The Fulfilled Connection Magazine

Gary Parrish's Biography

Garrett Paul Parrish was born in Newport Beach, California, also know as the “OC”. He was brought up in Santa Ana Heights until the age of 15, at which time he moved into his grandmother’s house in Newport Heights. This was brought on by the strained relationship with his step father. His mother, though it was a very difficult decision, thought it would be the best situation for Gary. It was, and Gary went from living under a complete dictatorship, rivaling the Nazi’s, (His step dad was a former Marine and Navy pilot officer for 23 years.) with unparalleled verbal abuse and control, to having freedoms and friends. Some of those freedoms led Gary into a partying lifestyle. It was on one of those carousing nights in Balboa, that Gary heard a young man testify to his friends that Jesus Christ was needed, and needed so badly in their lives. So badly, that they would be going to hell without this Jesus Christ somehow being in their lives. This stuck with Gary, and a few months later, he picked up a Bible that his mother had bought him. In opening it up, he did an honest and open hearted investigation so as to see how this Jesus Christ might be needed in his life. The one week investigation consisted primarily of reading through the gospel of Mark. Gary finished the investigation convinced of the truth and reality of Jesus Christ and His words within the Bible. The experience had revealed a euphoria, comfort, peace, love and security that he had never imagined as even being possible, or as even existing. He had also prayed that week to beat the number one team in the nation in a football game. Gary was a quarterback and he got into that game with about seven minutes left in the forth quarter. He moved his team to score three times, with himself scoring two of the touchdowns, beating Edison High 17-13! This was just the icing on the cake that confirmed the experience that Gary had had in the scriptures. (Mark 16:20, Acts14:3) The scriptures had opened the eyes of his heart and understanding to the reality of Jesus Christ being the living, personal, and very present, invisible God of creation. (Ephesians 3:18)

It wasn’t until a couple years later, after hitting rock bottom, because of a shoulder injury which prevented him from receiving a football scholarship, that Gary committed himself with a life long commitment to Jesus as being number one in his life. He began to experience Jesus on a daily basis. This was at the time that he had met up with a guy named Paul Broggie, who was having home meetings from house to house. The filling of the Holy Spirit, and the reality of the Holy Spirit’s daily leading and transformation, revolutionized Gary’s life. Paul encouraged Gary towards leading and teaching. At the time, Gary’s focus was more given to a vision toward using football as a platform to influence others to the reality of Jesus. He then began to meet at a “Surf Fellowship”, and attend the Saturday Night Concerts at Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa. The leader’s name there was Randy Ziegler, who is responsible for infusing Gary with a passion for evangelism. Randy also approached Gary to lead a home Bible Study. However, Gary was more committed to his vision of playing football, all for Jesus now. He received a football scholarship, while attending Golden West College, to play for the University of Arizona, who had been ranked as high as number two in the nation that year. He was Arizona’s starting Tight End his Junior year in 1984. He used every television interview and personal relationship to testify of the reality of Jesus in one’s life. In 1985, he was contacted by many NFL teams that were interested in him. His Junior year he was near the top of the Pac-10 for receptions amongst Tight Ends. However, his senior year he suffered a pulled hamstring, a broken thumb, a separated shoulder, and finally a broken leg against UCLA. Arizona lost 25-19 in that game, and UCLA’s victory sent them, rather than Arizona, to the Rosebowl that year. Gary was called by the Greenbay packers the night before the draft, but went undrafted. He would test again the next year for the Washington Redskins, but was still hampered by the hamstring injury.

After Gary’s scholarship ran out in 1987 (he had received an extra academic year), his fiancé would also end up running out on him. He was once again very much out of the comfort zone that he had settled into. He was devastated and broken to pieces. He began desperately seeking God for direction. One night, he was in desperate prayer though out the night, and had a dream in which he was evangelizing high school students. This very clearly spoke to Gary and gave him the direction he was so desperately seeking. He woke up in the middle of the night and went outside to pray and thanked God in tears, with much comfort and peace for the clear direction. In the morning, he was awakened by a telephone call from a guy that worked with “Youth for Christ”. The man knew Gary a little from Church, and asked him if he was interested in evangelizing high school students? With fear and trembling Gary knew, without a doubt, the direction God was leading him.

Gary pursued this path by being involved in leadership in youth groups, youth concert outreaches, and cell groups at the Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Tucson. It was there, that he received countless prophetic words towards the direction, and difficult transformation of the ministry God would have for Gary to come into. He was being exposed to a “kingdom now” approach to ministry, rather than a “kingdom someday” approach. The latter was something that had become ingrained in him, do to the teaching he had been under at Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa with Chuck Smith. The teaching was with much emphasis on a pre-millennial, pre-tribulation rapture eschatology. It was at the Vineyard Tucson also, where he was exposed to a certain traveling Prophet named C.L. Moore, who preached with fire about “kingdom now.” He spoke of taking spiritual land, and that it’s not about some physical land/sand over in the Middle East. This really challenged Gary, who had even switched his major to Political Science/Pre Law (which he got his degree in), so as to find out who the “Anti-Christ” was. God would challenge Gary’s theology to the core during his six years at the Vineyard, Tucson. During this time, he had met up with a pastor who also would regularly have C.L. Moore visit the Church that was meeting in his home. The pastor’s name was Terry Kashian. Terry had much studying under his belt to convey the “kingdom now” approach, and planted within Gary some more evidence for this “theology” from the scriptures, primarily, that the “last day’s” were the “last days” of the Old Covenant. (Acts 2:16-21) Gary began meeting with the church in Terry’s, and his wife Suzy’s, home. Gary would teach at most meetings, as would most of the gatherers. A few times, Terry would even open the “pulpit”(music stand) for Gary. It was there, that he met his wife Audrey. After meeting there for about three years, Gary and Audrey moved to Maui, Hawaii. On Maui, they led cell groups for the youth at First Assembly of God, and Gary coached a little football there as well. They were there for about five years, or so. During this time, Audrey had challenged Gary one day as he was watching Hal Lindsey on television. Gary was beginning to go back to believing that current events might really be speaking of the soon coming of Jesus. Audrey said plainly, “that stuff already happened.” He was amazed as to how she could believe that none of this stuff was talking about our day? Gary was challenged to get to the bottom of this issue. He began an investigation, by reading the book of Revelation and making a conscious effort to forget what he had been taught concerning the book. Things began to open up to him, and to make more and more sense, and become clearer and clearer. After this, he read a book that he had received from Mike Day, written by Gary Demar, entitled “Last Days Madness”. This book helped to revolutionize Gary’s outlook on the gospel of the kingdom and the world around him. Much studying into all hours of the night, and many questions towards the Lord himself, towards Mike, and towards the seasoned veteran Terry, led Gary into a “Full Preterist View” of eschatology. The renewed vigor in the word has transformed Gary’s life in the power of the gospel of the kingdom and its transforming ability upon the world around us.

The radio ministry began in the spring of 2005 on the local talk radio station KAOI 1110 AM. In February 2007, “Bible Prophecy Fulfilled”, started on the Christian Radio Station KGU 760 AM in Honolulu. It’s a live call in broadcast, Saturday mornings at 11:00. Callers may call in from all over the Nation to discuss Bible Prophecy, by calling (808) 296-5467. Hawaii time is two hours behind Pacific Standard Time during the Fall (1:00pm), and three hours behind in the Spring (2:00pm). Eastern Standard Time would be a five, or six hour difference. The show now runs live in Tucson and Sierra Vista at 2:00pm Tucson time. Tape delayed shows are heard on 7 stations around the country.

This is Gary’s story, and he’s sticking to it!

Gary's faded glory days: