An ambulance rushed Michael Smith to the hospital emergency room. Unconscious from a dangerously toxic drug overdose, the 23-year-old had only hours to live.
Fortunately, the quick-working medical staff was able to revive him, but his recovery was long and painful. For days afterward, Michael suffered intense hallucinations. His brain, liver, and kidneys were seriously damaged. His short-term memory was also destroyed.
Michael’s worried parents placed him in a Christian-run drug rehabilitation center. He loathed being in a religious environment, so a few days later he escaped. But when he informed his parents, his father promptly took him back.
Although Michael was raised in a Sabbath-keeping home, he had turned his back on those beliefs. By the time he was 16, he had already run away from home and had become addicted to drugs and alcohol. As a result, Michael often woke up in jail or the emergency room from overdoses. “I was an emotional wreck,” he says.
Early to Rise with Amazing FactsAt the drug rehab center, an employee asked Michael if he wanted to study the Bible with him. “I had no interest and no inclination that the Bible had anything for me, but I agreed.” Yet as Michael listened, things suddenly made perfect sense. “It was like a flood of light filled my mind. I was convicted that the Bible was real. I called my parents and apologized for being a terrible son. Our relationship has been restored since that day.”
The rehab center also had Amazing Facts’ The Prophecy Code series. Michael began waking up at 4 a.m. to read the Bible and watch the presentations. “I would sit two feet away staring at the screen. I had no idea what Pastor Doug was talking about. I just knew that I liked it. My mom had tried to read me The Richest Caveman as a kid. I finally made the connection that this was the same person.”
During the next month, as Michael continued to study and learn, God miraculously restored his mind. His sanity and short-term memory came back. When Michael returned home, he spent entire days reading the Bible. Gradually his understanding also returned. In December 2003, Michael was re-baptized at an Amazing Facts prophecy series conducted by evangelist Eric Flickinger.
One Sabbath, while visiting his parents’ church, Michael noticed a familiar face staring at him in shocked amazement. He was equally stunned because it was his former drug supplier. As Michael approached, they both blurted out, “What are you doing here?” Mon explained that he’d been watching Amazing Facts’ programs for years on a Christian network. He’d wanted to come to church for a long time but never felt ready. This was his first Sabbath! “I’m so happy you got your life straightened out,” Mon said enthusiastically. “I’m happy you found the Lord.”
“It was amazing to hear him talk like this,” says Michael, “and to know he’d cared about me. I’ve known him since I was 17, and we never talked about spiritual things before.”
“The Lord has been so good to me. I don’t deserve it. My life has never been boring, but since my conversion it’s been intense and exciting.”