The evening news blared from the television. The chaos, conflict, and human suffering on the screen paralleled the depressing details in Brandon Duke’s troubled life. As the outside world crumbled, Brandon found himself plunging into the lowest valley of his life.
Divorced and desperately missing his two young daughters, Brandon tried to numb the pain any way he could. He sought comfort in a succession of unhealthy relationships, drugs, and alcohol. His angry spirit was attracted to the brutal and prideful fighting sports on TV. And playing guitar in a heavy metal band helped pass the lonely hours.
At times Brandon attempted to read his Bible, but he never could understand what it was saying. Although raised a Christian in various denominations, returning to those churches was not an option since their doctrines seemed unbiblical. Compounding his wariness was the frequent church financial and child abuse scandals he saw on TV.
But eventually Brandon could no longer evade the mountain of despair. Thoughts of suicide constantly nagged him in the back of his mind. Yet the thought of burning forever in hell terrified him too much to try it.
Crying Out for Help
For days Brandon stared at this Bible, yearning to make sense of his life. Broken and hurting, he finally cried out to God desperate for help. “For the first time in my life, I prayed to God to forgive me of the plethora of sin that saturated my life and to show me the truth,” he says. “God looks upon the heart first and foremost. When I prayed that prayer, He knew I was ready.”
The next day there was a knock at Brandon’s door. “When I answered it, there was a modestly dressed young woman who had an amazing glow about her. This was one of the most beautiful human beings I have seen – inside and out. Thinking about it now makes me think it could have been an angel. She was not only well spoken and had an obvious understanding of the Bible, but she also seemed to really care about me. How, I asked myself, could a complete stranger care about me and take the time to come to my house and share the truth with me?” Brandon invited the woman inside, and she gave him a copy of The Final Events DVD.
That evening Brandon watched the DVD. Although at first he was skeptical, he realized that the information made more biblical sense than anything he’d previously heard. When the DVD finished, Brandon sat at his desk in the dark and wept until there were no more tears left. “I knew then that my Father in heaven had been waiting at the door for me the whole time. And almost instantly, the eternal love of God changed my heart.”
Shortly after, Brandon told his mother, a Sabbath-keeping Christian, about watching The Final Events DVD. “I told her it was hosted by some bald guy named Doug Batchelor. She lit up like a Christmas tree!” Overjoyed at her son’s interest in spiritual things, she gave him a DVD set of The Prophecy Code series. Brandon spent every evening the next week watching for hours in stunned amazement. “Everything Pastor Doug taught made perfect sense. It was from this point that I began to get into the Word. When I saw the testimony of Pastor Doug, it was so much like what I went through in my life that it gave me hope. I was lost in drugs and alcohol, heavy metal, and other bad things. God can forgive even the worst of sinners. It was the hope I had been deprived of my whole life.”
Amazing Facts has been an integral part of Brandon’s Christian journey. He has taken the Bible study course and used many other resources from Amazing Facts, including books and DVDs. He has even been a caller on Bible Answers Live with Pastor Doug and Pastor Ross. “Many times while seeking answers, almost on cue I would get the answer I was looking for by listening to Bible Answers Live or watching Central Study Hour or Everlasting Gospel. Amazing Facts also serves as a powerful tool when sharing the Lord with others. The things [available through] Amazing Facts make practical sense and offer hope to those who need it most.”
Taking a Stand
After learning about the Sabbath truth, Brandon faced a difficult decision: keep his job or take a stand to honor God. Moving forward in faith, he explained to his boss that he would no longer be able to work on Saturday. But the company wasn’t willing to make an exception. Nevertheless, Brandon stood his ground and missed work several Sabbaths in a row. Finally, he was told to work as scheduled or be fired. After much prayer with his church family, Brandon and the youth pastor met with the plant manager. It took more than two weeks before he learned that the company decided to accommodate his Sabbath schedule – and they even gave him a raise!
Today, Brandon is an active member of his church in Bakersfield, Calif. And once a week, he leads a class that studies Bible prophecy and current events. Part of the class material includes the Amazing Facts Study Guides.
“Amazing Facts has helped me understand God’s Word in a way I can’t begin to describe,” he says. “If God loved such a horrible person such as me, how much does He love the entire world?”
Thank you for your prayers and faithful support for the ministry of Amazing Facts. Because of your gifts, hurting people have discovered a loving Father who is always willing to forgive and restore. Countless lives like Brandon’s are being transformed!