0:00:00.834,0:00:11.612 Gordon/700 Club:
Ian McCormack had traveled for two years chasing adventure around the globe, we wound up on the island of Mauritius, an island known for great surfing and diving. 0:00:11.612,0:00:20.787 [br]Woman on Video:
Ian McCormack loved the ocean, he was an avid diver, but nothing prepared him for what he was about to encounter. 0:00:20.787,0:00:27.060 [br]McCormack:
As we dove into the water something smashed into my forearm, it felt like thousands of bolts of electricity. 0:00:27.060,0:00:35.852 My whole arm was swollen double its normal size, my arm was blistered where the tentacles had hit me like burn blisters. 0:00:35.852,0:00:40.674 I could feel the toxin quickly moving up my lymph glands. 0:00:40.674,0:00:46.254 I thought Ian, what on earth have you done in your life to deserve this kind of punishment. 0:00:46.254,0:00:49.416 [br]Woman on Video:
Ian was stung by five box jelly fish. 0:00:49.416,0:00:52.663 One can kill a person in four minutes. 0:00:52.663,0:00:55.055 And he wasn’t ready to die. 0:00:55.055,0:00:58.725 He was young, loved to travel, party, womanize. 0:00:58.725,0:01:04.531 He had also been an atheist and didn’t know what was waiting for him in the after -life. 0:01:04.531,0:01:13.373 With precious time passing by, and several failed attempts for help, Ian finally got an ambulance to take him to the hospital. 0:01:13.373,0:01:17.778 But Ian knew it was probably too late. 0:01:17.778,0:01:22.850 [br]Gordon:
Welcome to the 700 Club, Ian McCormack – Ian it is wonderful to have you. 0:01:22.850,0:01:24.251 [br]McCormack:
Its great to be here. 0:01:24.251,0:01:30.390 [br]Gordon:
Your story is one of the most amazing miracles I have ever heard. 0:01:30.390,0:01:35.829 What was your life like before you got attacked by the jellyfish. 0:01:35.829,0:01:38.298 [br]McCormack:
Very much a non-Christian. 0:01:38.298,0:01:42.836 Partying, traveling, surfing, nightclubs. 0:01:42.836,0:01:48.308 Religion was something that old people involved in, and mother. 0:01:48.308,0:01:54.915 [br]Gordon:
Your mother was a Christian?[br]McCormack:
She was what you would call in the states Episcopalian, or Church of England. 0:01:54.915,0:02:04.525 So I had been brought up as a child in it, but I thought it was for grandmother and old ladies – not for young people. 0:02:04.525,0:02:12.432 [br]Gordon:
Not for you?[br]McCormack:
No, so I went looking at Eastern religions, and traveling – that was what I was doing surfing around the world. 0:02:12.432,0:02:23.177 [br]Gordon:
So you get in your diving, you get stung by FIVE box jellyfish – not just one – but FIVE. 0:02:23.177,0:02:25.779 And one is enough to kill you. 0:02:25.779,0:02:26.843 [br]McCormack:
That’s right. 0:02:26.843,0:02:33.670 [br]Gordon:
And kill you in how long?[br]McCormack:
The quickest I have heard when you have been stung across the throat, around the heart, 3 minutes. 0:02:33.670,0:02:37.457 Many people die within 15-20 minutes. 0:02:37.457,0:02:38.859 Some even 10. 0:02:38.859,0:02:41.128 It depends on what part of the body you are stung on. 0:02:41.128,0:02:44.031 And others have lived up to 1 ½ hours. 0:02:44.031,0:02:48.577 So when I was hurt, the fisherman turned white, and said Ian one of these will kill you. 0:02:48.577,0:02:52.172 So when you see the black Safarian turn white, it is very troubling. 0:02:52.172,0:02:55.309 And I could feel the poison moving quickly into my body. 0:02:55.309,0:02:58.045 I knew I had very little time. 0:02:58.045,0:03:03.016 They got me into the boat and said Ian urinate on your arm We need to get to a hospital immediately. 0:03:03.016,0:03:10.324 So I was frightened, I was very frightened. 0:03:10.324,0:03:20.501 [br]Gordon:
I assume you knew you were dying?[br]McCormack:
The poison was moving so quickly, it was paralyzing right down my right side. 0:03:20.501,0:03:25.339 By the time I got in the ambulance I was completely paralyzed. 0:03:25.339,0:03:28.542 My body went through death rattles. 0:03:28.542,0:03:30.511 It was frightening. 0:03:30.511,0:03:41.655 [br]Gordon:
When did you know that you were actually dead? Because you were…[br]McCormack:
Well as I was going into the hospital in the ambulance, I saw my life flashing before me. 0:03:41.655,0:03:46.162 I thought perhaps I won’t make it, is there life after death. 0:03:46.162,0:03:50.574 And as I am questioning all of these things, my mother appears in a clear vision, in front of me. 0:03:50.574,0:03:52.432 on her knees praying. 0:03:52.432,0:03:56.136 I didn’t realize, but back in New Zealand, she was the only Christian. 0:03:56.136,0:04:01.642 She had just seen God reveal my fate to her and said that your elder son is nearly dead. 0:04:01.642,0:04:14.922 [br]Gordon:
So your mother is alive, she is in New Zealand, she gets a visitation?[br]McCormack:
I would say so, a vision, a clear vision of my face and God audibly speaking to her. 0:04:14.922,0:04:20.093 [br]Gordon:
And he said?[br]McCormack:
Your elder son Ian is nearly dead, start praying for him now. 0:04:20.093,0:04:23.830 [br]Gordon:
And she starts praying? And you and the ambulance. 0:04:23.830,0:04:27.868 [br]McCormack:
See her doing this – and she is saying call out to God. 0:04:27.868,0:04:34.107 No matter how far you are from God you are son – he will forgive you! Call out from your heart. 0:04:34.107,0:04:42.819 I thought – well I don’t believe in God, and it’s too late, how can he forgive me? But I knew my mother was a Christian, and I thought well maybe there is a God. 0:04:42.819,0:04:46.163 If there is, show me your face, help me to pray. 0:04:46.163,0:04:59.909 So suddenly the Lord’s prayer appears in front of me – forgive us our sins – so I asked God to forgive me and forgive others who have sinned against you. 0:04:59.909,0:05:05.506 I thought well I can do that – and God showed me pictures of two faces of people that I had difficulty forgiving. 0:05:05.506,0:05:10.143 I had a chance to forgive them, give your life to the lord, thy will be done. 0:05:10.143,0:05:13.480 [br]Gordon:
All during your adventure to get to the ambulance to the hospital. 0:05:13.480,0:05:15.095 you had been abandoned. 0:05:15.095,0:05:25.092 People didn’t want to pick up dying guy – and do anything for you…[br]McCormack:
One actually pushed me out of his taxi because I didn’t have any money. 0:05:25.092,0:05:29.930 And that was one of the faces – the Indian taxi driver – and God was asking me would you forgive him. 0:05:29.930,0:05:31.798 That’s not easy. 0:05:31.798,0:05:34.568 You can say the words, but to do it from your heart is not that easy. 0:05:34.568,0:05:41.742 But Jesus said if you don’t forgive others who have sinned against you, your heavenly Father will not forgive you of your sins. 0:05:41.742,0:05:44.077 So I thank God that I forgave them. 0:05:44.077,0:05:52.819 (haha) The Lord’s prayer – I prayed from my heart – I felt like weeping, but I was proud – I controlled my emotions. 0:05:52.819,0:05:57.457 The peace that came in has never left me in 28 years. 0:05:57.457,0:06:05.343 [br]Gordon:
What happened next?[br]McCormack:
Well I knew that I had given my heart to God, and there was a peace that had come, but my body was still dying. 0:06:05.343,0:06:08.602 They got me to the hospital and I could feel myself coming out of my body. 0:06:08.602,0:06:16.310 I could hear them talking and saying that is all we can do for you as they shoved an anti toxin serum into me. 0:06:16.310,0:06:23.269 I thought I would stay awake all night, but I had no strength, I felt like I had a machete in my eyes and I thought I would gather more strength. 0:06:23.269,0:06:28.098 As it happened, the machines monitoring my heart flat lined and I was pronounced dead. 0:06:28.098,0:06:54.337 [br]Gordon:
And you heard that?[br]McCormack:
Yeah, and I am out of my body, alive, looking and I am thinking…[br]Gordon:
You heard the flat tones, and you heard a doctor say…[br]McCormack:
They are running to my body, and I am alive out of the body, and you can tell by everything that is happening that I am gone. 0:06:54.337,0:07:10.731 So I am out of their hospital and in complete darkness – so I am like has there been a power cut, have the lights gone out, or have I died? So I am groping around in the darkness looking for a light switch – it is so dark I cannot see my hand in front of my face. 0:07:10.731,0:07:16.674 I bring my hand toward my face and it goes through my face – that is impossible. 0:07:16.674,0:07:20.107 Two hands, both hands, nothing. 0:07:20.107,0:07:30.350 Then I have the terrifying realization that I could be alive out of my body. 0:07:30.350,0:07:38.269 The closest thing I could thing of was that I had met people who had amputations and they could feel their limb was there– phantom pain it is called – the medical term. 0:07:38.269,0:07:53.407 So I am going could my physical body be back in that hospital – where am I? And then I could feel evil – the most intense evil! It was like invisible eyes looking at me, it was like a spiritual darkness. 0:07:53.407,0:07:59.112 I heard men shouting out of the darkness at me saying “Shut up!” I thought – I said nothing. 0:07:59.112,0:08:22.736 Not realizing my inner thought was a speech and they could hear – who turned the lights out – another man “he deserves to be here”, I said “deserves to be where?” – another man in front of me “you’re in hell!” In hell? I didn’t believe in it – you know what I mean? it’s supposed to be a party place, I am wrestling with this whole concept and then I have a realization that this could be hell, could be Hades. 0:08:22.736,0:08:30.210 The next minute I am thinking God has every reason to send me here and yet I reflected on the fact that I had prayed in the ambulance. 0:08:30.210,0:08:35.158 The next minute a radiant light pierces through the darkness and draws me out. 0:08:35.158,0:08:53.700 [br]Gordon:
So you remembered your prayer, and you remembered the peace that the prayer brought, and as soon as you remembered it the light came?[br]McCormack:
Yes – Psalm 23 – the Lord is my shepherd even though I walk through the valley of the shadow death – the Hebrew word is deep darkness – I shall fear no evil. 0:08:53.700,0:08:57.237 So the evil was all around me – but it couldn’t touch me. 0:08:57.237,0:09:03.610 Nothing can separate me from God – neither life nor death. 0:09:03.610,0:09:08.649 Now I didn’t know scripture but after – the scripture just came alive to me – of what actually happened. 0:09:08.649,0:09:15.022 I was walking in darkness and saw a great light, he has delivered me from the king of darkness. 0:09:15.022,0:09:26.846 Now I had seen sunlight come through windows as a child and dust go up in it – and I was like a spec of dust going up – walking in darkness and seen a great light. 0:09:26.846,0:09:35.509 I was being drawn up and saw a tunnel of light – what is that? I am now drawn into this narrow tunnel. 0:09:35.509,0:09:47.921 Jesus said narrow is the way – and I moved down this tunnel at the speed of light – waves of radiance come up – first wave – comfort – I thought that is a living emotion – it’s a living light. 0:09:47.921,0:09:55.229 Another wave – peace – oh the peace of God goes right through me. 0:09:55.229,0:10:00.634 I don’t know what to do. 0:10:00.634,9:59:59.000 Jesus said – I am the Prince of Peace.