WEBVTT 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. 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. 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. 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. 00:00:35.852 --> 00:00:40.674 I could feel the toxin quickly moving up my lymph glands. 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. 00:00:46.254 --> 00:00:49.416 Woman on Video:
Ian was stung by five box jelly fish. 00:00:49.416 --> 00:00:52.663 One can kill a person in four minutes. 00:00:52.663 --> 00:00:55.055 And he wasn’t ready to die. 00:00:55.055 --> 00:00:58.725 He was young, loved to travel, party, womanize. 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. 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. 00:01:13.373 --> 00:01:17.778 But Ian knew it was probably too late. 00:01:17.778 --> 00:01:22.850 Gordon:
Welcome to the 700 Club, Ian McCormack – Ian it is wonderful to have you. 00:01:22.850 --> 00:01:24.251 McCormack:
Its great to be here. 00:01:24.251 --> 00:01:30.390 Gordon:
Your story is one of the most amazing miracles I have ever heard. 00:01:30.390 --> 00:01:35.829 What was your life like before you got attacked by the jellyfish. 00:01:35.829 --> 00:01:38.298 McCormack:
Very much a non-Christian. 00:01:38.298 --> 00:01:42.836 Partying, traveling, surfing, nightclubs. 00:01:42.836 --> 00:01:48.308 Religion was something that old people involved in, and mother. 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. 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. 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. 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. 00:02:23.177 --> 00:02:25.779 And one is enough to kill you. 00:02:25.779 --> 00:02:26.843 McCormack:
That’s right. 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. 00:02:33.670 --> 00:02:37.457 Many people die within 15-20 minutes. 00:02:37.457 --> 00:02:38.859 Some even 10. 00:02:38.859 --> 00:02:41.128 It depends on what part of the body you are stung on. 00:02:41.128 --> 00:02:44.031 And others have lived up to 1 ½ hours. 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. 00:02:48.577 --> 00:02:52.172 So when you see the black Safarian turn white, it is very troubling. 00:02:52.172 --> 00:02:55.309 And I could feel the poison moving quickly into my body. 00:02:55.309 --> 00:02:58.045 I knew I had very little time. 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. 00:03:03.016 --> 00:03:10.324 So I was frightened, I was very frightened. 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. 00:03:20.501 --> 00:03:25.339 By the time I got in the ambulance I was completely paralyzed. 00:03:25.339 --> 00:03:28.542 My body went through death rattles. 00:03:28.542 --> 00:03:30.511 It was frightening. 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. 00:03:41.655 --> 00:03:46.162 I thought perhaps I won’t make it, is there life after death. 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. 00:03:50.574 --> 00:03:52.432 on her knees praying. 00:03:52.432 --> 00:03:56.136 I didn’t realize, but back in New Zealand, she was the only Christian. 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. 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. 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. 00:04:20.093 --> 00:04:23.830 Gordon:
And she starts praying? And you and the ambulance. 00:04:23.830 --> 00:04:27.868 McCormack:
See her doing this – and she is saying call out to God. 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. 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. 00:04:42.819 --> 00:04:46.163 If there is, show me your face, help me to pray. 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. 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. 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. 00:05:10.143 --> 00:05:13.480 Gordon:
All during your adventure to get to the ambulance to the hospital. 00:05:13.480 --> 00:05:15.095 you had been abandoned. 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. 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. 00:05:29.930 --> 00:05:31.798 That’s not easy. 00:05:31.798 --> 00:05:34.568 You can say the words, but to do it from your heart is not that easy. 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. 00:05:41.742 --> 00:05:44.077 So I thank God that I forgave them. 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. 00:05:52.819 --> 00:05:57.457 The peace that came in has never left me in 28 years. 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. 00:06:05.343 --> 00:06:08.602 They got me to the hospital and I could feel myself coming out of my body. 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. 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. 00:06:23.269 --> 00:06:28.098 As it happened, the machines monitoring my heart flat lined and I was pronounced dead. 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. 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. 00:07:10.731 --> 00:07:16.674 I bring my hand toward my face and it goes through my face – that is impossible. 00:07:16.674 --> 00:07:20.107 Two hands, both hands, nothing. 00:07:20.107 --> 00:07:30.350 Then I have the terrifying realization that I could be alive out of my body. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 00:08:30.210 --> 00:08:35.158 The next minute a radiant light pierces through the darkness and draws me out. 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. 00:08:53.700 --> 00:08:57.237 So the evil was all around me – but it couldn’t touch me. 00:08:57.237 --> 00:09:03.610 Nothing can separate me from God – neither life nor death. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 00:09:47.921 --> 00:09:55.229 Another wave – peace – oh the peace of God goes right through me. 00:09:55.229 --> 00:10:00.634 I don’t know what to do. 00:10:00.634 --> 99:59:59.999 Jesus said – I am the Prince of Peace.