Capital Baptist Church
By Kelvin Oliver
T4JYM: When and how did you accept Christ into your heart?
GM: The same grandfather that offered me beer when I was young died when I was in college and the girl I was with left me and so on…. as things began to crash and so did I… When this happened, I went into a frat house in college and drank so much alcohol and smoked so much weed that.
I knew that I would die within a couple of hours. This was my third attempt of suicide since my high school days of cutting arms and wanting to just be dead. I told God that if He existed then “take me off these drugs and get me out of all this mess.” (I was staring up at a busted ceiling tile, as the room spun). I did not know him; I did not care to know him; I just wanted out. God kept his promise and my heart broke… no more shakes, drug desires, but I still loved girls. I never read the Bible so I began to thirst after it… I found one and read it till I got to the New Testament (it is just a book right! So you read it starting at the front cover and work your way back.) It took a while, but my heart was breaking as I read about people like me in the Bible and how God changed them. God was calling me and I felt it, it was just a matter of time. What Jesus Did! A few weeks later, an old friend that I used to smoke weed with, put his trust in Christ and repented of all the things he did wrong, but I was in NY at the time (where I grew up) and I knew about him not wanting to hang out with me, but I knew he had changed and I wanted to make sure that I was not on satans side anymore. I tasted what he offered and all the realms I did play in. At this point, I loved Christ with all my heart because, He took a loser like me and took my place of punishment on a cross (that blew me away…I was thinking someone does care for me..so much He laid his life down for me as a gift).
On December 28 1997, I asked Jesus into my heart in my old room, in my house and began the breaking of the bondage, by asking Christ to be my Savior and Best Friend for eternity. People who tell you that your life improves after accepting Christ, is a total lie, in fact it gets worse. Although the burden of Judgment is lifted, the persecution begins. Remember, my father…. well, he threatened to kick me out of the home because the Bible began to bother him. I would tell my father about hell and what he will face without Christ because in fact he has broken the 10 commandments, like lying, stealing, lusting, idolatry etc. Six months of being yelled at and fights breaking out in my home, my father fell on the alter in a church on Long Island and asked Jesus to come into his life. The spirit of God blew through my house that year and cleaned my father, mother, catholic grandmother and my sisters. They all asked Christ into their heart as their Savior. Today, my family is serving Jesus back in town where I grew up. Praise God!
T4JYM: What is the main focus in your ministry? Why did you decide up on this as a focus?
GM: We are called NX-DEMENSHUN STUDENT MINISTRIES Our Purpose: We exist to Nurture students and Exalt the Lord Jesus Christ, so that true Discipleship will shape their lifestyles and actions to personal Evangelism, so that they can be used of God in His student Ministry.
T4JYM: Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten? The future?
GM: In five years… I will be finishing my Doctoral work, traveling through the restricted access countries of the world to preach and raising my children to do the same. In 10 years… moving a Youth Nation to stand up for their constitutional rights against the public school teaching, gangs, and Getting our Biblical foundation back into the country! In the future… to be all things to all people every day, every minute so that I may win them to the kingdom and to be the next man of God for our generation, that God notices and not man.
T4JYM: What kind of relationship do you maintain with your audiences?
GM: They are hanging on the edge of their seat for the next scripture about Christ. It is all focused on Christ and not on Jokes and funny stories. I use them but they can not go to heaven nor clean up their lives through jokes and hype, but only the word of God.
T4JYM: Do you fellowship with them? Of course, we share empathy, the teen years.
GM: My job is not to be a speaker.. God called me to bring contrition and preach, and not entertain.
T4JYM: Or do you remain distant as a pastor or leader?
GM: Absolutely not!
T4JYM: Who, or what, are your biggest influences?
GM: Jesus Christ, Dr. Jerry Falwell, Rev. Otis Goodwin, Pastor Steve Reynolds, Em Bounds, George Whitefield.
T4JYM: Who are some of the other media personalities you have met and what did you think of them?
GM: I have met US Presidents, Chiefs of Staff, and people who run the country. I must say that George Bush Sr is a wise and humble man and his wife is a precious jewel.
T4JYM: Who, aside from Jesus, is or has been the biggest influence in your life?
GM: My wife and my little girl.
T4JYM: Who do you look up to the most in life?
GM: Missionaries, who take up their cross and follow Him.
T4JYM: Are you involved in any other ministries?
GM: My family first and foremost- Music: music leader, our public schools, gangs, missions, and Central Union Mission
T4JYM: Do you have an accountability partner or prayer partner to keep you Encouraged and uplifted?
GM: My fellow Pastors, my wife, and E.M. Bounds.
I will finish with this…
In high school, I was not popular, nor did I graduate with honors or a Gold Tassel….God has taken me through the biggest ride in seven years that people can not understand. I have been around the world, changed peoples’ lives; have been provided all that I need, given a beautiful family, positioned by God, to help the Him build his kingdom. When I graduate from this earth, I will not have a high grade average, but I will be running my race for a crown and not a gold tassel that God will burn up because it was never done unto His name. I have done nothing. Gary died in December of 1997 and the Holy Spirit is running his body, may all this be glorified in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ.. Not to us, but to his name be the Glory! PS.115
Be the first to comment