Study Tools
BORN, AND BORN AGAIN
I was born in 1963, as Garrett Paul Parrish, in Newport Beach, California. Yes, the “OC”. I was raised in Santa Ana Heights, by a single mother with four children. My parents had divorced when I was five. I experienced relative poverty as a youth growing up. At the age of fifteen, I moved in with my grandmother
near Newport Heights. This move was do to the constant tension, which existed between my step father and me. It was living at my grandmother’s, where I began attending youth group meetings at Saint Andrew’s Presbyterian. My motives were primarily driven by the offer of a free brunch by my friend Tony’s grandmother, if I went to Church with them. Also, I would usually have spent the night at Tony’s house on Lido Island, after a Saturday night of Partying. My mom had heard that I was attending youth group meetings, and bought me a Bible.
Months later, by simply reading and inquiring into the historical person of Jesus Christ, as revealed in the New Testament book of Mark , I came to faith at the age of sixteen. I had simply read the Bible each night for a week. I had heard that Jesus was somehow needed in my life, needed so much so, that I would literally go to hell some day when I died, and suffer eternal flames and pains in this torturous place, without him. I had heard about hell one night as I was out carousing the “Fun Zone”, in Balboa. This one guy was
standing up on a cement planter box, pleading with my friends saying, “without Jesus Christ you will go to hell.” This young man was dripping with sincerity, nearly to the point of tears, as he pleaded with my friends. What this young man had said, along with pictures that I had seen in the newspaper of Jesus on the cross during Easter, was the only real knowledge I had about Jesus Christ.
Before I read through the book of Mark, I prayed to God, who I believed was out there somewhere. I said, “I know your out there, and if this Jesus Christ is somehow needed in my life, I don’t know how you could ever show me, but I’m giving this Jesus Christ stuff a chance now.” I was somewhat figuring that nothing would happen, and that I could go on my partying way. As I read the book of Mark, I began to anticipate as to what Jesus was going to say or do next. I began to experience a joy and an excitement, along with a peace and a comfort, that I had never experienced before. I had hated to read, and was told that you can’t really understand the Bible, it’s like reading Greek. I was enjoying this reading, and was understanding it perfectly. I would read the scriptures in the front of the Bible, that addressed specific needs. I heard things like, “If God is for us, who can be against us” And , “the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid of what mere man can to me.” And, “I will uphold you with my victorious right hand!” (Romans 8:31, Heb.13:6, Isaiah 41:10) I had had a conscience that was telling me that God was really
against me, because I knew that I wasn’t a very good person morally, or religiously by going to church etc.. This experience was overwhelmingly transforming my thinking about God, and His man Jesus Christ. I knew what new euphoria’s were all about with my newly found love of beer. This euphoria was so much more intense, deep, and comforting. All that week I would experience this for a couple hours or so each night. I would also pray in faith that our football team, Newport Harbor, would beat Edison High School, the number one team in the country. I was the backup Quarterback at that point of my Junior year, and didn’t even care if I was to play, but to beat this unbeatable team would be truly miraculous. This team had about 20 division one players, and a couple long time NFL players. One player, Kerwin Bell, never made the NFL because of an injury. He had placed the fastest time at the Rams camp in the 40 yard dash, before entering his senior year of High School. The teams quarterback Frank Sier played about ten years in the NFL. Their Tight End Mark Boyer also had a long NFL career. Anyway, I had just read where it said, that if I believe in my heart and don’t doubt, nothing would be impossible for me. (Mk.11:23,24) Jesus’ words were all true, or none of them were, was my reasoning.
That Friday night, after listening to a record of Patton’s compiled speeches, all in one speech, by George C. Scott, we went onto the field to face number one in the Nation, Edison High School. We held them to a zero to zero tie until about half way through the fourth quarter. Edison scored, then I was put in the game to run an aggressive trips passing attack. We began to move the ball at will. Every play seemed to go for 10, or 15 yards. We drove all the way down to the four yard line, where I took a quarterback sneak in for a touch down. The next series was met with the same success. I then completed, what was about a thirty yard pass on a line, for a touchdown. And after this, the same exact thing happened, we moved the ball all the way down into the red zone, and I could have run in for another touchdown, but opted to pass and the ball was dropped or knocked down. We settled for a field goal and won the game 17-13! This was truly God, confirming His word in my life, by signs and wonders following! After my Junior year, I was recruited by many division 1 colleges. I was determined to be “the best quarterback that ever lived.” I even wrote this exact statement in my senior yearbook. Right after my Junior year, I began training in January, and had determined to throw 700 passes a day. I had read about an All American quarterback, Art Schleister, who threw 500 passes a day. I had to do more, to become greater, was my thinking. I had gotten up before day break, three times a week, for intense running and agility training. I would lift weights after school, and finish throwing sometimes as late as 11:00pm. My freshmen coach, John McGee, had been my only real father figure in life, and I was following his hard work and disciplinarian philosophy. He had learned this philosophy while working some with Vince Lombardi, and the Green bay packers. By Spring, I had become the quickest player in agility drills, and near the top with my speed. My freshmen year I was the slowest on the team in agility and speed, for all
skilled position starters.
That spring my shoulder began to click, and become sore and inflamed with birsidus. The boosters paid to have it checked out, and I would have to have exploratory surgery. They went in and removed much scar tissue. The doctor also said, that I would have to have reconstructive surgery, in order to recover fully. This would mean that I would have to forgo my senior year, and not get a scholarship. I chose to take a chance on rehabilitation, without surgery. Otherwise, there was no possibility of getting a scholarship.
I could not throw during spring practice, even when UCLA came to watch me at practice. Just prior to fall practice, I began to throw. The first couple of weeks into fall practice, I could throw the ball virtually anywhere, with virtually any velocity, that I wanted to. I remember one practice completing something like 40 out of 40 passes, against a pretty good defense. About a week or so before our first game, I would have to try a little harder to get the ball to go exactly where I wanted it to. It was not with the same ease, that I had been throwing with. I would have to strain more, and more, to get it there, until I was straining with everything I had to get the ball there. Then it was getting there without such a pretty looking ball as it had been. As our first game approached with Mater Dei, I was not able to place the ball exactly where I wanted. The nightmare of my senior year began. My shoulder became worse and worse, and by the middle of the season, I had to sit down as the starter. For the rest of my senior year I would only get in once in a while, and would usually just run the ball.
ROCK BOTTOM, JESUS WAS THAT ROCK
After graduating from High School, I worked as a bus person , and then as a box person. I was at rock bottom. Less than a year prior, I was planning my Hiesman speech, and wondering if it was possible to forgo some of my college years, and enter the NFL early. Now I was getting yelled at by embittered waitresses and check stand cashiers. I knew that I had to get things right with God somehow, and that only He would be able to get my life back on track. At this time, a couple guys with Bibles came knocking on my door, and wanted to talk about the Bible. I enjoyed talking with anyone about what I knew was true, that is Jesus and the Bible. I joined the LDS church for about six months, and really saw an emphasis not upon Jesus and the Bible. Jesus and the Bible were down on the list below Joseph Smith and the Mormon Church itself. Some friends of mine were challenging some Mormon beliefs, and this also caused me to look further into what this group really believed. I began to ask some questions, and found no satisfactory answers. I finally set up a meeting with the bishop over the entire ward. He had no answers to my questions regarding polygamy in the afterlife, and racist views of blacks, etc.. I asked him to look at various scriptures that said the opposite of such views. He said that he didn’t have a Bible in his Church office, in which we were meeting. The fraudulence became so crystal clear. He then began to read me my last rights as one who was to be held accountable, for having seen the Mormon truth, and was now worse
off than even the most Heinous of evil men. I knew what intimidation was, so I stood firmly in resistance to it, but was still only a young man of 18, hearing this from a rather aged man. As I considered my decision, and was given some last chances, I looked at this man’s face, and began seeing his countenance morph into the appearance of a wolf like figure. It was with his same glasses, on this changed nose, similar to what’s seen in little red riding hood, and the wolf. Chill’s went down my spine, and I knew that I had
experienced Jesus and the Bible, and that that was going to be enough to depend on from now on!
FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT, NOT WITH BEER
At this same time I had met a guy named Paul Broggie, who loved to talk about Jesus and the Bible. My two best friends and I began meeting from house to house with him, his girl friend Amanda, and sometimes another couple of people. He exhorted us to become baptized with the Spirit, and to step out in faith and receive the gift of tongues. So after being challenged, in the privacy of my own room, I would forget about how foolish this all might sound, and see what might happen. I did begin to experience this
prayer language in my “prayer closet.” Those Friday night meetings would often go until 2:00 am. At these meetings we would become so filled, to overflowing with the presence, joy, love, comfort, and peace of the Holy Spirit! I remember driving home around 2:00am after one meeting, and praying to God, and was thanking him for this experience, and that it was beyond anything I could have ever imagined. It was the reality of His presence, that was so real! I said, “Lord, I thank you for this (This which I’m now experiencing), and I would rather have this than anything. I would even chose this over scoring a touchdown for USC.” To play at USC had been my number one priority in life. I realized that if I had not gone through the nightmare, and hellish experience of my senior year, then I would never have humbled myself enough to people like Paul, who was just sold out for Jesus and living for nothing but Jesus, a total
Jesus Freak! Neither would I have humbled myself to the working of the Holy Spirit, whom Paul had turned us all on to.
At this time I had also started watching Christian TV. I would get so filled with faith by the testimony’s I heard on TBN. My life was completely overhauled and revolutionized by the filling of the Spirit. I would spend each night in blissful conversation, and communion with God, who was such a real person to me now. I would wake up to go to the bathroom, literally with a smile on my face as I would be in conversation with God. He became so real. One night I remember hearing him speak to me deep in my spirit, saying that I would play football again, and that the loss I had suffered would be restored. I heard Mark Boyer, who was now a USC Tight End, speak on TBN about standing for Jesus on his team. I began to get a vision for using football as a platform for testifying of the reality of Jesus in my life.
MY CALLING?
One night after a Friday night meeting, Paul told me that I was a teacher, whether I wanted to be, or not. At that time I was opting for “not.” I was gently resisting what that might mean. A year, or so later, another Pastor, Randy Zeigler, at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, called me to meet with him in his office. I had been attending his Tuesday night Bible Study faithfully for quite some time. His office was a ’70’s style station wagon. He told me that he believed that I was committed to the study of the scriptures, and that he would like to have me teach a home Bible Study. I said, that I would get back to him on that, but never did. I went to Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa from 1982-1987 My primary goal at the time was to use football as a vehicle and platform for proclaiming the Goodnews. A year or so after that, this vision became a reality as I received a football scholarship to The University of Arizona. I became a starter at Tight End, and did use football as a vehicle for communicating the Goodnews, in all my relationships, and even through television, and radio interviews. After my Junior year, along with our teams safety Alan Durdon, I received the most amount of letters on our team from NFL teams showing interest. I was somewhere near the top in the Pac-10 for receptions amongst Tight Ends. However, I couldn’t block worth dung. So I worked very hard in the weight room, and by the first day of fall practice my senior year I was able to pick up our best outside linebacker and pin him on his back. He had treated my like a rag doll for a year and a half. I took him on a couple times, along with some of our other Linebackers. Arizona Linebackers were always amongst the best in the country. With my new blocking ability, I was now sure to be drafted in a high round in the NFL draft. The very next drill, I was running a pass route and pulled my hamstring. I was hampered with this injury, along with a separated shoulder, and a broken thumb, my entire senior year. One of the last games of the year (1985) against UCLA, a game that would decide who goes to the Rose Bowl, I received a broken leg. I believe it was from Ken Norton Jr.. We lost 25-19, and UCLA went to the Rose Bowl that year.
I did not get drafted, though I was called the night before the draft by the Green bay Packers. I would test for other teams as a free agent, but was still hampered with my hamstring injury. That summer after my senior year I had reconstructive surgery on my separated shoulder. The next year, I would test again, but would still be hampered by the pulled hamstring.
ROCK BOTTOM AGAIN
At this time I met the women I was sure to marry. I had an extended scholarship for another year, even though I had finished my senior year of football. I would change my major three times, ending with Political Science/Pre-Law. I had made this decision, because I was going to find out who the Antichrist was in Europe, so that I could warn others. Anyway, that fall I spent every waking hour with my verbally committed fiancé. I didn’t have enough money to buy a ring and formerly propose at this time. I was for the first time in over ten years, not practicing football, and felt the freedoms of a normal civilian. I now felt content for life, because of my relationship with her. That year, 1987,my scholarship would run out, as would she. I was broken and devastated, and desperate for God’s direction. After much prayer, I was not even really desiring to play in the NFL. I then spoke to Norv Turner, who was the LA Rams Tight End’s Coach, and decided in our conversation to not even attempt to test for the Rams.
DESPERATE FOR DIRECTION
I went back to Tucson, with ten dollars in my pocket, with no more scholarship left, no job awaiting me, and no car. I stayed at a friends house, and began working as a tow truck driver for his family’s business. I would later work as a bus person, waiter, janitor (for minimum wage), and finally as a window cleaner with my own business. In this move back to Tucson, I was desperately seeking God in prayer for at least a couple hours each morning, and a couple each night. I remember Chuck Smith saying that his
mother had such a commitment to prayer, and would really hear the Lord. So, I committed myself to doing the same. One night I was so discouraged, that I had made up my mind that I was going to go back to California in the morning. I then turned on the radio, and it was about 2:00am. I listened to a radio broadcast of Charles Stanley. For a half hour, he spoke word for word into my exact circumstances. It was all of the message, every word, exactly what I was going through. He said how that God had spoken to him supernaturally to move to Atlanta, this occurred when after much prayer he saw letters appearing before him in a vision spelling out the name Atlanta. He said that it went against everything that everyone else was saying. It went against the circumstances, and against even what other Christians were advising him. This was something that God had made the most clear to me during that broken time of my life after my senior year. As I was filled with the Spirit and being overhauled to prioritize God as number one, He spoke three things so loud and clear to me. Number one, don’t go by the circumstances Number two, don’t go by what man is saying in the Church. And number three don’t go by your feelings, that is discouragement etc.. There were people even critical of Charles Stanley because of his believing that God had spoken to him about moving to Atlanta. I was so identifying with his experience. I was overwhelmed with similar skepticism. In my moving back to Tucson, I was not encouraged to do so by pastors, who had prayed over me, about my decision. As they were praying, “Lord, he wants to go, so be with him etc..” I said in my heart, “O.K. that’s not confirmation, I’m not going to go.” So, at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, with my eyes closed, with tears forming, Right when I had made this declaration in my heart, at that very second a guy came over out of nowhere and began to prophesy over me. He said, “I have called you, don’t look back, and don’t even try to understand, it’s not by might or power, but by my spirit says the Lord.”
The secrets of my heart were revealed with a word that touched so deeply. The other words prayed over me were well intentioned, but were only surface, not touching the deepest sences and thoughts of my heart. The direction I was seeking was now truly confirmed, and what peace, comfort and encouragement was brought to me! My Christian friend’s in Tucson were now plaguing my conscience, thinking that I had lost it over my fiancé, and was on my own leading’s coming back to Tucson to try and get her back. I did want that, and believed that, but beyond that, I knew that God was leading me back there for some kind of ministry of the word, and/or the gospel. After listening to Charles Stanley, I went outside to pray, thanking the Lord for the encouragement and confirmation, which just let me know that I was truly following the Lord in my move back to Tucson.
Later that night, I had a dream. In the dream, I was preaching the gospel, and speaking to the secrets of my listeners heart’s, who were high school students. I knew, that I knew in my knower, that God had made my path clear to me, and that this was the direction I had been seeking him for. After seeing myself ministering the gospel to these students, I then asked, “what about__________?” She was the girl I had longed to merry. I only heard these words spoken, in an almost corrective manner, so as to say, focus on what I just revealed to you, and not on her. The words were spoken in a somewhat deflating way, “She’ll be there.” It was in a tone that conveyed the message of, “If she’s what you really want then, that is, after your doing what I am showing you to do, then “she’ll be there.” I then suddenly awoke with my heart nearly beating out of my chest. I was so exhilarated that God could speak so supernaturally, and so clearly
to me, that I was overwhelmed to tears. I was SO comforted as I went outside to pray in my friends driveway for the second or third time that night. I then went back to bed, and slept so peacefully, as I had not done so for quite some time. I was awakened early in the morning by my friend, whose house I was staying at. He said that I had a phone call. It was strange, because I didn’t remember giving the number out to anyone but my family in California. The guy on the other end was a guy that I had met at Church quite a while back. He was a guy that worked with Youth For Christ. The first thing he said was, “Gary, I just wanted to know if you would be interested in evangelizing High School students? We’re doing an outreach down in….” I fell to my knees and melted before the Lord as I listened to him speak. To this day, I still don’t know how he got that phone number, or even knew that I was back in town. He hadn’t even been going to the same Church that I was still attending, where we had met.
A DRY, AND VERY TRYING TIME IN THE DESERT
To receive encouragement in my new found experiences with this supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit, I began meeting with the “Vineyard Christian Fellowship, Tucson.” My friend Paul Broggie had taken me to the Vineyard in Yorba Linda California a number of times. And would lead home groups with many from the Vineyard. He had been encouraging me with some of his testimonies of the supernatural working of the Holy Spirit in his life. While at the Vineyard Tucson ( I went there from 1987 to 1993), one night in 1989, I heard an older gentlemen minister to the church. He was said to be a prophet. His name was C.L. Moore, from Kansas, or Oklahoma. He began prophesying over people saying the same exact words, which had been spoken over individuals by another women in the fellowship, which regularly prophesied in the meetings. He was a traveling minister, and preached from the Bible proclaiming, “kingdom now, kingdom now, kingdom now! This went against everything I had been taught, I therefore, resisted this message, because of the suspicion cast upon it by the many teachers that I had been under. The entire “Vineyard Movement “ was proclaiming this word of “kingdom now“, and it was very difficult for me to adjust to from the beginning of my time at the Vineyard. I really began to feel, in a true God fearing way, very expendable to God, and that He did not need me to accomplish his will on earth. If I might find a menial place to fit in in his plan, then I needed to be content with that place. My heart would struggle with the meaningless ministry that I felt I was doing. I also was starved for any kind of teaching from the word. I truly felt that I could very easily become a spiritual statistic, and be left scattered in this spiritual wilderness, without anyone noticing my scattered carcass in the desert. I truly hated my life, and had lost hope of ever being delivered from the excruciating struggles I was going through with circumstances in Church leadership, and of my hopes of marring the only girl I thought I would ever want to marry. After six years of hoping to marry her someday, she finally married someone else. Towards the end of this six year tribulation period, I had even developed a grotesque nervous twitching of my eyes, because of all the stress. C.L. Moore visited us again shortly after my hopes were dashed. It was ‘93, at the height of my twitching, when he spoke right into my situation. I had said, “O.K. Lord, if I have to wait ten more years for her, you still said that, she’ll be there.” I wouldn’t be hoping for her to divorce or anything, which she did do anyway, but only to occupy myself in what God had for me to do. As C.L. spoke into my situation, I realized that I had a choice here. I realized that I did not want to continue in this hopelessness, accompanied with the excruciating pain of “someday.” C.L. used the exact words about enduring through excruciating pain, which I had been going through for six years. I had been doing this all in faith, for someone who wanted nothing to do with me. The choice became clear within my heart as to which way I now wanted to go. I was tired of twitching.
While at the Vineyard in the days of my deepest distress, I received many prophecies that made this supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit an everyday experience. I was seeing the reality of such scriptures as, “And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth!” (1 Cor.14:25) Only God knew that I prayed those very words last night. Or, that I was feeling this about that, and wondering that about something else, and all of
the sudden someone starts speaking these inward secrets that only I knew. Many times it would happen as someone laid hands on me, and would say things like, “ You’ve said this, and pondered that”, when if I had not, I would have stopped everything, and said, “ No I didn’t, this is all a fraud !”
A BEAUTIFUL GIFT
I was having to unlearn everything I had been taught about how God operates, and forget about what I thought I knew. I especially had to be renewed about the “kingdom now” message that I had been so “warned against” as being a false teaching by many former teachers that I had been under. Most of the prophecies spoken were given to me by a woman named Helen Hawk. One time she prophesied, “I will write upon your heart, and not another. It will be my finger and not man’s” How true this has come to pass in my life.
I was at the Vineyard Tucson for about six years, where I had helped with everything from building construction, to Sunday School, Elementary School, Youth Group Bible Study’s, Concert Outreaches, and Adult Cell Groups.
NEW PEOPLE IN THIS BARREN LAND, AND A WIFE TO CHANGE IT ALL
I hated living in Tucson, but knew that God had led me there, and that He did not want me to go back to Orange County. I did however, believe that he was leading me from the Vineyard to a “home church.” I had met Terry Kashian some years prior, when I had visited a church meeting in his home. He had also been at both meetings, when C.L. Moore had last visited the Vineyard in “89 and ‘93. I began hooking up with Terry right after C.L’s last visit. I had developed new relationships at the Vineyard, which was a very difficult process, because of a real culture shock. I had become accustomed to a somewhat superficial, trendy, and affluent Newport Beach lifestyle. At the Vineyard, I had established relationships with real, non surface, normal everyday people. Now that these deep meaningful relationships had began, I was now going to leave them to start up yet again somewhere where I knew no one, or had anything in common with them, except for Christ. After my six years at the Vineyard, I began to meet with “The Church in Tucson”, withTerry and Suzi Kashian who had the Church meetings in there home. They also would have C.L Moore visit to minister every year, or so. Terry was, and still is, very thorough in the ministry of The Word. The ministry of The Word was something I had not been around for a long time. I actually stopped twitching after meeting there for a while. It was there, that I was first informed about what the Bible was really talking about when it mentioned the “last days” I began meeting with the Church there, and Terry prophesied over me that I was a pastor, regardless of how awkward this made me feel. I would often teach the word at those meetings, as would most of the people there. At times I was given the “pulpit” to teach the word. It was at these meetings, that I met my wife Audrey, whom I was attracted to because of the depth of her commitment to the Lord. She would testify, and sing like an angel. She even sang a song ,which she had written, at our wedding. She was God’s best for me, not my best for me. Her delightful personality completed me, by wearing off on me with her sociability, making up for my lack.
As a couple, we would reach out to the local youth and proclaim the Goodnews on the streets. Many youth had turned from literally threatening us, to receiving our words, and began attending youth home meetings, where we and others from the church would speak the word of the Lord to them. There were some very hurting youth there on the south side of Tucson. In the one apartment building that we were having the meetings at , in one three day weekend, there were four separate homicides. The meetings began to grow, and would eventually be held in the public recreation room. About 25 youths began hearing words of life being spoken into their broken lives.
SEPERATED FOR THE WORK, ALOHA !
After three years meeting with the Church that was in Terry’s home, I believed that God was leading us to move to Maui, Hawaii, where Audrey and I had visited on our honeymoon. Before Audrey and I were engaged, I was just about half asleep one day at a copy store, making copies of music. I began seeing what was like a movie, as all other activity around me was tuned out. I was seeing the two of us having hand’s laid on us, and the word’s, “separate them for the work I have for them to do,” being spoken over us, after which we both walked away holding hands. I then snapped out of this video clip, and saw her come in the door of the copy store! She had just seen my car there, and pulled in to say hi. After this, of course, I began to pursue her.
So after being married for two years, this separation from Tucson took place. It was December 1995 when we moved to Maui. We went there with $200 dollars, a credit card, and a number of army bags full of our cloth’s and few possessions. After staying at the cheapest run down establishment on the island for a week, we moved into a condo in Kihei. I bought a bike right away and went down the street and started knocking on doors and was able to schedule window cleaning job’s on his first day out. I had run a
window cleaning business in Tucson for seven years, and had started from scratch. Things were much easier to get started on Maui. I’ve been doing this same business for 12 years now on Maui. Anyway, after a couple weeks, we bought a “Maui Cruiser”, which is an egg beater sounding, rusty lawn mower, with seats. After it blew up, a month or so later, we were able to finance a new mini-van. Audrey was six months pregnant during the move, and so the mini-van worked out great for our firstborn child, Joy.
We were asked to lead a cell group at the local Assemblies of God Church. We chose rather to lead a High School cell group. I also ended up coaching some football for a couple years, for the Church’s High School. I was feeling that God just wanted me to settle down in the community, and get rooted there. I was strongly considering going to Law-School, but through a prophetic word from Cindy Jacobs, it became clear to me, not to go that way. Within three years of moving to Maui, a huge door opened up, which had
been prophesied over us in Tucson by our close friend Helen Hawk. She prophesied doors would open, for things that would take away our breath. I Knew that this meant a house. Within three years, we were able to buy a new two storied house with an ocean view.
FRUITFULL AND MULTIPLY
We’ve since increased to a total of six children. I have been blessed beyond measure, having never conceived in my mind how unique and special each of our children are. Slylar, the oldest is now eleven. (2007) She was adopted at the age of three, after her father Jim, Audrey’s brother died in ’98. We fought three other families that wanted to adopt her, as well as the State of Oregon, which wanted to keep her in state. We actually gave up fighting for a while, while God fought for us. After a literal nine months of
laboring through the legal system, she was delivered into our hands.
Joy is also eleven, and was born in our condo in Kihei. Elisabeth is eight years old, and was born at Maui Memorial Hospital. Gary David, the only boy, is six, and was born on Oahu. Verity now five, was born at our home in Kihei. And Esther now three, was born in Wailea.
HIS WRITING UPON MY HEART, LIKE FIRE IN MY BONES
In 1999, my friend from college, Mike Day, visited us and left a book for me to read. It was called, “Last Days Madness”, by Gary Demar. Mike really encouraged me to read it, but I had better things to do, and by this time I didn’t believe that doctrine really mattered much anyway. It sat on the shelf for months. One day I was watching Hal Lindsey on TV and thought, maybe Hal is right about the last days after all. My wife heard what I was watching, and I began trying to communicate to her by saying, “wow, these signs seem to be happening, and it’s exciting stuff etc..” She boldly, confidently, without batting an eye said , “that stuff already happened”. I was perplexed as to how she could be so sure about what she was saying. This brought me to a point where I had to get to the bottom of all of this stuff. It triggered in me a desire to carry out an investigation into these things, once and for all! I began to read the Book of Revelation, without any other influence from books, or what I had been taught in the past. Revelation was the first book I had studied, chapter by chapter, and verse by verse. I had done so with a commentary by Chuck Smith entitled, “What the world is coming to.” The book’s cover had a picture of the globe with a large stick of dynamite sticking out of it, with the fuse lit. I began the investigation with a conscious effort to read Revelation as though I had never heard anything about it before. Interpreting scripture with scripture, was something I had heard was the safest ground for interpretation. I had to do as they (Former teachers) said, but not as they did. I began to see something that I had never seen before. It was about the central theme of the book. Who was “Mystery Babylon,” the “unfaithful harlot”? If this could be found out, it would reveal who these judgments in Revelation were against. The obvious conclusion came as I considered, who could be unfaithful, except one who had been in a covenant relationship? Without reading about it in any book, or hearing about it from the latest Prophecy party line, immediately the scriptures of Old Covenant Israel’s unfaithfulness, and harlotry came to mind. I had learned the prophets very well, when I was at the Vineyard. I read them over, and over again. Was Israel not referred to as the unfaithful harlot? (Is.1:21) At this point, the lights began to come on. I had heard a little about old testament imagery of “coming in the clouds of judgment etc..” Words, which had an entirely different meaning for a Jew living in the first century, than for what comes to mind for us in our present day. After reading Revelation thoroughly, I then picked up Gary Demar’s book, “Last Days Madness.” Understanding the prophetic language and imagery began to open up the scriptures to me, as Jesus alone began to open them. And did not my heart burn within me as He did? (Luke 24:32) Like never before was there such fire within, as He opened the scriptures to me. Many nights, which continue to this day, would I be up till 3:00, or 4:00am, with the fire of God breathing upon His word within me.
After about a year of studying , often, as I just mentioned, staying up till the wee hours of the morning, this past fulfillment view could not be held within me. I had to have some kind of outlet. I was making the Quiznos sandwich guy, who was in Bible College, feel awkward as I was sharing about the excitement of prophetic language. “Did you want lettuce on this,” was about the extent of any response I would get. We began having meetings in our home studying through the book of Revelation. Sooner or, later listeners
would leave, having never really heard of such a view on Bible Prophecy. One meeting a guy literally stood up and said sarcastically, “So if you guys are right about this, then Billy Graham and Pat Robertson are wrong? It’s become as though the Pope, Bishop, and priest have been replaced by the hierarchy of Premillennial Popes of Prophecy. Television evangelist’s, and Pre-Millennial prophets have taken the place of the former usurpers. Their word seems to be the final word, not His Word. What ever happened to “Sola Scriptura?” I truly believe that men such as Billy Graham and Pat Robertson are real men of God, but is their word the final authority on every subject? I think not! Often times anointed evangelists turn toward teaching as Hezekiah the king turned towards the priesthood. Check for a calousness and loss of sensitivity ,which accompanies this spiritual leprosy. Many evangelists really overstep there boundries and become wreckless at attempting to be teachers. Many even call themselves pastors, but are really anointed evangelists.
We would continue to have meetings in our home for about 5 years. In 2004, I called a Christian call in radio show, to ask what they thought about timing verses related to the book of Revelation. They weren’t able to get to my call that day, and said to call in earlier next time, and I would then get on the show. The next show, they had a special guest for the day, Hal Lindsey. I was the last caller of the day. My questions were ridiculed, and I was given the mute button through out much of the conversation. During the mute treatment, I could have really dismantled their points, and mockings. The next show I called back, and they put me on first this time. I asked questions, which helped to answer some of the points that they had raised to argue against a first century fulfillment. I then just wanted to respond to their points about how Revelation could no way, no how, under any circumstances, be fulfilled in the first century. Very diplomatically, I asked if I could respond. One of the host’s said, I wish you wouldn’t, because then it becomes a back and forth thing , and we have other callers to get to. They then went on, not to other callers, but forever in attempting to refute any possible chance of a first century fulfillment. The Pharisee’s are truly not fair you see! They had said, after I was off the air, about how they know how guys like me are, they read all these books and then come to these conclusions. “All you need is the Bible”, they proclaimed to the listeners. This, after the last thing they said to me was to read Hal Lindsey’s book which he was offering to send to me for free.
I sent them a couple lengthy E-mails and letters, but got no response. This experience of calling the radio show, and writing the letters fueled more passion for proclaiming the truth. The truth had just been more clearly confirmed to me, by the exposure of the way in which these men were handling the Word of God so deceitfully! (2 Cor. 4:2)
AN UNCANNY WORD ON THE AIRWAVES
I had been sharing this new found passion of Bible Prophecy with many pastors. One pastor had previously prophesied over me about six years earlier. He said that I would have a ministry of the word that would cause me to travel. I would not be ministering it in one place, but rather from this city, to that, from church, to church, to church. It would be a word about the kingdom, that would be uncanny and strange, and that people would say, “I haven’t ever heard that before.” The tone of my listeners response would be that of being taken back a little. I began sharing with this same pastor what I was now seeing in regard to Bible Prophecy. He told me, more or less, that he thought I was deceived. I kept sharing with him more, and more, over the next few years. One day, this pastor contacted me, and wanted to get together to talk. The reason for this talk was because he was becoming concerned for me, and this deception that I was under. I later found this out. I let him read the letter that I had written to the radio show. The timing verses began to click for him. He had taught Bible Prophecy, even in Bible School.
After about two hours of grilling me with questions, this pastor said that this view was making some sense to him. And that, “I don’t think your deceived anymore.” He even said, “in fact, I’m not going to teach on this anymore, until I get some clarity.” He then said to me, “you’ve got to do a radio show, where you have callers call in with questions, and you answer them one after another.” Within about a year from that conversation, I started a local talk show on 1110 am, Kihei. This show was on the local political talk show
station. I made it a live call in show, where callers would not be regulated, or muted, but able to express their views. Is God afraid of different views? If we are, then we need to examine our views, to see if they are true views. The truth stands on it’s own. It does not need us. The show is called “Bible Prophecy Fulfilled”, and is not limited to Bible Prophecy, but includes the Bible in general. We have made many connections with those of a liberal, Gnostic, or New Age approach to the Bible. They seem to connect with the positive message of a Gospel without middle east politics, and without the blessed hope of world wide annihilation! We make the connection, and then make the correction of who Jesus really is. The way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the father, but by him who made all things. Also, the inspiration, inherency, and infallibility of scripture always comes up.
We have answers for the critics, and Jesus seminar callers. Answers to questions, which those with the futurist view do not have sound answers for. I have found that the dynamic of live interaction, is like no other dynamic. When Paul was preaching late one night, and the young man fell out the window. The word for preaching there is not referring to a monologue, or lecture style dissertation. The Greek word is “Dialegomai”, where we get the English word dialogue from. When the gospel was preached in the New Testament, it was on the streets, in the synagogues, at the gatherings of philosophers, all within a platform that allowed for interaction and debate. It was never in the safe place of the four walls of a church building, that the apostles demonstrated great boldness in proclaiming the gospel! All of these places allowed for heated opposition, and disputation, to which the Holy Spirit was able to give an answer, to which no man was able to gainsay, or resist! To reason with, dispute with, and thereby persuading someone, in the format of a monologue does not allow for this spontaneous dynamic. A dynamic for which the Holy Spirit is ready and able to come through for Him. Not for our sakes, but on the behalf of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will speak a word in that hour!
After doing the show on Maui for about two years, we then expanded to our “Judea” on an Oahu Christian Station, KGU 760 am. We now have at least ten times the potential audience that we had on Maui. The Show is called “Bible Prophecy Fulfilled”. It airs on Saturday mornings at 11:00 am, Hawaii time. That’s two hours behind Pacific Standard Time in the fall (1:00pm), and three hours behind in the Spring (2:00pm). That’s five, or six hours behind Eastern Standard Time. The number to call in and discuss Bible Prophecy, or the Bible in general, is (808) 296-5467.
This is my story thus far, and I’m sticking to it!
GARRETT PAUL PARRISH