1 00:00:00,834 --> 00:00:11,612 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. 2 00:00:11,612 --> 00:00:20,787 Woman on Video:
Ian McCormack loved the ocean, he was an avid diver, but nothing prepared him for what he was about to encounter. 3 00:00:20,787 --> 00:00:27,060 McCormack:
As we dove into the water something smashed into my forearm, it felt like thousands of bolts of electricity. 4 00:00:27,060 --> 00:00:35,852 My whole arm was swollen double its normal size, my arm was blistered where the tentacles had hit me like burn blisters. 5 00:00:35,852 --> 00:00:40,674 I could feel the toxin quickly moving up my lymph glands. 6 00:00:40,674 --> 00:00:46,254 I thought Ian, what on earth have you done in your life to deserve this kind of punishment. 7 00:00:46,254 --> 00:00:49,416 Woman on Video:
Ian was stung by five box jelly fish. 8 00:00:49,416 --> 00:00:52,663 One can kill a person in four minutes. 9 00:00:52,663 --> 00:00:55,055 And he wasn’t ready to die. 10 00:00:55,055 --> 00:00:58,725 He was young, loved to travel, party, womanize. 11 00:00:58,725 --> 00:01:04,531 He had also been an atheist and didn’t know what was waiting for him in the after -life. 12 00:01:04,531 --> 00:01:13,373 With precious time passing by, and several failed attempts for help, Ian finally got an ambulance to take him to the hospital. 13 00:01:13,373 --> 00:01:17,778 But Ian knew it was probably too late. 14 00:01:17,778 --> 00:01:22,850 Gordon:
Welcome to the 700 Club, Ian McCormack – Ian it is wonderful to have you. 15 00:01:22,850 --> 00:01:24,251 McCormack:
Its great to be here. 16 00:01:24,251 --> 00:01:30,390 Gordon:
Your story is one of the most amazing miracles I have ever heard. 17 00:01:30,390 --> 00:01:35,829 What was your life like before you got attacked by the jellyfish. 18 00:01:35,829 --> 00:01:38,298 McCormack:
Very much a non-Christian. 19 00:01:38,298 --> 00:01:42,836 Partying, traveling, surfing, nightclubs. 20 00:01:42,836 --> 00:01:48,308 Religion was something that old people involved in, and mother. 21 00:01:48,308 --> 00:01:54,915 Gordon:
Your mother was a Christian? McCormack:
She was what you would call in the states Episcopalian, or Church of England. 22 00:01:54,915 --> 00:02:04,525 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. 23 00:02:04,525 --> 00:02:12,432 Gordon:
Not for you? McCormack:
No, so I went looking at Eastern religions, and traveling – that was what I was doing surfing around the world. 24 00:02:12,432 --> 00:02:23,177 Gordon:
So you get in your diving, you get stung by FIVE box jellyfish – not just one – but FIVE. 25 00:02:23,177 --> 00:02:25,779 And one is enough to kill you. 26 00:02:25,779 --> 00:02:26,843 McCormack:
That’s right. 27 00:02:26,843 --> 00:02:33,670 Gordon:
And kill you in how long? McCormack:
The quickest I have heard when you have been stung across the throat, around the heart, 3 minutes. 28 00:02:33,670 --> 00:02:37,457 Many people die within 15-20 minutes. 29 00:02:37,457 --> 00:02:38,859 Some even 10. 30 00:02:38,859 --> 00:02:41,128 It depends on what part of the body you are stung on. 31 00:02:41,128 --> 00:02:44,031 And others have lived up to 1 ½ hours. 32 00:02:44,031 --> 00:02:48,577 So when I was hurt, the fisherman turned white, and said Ian one of these will kill you. 33 00:02:48,577 --> 00:02:52,172 So when you see the black Safarian turn white, it is very troubling. 34 00:02:52,172 --> 00:02:55,309 And I could feel the poison moving quickly into my body. 35 00:02:55,309 --> 00:02:58,045 I knew I had very little time. 36 00:02:58,045 --> 00:03:03,016 They got me into the boat and said Ian urinate on your arm We need to get to a hospital immediately. 37 00:03:03,016 --> 00:03:10,324 So I was frightened, I was very frightened. 38 00:03:10,324 --> 00:03:20,501 Gordon:
I assume you knew you were dying? McCormack:
The poison was moving so quickly, it was paralyzing right down my right side. 39 00:03:20,501 --> 00:03:25,339 By the time I got in the ambulance I was completely paralyzed. 40 00:03:25,339 --> 00:03:28,542 My body went through death rattles. 41 00:03:28,542 --> 00:03:30,511 It was frightening. 42 00:03:30,511 --> 00:03:41,655 Gordon:
When did you know that you were actually dead? Because you were… McCormack:
Well as I was going into the hospital in the ambulance, I saw my life flashing before me. 43 00:03:41,655 --> 00:03:46,162 I thought perhaps I won’t make it, is there life after death. 44 00:03:46,162 --> 00:03:50,574 And as I am questioning all of these things, my mother appears in a clear vision, in front of me. 45 00:03:50,574 --> 00:03:52,432 on her knees praying. 46 00:03:52,432 --> 00:03:56,136 I didn’t realize, but back in New Zealand, she was the only Christian. 47 00:03:56,136 --> 00:04:01,642 She had just seen God reveal my fate to her and said that your elder son is nearly dead. 48 00:04:01,642 --> 00:04:14,922 Gordon:
So your mother is alive, she is in New Zealand, she gets a visitation? McCormack:
I would say so, a vision, a clear vision of my face and God audibly speaking to her. 49 00:04:14,922 --> 00:04:20,093 Gordon:
And he said? McCormack:
Your elder son Ian is nearly dead, start praying for him now. 50 00:04:20,093 --> 00:04:23,830 Gordon:
And she starts praying? And you and the ambulance. 51 00:04:23,830 --> 00:04:27,868 McCormack:
See her doing this – and she is saying call out to God. 52 00:04:27,868 --> 00:04:34,107 No matter how far you are from God you are son – he will forgive you! Call out from your heart. 53 00:04:34,107 --> 00:04:42,819 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. 54 00:04:42,819 --> 00:04:46,163 If there is, show me your face, help me to pray. 55 00:04:46,163 --> 00:04:59,909 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. 56 00:04:59,909 --> 00:05:05,506 I thought well I can do that – and God showed me pictures of two faces of people that I had difficulty forgiving. 57 00:05:05,506 --> 00:05:10,143 I had a chance to forgive them, give your life to the lord, thy will be done. 58 00:05:10,143 --> 00:05:13,480 Gordon:
All during your adventure to get to the ambulance to the hospital. 59 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:15,095 you had been abandoned. 60 00:05:15,095 --> 00:05:25,092 People didn’t want to pick up dying guy – and do anything for you… McCormack:
One actually pushed me out of his taxi because I didn’t have any money. 61 00:05:25,092 --> 00:05:29,930 And that was one of the faces – the Indian taxi driver – and God was asking me would you forgive him. 62 00:05:29,930 --> 00:05:31,798 That’s not easy. 63 00:05:31,798 --> 00:05:34,568 You can say the words, but to do it from your heart is not that easy. 64 00:05:34,568 --> 00:05:41,742 But Jesus said if you don’t forgive others who have sinned against you, your heavenly Father will not forgive you of your sins. 65 00:05:41,742 --> 00:05:44,077 So I thank God that I forgave them. 66 00:05:44,077 --> 00:05:52,819 (haha) The Lord’s prayer – I prayed from my heart – I felt like weeping, but I was proud – I controlled my emotions. 67 00:05:52,819 --> 00:05:57,457 The peace that came in has never left me in 28 years. 68 00:05:57,457 --> 00:06:05,343 Gordon:
What happened next? 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. 69 00:06:05,343 --> 00:06:08,602 They got me to the hospital and I could feel myself coming out of my body. 70 00:06:08,602 --> 00:06:16,310 I could hear them talking and saying that is all we can do for you as they shoved an anti toxin serum into me. 71 00:06:16,310 --> 00:06:23,269 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. 72 00:06:23,269 --> 00:06:28,098 As it happened, the machines monitoring my heart flat lined and I was pronounced dead. 73 00:06:28,098 --> 00:06:54,337 Gordon:
And you heard that? McCormack:
Yeah, and I am out of my body, alive, looking and I am thinking… Gordon:
You heard the flat tones, and you heard a doctor say… 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. 74 00:06:54,337 --> 00:07:10,731 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. 75 00:07:10,731 --> 00:07:16,674 I bring my hand toward my face and it goes through my face – that is impossible. 76 00:07:16,674 --> 00:07:20,107 Two hands, both hands, nothing. 77 00:07:20,107 --> 00:07:30,350 Then I have the terrifying realization that I could be alive out of my body. 78 00:07:30,350 --> 00:07:38,269 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. 79 00:07:38,269 --> 00:07:53,407 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. 80 00:07:53,407 --> 00:07:59,112 I heard men shouting out of the darkness at me saying “Shut up!” I thought – I said nothing. 81 00:07:59,112 --> 00:08:22,736 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. 82 00:08:22,736 --> 00:08:30,210 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. 83 00:08:30,210 --> 00:08:35,158 The next minute a radiant light pierces through the darkness and draws me out. 84 00:08:35,158 --> 00:08:53,700 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? 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. 85 00:08:53,700 --> 00:08:57,237 So the evil was all around me – but it couldn’t touch me. 86 00:08:57,237 --> 00:09:03,610 Nothing can separate me from God – neither life nor death. 87 00:09:03,610 --> 00:09:08,649 Now I didn’t know scripture but after – the scripture just came alive to me – of what actually happened. 88 00:09:08,649 --> 00:09:15,022 I was walking in darkness and saw a great light, he has delivered me from the king of darkness. 89 00:09:15,022 --> 00:09:26,846 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. 90 00:09:26,846 --> 00:09:35,509 I was being drawn up and saw a tunnel of light – what is that? I am now drawn into this narrow tunnel. 91 00:09:35,509 --> 00:09:47,921 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. 92 00:09:47,921 --> 00:09:55,229 Another wave – peace – oh the peace of God goes right through me. 93 00:09:55,229 --> 00:10:00,634 I don’t know what to do. 94 00:10:00,634 --> 99:59:59,999 Jesus said – I am the Prince of Peace.