History Of The Ministry
In 1997 I paroled from prison. I didn’t know what to do with my life. Serving the Lord was my top priority. How was another matter. While in prison the Lord and I became very close. He had revealed Himself to me on such a personal level that when I paroled I felt as if I had been orphaned.
My folks had purchased a very small trailer which they set up in a small trailer park at Big Bear Lake, California. Being in the mountains and far away from "the world" I found myself back in the presence of God. We resumed our personal relationship.
One day, about four weeks after paroling, the Holy Spirit came to me and told me that we were going to write a book. He told me that He was going to dictate and direct the book to me.
My folks had purchased a computer for me. "Windows 95" was the operating system. Having spent the last almost seven years behind bars I knew nothing about computers. As the Holy Spirit dictated to me, I would become frustrated by not knowing how to work the "Windows Office" software. That was when the Spirit would direct me on how to maneuver through it to find what I needed to accomplish His mission.
While taking a break from the book, I was walking the park and meditating. I saw an older gentleman who seemed to be distressed. We began talking and I shared with him what I was doing.
He stopped and looking at me with great anguish in his face asked, "How can you believe in a God who would burn little children forever? I go to church and try to believe, but to burn a child forever because of a sin, that is torture."
"Ben", I said, "you have been taught wrong. God is not a torturer. He loves people."
I then invited him to my trailer. We sat down at the park bench and began a Bible study on what happens when a person dies. As we progressed through the Bible study, I could see the burden lift from His soul. I could see the pain of lies give way to the joy of truth.
Many months later his wife told me that his whole life changed after that. Not only did his life become happier, but the whole family benefited from his joy in the truth. I studied with them and within about three months they sent a letter of resignation to their church of 15 years. They became Sabbath keepers and strong supporters of this little ministry. But that is future. I am getting ahead of the story.
The Holy Spirit would wake me up at about 6 o’clock in the morning and we would work until about 1 a.m. It was usually about that time my eyelids could not stay open. I would ask the Spirit to let me sleep and He would let me go to sleep.
One day while the Spirit was dictating to me, the computer froze up. "Windows 95" was notorious for freezing up. I did not know what to do. The Spirit of God is dictating and I am not able to keep up. The computer refused to respond.
"Stop. Stop." I cried. "The computer won’t work. What do I do?"
Just then there was a knock at the door. I opened it and there was Ben. He came for another Bible study. After the Bible study, I turned back to the computer and there on the screen were the instructions on how to clear the computer and unfreeze it.
We finished volume one in about a week. It was perfectly done. Every graphic, every clip art, all was just as the Holy Spirit had dictated and directed it. I had a title all picked out. I patted myself on the back thinking it was a great title. However, the Holy Spirit gave me the title, "Change Your Life Biblically". Then He told me to send it to inmates.
"Holy Spirit", I said, "That is not possible. I am on parole and I can’t have contact with inmates."
He told me not to worry about that. All I had to do was be obedient. Sure enough, when I explained what I was doing to my Parole Officer, he was in total cooperation.
But then there was this little matter called money. I was broke. Not a nickel to my name. I had nothing, I owned nothing and I was nothing. How was I to get the funds to buy the paper, the equipment to make a "book" and send them to inmates? Not possible, I said.
The Holy Spirit was so gentle and kind. He told me to just obey and He would take care of everything. I stepped out of the trailer and went for a "meditation" walk around the RV park. As I was walking and thinking on this money "problem", I saw a man preparing his RV to leave the park.
We began talking and in the course of our conversation he asked what I did for a living. I told him that I sent books to inmates to help them change their lives. He said, "Wow, I feel impressed to help." And with that he opened his wallet and pulled out a $20 dollar bill and gave it to me.
From that moment on the Spirit of God impressed people, total strangers, to support His little book and the work of changing lives. He has never let me down. Never too much, never too little. He has always come through as we needed in order to do the work He called me to do.