Urban Report

Shelter From The Storm Ministry

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Yvonne Lewis (Host), Jeffrey Cobb

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Series Code: UBR

Program Code: UBR000030


00:01 Stay tuned to meet a man that was robbing people
00:03 involved in kidnapping and drug sales...
00:06 My name is Yvonne Lewis and you're watching
00:09 Urban Report...
00:31 Hello and welcome to Urban Report...
00:33 Today our guest is Jeffrey Cobb Founder and Director
00:37 of Shelter from the Storm Ministry
00:40 Jeffrey... welcome to Urban Report...
00:42 Welcome... It's so good to have you here...
00:46 we have a lot to cover and you have such a powerful
00:51 testimony... I want to talk about
00:54 your testimony and also what you're doing now...
00:56 so let's kind of... go back and look at the way your life
01:00 used to be... tell us who you were...
01:02 when you were growing up...
01:03 When I was growing up I was raised in Miami
01:08 and for years... over 20 years I was robbing, kidnapping,
01:12 shoot-out... down with crooked judges and lawyers
01:16 and, you know, selling drugs all through the City of Miami...
01:20 Now, when you were a child,
01:24 did you come from a two-parent household or
01:26 a single-parent household?
01:28 Two-parent...
01:29 So you had your dad and your mom there...
01:32 What kind of parents were they?
01:34 Were they strict... or were they lenient?
01:37 They were strict parents... strict parents...
01:40 strict parents...
01:41 so, because usually, you know, the story that we often hear
01:46 is that... a kid comes from a single-parent household
01:52 and then he goes into all kinds of juvenile
01:55 delinquency activities, and anti-social behaviors...
01:58 but it sounds like...
02:00 you came from a kind of strict household...
02:04 with a dad and a mom... so, at what point
02:07 did you kind of go... to the left and go astray...
02:11 Oh, that was... one day... you know...
02:15 my mother was saying, "Hey, you... "
02:18 I was about 14... she said, "I'm not going to force you
02:22 to go to Church... no more... you have to make that decision"
02:26 and all the while, you know, my mind was always...
02:30 because the world is always pulling on you...
02:33 always... so we should say that, I was like,
02:36 "Hey, this is my opportunity"
02:37 Ah... and so... were you going to School regularly...
02:42 were you, kind of, cutting classes...
02:45 What were you doing in School?
02:47 I was going to School regularly, as a matter-of-fact,
02:49 I was an "A" Student you know I played football
02:54 and was respectful... by the Community at that time
02:58 and everything... and planned... probably won in football
03:02 and all that... always got the "Most Valuable Player"
03:06 so I was well known as a nice kid in the neighborhood...
03:10 so you were a nice kid, from a two-parent household,
03:14 making "A's" in School... and one day your mom says...
03:19 "You don't have to go to Church anymore... "
03:21 How did that affect you? Right... she said she...
03:24 How did that affect you?
03:26 I think that affected me a lot because, I think...
03:33 she should have kept a handle on me a little longer
03:36 and I just encourage parents...
03:40 "You know you need to keep
03:42 the discipline on your kids a little longer... "
03:46 Right, so, what did you start doing at 14...
03:50 or was it a little bit later?
03:52 No, it was about... between the ages of 14 and 15...
03:57 my brother was a big drug dealer...
04:00 and all the while... I used to watch him...
04:02 with the drugs and all that...
04:05 but he would never let me touch it...
04:07 Ah... so your brother was a drug dealer...
04:11 Wow! okay, so... see now... forgive me...
04:15 but I'm a little confused...
04:17 because if your parents were strict...
04:20 but you guys like really... were you like
04:22 tricking your parents or something...
04:25 because if they were so strict...
04:27 how did you become a drug dealer?
04:30 I'm not trying to indict your parents in any way...
04:32 but I'm just trying to understand
04:33 how this could happen... in a household
04:37 where the parents were kind of... strict...
04:39 See, my brother... he wasn't living with my parents...
04:43 Oh... okay... he was living there...
04:46 I was living with my parents but even though you always
04:49 you know, I go by... I visit my brother...
04:53 I see... okay... so your brother was up and out...
04:57 your brother was up and out of the house
05:00 and you would go and visit him
05:01 and you wanted to get involved in the drug scene
05:04 and he said, "No" Right...
05:07 So was he the one then that ultimately allowed you to do it
05:10 or did you go behind his back and do it with someone else?
05:13 No, he's the one that allowed me to do it
05:17 because one time... you know...
05:19 he told me to just stay... at his house
05:23 where he used to keep the drugs
05:25 and one day I just got something
05:28 because a lot of the guys kept asking me...
05:30 "Where's your brother, oh man! he's got some good drugs"
05:32 so, one day, I just got some of it...
05:35 and went out on my own...
05:36 Oh! so you took some of your brother's drugs
05:40 and went to sell it yourself...
05:42 When he came back he was like, "Where's the rest?"
05:45 he said, "Hey man... you've been in here?"
05:47 I was like, "Yeah" and I just showed him my hand full of money
05:51 he was like, "Yeah... "
05:52 he said, "Man, be careful...
05:54 I'm just going to give you... this much... "
05:55 I said, "Nah, I'll only sell to the ones that I know... "
05:58 Wow, wow, wow... you know, it's interesting to me
06:02 Jeffrey that... Satan knows your potential
06:07 just like, of course, God knows His plan for you...
06:11 but Satan also knows the skills that you have...
06:14 and he'll want to take those skills...
06:17 and sidetrack them into something that's destructive
06:21 whereas God has this positive plan for you
06:24 that He wants to give you... but sometimes
06:27 we just kind of go off
06:28 and we have to build the testimony... so to speak...
06:31 and that's what happened here... so, your brother said,
06:35 "Okay, I see that you have some skills...
06:37 because you brought me back some money...
06:39 so, let me now... help you with this... "
06:42 so, he then, kind of turned you on to that world then...
06:47 Yes... So, that was around 15, you said
06:52 around 14 or 15... Yes...
06:53 so then... what happened... to get you... incarcerated?
06:59 how did you end up in jail?
07:01 How I ended up in jail was... my brother, later in life,
07:09 he got killed on the motorcycle, so after that...
07:13 I started with a bigger Organization...
07:16 you know, and like I said, again you know Organization
07:20 with drug dealers, judges, lawyers, police officers,
07:25 so, I went for a long time... of selling drugs...
07:30 but what happened one time, I sold to an undercover officer,
07:34 I see... I see... so...
07:38 back up for a second...
07:41 how old were you when your brother got killed?
07:43 I was about 17...
07:47 And at that point... what effect did your brother's
07:52 death have on you, what effect did it have?
07:55 It had a tremendous effect because he was my god...
07:59 Ah... so you had put him on a pedestal...
08:04 Yes... Yes... and he ended up...
08:08 was he killed instantly, did he have...
08:11 was he in the hospital for a little bit... what happened?
08:16 No, it was instantly... you know, he...
08:20 it was raining one day and a car pulled out
08:23 and he was trying to dodge a car and ran and hit a tree...
08:27 and I went over there and observed him
08:32 breathing his last breath...
08:33 Oh, so you saw... you saw what happened
08:37 you were there when he took his last breath?
08:39 Yes... Oh, that had to be so, so,
08:43 incredibly painful for you...
08:44 so, from then on... then... it sounds as though
08:49 then you decided...
08:50 you were going to go to the next level...
08:53 instead of that event turning you around...
08:56 it kind of propelled you further into this drug dealing
09:01 and robbing and then ultimately
09:04 selling to an undercover officer...
09:07 Yes... Once you were in jail...
09:10 did you decide while you were in jail
09:15 that when you got out you were going to continue
09:17 or you were going to change?
09:18 The first time... the first four or five times...
09:23 I just spent a lot of time in jail
09:27 and once I got out... I was just... you know...
09:30 couldn't wait to go back...
09:33 You couldn't wait to go back?
09:35 Yeah, to sell drugs...
09:37 Oh... I thought you meant you couldn't wait
09:39 to go back to jail... I was like, "Whoa... "
09:41 So, once I got released... I said, "Hey, I get a chance
09:46 to get back in and do what I love doing... "
09:48 Yes, one of the things that has been told to me
09:51 is that... if you go into jail
09:54 and you're not that experienced
09:57 you are surrounded by experts in the field, so to speak...
10:02 so you can learn how to really be a better criminal
10:05 in jail... and then come out and use that...
10:09 and that's... one of the things that we're trying to do...
10:11 with Dare to Dream... and you've already been on
10:14 one of our Programs on The New Journey...
10:16 and you gave your testimony, we really appreciated it...
10:18 I wanted to kind of re-cap it... for our Viewers
10:23 that didn't get to see that Program...
10:25 but one of the things we were trying to do with
10:28 Dare to Dream is to show people
10:31 that God does have a better way for you...
10:34 that even if you get sidetracked from the plan that He has...
10:39 God does have a plan for you...
10:42 and that's why you're here today...
10:45 Tell us how you found Jesus now...
10:49 Okay, the last time I got arrested...
10:52 I was facing 30 to life in prison...
10:55 and I prayed and I was saying, "That's it... "
10:59 and I said,
11:01 "Lord, if you get me out of this one...
11:03 then I'll serve you till I die" and right there
11:08 at the Dade County Jail... I gave my life to Jesus...
11:12 Wow! now, okay... you were raised as a Christian
11:18 you went away from it... so that seed was planted
11:22 as a child... correct? Yes...
11:25 and that again... the Bible says "Train up a child
11:29 in the way he should go: and when he is old,
11:30 he will not depart from it... "
11:31 doesn't mean that they might not leave
11:34 but that seed is there so that seed was planted in you
11:38 and you knew to call upon the name of the Lord,
11:42 when you were in trouble... Yes, ma'am...
11:45 so you called upon Him... and what happened?
11:49 Once I called upon the Lord, and I spoke to the Lord,
11:56 I was like, you know... "I want to know truth...
12:00 I want to know the truth about you Jesus... "
12:04 Hmmm... Hmmm... Did you feel that before...
12:08 you didn't know the truth about Him?
12:11 No, no, it was just chain gang religion...
12:15 Ah... explain... Oh, chain gang religion...
12:19 you go in... you go to Church... you pray,
12:22 you carry your Bible under your arm but
12:25 as soon as you leave, you leave your Bible at the
12:28 Bus Station... Got you... got you...
12:30 so it's that "convenient deal" with... "Oh Lord, help me... "
12:35 and then when He helps you and you're out...
12:37 then it's like... "Okay, I'll talk to you later...
12:39 forget about it... " Yes...
12:41 Okay, but this was a different experience...
12:44 this was real for you this last time was real for you
12:48 Correct? Correct...
12:50 And so what happened... when you said,
12:52 "I want to know you now... I want to know the truth"
12:56 what steps did you then
12:58 put into play...
13:00 to get to know him?
13:01 What I did was...
13:03 I started praying... and then I started to read
13:07 His Word more... listening to Christian Programs
13:12 then I started going to Church
13:14 Okay, okay, so this was real this time...
13:19 Yes... How did you go from being
13:24 an ex-offender to the Founder of a Ministry...
13:28 tell us how you did that...
13:31 How that came about where...
13:33 once I accepted the Lord... this guy came and I asked him
13:40 "Was he going to go to Church?" we became friends...
13:43 and he said, "I don't go to Church on Sunday"
13:47 he said, "Saturday is the day" and I got kind of mad with him
13:52 and at that point... I was like... Saturday?
13:56 And you got mad at him...
13:58 Yeah, because, I was like
14:00 "Saturday? I don't like this guy he's mad!"
14:02 Hmmm... hmmm... once I went...
14:07 because they still gave me time in prison...
14:10 and once he told me about Saturday...
14:13 once I got to the South Florida Reception Center
14:16 the prison system in Miami,
14:19 I told some of my friends that you know,
14:23 "I wasn't living that life no more... "
14:26 that I was giving my life to Jesus...
14:28 and so they said, "Hey, come along and go to
14:31 Church with us... " and I went ahead and went to Church
14:34 then the guy was talking about "Saturday was the day"
14:38 I got mad again...
14:40 So, what did you do?
14:42 After that... I went one time and I just waited to
14:51 which camp they were going to ship me to...
14:54 to do the rest of my time...
14:55 Oh, were you on probation or something...
14:58 you were on probation, parole or something in between?
15:00 Yes, I was on parole... I violated...
15:03 Okay... so what I was trying to do was
15:05 just get out again... Okay, okay...
15:08 And so, once they transferred me to Gainesville...
15:11 and I met some more guys from Miami...
15:14 and they said, "Oh, we want to introduce you
15:17 to some Christian brothers here... "
15:18 they did my homework... you know and introduced me
15:21 and I got to Gainesville and these guys said,
15:23 "We're going to go to Church"
15:24 I said, "I'll be ready on Sunday"
15:26 they said, "No, Saturday... "
15:27 "Hmmm... hmmm... So I was like, "Saturday?"
15:30 and I was like... "Here goes this Saturday junk again"
15:34 So, you just kept getting it from all sides...
15:37 every time you looked up somebody was saying it...
15:40 Oh, what I did... I went with them and after that
15:44 you know, I just totally surrendered my life to Christ
15:48 and it brought a peace... it brought a calm peace...
15:53 in my heart... happiness that words can never explain
15:57 Yes... amen... amen...
15:59 so, once you gave your life to Christ...
16:04 and you started going to Church on the Sabbath... on Saturday...
16:09 when did you... you were on parole...
16:12 you had violated... but then you got back out
16:14 you were going to Church on the Sabbath...
16:16 were you going back to the prisons to visit then
16:21 and to minister to the inmates there?
16:24 What happened was...
16:26 once I got out and I stayed in Gainesville...
16:29 the last place I wanted to go to was a prison...
16:33 Yes, you don't want to be there at all...
16:35 I did 6 months in Belleair... in six facilities in Miami...
16:41 and I have been to prison 4 times...
16:43 so, I'm like...
16:45 "That's the last place I want to go" so I was like,
16:47 "Whoever is in prison... they just stay there
16:50 I'm not going to visit... " so what happened...
16:52 I was praying and I said... "Lord, where do you want me?"
16:56 and God asked me to go to the Juvenile Detention Center
17:00 here in Gainesville...
17:02 so I went there... I ministered there
17:04 for a while... and then there was a big
17:07 Prison Ministries Banquet in Gainesville...
17:10 and they asked me to be the speaker...
17:13 and I spoke... and after that... it was about 3 Chaplains
17:17 asked me to come to their prisons...
17:19 Ah... and when they asked you what was your immediate reaction
17:25 when they asked you... I didn't know...
17:28 I didn't want to...
17:29 I prayed and I asked the Lord to send me a sign...
17:33 and when three asked...
17:35 it came to me... as that was in
17:38 the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost...
17:40 Hmmm... hmmm... hmmm...
17:42 How did you feel when you first went into the
17:45 prison... as part of a ministry versus as an inmate?
17:51 Oh, it was a blessing
17:53 because it was the first time
17:57 I ever went to a prison and wasn't on the other side
18:02 of the fence... Yes... yes...
18:06 And after 20 years... you know, 35 years of my life...
18:11 that I'm on the other side, and I didn't have to worry about
18:17 me sleeping in the bed or the bars that has been locking me up
18:22 when they come at night... Yes... yes... so God showed you
18:27 His plan for you to go back into the prison system
18:32 and to witness... tell us about Shelter from the Storm
18:38 what is that ministry?
18:39 This is a ministry for men and women
18:42 released from the jails and prisons
18:45 to help them get back on their feet...
18:47 what just came about when I accepted the message
18:51 I asked the Prison Ministry Leader...
18:54 that I wanted to go to a Transition House...
18:57 of the Adventist Faith...
18:59 and the guy said that there wasn't one
19:03 and right then, you know,
19:06 that wasn't a good thing...
19:08 because I was seeing these other guys like myself
19:13 that have accepted this message in prison
19:16 and needed somewhere to go where they can strengthen
19:20 their faith in the Seventh-day Adventist belief...
19:24 Yes, now, would you explain to our Viewers
19:27 what is a Transition House... what happens...
19:30 what's that about?
19:32 Because many people don't know what that is...
19:34 A transition House is to give someone a place to come
19:37 when they get out of prison... because before you get released,
19:41 you need an address... and if you're on probation
19:44 or on parole... they're not going to release you
19:47 till they come by that place... that facility and making sure
19:52 that it's an "Okay Facility" no drugs
19:57 or no kind of foul place...
19:59 so that's a place where you can come
20:01 and study the Word of God and get a job and
20:04 to ease back into Society...
20:09 That's wonderful... so, how many residents do you have
20:15 at Shelter from the Storm right now?
20:18 Right now, I have five residents...
20:21 six men and two women with one on the way...
20:25 And what's a typical day... like... walk us through a day
20:31 at Shelter from the Storm...
20:33 What we do... in the morning is... you get up...
20:38 and sometimes it's an individual thing...
20:41 sometimes they have prayer together...
20:43 sometimes they have prayer individually...
20:45 and then after that... it's their duty to go look for
20:51 a job... we ride on the bus line
20:53 or sometimes the Resident Manager will take them
20:56 to a Job Center where they can get on the computer
21:00 and look for jobs and also myself...
21:03 I know some people that since I've been engaged with
21:09 for 15 years... with businesses that I talk with them about
21:14 hiring some of the guys that come in...
21:17 Also, the Lord has blessed Shelter from the Storm
21:21 with a Lawn Service... sometimes... one of the guys
21:25 who's been working with the Lawn Service
21:26 Oh, praise the Lord... when you say
21:30 the Lord's blessed you with a Lawn Service... you mean,
21:32 you have access to a business that you can send
21:36 the ex-offenders to or you guys own a Lawn Service?
21:41 Yes, Shelter from the Storm owns a Lawn Service...
21:44 Oh... that's wonderful... because it seems to me that
21:49 one of the problems is... once an ex-offender is released
21:54 an inmate is released from prison...
21:57 it's so difficult to get work... to get employment
22:01 because a lot of employers don't want to hire ex-offenders
22:06 so, one of the things that I read... is that
22:09 it's important to either have your own business
22:12 if you can... which... how many people have the money
22:14 to do that or to have some kind of connection
22:18 so that you can get a job because it's so difficult
22:22 and then, if you can't get a job
22:24 it just pushes you back into
22:26 that whole life of crime... because that's all you know...
22:29 Absolutely... So, thank the Lord,
22:32 you guys have this wonderful ministry
22:35 where people can come... learn the Word of God,
22:39 and get work...
22:40 how supported is Shelter from the Storm
22:44 by the Church... is the Church supporting you?
22:47 The Church is supporting the Ministry
22:50 but I believe, in my heart, that we can do more
22:55 because I think this year we may be turning away
23:00 at least 20 people... that wanted to come
23:04 to the Ministry and my beds are full...
23:08 and yesterday... there's a guy who heard about
23:11 the ministry... and he came on the bus
23:14 four days from California, but I was full... so...
23:18 I have a Condo as my office, so right now,
23:21 I'm putting him in my office, you know, because I didn't have
23:26 no room... so he rode the bus four days to get here
23:30 and I couldn't turn him away...
23:32 and we have other people that we have turned away
23:37 and it's really a need... and it's a burden on me
23:42 because of the calls I get, and my secretary talked to me
23:48 about it... and that we can accommodate them
23:51 you know it's places that are available in Gainesville
23:55 for to expand... I think we need to expand...
24:00 and one guy that just came before that...
24:06 he got out of prison and went to another city,
24:09 he ends up in Gainesville...
24:10 and he was living in the woods homeless...
24:14 and he ended up at the Adventist Church
24:18 and we met another guy that came to the ministry
24:22 for a couple of days... he was sleeping in the woods
24:26 with a tent... after he got out he had 50 dollars
24:30 he saved water and some munchies... and a large tent
24:33 from the Super Wal-Mart... and went across the street
24:36 and he was living in the woods, so we went at 2 o'clock
24:39 in the morning to get him out of the woods
24:42 and he is the one that's working with me with the Lawn Service
24:46 and Sabbath... he took his stand to be baptized
24:50 Praise the Lord... that's wonderful...
24:54 it's so heart wrenching to hear that someone was living
24:58 in the woods... in a tent... I mean... especially when
25:03 there is a place that you want to expand to...
25:07 and to have more beds... we're going to
25:09 put your website up so that people can know
25:13 how to reach you... would you tell us what your...
25:15 or do you have a website right now?
25:18 I don't... I don't... What's the best way to reach you
25:21 Oh, you can reach me at telephone 352-336-7462
25:28 Say that number again for us please...
25:31 the number is 352-336-7462
25:37 Thank you... and tell us briefly...
25:40 what are the needs for Shelter in the Storm right now
25:45 I know you need funds... do you need equipment
25:48 what else do you need to really propel this ministry?
25:51 Yes, right now what we really... my desire is also to expand
25:58 the Lawn Service... you know with more rides,
26:01 more trailers and trucks because then I can go do some
26:05 contracts, you know, on the side of the road...
26:08 highways... because if you noticed...
26:11 you see guys from prisons doing that type of work
26:17 when they are in prison... so, to get more lawn equipment
26:21 and also, the Lord has blessed with a thrift store
26:25 there is a community right in the back of the thrift store
26:28 there's a big parking lot
26:29 what I would like to do there is do a car wash
26:32 to hire some of the guys and the women are doing
26:36 detailing of cars to bring money in to expand
26:40 the ministry... we really need
26:42 the ministry expanded... I'm getting calls from Texas
26:47 we're getting it because this is the only Transition House
26:50 in the Seventh-day Adventist Church...
26:52 Wow, well thank you so much for being with us
26:56 this has been so eye-opening, we so appreciate your ministry
27:00 and what you're doing... and I pray that our viewers
27:03 will hear what the needs are
27:06 and then really come... come to your aid...
27:09 as we should...
27:11 as brothers and sisters in the Lord...
27:12 Thank you Brother Jeffrey for being with us...
27:14 Thank you and God bless you too.
27:17 Jesus came to set the captives free...
27:21 today you've met a man set free from his sordid past
27:24 and sharing his love for Jesus with others...
27:27 What are you doing for the Lord?
27:29 We may not have been involved in street crimes
27:32 but many of us have crimes of the heart that no one sees...
27:35 Jesus wants to set you free from all the holds that
27:39 imprisons you...
27:40 why not invite Him into your heart today...
27:43 You've heard Brother Jeffrey,
27:45 you've heard the needs that he has with his ministry...
27:49 Please... let the Holy Spirit impress you as to how much you
27:53 should share... how much you should give...
27:55 to help that ministry... thanks for tuning in...
27:58 join us next time... it just wouldn't be the same
28:01 without you...


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Revised 2015-07-13