According to the hand-written notes in my first Scofield Bible I accepted Christ as my Savior on October 9, 1965. It happened during a crusade held by evangelist Bob Manderson at the First Baptist Church in Willingboro, NJ. But where did my love for Bible prophecy first begin? Was this unbridled passion built into my DNA, inherited from my parents? Or was it the product of my never-ending quest for the latest prophecy book?
My interest in Bible prophecy was encouraged by the prayers and encouragement of two Godly parents. They introduced me to the “blessed hope” through the radio broadcasts of Southwest Radio Church. One day I found a copy of Grant Jeffrey’s eye-opening book, Armageddon: Appointment With Destiny. Confronted with the preciseness of biblical chronology and multiple prophetic fulfillments, my interest was peaked.
A short time later I got my hands on an early black and white version of a small tabloid newspaper—Prophecy in the News. It was there I learned to study the Bible at a deeper level with two great Bible scholars, J.R. Church and Gary Stearman. It seemed that every verse in the Bible would soon take on new prophetic meaning! My excitement was so red hot during the 1991 Gulf War I flew to Oklahoma City, where I met J.R. Church and Gary Stearman in the flesh! The spark was now a flame!
In the late 1980s I found myself at the center of a New Jersey real estate boom. Partnerships were formed; doors opened; and millions were earned. My silly childhood fantasy of becoming a young millionaire actually came true. The trappings of wealth soon followed and money became my primary interest in life.
But deep down something was amiss. Those early Sunday School lessons may have been pushed aside, but they weren’t forgotten. My “semi-prestigious” award as “Stockader of the Year “ in 1966 still occupies a prominent shelf in my office! I memorized 200 hundred Scriptures that year and I remember most of them to this day! The seeds were planted early!
As my real estate business grew and prospered I was torn between two diverse worlds. Can a man serve two masters? Then one Sunday morning I had a dramatic encounter with the Holy Spirit. The pastor’s message was on Colossians 1:18; the verse that says, “that in all things He should have the preeminence.” When the pastor said, “Is Jesus the most important thing in your life,” I knew the honest answer. I walked the aisle, acknowledging the cold hard truth—my priorities were misplaced. There was just one complication. How does a guy living in the world of the rich and famous walk away from the lure of great financial success?
Unbeknownst to me, things would soon change—the hard way—or better said, God’s way. My beloved real estate empire began to crumble! Everything that had gone so right now began to go wrong! The more interested I became in Bible prophecy, the worse my own personal financial situation became. Soon, my wealth was a distant memory and I found myself stranded in Colorado Springs, wondering where God would toss me next. All I could think of was learning more about Bible prophecy. Where could that possibly lead?
Soon the Lord would answer my prayers. I sent a letter to the founder of Prophecy in the News, the late J.R. Church, letting him know of my unexpected calamity. J.R. offered me a job; we moved to Oklahoma City a few days later; and the rest as they say is history.
Over the years I developed a wonderful friendship with Gary Stearman. When J.R went home to be with the Lord, Gary and I worked tirelessly to expand the ministry’s television outreach. And God blessed our efforts in unimaginable ways. The ministry’s exponential growth brought many internal changes, bringing both of us to a critical point of decision. After a year of serious prayer and contemplation, we both walked away from Prophecy in the News to begin a new adventure together.
The Prophecy Watchers television program and ministry outreach will paint a familiar picture. We will continue to focus on the soon coming rapture of the Church. We’ll continue to watch God’s timepiece, Israel, knowing that our future is intertwined with theirs. We’ll continue to explore those “strange subjects” you will more than likely “never hear in church.” With the Lord’s blessing, we’ll continue to be your trusted source for sound biblical doctrine, fascinating guests and exciting new prophetic revelations, straight from the pages of the God’s Word! We’re waiting. We’re watching. We’re looking up. How about you?
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.”
Psalm 37:23 (KJV)