MY EARLY YEARS CONSISTED MOSTLY OF OLD TIME BRUSH ARBOR MEETINGS AND TENT REVIVALS BY THE ROADSIDE. IN THE PROCESS, I WAS TRAVELING UP THE EAST COAST PREACHING IN CHURCH SERVICES OR WHEN I WAS AT HOME I GOT INTO NUMEROUS LOCAL CHURCHES OR HOME CELL MEETINGS.

DURING ONE OF MY BRUSH ARBOR MEETINGS OF AUGUST 1974, MY WIFE LINDA WENT INTO LABOR AND WE CLOSED IT DOWN TO GET HER TO THE ELIZA COFFEE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL IN FLORENCE ALABAMA.

ABOUT 2 WEEKS PRIOR GOD HAD GIVEN ME A VISION WHILE MY WIFE, AND A FRIEND AND I WERE PRAYING.

THE LORD WANTED TO MOLD ME FOR THE TRIAL WE WERE ABOUT TO GO INTO.

IT WASN’T UNTIL 2 WEEKS AT THE HOSPITAL WHEN I BEGAN TO SEE THE VISION UNFOLD PERTAINING TO OUR NEWBORN DAUGHTER.

WHEN MY WIFE FAILED TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER HER THE DOCTORS CALLED FOR A C-SECTION.

AS SOON AS SHE WAS BORN THE DOCTORS CAME TO ME WITH THE TRAGIC NEWS THAT OUR NEWBORN WAS ABNORMAL.

SO ABNORMAL THAT THE DOCTORS CALLED HER AN UNSALVAGEABLE HUMAN BEING. HOWEVER, THE MEDICAL REPORTS ALSO INCLUDED THESE WORDS: "AND THE PARENTS ARE EXPECTING A MIRACLE."

A WEEK LATER WE WERE SENT ALONG WITH HER TO UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL IN BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA FOR A SPINAL TEST. THIS IS AFTER THE PHYSICIAN ON HER CASE ADVISED US IF SHE COULD MAINTAIN LIFE ON HER OWN, THEN SHE WOULD BE SENT HERE TO GET A SHUNT INSTALLED TO RELEASE THE FLUIDS FROM HER HEAD. WE WERE ALL CARRIED INTO THIS SPECIAL ROOM WHERE THEY PUT A LIGHT UP TO HER HEAD.

THE DOCTOR IN CHARGE TOLD US AS WE LOOKED ON TO NOTICE THAT THE FLUIDS BUILT UP DURING PREGNANCY HAD PREVENTED HER BRAIN FROM FORMING AND ALSO SAID THAT CONSEQUENTLY SHE WOULD NEVER HAVE A BRAIN. THAT SHE WAS NEVER GOING TO TALK, WALK, SET UP OR DO ANY NORMAL THING. HE WENT ON TO STATE THAT 50% OF HIS CASES DIE IN 3 MONTHS. THE OTHER 50% DIE WITHIN 12 MONTHS.

I BLURTED OUT TO THE DOCTOR THAT I DON’T RECEIVE THIS OR BELIEVE THIS. THE GOD THAT WE ARE SERVING IS ABLE TO PUT A BRAIN INTO HER LITTLE HEAD. HIS REPLY WAS "I DON’T BELIEVE THAT." HE TOLD US HE WAS RAISED UP DIFFERENTLY.

I CAME BACK WITH A SCRIPTURE THIS TIME FROM THE WORD. "WHAT IF SOME MEN DON’T BELIEVE SHALL THAT MAKE THE WORD OF GOD WITHOUT EFFECT NAY, LET GOD BE TRUE AND EVERY MAN A LIAR."

SIX MONTHS LATER UPON A RETURN VISIT I INQUIRED OF THE DOCTORS WHEREABOUTS SINCE I NEVER SAW HIM AROUND THE CLINIC ANYMORE.

AN OFFICIAL SAID TO ME, "DID YOU NOT HEAR ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM?" I SAID NO. SHE THEN SAID THAT HE HAD LOST HIS MIND AND HAD TO BE LOCKED UP IN AN INSANE ASYLUM UP NORTH. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE GOT OUR MIRACLE AND OUR DAUGHTER DID EVERYTHING THAT WE WERE TOLD SHE WOULD NEVER DO INCLUDING LIFE. SHE WALKS, TALKS, LAUGH, FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL AND DOES MOST NORMAL THINGS. SHE WILL BE 30 YEARS OLD IN AUGUST OF 2004. THANKS BE TO GOD.

LINDA AND I WILL BE MARRIED 31 YEARS IN FEBRUARY 2004. WE HAVE HAD A CHRISTIAN HOME EVER SINCE WE HAVE BEEN MARRIED AND HAVE NEVER BEEN SEPARATED. A GREAT TESTIMONY IN TODAY’S TRYING TIMES.

A WORD ABOUT HOW GOD HAS MOVED DURING OUR MINISTRY IS TO THIS EFFECT. WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE HEALED OF CANCER IN OUR MEETINGS, BUT WE HAVE HAD CANCER PATIENTS WITH ONLY 6 MONTHS TO LIVE BE HEALED RIGHT IN THE STREETS WHERE WE PRAYED FOR THEM DURING OUR STREET MINISTRY. ONE LADY HAD A BROKEN ARM AND GOD HEALED HER AND SHE WENT HOME AND CUT OFF HER CAST. WE HAVE BEEN SO VERY BLESSED TO HAVE OUR GOD STAND UP FOR US OVER THE YEARS. SUCH AS IN AUGUST 1994 WHEN I WAS HIT FROM BEHIND WHILE AWAITING TRAFFIC TO MOVE OUT OF MY WAY. A CAR CAME FULL SPEED OFF THE INTERSTATE AND TOTALED OUT THE PICK UP I WAS DRIVING. THE BOLTS IN MY SEAT BROKE AND MY HEAD WENT BACK AND BURST OUT THE REAR WINDOW OF MY EXTRA CAB FORD RANGER PICK UP AND I WAS KNOCKED STRAIGHT INTO THE VAN IN FRONT OF ME THAT HIT A CADILLAC IN FRONT OF HIM. WHEN THIS HAPPENED I WAS THROWN FORWARD INTO THE EDGE OF THE WINDSHIELD. I FLOATED ALL OVER THE CAB OF THE TRUCK AND WAS LITERALLY SITTING IN A SEA OF GLASS. THAT’S BEEN NEARLY 10 YEARS AGO. I AM STILL PICKING OUT GLASS FROM HEAD TO TOE. BUT THANK GOD I AM ALIVE. AT THE TIME, I WAS A FULLY TRAINED LIFE INSURANCE SALESMAN FOR WOODMAN OF THE WORLD INSURANCE COMPANY. I STILL AM IN A TYPE OF LIFE INSURANCE BUT GOD’S BENEFITS ARE OUT OF THIS WORLD.

BACK IN 1998 I WENT TO THE UNITED KINGDOM AND PREACHED IN SEVERAL CHURCHES. CURRENTLY I AM DOING A ONE ON ONE IN THE STREETS AND EVERYWHERE I CAN INCLUDING REVIVALS.

LINDA AND I HAVE A SECOND CHILD WHO IS A TEENAGER HER LAST BIRTHDAY. SHE IS VERY BRIGHT, A STRAIGHT A STUDENT, PLAYS PIANO AND LOVES GOD.

JUST BEFORE SEPTEMBER 11TH I TOLD GOD THAT I FELT LIKE THE WRITER IN THE BIBLE DID WHEN HE PREACHED AND HIS WORDS SEEMED TO FALL TO THE GROUND BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE LETTING THE WORD FALL ON DEAF EARS. PEOPLE JUST DIDN’T HAVE TIME FOR GOD. ABOUT 2 TO 3 WEEKS PRIOR GOD GAVE ME A DREAM. I DREAMED ALL NIGHT LONG ABOUT MOVING DIRT, ROCKS, WOOD, TWISTED METAL AND FROM THE TOP OF THIS BIG MOUND OF DIRT. AFTER SEPTEMBER 11TH WHEN I WAS PRAYING FOR THE PEOPLE GOD TOLD ME I HAD ALREADY BEEN THERE IN NEW YORK. SOMETIME DURING 2001 I HAD MET MOHAMMED ATTA THE MAN WHO FLEW THE FIRST PLANE INTO THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. HE DROVE INTO A WAL-MART PARKING LOT ON LAKE SHORE DRIVE IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA. WHILE I WAS THERE MINISTERING TO PEOPLE IN THE PARKING LOT I DID A ONE ON ONE WITH HIM. I ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW JESUS. HE SAID, "I KNOW ALLAH."

WHEN THEY FLASHED HIS FACE ON TELEVISION I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE HIM. I TOLD MY WIFE HOW HE HAD DRIVEN INTO THE PARKING LOT IN HIS NEW LINCOLN, AND HE WAS WELL DRESSED. BUT HIS EYES WERE COLD AS ICE.

ANOTHER INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE I MINISTERED IN A PARKING LOT AT A FLYING J TRUCK STOP ON I-59 IN BESSEMER, ALABAMA. I MET AND WITNESSED TO THE TWO SNIPERS, MUHAMMED AND MALVO. GOD TELLS ME HE IS SHOWING ME THE IMAGE OF MY ENEMY. ALL OF THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE AS HE HAS CALLED ME AS A PROPHET FROM THE WOMB. AND HE TOLD ME TO STAND ON JEREMIAH 33:3 WHEN I WENT INTO THE MINISTRY OVER 30 YEARS AGO.