Content from 10/27/23 & 10/28/23 interview of Gabriel Pippin by Branden Edward Shumate (not Ai):
Let’s get to the story, how Gabe’s decision to turn to Scripture for answers revealed THE TANGIBLE POWER OF GOD. I’ve been working with Gabe to see what his testimony might be. In the process of making notes for him, a detour. Something happened just before I got here, when I heard it, I had to put almost everything else on hold and put this together. After over twenty years in prison, Gabe tells me this story beginning with “As God has promised not to leave us or forsake us, this Christian life will not be without obstacles.” Gabe told me about this other prisoner who was questioning the Bible. Gabe would answer his questions and share Scripture with him (2023). The guy was searching but angry. His desire to blend Muslim and Buddhist beliefs with biblical Christian faith was driving him into deep crisis, apparently at the realization nobody can have the Father without the Son (1 John 2:23 & 5:10—12). Month after month of Gabe enduring the man’s crisis, he began trying to take advantage of Gabe through his patients. From there it went on to persecution. The guy was harassing and slandering Gabe repeatedly, even to prison staff. The false accusations were against Gabe’s 21-year drug-free and violence free prison record, a real threat to him ever having a chance at going home. Things got worse, the guy began to walk by and kick Gabe’s cell door, call him out, and get in his face out on the yard. Gabe felt he was at the end of everything he could do. He knew he could not revert back to old thinking; violence was not an option he was willing to succumb to. Gabe says he realized that when we’re at the end of things and we believe there is nowhere to turn, “ITS REALLY A FAITH PROBLEM, ITS A FAITH ISSUE, SO I PICKED UP MY BIBLE.”
Believing God, Gabe set out to FAST & PRAY for several days. Gabe told a Christian friend what he was going to do. To Gabe’s surprise his buddy quickly jumped on board saying he would fast with him. Only water, no food for several days, while praying together through the fast. They prayed “Lord please change this mans heart, please help us, we’ve shared the Gospel with him, he knows what it is, but if he won’t stop, we pray you’ll rise up against this adversary” (imprecatory prayer). These type of prayers went on through the fast as they waited on God to come through, His way. …After several days of fasting, it was time for Gabe and his friend to break the fast. So they got their bowls of food ready and came out to enjoy breaking the fast together. As soon as they did, alarm went off and the prison yard went down, a fight, someone took-off on Gabe’s problem, the guy who’d been causing him so much trouble. A tangible answer from God. Its like king David said, “Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4)
Soon after, Gabe was sitting at a table minding his business weaving bracelets. Lo and behold here comes dude, lumped up and still cooling off from pepper spray. Gabe says, “I was like what now?” The guy says, “Gabe I have something to say to you.” Gabe responded, “Go ahead, speak your mind.” The guy pipes up VERY LOUDLY announcing to the huge common area with prisoners all over: “Everybody listen up, I’ve got something to say. Gabe Pippin, I apologize to you, I was wrong, I did wrong, you are a man of God, I wasn’t treating you right, I know this is from God, I’m sorry.” Gabe tried to quiet him by suggesting he didn’t have to do this. The guy said that since he shamed Gabe publicly, he wanted to make a public apology, that he also said, “I don’t want no problems, I know that came from God.”
Gabe said the JOY that him and his buddy experienced was intense and lasting. He said they didn’t gloat at the affliction the man suffered, but REJOICED IN KNOWING WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT GOD SHOWED HIS POWER.
