Kip Rollercoaster Faith, Part 2

Kip loved to gamble, but kept moving back and forth toward God and away from Him. One day, while gambling online, a video advertisement by Pastor Doug popped up. Kip remembered him from the truck stop TV, so he clicked the link and began watching Amazing Facts videos one after another while still playing online poker and using marijuana and tobacco.

Eventually, he surrendered the marijuana, then the tobacco, and through the Amazing Facts videos and studies, he became a vegetarian … and feasted on the Word of God too. Yet he hadn’t quit gambling.

Pastor Doug’s sermons encouraged him to attend church again and “not go it alone with God.” He visited various churches in town, but kept running into “bad theology.” In a misguided attempt at self-redemption, Kip handed out Christian literature in the casinos and to street people.

Eventually, he found a Sabbath-keeping church, got involved, and even did hospital visitations; but he still worked six weeks a year on the professional World Series of Poker tour. His pastor saw through him and refused to baptize him. Eventually, Kip moved to California where he met a pastor who continued to study with him, challenge him, and who eventually baptized him after Kip gave up gambling.

Kip, who was nourished and growing by the spiritual food he was consuming from Amazing Facts, finally prayed, “Lord, I’m tired of this rollercoaster.” God’s still, small voice replied: “Get into My work.”

Kip got his life onto a new track. He has fully turned his back on drugs, tobacco, alcohol, and gambling. He was baptized and, in answer to prayer, later married “a fantastic Christian woman” who wanted to join him in missionary work. Together they spent a year in India building houses, preaching, teaching, and sharing Amazing Facts Bible study materials and copies of Pastor Doug’s sermons. The experience humbled him and he says he finally knows what the Lord wants from him.

Today, Kip’s wife works as a nurse and Kip again has a gospel literature ministry that takes him door-to-door, to flea markets, and big-box storefronts. His favorite materials to distribute are from Amazing Facts. Kip and his wife are planning more overseas evangelism, but also see the need for mission work right in their own community.

Reflect: Do you know someone who quit attending church because it was full of hypocrites? How do you reach a person like this? Start praying for guidance from the Lord.

Key Bible Texts

And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. (Luke 15:6 KJV)