one day if he knew about the Sabbath, and he said, ‘Yes, I do. I’m a Seventh-day Adventist. Haven’t you noticed I don’t open for business on Saturday?’

“That blew my mind! But there was more!”

Paul explains that about a year ago he began working for a farmer in Arkansas doing maintenance and general farm work. But although he explained he didn’t want to work on Saturdays, he caved in and did several times, anyway.

“I felt so badly, though, that one day I flagged him over, and explained that I absolutely wouldn’t do it again, and that if he wanted to, he could fire me on the spot. But he said he’d think about it, and later he told me he wouldn’t ask me to work on Saturdays anymore.”

Paul’s faith and conviction continued to grow, and one day he discovered that the TV in the trailer he was staying in picked up five 3ABN channels from our Memphis station.

“I hadn’t started going to church yet because I wanted to learn from the Bible, and not from any man; but I really liked what I was hearing on 3ABN Proclaim!” he says.

“So I watched 3ABN Proclaim! 99 percent of the time, but once in a while I’d switch over to 3ABN Radio. Then, one day, I left 3ABN Radio on and went to work. And when I walked in that evening I heard a preacher tellin’ us how to quit chewing tobacco! ‘We have a Five-Day Stop Smoking program,’ he said, ‘or you can do it as a Christian should, and just let God do it for you!’

“Wow! I was 51 years old and I’d chewed tobacco since I was eight. My wife had begged and cried, and I’d tried to quit many times, but it had never worked. I even prayed to God for strength, but I had always tried to do it for my wife, or for me. I’d never wanted to do it for Him! Suddenly I realized, I’ve been asking God to help me do this, but haven’t used my faith! So I immediately threw my tobacco in the trash, looked up, and said, ‘God, I’m giving this to you, because I can’t defeat it! I’m done!’”

After a long pause, Paul continues, “I’ll get a hankering once in a while, especially after I eat. But I’m not fighting this. I’m done with it. God has done the impossible ever since I put my faith in Him. And He did it immediately—it didn’t take weeks or months!”

Baptism

Paul’s desire to worship with fellow believers kept growing, and one day he found the Dyersburg, Tennessee Seventh-day Adventist Church, just a few miles away!

“When I arrived I told them that I wanted to be baptized, but unfortunately, they were between pastors, so I kept waiting.

“Then I met Marianne Krueger, the daughter of 3ABN president, Jim Gilley, and last Sabbath she called him to explain my situation.”

Paul Hollis Baptism
Paul was baptized by Pastor Ron Halvorsen, Sr.

Pastor Gilley invited Paul to come up that very day, and then asked Pastor Ron Halvorsen, Sr., who was holding our Anchors of Truth series that weekend, to baptize Paul that evening. “It was a beautiful and touching baptism,” Jim says, “and we were happy to welcome our new brother in Christ into the family. I’m delighted that this ministry helped solidify his decision to be baptized!”

C. A. Murray, general manager for 3ABN Proclaim! says, “We’re thrilled that Paul is a devoted viewer of 3ABN Proclaim! He’s part of a large group of people who mostly watch our preaching channel, and we’re so pleased that it’s reaching so many with the gospel!”

Eager to Serve

“God has helped me so much,” Paul says, “and today there’s nothing I own that has any value to me, other than God. And I don’t desire anything that I can’t walk away from.

“I tell people that I’d rather live in a ditch inside a cardboard box and spend eternity in Heaven, than be rich and only live 80 years on this earth. All I long to do is what Jesus wants me to.

“Everyone thought I was crazy when I walked away from my job, but God was driving me into those mountains.

“All that time to think got me close to God and away from the world—and that did it. If I hadn’t been up there by myself, I might never have found Him. So I believe God put me there, and each day I ask him, ‘Just tell me where You want me to be.’”

Visit the Dyersburg Seventh-day Adventist Church

Dyersburg Seventh-day Adventist Church
If you’re in the Dyersburg area, why not come worship with your brothers and sisters at the Seventh-day Adventist Church located at 2355 Henry Street in
Dyersburg, Tennessee. They’d love to meet you!

Dyersburg Seventh-day Adventist Church Website

By Bobby Davis
Posted on

Mother’s Channel – Maria Teresa Flores Morales

The Morales family interview

By Idalia Dinzey

We love to hear how 3ABN Latino has impacted our viewer’s lives and I’m often moved to tears when I hear how the Lord has brought about a change of heart through His transforming power. I feel so energized and encouraged that I just want to say a big, Praise the Lord! 

Here’s a beautiful testimony from one of our viewers in Nuevo León, Mexico, which made me smile. In fact, parts of it made me laugh out loud!

3ABN Latino was invited to take part in a special event held in Mexico City, Mexico, that encouraged people in that huge city to embrace a healthier lifestyle. God really blessed, and we were able to assemble a set where we could interview people who have come into the Seventh-day Adventist Church because of 3ABN Latino programming on the hundreds of cable companies in Mexico!

A “Different” Channel

María Teresa Flores Morales, a wife and blessed mother of three daughters, was flipping through the channels on her television one day when she suddenly found a “different” Christian channel—3ABN Latino.

What is this? she wondered. Who are these people? And what are they talking about?

Because she takes care of her grandchildren, she says that when she discovered 3ABN Latino she’d only spend a few hours at a time watching our programs. “But I made my grandchildren watch the children’s programming,” she admits, “because, after all, 3ABN Latino has something for everyone.”

Maria Teresa Flores Morales
Maria Teresa come across 3ABN Latino one day, and found she could not pull herself away—much to the annoyance of her daughters, who wondered if she’s lost her mind!

When her daughters would come to pick up their children after work, they soon noticed that their mother wouldn’t leave her bedroom to say hello or goodbye. Instead, she’d just sit there watching 3ABN Latino intently, with her Bible in her hands!

“Dad, I don’t think Mom’s feeling well,” one of her daughters commented one day. “I think there’s something wrong with her! How can we get her to stop watching that channel and get out of her room?” However, nothing they said could pry her away from her television.

I asked María Teresa what kept her glued to 3ABN Latino, and she answered, “I was enthralled because I was hearing and learning many things I’d never known—and it was all in the Bible! But what impacted me the most was that I never knew the Sabbath was part of the Ten Commandments. I honestly didn’t know! How can it be part of the Ten Commandments? I asked myself. And how is our relationship with God?

“I continued watching and giving God thanks because I was growing in Bible knowledge. I watched all the programs, and all the pastors—including you and your husband John,” she says. “And then I began watching Respuestas Bíblicas [3ABN Latino’s Spanish version of House Calls/Bible Answers]. I had so many questions, but I never bothered to send them in because someone else would beat me to it every time, and I’d get the information I needed to know! It felt like that program was custom made just for me!”

A Frustrated Family

When asked how often she watched 3ABN Latino, María Teresa admits her family got pretty frustrated with her.

“They actually got mad at me for watching that channel so much,” she says. “But I kept telling my husband that it was beautiful, and that they taught the Word of God and presented the truth.”

Her daughter Miriam says, “I was surprised by Mom’s comments, and they actually touched my heart because we were practicing a religion that didn’t explain a lot of biblical things. So I started getting interested, as well. I kept reading the Bible even though I didn’t understand a lot of things, and Mom kept explaining them to me.”

Another daughter, María, says, “Mom surprised us by watching 3ABN Latino all the time! We had a tradition of getting together every weekend for family gatherings and meals, but she was always so engrossed in watching 3ABN Latino. It frustrated me, but one day Mom said, ‘Honey, just listen to this man, Pastor Andres Portes. Listen to what he is saying.’ So I stopped and listened, and to tell you the truth, I felt something nice inside. He spoke so nicely that I felt it was getting somewhere within me; but I still held back and sarcastically asked my mother, ‘So are you going to become one of the sisters? It’s best for me to leave your house!’

“Months went by, and Mom continued watching 3ABN Latino. I told my father, ‘Mom is sick! There’s something wrong with her!’ But because of her sweet spirit, before you knew it, we began to see that there was something wrong with us!”

An Invitation?

The first time María Teresa visited a Seventh-day Adventist church was a memorable occasion. Her husband dropped her off at the church and said he’d be back to pick her up, but as she approached the door she hesitated.

“May I come in?” she asked.

“Of course!” the greeter replied as they offered her a Visitor Pin so others might welcome her, too.

Many people did welcome her, and several asked who had invited her to church that day.

“Oh, I didn’t know I needed an invitation,” she stammered. “I don’t know anyone here!”

Thankfully, a lady who overheard this conversation exclaimed, “The Holy Spirit invited her! That’s why she’s here!”

That made María Teresa feel special, and she proceeded to tell them all how the Holy Spirit had been working on her heart while she watched 3ABN Latino.

Then she surprised them all with a question:

“I’d like to get baptized. How do I go about it?”

Run and Hide

María Teresa was delighted when a couple from church began visiting her home to have Bible studies. She invited her daughters and their spouses, but every time the church members would pull into the driveway, everyone would run and hide! Even little Daniel would pretend to be asleep!

Maria Teresa and her daughters baptized
Pastor Elias Reyes Rivera beams as he prepares to baptize María Teresa, and her daughters María and Elizabeth. Several other family members are studying and preparing for baptism, as well.

But finally, they were each impressed to join in, and today all but one of her daughters are baptized members, along with some of their husbands!

(And in case you’re wondering about the others, well, I’m happy to tell you that they’re studying to be baptized, too!)

“I’m so thankful that the Lord brought this channel to my family,” María says. “It’s a great blessing that Mom found it, and that she shared it with the family. We are here now thanks to what happened with Mom by finding the channel, by learning about God. ”

Daniel says he loves to go to the church because he’s learning about Jesus. “I’m learning that He has a lot of love for me,” he explains. “I want to be in Heaven with Him!”

I still laugh when I picture those family members running to hide, but I praise God that today her family stands undivided, serving our Lord!

Won’t you continue to pray for 3ABN Latino? Because of you, we can reach much farther than our minds can comprehend.

Thank you for your sacrificial giving! You have truly been missionaries in many countries without paying a penny for a passport or an airplane ticket. Your investment in 3ABN Latino enables us to preach the gospel both here at home and around the world!

By Bobby Davis
Posted on

Beautiful Feet – Elie Martinez Duran

Carolyn and Ellie

By Carolyn Karlstrom

I’ll never forget that Sabbath morning I met Elie Martinez Duran. It was October 1, 2011, and after the service I was introduced to her and her youngest daughter Inari.

“Welcome!” I smiled as I greeted her. “Can you stay for lunch?”

Our friendship began over that potluck meal, and it deepened as we enjoyed fellowship and Bible studies together.

Elie and three of her siblings were left with their paternal grandmother when her parents moved from Mexico to Oregon. A devout Catholic, her grandmother took the children to church faithfully, and Elie loved it. She says she felt a deep spiritual yearning from an early age, but when she joined her family in the United States, she didn’t get to attend church anymore. However, she was determined to maintain her connection to the God she loved, so she continued to pray.

In 1993 her son James was born, and the following year she met Francisco (Frank) Duran, and together they had three girls, Kaylee, Neve, and Inari. Elie would occasionally attend church with them, but something didn’t feel right. For one thing, there were images—and her Bible said these were not acceptable to God.

Sometime in 1999 Elie began asking God to lead her to the right church, and although she tried many, none of them seemed to fit. For eight years she longed for a better understanding of Scripture, until one day she prayed, Lord, I know the answers are in the Bible, so please show me how to read it!

The very next day someone rang her doorbell. “Would you like to learn how to read the Bible?” they asked. Elie was delighted, and for nearly four years, her family worshiped with the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Through studying her Bible, she became aware of the seventh-day Sabbath, but her new friends couldn’t seem to explain why she should keep Sunday holy.

There has to be one right church, Lord. Please help us! she begged.

Making Sense

When Elie’s family purchased a satellite dish, she found an unfamiliar station called 3ABN, and she never turned it off! “The first person I remember was David Down with Digging Up the Past,” she says, “and the information he shared was exactly what I’d been reading in Scripture!”

On September 24, 2011, Elie kept the Sabbath for the first time, singing, praying, and talking with her kids while watching 3ABN. The very next week she heard the words, Seventh-day Adventist for the first time—ever! “Praise the Lord!” she shouted! “Now I know what church we’ll be attending!”

Elie was thrilled when she was lowered into the baptismal waters, with her friend Carolyn Karlstrom by her side. She says that as Pastor Roger Walter baptized her, she could just imagine all the angels in Heaven rejoicing! (Photo: Rick Karlstrom)

Taking her youngest daughter with her, Elie attended her first Sabbath service; and, as God would have it, we celebrated Communion (yes, Communion!) that week.

“Did you understand what was happening?” I asked her after the service, and her answer surprised me.

“Yes,” she replied. “We were prepared by 3ABN!”

Getting Right to Work

Elie immediately began sharing everything we studied about. She sent her family books and DVDs, and I rounded up 17 Bibles to send to her friends and relatives. She visited family that lived close by, and studied with her children and their friends at home. She brought dozens of young people to church services, evangelistic series, seminars, and concerts—she even witnessed by e-mail and Facebook.

Ellie's Family
Today, ten members of the Duran, Becerra, and Martinez families have been baptized, and most of the others are studying the truths Elie discovered in the Bible! (Photo: David Becerra)

The results? Well, here’s what’s happened, so far! God’s church has welcomed in these new ones (listed by family groups) on these dates:

Elie Martinez Duran: August 24, 2012
Kaylee Duran (oldest daughter): December 24, 2011
Neve Duran (middle daughter): November 23, 2013
Inari Duran (youngest daughter): November 23, 2013
Lidia Martinez (Elie’s sister): April 6, 2013
Jacqueline Martinez (Lidia’s daughter): April 6, 2013
Ariel Martinez (Lidia’s son): April 6, 2013
Jennifer Martinez (Lidia’s youngest daughter): April 6, 2013
Homero Martinez (Lidia’s husband): April 22, 2013
Marisol Martinez Becerra (Elie’s sister): November 9, 2013
David Becerra (Marisol’s husband): November 9, 2013
Vanessa Rodriguez (Marisol’s daughter): November 9, 2013

Most of the other members of her family are studying, and Felipe Jimenez, a Bible worker from Walla Walla, Washington, has helped her greatly by studying with her parents, Alfonso and Gudelia. Another sister-in-law, Martha, was opposed at first, but now she’s studying, along with her son Zeth. Elie’s oldest sister Silvia is studying, her younger brother, Alfonso Jr., and his wife Elvira have some interest, and their three children are studying, as well.

A Struggle

Elie’s brother-in-law, Homero, grew angry when his wife and children began to show interest in spiritual things. “Elie,” he confided, “I feel that Satan is making me struggle against this, because I get so angry when Lidia prays. That’s not me!”

Leading him around the outside of his home, Elie asked God to drive out the evil spirits; and when his family was baptized, Homero was in church! Then, just two weeks later, Homero sprang to his feet during an altar call, and his conversion was so genuine that he was baptized on the spot! The moment was so shocking and powerful that several others decided to give their hearts to the Lord that day, too.

Rejoicing Angels

“As a pastor, it’s always heartwarming to see people come to Jesus and begin to put down their spiritual roots,” says our senior pastor, Roger Walter. “I had the privilege of baptizing Elie and her three daughters, and they got involved right away. They are solid in their commitment to God, invested in continual growth, and have a heart for letting others know about Jesus, as well.”

Elie’s sister Lidia said she could imagine all the angels in Heaven rejoicing when she was baptized. “I felt the same way, too!” Elie adds.

Elie’s family and mine have grown together and forged a bond that will never be broken. God called her when she was a little girl—and He hasn’t stopped speaking to her since.

Romans 10:15 says, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (NLT). Elie has been called, reached, and sent. How very beautiful are her feet!

 

Visit the Vancouver Adventist Community Church

If you’re in the area on Sabbath, please come worship with Elie and her church family at the Seventh-day Adventist Community Church, 9711 NE St. Johns Road in Vancouver, Washington. She would love to meet you! (Photo: Dale Boyington)

Vancouver Adventist Community Church Website

By Bobby Davis
Posted on

A Changed Life – Irena Sapielkina

Irena and daughter Eugene

By Bobby Davis

We love to bring you powerful testimonies of changed lives as a testament to what God has done through your support of this ministry. And perhaps there is no better evidence of this than the stories that come to us from our Russian Evangelism Center.

In 1992, Pastor John Carter invited 3ABN to accompany him to the city of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, where huge crowds gathered each night to hear the gospel.

Thousands were baptized, and soon it was obvious that they needed a place to worship. So during the months that followed, our supporters built the massive 3ABN Russian Evangelism Center, and we dedicated it to the glory of God.

Some of our strongest support came from Gene and Patricia McClintock, an American couple who traveled many times to Russia to hold lay evangelistic meetings that brought hundreds more to a full knowledge of our Savior.

Gene and Patricia McClintock
Gene and Patricia McClintock returned to Russia many times to preach the good news of salvation.

Irena Sapielkina was one of those who decided to follow Jesus as a direct result of their efforts, and she’s graciously consented to share her testimony with you.

Deceived

“I was born in the city of Kazan,” she begins, “but my father, my sisters, and I were all atheists. In fact, I often made fun of mother as she attended the Russian Orthodox Church on holidays.

“After graduating from a music conservatory, I played with a theater orchestra and taught music; but that all changed when I got married. My husband’s drinking cost him his job, and I had to seek different employment to take care of my 10-year-old daughter, Eugene.

“Like many people, I didn’t think much about the meaning of life, and thought I had no need for God, and soon I began practicing alternative medicine that was based heavily on mysticism. As a medium, I ‘healed’ all kinds of diseases, including cancer. My patients felt better for a while, but later they got worse or passed away, and I began to seriously doubt whether it was possible for a human being to completely restore someone’s health.”

Converted

“One day, my elder sister told me about the love of Jesus, and suddenly I realized that I had regarded myself as a god, claiming to do things only the Creator can do! So I stopped those ‘healings,’ and began to pray with the sick, asking Jesus for their healing. In response to my prayers the Lord has performed many miracles!

“I began reading the Bible, and soon I had many more questions—and that’s when an acquaintance invited me to an evangelistic series with the McClintocks!

“I was baptized following their evangelistic series in 2000, and it was an unforgettable experience. I finally saw that God had been guiding me to make a choice for Jesus!”

A Frightening Experience

“I began to look at my problems—and those of my 10-year-old daughter—in a different way after entrusting them to my almighty, loving, and caring God! At the time things were not always good between us, and we would often end up arguing. When she would speak rudely to me I would raise my voice and shout at her, but after my baptism the Lord began giving me wisdom, patience, and love.

“Amazingly, we both began to change, but Satan would not let me go so easily. I was often overwhelmed with fear when I went to bed, and many times found myself gasping for air, as if I were being strangled. One night I saw my deceased mother leaning over me, and at the sight of that horrific vision I cried out in fear, ‘Mommy, don’t take me away!’

“Immediately I began asking Jesus to remove that vision from my mind, and, little by little, I calmed down and fell asleep. That was the last time I saw those things, and today I read my Bible and pray every day. My heart is filled with joy as I think of the freedom and peace of mind God has given me!

“I was so thrilled when my daughter decided to be baptized at the age of seventeen! She’s a music teacher at a day-care center now, and she shows God’s love to those children. She also uses her God-given singing talents in church, where I’m privileged to conduct the choir.

“My daughter often shares her feelings with me, and I do the same. We discuss things we don’t like about ourselves, asking the Lord in prayer to change our characters so we may continue to grow spiritually. We also realize we have a role to play in our own character building, so we do our best to change.”

Praying for Others

“My daughter and I pray for other people’s needs, and especially for my former husband, Eugene’s father. He is an alcoholic, doesn’t have a job, and wants to hear nothing about God from us, since he thinks we’ve joined a sect.

“At his mother’s funeral, I took the occasion to share Jesus with him. Knowing how sad he was about his mothers’ death, I offered to pray for him, and he agreed to pray with me! We prayed for his life to be changed, and for his sobriety. He cried and nodded his head in agreement. After that he did not drink for a while and even got a job, but, unfortunately, he went back to where he’d been before, and for the past five years he’s continued to drink and live in the same way.

“My daughter and I continue to pray for him, hoping he will change his life again. After all, God is always in control!”

Faithfulness Through Trials

“After I was baptized, I kept the Sabbath with great difficulty because my bosses insisted on scheduling me on weekends. It was hard, but I believed there was nothing to fear, as long as I kept God’s Commandments. By God’s grace, I wasn’t even afraid of being fired—a threat that was made often. God provided for my needs, and I worked there for eight more years.

“My home became a welcome place for my church family and non-believing neighbors to come and learn about Jesus Christ, His love, and His salvation. We studied the Bible, prayed for each other’s needs, and had Christian fellowship.

“Then one day I was diagnosed with a dislocation of the vertebra and was taken to the hospital. After I was released, I realized I could no longer work at the plant, so I started praying, Lord, You see that I’m unable to work here anymore, and I don’t know how to earn my living. Please provide for this need of mine, and do as you see fit! 

Irena Sapielkina
Irena uses her talents for the Lord as a sound engineer for 3ABN Russia Radio!

“After much prayer, I decided to leave my job—and one week later I was offered a position at 3ABN Russia Radio! This was a job I couldn’t dream of having—a sound engineer! At first it was difficult to learn those complicated computer programs. But God helped me learn it all!

“I’m so thankful for the chance to use my talents to serve Him and others. But most of all, I’m thankful for those who brought the precious truths of God’s Word to me all those years ago. Those truths have set me free—and changed my life!”

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